Atonement series

Born – ‘That Holy Thing’

The birth of Jesus was a divine condescension, where the eternal Creator assumed the nature of His fallen creation to redeem and restore it. The prophet Micah foretold this momentous event, saying: “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” (Micah 5:2).

The prophet Isaiah also predicted Christ’s miraculous birth. In Isaiah 7:14, he declares, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold”—and that word “behold” signals something truly astonishing—”a virgin will conceive and give birth to a son.” The idea of a virgin becoming pregnant and bearing a son is indeed remarkable. Isaiah further elaborates in chapter 9, verses 6 and 7: “For a child will be born to us”—emphasising His humanity through the virgin birth—”a son will be given to us”—referring to the eternal pre-existence of the Son of God, the only begotten of the Father. This child is both fully divine and fully human.

The angel Gabriel’s pronouncement to Mary contains a significant reference to the nature of this God-given child, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35) Aside from these words marking Him as utterly unique—both fully human and fully divine – they also reveal the distinctly sacred character of his human nature from birth.

After quoting Luke 1:35 in one of her letters, Ellen White adds the qualification, “These words do not refer to any human being, except to the Son of the Infinite God.”1

She further explains in an article published in the Signs of the Times, “The humanity of Christ is called “that holy thing.” The inspired record says of Christ, “He did no sin,” he “knew no sin,” and “in him was no sin.” He was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.” He tabernacled among men. This testimony concerning Christ plainly shows that he condemned sin in the flesh.”2

As we explore the nature of Christ’s humanity, it is essential to recognize that Jesus accepted human nature in its fallen condition after thousands of years of sin’s degenerative effects. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same” (Hebrews 2:14).

But its also important to notice how the Apostle Paul carefully describes the human nature of Christ. In Romans 8:3, he writes that Jesus came in the “likeness of sinful flesh”, and in Philippians 2:7, he writes that Christ was made in the “likeness of men”. This word ‘likeness’ is translated from a greek word meaning ‘form’ or ‘similitude’. This means that Jesus took on human nature, which was subject to the same fallen physical conditions and limitations as other humans, but without sin. He resembled humanity in every way, except that He was without sin.

Ellen White comments, “Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by 4000 years of sin. Like every child of Adam, He accepted the results of the working of the law of heredity. These results were shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our temptations and give us the example of a sinless life.”3 . The inherited weaknesses of human nature were a reality that Christ bore, making His victory over sin all the more significant.

It is remarkable that the quote above mentions 4,000 years of degeneracy—Christ’s humanity was not like that of Adam in the prime of manhood in the Garden of Eden. Ellen White elaborates, “For four thousand years the race had been decreasing in size and physical strength, and deteriorating in moral worth; and in order to elevate fallen man, Christ must reach him where he stood. He assumed human nature, bearing the infirmities and degeneracy of the race. He humiliated himself to the lowest depths of human woe, that he might sympathize with man and rescue him from the degradation into which sin had plunged him.”4

Despite taking on the inherited weaknesses and liabilities of a fallen human nature, there is something about Christ (which we already mentioned earlier) that also made him unique – He was conceived by the mysterious coming together of humanity with divinity from conception. Ellen White underscores the significance of this: “He was born without a taint of sin, but came into the world in like manner as the human family. He did not have a mere semblance of a body, but He took human nature, participating in the life of humanity.”5 This dual nature of Christ, fully divine and fully human, enabled Him to bridge the immense gulf between God and man that sin had caused.

When reflecting on the subject, we might sometimes resist the notion that Christ was unique among men. However, it is crucial to simply accept what is written and allow the words of inspiration to guide our understanding. The fact that Christ had a unique, divine-human conception does not diminish His full humanity. Ellen White makes this clear, noting one key exception in Christ’s human nature – notice carefully what it was: “He had not taken on Him even the nature of the angels, but humanity, perfectly identical with our own nature, except without the taint of sin. A human body, a human mind, with all the peculiar properties, He was bone, brain, and muscle. A man of our flesh, He was compassed with the weakness of humanity. He had reason, conscience, memory, will, and affections of the human soul which was united with His divine nature.”6

Ellen White frequently uses the phrase “taint of sin” in her writings, appearing over 100 times. A closer examination of this expression confirms a notable exception that applies to the humanity of Christ.

In the following 3 quotes, she was clear:

  1. “The Son of God, who is the express image of the Father’s person, became man’s Advocate and Redeemer. He humbled Himself in taking the nature of man in his fallen condition, but he did not take the taint of sin.”7
  2. “Christ made a full atonement, giving His life as a ransom for us. He was born without a taint of sin, but came into the world in like manner as the human family.”8
  3. “Christ was the only one who walked the earth upon whom there rested no taint of sin.”9

From these quotes, we can conclude that every single person born into this sinful world is born with the taint of sin. But what could the expression ‘taint of sin’ mean? Let’s first rule out what it is not. It cannot be cultivated tendencies to sin, as people develop those after they are born. It cannot be natural desires and cravings innate to human nature, for Christ also inherited those, and there is nothing intrinsically sinful about those. So, what is the taint of sin? And what are its implications for us?

The following two quotes offer some insight:

  • “Christ was free from every taint of selfishness.”10
  • “He was to take His position at the head of humanity by taking the nature but not the sinfulness of man.”11

While Christ’s humanity was identical to our own, it was so with one unique exception: He did not inherit the taint of selfishness, of sin, nor the sinfulness of man. This exception does not diminish His humanity; rather, it affirms it—the exception proves the rule.

Ellen White elaborates: “While He took upon Him humanity, it was a life taken into union with Deity.”12 This means that Christ’s humanity was uniquely sanctified from conception, setting Him apart from the rest of humanity who inherit a selfish disposition from birth. As the psalmist writes, “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.” (Psalm 53:2). This inherent sinfulness, common to all humanity, is evident in children as soon as they can speak, naturally prone to lying or speaking without self-control. In stark contrast, we are told, “As soon as He could talk, Christ used the talent of speech, in the family circle and among friends and acquaintances, in a way that was without fault.”13

The sinless life that began in the womb of Mary was essential for the atonement that Christ would eventually provide. The ultimate sacrifice needed to be spotless at every stage of development. His victory over sin must be complete at every point of temptation: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

The life of Christ, from His miraculous conception to His unblemished sacrifice, stands as the pinnacle of divine grace and human redemption. His unique union of divinity and humanity, free from the taint of sin, the purity of his birth, his unblemished development, and his victory over every temptation ensured that He was the perfect, unblemished sacrifice needed to atone for the sins of humanity.

As we reflect on these truths, we are reminded that Christ’s journey was not a series of random events but the careful fulfilment of a divine plan foretold in Scripture. This plan, meticulously followed by Jesus, reveals his entire commitment to our salvation. In the next article, “It is written of Me,” we will explore how every step of Christ’s life and sacrifice was in perfect alignment with the prophetic words that pointed to His mission, and we’ll see a little more of the divine outline behind our redemption.

  1. 10LtMs, Lt 8, 1895, par. 16 ↩︎
  2. ST January 16, 1896, par. 7 ↩︎
  3. HLv 28.1 ↩︎
  4. GCB, February 25, 1895 par. 4 ↩︎
  5. The Desire of Ages, p. 49 ↩︎
  6. 16MR 181, 182 ↩︎
  7. Ms 93, 1893, p. 3 ↩︎
  8. LHU 345.2 ↩︎
  9. The Youth’s Instructor, February, 1873 ↩︎
  10. RH March 28, 1893 ↩︎
  11. ST May 29, 1901, par. 11 ↩︎
  12. AG 153.3 ↩︎
  13. 14LtMs, Ms 19, 1899, par. 10 ↩︎