Question 22

Was it a voluntary act in Christ the Son of God to become Man?

Yes; because he took to him the Humane Nature, that he might hereby be fitted to be our Redeemer, In Burnt-offerings and Sacrifices for Sin thou hadst no pleasure: Then said I, Lo I come.^a He took on him the seed of Abraham.^b

Was Christ the Son of God a real Man like unto other Men?

Christ the Son of God was a real Man, taking to himself the two essential parts of Man. 1. He had a real body of flesh, and bloud, and bones, not a phantastical body, which is a body only in appearance, Behold my hands, and my feet, handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have.^c 2. He had a real rational Soul, and his Divine Nature did not supply the place of the Soul, Thou shalt make his Soul an offering for sin.^d My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death.^e

Was the birth of Christ like unto the birth of other men?

No, for Christ was born of a Virgin, namely the Virgin Mary, Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son.^f And Joseph took unto him Mary his wife, and knew her not till she had brought forth her first born Son; and he called his name Jesus.^g

How could Christ be born of a Virgin?

It was a Miraculous Conception by the power of the Holy Ghost in the Womb of the Virgin Mary, And Mary said to the Angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the Angel said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the Power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee; therefore also the holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God.^h

Was Christ born in sin, like unto other men?

No; for however Christ took upon him the Nature of Man, and many Humane Infirmities, yet he was perfectly free from sinful Infirmities, 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.ⁱ