How Old Was Jesus On Christmas?

Is abortion a religious issue?  That depends on who you ask.  Ironically, it is often the religious pro-lifers who are more likely to say this isn’t a religious issue.  Take for instance Jimmy Akin, a famous Christian apologist and writer who produced this video.

However, today I wanted to address the issue from the standpoint of the Christian scriptures.  Is there anything the Bible that tells us how God regards babies in the womb?

The Problematic Jeremiah Quote:

The typical passage employed to support the pro-life cause is Jeremiah 1:5.  You'll see it printed on tons of bumper stickers:

... and I really wish people would stop using that verse. It does not work as a Pro-Life proof-text.
What was God really saying in Jeremiah 1:5?  Well, God is telling the prophet Jeremiah that He has always had a purpose for the prophet's life – and this plan was in place before Jeremiah was formed in the womb.

That says something about how God has a purpose for our lives, but it doesn’t really speak to whether God considers us human beings while we are being formed in the womb. 

So what now?

Consulting a Physician:

There is a passage which does settle the matter... and it's in the Gospel written by a medical physician. 

The first chapter of Luke’s Gospel describes an encounter between Mary and Elizabeth.  Mary conceived Jesus in her womb only weeks prior, and Elizabeth is 6 months pregnant with John the Baptist.  Here is what transpires:

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.’” – Luke 1:39-43

Despite Jesus only being a few weeks into gestation, Elizabeth has a visceral reaction to being in the presence of the Lord.  She then refers to Mary as “the mother of My Lord”.  She doesn’t say Mary is the "mother-to-be".  Rather, she says Mary is the mother of God at that moment. 

Regarding John the Baptist, the text says "the child leapt in Elizabeth’s womb".  That is pretty unambiguous indication that Scripture is regarding the child-in-utero as a “child”.  Not as a part of Elizabeth's body, or a potential child, or a blob of tissue.... but a "child".

The Word Became Flesh:

At Christmas time, we often celebrate that passage from John's gospel that says, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us".  But the Word had already been flesh for nine months before He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.  The heart that bled for our salvation had been beating in the sanctuary of Mary's womb.