Mary, Mother of Jesus, Not God!

You may have asked, who is Mary, the Mother of Jesus?  Why did God choose her to give birth to the Savior of the World?  And does she have a special place in her son's heavenly kingdom?  So let's take the time, to examine our Lord Jesus' mother.

Mary was born a typical Jewish girl. Some believe that Mary was no older than sixteen years of age when she was visited by the angel Gabrael.  The angel had come to Mary, to announce to her, that she would give birth as a virgin, to a baby boy named Jesus.  This baby would save his people from their sins and bring them back to God.  But, there was a problem for Mary.  Mary had been arranged to be married to her fiance Joseph.  And they had not been married as of yet.

Mary and Joseph's marriage was arranged between them, while they were still very small children. Which was the custom with the Jewish people of Roman occuppied Israel during the 1st  century B.C.. Other scholars believed that Joseph was much older than Mary, but the Bible does not throw light on any of this.  It just tells the story of the birth of the Messiah Jesus and nothing else.

Luke 1:28,30-33

Then why  was Mary, chosen to be the Mother of Jesus?  Was there something special about her?  She was just a typical Jewish Girl.  She was not sinless, as some may desire us, to believe.  Plus, Mary was a willing obedient servant of the one and only God of Israel, who had shown himself to her ancestors, long before her time.  (But, there was a momentary bit of disbelief in her.  How could it be possible to bare God's son?  But, she believed and obeyed the will of God.)  But, the angel explained to her, how God would enable her, a virgin to give birth.  We must remember and this is most important, that God can do anything, since he is God

Mary did not have sex with God, as some would like to say.  This is most evil insulting thing to say to God and he will have his revenge and not us, Christians.  Christianity is unlike other religions which uses any excuse to kill and riot.
Jesus was God, at his birth and became a human, like other humans of his day and every century since including our century. Luke 1:35.  Mary was human, thus Jesus was and is as human, as his mother was human.  Mary was the mother of a human being and not the Mother of God.  It puts her otherwise into a position equal to God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Who are one God and not three.

Joseph could have divorced Mary, as soon as he discovered that Mary was pregnant.  Then have Mary stoned to death, but he decided not to. He knew the child was not his.  The Law of Moses, allowed a wronged husband, to stone his cheating wife.  But, instead he accepted the angel's message to him and decided to take Mary and the baby Jesus, into his household as his wife and child.  How much more did Mary love Joseph for doing this, instead of doing what was his right under the law.  Matthew 1:19-25

Jesus' birth in Bethlehem fulfilled prophesies in the Old Testament.  What must have Mary thought of those events?  The Shephards and their visit (Luke 1:8-20) or the the men from the east [the wisemen](Matthew 2:1-12)?  Mary at this time, would have echoed the apostle Thomas, who said "My Lord and My God!" (John 20:28) This would show Mary was like the rest of human kind, she was a sinner and was not ever special in any way.

About the time of Jesus' second birthday, Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus had to flee to Egypt, for their lives.  Joseph had been warned in a dream by a angel of the most high God , to take his family to Egypt.  The reason for this flight was that the evil King Herod seeked to kill the baby Jesus.  How much Mary, must had reacted, when her neighbours' (and most likely friends) babies had been killed.  She could have and would have loved these children.  Many of them, may have been Jesus' playmates. (Matthew 2:13-18) After King Herod's death; Mary, Joseph and Jesus returned from Egypt.  But, not to Bethlehem but to Nazareth in Galilee.

We don't know much about Mary, after the events of the Flight to Egypt.  That is until Jesus was twelve years old.  Then the Bible tells us, very little. When Jesus was twelve years old, he had accompanied his parents to Jerusalem to take part in the Passover celebrations.  Mary and Joseph were on their way back to Nazareth, when they discovered that Jesus was not with them.  So they searched the caravan, that they were travelling with, to see, if Jesus was with a friend.  But, he was no way to be found.  So they, returned to Jerusalem and searched there as well.  The scared parents found Jesus in the temple, listening and asking questions of the learning teachers and doctors of the law.  Mary, when she found Jesus rebuked him for, scaring his parents as he did. But, Jesus answered his mother Mary, in amazement, did she not know that he must be about his Father's business. That was God the Father, and not Joseph. We must remember that Jesus was not only (and is not only) Human but he is also the Son of the most High God.  Already at twelve, Jesus knew his purpose for being on earth. (Luke 2:41-51)

We don't hear anymore about Mary, for the next eighteen years.  It's not until the wedding Feast of Cana, that we hear of Mary, once more.  There is no mention of Joseph. Only a statement in Luke 2:52, that Jesus had increased in wisdom and stature, before God and Man.  Then, we see Mary, attending the Wedding Feast of Cana, with her son, Jesus and his friends (the apostles).  The Wedding Feast of Cana is a typical Jewish Wedding Feast, until the host, runs out of wine, too soon.  The host could have faced disaster, at this point, but Mary knew that Jesus could help the situation.  So,  Mary asks her Son, Jesus, who she knew was the Son of God, with the ability of God. But, Jesus rebukes his mother, since it was not yet his time.  Mary knew that he was not saying no, to her request to solve the host's problem. So Jesus turns the water into wine.(John 2:1-10)

In the Gospels (Matthew,Mark, Luke and John), there are only five Bible references to Jesus' mother during the whole of Jesus' whole earthly ministry.  One of these, Jesus' mother is mentioned by two different Gospels (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3). Jesus was visiting his boyhood hometown of Nazareth. His neighbours had rejected him, as Messiah and were surprised at his wisdom.  They had known Jesus, as the son of Mary and the brother of his brothers and sisters and not as the Messiah, who was also the Son of God.  The people of Nazareth, were surprised especially by Jesus' authority over scripture, he was just a son of a carpenter and nothing else to him.

There are two other references to Mary in the Gospels.  One is Matthew 12:46-50 and the other is Mark 3:31-35.  Jesus refused to see his Mother or his brothers, when they had come to see him. And who ever did the will of his Father is his Mother and Brothers.  This explodes the belief that Mary and Joseph had no other children but Jesus.  The final reference was before the cross. (John 19:25-27) And our Lord, placed Mary, in the care of the disciple, who Jesus loved.  We believe that disciple was the Apostle John.

Mary at the cross, was the last reference of the mother of  our Lord directly, in the whole scriptures. She is mentioned in Acts being with the disciples, waiting for the Holy Spirit to come and is mentioned by Paul, in his epistles (letters).  Since the first century, our Lord's Mother had acquired a special role in several Chrisitian Churches, that our Lord Jesus never gave her.  This role  has taken authority away from her son, Jesus.  If she was important in that way, why is there not more said about her in the whole of the New Testament.  You really shouldn't pray to Mary. It is forbidden by Scripture. Does God the Father or Jesus, his son, need a Glorified Secretary to answer his "pray" calls.  Mary died more than likely 20 years after her son's death and resurrection.  There is no proof of her ascension into heaven, as some believe.  She was not sinless, as I am not sinless. IF SO, WHERE IS THE PROOF OF IT!!!  There is only one person, who can be our meditor between us and the Father and that is the God/Man Christ Jesus and no one else! (1 Timothy 2:5,6)

But, that does not mean that she can show us lessons for our life.  Mary does have a role to play in a Christian's life.  She can be a role model for us, Christians, showing us, how to be obedient to God.  She was willing to do as her God, which includes her Son Jesus directed her to do. She can be a role model, also for the young women in the area of wifehood, as well as motherhood.  She was dedicated both to her God and to her family.

Another aspect of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, that we should explore is her, so called appearances, as the so called Virgin Mary, the mother of God.  I believe that the problem with these appearances is that they take a Christians sight and worship  away from the Lord Jesus.  I believe also that these are not Mary, who is the mother of Jesus, the man, but a Demon or even the Devil, himself.  They Mask themselves as Mary in order to mislead people including the Pope, from Jesus. Satan does have the ability to deceive people by taking the role to deceive people.  2 Thessalonians 2:9 says"...the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders."  While, Revelations 16:14 says"...spirits of demons, performing signs..."  Finally, 2 Corinthians 11:14 says"...Satan disguises himself as an angel of Light".  Thus, these appearances of the so called Virgin Mary are appearances of Satan and his demons, appearing as a angel of light.

In closing, our Lord Jesus' Mother is a wonderful example for both Male and Female Christians.  But, she would tell us, to worship her Lord and her God, the Lord Jesus Christ and not herself.  Let's put Jesus, first in our life and no one else.