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A young, unmarried, pregnant mother chose to obey God and give life to her unborn son — God’s Son — and He then gave His life so that you and I could be given eternal life.
More than two millennia ago, Joseph and Mary journeyed together, enduring hardship and pregnancy, to obey the decree of the Roman government, which ordered everyone to be registered in the town of their birth for a census issued by the Roman Emperor.
As we read in Luke 2:4-5, NIV:
“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.”
Amid an oppressive government, a long and difficult journey, and the hardships of pregnancy, Mary and Joseph were still faithful to God’s greater plan.
We see how in Christ’s own life, He was obedient to God’s will even to the point of death, mirrored in how Mary and Joseph were obedient even in the midst of incredibly challenging circumstances. Ultimately, their journey, and God’s sustaining them through that, is what made Christmas possible, highlighting that the birth of Christ is what made the difficult journey worth it.
Luke 2:6-7 illustrates this, explaining,
“While they were to be there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”
We later read in verses 9-14 that an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds out in the fields, proclaiming that God’s Messiah had been born, celebrating His birth with, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
The Biblical account in Luke 2 shows us that the Christmas story ultimately validates the pro-life message as the way that God sees the world. Even amid hardship, perceived public shame, and an oppressive Roman government, Joseph and Mary understood the value of life and, even more importantly, understood that they were vessels chosen by God to help fulfill His plan.
No matter what Mary and Joseph faced, they refused to allow those temporary obstacles to get in the way of the birth of God’s Son, whose life, death, and resurrection would have an eternal impact, in an unspeakably good way.
To suggest in any way that the Christmas story isn’t pro-life would be using dishonest, revisionist history tactics to try and rewrite something that cannot be erased from history.
In the same way, Christians today need to be the hands and feet of Christ Jesus and create a manageable pathway for pregnant women, soon-to-be-moms, trying to navigate the immense challenges associated with pregnancy, in the same way that God sustained Mary and Joseph on their journey to give birth to the Christ child.
There are hundreds of crisis pregnancy centers, non-profit organizations like Students for Life, and churches across the country that are seeking to help ease the hard journey of pregnancy experienced by women, saving thousands of babies in the process.
Christians must be involved in volunteering, contributing money and material resources, or helping these ministries in any way they physically can. That means not sitting on the sidelines but applying biblical, pro-life values in important ways to help save lives and, in the process, reflect the very essence of the Christmas story — God becoming man through both natural and divine means so we could experience life, not death, in His name.
Christians must fulfill their sacred duty of being the hands and feet of Christ in service to our fellow man, easing the burdens of others, just as He carried ours. At the same time, we must refuse to compromise on the truth of the Gospel. That truth, embodied in the personhood of Christ, who was born of a virgin, lived a human life as the incarnation of God Himself, remaining perfectly obedient to the calling of God upon His life, leading Christ to give His life for the sins of humanity, only to be resurrected to life so that we could have peace with God.
The Bible makes it clear that Mary was a humble, willing vessel from the moment of Gabriel’s announcement. Luke 1:38 records that Mary’s response to the news of her selection as the mother of the Savior was “‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’”
Under God’s sovereign plan for the conception and birth of Christ, abortion was never an option. Still, if Mary was alive today, one can easily imagine the social pressure Mary would have felt from a wicked world to kill the unborn child in her womb. No doubt Mary struggled with fear, and even doubts, during the nine months of her miraculous pregnancy. But she nevertheless trusted the Lord, and through her trust, she ultimately gave birth to the one baby that would change the course of human history forever.
While there will never be another Savior of the World born as a baby again, abortions today prematurely end thousands of human lives, humans who might grow up to do amazing things. With the scourge of legalized infanticide, our nation (and many others) alter the fates of thousands of possible “world changers.” When we wrongfully condone abortion, it is an act of “playing God” over human life, something we have no right to do.
Mary indeed “chose life” and, by doing so, blessed the world. And so the Christmas message is fundamentally pro-life, and not just physically. The birth of Christ brings life not only for our physical bodies but eternally for our souls as well, for all who repent and believe in Him. Although we have to pass through death first to get there, we need not have fear, as Christ Himself undertook this same journey for us, both removing the sting of death and empowering us to put to death the parts of our life that are sinful — allowing us to continue to experience spiritual life through our relationship with God and validating this through our repentance of sins.
Colossians 1:19-20 boldly proclaims,
“For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.”
As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, let us not forget why it was so important that Christ came for us to do what we cannot do for ourselves, and why it is fundamental for us as believers to continue to take up the pro-life cause in stark contrast to a broken world that does not always see life in the way that our Creator does.
The Church must be involved in public discourse and influence. That’s why we write — so our readers can be equipped to understand and pursue righteous change in the world. For more timely, informative, and faith-based content, subscribe to the Standing for Freedom Center newsletter.
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