Meditation Monday #7: The Apostles Creed:
"I believe in ...Jesus Christ...who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary" and Lord's Day 14 (Heidelberg Catechism)
(You can listen to the episode by this same title on my YouTube Channel at: https://youtu.be/lXC1lvN2hTM )
The Creed says, "I believe in Jesus Christ... who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary..."The Heidelberg Catechism 35 explains...
"What do you confess when you say:
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
The eternal Son of God,
who is and remains true and eternal God,
took upon himself true human nature
from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary,
through the working of the Holy Spirit.
Thus he is also the true seed of David,
and like his brothers in every respect,
yet without sin. "
In this regard, Ursinus wrote: "Christ was miraculously conceived in the womb of the Virgin, by the immediate action, or operation of the Holy Ghost, without the seed and substance of man, so that his human nature was formed from his mother alone, contrary to the order of things which God has established in nature, as it is said, "The power of the Highest shall overshadow thee." (Luke 1:35.) "
He goes on: "The Holy Ghost miraculously sanctified that which was conceived and produced in the womb of the Virgin, so that original sin did not attach itself to that which was thus formed; for it did not become the Word, the Son of God, to assume a nature polluted with sin, for the following reasons: 1. That he might be a pure sacrifice; for it behooved him to make satisfaction for sin. 2. That he might also, by his purity, sanctify others. 3. That we might know that whatever the Son says is truth; for that which is born of flesh, which is sinful, and not sanctified, is flesh, falsehood and vanity."
And of the virgin birth, he writes:
"...He was born of the Virgin Mary. It behooved the Messiah to be born of the Virgin according to the predictions of the prophets, that he might be a High Priest without sin, and the type or figure of our spiritual regeneration, which is not of the will of flesh, but of God. Hence it is added in the Creed, that Christ was born of the Virgin Mary: 1. That the truth of the human nature assumed by the Son of God might thus be signified, that is to say, that Christ was conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, and was born a true man from the substance of Mary his mother; or, the flesh of Christ, although miraculously conceived, was nevertheless taken, and born of the Virgin. 2. That we may know that Christ has descended from the fathers from whom Mary also was, that is to say, that he was the true seed of Abraham, being born from his seed, and that he was the Son of David, being born from the daughter of David, according to the prophecies and promises. 3. That we may know that the Scriptures are fulfilled, which declared, "Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son." "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." (Is. 7:14. Gen. 3:15.) From this fulfillment of prophecy, by which it was foretold that Christ should be born of a Virgin of the family of David, and that by a miraculous conception, which the prophets did in a manner foretell, it is most clearly manifest that this man Jesus, born of the Virgin, is the promised Messiah, or the Christ, the redeemer of the human race. 4. That we may know that Christ was sanctified in the womb of the Virgin, by the power of the Holy Ghost, and is, therefore, pure and without sin. 5. That we may know that there is an analogy between the nativity of Christ, and the regeneration of the faithful; for the birth of Christ of the Virgin is a sign of our spiritual regeneration, which is not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
And Heidelberg Catechism 36 goes on to discuss the ways in which this mediation benefits us.
"What benefit do you receive
from the holy conception and birth of Christ?
He is our Mediator,
and with his innocence and perfect holiness
covers, in the sight of God,
my sin, in which I was conceived and born."
What is a mediator? Blue Letter Bible defines it this way: "A mediator is, as the name suggests (and as the Greek word used for mediator, mesites, literally means) “the one who mediates or stands in the middle”. Thus, a mediator is one who has links with two opposing sides. He sympathizes with both and is trusted by both. And as the assigned “middle man”, he represents each side to the other with the goal of mending a broken relationship."
With regard to Jesus Christ, our Mediator, Caspar Olevianus adds: "
So we understand and believe that Jesus Christ is a real, historical man. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and the virgin to fulfill prophesy as the Serpent Crusher from Genesis 3, the seed of Abraham and the root of David, and He is for us the long-awatied Messiah, Mediator and Advocate. We believe and can have no doubt that He is all our salvation and all our peace with God. He has reconciled us to God by His perfect, one and only sacrifice. He has actively and passively fulfilled all righteousness on our behalf and ever lives to make intercession for us.
12. Q. Since, according to God's righteous judgment
we deserve temporal and eternal punishment,
how can we escape this punishment
and be again received into favour?
A.God demands that his justice be satisfied.
Therefore we must make full payment,
either by ourselves or through another.
13. Q.Can we by ourselves make this payment?
A. Certainly not.
On the contrary, we daily increase our debt.
14. Q. Can any mere creature pay for us?
A. No.
In the first place,
God will not punish another creature
for the sin which man has committed.
Furthermore,
no mere creature can sustain
the burden of God's eternal wrath against sin
and deliver others from it.
15. Q. What kind of mediator and deliverer
must we seek?
A. One who is a true
and righteous
man,
and yet more powerful than all creatures;
that is, one who is at the same time true God.
Based on the truths covered in this post, we can come to no other conclusion and can come to no other understanding than that Jesus Christ is our only Mediator. Thanks be to God for the work He's accomplished for us in being conceived of the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin.
Sources:
*The Apostles Creed
*The Heidelberg Catechism
*The Commentary of Dr. Zacharias Ursinus on The Heidelberg Catechism
*The Blue Letter Bible
*Exposition of the Apostles Creed: Caspar Olevianus
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