Most Christians grasp the fact that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was crucified for our sins, and rose again to ascend into heaven. This is laid out throughout the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. While that sounds simple and straightforward, His life was spiritually complex and interwoven with significant details that we often overlook.
Matthew introduces Christ’s birth by saying, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1:18). The fact that He was born of the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is vital. Being conceived of the Holy Spirit, enabled Him to be born without the stain of Adam’s sin. Had Jesus been born of two human parents, He would have been under the same umbrella of original sin as the rest of us. This is how Jesus can relate to us in that He suffered as we do but He remained sinless (Hebrews 4:15). The perfection of Christ also allowed Him to be the sufficient sacrifice for our sin.
The sinless life of Christ was another testament that He is truly the Son of God. In Matthew 16 Pharisees and Sadducees wanted to test Jesus. They requested a miracle from Him to prove His authority. Jesus rebuked them by saying, “It is the evil and sinful people who want to see a miracle as a sign from God. But no miracle will be done to prove anything to them. The only sign will be the miracle that happened to Jonah” (v. 4). Many doubted the authority of Christ but His sinless life was a testament to His legitimacy.
The crucifixion has many complex details about it. The first fascinating fact is that His sacrifice was prophesied for centuries prior to the actual birth in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2 says that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Isaiah 7:14 says that Jesus with be born of a virgin. Psalm 78 predicts that the Messiah would speak in parables. The prophecies that were fulfilled in the New Testament are in the hundreds. The fact that Christ’s birth, life, and death were prophesied centuries before they actually happened is truly a miracle.
In 1 Corinthian 15 Paul says regarding Jesus’ resurrection, “Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.” This fact is significant. Imagine a court case where someone is being accused of a crime. What if there were 500 people that witnessed this crime take place? Wouldn’t that be enough to convince you? This is what happened with Christ’s resurrection. Hundreds of people saw Him alive after His death. The disciple Mark wrote an account where he and fellow disciples watched as Jesus ascended into heaven after speaking about the Great Commission (Mark 16:14-20).
While we can all recite the gospel story and recall Jesus' life, it is important to grasp the complexity that was the Son of God. The life of Jesus Christ was and still is powerful, poignant, and immersed in the divinity of the Godhead.
