The Virgin Mary gave birth to the Saviour and Creator of the world under the humblest and most primitive conditions. This was not only because she gave birth in a stable, among animals, and used their manger as the Child’s cradle, but also because she gave birth entirely on her own, without a midwife by her side.
And there is something else equally important: She gave birth in the natural way, as every woman does, and yet she remained a virgin!
The supernatural element of the conception lies in the fact that she conceived without the seed of a man. Thus, it was only natural that she should remain a virgin. Yet she gave birth in the natural way, just as any woman who conceives through the seed of a man gives birth, and still she remained a virgin. This is something utterly unique in human history.
How was this possible?
She did not give birth to a mere human being, but to God. Hence, she is called the Theotokos, the Mother of God. Because she gave birth to God, the birth itself was both a mystery and a miracle. At the Annunciation, Gabriel had foretold. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35).
This divine overshadowing gave her the strength to bear Christ, the God-Man (Saint John of Damascus, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, PG 94:985). The Virgin Mary gave birth without experiencing the pains ordinarily associated with childbirth: “Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a male child” (Isaiah 66:7).“We confess that the divine birth from the Virgin was without travail” (Canon 79 of the Quinisext Council).
Among the Jews, it was customary to wash a newborn child with warm water and salt immediately after birth; This is why some Nativity icons include a pitcher of water. The divine Infant, however, required no ritual cleansing. His birth was miraculous: it preserved His Mother’s virginity intact and was free from the corruption that ordinarily accompanies human birth. The Holy Child Himself was the source of all purity and sanctification.
The Nativity Ιcon
The icon of the Nativity vividly portrays the supernatural character of Christ’s birth. The Christ Child is depicted lying in the manger, while His Mother is shown nearby, reverently contemplating and worshipping Him. She is portrayed not as an exhausted woman recovering from childbirth, but as one who kneels in adoration before the God-Man whom she has borne.
The hidden mystery revealed
“The mystery hidden from the ages and unknown even to the angels has been revealed through you, O Theotokos, to those on earth.”
The angels knew of God’s saving plan, yet through the Incarnation they beheld its fullness manifested in history. They witnessed the unprecedented humility of the eternal Son, His immeasurable love, His longsuffering, and His divine power, by which He conquered death through His own death. Therefore, they glorified the Lord of Glory with even greater wonder. Nor could the angels cease contemplating the Theotokos, through whom the mystery of salvation was accomplished. For this reason, the Orthodox Church hymns her as “the Sweetness of the Angels.”
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Next in this series: What Made Mary’s Virginity Unigue?
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