Apostles’ Creed Week 5: Born of a Virgin
Introduction
In the coming weeks, we’re going to walk slowly through one of the oldest, most widely embraced confessions in the history of the Church—the Apostles’ Creed. This ancient creed is more than a set of beliefs; it’s a narrative. It tells the story of God, the story of the gospel, and the story we are invited into.
The Kansas City Underground holds this creed as a foundational confession. It’s a declaration of trust, a form of spiritual formation, and a shared language that binds us together with the global Church across time and culture.
Each week, we’ll sit with a single line or phrase. You’ll engage Scripture, linger in reflection, and respond in prayer. This is not a study to rush through, but an invitation to abide with truth until it shapes your imagination and your life.
If you want to dive deeper into the meaning behind each line, we highly recommend The Apostles’ Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism by Ben Myers. It’s a short but powerful companion that can enrich your journey.
Apostles’ Creed
Read the following line from the Apostles’ Creed:
“Who Was Conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary”
This line of the Creed brings us to the staggering mystery at the heart of our faith:
“Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.”
These words are quiet. Subtle. But behind them is a truth that has shaken the world.
God became human. He came to live among us. He is not distant. He is incarnate. Fully present and aware of what it means to one of us.
This isn’t theory. This isn’t a metaphor. He became flesh at a point in time in the womb of a young, Jewish girl in Nazareth.
The Creator of the universe took on the fragility of a baby. The Infinite became an infant. The One who holds all things together chose to be held in the arms of Mary.
It is here—in this line—that the distance between God and humanity is undone. Heaven and earth are joined. Divinity and humanity are not kept apart, but bound together forever in the person of Jesus.
This is not myth. Not symbolic poetry. This is the incarnation—God with us. Conceived by the Spirit. Born of a woman. This is how salvation begins: not with glory, but with humility; not in power, but in vulnerability.
To say we believe this is to say we trust in a God who draws near. A God who dignifies the human story. A God who enters it fully.
And it calls us to something, too—to welcome God into the small, messy, and sacred places of our lives. To carry Christ not just in belief, but in our very being.
This week, we enter the mystery. And we let it shape us.
Scripture Readings
Luke 1:26–38
Matthew 1:18–25
John 1:14
Galatians 4:4–7
Hebrews 2:14–18
Reflection
The incarnation means Jesus did not arrive as a spirit or vision or myth—He arrived in flesh and blood. Born, not beamed down. Cradled, not conjured. Vulnerable. Dependent. Real.
The same Holy Spirit who hovered over the waters in creation now hovered over Mary, bringing forth a new beginning. This was not an accidental pregnancy or a symbolic birth—it was divine intention, human cooperation, and cosmic interruption.
And Mary—young, humble, obedient—says “yes.” She becomes the first to receive Jesus, not just in belief but in her very body.
What does this tell us about God?
He moves toward us. That He’s not afraid of the mess of birth or the scandal of a virgin conceiving. That our bodies, our ordinary lives, our limitations—none of them are barriers to His presence. In fact, they’re often the places He chooses to show up.
This is not just doctrine. It’s good news.
Consider
Have you ever thought of Jesus as truly human—not just God in disguise?
Do you believe God still chooses to work through ordinary people in unexpected ways?
Sometimes we’re tempted to keep God in the “spiritual” realm—up there, out there, safe. But this line of the Creed brings Him down to earth. Into the womb. Into a body. Into the story.
Before continuing on to the prayer prompts, consider journaling your thoughts to the following set of questions.
Where are you resisting the truth that God is near, not far off?
What parts of your life feel too messy or too ordinary for God to enter?
Where might the Spirit be inviting you—like Mary—to say yes, even without all the answers?
Prayer Prompts
Create space to be still. Slowly pray through these prompts or journal your responses:
Worship: Thank Jesus for entering human flesh—for not staying distant, but becoming one of us. Let John 1:14 shape your praise.
Receive: Pray, “Let it be with me as You have said.” Open your life to the Spirit’s presence, even in the unexpected.
Confess: Acknowledge the parts of your life where you’ve kept God at arm’s length—your body, your story, your doubts.
Embody: Ask the Spirit how you might carry Jesus into the world—not just in word, but in presence. Pray for courage to say “yes” like Mary.
Intercede: Pray for our network to be a people who make space for God’s movement in unexpected places. That we would trust the Spirit’s work, welcome the humble and ordinary, and carry Jesus into every corner of our city with quiet courage and holy presence.