"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: "Behold the virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)
I never gave Mary a lot of thought until I saw the movie, "The Nativity Story". Now, I think of her often. For me, the Christmas story will now have a new dimension to it.
Her life from the time of the angel's visit to the Day of Pentecost was bittersweet. She was truly blessed. In Luke 1:48 she says, "For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed." Yet Simeon in Luke 2:35 says to her, "yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also".
Imagine how Mary felt when after the angel's visit she goes to see her relative Elizabeth and hears, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" Mary responds with what is referred to as "the Magnificant", beginning with the words, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my Spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior." (Luke 1:46-56) Imagine now, after three months with Elizabeth, she goes home to face her parents (I am assuming this. It is not in Scripture.) and/or Joseph. By this time her pregnancy is beginning to show. How do you think the news was received knowing the penalty for adultery? It took an angel to convince Joseph to take Mary as his wife. Her life was spared.
There is so much to consider. The words of the shepherds that she pondered in her heart. The blessing of Simeon. The Feast of the Passover when Jesus was twelve years old where He turns up missing. His response when asked where He was, "Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business?" The wedding feast in Cana. How about her confusion when she hears Jesus ask, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"
Did you ever see the scene from "The Passion" when Jesus falls under the weight of the cross? www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZeN6kdgM2Y (Copy and paste) I sob like a child when I watch this. Mary was there to witness the crucifixion of her Son.
It doesn't end there. Where was she when He rose from the grave? She was with John (John 19:27). She was in the upper room with the disciples (Acts 1:14). Based on that, I'm going to assume she was present on the Day of Pentecost. This must have been a time of great joy for her!
In my Wednesday Night Group blog, referring to the Book of Acts, I wrote the following:
"One thing I would like to note is the presence of Jesus' mother, Mary, in chapter one. She has been a part of God's plan and a witness from the visit by the angel (announcing the birth of Jesus) to the birth of the church (the body of Christ). There was obviously much pain involved but she was truly blessed. She was chosen by the Father, gave birth to the Son, and witnessed the coming of the Holy Spirit."
I have a new found admiration for Mary. She must have been a very strong women. Her life shows me that obedience to the Lord is far from easy but it is a blessing. Her life was a roller coaster of emotion. Should mine be any different? God bless y'all real good.
