The Wonder of Birth, Rebirth, and Everything In Between

There's something extraordinary happening all around us, every single day, that we often take for granted. It's the miracle of life itself. The wonder of a newborn taking their first breath. The intricate design woven into every cell of our bodies. The impossible made possible that we call existence.

When a baby is born, something remarkable occurs in those first moments. The fluid in the lungs is expelled, making way for oxygen. The circulation of blood around the heart dramatically shifts to accommodate this new way of breathing. Scientists and doctors witness these transitions and, while they can describe what happens, the why behind the perfect timing and coordination remains a beautiful mystery. Placing a newborn on their parent's skin dramatically improves this transition, though no one fully understands the mechanism. It simply works.

We are, as the ancient psalm declares, "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14). From the very beginning, when God first conceived the idea of humanity, He looked at His creation and declared it "very good" (Genesis 1:31). The Creator who spoke galaxies into existence chose to fashion beings in His own image and then declared that work worthy of celebration.

But the story doesn't stop with our creation. The same God who loves to create life outside of Himself made an even more astonishing choice: to enter into the creation He had made. This is where the Christmas story becomes not just heartwarming, but world-altering.

"Do not be afraid," the angel announced to shepherds in a field. "I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11).

This wasn't just any birth. This was the fulfillment of an ancient promise, whispered in a garden after humanity's great rebellion: "He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Genesis 3:15). From the moment sin entered the world, God was already planning redemption. The wonder isn't just that God creates life. It's that He loves sinful humans enough to rescue them.

The promise of this special birth echoed through centuries. In a moment of political crisis, when King Ahaz of Judah faced threats from surrounding nations, God offered him a sign through the prophet Isaiah: "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14).

In its immediate context, this prophecy offered hope to a fearful king. God would protect His people. But the words carried a deeper fulfillment that wouldn't be realized for centuries. The virgin birth wasn't just a sign for one generation. It was God's promise for all generations.

When we consider the virgin birth scientifically, the impossibility becomes even more striking. Without male involvement, there's no Y chromosome, no natural way to produce a male child. The Holy Spirit had to provide what was missing, orchestrating a conception that defied every natural law. This wasn't God working within the system He created. This was God stepping into His creation in a completely new way.

The wonder demands our attention. In the midst of holiday stress and packed schedules, we're invited to pause and marvel. A miracle happened in a young woman's womb in Nazareth. The same Spirit who hovered over the waters at creation (Genesis 1:2) formed God in the flesh within Mary. Fully God. Fully human. Scientifically impossible and spiritually necessary.

But why does any of this matter for us today? The answer comes through an unlikely conversation between Jesus and a religious leader named Nicodemus (John 3:1-8).

Nicodemus came to Jesus under cover of darkness, perhaps afraid of what others would think, perhaps simply wanting time for deep conversation. As a Pharisee, he knew the Scriptures inside and out. He understood the laws, the requirements, the religious obligations. He came ready to discuss theology with this controversial teacher.

Jesus cut through all the religious complexity with a simple, confounding statement: "No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."

Nicodemus was baffled. "How can someone be born when they are old? Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!"

He was thinking physically. Jesus was speaking spiritually.

"Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit," Jesus explained. "You must be born again."

For Nicodemus, religion was about following rules, knowing the right things, doing the right things. It was about deciding what not to do, which commandments to keep, which boundaries not to cross. But Jesus was introducing something entirely different: not religion, but rebirth. Not rule keeping, but relationship. Not human effort, but divine transformation.

Here's the stunning connection. The same Holy Spirit who conceived Jesus in Mary's womb is the Spirit who offers to rebirth us spiritually.

Being born again isn't about trying harder or knowing more. It's about recognizing that we can't manufacture our own spiritual life any more than we could engineer our own physical birth. It requires humility, admitting we need God to do in us what we cannot do for ourselves. It means opening our hearts to the Spirit and saying, "I can't do this on my own. I need a Savior."

But the wonder extends even further. Rebirth isn't just a one time event. Throughout our lives, God offers fresh starts and new beginnings. When we've gotten sidetracked, when we've stumbled, when life's hardships have knocked us down, the God who creates and recreates offers us the miracle of starting again.

The worst thing we can say about anyone is that they'll never change. Who are we to declare someone beyond transformation when the same Spirit who formed life in the womb and brought forth the Savior still moves and works today?

This is why Advent matters. This is why we spend weeks preparing for and celebrating Christmas. We're not just commemorating a historical event. We're unwrapping layer after layer of what that birth means for us.

You are a miracle from conception to this present moment. The oxygen in your lungs, the beating of your heart, your very existence testifies to a Creator who loves to create. And that same Creator loves you enough to enter into human life, to be born as a vulnerable infant, to grow and suffer and die and rise again, all so you could experience rebirth.

This Christmas season, in the midst of everything demanding your attention, take time to wonder. Wonder at the miracle of life. Wonder at the virgin birth. Wonder at the possibility of your own rebirth and the fresh starts God offers.

The miracle isn't just that God creates. The miracle is that He recreates, redeems, and makes all things new (Revelation 21:5), including you.

As you continue reflecting on the wonder of Christ’s birth and the miracle of our own rebirth, we invite you to watch Pastor Fred’s full message, “The Wonder of the Virgin Birth.” His teaching explores these themes with greater depth and helps us see how God’s creative power, His redeeming love, and His life-giving Spirit meet us right where we are this Advent season.