Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
I’ll never forget the day, a long time ago, that a couple walked into our church whom I’d never seen before. They introduced themselves by saying “Hi, we’re Mary and Joseph”! For an instant I was speechless. Immediately the Christmas story came flooding into my mind and a thousand questions rose up in me! Now 30 years later, Joey and Mary, as they like to be called, are still dear friends even though we live 1000 miles apart.
So how about you, my friends, do you have questions you’d like to ask Christmas Joseph & Mary? Yesterday we tried to gain fresh insight into who this Christmas Joseph was, the son of Jacob according to Matthew’s lineage (Matt. 1:15,16). Today let’s ask the question “WHO was Christmas Mary?”
Of course, we first meet her in Luke 1:27,28 as she’s introduced to us as “a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph.” We don’t know much about how old Mary was, what she was doing when Gabriel found her, nor really much of anything about her family. It seems clear the Holy Spirit led Dr. Luke to focus on Mary’s character that enabled her to take some of the biggest ‘faith in God’ steps any human being has ever taken! (Luke 1:38) Also, Luke focused on Mary’s purity that qualified her to experience the unique, miraculous, divine conception that enabled Mary to become pregnant by an act of the Holy Spirit of God. (Luke 1:35)
I find it so interesting that the angel Gabriel did not instruct Mary to do anything other than not be afraid, trust God and receive the work of God in her miraculous conception. (Luke 1:30-35) In that remarkable encounter with Gabriel Mary only had one question, does that amaze you? And that question was simply this: “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34)
Mary has my highest respect. It would have been entirely appropriate for Mary to pour out a long list of questions: Why? Why me? When? Where? What if I say no!? It appears Gabriel was able to discern all the unspoken questions and so gave Mary this piece of unimaginable information that seemed to awaken in Mary at least a path forward for finding answers. Gabriel said: “Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:36,37)
Luke does not specify what the exact family relationship was between young Mary and old Elizabeth but clearly Mary knew exactly who Gabriel was speaking about even though it would have been hard for Mary to imagine old Elizabeth pregnant! We have no record that Mary sought the advice of Joseph or her own family, although she may have, but rather Mary left Nazareth as quickly as possible to spend extended time with Elizabeth and her husband, old priest Zechariah. (Luke 1:39) It would have been a long trip, perhaps 60 miles or more, depending on her route, and we have no record of how she made that trip or if she traveled alone or with someone she and her family could trust.
Clearly, she trusted God and strongly believed Zechariah and Elizabeth were God provided mentors who could help her understand, help her study what the Scriptures said about the miracle child Gabriel had promised she would carry in pregnancy and birth. Elizabeth’s greeting at Mary’s arrival tells me the Holy Spirit had been preparing Elizabeth for Mary’s visit: “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in Elizbeth’s womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice Elizabeth proclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me…Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her!” (Luke 1:41-45)
That remarkable statement set the tone and expectations for what those next three months would be like for old Elizabeth, miraculously pregnant with John; and young virgin Mary, miraculously pregnant with Jesus. Can you and I even begin to imagine the discussions, the questions, the extended times of prayer these two women had over those next weeks?
Mary’s song, recorded for us in Luke 1:46-55 is remarkable and in my estimation was an inspiration of the Holy Spirit upon Mary. I urge you to listen to it in the dramatic audio Bible link, and ponder the significance, both then and now, of every line as Mary proclaimed it!
I presume Mary stayed with Elizabeth until Elizabeth gave birth and even until Zechariah and Elizabeth circumcised and named their son John, as the angel Gabriel had instructed Zechariah. (Luke 1:57-60) I also believe Mary was an eyewitness to Zechariah miraculously receiving his ability to speak again (Luke 1:64) and then Mary heard Zechariah’s great prophetic proclamation as the Holy Spirit inspired and anointed him! (Luke 1:67-79)
If it was finally then that Mary headed back to her home it should not be difficult for us to, how her mind and heart would have been filled with much deeper understanding of all God was doing both in her miracle pregnancy but also in Israel and our world with the incarnation of God in Jesus as Savior to all!
We have no record Mary ever returned for another visit or even saw Elizabeth or Zechariah again, although it seems logical to me that each year as Joseph and Mary made their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover, they would likely have arranged to stop by that little home in the Judean hills, so near to Jerusalem, so Mary and Joseph could have more mentoring time with Zechariah and Elizabeth. Can we envision the four of them sitting under a tree talking and watching young Jesus and John playing together as two miracle young boys only six months apart in age? Can we imagine prolonged prayer seasons for these four very special adults whom God had entrusted with John the Baptizer and Jesus the Savior?
Pause reflecting on that scene for a moment friends and consider the parenting or grandparenting role God has entrusted to you! How much time do you spend talking with God about your children and grandchildren, seeking God’s wisdom for your influence in their lives? And are you spiritually connected with other parents and grandparents praying together over the young ones God has entrusted to you?
Through the entire Christmas story of the birth of Jesus, found in Luke 2, there’s one little phrase about Mary that I think gives us important insight into Mary’s hunger to understand and fully participate in what God was doing: “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19; 2:51) I get a glimpse of how Mary’s pondering affected her understanding and support of her miracle son Jesus in several scenes we have in the records of Jesus’ life.
How about this one in John 2 when several years later Mary and her adult son Jesus and others attended a wedding in Cana, not far from Nazareth. Sadly, the supply of wine was insufficient and in that delicate moment Mary approached her son Jesus asking if He might find a way to help the embarrassed, newly married couple. Her comment to the servants evidences to me her love and respect for her Son Jesus, in balance with her understanding that Jesus must accomplish His God given life mission in obedience to His heavenly Father’s timeline and guidance.
John 2:5 says: “His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever He tells you.” Oh, I love that my friends and I can only imagine the understanding, loving look that must have been exchanged between Mary and Jesus in that moment. Are you intrigued to know what happened next? You’ll find John’s report in John 2:6-12 and it’s very exciting!
I have two other brief but powerful glimpses into the Gospel reports of dear Mary which I believe are built on what she learned about Jesus, and the work of the Holy Spirit in her life, as she experienced her role in the Christmas story. John 19:25 tells us “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, Mary Magdalene…and the disciple whom He loved…” Of course, we know that disciple to be John the author of the Gospel of John. And was it what Mary had learned in her Christmas journey with God that gave her the strength to stand at the cross watching her son Jesus die that day?
The final picture of Mary the mother of Jesus which I draw us to consider occurred on the day resurrected Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives, outside Jerusalem, back to heaven. Those eyewitnesses of His ascension gathered with others of Jesus’ friends and family back in Jerusalem and Acts 1:14 reports: “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with…Mary the mother of Jesus and with His brothers…” What a great day of celebration that must have been, and for Mary, I imagine it had come full circle! From Gabriel’s first shocking visit to her in Nazareth and the mentoring support she received from Elizabeth and Zechariah, to now sitting with His disciples and friends celebrating His return to His glorious reign in heaven! Oh, my friends, what can we learn from Christmas Mary this year that will help you and me face the challenges of our lives?
While this song originates in Mary’s Christmas experience, I wonder if it accurately reflects the heart Mary had through her entire life as she pondered the roles God had called her to.
Today’s Scripture: Luke 1:46-55.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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