At the present time, Jesus is our High Priest intercessor at the right hand of the Father. There is no other human intercessor on this level in Christianity as there was no substitute high priest in Judaism who could enter into the Holy of Holies on behalf of the people.
Prior to our present understanding of chromosomes and DNA, it would have been easy to assume that Jesus had only Mary’s blood contribution; but, doesn’t there need to be a male component in the production of blood in a fetus? As far as I know, Jesus is also the biological Son of God. This would require the full male complement, as well as the female; otherwise, Jesus would have been a woman.
God is Spirit; He is not biological. (Jn 4:24) Jesus was the Son of God within the Trinity before the Incarnation. He received His human nature from Mary alone. Please see this article/video for more info on the chromosome issue: https://www.magiscenter.com/blog/where-did-jesus-y-chromosome-come-from
Jesus is the Word made flesh. He is both human and God: and the entire Jesus is part of the Godhead (cf. 1Timothy 3:16). This gives Him a proximity to the Father that no other human intercessor can have. Separating the humanity of Jesus from the Godhead is problematic.
Jesus's human nature is not separate but it is distinct (the hypostatic union). The Word of God existed within the Trinity prior to the Incarnation, before He took on a human nature. He assumed His human nature into the Godhead, but this does not make God biological. He is the Son of God within the Trinity because He proceeds eternally from the Father, not because He was born as a human. (cf. John 1:14; Phil 2:6-7)
God the Father is not biological, but He had to create the male component of procreation for Mary to have a male child. If so, Jesus is a product of the male component created by the Father and the female component within Mary. All human beings are a combination of father and mother: and not the mother only. I don’t see why the Incarnation was any different in this respect. Jesus is the only one begotten by the Father in this way.
What we know from Scripture & Tradition is that Jesus “assumed flesh.” What that means precisely in light of new advances in our understanding of human nature is a mystery with the incarnation.
There is a theory that is sort of a combination of Peter & Kaleb’s understanding that Jesus would have received his DNA from Mary, the male components by way Mary’s direct ancestors.
CCC 466
...Christ’s humanity has no other subject than the divine person of the Son of God, who assumed it and made it his own, from his conception. For this reason the Council of Ephesus proclaimed in 431 that Mary truly became the Mother of God by the human conception of the Son of God in her womb: “Mother of God, not that the nature of the Word or his divinity received the beginning of its existence from the holy Virgin, but that, since the holy body, animated by a rational soul, which the Word of God united to himself according to the hypostasis, was born from her, the Word is said to be born according to the flesh.
CCC 461 Taking up St. John’s expression, “The Word became flesh,” the Church calls “Incarnation” the fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it.
CCC 463 ...Such is the joyous conviction of the Church from her beginning whenever she sings “the mystery of our religion”: “He was manifested in the flesh.” (90)
But it’s probably best expressed as simply a mystery, I am fine with it, I don’t need to know how it all works.
The problem that I see with the theory of Jesus having received his male DNA from Mary’s direct ancestors is that Jesus’ blood would have been tainted with original sin. I think that the production of Jesus’ blood required male untainted blood produced from the male contribution created by the Father.
The difference is that the Son was already begotten by the Father within the Trinity prior to the Incarnation. God did not copulate with Mary; Jesus's conception was miraculous in that it had no biological father. God created the maleness in Jesus's human nature by His divine power. Jesus is the name of the incarnate Son of God who is eternal and equal to the Father and Holy Spirit.
I hope I have adequately explained my understanding of this issue. Thank you for your questions. Merry Christmas!
Easter certainly is the holiest day of the year and in history, when God accomplished the purpose of Creation by divinizing human nature and uniting God with man in the Resurrection, but Christmas is, after the Annunciation, where it all began. It has an anticipatory joy fulfilled at Easter. God bless!
We who seek God, like David, long to give Him what He deserves. And here it is through Mary, the living ark of the new covenant. Tidings of comfort and joy.
At the present time, Jesus is our High Priest intercessor at the right hand of the Father. There is no other human intercessor on this level in Christianity as there was no substitute high priest in Judaism who could enter into the Holy of Holies on behalf of the people.
Prior to our present understanding of chromosomes and DNA, it would have been easy to assume that Jesus had only Mary’s blood contribution; but, doesn’t there need to be a male component in the production of blood in a fetus? As far as I know, Jesus is also the biological Son of God. This would require the full male complement, as well as the female; otherwise, Jesus would have been a woman.
God is Spirit; He is not biological. (Jn 4:24) Jesus was the Son of God within the Trinity before the Incarnation. He received His human nature from Mary alone. Please see this article/video for more info on the chromosome issue: https://www.magiscenter.com/blog/where-did-jesus-y-chromosome-come-from
Jesus is the Word made flesh. He is both human and God: and the entire Jesus is part of the Godhead (cf. 1Timothy 3:16). This gives Him a proximity to the Father that no other human intercessor can have. Separating the humanity of Jesus from the Godhead is problematic.
Jesus's human nature is not separate but it is distinct (the hypostatic union). The Word of God existed within the Trinity prior to the Incarnation, before He took on a human nature. He assumed His human nature into the Godhead, but this does not make God biological. He is the Son of God within the Trinity because He proceeds eternally from the Father, not because He was born as a human. (cf. John 1:14; Phil 2:6-7)
God the Father is not biological, but He had to create the male component of procreation for Mary to have a male child. If so, Jesus is a product of the male component created by the Father and the female component within Mary. All human beings are a combination of father and mother: and not the mother only. I don’t see why the Incarnation was any different in this respect. Jesus is the only one begotten by the Father in this way.
What we know from Scripture & Tradition is that Jesus “assumed flesh.” What that means precisely in light of new advances in our understanding of human nature is a mystery with the incarnation.
There is a theory that is sort of a combination of Peter & Kaleb’s understanding that Jesus would have received his DNA from Mary, the male components by way Mary’s direct ancestors.
CCC 466
...Christ’s humanity has no other subject than the divine person of the Son of God, who assumed it and made it his own, from his conception. For this reason the Council of Ephesus proclaimed in 431 that Mary truly became the Mother of God by the human conception of the Son of God in her womb: “Mother of God, not that the nature of the Word or his divinity received the beginning of its existence from the holy Virgin, but that, since the holy body, animated by a rational soul, which the Word of God united to himself according to the hypostasis, was born from her, the Word is said to be born according to the flesh.
CCC 461 Taking up St. John’s expression, “The Word became flesh,” the Church calls “Incarnation” the fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it.
CCC 463 ...Such is the joyous conviction of the Church from her beginning whenever she sings “the mystery of our religion”: “He was manifested in the flesh.” (90)
But it’s probably best expressed as simply a mystery, I am fine with it, I don’t need to know how it all works.
The problem that I see with the theory of Jesus having received his male DNA from Mary’s direct ancestors is that Jesus’ blood would have been tainted with original sin. I think that the production of Jesus’ blood required male untainted blood produced from the male contribution created by the Father.
Thank you. I’m open to some “development of doctrine” on this one.
The difference is that the Son was already begotten by the Father within the Trinity prior to the Incarnation. God did not copulate with Mary; Jesus's conception was miraculous in that it had no biological father. God created the maleness in Jesus's human nature by His divine power. Jesus is the name of the incarnate Son of God who is eternal and equal to the Father and Holy Spirit.
I hope I have adequately explained my understanding of this issue. Thank you for your questions. Merry Christmas!
Our brains tell us that Easter is the most important day of the year yet our hearts tell us that it is Christmas. I think you are telling us why.
Imagine: God With Us and through the miracle that you describe. Like Mary, it makes our hearts sing!
Easter certainly is the holiest day of the year and in history, when God accomplished the purpose of Creation by divinizing human nature and uniting God with man in the Resurrection, but Christmas is, after the Annunciation, where it all began. It has an anticipatory joy fulfilled at Easter. God bless!
The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, becomes a house for God, not made by human hands but consecrated by the Holy Spirit Himself.
We who seek God, like David, long to give Him what He deserves. And here it is through Mary, the living ark of the new covenant. Tidings of comfort and joy.
Thank you and a Merry Christmas. What a joyful and full heart have have today! Thank you for sharing this good news.
Thank you! Merry Christmas!