Does it really matter if Mary was a virgin? Jews in those times always thought God had something to do with a new life…it was His will. Why should Jesus have ancestors (Matthew Ch 1 v 1) if He wasn’y really part of the family? Why did Mary refer to Joseph as Jesus’ father (Luke 2 v 48). Would it really mean anything if the virgin birth was not exactly as we thought it was?
Have been thinking about this for a while over Christmas – not something I’d thought about before! And here are my thoughts in no particular order…
It says in Matthew 1: “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.” (NIV) So unless I’ve misunderstood or there is stuff lost in translation that I’m not aware of, this is the Bible saying that Mary hadn’t had sex with Joseph and that it was the Holy Spirit that caused her to be pregnant. If that’s so, then Mary not being a virgin would mean the Bible wasn’t telling the truth and then I think I’d have a bit of a problem with that.
I don’t think calling Joseph his father in that context means he was necessarily his biological father – adopted children or those with step-parents often use ‘mum’ and ‘dad’ even though they know that they have another biological parent. And Jesus’ reply states that he had to be in his Father’s house – I believe meaning God and not Joseph.
I don’t understand the significance of Jesus’ ancestors if they’re not related to him though – in Matthew it does say that it’s Joseph not Mary who is related back to all those other people. Anyone know anything about that?
What a cunning question.
You know I just never thought of this.
My immediate response would be that we ‘Christians’ are adopted into God’s family and so share His inheritance and this would be symbolic in the way that Jesus would inherit Joseph’s inheritance even though stricly speaking he was not his child.
I would have thought that Joseph qualified as his father because he brought him up etc.
On a sort of side note, doesn’t “Jewishness” pass down through the female line?
Wasn’t that rule invented after Jesus’ time, like much of Judaism? Or did some rabbis already teach that? I’m not an expert on Jewish history.
I believe the virginity of Mary is very important.
Our sin, which is not merely deeds, but rather the disease of mankind, is passed on through the generations through the seed of man. For this seed of sin not to be passed onto Jesus as an infant, the Holy Spirit (God Himself) had to plant the sinless seed.
Interesting question. 🙂
Steve Dustcircle
http://iowapyro.blogspot.com
Wanderer, Writer, Worshiper