"the husband of Mary," - Matthew 1:16b

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the most famous woman in the Bible, yet there are many things that we do not know about her. The Bible does tell us of her sincere faith and trust in the Lord. This is especially evident in her response upon learning that she was chosen to be the earthly mother of Jesus. The angel, Gabriel, appeared with the message directly from God that she, a virgin engaged to be married to Joseph, would be “blessed among women.” She was going to give birth to a son, the son of God, and his name would be Jesus. Mary didn’t respond with concerns for herself or her reputation, but rather asked “how will this be since I am a virgin?” Mary kept her focus on the assurances she had about the God who chose her for this magnificent task and praised the Lord for her humble state as His servant and His mighty deeds, and His promises to our ancestors.

And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his
servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things
for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown
strength with his army; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty
from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he
has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to
Abraham and to his offspring forever.” (Luke 1:467-55 ESV)

Mary’s biblical story spans the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. She knew her Son was special from his divine conception. She watched him grow and live day-to-day life. She worried for him when he disappeared on their trip to Jerusalem for the Passover, only to be reminded by a twelve-year old Jesus that “he was about his Father’s business.” She called on her son, Jesus, to help with a miracle when there was not enough wine for a family wedding. But, realizing that His timing was from God the Father she simply instructed the servants to “do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). Understanding that His identify would be revealed at the right time, she watched as his ministry, which would lead him to the cross, was unfolding. Mary was at the foot of the cross as Jesus died for the sins of all who would follow Him. Oh, how Mary showed her trust in God. And Jesus showed his love for his mother as he said to her and the disciple John that this is your son, and this is your mother. The last mention of Mary in the New Testament is in Acts 1:14 where she is meeting with the disciples and praying. In every scriptural glimpse of Mary’s life, we see her as a model for the Christian believer in trusting God, putting Him and His will before our earthly desires, obediently following Him through prayer and fellowship with believers, and in sharing Jesus with others.

As we celebrate Christmas and the next season that the Lord has for us, may we have hearts like Mary that would say “yes, Lord.” May we be obedient to God’s will for our lives. May we spend time in his Word, knowing His Word, and keeping it hidden in our heart.