It’s Christmas so “Every Sperm Is Sacred. Every Sperm Is Great.”

As you may be aware it’s almost Christmas (I’ll let that thought sink in) so there are a great many religious stories, thoughts and questions flying around. I know I’m late to most things but today I came across a most interesting question that until now I’ve never thought of or ever heard asked. My own fault really. I should have paid more attention in Sunday school.

As a casual observer I find Theology quite a fascinating subject. Of course sometimes those most learned scholars come across like a bunch of Star Trek fans who argue over who is the better captain, but I do like it. I think it may be because the subject of sex rears its sticky head so very often. My favourite quote from a theologian, which I can’t get out of my head, no matter how much I try, is:

…a chemically contracepted act does not impede the husband from depositing semen in his wife’s vagina…”

Amen to that, brother.

But it wasn’t “sperm and vaginas” I was thinking of today (at least no more than usual) but the circumstances surrounding the conception of the little baby J.C. by the Virgin Mary. Or to be more precise:

Is Mary, Jesus’ biological mother (ie. She contributed half his genetic code) or was she merely a surrogate carrying the implanted but fully formed “God bod”?

So off to the internet I go to have my question answered…

Oh!

It looks like I’m not the only person who’s pondered this question and everyone seems to have a different opinion. At this point I could make a detailed argument for each side based on the relevant Bible passages but honestly… that seems like a lot of work for something I’m not that bothered about. So I’ll happily just pick one that suits my belief system…

Therefore, even though He was nurtured in Mary’s womb for nine months and born without her ever knowing a man, it was also necessary for all this to have been preceded by supernatural intervention, to prevent His receiving any actual genetic inheritance through her. The body growing in Mary’s womb must have been specially created in full perfection, and placed there by the Holy Spirit, in order for it to be free of inherent sin damage. Christ would still be “made of the seed of David according to the flesh” (Romans 1:3), because His body was nurtured and born of Mary, who was herself of the seed of David. He would still be the Son of Man, sharing all universal human experience from conception to death, except sin. He is truly “the seed of the woman” (Genesis 3:15), His body formed neither of the seed of the man nor the egg of the woman, but grown from a unique Seed planted in the woman’s body by God Himself.

That is, God directly formed a body for the second Adam just as He had for the first Adam (Genesis 2:7). This was nothing less than a miracle of creation, capable of accomplishment only by the Creator Himself. “That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

…and I’ll wage a bloody crusade on anyone who disagrees with me.

Merry Christmas.

(This seems to be inappropriately appropriate)