The Uniqueness Of Christ's Birth
Stories
Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit
Series V, Cycle C
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (vv. 1-7)
In July of 1978, Louise Brown was born in England weighing five pounds and twelve ounces. Her birth was announced around the world, and she was immediately famous. However, her fame wasn't caused by famous parents or anything like that. The birth itself wasn't what thrust her into the news. Her fame centered on the fact that she was conceived outside the human body. Little Louise Brown was the first "test-tube baby."
Since then, in-vitro fertilization has become quite common. What was unthinkable forty years ago and news breaking thirty years ago is now too commonplace to be miraculous. In-vitro conception occurs by a male seed fertilizing a female egg. Birth occurs normally. The only difference is the place of conception.
Scientists have continued to experiment with other amazing techniques to enable conception and birth by other than natural means. For example, sperm and eggs are frozen and then later thawed to conceive an in-vitro fetus even after years of dormancy.
For years, scientists have experimented with parthenogenesis. The name comes from two Greek words, parthenos, meaning "virgin," and genesis, meaning "beginning" or "birth." Literally, then, parthenogenesis is the science of virgin birth. Laboratory experiments have revealed that in some cases parthenogentic life can be created in some animals. Among honeybees, for example, the unfertilized eggs develop naturally into drones. Artificial parthenogenesis has been used to produce silkworms since 1888. Many forms of invertebrates and plants may be reproduced by parthenogenesis in laboratory experiments.
But parthenogenesis can reproduce only genetically identical species. For example, frog eggs might be stimulated to develop by parthenogenesis into living frogs, but all of them will be female frogs genetically identical to the mother who laid the eggs. Also, parthenogenesis, cloning, and other experimental forms of reproduction have all proved impossible on the human level.
Commenting on all this, John MacArthur writes: "Even in the face of modern science, Christ's conception remains unique. Science can never explain how a virgin, a woman who had never had a sexual relationship with a man, could give birth to a male child. It was a miracle of God, the greatest miracle of conception the world has ever known."
(John F. MacArthur, The Miracle of Christmas [Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1989])
In July of 1978, Louise Brown was born in England weighing five pounds and twelve ounces. Her birth was announced around the world, and she was immediately famous. However, her fame wasn't caused by famous parents or anything like that. The birth itself wasn't what thrust her into the news. Her fame centered on the fact that she was conceived outside the human body. Little Louise Brown was the first "test-tube baby."
Since then, in-vitro fertilization has become quite common. What was unthinkable forty years ago and news breaking thirty years ago is now too commonplace to be miraculous. In-vitro conception occurs by a male seed fertilizing a female egg. Birth occurs normally. The only difference is the place of conception.
Scientists have continued to experiment with other amazing techniques to enable conception and birth by other than natural means. For example, sperm and eggs are frozen and then later thawed to conceive an in-vitro fetus even after years of dormancy.
For years, scientists have experimented with parthenogenesis. The name comes from two Greek words, parthenos, meaning "virgin," and genesis, meaning "beginning" or "birth." Literally, then, parthenogenesis is the science of virgin birth. Laboratory experiments have revealed that in some cases parthenogentic life can be created in some animals. Among honeybees, for example, the unfertilized eggs develop naturally into drones. Artificial parthenogenesis has been used to produce silkworms since 1888. Many forms of invertebrates and plants may be reproduced by parthenogenesis in laboratory experiments.
But parthenogenesis can reproduce only genetically identical species. For example, frog eggs might be stimulated to develop by parthenogenesis into living frogs, but all of them will be female frogs genetically identical to the mother who laid the eggs. Also, parthenogenesis, cloning, and other experimental forms of reproduction have all proved impossible on the human level.
Commenting on all this, John MacArthur writes: "Even in the face of modern science, Christ's conception remains unique. Science can never explain how a virgin, a woman who had never had a sexual relationship with a man, could give birth to a male child. It was a miracle of God, the greatest miracle of conception the world has ever known."
(John F. MacArthur, The Miracle of Christmas [Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1989])
