In the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ we observe three types of human birth, as well as three human types analogous to the nature of their births. First, we observe the supernatural birth such as that of Isaac from the barren and impotent Sarah, in her ninetieth year, and the decrepit Abraham in his hundredth year; second we observe the birth according to natural laws, such as that of Judah and his brothers from Jacob the patriarch and, Leah, his wife; third we observe the illegal birth, such as that of Pharez and Zarah from Tamar, who conceived deceitfully by her father-in-law Judah. From these three types of birth originate three human types: those divinely born and noble, with whom God has dealings through his covenant and law-giving, whom he rears and disciplines as he would his own children, until they attain perfection and inherit God’s eternal kingdom and its eternal blessings; those born of a lawful marriage and a natural birth and representing the earth-born or man-born, the sons of man, the sinful by nature, the weak who cannot keep the covenant and the law of God, and the ones ruled over by the Devil who devours them like earth all the days of his life; and those born of an unlawful marriage – the children of the Devil, the naturally vicious and ignoble, the base and dishonorable – and the worst type of humanity. But the birth of Jesus Christ is the unique and outstanding example of the first kind of birth – the supernatural and divine – through which there was born without human seed the first-born Son of God and natural heir of all divine possessions of God. Although the birth of Isaac from the barren and impotent Sarah, partakes of the supernatural and divine, it also partakes of the human ancestral sin, because it was brought about through human seed; whereas the birth of Jesus Christ is entirely Holy, undefiled, and unpolluted, not in the slightest partaking of ancestral sin, but of all of God’s holiness, because it was brought about by the Holy Spirit and the sanctified and highly favored VIRGIN. The birth of Jesus Christ brings into the world the most noble and most godlike man, whom the Devil cannot deceive, the man of the ultimate will of God, the man created according to the image and likeness of God, the man through whom God destroys the power of the Devil over man, and establishes the power of Christ, the universal Christocracy. But in order to destroy the power of the Devil over man, God destroys first the two types of birth which are the source of the naturally sinful and ignoble, creating laws in the meantime toward the divine and supernatural rebirth, effected through water and Spirit, and being very much like the supernatural birth of Christ, through the Holy Spirit and Mary the eternal virgin and Mother of God. For just as the Son of God and perfect God was born a human infant of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, likewise the sons of men are born sons of God through the Holy Spirit and the Font of the Holy Church of Christ which is analogous to the womb of the Holy Virgin, of whom Christ was born. Christ in explaining the absolute need of the law of rebirth says:
“Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:16.)
The law of rebirth is naturally and inseparably bound with the law of education and discipline, according to which he that is divinely born, and divinely reared, becomes a perfect man, the image of the perfect Christ and His genuine brother. But the law of rebirth and of education is understood and applied only by those who have been reborn and reared according to Christ, and whom the Holy Spirit has established in the Church as pastors and teachers toward the rebirth and education of men according to the perfect type of the perfect man, after whom they themselves have been moulded. Through the unique birth of Christ and the universal law of rebirth and education, the children of God are born – the sons of the kingdom, who share with Christ eternal kingship and glory. But all those who remain unborn and divinely uneducated die in their sins, and their end is eternal perdition.
These are the deductions from the genealogy and birth of our Lord Jesus Christ; and whoever hath ears to hear, let him hear. The way of God leads man from birth to rebirth and from rebirth to divinity. And as many as wander away from the road, and as many as fail to arrive at the end of the road, by remaining at a standstill, or by turning back – all these are lost or thrown into the lake burning with fire and sulfur. The entire work of the Christian community and the church must lead everyone and all to eternal salvation, and not eternal perdition. We must all apply ourselves to the task of rebirth and education until We are moulded according to the image and likeness of God, and inherit God’s eternal kingdom and its eternal blessings.
Apostolos Makrakis 