We learn from the Testimony that Jesus was created by the Father out of the substance of his mother Mary, at the time appointed by Yahweh, according as it is written, "When the fullness of time was come, he was made of a woman." Probably the question might arise to some, as to how he was made of a woman. The question evidently presented itself to the Virgin's mind, and was explained to her by the angel Gabriel, who told her the manner of its fulfillmentthat the "Holy Spirit should come upon her, and the power of the Highest should overshadow her," and "that Holy Thing that should be born of her should be called the Son of God."
Now we know that as a general thing all children partake of the nature, constitution, and character of both their parents. No child is ever wholly and entirely and in all respects like one parent only, and we are not warranted in making an exception to this law in the case of the Son of God. From his mother he derived all the faculties, propensities, and instincts which belong to the nature of the first Adam. As it is written, "He took on himself the nature of the seed of Abraham," that sin might be condemned in the nature which had sinned; and also that he might be able to sympathize with our infirmities, and to "succor those who are tempted"; "forasmuch as he also was compassed with infirmity." "For, in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted." What a depth of consolation comes to the believer's heart from these words; that we may feel a common sympathy with him, who now stands as our mediator before the Father, to plead for the weak, the erring, and those who are compassed with infirmity! As the Apostle Paul says, "We have not an High Priest who cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin"; "who can have compassion on the ignorant and them who are out of the way, because he also was compassed with infirmity." Truly the nature that weighs us down, the clogs our spirit, that oft beguiles us into the way that we would not go, can feel the force of the touching sympathy contained in these words of Paul.
Such then was the "body prepared" for a habitation of the Spirit in all fullness as it is written, "A body hast thou prepared for me"; this body prophesied of from the beginning of the world the woman's seed. Isaiah says, "Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
Let those who entertain the conceit that Jesus was the son of Joseph, consider this verse and the prophecy concerning the woman's seed. And let all those who are of the opinion that the Babe born in Bethlehem, the seed of the woman, had no higher descent, no higher paternity than flesh, mark the words of the aged Simeon, when he said, "Mine eyes have seen the Lord's Christ." "It had been revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ." The communication which the Angel made to the shepherds also contains the same language, "For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord." Having made this announcement, the angel was joined by a multitude of the angelic host giving glory and praise to God so fulfilling the words quoted by Paul to the Hebrews, in the first chapter: "When he bringeth the firstbegotten into the world; he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him." We see the literal accomplishment of this from Luke's narrative. The heavenly host did worship him, as soon as he came into the world.
Understanding now what was the nature of the medium of manifestation, we wish to look more deeply into that which was manifested. What was that which was manifested? Was it merely the natural manifestation of a natural man? By no means. It is written, "He shall be called Immanuel," that is, being interpreted, "God with us." This was God manifested in the flesh for the first timethe beginning of the great mystery, "to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness." Paul says, "Great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh." He is called the "only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." It could not be affirmed of any other man that ever existed before or since, that he was God manifested in the flesh, although the Spirit of God has operated through other media both in word and sign. Some might ask, how was the Deity manifested? We answer, in the character of the Son and his mental attributes. "Behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of Hosts." We are familiar with the idea of polishing and cutting of precious stones. This stone the Father polished and cut after his own fashion; for it is written of him, "And the child grew and waxed strong in Spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him." The result of this graving was partially developed at twelve years of agein his being skilled in learning ... which was remarked and wondered at by some of his contemporaries.
The Apostle John, introducing the subject of this great mystery, says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth."
The Word of God is the wisdom of Godthe thoughts or intelligence of the Deity. By this word the worlds were created, and are upheld by the word of his power; and without this word was not anything made that was made ... Jesus Christ was the wisdom and goodness of God embodied in flesh. Perhaps we will now be able to more clearly understand the meaning of such passages as these: "Lo, I come to do thy will O God; in the volume of the book it is written of me." And, "before Abraham was, I am." "He that has seen me hath seen the Father also..... I am in the Father and the Father in me." This was so incomprehensible to the Jews that it filled them with wrath; and they charged him with blaspheming, because he made himself equal with God, in saying that he was the Son of God. But he said unto them, "Is it not written in your law, I said ye are gods?" "If he called them gods to whom the word of God came, say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, thou blasphemest, because I said, I am the Son of God?" Paul also describes him as being the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person, or character; because "it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell." "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." The glory of Yahweh, shrouded in the cloudy pillar which stood between the cherubim and over the mercyseat, shone forth in cloudless brightness on the day of atonement, in token of remission of sins. But the sins of the Jewish people eventually separated them from the favor of Yahweh; and the glory of the Lord forsook the temple made with hands, and took up its abode in the temple not made with hands, that is, the body of Jesusthis body being the veil which separated the glory from things visible and carnal, or otherwise represented by the cloudy pillar.
Christ's character as a man, is signified by the spotless innocence of a Lamb without blemish. So it became necessary that he should not only receive the Spirit without measure at his baptism for the purpose of preaching the gospel and working miracles, but that he should also have power within himself to become perfect in all virtue, that he might be found without transgression and without fault from his infancy and childhood that he might be the Lamb without spot and without blemish. So, from the Deity his Father, he inherited wisdom, thought, intelligence, elevation and purity of character extraordinary power of intellect, and moral courage and endurance, which enabled him to fathom the depths of human understanding, even at a tender age. Being aware of his divine origin and mission, at twelve years of age, and perhaps before, he was able to discuss matters pertaining to the law with men of years and education, professed doctors of divinity. Thus we see that he displayed, even in the years of childhood, wisdom and knowledge inherited from his heavenly Father.