The birth of Christ: mystery, recognition, and divine perfections

birth of Christ; purity; virginity of Mary

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Editorial introduction

If being born without a father were a virtue, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá remarks, Adam would outrank every Prophet, since He had neither father nor mother. The greatness of Christ lies elsewhere, in the divine perfections that shone through Him, and that is where any thinking about His birth has to begin. Bahá’u’lláh then turns to Mary, so perplexed and so grieved that she wished she had never been born, unable to tell her neighbours that a Child whose father no one knew had been conceived of the Holy Spirit; and upon that fatherless Babe God conferred the glory of Prophethood. The virgin birth is affirmed, and so are its mysteries: that Christ came from heaven though He came from Mary’s womb, that the first man had no parents at all, and that what has never been observed is not the same as what is impossible. Shoghi Effendi adds that a God called the Unconstrained may alter the laws He wrote, and that mystery is an inseparable part of true religion. Luke’s account of Gabriel, Mary’s question and her willing answer belongs beside the Íqán’s portrait of her ordeal ^[1]. The road continues toward miracles and their meaning, the doctrines of Christianity, and the interpretation of the scriptures that carry this story.

Selected passages

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The honour and greatness of Christ reside not in His being without a father, but rather in His divine perfections, outpourings, and splendours. Were the greatness of Christ due to His lacking a father, Adam would be even greater, for He had neither father nor mother.
… In brief, the honour and glory of those sanctified Souls, the Manifestations of God, are due to Their heavenly perfections, outpourings, and splendours, and to nothing else.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 18, The Greatness of Christ, 1904 ca. -- AB01218)

Reflect, what answer could Mary have given to the people around her? How could she claim that a Babe Whose father was unknown had been conceived of the Holy Ghost?
… And now, meditate upon this most great convulsion, this grievous test. Notwithstanding all these things, God conferred upon that essence of the Spirit, Who was known amongst the people as fatherless, the glory of Prophethood, and made Him His testimony unto all that are in heaven and on earth.

(Bahá’u’lláh, Kitab-i-Iqan (The Book of Certitude), 1278 ca. [1861-1862], to Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad, great uncle of the Bab (Khal-i-Akbar) -- BH00002)

We breathed Our spirit upon Mary and accepted from the wife of Imran her vow unto God, the Most High.

(The Báb, Qayyumu'l-Asma' (Commentary on the Surah of Joseph), 1260-05 [1844-May] -- BB00002)

This gift was shining on the face of the Virgin Mary like unto a brilliant gem glistening on the great crown of glory.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1902 ca., to Hoagg, H Emogene et al -- AB04965)

Therefore, O ye who seek His countenance, who stand at His threshold, and whose hearts are quickened by His fragrance - turn ye wholly toward Him, and receive bounty from His nature, that ye may behold the fire of Moses, witness the flame of Sinai, inhale the breath of the Messiah, see the garden of Abraham, observe the blood sacrifice of John son of Zacharias, find the fountain of life of Khidr, contemplate the sacrifice of the Offering, perceive the beauty of Joseph, hear the sighing and lamentation of Jacob, know the affliction and sorrow of Job, establish the lesson of Enoch, understand the intensity of Eve's separation, and recognize the chastity and purity of Mary.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1893-Jan-31, to Mirza Asadullah Vazir -- AB04064)

Afterwards Christ appeared, saying, "I am born of the Holy Spirit." If it is easy today, among Christians, to acknowledge the truth of this claim, at the time it was very difficult. Thus, according to the text of the Gospel, the Pharisees said, "Is this not the son of Joseph of Nazareth, whom we know? How then can he say, 'I have come down from heaven’?"

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 6, Christ, 1904-Jun ca. -- AB01520)

And certainly Christ had come from heaven because He was the King of Heaven, though outwardly He came from Mary's womb.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1914-Aug-14, to Richardson, Gertrude G et al -- AB05527)

Christ said that He had come from the sky, from Heaven -- that He came forth from God -- while He was born of Mary, His Mother.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken on 1911-Oct-27 in Paris -- ABU0735)

In the Gospel it is explicitly stated that in His first coming, although Christ was born to Mary, He Himself said that He came from heaven. Thus, the meaning of 'heaven' is the greatness of the Cause and eminence and might of the Manifestation of God Who spreads this divine Cause by His heavenly power and divine strength and not through material means.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to the Master's entourage, spoken on 1912-Sep-09 -- ABU2982)

Some questioned Mary: "Where did Jesus come from?" She answered: "Cut of my womb." He (Christ) said--" I have come from Heaven"--and they would say: "This man we know is from Nazareth. How came He then from Heaven?" Therefore they denied Him.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Wilson, Engelhorn, Stewart, Brittingham, spoken around 1909-Oct-23 -- ABU0760)

The divine philosophers, however, reply: "Such a thing is not impossible, although it has not been observed, and there is a difference between that which is impossible and that which has merely not been observed. For example, in the days before the telegraph, the instantaneous communication of East and West had not been observed but was not impossible; likewise, the photograph and the phonograph had not been observed but were not impossible."
… Then surely the first man had neither father nor mother, for the existence of the human species has an origin in time. Now, which is more problematic: that man should come into being, albeit gradually, with neither father nor mother, or that he should come into being without a father?

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 17, The Birth of Christ, 1904 ca. -- AB00920)

In brief, the philosophers and men of science of Europe entertain no doubt whatever regarding the origination of the three kingdoms; nay, they insist upon it with remarkable firmness. In that case, according to their own belief, the first man came into being and was born without father or mother. Despite this admission and acknowledgement, how can they regard with wonder and astonishment the birth of Christ through the bounty of the Holy Spirit? For He, at least, had a mother, whereas the first-born man was without father and without mother.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to Ghulam-Husayn Bunabi -- AB00353)

O handmaid of God! It is with the Lord Christ even as with Adam. Did the first human being who came into existence on this earth have a father or mother? It is certain that he had neither. But Christ lacked only a father.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1905-Aug-19, to Ella G Cooper -- AB00152)

O maid-servant of God, the example of His Holiness Christ is similar to His Holiness Adam. Did the first man who was created in the world have a father and mother? Certainly, he had no father nor mother, and thus Jesus was without father.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá -- AB10306)

How can a man believe to be a fact that which science has proved to be impossible? If he believes in spite of his reason, it is rather ignorant superstition than faith. The true principles of all religions are in conformity with the teachings of science.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken on 1911-Nov-12 in Paris -- ABU0493)

Some of the pupils in the Schools of Science once came to Akka and asked the question regarding the Immaculate Conception of our Lord. He answered, "A living body cannot come from a dead body - only a living man can make a living child - this is a scientific fact." The Scientists answered "It is impossible for a child to be born without a father" and that nothing could change their opinion concerning it. They left that subject and began to speak of others and finally of geology and of well-known scientific facts. They spoke of the way in which the Earth had been thrown off from the Sun - of how it had gradually cooled and a crust had formed to make a surface of the Earth, and went on to speak of the Creation of nature and finally of man's Creation.
Our Lord said, "You believe in the Creation of man?" (Adam) They said "Yes." Our Lord said to them "And who were the father and mother of Adam? You said that you couldn't believe that Jesus Christ could be born without an earthly father (when he had a Mother) yet you can believe that Adam was born without either."

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken ca. 1900 -- ABU1419)

Once some materialists came to Acca to ask Abbas Effendi what about the Immaculate Conception. He answered: "A living body cannot come forth from a dead body. Only a living man can make a living child; this is a scientific fact."
The scholars said it is impossible for a child to be born without a father, and said nothing could change their opinion regarding it. They left the subject and began speaking of geology - scientific facts well known. They were led to speak of their idea of evolution of man from the atom and molecule all through the different stations until at last man was evolved from all these previous conditions. Then Abbas Effendi said: "Well, did the first man who was evolved have a father and mother, as you said a child must have that comes into this world?" They said: "Why no, of course not." Then the Master said: "Well, if God could make the first man who came upon the earth without a father or mother, could he not make Jesus Christ also without a human father?" They were confounded and said nothing more, but after that they were converted and went away believers.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to some materialist scholars spoken in Dec. 1900 -- ABU3186)

Asked if Jesus was immaculately conceived, He answered:
"It is not impossible that He should have been, though it is not necessary that all Manifestations should come in that way."

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Aline Shane-Devin spoken on 1907-Oct-14 -- ABU3491)

Isaiah prophesied that a virgin would conceive and bring forth a son, and His name would be called Immanuel--God with us. While the Christians claim this passage is to be taken literally, and that it means that Christ was born of a virgin, it is a prophecy of Christ, but in the original, the word translated "virgin" means a pure, chaste woman, and that was Mary, Joseph's wife. All the Old Testament prophecies foretold the coming of Christ. The Gospel of Christ shadowed forth the coming of the Manifestation.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Mrs Sarah Herron et al in Dec. 1900 -- ABU1697)

Regarding His Holiness Christ and His birth into this world of matter; Speak not of this, if you can. Should anyone ask, answer: ‘His Holiness Christ was born of the Holy Spirit,' and let that be final.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1906-Feb-10, to Helen S Goodall -- AB11309)

The Christians exaggerated the birth of Jesus.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words recorded by Mrs Goodall in Oct 1912 -- ABU3627)

Christ said that His mother Mary was not of His Relationship, also that those were His brothers and sisters who were in the Kingdom of God.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Julia Grundy spoken around Jan. 1905 -- ABU1627)

There is a special time to plant the seed; there is a special time for its growth; a special time to gather the harvest; a special time for the threshing. When the seed is first planted, you cannot expect to gather the harvest immediately. A baby is first nourished by milk, gradually he is fed on other foods. Mary desired that Christ would reveal Himself to those present, but He said: "The hour is not yet come."

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Mary Lucas and other pilgrims, spoken on 1905-Feb-02 -- ABU2503)

However, some among the ancients through the power of detachment gained knowledge of certain cosmic mysteries and obtained awareness of relationships and connections that exist between created things - they became aware of certain hidden secrets in the realities of things and deduced some future events from the relationships between existing things. This cannot be denied, as mentioned in the Kitab-i-Iqan regarding the brilliant star that indicated the birth of Christ.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1906 ca., to Haji Muhammad Rida -- AB03340)

It is really very sad to see how Buddha and Christ are fallen into the hands of the bad people of their respective followers. Without the exact knowledge of their physiognomies every day they represent them under different forms. One day suffering him to sit under the Lotus tree and another day placing Jesus over the cross!

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to M. R. Shirazi, spoken on 1914-Apr-07 -- ABU1784)

When the Emperor inquired concerning Mary's condition and purpose, she answered: "I have come on behalf of the Christians, and the Christians entreat intercession for the slayers of Christ and the bestowal of peace and security upon the Jews; for Pilate and Herod are molesting the Jews.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken on 1912-Dec-22 in London -- ABU2142)

And the Voice of God was raised from behind the pavilion of holiness and tender mercy, exclaiming: This is indeed the Night in which He Who is the Manifestation of the Essence of the Merciful Lord hath been born, wherein the Pen of the All-Glorious hath set forth every eternal decree with clarity.

(Bahá’u’lláh, to Sirrullah et al -- BH01716)

O thou who speakest the praise of the Lord! In these days when the morn of certitude hath dawned from the dayspring of divine knowledge and the light of the Lord of Hosts shineth forth from the horizon of bounty, when the clouds of generosity pour down their rain and the mercy of the seen and unseen world is manifest, when the ocean of favors is surging and the lamp of bestowals is brightly burning, when the Fire of Moses blazeth forth in the Tree of Sinai and the breath of Jesus from the invisible Kingdom wafteth like the fragrance of ambergris and musk - open thine eyes and behold the divine rose-garden, and unstop thine ears and hearken to the call of the Most Glorious Beauty and the summons of the Most Exalted One from the heaven of the unseen realm.

(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1894 ca., to Haji Abdu'l- Karim Pilgrim -- AB08259)

Further quotations · supplied wording and references

When Her Holiness the Essence of Sanctification and Reality of Holiness, Mary the Virgin - upon her be greetings and praise - became sanctified and purified from worldly concerns, she bore such a luminous fruit that she became the shell for that divine pearl and the target for endless arrows of cruelty.

AB11952

Catalogue reference: AB11952 · passage alignment is approximate; supplied wording retained.

First regarding the birth of Jesus Christ. In the light of what Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha have stated concerning this subject it is evident that Jesus came into this world through the direct intervention of the Holy Spirit, and that consequently His birth was quite miraculous. This is an established fact, and the friends need not feel at all surprised, as the belief in the possibility of miracles has never been rejected in the Teachings. Their importance, however, has been minimized.

LG#1637 (31 Dec. 1937 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi)