What does "born of a woman" reveal about Jesus' humanity and divinity? Born of a Woman: Simple Words, Profound Truth Galatians 4:4 — “But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.” Those six words—“born of a woman”—are packed with meaning. They anchor Jesus fully in our world while still pointing back to His eternal home. Fully Human: Sharing Our Nature – A real birth, a real body • Luke 2:7: Mary “gave birth to her firstborn Son.” No illusion, no apparition—an actual infant in swaddling cloths. • Hebrews 2:14: “Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity.” – Physical limitations embraced • John 4:6: Jesus grew weary at the well. • Matthew 4:2: He felt hunger in the wilderness. – Identification with our story • Hebrews 2:17: “He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest.” • 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” – Legal solidarity • Galatians 4:4 continues, “born under the law,” meaning He lived under the same covenant demands we do—and kept them perfectly. Divine Mission: Sent from Eternity – Pre-existence affirmed • “God sent His Son” before He was “born of a woman.” The Son existed first, then entered Mary’s womb. • John 1:14: “The Word became flesh.” – Virgin conception highlights His divine origin • Isaiah 7:14: “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.” • Luke 1:34-35: The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary so the child would be called “the Son of God.” – Fulfillment of the first gospel promise • Genesis 3:15: The “seed of the woman” would crush the serpent’s head—already hinting that the deliverer would be human yet more than human. – Divine status publicly validated • Romans 1:3-4: “Descendant of David according to the flesh… declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection.” Union of Natures: One Person, Two Natures – Philippians 2:6-7: He existed “in the form of God” yet “was made in human likeness.” – The miracle is not subtraction but addition: deity clothed in humanity without loss of either. – Because He is man, He can die; because He is God, His death has infinite worth. Why It Matters for Redemption and Relationship – Perfect Substitute: Only a sinless human could bear human sin under the law (2 Corinthians 5:21). – Victorious Savior: Only God could conquer death and offer eternal life (Hebrews 2:14-15). – Sympathetic High Priest: Sharing our frailty, He intercedes with understanding (Hebrews 4:15-16). – Unbreakable Adoption: “So that we might receive our adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:5). The divine Son became human so humans could become children of God. “Born of a woman” is more than a birth notice—it is the hinge on which God’s rescue plan swings, sealing both Jesus’ true humanity and His full divinity in one breathtaking phrase. |