As Christians, we celebrate the virgin birth of Christ at Christmas. Have you ever stopped to think how important that really is? It’s important from both a human prophecy point of view as well as from a spiritual salvation point of view. As we saw in the previous post, the coming Messiah was supposed to be a descendant of Adam (Gn 3:15), Abraham (Gn 17:19), Isaac (Nu 24:17), Jacob (Gn 49:10), Judah (Is 11:10), and David (Jr 23:5-6). And we see this from the genealogy provided in Matthew Chapter 1. Yet, we also see something else. Something unexpected. Scripture also states that the coming Messiah was not only to be a descendant of David but be an heir to David’s throne (Is 9:7).

Now here is where the conundrum occurs. Joseph was indeed a descendant of David and of Solomon through whom the throne passed (Mt 1:6). Yet, a descendent of Solomon, and part of the royal lineage, was Jeconiah (Mt 1:11) about whom God made a special, earth-shattering, announcement through the prophet Jeremiah (Jr 22:24-30). He stated that none of his descendants would sit on the throne of David in Judah. Did you catch that? No descendant of Jeconiah would sit on the throne. But wait, the promised Messiah was to sit on David’s throne in Jerusalem which is in Judah. How can this be resolved?

Joseph was of the lineage of Jeconiah and, therefore, of the royal lineage, but this would all fall apart unless Jesus was not his son. If Jesus was the biological son of Joseph, his reign would fall under this curse. So, how could he be a descendant of David, have a legitimate right to the throne, and not be a descendant of Jeconiah? It seems God had it all figured out. Mary, Joseph’s betrothed, was also a descendant of David through another son, Nathan (Lk 3:31). Since Mary was Christ’s biological mother, this made him a descendant of King David. Joseph was an heir to the throne of David. He claimed Jesus as his own child (Mt 1: 24; Lk 2:5), although he was actually born of the Holy Spirit (Mt 1:18). Since Joseph claimed Jesus as his own son, even though he wasn’t, this made him a legitimate son of Joseph and an heir to the throne without being a descendant of Jeconiah.

This narrowed the field considerably of who could really be the Messiah. Not only did he have to fulfil all the prophecies we mentioned in the previous post, but he had to fulfill this convoluted prophecy. Only by his virgin birth could such a prophecy be fulfilled. It was the only way for all the prophecy to be fulfilled exactly as stated. And, of course, the spiritual side of this is enormous. Who else could fulfill the need for one to pay the price for mankind’s sins except one who could identify with being human while being God. Blood was needed to pay for the justice God demanded, and only the blood of Christ was holy enough (both in purity and uniqueness) to pay that for everyone.

Now the hard work has been done. It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t free for the one who secured the payment. Yet, it is free for us if we only ask, believe, and accept this one, this perfect one, this unique one, as the hope for our eternal future. The Christmas season is upon us. Will you make this a special one for you as well?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens