It seemed only fitting to conclude my, "Women Of The Bible" series by taking a look at Mary, The Mother Of Jesus. I pray this study and meditation can be edifying and uplifting for us this December. It certainly gave me plenty to mull over and give God thanks for this Christmas!
I really hope you've enjoyed this series for 2023. Studying just a few of the women found in Scripture has been both challenging and helpful for me and I pray it's been of use to you too! God bless you and onwards to 2024! Love Lucy x
Women Of The Bible- Mary, Mother Of Jesus
Matthew 1:18-25
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.”
Luke 1:26-56
“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favoured one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”
Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfilment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
And Mary said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.”
And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.”
Luke 2:1-20
“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marvelled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”
Matthew 2:1-15
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”
Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
John 19:25-27
“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”
Women of the Bible, their stories truly vary.I really hope you've enjoyed this series for 2023. Studying just a few of the women found in Scripture has been both challenging and helpful for me and I pray it's been of use to you too! God bless you and onwards to 2024! Love Lucy x
Women Of The Bible- Mary, Mother Of Jesus
Matthew 1:18-25
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.”
Luke 1:26-56
“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favoured one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”
Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfilment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
And Mary said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.”
And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.”
Luke 2:1-20
“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marvelled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”
Matthew 2:1-15
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”
Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
John 19:25-27
“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”
Let’s finish off this series with a closer look at Mary.
Although this name is popular, there’s one who’s like no other.
The Mary that I speak of is of course, our Saviour’s Mother.
What a special lady this woman must have been.
Her story incomparable to any other seen.
Chosen at an early age, “The highly favoured one.”
A virgin who’d bring forth to us, God’s one and only Son.
Visited by Gabriel, she heard his words of myst’ry.
This humble girl’s “yes” went on to change the course of hist’ry!
Though others may have balked, young Mary heeded him instead.
“As servant of the Lord, may it be done as you have said.”
Her innocence endearing, her willingness profound!
Surrendering her life, this woman’s boldness does astound!
Divinity within her womb and strength within her heart,
Mary showed great fortitude to boldly play her part.
Though Adam had condemned us, years prior in that Garden,
Mary’s Son would break the chains and bring mankind their pardon!
The long-awaited Son of God had finally come along,
Her heart was filled with praise as Mary sang her joyful song!
Yet though she was to bear for all, the Saviour of the Nations,
Plagued by scorn and gossip, she endured their accusations.
This young, expectant mother suffered many times of strife,
For though her Son would save her soul, she had to save His life.
Mary fled with Joseph to escape a jealous king
As Satan tried preventing the redemption He would bring.
But greater is our God above and nothing stopped His plan.
Mary’s conduct showed great peace while resting in His palm.
Yet what a price this woman paid as “highly favoured one.”
This mother had to face the brutal murder of her Son.
The sight of Jesus dying must have ripped her soul apart.
As nails were driven through His hands, they drove through Mary’s heart.
How she must have longed to hold her Son in her embrace
But Mary knew why Christ had come, she couldn’t take His place.
With every fibre screaming as it tore her heart in two,
Mary watched as Jesus died to pay for her sins too.
A sight that went against her love and everything maternal,
Yet joy was soon to fill her heart and it would be eternal!
Clinging to the knowledge that in time, the dawn would come.
Patiently, she waited for the rising of the Son.
The Babe whom she had placed within a manger, years before
Would soon appear as Risen King and make the Heavens roar!
Oh how she must have praised the Lord as every tear was dried!
From cradle to the Cross, this woman stayed by Jesus’ side.
Yes Mary used her life for God, there is no purpose higher.
She risked it all to bring mankind Christ Jesus, our Messiah.
Our God and our Redeemer came to wipe the record clean
And Mary helped to give the greatest Gift the world has seen!
Oh may we be like Mary, dearest sisters, dearest brothers.
Let’s bring our Saviour to the world by showing grace to others.
Expressing Jesus through our words and actions to the lost,
May we live to serve our God, whatever be the cost.
Women of the Bible, they really do astound.
These ladies show us readily some lessons to be found.
Their highs and lows still relevant for times that we now live in.
Oh thank You Lord for teaching us and thank You for these women!
Colossians 3:23-24
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”
Points For Reflection And Insight
Having begun my, “Women Of The Bible” series with Eve, the wife of Adam, it seemed only fitting to conclude with Mary, the Mother of the Last Adam, Jesus Christ. With Eve, we opened with the tragic details surrounding the fall of mankind and with Mary, we close with the story of redemption through Christ.
There is so much to admire about the sweet and humble young Mary and Scripture shows us many beautiful traits this woman possessed. Her willingness to surrender fully to God’s plan is nothing short of inspirational and Mary’s unique story is one that continues to ignite hearts to this day.
God chose Mary to take on one of the most important roles in human history which was to help bring the Messiah to the world. We know through Scripture that she came from the tribe of Judah as the daughter of Heli, a direct descendant of Judah. It was prophesied that the Messiah would come from the line of Judah in Genesis 49 and Scripture also tells us that He would be born of a virgin. Isaiah 7:14 reads,
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
The virgin birth is one of the most highly criticised doctrines within the Bible and over the years, people have tried to pull it down many times. Even some liberal theologians have said that the virgin birth is “just a myth” or “an over exaggerated Christmas story” that maybe makes us feel good but shouldn’t be taken seriously.
There are some who say that Jesus was really the biological son of Joseph and that it’s not “a big deal” to disregard the doctrine of the virgin birth. When we study the rest of Scripture however, we see that to deny the virgin birth is a very bid deal indeed!
The truth of the virgin birth is actually an essential doctrine to the eternal salvation for the souls of mankind. If Jesus wasn’t born of a virgin then He’s not our Saviour at all and so it’s imperative that we understand the meaning and importance behind this doctrine.
We read about the fall of mankind through sin in Genesis 3 and verses 14-15 of that chapter go on to tell us,
“So the Lord God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.””
What we have here in this portion of Scripture is the first prophecy concerning the Messiah and straight away, the reference to the woman’s “Seed” gives us the indication that He will be born of a virgin. Not only is this section unique due to it’s prophetic nature but also because it’s the only place in the Bible where you find any reference to the “Seed” of the woman. When God’s Word talks about any “seed” in relation to a person’s descendants, the “seed” is always in reference to the father and the male side of things.
Whenever we read through any genealogy in the rest of Scripture, it always refers to the “male seed” and the descendants of the fathers. For example, Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob and so on and so forth. Every genealogy in the Bible follows this male format and the biological reason for this is because a woman doesn’t actually possess a seed, only the man does.
Women have eggs which are fertilised by the seed of a man, so Genesis 3:15 is the only place where we ever find the “Seed” of a woman being mentioned. This shows straight away that the Messiah, the Descendant of the virgin was going to be different from anyone else in history. God is showing us clearly here that the “Seed” of the woman, the Messiah, who would crush the head of Satan and bring salvation to the world, would be a Descendant of a woman only.
As soon as Adam sinned, God revealed His plan to send a Redeemer but made it clear that this Redeemer would come through a woman, not a man. Here in Genesis 3, we see the Bible foretelling us, even at this early stage of human history, that the Messiah would need to be born of a virgin. He would come through the genetics of a woman, combined with the power of the Holy Spirit.
As I mentioned before, it’s crucially important that we understand why Jesus had to be born of a virgin and it’s to do with how the sinful nature is passed down genetically, through the generations. The Bible tells us in Romans 5:12,
“…through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men…”
This verse explains that sin came to all mankind through one man and so it’s through the seed of man that the sinful nature is passed down from generation to generation.
It’s interesting to note that even though Eve was technically the first one to eat of the forbidden fruit, the Bible consistently teaches that sin entered the world through one man, Adam. I took a closer look at why Adam is held accountable for the fall of mankind when I did my study on Eve, back in January. For more details and deeper explanation on this subject, please do check out my poem and study on Eve for my “Women Of The Bible” series.
In short and for the purposes of this study, God gave the direct command not to eat of the fruit to Adam only, not Eve. Also, Eve was deceived when she ate the fruit whereas Adam knew he was being disobedient and wilfully sinning. Therefore, Adam is held responsible for knowingly going against God’s direct command to him. This explains why the Bible tells us that sin is therefore passed on to all people through the seed of man.
Please know, I don’t intend this to sound like a “battle of the genders.” I’m simply highlighting the biological reason behind the biblical truth that we inherit our fallen nature through the male seed.
This brings us back to the point of why the virgin birth is so crucial for salvation. If Mary hadn’t been a virgin and Jesus had been conceived through Joseph or any other human father for that matter, then He would have inherited man’s sinful nature and would Himself, have been prone to sin. Adam’s sinful nature would have been passed down to any descendant and so Jesus couldn’t come through the seed of man, only the Seed of woman. This meant his mother had to be a virgin and Jesus had to be conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit.
If Jesus had been conceived through the seed of any human man then He would instantly have been disqualified from being our Messiah. Jesus would have had a sinful nature like any ordinary person and couldn’t have been the Spotless Lamb of God. The Saviour of the world had to be perfect, untouched and untainted by sin in order to take on the sins of the world and die in our place. If He had come through the seed of man then He would have had to pay for His own sin too, rendering Him unqualified as our sinless Saviour.
This is why this doctrine is so important and it’s also why it’s attacked so much. If you can “discredit” the virgin birth then you can “discredit” the saving work of Jesus on the Cross. If Jesus wasn’t born of a virgin, He wasn’t perfect and therefore His death on the Cross becomes invalid and powerless to save.
The good news is, the virgin birth hasn’t and never will be discredited, though many have tried. The very fact that Jesus was Resurrected from the grave and reigns, alive and well in our hearts today, proves the truth about Mary. If Mary hadn’t been a virgin then Jesus wouldn’t have been sinless and the tomb would have remained closed. As it stands, the tomb is empty and the Saviour is Risen! Praises to the Son of God who came as Man!
Looking at Mary’s life, we can see various different phases she went through. Beginning with poor and lowly roots in Nazareth, one phase we see is when she went on to have an encounter with the angel, Gabriel. How her heart didn’t stop dead in her chest at the very sight of this celestial being is beyond me! Although the Scriptures do say that she was “troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was,” she still handles the situation with a grace and sense of composure which I find hugely admirable!
Gabriel addressed Mary as, “highly favoured one.” The phrase, “highly favoured” comes from the Greek word, “charitoo” which means “much grace.” Mary wasn’t chosen because she was holier or more pious than anyone else, but rather, she was “graced” by God for a special purpose and privilege.
Although Mary probably didn’t understand everything about her situation or how things were going to unfold, she certainly knew the Scriptures pertaining to the Messiah and understood her own need for salvation. Her words in Luke 1:47 reveal that Mary didn’t consider herself to be more righteous than anyone else. The verse reads,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.”
We see here that Mary is glorifying God, not herself and she goes on to praise the Lord throughout the rest of her song, known as the Magnificat. At times, Mary has been exalted over the years by many as some sort of “sinless co-redeemer” with Jesus. We see from the text however, that this is incorrect and she was fully aware that she was a sinner too.
It could certainly be said of Mary that she was obedient, morally pure and modelled courageous faith in God but she knew that Jesus would go to the Cross to pay for her sins as much as everyone else’s. This emphasises again that Mary wasn’t chosen because she was perfect and spotless in the eyes of God, she was chosen because she had a heart surrendered to God and was willing to use her life for His divine purposes.
In light of Mary’s example, let’s ask ourselves some questions.
Is my heart surrendered to God and am I willing to use my life for His glory?
Is there a situation in my life just now where I need to echo Mary’s words and say, “Behold the servant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to Your word.”?
Mary is considered the first Disciple of Christ and was the only human being to be present at both His birth and death. Her “mother’s heart” certainly faced more than it’s fair share of grief and sorrow but my goodness, the joy she experienced must have been incomparable too!
While Mary is not to be venerated, prayed to or worshipped, we can definitely remember her as a woman of great faith and courage. Her life is a marvellous illustration of how God can use the lowly things of this world to accomplish His purposes. She also gives us an inspiring example of trusting God and obeying His call on our lives.
Mary was the only person in history who would ever bring the Messiah to the world in a physical sense but we can all seek to bring Jesus to those around us with our words, deeds, actions and attitude. We can join Mary in giving the greatest Gift this world has ever known, by bringing Jesus to the world around us.
Whether it’s Christmas time or any other time of the year, may our hearts call out to our God with glorious trust and surrender. Let’s commit each day to Kingdom service and declare like Mary, “Behold the servant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to Your word!”
