The Apostles Creed | Jesus Christ Conceived of the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary.
I believe in Jesus Christ, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.
Jesus, the second person of the Trinity as the eternally begotten son of God, has dual natures as both fully human and fully God. Throughout history, there have been numerous attempts to explain this nature and how they relate to one another. Some of attempted to say that Jesus is simply half of each but this would imply parts of Jesus are not divine and parts are not human. Some of sought to say that the divinity of Jesus Christ came at the time of His baptism by John the Baptist and it was only then that He obtained or realized His true divinity. Some have reduced Jesus to a good human example while even others have denied the humanity of Jesus Christ as a mere illusion and act.
The Apostles Creed takes the evidence stance that scripture proclaims; Jesus is fully God and fully man. The divinity of Jesus Christ comes from the conception of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, a creation different than all others. Everyone else came as the result of human flawed parents carrying the sin nature with them in their offspring. The coming of Christ did not come from human intention or ability but of the will of God expressed in the world. While Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus took on flesh to be with people representing the redemption of the flesh by a perfect God who eagerly seeks to be with his people. Jesus is both fully God and fully man, and the two natures of Jesus Christ work in full unison with one another.
Divine Origin
Jesus had not always been incarnate in the flesh, even though He always existed before the beginning of time and all creation. Thus, as we talk about the origin of Jesus, we do so slightly tongue in cheek. Jesus always existed as God the Son who always existed, being eternally “begotten” not made. While the Jesus took on flesh at a very specific time during the history of humanity, we must be willing to uphold the fully divinity of Jesus Christ in the process. Jesus was sent by the Father and conceived by the Holy Spirit. The fullness of the divinity took on flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. God did not remain far off from people but instead came to be with mankind. “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” (Hebrews 1:3-4, ESV) We worship Jesus because He is the incarnation of God fully worthy of all worship, honor, and praise for all times. He did not become God or have the mantle of God thrust upon Him at a specific age like some did, but always maintained His divinity throughout all creation. He was present at the beginning of time and will continue throughout all eternity as the Son of God, fully God in all He is.
It is precisely this divine identity that allows for Jesus to represent mankind to the Father. “Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.” (Hebrews 8:1-2, ESV) Only God can rightfully rule over all creation and no one can enter into eternity without being identified with the Son of God. If Jesus was only human, then his sacrifice would simply be the work of a flawed human being, deserving of the death He received as apart from God have sinned. The divinity of God, shown by the conception of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, establishes the other worldly nature of Jesus Christ. Sin separated mankind from God. Yet, God bridged the gap on behalf of the people by bringing His divinity to be with the people in order that they could be made righteous and redeemed through the work of a perfect Savior.
Human Origin
Yet, as important at the divinity of Jesus Christ is, we cannot emphasis the divinity at the expense of the humanity. Both are vital to a Christian’s understanding of the person of Jesus Christ. He is both fully God and fully man contained in the one person, Jesus Christ. While Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit, demonstrating His divine origin, the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ as a demonstration of His human nature. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16, ESV) Jesus, as fully man shows us that when are in Him, we have been freed from the power of sin. Throughout the entirety of the Old Testament, mankind sought after the perfect Savior who could fully meet the righteous requirements of the law. The person of Jesus Christ reveals the perfection that comes from Christ alone. Everything we experience, the temptations, pains, and difficulties of being human, Christ willingly endured for our sake so that we could be with Him forever.
The full humanity of Jesus Christ demonstrates Jesus’ desire to be with His people. The divine God wrapped Himself in flesh to be among His people and draw us all to Himself. “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:14-18, ESV) Jesus needed to take on flesh in order to serve as the proper propitiation of our sins. The wages of sin is death. Jesus, with His death on the cross, bore the full weight of our sin with the shedding of His blood so that we might be forgiven of our sins and be with God forever. Where the divinity of Jesus allows for Jesus to stand before the Father and advocate on our behalf, the humanity of Jesus wrestles the power away from sin and death so that we might be made righteous and stand with Jesus Christ in eternity by the shedding of His blood on the cross.
