Who was this person called Mary? We all know her as the mother of Jesus. But, who was she? According to the customs of the times, she was a young girl between the ages of twelve to fifteen, when she became betrothed to Joseph. She was a poor person just like her husband. Just working class people. How do we know this? Just read Leviticus 12:2-8, and you will see what is required for a sacrifice according to your status or position. She was a virgin when she had the encounter with Gabriel the messenger sent from God. This changed her life for ever and ours also. The angel told her she was blessed and highly favored by God, and then he gave her the message he was sent to deliver.
Can you just for a moment put yourself in her place? Young, innocent, and just starting out in a life of your own. Married to a man who would be your partner in this life, going about your daily activities when this angel shows up. Talk about a game changer! An interesting side note here is that the angel did not startle or frighten her as angels do when they just show up in front of those who did have encounters with them in the scriptures. Mary was not afraid so we may assume Gabriel did not just appear out of thin air. She was a devout believer, but she was just like any other woman of her time. She is daily going about “living life” and then Gabriel shows up. He gives her a life changing message. She will be pregnant by the Holy Ghost, and shall have a son and she was to name him Jesus.
She did have concern as to his salutation or greeting, when he spoke those words of blessing to her. She questioned him with sincere questions of wonder and amazement. Her questions were answered and she accepted the offer God made to her. Then he gave her some news of interest, as he informed her that her cousin Elizabeth was pregnant in her advanced age. After the angel departed, she decided to go at once and visit with Elizabeth and help her until the baby was delivered. When she walks into Elizabeth’s house she is greeted once again with a blessing, this time from Elizabeth. Then Mary begins to glorify God as she speaks the words of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10) and prophesy’s about Jesus and his future. She stays there for about 3 months until John is born and then goes back home to Nazareth, and her life with Joseph. Mary was no different than you or me. She was a devout believer, but she was just like any other woman of her time.
In Luke chapter two we pick up Marys life with Joseph. Once again another crisis appeared before this young woman. The Roman government sends everyone a message, go home to your ancestral homes and be counted. She is very pregnant by this time but they are forced to leave Nazareth and make the journey to Bethlehem, as they both had roots there in this city of David. Her life was now a journey both physical and spiritually. But you ask, what about the title of this message? Glad you asked, as sometimes I get too wordy with the details. I want you to see that Mary was just a common person who had feelings, dreams, desires, and she went through trials and troubles just like us. The scriptures tell us that she pondered (thought about constantly) all these events in her heart.
Back to our story of Mary as she is now in Bethlehem. They arrive there along with all the others and have trouble finding lodging. They find a place to stay and she has her baby. When still another event happens as the local shepherds show up on her doorstep to see the new born Saviour. They tell Mary and Joseph about their own angelic visit informing them about the birth of Jesus. Another wondrous event for Mary to wonder about.
While she is tending to the affairs of motherhood and homemaking, Joseph is once again visited by an angel who warns him to take his family and go into Egypt. On the move again, and this time it is at night. Joseph was always quick to act on what God reveals to him. Can you see that Marys life was one of faith and turmoil, always moving to the unknown. Here she was hiding out in Egypt, believing her husband sees angels as he hears from God. Surely they heard rumors of the Romans killing baby boys in Bethlehem after they left that night. Goose bumps for sure.
Then they are on the move again back to their homeland as the King who caused all the trouble was dead. On the way home Joseph hears from an angel one more time to go to Nazareth and live there. Four times he hears from God by dreams (Matthew 1:20, 2:13, 20, 22). Life in Nazareth is stable for the next 12 years and then they experience their own “Home Alone” as they travel from Jerusalem after the yearly Feast of Passover (Luke 2:41) back to their home as they have done for all these years since Jesus was born. Jesus is missing! Pain, anguish, worry, fear, anger, all these emotions go through Mary and Joseph as they hurry back to Jerusalem to find Jesus. They finally find him in the Temple talking to the Religious Leaders after 3 days of searching. Then its back home again and normal life for the next 18 years. Then one day Jesus leaves the life of a carpenter and goes into the wilderness for 40 days, as he begins his calling and destiny.
His family did not see the plan of God and they are concerned Jesus has lost his mind because of the zeal of God in his life (Matthew 12:46, Mark 3:21,31). Once again I want to remind you that Mary is just as human as you and I. But time has a way of dulling our memories or at least we forget some of the details of daily life as the years go by. Remember it has been about 30 years since Jesus was born. Our Bible tells us that Mary pondered or thought about all these details of her life in several places (Luke2:19, 51), but Mary needed to be reminded just as we do. Thirty years is a long time to wait for Jesus to do something as the Messiah. Jesus was growing up working alongside his father in the carpenters shop learning the trade. No wonder Mary and his brethren came to take him home (Mark 3:21, 31). They could not see the plan of God and she was hazy on what his calling was. Did she really have Gods baby? Did she really have the Messiah as her son? She knew but yet she was not convinced totally. Jesus and his disciples must of been real enough to her to believe all these things she had secretly held for so long to finally embrace them as truth and follow her son in his ministry. ( This child that you have delivered will soon deliver you) Mary knew but really did not understand. She starts to become a believer in her son at the wedding at Cana when she saw the water turned into wine is my best guess (John 2).
To answer my question that started this story, Mary did not know who Jesus was, she just knew he was special. She got that knowledge as she followed him as one of his followers. She was highly favored by God and she was an eyewitness of his power and glory. She was there at the beginning, and as he traveled preaching, at the end of his life as he died on that cross, at the resurrection from the grave, at His ascension 40 days later, and finally in the upper room with all the rest of his followers at Pentecost. She really was highly favored by God. Don’t you agree?
I hope you enjoyed this look into the life of Mary and maybe you will know Jesus a little better as you continue your race. Just remember you will make it, just don’t give up. I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with life. See you soon, Kilted Priest.
The Kilted Priest 