Immaculate Conception
How did the Immaculate Conception occur in the Holy Virgin? Just think about it: Virgo conception. I mean, the Mother of God was a maiden. She didn't know her husband.
Some will say that this is all fiction and this cannot happen. It is difficult to take something for granted, especially in our time, when there is practically no trust and faith left. Nevertheless, for any Christian, conception by the Mother of God is one of the most important aspects of faith.
There is a wonderful poem by nun Maria (Mernova) on this topic. Here's an excerpt:
In a wonderful way, unnatural for us.
In the most honest, brightest and virgin womb.
He was born - the Divine Son,
Mira Lord. Master of us all.
That is, conception occurred miraculously. The fact that after him Maria remained innocent is enough. How so? How did it all happen?
Nobody will tell us this. The Immaculate Conception is a mystery. Perhaps in the next world everything will open up and become clear. There is a version that the Holy Spirit descended on the Virgin Mary while She was sleeping. Whether this was so is unknown.
Terminology
In Russian-language literature, the phrase “immaculate conception” is used in relation to two completely different doctrines (the immaculate conception of Jesus Christ and the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary). Despite the coincidence of the words “immaculate conception” in these two Russian terms, they have different meanings - in the case of the immaculate conception of Jesus Christ, it means a seedless conception by a virgin, and in the case of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary, it means conception from ordinary parents, in which the child is completely protected from original sin[2]. The use of the phrase “immaculate conception” in both cases is specific to the Russian language; in most other world languages, the corresponding doctrines have different names (for example, in Latin “Virginalis conceptio” and “Immaculata conceptio”).
Annunciation
The Immaculate Conception is something that is hidden from the human mind. We cannot comprehend this miracle with our minds.
How is the Feast of the Annunciation connected with the conception and birth of the Savior? In the most direct way. Let's remember the history of the holiday.
The Mother of God was sinless from a young age. But, due to her humility, she could not imagine that she would have the honor of giving birth to the Savior.
Mary knew that Jesus Christ would be incarnate from pure virgin blood. And she wanted to be honored to become a servant of the One who would become His Mother.
At that time, Mary was betrothed to Joseph. That one took care of Her virginity. And so, 4 months after the betrothal, the Mother of God read Scripture. When the Archangel Gabriel came to Her with news. That's why the holiday is called Annunciation - good news.
Gabriel told Mary that She was chosen to be the Mother of God. The Savior will incarnate in Her. The Virgin was surprised: after all, She was innocent. And she asked the archangel how this would happen if She did not know her husband.
To which Gabriel replied that the Holy Spirit would descend on Her. And the Virgin Mary obediently accepted the will of God.
Here's another point. God didn’t just go and descend on the girl (the Mother of God was 14 years old). No, He humbly asked Her consent. And only when Mary gave a positive answer, Life was born in Her womb.
The mystery of the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is hidden from us. Until a certain point.
Notes
- ↑ 123
Velikovich, 1991, p. 198. - Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill [www.interfax-religion.ru/logos/index.php?command=glava&id_glava=26 About the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary] // Interfax-Religion
- [azbyka.ru/otechnik/Iustin_Filosof/s_trifonom/ Justin Philosopher, martyr. Conversation with Tryphon the Jew, 43 and 68]
- [azbyka.ru/otechnik/Iustin_Filosof/s_trifonom/ Justin Philosopher, martyr. Conversation with Tryphon the Jew, 84]
- [azbyka.ru/otechnik/Kirill_Ierusalimskij/oglasit/12 Cyril of Jerusalem St. Catechetical Teaching 12th, 22]
- [azbyka.ru/otechnik/Kirill_Ierusalimskij/oglasit/12 Cyril of Jerusalem St. Catechetical Teaching 12th, 21]
- [www.bibliotekar.ru/mif/157.htm CONCEPT]
Ever-Virgin
Why is Mary the Ever-Virgin? After all, the birth of a child involves the deprivation of the hymen. More precisely, its final destruction. How did the Savior enter the world?
Here's another wonderful moment. It is known that Jesus Christ emerged from the side of his Most Pure Mother. How so? God is able to pass through obstacles, let's not forget this fact.
That is why the Mother of God is called the Ever-Virgin. She retained her virginity despite the birth of her Son.
Joseph's attitude to what happened
It is known that the husband of the Virgin Mary was many years old. He was very old, and She was very young. And the elder was entrusted with the Mother of God, so that he would preserve Her in purity and innocence.
What was Joseph’s horror when he realized that the Virgin was carrying a child? Fear of being blamed for it. Fear because he did not keep the Maiden pure.
But the elder did not make excuses and did not betray Mary. On the contrary, he told Her that he would let her go secretly, without telling anyone. Then an angel appeared to Joseph, telling him that Mary was not guilty before her husband. Her conception is the will of God, and the Child that the Virgin will give birth to is the Son of God.
The wise old man humbly accepted the will of God and began to care even more deeply for the Virgin Mary. And we know what happened next. Departure for the census and the Nativity of the Savior.
Jesus Christ was a perfect man
JESUS CHRIST WAS COMPLETELY MAN
· Human birth
The conception of Christ was supernatural (Luke 1:26-35), but His birth was in all respects ordinary, after an ordinary period of gestation. There is no reason to think that Mary did not endure the pain of pushing and suffering during childbirth, which is common to all women. Christ was born
how children are born, and did not materialize from the morning fog or descend into the world along the lunar path. When the shepherds came from the plains of Bethlehem, they saw a real child, not an adult. It is obvious that the Son of God entered our world through ordinary human birth.
· Human growth and development
The gospel is equally clear that Jesus developed and grew like other children. (Luke 2:40, 52). In other words, when He was born, He did not immediately begin to speak - He had to learn the language. He did not immediately run - at first He was helpless and had to learn to walk. As a young man, He learned the lessons of nature, learned crafts, learned culture, and acquired social skills (which would manifest itself so wonderfully in future years when He began to teach the people). It is said about Him that “...He had to become like the brothers in everything...”
(Heb. 2:17).
Despite the fact that He had to learn everything in the same way as all children learn, His mind was not affected by sin. He was “...in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin”
(Heb. 4:15).
Therefore, it is logical to assume that He was able to comprehend everything better and faster than other people. This was manifested in His conversation with the sages in the temple when He was only 12 years old. At that moment, “...all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers”
(Luke 2:47).
· Human ancestors
Genealogies in Ev. Matthew and Luke demonstrate Jesus' legal claim to the Davidic throne and connection to the human race through Abraham. He was no stranger to the joys and sorrows of family life. The historical evidence of the four Gospels provides ample basis for Paul's statement that Jesus was "...born of the seed of David according to the flesh..."
(Rom. 1:3).
· Human form
Scripture teaches that Jesus had an ordinary human form. Nothing in the Gospels suggests that Christ was fundamentally different in appearance from other people (1 John 1:1, 3). People saw a man
who performed miracles, was then arrested and crucified, and
the man
was resurrected.
Even after the resurrection, Mary perceived Jesus not as a disembodied spirit, but as a man - because she thought that he was a gardener. The disciples on the road to Emmaus did not recognize Him, but they knew for sure that they were not talking to a ghost, but to a man. It was the man who
was seen after the resurrection by more than 500 people in various situations. It is impossible to find any evidence that the biblical Jesus was a ghost or just an appearance.
· Human experience
He was hungry and thirsty, tired and needed sleep - Matt. 4:2; John 4:6. He grieved and cried - John. 11:35. He felt special love for some people, for example, for the family from Bethany: John. 11:5. During the struggle in Gethsemane He needed compassion and support - Matt. 26:38. He was horrified by the upcoming suffering, as any person in His place would be. The cry: “ Why have you forsaken me?”
"shows the true humanity of Christ - this would be the reaction of an ordinary person in the face of incredible suffering.
· Human will
The ability to consciously express one’s will is one of the essential characteristics of a person. Christ had a will of his own—Luke. 22:42. His decisions, like ours, were made rationally, taking into account the circumstances - John. 7:1.
· Human relationship with God
Jesus once declared that people should “always pray and not lose heart.”
. Thus, He made it clear that prayer is a necessary action for a person who is in right relationship with God. It is therefore not surprising that the gospel accounts, which present Jesus as human in all respects, emphasize His prayer life.
“The question is often asked: “If Jesus was fully God, why did He pray to God?” If we read the evidence of Scripture with an open mind, we must insist that Jesus prayed because He needed prayer. His prayer was not a charade or a practical joke; it meant something. He did not pray simply to provide a role model for his disciples; He prayed because he belonged to the race of those to whom it is said: “...you must always pray” - that is, to the race of people. He sought refuge under the shadow of the Almighty. He was spiritually renewed by the power of God and found courage for the rigors of life in true trust in His Father. He prayed because he was a man - a real man
»
Like people, Christ also received answers to prayers. “Father! I thank You that You heard Me"
(John 11:41). As a man, Christ submitted Himself completely to the will of God - Heb. 10:7.
Application:
Because Christ was completely (100%) human, He:
1. Able to understand us and sympathize with us: “Therefore he had to be made like the brethren in everything, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”
(Heb. 2:17).
2. Knows how to help us: “For just as He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted.”
(Heb. 2:18).
3. Redeems our nature in order to save us from death: “And since the children partook of flesh and blood, He also took part in them, so that by death he might deprive him of the power of him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver those who from the fear of death through all life were subject to slavery"
(Heb. 2:14-15).
JESUS CHRIST WAS A PERFECT MAN
The uniqueness of Jesus lies not so much in the fact of His humanity, or even in its completeness, but in the perfection of His humanity. Let us pay attention to 2 aspects of the perfection of Jesus Christ: 1) what a perfect man did not do and 2) what a perfect man did.
· What the perfect Christ did not do.
He didn't sin. Never. There was no blemish in Him. The Apostle Peter, who had the privilege of knowing Him well, calls Him " the Holy One of God"
"(John 6:69) and claims that "
He committed no sin, and no flattery was in His mouth
."
(1 Peter 2:22). The writer of Hebrews says that He was “... holy, free from evil, blameless, separated from sinners...
” (7:26), that He was “...
tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin
” (4:15) and that He “...
by the Holy Spirit offered Himself blameless to God...
” (9:14).
Paul testifies that “... he made him who knew no sin for us [to be a sacrifice for] sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God
.”
(2 Cor. 5:21) .
The Apostle John declares that “...
in Him there is no sin
” (1 John 3:5).
Christ Himself testified of His integrity: “... I always do what pleases Him
” (John 8:29), and He challenged His enemies: “
Which of you will convict Me of unrighteousness?
"(John 8:46)
The perfection of Christ lies not only in what He did NOT do (sin), but also in what He did.
· What the perfect Christ did.
He obeyed God - Phil. 2:8; Parents - Luke. 2:51; To the authorities - Matt.22:21 He did good works - Acts. 10:38; He worked physically; He forgave the offenders - Luke. 23:34; He was the bearer of God's grace - John. 1:17; He revealed the image of the Heavenly Father in His behavior - John 14:9.
Jesus can be a model for us. He is not some kind of heavenly superstar, He is the One Who lived where we live. Therefore, in our Christian life, we can look to Him as our role model. The perfection of Christ gives us hope that we too will be perfect. Our earthly nature has been defamed by Adam, and we do not know what it means to be truly human. But Christ restored in Himself the dignity of human nature. “ We only know that when it is revealed, we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He is
"(1 John 3:2).
HYPOSTASTIC UNION
Hypostatic union is a union of in no way diminished Divinity and true humanity in one Person. In this union there is no confusion, transition or change of attributes; there is no division or separation of natures, this union is personal and eternal.
WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH, 1648
«The Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, true and eternal God, of one essence and equal to the Father, when the fullness of time came, took upon Himself human nature, with all its inherent properties and weaknesses, but without sin, being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin Maria. Thus, two integral, perfect and different natures, Divine and human, were inseparably united together in one person, without transformation, addition or confusion. Such a person is the true God, the only Mediator between God and man. The Lord Jesus, being in human nature united with the Divine, was most abundantly sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit, and had in Himself all the riches of wisdom and knowledge; in Him, as it pleased the Father, dwelt all fulness, that, being holy, innocent, pure, full of grace and truth, He might be perfectly equipped with all that was necessary for the fulfillment of the office of Mediator and Surety. He did not take this ministry Himself, but was called to this by the Father, Who placed all power and judgment in His hands and commanded Him to fulfill this ministry
».
What do we mean by the concept of hypostatic union?
1. He was fully God, fully Deity. Never been less than God.
2. He was completely human. He had human nature. At a certain point in history He became a man.
3. His full Divinity and humanity were united in one Person forever. That is, two natures united in one Person. There is one Person, but She has two natures that cannot be separated; they are united in one Person forever.
4. The result of such unity is a theanthropic personality: fully God and fully man, i.e. God-man.
5. This is the great mystery spoken of in Col. 2:2-3: Jesus was fully God and fully man. Two natures are united in one Person forever; they cannot be separated.
MINISTRY OF CHRIST NOW
His position
Jesus now sits at the right hand of God in Heaven.
This was predicted in the Old Testament (Ps. 79:18 and 109:1). Ps. 109:1 is quoted in several New Testament passages that speak of Christ's present position (Matt. 22:43-45; Mark 12:35-37 and Luke 20:41-44).
Humility of the Mother of God
The virgin birth is something that is incomprehensible to the human mind. And here the complete humility of the Virgin Mary is revealed to us. She surrenders herself to the will of God. She is God's servant. Not in the sense in which the word “slavery” is known today: a person who does not have the right to express his opinion. Not at all, the Mother of God loves God. And he surrenders himself to His will not because of fear and lack of opportunity to object. She does this just out of love.
If appropriate, let's give an example from life. When we love someone very much, it won’t even occur to us to disobey or object. We know that if we are told to do it this way, then this is what we need to do. The one we love does not wish us harm. He knows better how to do it right.
It's the same here. The Mother of God had the firm confidence that God knows best what is good for her. And she agreed to become the Chosen One. Become the Mother of the Savior.
This wonderful color, this Child
She will give birth to the Savior.
From the cruel clutches of hell
The whole world will be freed.
These lines are from a poem by nun Maria (Mernova), dedicated to the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
