MARY
Mother of Jesus
Scripture References: Matthew 1; 2; 12:46-50; 13:55-58; Luke 1; 2; John 2:1-11; 19:25-27 Acts 1:14
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ABOUT HER
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Mary was:
- the daughter of Heli
- of the tribe of Judah
- the cousin of Elizabeth
- betrothed to Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth
- a virgin when pregnant
- mother of Jesus
- visited by the angel Gabriel
Mary’s Name: “As a name Mary is related to the Old Testament Miriam, to Mara, the name Naomi used to describe her affliction, and to Marah, the name of the bitter water reached by the Israelites in their wilderness journeys. The original and pervading sense of these root-forms is that of ‘bitterness,’ derived from the notion of ‘trouble, sorrow, disobedience, rebellion.’’ -Herbert Lockyer
When it comes to her name...it is not that Mary was rebellious or bitter as scripture says quite the opposite of that about her. However, she would experience and witness the world’s rebellion and bitterness toward the Son she would birth into the world and taste those things on the journey that God had her on.
Nothing is said about Mary’s physical appearance or beauty.
“Her love for God qualified Mary to be used by God.” -Elizabeth George
HER TIME TO LISTEN
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Read Luke 1:26-45
v. 34 -This wasn’t a question of unbelief as was with others such as Sarah.
v. 38 -Go Mary! What a great example of a submissive heart toward the Lord.
God chose Mary.
“God’s choice meant that Mary would be pregnant before she was married and therefore branded a fornicator (John 8:41). God’s choice meant trouble with her husband-to-be, trouble at home, trouble in Nazareth, and trouble among the children she would one day have.” -Elizabeth George
Sometimes God’s choice for your life means trouble!
Mary didn’t live her life as if God existed to serve her. Mary lived her life to show she existed to serve God.
HER TIME TO RESPOND
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Read Luke 1:46-56
Mary’s song is known as the “Magnificat” -”It reveals poetic and prophetic genius of the highest order, and takes its place among the finest productions of the world.” -Herbert Lockyer
This song reveals an overflow of God’s Word stored up in Mary’s heart.
“The surest test of a heart is indeed the caliber of its speech -the quality of the words which issue forth from it.” -Elizabeth George
“Mary first conceived Christ in her heart by faith, before she conceived in the womb” -Augustine
v. 46 “My soul magnifies the Lord” -are you like a magnifying glass so that when others look on your life they look at you and God seems bigger and clearer to them?
v. 47 -Mary recognized her need for a savior.
v. 48 -Mary looked to the future beyond the reproach she would bear for Christ. Mary had an eternal perspective and was not short-sighted! This shows us her mature character.
Read 1 Peter 1:3-11
Are you continuing to grow in your walk? Where do you still need to grow? What character qualities does the Lord still need to develop fully and richly in you?
Our tendency is always going to be to turn to the external instead of deal with the internal.
(Read Oswald Chambers devotional for March 27th)
Vision By Personal Character, My Utmost For His Highest
“Come up hither, and I will shew thee things.” Revelation 4:1
An elevated mood can only come out of an elevated habit of personal character. If in the externals of your life you live up to the highest you know, God will continually say – "Friend, go up higher." The golden rule in temptation is – Go higher. When you get higher up, you face other temptations and characteristics. Satan uses the strategy of elevation in temptation, and God does the same, but the effect is different. When the devil puts you into an elevated place, he makes you screw your idea of holiness beyond what flesh and blood could ever hear, it is a spiritual acrobatic performance, you are just poised and dare not move; but when God elevates you by His grace into the heavenly places, instead of finding a pinnacle to cling to, you find a great table-land where it is easy to move.
Compare this week in your spiritual history with the same week last year and see how God has called you up higher. We have all been brought to see from a higher standpoint. Never let God give you one point of truth which you do not instantly live up to. Always work it out, keep in the light of it.
Growth in grace is measured not by the fact that you have not gone back, but that you have an insight into where you are spiritually; you have heard God say "Come up higher," not to you personally, but to the insight of your character.
"Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?" God has to hide from us what He does until by personal character we get to the place where He can reveal it.
v. 56 -First Trimester Time!
HER LABOR STORY
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Read Luke 2:1-38
2:1-7 -Mary had a very lonely and untraditional birth experience. A lot of times in a believers life we won’t keep up with the “traditions” of our culture ..and sometimes in our “church culture”!
2:8-21 -Angels played a huge part in orchestrating this event! I love how the Lord lets us see the spiritual realm so much in Mary’s story.
The Shepherds, Simeon and Anna the Prophetess
The Lord gave Mary these treasures to hold onto because He knew the road that lay ahead of her. This was Mary’s baby shower from the Lord!
What are treasures that the Lord has given you?
God told Joseph in a dream...
Others will not always understand why you do what you do. Being led by the Lord does not always make sense to others. Life is unpredictable.
“Mary followed God’s plan for her life as a wife and followed her husband...an act which saved their young son’s life. Do you realize that faith in God is what enables us women who love God to follow our husband? Just like the holy women of old -women like Mary -who loved God and trusted in Him, we are to adorn ourselves with God’s beautiful, submissive spirit and follow our husbands (1 Peter 3:5-6). Faith in God enables us to do so.” -Elizabeth George
v. 23 -This was the offering of the very poor.
HER PARENTING
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Read Luke 2:39-52
“Later Mary was married to Joseph the carpenter and she bore him four sons and several daughters, the former being named -James, Joses, Judas and Simon, and the daughters unnamed (Matthew 13:55, 56; Mark 6:3). During His ministry, none of His brothers believed in Him. In fact, they sneered at Him, and once concluded that He was mad, and wished to arrest Him and take Him away from Capernaum (Mark 3:21, 31; John 7:3-5).” Herbert Lockyer
Mary had some real-life family issues!
2:19, 51 -Mary was a contemplative person and when her time to shine came...she was ready!
“Mary’s alone was the privilege of rearing a perfect child. One in whom was no sin or guile. The boy Jesus heard God in everything around Him and saw His beauty everywhere. This was His Father’s world. Mary’s child had perfect, uninterrupted fellowship with the Father, and gradually developed to the full consciousness of mission.” -Frances Vander Velde
2:48 -Mary still had to deal with real, motherly concerns. It was at this time Mary had to start to separate herself in her heart from Jesus in this form of caring for him.
“For the next eighteen years He yielded to His home authority. It is felt that during this period Mary lost the protection of her husband, for if he had been alive he would have been certainly mentioned in succeeding events (Mark 3:31; John 2:1; 19:25).” -Herbert Lockyer
John 2:1-5 -Mary had a “Martha” moment!
Matthew 12:46-50 NASB “While he was still speaking to the people, behold his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. Be he replied to the man who told him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand toward the disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
“I think it is important for us to see this side of Mary, see her as a woman taking action. Otherwise we might get the impression that mary was a passive woman who agreed to anything; ‘whatever will be will be.’ Her submission to God’s will was not robotic in nature, and if we believe that it was, we would under-appreciate Mary. She had great privileges and responsibilities in God’s redemptive plan, but her participation didn’t always come easily. Her submission wasn’t automatic. It involved consideration and struggle, and at times a personal cost.” -Brenda Poinsett
John 19:25-27 NASB “but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.”
“At previous meetings with Christ, Mary expressed her feelings. Now, as He dies, she stands in silence.” -Herbert Lockyer
Mary was evidently a widow as Jesus puts her into John’s care. Even though she had other children who could have cared for her, Jesus was providing for her spiritual care as her other children were not believers.
HER DESTINY
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Read Acts 1:12-14
“Mary let go of Jesus as her son and accepted Him as God’s Son.” -Brenda Poinsett
This “letting go” as a mother wasn’t something she did once for all when the angel Gabriel spoke to her and she wrote her song. It was something that she needed to do every day.
HER LESSONS TO US
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Humility -We never see Mary complaining or having self-pity.
Obedience -A prominent trait in Mary’s life.
Her character gave her a nobility. This is the kind of character the daughters of God need to have as we are a royal priesthood!
Discussion Questions:
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1. Try to imagine Mary’s son as He played, studied and worked; imagine His attitude toward His playmates, His parents, the natural world. Was He different from other children? Could Mary have had any problems with her child?
2. What makes Mary unique to you personally?
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