Triplets of Submission to God’s Will: Mary, Mother of Jesus

 

Wishing all who read this blog a blessed Mother's Day! May you enjoy this repost from the archives and find inspiration from the faith of Mary, mother of Our Lord.

God’s plan for Mary, mother of Jesus, allowed His Son to fulfill details of the Messianic prophecy through Mary’s genealogy, residence, and betrothal. Man looks on the outward appearance, whereas God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Mary’s community may have perceived her as adulterous (Matthew 1:18-19), simple (John 1:42), and weak, but God knew her purity, Godly wisdom, and strength in Him. 

One of the most miraculous prophecies concerning Jesus Christ, and proving His divinity, was His virgin birth (Matthew 1:18-20; Luke 1:27). Mary herself said she was a virgin (Luke 1:34); the angel of the Lord told Joseph that Mary was a virgin (Matthew 1: 20), and Joseph protected Mary’s virginity by not consummating their marriage until after Jesus was born (Matthew 1: 25)

The prophet Isaiah had foretold that a virgin would conceive, and bear a son, and call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). In the New Testament, the angel of the Lord repeated the three parts of this prophecy, adding the three-word meaning of Emmanuel: God with us (Matthew 1:23). The third pronouncement of this prophecy was by the angel Gabriel, who explained to Mary that the Holy Ghost would come upon her, that the power of the Highest would overshadow her, and that the holy thing which would be born of her would be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35).

Mary was to call her son Jesus (Yeshua; God saves), Who would be great, and be called the Son of the Highest. The Lord God would give Him the throne of His father David, and He would reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom would never end (Luke 1:31-33).

How did Mary react to this astounding news, and to Gabriel telling her not to fear, for she had found favor with God and was blessed among women? With humility (Luke 1:28-33), obedience (Luke 1:38-39), and faith (Luke 1:45). Her Godly wisdom was therefore profound, for she knew her utter dependence on Almighty God (Luke 1:48-49); she followed His Word (Luke 1:38); and she believed that He would keep His promises (Luke 1:45).

Like Mary, may we always remember that we are nothing without Him (Psalm 8:3-4: John 15:5), that His Word will guide us if we obey it (Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 3:5-6), and that without faith, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6).

As the handmaiden of the Lord, Mary submitted to His perfect plan; immediately sought out her cousin Elisabeth (Luke 1:38-40), whom the angel had told her was blessed by God to be pregnant in her very old age (Luke 1:36-37); and sang God’s praises as soon as she arrived (Luke 1:46-55).

Mary’s song of praise to her Lord, God, and Saviour (Luke 1:46-47), often referred to as the Magnificat, echoes several elements of Isaiah’s prophecies concerning Jesus Christ. The Magnificat also resembles Hannah’s song of praise to God for granting her a son (1 Samuel 2:1-10), so that there are three recorded praise testimonies glorifying God’s gift of a Saviour: those of Isaiah, Hannah, and Mary.

Mary’s hymn praised God, for He would raise up the people of Israel over their enemies (Isaiah 49:6; 1 Samuel 2:1,10; Luke 1:54); give strength to the weak (Isaiah 49:4-5; 1 Samuel 2:7-8; Luke 1:48-49), and fill the hungry (Isaiah 49:9-10; Luke 1:53), for He is the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One (Isaiah 49:7; 1 Samuel 2:1-2,10).

Through Holy Spirit inspiration, Isaiah had foretold that the Messiah would be the servant of God even from the womb (Isaiah 49:5), the Light (salvation) of the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6), and Salvation for Israel (Isaiah 49:6). The angel repeated to Mary that Jesus would be conceived by the Holy Spirit in her womb, and it is fitting that the mother of God’s servant would herself have a servant’s heart (Luke 1:38), as should all who follow Him (Philippians 2:5-8).

Mary may have known these prophesies of Isaiah from hearing them in the temple, but we are also told that she was reminded of them by Simeon, who told Mary and Joseph that the young Child was salvation to all people, a light for the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel, God’s people (Luke 2:30-33).

Even before Jesus is born, Scripture gives us three glimpses into Mary’s life: when the angel Gabriel appears to her (Luke 1:26-38); when she visits Elizabeth for three months (Luke 1:56); and when she travels with Joseph to Bethlehem, only to learn that there is no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:7).

Do you have room for Jesus Christ in your life today? Have you placed your faith in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way (John 14:6) to Heaven? If you are born again (John 3:3-8), are you willing to submit your will to His and let Him be Lord of your whole life? May we follow Mary’s example of submission, praise and faith in His perfect plan!

© 2016 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Triplets of Mary’s Witness: Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ministry

 

Once we are saved by placing our faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), we know that our eternal destination is in Heaven (John 14:2-3). As we proceed in our Christian walk (Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:8), our direction is more important than our current location. God is less concerned with what we did yesterday, whether good or bad (Psalm 103:12), and more interested in whether we are moving closer to Him today, growing in faith, and becoming more conformed to His image (Romans 8:29).

Mary, mother of Jesus, is a wonderful example of someone who believed with childlike faith (Matthew 18:3-4), fought the good fight (2 Timothy 4:7), and finished strong in the victory only Christ can give (1 Corinthians 15:57). She suffered as she witnessed His crucifixion; she rejoiced in seeing the evidence of His resurrection; and she obeyed God through her ongoing ministry of witness.

Mary submitted to God’s will for her life (Luke 1:38), followed His plan, and nurtured Jesus as His loving mother. God led her on this path through confirmations that she had understood His mission, encouraged her by bringing her joy in her Son’s miracles (John 2:1-11), and strengthened her faith by allowing her to endure trials.

All this had prepared her for the ultimate crisis, the worst nightmare any believer in Christ as the Messiah could face, yet especially cruel, terrifying and heart-wrenching for His mother. As Simeon had predicted when Jesus was still an infant, the same sword that would pierce Our Savior would pierce His mother’s soul also (Luke 2:34-35).

How could it be, that the King of Israel would be arrested, falsely accused, and unfairly condemned? How could the Anointed One be rejected by the people He came to save, sold into captivity by one of His own twelve apostles, and humiliated by all who passed by? How could God’s own Son be whipped, tortured, and allowed to suffer the excruciating punishment of the cross?

The twelve apostles had one another for moral support, yet they scattered like frightened sheep at the first sign of trouble. Judas had betrayed Him (Matthew 26:25; 27:3); Peter denied Him three times (Matthew 26:69-75); and only John remained at His side through His ordeal.

For all practical purposes, Mary had no male family support to sustain her through this trial. She had evidently been widowed, for the last that Scripture mentions Joseph is when Jesus was 12 years old (Luke 2:41-52). When Jesus preached in His own country, those who belittled Him did not mention Joseph by name, but mocked Jesus for being just a common carpenter; with Mary as His mother, and four brothers (Mark 6:3).

In a similar passage in Matthew, Jesus responds that a prophet is not without honor, except in his own country and his own house (Matthew 13: 53-58). We know that Joseph would have loved, honored and respected Jesus to the death, so the implication is that Joseph had already died and that the half-brothers of Jesus did not believe He was the Son of God.

So Mary faced the ordeal of Christ’s crucifixion without comfort from the other men in her family, yet she was not alone. God surrounded her with the women who had followed Jesus (John 19:25), with the apostle John whom Jesus had appointed to act as her son (John 19:26-27), and with His own guiding hand, for He will never leave nor forsake His children (Hebrews 13:5).

Mary’s three female companions sharing her grief as she stood by the cross were her sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene (John 19:25), all of whom loved, obeyed and worshipped Jesus. This was Mary’s darkest hour, yet what an amazing consolation it must have been to hear her Son’s tender expression of love.

In the midst of His own immeasurable agony, Jesus saw Mary’s need, answered it by offering John, the disciple whom He loved, to be her son, and ensured her future protection by commanding John to care for Mary as his own mother. John obeyed immediately and completely by taking Mary into his own home from that same hour (John 19:26-27).

At the cross, Mary was an eyewitness of our Savior’s suffering, His love, and His power. As He cried out with His dying breath, the temple curtain tore apart from top to bottom, signifying that man could now boldly approach the Holy of Holies in Heaven (Hebrews 4:16); the earth heaved in a great quake, and the rocks split apart (Matthew 27: 50-51).

Even more miraculous than this display of God’s command over nature was His power over death and salvation of the souls of sinful men. The graves opened, bodies of the faithful saints arose, and they appeared to many in Jerusalem (Matthew 27: 52-53).

All of this led the Roman centurion and his fellow soldiers, Gentiles who within the preceding hours had mocked Jesus, gambled for His coat, and pierced His side, to be saved, fearing God and confessing that truly Jesus was the Son of God! (Matthew 27: 54).

Three groups of women witnessed all these events: Mary herself, who had been at the foot of the cross when Jesus entrusted her to John; a group of women afar off who had followed Jesus from Galilee to minister to Him; and three specific women mentioned by name (Matthew 27: 55-56; Mark 15:40-41). Matthew singled out Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children (Matthew 27: 56), and Mark refers to these as Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome (Mark 15:40).

But the crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus were only the beginning of Mary’s triplets of witness. Her sorrow at His death paved the way for her joy in His resurrection and her endurance to continue her ministry of witnessing to others. May we follow her example!

© 2016 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Triplets of Submission to God’s Will: Mary, Mother of Jesus

Wishing all who read this blog a blessed Mother's Day! May you enjoy this repost from the archives and find inspiration from the faith of Mary, mother of Our Lord.

God’s plan for Mary, mother of Jesus, allowed His Son to fulfill details of the Messianic prophecy through Mary’s genealogy, residence, and betrothal. Man looks on the outward appearance, whereas God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Mary’s community may have perceived her as adulterous (Matthew 1:18-19), simple (John 1:42), and weak, but God knew her purity, Godly wisdom, and strength in Him. 

One of the most miraculous prophecies concerning Jesus Christ, and proving His divinity, was His virgin birth (Matthew 1:18-20; Luke 1:27). Mary herself said she was a virgin (Luke 1:34); the angel of the Lord told Joseph that Mary was a virgin (Matthew 1: 20), and Joseph protected Mary’s virginity by not consummating their marriage until after Jesus was born (Matthew 1: 25)

The prophet Isaiah had foretold that a virgin would conceive, and bear a son, and call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). In the New Testament, the angel of the Lord repeated the three parts of this prophecy, adding the three-word meaning of Emmanuel: God with us (Matthew 1:23). The third pronouncement of this prophecy was by the angel Gabriel, who explained to Mary that the Holy Ghost would come upon her, that the power of the Highest would overshadow her, and that the holy thing which would be born of her would be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35).

Mary was to call her son Jesus (Yeshua; God saves), Who would be great, and be called the Son of the Highest. The Lord God would give Him the throne of His father David, and He would reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom would never end (Luke 1:31-33).

How did Mary react to this astounding news, and to Gabriel telling her not to fear, for she had found favor with God and was blessed among women? With humility (Luke 1:28-33), obedience (Luke 1:38-39), and faith (Luke 1:45). Her Godly wisdom was therefore profound, for she knew her utter dependence on Almighty God (Luke 1:48-49); she followed His Word (Luke 1:38); and she believed that He would keep His promises (Luke 1:45).

Like Mary, may we always remember that we are nothing without Him (Psalm 8:3-4: John 15:5), that His Word will guide us if we obey it (Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 3:5-6), and that without faith, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6).

As the handmaiden of the Lord, Mary submitted to His perfect plan; immediately sought out her cousin Elisabeth (Luke 1:38-40), whom the angel had told her was blessed by God to be pregnant in her very old age (Luke 1:36-37); and sang God’s praises as soon as she arrived (Luke 1:46-55).

Mary’s song of praise to her Lord, God, and Saviour (Luke 1:46-47), often referred to as the Magnificat, echoes several elements of Isaiah’s prophecies concerning Jesus Christ. The Magnificat also resembles Hannah’s song of praise to God for granting her a son (1 Samuel 2:1-10), so that there are three recorded praise testimonies glorifying God’s gift of a Saviour: those of Isaiah, Hannah, and Mary.

Mary’s hymn praised God, for He would raise up the people of Israel over their enemies (Isaiah 49:6; 1 Samuel 2:1,10; Luke 1:54); give strength to the weak (Isaiah 49:4-5; 1 Samuel 2:7-8; Luke 1:48-49), and fill the hungry (Isaiah 49:9-10; Luke 1:53), for He is the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One (Isaiah 49:7; 1 Samuel 2:1-2,10).

Through Holy Spirit inspiration, Isaiah had foretold that the Messiah would be the servant of God even from the womb (Isaiah 49:5), the Light (salvation) of the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6), and Salvation for Israel (Isaiah 49:6). The angel repeated to Mary that Jesus would be conceived by the Holy Spirit in her womb, and it is fitting that the mother of God’s servant would herself have a servant’s heart (Luke 1:38), as should all who follow Him (Philippians 2:5-8).

Mary may have known these prophesies of Isaiah from hearing them in the temple, but we are also told that she was reminded of them by Simeon, who told Mary and Joseph that the young Child was salvation to all people, a light for the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel, God’s people (Luke 2:30-33).

Even before Jesus is born, Scripture gives us three glimpses into Mary’s life: when the angel Gabriel appears to her (Luke 1:26-38); when she visits Elizabeth for three months (Luke 1:56); and when she travels with Joseph to Bethlehem, only to learn that there is no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:7).

Do you have room for Jesus Christ in your life today? Have you placed your faith in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way (John 14:6) to Heaven? If you are born again (John 3:3-8), are you willing to submit your will to His and let Him be Lord of your whole life? May we follow Mary’s example of submission, praise and faith in His perfect plan!

© 2016 Laurie Collett