This wonderful person, Jesus Christ, was conceived of the Holy Spirit of God in the womb of a chaste virgin. His source was on the one hand God and on the other hand man. According to the biblical sense, the Holy Spirit of God is simply God Himself. Therefore, His being conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of a chaste virgin was the coming of God Himself into this chaste virgin to be conceived. Surely this conception had the two elements of God and man; with the Holy Spirit there was the element of God, and with the virgin there was the element of man. Hence, the result of this conception was that a God-man was produced.
The Lord Jesus Christ was born with two natures, the divine nature and the human nature. He has not only the divine nature but also the human nature; He has both natures, divinity and humanity, at the same time. This word “nature” not only indicates His nature, but even more it denotes His essence. The essences of Jesus Christ are His two natures: the divine and the human. He is a God-man, One who is constituted with the divine nature and the human nature, that is, the divine essence plus the human essence. Therefore, He is both the complete God and the perfect Man. As God, He is completely God; as man, He is really a man. He is a God-man, a mingling of God and man. Any conception is a mingling. In the conception of Jesus Christ there were two essences, the divine essence and the human essence. The two essences were not only added together; they were mingled together. Therefore, what was produced was a God-man.
Luke 2:1-3 says, “Now it came about in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus for all the inhabited earth to be enrolled. This first enrollment took place when Quirinius governed Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city.” It was sovereign of God that such a decree was issued during the reign of Caesar Augustus. By this enrollment Mary and Joseph were brought from Nazareth to Bethlehem so that Christ might be born there for the fulfillment of the prophecy in the Old Testament (Micah 5:2). Luke 2:4-5 says, “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was out of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, who was espoused to him and was pregnant.” Apart from the decree of Caesar Augustus, it might not have been possible for Mary and Joseph to go from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Such a move was necessary for the fulfillment of the prophecy that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem.
Micah 5:2 prophesied clearly that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem of Judea; then, in due time, under God’s sovereign arrangement and leading, Christ was born there. Matthew recorded this particular prophecy (which was omitted in the other three Gospels), especially to prove that the child Jesus was born a descendant of David to be the legal heir to his throne.
Luke 2:7 says, “And she gave birth to her son, the firstborn; and she wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” The life of the Lord Jesus began with a manger, in the lowliest estate. Due to the occupancy of the busy activities of fallen mankind, there was no room for Him in the inn, so that He had to be laid in a manger. We may say that the manger is a symbol of His human living.
There were shepherds in Bethlehem, living in the fields and keeping the nightwatches over their flock. And an angel of the Lord stood by them and said to them, “I bring you good news of great joy, which will be to all the people, because a Savior was born to you today in David’s city, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:8-11). This good news of great joy was announced to all people, not only to the Jewish people but to all of mankind.
The angel went on to say, “And this is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12). A baby in a manger, signifying smallness in lowliness, was a sign of the Lord’s life. Nevertheless, this little baby was the mighty God (Isa. 9:6).