In this chapter, Augustine meditates on what it means that the Son was "sent" by the Father. He defines this as "going forth from the Father and coming into this world" (101). To understand the concept of "sent" Augustine comments that it is the part about being made of woman that sent refers to.
Augustine further explains that God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit were already here. The "sent" refers to the idea of being inserted into time, in this case through the birthing process. So, Jesus entering into the world as flesh through Mary renders language, the Word, into a fleshly component.
To further elucidate the language concept, Augustine points out that symbolic acts are given significance through the act itself to things that already existed. This is an exegetical move. He writes that Isaac "became Christ" (105) when he carried the wood for his sacrifice. Isaac would have already existed; its his symbolic actions that give it significance.
Can we, then, extrapolate from the event of Jesus' birth through Mary that although she already existed, it is her symbolic action of giving birth that give her significance? Is this symbolism reductive?
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