Who Was Conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary

September 25, 2025

Luke 1:30–35 

The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God… The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

Matthew 1:22–23 

 “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).”


John 1:14 

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

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I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,

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Today the Apostles' Creed turns to the most astonishing claim in human history: God became one of us.

Jesus’ life did not begin in Bethlehem; He is eternal, the "word" through whom all things were made. What a revelation this is for us. His coming into the world was a miracle of the Spirit’s power. The Holy Spirit, who hovered over the waters at creation (Genesis 1:2), brought forth new creation in Mary’s womb. The same Spirit who breathed life into Adam now breathes divine life into each of us through Jesus Christ.

What an awesome truth we encounter here, that salvation is God’s work, not ours. We do not climb up to God, God comes down to us. "He came to his own ....." John's gospel tells us.

Jesus was born into the world with all the frailty and vulnerability of human flesh. He grew in the womb, was delivered into His mother’s arms, and cried like any baby. By being born of Mary, He fully entered our human story. He understands what it’s like to be human, to feel hunger, exhaustion, joy, temptation, and sorrow.

This Virgin Birth reminds us that salvation is a gift, no measure of  human achievement could ever bring this about. Only God could do this. The mystery of the Incarnation is that Jesus is fully God (conceived by the Spirit) and fully human (born of Mary). He is Immanuel — God with us.

Way back in the 4th century, a church leader Athanasius wrote: “He became what we are that He might make us what He is.”

That is the amazing wonder of this line of the Creed. God did not stay distant, looking down on us with compassion. He took on our humanity so that we might share in His divinity. He entered our world not as a king in a palace, but as a baby in a manger, fragile, dependent, and near. Think of it: the Creator of the universe came so close that He could be held in human arms. This thought drives me to me knees in worship. Doesn't it overwhelm you by how great the love of the Father is for us?

Here are a couple things to take away today and think about.

How does it encourage you to know that Jesus experienced real human life, weakness, temptation, and sorrow?


How might you live differently if you truly embraced the truth that God is with us,  in the ordinary and fragile parts of life?

Let's Pray

Immanuel, God with us,
I marvel at the mystery of Your coming. Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of Mary — You entered our fragile world with love and humility. Thank You for becoming one of us so that we might share life with You. Help me never to take for granted the wonder of the Incarnation. Teach me to trust that because You are truly human, You understand me, and because You are truly God, You can save me. Amen.