…The last Adam became a life-giving spirit… The second Man is the Lord from heaven. (1 Cor. 15:45, 47)
…Who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. (Heb. 7:16)
To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies {the world, the flesh and the devil}, Might serve Him without fear {of remaining bound by the carnal nature}, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. (Luke 1:74-75)
The first man was Adam, and he entered into spiritual death. The Last Adam was Christ, and He came to raise the spiritually dead and give His endless life to each of His disciples. “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4:9)
Had God not intervened by providing a new life from heaven, the family of Adam would have been without hope. There was no way for fallen man to escape from his sinful nature and raise himself out of spiritual death.
Right here we can see why the virgin birth was necessary. Had Jesus Christ been born as you and I were born, by natural conception through the line of Adam, He too would have been “in Adam.” It would have naturally left Him in spiritual death, uninhabited by the divine life of God, and dominated by the flesh-life. This is why the doctrine of the virgin birth is not a matter of secondary importance. It is imperative!
Because the Last Adam {Jesus Christ}, the Second Man, came from the line of His own Father in heaven, and He lived without ever departing from a walk of faith {He lived without sin. “…for whatever is not from faith is sin.” (Rom. 14:23)}, He now has the right to impart His spiritual life from heaven to everyone who will follow Him through the cross. (Matt. 16:24-25) As the Son of God, He was sent into the world to manifest His Kingdom-life through everyone who is willing to die to their Adam-life. He now has both the power and the authority to make Himself known within the soul of every believer in “the power of an endless life.” (Heb. 7:16)
The Son of God came to re-inhabit your spirit and to re-conquer your soul. He has come to enable you to have His life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10) As He has said, “Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
The Son of God came to restore to you all that makes the mystery of godliness an open secret: He came to manifest His own life through the temple of your body! This is “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you…” (Col. 1:26-27 Emphasis added)
In addition to giving birth to Jesus, Mary also became a spiritual type for everyone who desires to bear the life of God’s Son. What were the events that led up to the miraculous birth of Christ? How was Mary able to bear the heavenly life of the Son?
It began with God’s Word being faithfully delivered by a messenger “sent by God.” (Luke 1:26) The Word she received was both strange and startling. It was contrary to all human experience and beyond anything the mind could fully comprehend. Since the message defied human wisdom, would she believe God’s word?
Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest… And He will reign…and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33 Emphasis added)
The natural reaction of Mary was one of amazement. The obvious question to be asked and to be answered was “How?” And so Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” (Luke 1:34) The angel might have responded something like this, “Mary, there is no way to explain this mystery in human terms!” ‘But the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.’ (Luke 1:35) He will do a work that causes you to bear the life of the Son of God.”
Mary would be a mere instrument. The almighty power of God would perform the miracle. But was that enough? No! One condition still needed to be met! Mary had to make herself available for this gracious, life-giving ministry of the Spirit.
Maybe you have taken it for granted that Mary would make herself available to God and thereby permit Him to do this wonderful work through her. Is there any reason why you should think this way? Have you made yourself available in a way that would permit the Spirit to overshadow you? Have you given permission to God to use your body for His purposes? Have you been willing to become “nothing” in yourself so the Son would be able to “reign” over your life and show Himself “great” through you? Is there any reason why you should expect her to do something that you have not permitted God to do through you?
Mary could have said, “I do not want God to interfere in my life! I am engaged to be married and I have my own plans! This would spoil what I have planned for my own life.” Isn’t this what has kept you from surrendering your life and plans to become a vessel of the Son’s life? Remember, as the Son of the Highest, “He will reign” when He has established His Kingdom-life within your heart. And when He comes to manifest Himself through your body, He is the only one who can “be great.”
Of course, Mary was a true child of faith! She said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) Once she yielded to God’s word, and trusted in Him to do the work, the responsibility was on God to fulfill His purposes through her. She trusted and yielded; God used His power to do the work.
We should emphasize, however, that it is never easy to bear the life of the Son. “Difficult is the way which leads to life.” (Matt. 7:14) Mary would be expected to go through some suffering before she gave birth to the life of the Son. After spiritual regeneration had taken place, when the seed of divine life was first planted within her by the Spirit, there were still many difficulties to pass through. But she continued to trust in God and wait for the life of promise to come forth.
Christians today, if they are to become vessels of the Son’s Kingdom-life, will also go through periods of suffering before the Son can display His life of divine love through their mortal bodies. It is like giving birth to a child. After being impregnated with a “seed” from the Son’s life, there will inevitably be a number of difficult trials leading up to the painful birth of His Kingdom-life from above.
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus , after you have suffered a while {in dying to the self-seeking and self-sufficient ways of the world}, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. (1 Pet. 5:10 Emphasis added))
Every Christian is expected to press forward in their faith until they have given birth to the Lord’s Kingdom-life from heaven. “He will reign…and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:33) His Kingdom-life, once established within the heart, becomes an everlasting life.
The law and the prophets were until John {the Baptist}. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. (Luke 16:16 Emphasis added)
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you {as Christians} do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star {Jesus Christ in His Kingdom-life} rises in your hearts. (2 Pet. 1:10-11, 19 Emphasis added)
