Who is the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus?
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most-High.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 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 no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-38.
Mary is a woman admired for her bravery and loved for her devotion to God. She walked a difficult path, knowing how costly her submission would be. The virgin birth of her son Jesus defied scientific logic. Mary is recognized most as the mother to God’s only Son. But how much do we know about the details of her life?
God chose Mary for what could be arguably the most important job in history – bringing our Saviour Jesus Christ into the world. She was the perfect unlikely choice, which made her story even more remarkable.
We know the angel Gabriel visited Mary to bring her the news of God’s plan. She would give birth, even though she wasn’t married yet (Luke 1:35 NLT). At that time, Joseph had already asked Mary to be his wife. But the two would soon embark on a life-changing journey.
There is so much we can learn from Mary’s walk of obedience. And there’s more to her story than you may have noticed before.
Here are two things you probably didn’t know about Mary in the Bible.
1. Mary was the only person to be present with Jesus at his birth and his earthly death.
Thinking about the Christmas Story takes me back to my childhood memories of Sunday school. I listened to the teacher tell about the stable, swaddling clothes, and the manger filled with hay. We added each piece to a plastic nativity scene as the story unfolded: Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, animals, and shepherds – in that order.
Joseph stayed by Mary’s side through that uncertain time. They both witnessed Jesus’ first breath on this earth. Soon shepherds came to join them and see what the angels told them about. (Luke 2:15-16) But did you know Mary was also present as Jesus took his last breath on earth?
“Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene” (John 19:25).
Mary comforted Jesus as He entered this world, and also as He left it to return to the Father. She devoted herself to being there for her son – through birth, death, and beyond.
2. Mary knew Old Testament prophecy about the coming Messiah.
This young girl showed unequalled bravery when she accepted the angel’s message by saying, “… may it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38). But did she understand what she was agreeing to?
In Mary’s famous song of praise, we find evidence that Mary knew the Old Testament teachings. As a Jew, she had been learning about biblical prophecy her entire life. Her song also bears a striking resemblance to Hannah’s famous prayer (1 Samuel 2:1-10). Now, she would become part of the fulfillment of God’s ultimate plan.
“He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever” (Luke 1:54-55).
Mary understood the magnitude of her decision to say yes when God chose her. Her knowledge of God’s promise to send a Saviour for His people showed through her worship.
“He (Jesus) has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever” (Luke 1:54-55).
Mary understood the magnitude of her decision to say yes when God chose her. Her knowledge of God’s promise to send a Saviour for His people showed through her worship.
