Why did Jesus have to be born?
The doctrine of the Trinity teaches that the three persons of the Godhead are co-equal and co-eternal, and that Jesus was God the Son and existed in eternity past in a state and standing equal to that of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
If that is true, then why would Jesus have to be born of a virgin? Jesus’ mission was to fulfill the law, be the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin and become the savior of all mankind. So why not just come down in his co-equal state, announce his presence and get on with his ministry?
Why reduce himself to a fetus, go through the gestation period, be born and go through childhood and the process of growing up to manhood?
And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.
Luke 2:52 (REV)
If Jesus was, in eternity past, co-equal with the other members of the Godhead, what possible need was there for him to increase in wisdom and stature, and increase in God’s favor?
When the angel of the Lord came to Joseph to explain the circumstances surrounding Mary’s condition he announces in Matthew 1:20 the following:
But while he was thinking about these things, Look!, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to favorably accept Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 1:20 (REV)
The Greek word translated “conceived” in verse 20 is gennao, which according to the BDAG lexicon refers to the natural process of becoming a parent, to beget offspring, the natural process of procreation.
If Jesus existed in eternity past, how could he be procreated? And at what stage of pregnancy did God the Son enter Mary’s fallopian tube or womb? Was it at the sperm, zygote, embryo or fetus stage, or at the point of full dilation?
After the fall of mankind in the garden of God’s desire (Eden), God speaks to Satan His intent to rectify the fallen state of mankind and His creation:
I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”
Genesis 3:15 (REV)
“Seed” in verse 15 refers to offspring. The woman’s offspring would become the savior of the world. This agrees with the rest of the passage in Matthew 1:21-25. It all speaks of the natural godly designed process of reproduction. But in this case of Jesus’ birth, Yahweh Himself created the sperm cell, one of perfect design, that impregnated Mary’s ovum which resulted in the birth of a son.
God had to impregnate Mary via a sperm that would fertilize Mary’s ovum in order for Jesus to be a legitimate “Son of David.” If Jesus was placed in an intact state inside Mary such that Mary was only a surrogate mother, then Jesus was not really a “Son of David,” and if he wasn’t, then he did not need to be “born” at all—as stated before, he could’ve skipped the fetus stage entirely. In fact, he simply could have walked out of the desert and started gathering disciples! But Jesus was not only a Son of David genetically, he was a fully human being. And that is a very important thing. Why?
Because the fall and resulting sinful condition of God’s creation came about by the actions of man, a human being. The redemption of the same had to be achieved by the actions of a man, a human being also (see Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:21 & 22).
Trinitarian doctrine states that Jesus had to become man in order to experience the human condition and learn what it was to be human. But if Jesus was co-equal and co-eternal with the other two parts of the Godhead and had a part in or at the least witnessed the creation of mankind and the subsequent fall, how then, being God the Son, did he not already understand the human condition and the sinful human nature?
If he was God the Son co-existing in eternity past and co-equal with God the Father (which would include knowledge, understanding etc.) he certainly would have witnessed the fall of Lucifer and would have understood the results of rebellion against God.
Is it so hard to believe that a man, a human being who was made a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:9) just as the rest of mankind (Psalm 8:4 & 5) could so live his life to discipline himself to obey God, his Father, do His will, fulfill the prophecies, fulfill the law and by his own will be the final Passover lamb, the quintessential sacrifice for sin?
This does not denigrate our Lord, but in fact it elevates Jesus of Nazareth to the rightful position given to him by his Father Yahweh, that of both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). And it allows Yahweh to occupy the position He deserves, that of the creator, the LORD our God, the only one.
14Now since the children participate fully in blood and flesh, in a similar way he also himself shared the same so that through death he could make ineffective the one who holds the power of death, that is, the Devil,e
15and free all those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death.
16Indeed, it hardly needs to be said that he did not come to help angels, but to give help to the seed of Abraham.
17This being the case, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect in order to become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, so that he could wipe away the sins of the people.
18For since he himself was tempted in that which he suffered, he is able to help those who are tempted.
Hebrews 2:14-18 (REV)