Our Lord Jesus was as a man different from other men—unblemished, undefiled, spotless. This is important that he was human in order to pay the ransom price, the corresponding equivalent for Adam.
1 John 3:5: “But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.”
Hebrews 7:26: “Such an High Priest was suitable for us – holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.”
We are all sinners, and Mary is no exception:
Psalm 53:3: “Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
Proverbs 20:9: “Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?”
Ecclesiastes 7:20: “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”
Isaiah 53:6: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Romans 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
Galatians 3:22: “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”
Although Jesus was born of Mary, a human woman subject to the inherited imperfections of Adam’s race, his perfection remained intact because his life did not originate from a human father. Modern biology confirms that both sperm and egg contribute equally to a child’s genetic makeup, but for the unique case of Jesus, it is about the origin of his life—not his DNA alone.
Scripture teaches that Jesus’ life was divinely transferred, not derived from Adam’s corrupted lineage. God supplied the initiating life force, while Mary provided the human form and environment. Just as a fertilized egg begins development only when activated by the sperm, Jesus’ conception was initiated by a perfect, divine source.
While maternal factors influence development, a robust embryo—especially one originating from a perfect life-source—can resist or neutralize many environmental imperfections. Thus, Jesus’ sinlessness was not due to Mary’s purity, but to the divine origin of his life, which bypassed the inherited sin of Adam.
Jesus was “made flesh” through Mary, yet remained “holy, harmless, undefiled” because his life came directly from God, not from the contaminated human lineage.
Additional Resources:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1086: “Are Jesus’ Ransom and Our Salvation the Same?”
Clarifying the purpose of the ransom and the process of salvation
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
For children, parents and Bible class teachers:
Animated video: Why did Jesus come to earth?
Animated video: Why did Jesus have to die?
