Womb and Tomb

From LifeDate - Spring 2005.

Womb and Tomb
by Rev. Dr. James I. Lamb, Executive Director, Lutherans For Life

“We are for the sanctity of human life from the womb to the tomb” is a common expression used by the pro-life community. It expresses the conviction to honor all life regardless of stage of development or condition of existence. It isn’t perfect since we also honor life in fallopian tubes and Petri dishes, but the right idea is there in a poetic kind of way that’s fun to say.

This year womb and tomb come together in the Christian Church’s calendar. March 25th, the Annunciation of our Lord—that marks the conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb—falls on Good Friday, the day Jesus died and was buried in a tomb. March 25th becomes a good reminder for pro-life Christians that we have a basis for saying we believe in the sanctity of human life from the womb to the tomb. We believe that because of Jesus’ presence in these places. “Womb to Tomb” is more than something fun to say. It is central to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the value He gives to life.

From the very beginning, God chose to seek and to save sinners by coming to them. “Where are you?” He called to Adam as he and Eve were hiding ashamed and afraid in the Garden of Eden. He didn’t have to do that. He didn’t have to come to where they were. He didn’t have to do anything. But He did. He came to where they were and promised that He would do something about sin and Satan and the death that these brought into the world. It would be accomplished through the “seed” of a woman (Genesis 3:15). It would be accomplished when God came again into His world that sin had corrupted. It would all begin when God became flesh. It would begin when He entered a womb.

The womb was a necessary place for God to be. Our beginning there was sinful. “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). God came to seek and to save us by taking our place from the very beginning. When God came to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He was showing how He valued them in spite of their sin. God entering a womb shows how He values all human life from that moment. His beginning there hallows our beginning there.

The tomb was a necessary place for God to be. On the cross Jesus suffered God’s wrath in our place. Then, in order to conquer death, He died and was buried in a tomb. He took our place there as well. “The death He died, He died to sin once for all” (Romans 6:10). The end of His life in a tomb hallows the end of our life in a tomb because it doesn’t end there! Jesus rose from the tomb! Now those who have been baptized into His death and resurrection (Romans 6:4) can proclaim, “Where, O death, is your victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).

From the womb of the Virgin Mary to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, Jesus took our place. From the womb to the tomb, He showed how much God values human life. We too value life from the womb to the tomb. We do so not just because it is fun to say. We do so not just because it is the right thing to do. As Christians, we do so because God does so. And this year it all comes together—womb and tomb—on March 25th.

Note: We have a brochure called The Annunciation and Abortion, by Rev. Ed. Fehskens, which reviews the Annunciation and Visitation of Mary and the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and helps us answer the question, “When does life begin?” This brochure would make a great For Life handout / bulletin insert in March. (Item 202T. $0.25 ea.) Click here to order!