The Value of Pre-Born Life

Weekly Update – September 12th, 2024

The topic of abortion seems to have grown even more contentious than normal over the last several months.  With the overturning of Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, our political cycle has jumped headlong into the perceived positives and negatives of this outcome as each presidential candidate seeks to make use of this decision to their own advantage.  Now, my point here is not to highlight the position of each political party, but is instead, to give you a biblical position on the issue of life, so that as a Christian, you might know how to think about these conversations and interact with the culture around you. 

Last week, in our study through the gospel of Luke, we looked at Mary’s visit to see Elizabeth after receiving word from the angel Gabriel that she would become pregnant with the Son of God (Luke 1:35-40).  Elizabeth was already pregnant with John (Luke 1:24), as she and her husband, Zecheriah, would birth the one who would prepare the way of the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth. When Mary arrives at Elizabeth’s home, Elizabeth said that at the sound Mary’s greeting, “the baby in my womb leaped for joy” (Luke 1:44).  This is significant here for many reasons, but when considering issues of life, especially life in the womb, we find a pre-born baby, through the power of the Holy Spirit, recognizing another pre-born baby, and communicating emotions of joy. Elizabeth’s baby, John, is about 6 months old here. Mary’s baby, Jesus, is likely about 3 or 4 days old.  Both are considered persons and both are considered valuable. 

Lets dive a little bit deeper into this interaction between the pre-born John and the pre-born Jesus.  Remember, Luke, as a doctor, is walking us through accounts of, first, a woman past child-bearing years becoming pregnant (Luke 1:5-25), a virgin becoming pregnant (Luke 1:27, 34) and now issues of life within the womb (Luke 1:39-45).  When he describes John in Elizabeth’s womb, he uses the word baby (brephos in the original language).  But then, Luke uses the same word, baby (brephos) when describing Jesus lying in a manger, post birth (Luke 2:16).  Luke also uses this word (brephos) when describing the infants or little children who come to Jesus in Luke 18:15. I don’t think that the way that Luke uses baby is insignificant.  As a doctor, he knows what he is talking about when it comes to pre-born, post-born, and even little children.  And for these three categories, he uses the same word to describe them.

The gospel of Luke is not the only place where you find the equality of pre-born and post-born children.  In Exodus 21:22-23, Moses writes, “when men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined…but if there is harm, then you shall pay a life for a life.”  Here the value of pre-born life is affirmed as a man who hits a woman and causes her to prematurely give birth, and in the process that child dies as a result of a man hitting him/her while in the womb, then his life will be required of him.  Surely, life in the womb is held as valuable, just as is life outside the womb.

What all of this comes down to is not a couple of proof-texts that might help you win an argument, but instead, is a worldview set out within the Bible.  God created men and women in his image and likeness to represent him before the world around them (Gen. 1:27).  That means that not only is life outside of the womb made in God’s image, but so is life inside the womb, from conception.  Therefore, we need to honor life at every stage, from conception to natural death.  Life is valuable at all stages, and we don’t have the “right” to destroy it.  Though we, as Christians, may be seen as counter-cultural for this view, we must stand firm for life, defending and advocating for it, as we seek to uphold the defenseless, and promote justice for the weak.  As those who are united together for the mission of proclaiming and displaying the good news of Jesus Christ, let us be those who proclaim and display it in all contexts in life, as we seek to honor God, by remaining clear about all that the Scriptures say. 

Serving Him with You,
Pastor Michael Nelson