26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged (betrothed) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin (Lit. ‘know no man’)?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36 And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38 NASB)
With Christmas just a few a weeks away our minds naturally turn to the meaning of the season. Of course, secular society focuses on all the extraneous aspects of the holidays with little or no emphasis anymore on the ultimate significance of the birth of Christ. In fact, in the mainline media you rarely hear anyone express the phrase “Merry Christmas!”
That being said, let’s turn our attention to one special person who sits at the center of the true historical basis of Christmas. I am referring to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Perhaps no one individual played as prominent a part in the drama of the incarnation of God in Christ as did she.
Unfortunately, some groups have exaggerated her place in the Nativity story. The Roman Catholic Church (RCC), for instance, has clearly elevated her importance far beyond what the Bible actually reveals. To begin with, the RCC teaches that Mary’s conception was somehow without sin, and therefore she did not inherit original sin. This is a dogma (official church doctrine) they call the “Immaculate Conception.” That phrase, in Catholic theology, is not, as many non-Catholics assume, the same as the virgin birth (conception) of Jesus. That theological idea was traditionally held by many in the RCC for centuries but was not considered a required Catholic doctrine.
In any case, the doctrine was thoroughly rejected in the 16th century by the Protestant Reformers as unbiblical. It was actually not until December 8, 1854, that then Pope Pius IX declared in a Papal Bull (a letter emboldened with the Pope’s official seal) titled Ineffabilis Deus (“Inexpressible God”) that the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary was canonized. That is to say, it was defined and decreed to be unquestionably believed as true by all faithful Catholics. Of course, the Scriptures make no such audacious claim for Mary. Based on what the biblical evidence reveals we must assume that Mary was conceived in the same way as all human beings and was a sinner as are we all.
The RCC also teaches that Mary, at the moment of her death, or even before that point, was immediately taken bodily into heaven to be Co-Mediatrix (mediator between man and God) with Jesus. Catholics call this the doctrine of the “Assumption of Mary” (from Latin assumptio, meaning “a taking”). This, too, was believed by many Catholics for centuries. Nonetheless, it was not until November 1, 1950, that the doctrine was declared dogma for Roman Catholics by Pope Pius XII in the apostolic constitution (the most solemn decree issued by a Pope) titled Munificentissimus Deus (“Most Bountiful God”). So, only since that date, just seventy-one years ago (from 2021), has it been a required doctrine to which all Catholics must adhere. That doctrine is also rejected by Protestants and Eastern Orthodox churches as not taught in the Bible.
Neither of the above RCC doctrines is found in Scripture. They were added to Catholic teaching by tradition and the supposedly infallible ex Cathedra (“from the throne”) declarations of Popes. However, as biblical Christians we must stick only to what the Bible says for our essential doctrinal tenets. In all respect to our Catholic friends, there is simply no scriptural evidence that Mary was born without sin or that she did not die in the usual way.
All that being said, we honor and are grateful for the life and faith of Mary. She is a wonderful example of someone who was willing to give all for God. So let’s examine several significant true facts about Mary clearly taught in Scripture.
In the first chapter of his Gospel, Luke tells how a young woman named Mary (or Miriam) was “betrothed” (engaged) to Joseph to be married. According to the Jewish tradition of that time, a woman would live with her “husband to be” for about one year before the marriage was formalized and consummated. During that period, however, the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that God had favored her in a special way. He told her, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:31-33). (Incidentally, Gabriel is never called an “Archangel.” Only Michael is referred to by that title in Jude 9.)
Mary was naturally shocked, first to see a actual angel, but also to hear that she would miraculously conceive a child whose his name would be “Jesus.” The name “Jesus” is the Anglicized derivative of the Greek Iésous, a derivation of the Hebrew Yeshua. The same name is Anglicized in the Old Testament as Joshua. It literally means “the Lord is Salvation.” One of the most controversial and scorned doctrines of the historic Christian faith is the Virgin Birth of Jesus. Actually, it might better be called the Virgin Conception (not to be confused with the RCC’s Immaculate Conception of Mary – see above). It was, after all, Jesus’ conception by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb that was a truly miraculous event, not His delivery in Bethlehem (which did fulfill prophecy – see Micah 5:2). Ironically enough, the first person to express doubt about the doctrine was Mary herself. When Gabriel announced it to her she was perplexed, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” Gabriel, however, assured her that “All things are possible with God.” (Luke 1:34, 37)
In Luke 2:1-20 is found Luke’s familiar account of the birth of Jesus. Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem where she gave birth to her son. Mary was willing to do whatever God asked of her no matter what the cost. She was not afraid to face possible humiliation or rejection by Joseph and her family.
While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7 NASB).
Mary went on to be a loving wife to Joseph and an ideal mother for Jesus (and her other children). She was obviously involved in Jesus’ life until his death. She and Joseph took Him to be dedicated at the Temple.
And when the days for their purification according to the Law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (Luke 2:22).
She was present when He performed His first miracle at the wedding in Cana.
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding (John 2:1-2).
She was at the foot of the cross when Jesus told John to take care of her.
Now beside the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. So 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 into his own household (John 19:25-27).
She was also in the upper room after His resurrection and ascension with the disciples (Acts 1:14).
When they had entered the city, they went up to the upstairs room where they were staying, that is, Peter, John, James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. All these were continually devoting themselves with one mind to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers (Acts 1:13,14).
God definitely chose the right woman as the earthly mother of our Lord. We praise Mary and are grateful for her life, but we must be careful not to exceed what the Bible teaches about her. We must remember that Mary, just like all of us, was dependent on Jesus for her salvation. Even at His birth, Mary knew Jesus was critical for her eternal life. He died on the cross for her sins just as He did for us. So, at Christmas let’s honor Mary for her courage and faith and celebrate the truth of the Incarnation of God in Jesus.
© 2021 Tal Davis