The Deeper Mystery of the Virgin Birth

by Joshua Tilghman on August 29, 2013

Consciousness“Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind.”

—     Albert Einstein

Einstein was a perceptive person. He knew that fundamentalists—from either the science or religious camp—can never arrive at the truth because they each see existence through the lens of their own ego. Our egos always blind us so that we only see falsity and half-truths. Have you ever wondered if this could be the case with the story of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ? Perhaps we can come to a deeper understanding about the virgin birth that will help bridge the gap between science and religion.

The virgin birth is a great mystery to ordinary thinking, but I don’t believe it has to be to someone who can think outside the religious box. Einstein did it in the arena of science. He opened scientist’s eyes to a much deeper understanding of our universe by teaching us that we exist in a universe of energy-matter. Through the equation E=MC2 he was able to demonstrate that matter and energy are interchangeable. They are two sides of the same coin.

I believe it is only our perception that makes them different, and I also believe this is the power of consciousness; consciousness is truly omnipotent because it utilizes oneness to create a duality and experience itself through that duality in infinite possibilities.

It has been stated that consciousness just is. God has also been explained the same way. God tells Moses that “I AM THAT I AM.” This is the Biblical author’s way of letting us know that God just is. Could it really be that God and consciousness are one and the same? If so, how would the virgin birth fit in?

I once had a conversation with a literalist where I was trying to explain why I thought the Bible made it clear that God is infinite potential consciousness, unfolding itself in limited ways so that it can interact with itself. He refused to even consider such a concept, so I asked this person to give me a Biblical definition of God. He eventually quoted the verse “I AM THAT I AM” that we have already mentioned from Exodus. This person then went on to say that a Hebrew scholar more accurately translated this phrase as, “I WILL BECOME THAT WHICH I BECOME.”

Knowing this piece of information already I smiled and then replied, “Exactly.” After a puzzled look spread across his face, I asked, “Doesn’t that sound a lot like infinite potential in action to you?”

This particular person then replied, “But that simply means that God works through us.”

Again, I replied, “Exactly.” And then I asked, “And aren’t we conscious beings?”

One of the hang-ups this person was having with my explanation of God was the fact that the Bible uses pronouns like “He” when speaking of the ultimately reality (God). I completely understand because this is a natural tendency of human thinking. Men often refer to their favorite trucks or boats as “she” and “her.” The Bible must have been written by men, right?

In all seriousness, I believe that just as Einstein was able to share a better understanding about our universe by thinking outside the box of Newtonian physics, there is a philosophy that might be more appropriate at explaining ultimate reality beyond both science and religion. And perhaps this philosophy is the answer to the feud between the two.

The Beauty of Metaphysics

Of course I am speaking of metaphysics. It has always seemed to me a much better framework for studying ourselves and God than both religion and science because it reaches beyond the limitations of both. I believe it truly can make the truth known without that truth being lame. Some ancient teachers of metaphysics taught us that consciousness experiences itself in a world of duality in order to develop, grow, and expand. That world of duality is itself created by this consciousness. Would it be so bad (for religion) or hard (for science) to call that God? What if I went so far as to tell you that the deeper mysteries of the Virgin birth could be found there as well?

Mary the Mother of Christ

It is no coincidence that the Biblical author/s chose the name “Mary” to be the mother of God. There is a subtle connection between matter, mater, and Mary that unveils much more about consciousness and our reality than a literal interpretation of the Bible could ever reveal (or science for that matter). The Online Etymology Dictionary tells us that “mater” means “origin,” “source,” or “mother” from Latin. Do you see the connection? In Genesis, Eve is called the “mother of all living.” In Mary the concept is taken further in that she becomes the mother of everything, because in every “thing” (all matter) there resides the divine spark capable of evolving to become more. Mary equates to matter, the divine mother who incubates and births the potential of that divine spark within us. This divine spark is consciousness, by the way. This is the infinite potential aspect of God. This infinite potential aspect of God is incubated and evolved in matter. Matter, the divine mother, births advanced consciousness. That advanced consciousness is the Son. And the Son is God. And you are a son.

A more shallow exploration of the meaning of the name Mary reveals it to mean “bitterness.” This is also appropriate, because as consciousness incarnates through matter it is a sort of bittersweet experience, comprised of both joy and pain, life and death, love and negativity. This is the bittersweet experience of our lives.

So why exactly was Jesus born of the Virgin Mary? All matter is virgin potential. The Son, advanced consciousness, is not born through procreation like a physical child. Consciousness just is. No insemination is required. The Birth of consciousness is as automatic and involuntary as change. Always it just is. And so are you.

You were born of the Virgin Mary. You may be a young soul not quite as advanced as the Son yet, but you are well on your way. Even suicide can’t stop the process, because your virgin birth is eternal. The higher worlds are still filled with matter. Matter is eternal, just as the Virgin Mary is claimed by some to be a perpetual virgin.

“Behold Your Mother”

There is a very curious dialogue between Jesus and John at the death of Jesus upon the cross. I believe this dialogue can now be properly understood through the metaphysical concept of the Virgin birth. In chapter 19 of the Gospel of John, right before Jesus’ death, John states:

“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he unto the disciple, Behold thy mother!” (John 19: 26-27).

My regular readers know that the Apostle John represents the mental nature which produces form, and exemplifies the love-nature. This is the end result of the incarnational cycle before achieving enlightenment. Jesus also calls Mary (matter) John’s mother because it is through matter that the qualities of the soul are developed from simple potential to the Son.

This has great implication for us: all the bodies of matter, from the gross physical to the higher emotional and mental aspects, are needed for the development of consciousness and return to source. Matter is eternal, and is always the divine mother. It is divine because it is the only vehicle for the development of consciousness, which makes it holy and sacred.

The Logos becoming the flesh that dwelt among men simply means that the divine spark which is the son in all of us, comes through physical creation. This divine spark evolves into something of magnificent potential when it reaches the stage of humanity and beyond.

The Antichrist

John states that anyone who denies Christ came in the flesh is antichrist. What this really means is that anyone who denies matter as the holy vehicle for the development of the spiritual ego is anti-truth. Taken even further, this simply means that anyone who squanders their opportunity for conscious advancement in these physical bodies are the doers of sin. Shed in this light, we are all sinners, for we have all have squandered some of our time in these precious vehicles of matter. Remember, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

“Do you not know that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost…?” (1 Cor. 6:19).

That Spirit that dwells in you (your body) is consciousness. And the moment we decide to quit the squandering and devout ourselves to conscious growth, salvation is the only option.

I believe these are the deeper mysteries of the Virgin birth.


Mike Pinkston August 30, 2013 at 12:32 am

Wow great insight. How do you do it

Joshua Tilghman September 1, 2013 at 8:14 am

Hi Mike…

I have studied quite a bit. Once you pick up patterns and understand the metaphors and symbolism, it gets easier. I have had many people help me along the way as well. There are some very knowledgeable people and books out there!

anny August 31, 2013 at 9:01 am

Hello Joshua,

Your explanation of Mary, the mother, as matter I totally agree with. I never heard about this before in connection to the virgin birth but the connection between mother and matter was obvious to me as I learned Latin in school. Mother is mater and matter is materia, motherstuff so to speak. Your explanation gives a totally new view of the virgin birth to me and I love it. However, I fail to see the connection with the name Mary in all of this.


I would not like to call that exploration shallow. It is anything but. The name Miriam contains both the element of bitterness, mar, as the element of time, jom, day or period. And in addition to that also of jam, sea. A sea of bitterness if you like.

Jom is the word used in Genesis 1 and the six days of creation are in reality meant to be understood as long periods, eons and longer. Link this to the emotional body of man, in Hebrew called nefesj, or living soul, and then you see the sum total of all man’s incarnations during eons of time, through seas of bitterness, which are meant to be challenges to the soul to see the other perspective, to find the good side of everything and to bring everything into balance. It is the process of growth. Once you have totally managed that, then your soul is totally pure = virginal and ready to birth the Christ. The name Mary embodies the totality of this enormous process. In this respect the virginity is purity and then it becomes obvious that Mary is a virgin ever after, which of course would be impossible when taken literally.

This is another way to look at the virgin birth, coming from the name Mary. Your approach comes from the element of motherhood. Both are equally valid and not necessarily higher or lower than the other. They complement each other, which I find beautiful. There might be even more angles to this!

What I love even more is that the enormity of the totality of this whole process only now became clear to me because I started thinking about it in relation to what you wrote. The process of the soul as such I have known for a long time already but only now I became aware of this timespan of all the incarnations.

One more remark: you write: Shed in this light, we are all sinners, for we have all have squandered some of our time in these precious vehicles of matter.

I do not totally agree with you there. Some of the worst ‘sinners’ have become the wisest of all when they turned around. The depth of their understanding is much greater than that of those who hardly ever ‘sinned’ at all. As I know there is no judgment and we incarnated in the first place to have all sorts of experiences in order to grow wise and compassionate, I do not think there is any squandering of time, just experience and growth in millions of ways.



Joshua Tilghman September 1, 2013 at 8:07 am

Hi Anny,

By shallow I simply meant not looking any deeper than the info you could find on any name-meaning website on the net, LOL. And you are absolutely right. Everything about her name and role is profound to the overall message of the soul. Blessings.

selina August 31, 2013 at 6:28 pm

Hello Joshua, what a great post very insightful and i totally agree with you. Love and light Selina x

Joshua Tilghman September 1, 2013 at 8:00 am

Thanks, Selina. Good to hear from your again.

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