“Who Is My Mother?” – Jesus

As Jesus was teaching the people, He was told that His mother and brothers were outside. They were coming to take Him away, thinking He was crazy. (Matthew 12:46-50, Mark 3:20) When he heard they were seeking Him, He asked, Who is my mother? And who are my brothers? These questions deserve a thoughtful response. Joseph and Mary were His earthly parents, yet Jesus did not experience a typical Nativity. It was clear that there was something special about Jesus before He was even conceived. And the Holy Spirit was not shy about speaking through folks making sure that everyone KNEW He was the promised Immanuel, God with us. (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7, Matthew 1:23) Not a creation of man, but a beautiful gift from God.

48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Matthew 12:48-50 KJV

Recently, I came across an apologetics blog. The About page claimed their area of expertise was Biblical archaeology. As I perused the site, I found the page I was seeking, some additional background on the parents of Jesus, Joseph and Mary. To my surprise, this article was nothing more than speculation as to who the natural father of Jesus was. Some claimed Joseph, others Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, and even others various Roman officials, who somehow were intimate with a teenage Jewish girl in Nazareth.

In the unrenewed mind of a spiritually dead person, all of these sound like plausible arguments. But if you are in the business of Biblical apologetics, they should be dismissed immediately. The Bible is quite clear where Jesus was before He arrived on Earth, and the true identity of His Father. It is also, for the Believer made alive in Christ, quite clear on how He arrived on this planet, and what roles Mary and Joseph had in the endeavor. You can’t pick and choose what parts of the Bible you believe, and which ones you doubt. God’s Word is Truth. Once you undermine one part, all is compromised. God does not lie. (Numbers 23:19) When you seek the Truth from the Word, you will never be disappointed.

The Conception Of John The Baptist – An Answered Prayer

In Luke, we see the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies. First, an angel, a messenger from God, appears before Zacharias, sharing the Good News that he and Elizabeth were going to have a son, John. This was no ordinary angel. It was Gabriel, who stood in the presence of God. And this was no ordinary message. He was announcing the birth of John – a man whom Jesus would later describe as – among those born of women there is no one greater than John. (Luke 7:28) A similar statement is made in Matthew 11:11-12.

Zacharias would not believe what Gabriel told him. He and his wife Elizabeth were too old. How was it possible? He asked for a sign to confirm what Gabriel said. Gabriel gave him his request, he removed his ability to speak until John was born. John was coming. And Gabriel was not going to allow Zacharias’ unbelief to undermine the process. Zacharias finished his time at the Temple and returned home. Within a short time, Elizabeth was pregnant. No doubt this removed any lingering doubt in Zacharias’ mind about Gabriel’s announcement, but he remained unable to speak until the birth of John. (Luke 1:1-25)

Both Zacharias and Elizabeth were righteous folks. They had prayed for children. But when their prayer was ready to manifest, Zacharias did not believe it was possible. And that was even after the testimony of an angel! There is a Truth here. Faith comes from hearing the Word. Continually keeping His Truth at the forefront of your thinking, and especially in your heart. Zacharias was very religious. He did all the rituals and ceremonies, but forgot the most important part – believing that all things are possible with God, and its impossible to please God without faith. (Matthew 19:26, Hebrews 11:1-6) In their youth, they had prayed, and yet given up on God when no child was conceived. Even the supernatural, Gabriel appearing to him, did not fill him with hope and joy. Instead, he was afraid. First, of the angel. And then, that the promised child might not come, and he would look foolish to his peers after he told them what he had seen and heard from Gabriel. Silencing him was the most merciful thing Gabriel could do. Everyone, including his peers at the Temple, could see he had experienced something supernatural. But he was unable to engage in conversation to talk himself into more unbelief.

The Conception Of Jesus – The Word Became Flesh

Between Gabriel’s visit with Zacharias, and the birth of John, Gabriel appeared to a virgin in Nazareth called Mary. Unlike Zacharias who doubted he could have a child because of his and his wife’s age, Mary thought her youth and status as a virgin might delay the promise. She did not doubt, she was simply curious. Mary only knew of one way for women to get pregnant, and that way needed a man. But Gabriel was ready with an answer. The solution was so simple, yet theologians and critics have missed it for almost two thousand years.

34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
— Luke 1:34-35 KJV

For decades the religious have searched for the father of Jesus and come up with all sorts of wacky ideas. But right there in God’s Word, it is clear what happened. In fact, John makes it even easier – And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. (John 1:14) The religious see the world through their senses. So in their minds, there must be a male and female to create a baby. But this was a SPIRITUAL CONCEPTION. All God needed was a willing partner who would BELIEVE His Word. And that is exactly what Mary did – be it unto me according to thy word. (Luke 1:38) Gabriel even offered a sign, though Mary never requested one. He said her cousin Elizabeth, who had been barren, was 6 months pregnant, because – with God nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1:37) Mary visited Elizabeth, confirming what Gabriel said, and received yet another confirmation of what Gabriel announced – And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. (Luke 1:45) The Blessing pronounced by Elizabeth was Holy Spirit inspired, so it needs to be properly appreciated. Mary BELIEVED God’s Word given to her by Gabriel. She had no reason to believe it to be true other than faith in God’s Word. And note what was said by Elizabeth – again, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit – there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. What was said to her? Let’s recap the key point. The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God … For the word of God will never fail. (Luke 1:35-37)

For more on this see, Mary, The Angel Gabriel & The Annunciation Of Jesus Christ

Believe God’s Word. Don’t Reimagine It.

The problem behind all the parental confusion is rooted in a misunderstanding of the spiritual world (God is Spirit – John 4), and how we in the physical world interact with the spiritual world. If you don’t have a Revelation of what took place between Mary and Gabriel, the unrenewed mind will imagine all sorts of crazy ideas, including transforming the self-proclaimed handmaid of the Lord, into God’s lover, like some Greek myth! Or imagine Jesus is the bastard son of a Roman Centurion. Take a deep breath and look at the situation from God’s perspective.

The Eternal Word, spoken by Gabriel and believed by Mary, became flesh in Mary’s womb. (John 1) There was no physical union between God and Mary like the pagan mythology that so many new Christians had just left behind. And no reason for Joseph to divorce Mary, since she had not committed adultery. Joseph received confirmation of this from an angel in a dream. Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. She will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:20-21) This was fulfillment of prophecy. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) Which means God with us.

It was a work of the Spirit in cooperation with Mary’s faith in God’s Word. She believed God’s Word, acted on it, and received the manifestation according to the promise. God gave man dominion over the Earth (Psalm 8:3-6, 115:16), so Mary had to receive His Word – “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) Few truly appreciate the significance of her statement in Luke 1:38, or the power of faith in, and the certainty of God’s Word. (see Psalm 89:34-37, Isaiah 55:10-11, Mark 11:22-24, Luke 1:37, John 17:17-19, Romans 10, and Titus 1:1-2) She was a mother by FAITH, NOT by flesh. She played NO ROLE in the CREATION of Jesus. And it should be noted, no blood is exchanged between the mother and the baby in her womb. Jesus was the Last Adam, born spiritually alive, and free from Adam’s sin nature. He would live as Adam existed before the fall, spiritually alive, and later anointed by the Holy Ghost. (Luke 3:21-22) The first Adam was made from the dust of the Earth. While Christ, the Last Adam, came from Heaven and was a life-giving spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45-49) But remember the key point: He was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

46 And Mary said, My soul magnifies and extols the Lord,
47 And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 For He has looked upon the low station and humiliation of His handmaiden. For behold, from now on all generations [of all ages] will call me blessed and declare me happy and to be envied!
— Luke 1:46-48 <AMP>

Religion has invested a fortune in time and money into reimagining Mary into the mother of God, They have given her MANY lofty titles, and some, even a role in Salvation! No doubt Mary fulfilled a vital role. She allowed Jesus LEGAL entry into the world. Satan deceived Eve to gain entry, but Jesus entered lawfully. The Seed of the woman came as promised, except it wasn’t FROM the woman, it was the Living Word, the incorruptible SEED, from God. Like the first Adam, the Last Adam would be created by God, and therefore the Son of God. Mary performed the task of a surrogate mother perfectly. And after Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary would be Jesus’ Guardians (legal parents) until His time to reveal Himself came. Jesus’ first recorded words at 12 years old are quite useful to consider. Jesus stayed behind discussing God’s Word with the religious leaders. Joseph and Mary left Jerusalem thinking Jesus was somewhere in the caravan. When they could not locate him, they hurried back, frantically searching for Jesus. They found him in the Temple astonishing the religious leaders with His Wisdom. When his parents questioned Jesus, He said, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:48-49) At 12, He recognized God has His True Father.

Jesus Has Always Existed – In The Beginning The Word Was With God

Another stumbling block for the religious, is they earnestly desire to have Jesus in some way subordinate to Mary. Its likely the prominence of, and familiarity with female deities in the religions that so many abandoned. Pagans entered the church having worshipped: Aphrodite, Artemis, Isis, and Cybele. They then sought similar female deities within Christianity. And religion responded. Artwork with Mary and an infant abounded, implying Mary’s authority over Jesus. Over time, her status continued to be elevated, where now, some folks believe it is more advantageous to go to Mary in prayer, instead of enjoying the invitation to go right to the throne of Grace! (Hebrews 4:14-16) Even Mary, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, noted that Jesus was her Savior, not son. My spirit rejoices in God my Savior. (Luke 1:47)

Mary recognized her place as the handmaiden of the Lord, or servant. She had her small part to play in the grand scheme, and then like so many others, she stepped aside and faded from Scripture. The star of the show was, and will always be, the Living Word, Jesus. He has always existed, and always will. Even a cursory study of God’s Word reveals this, undermining all attempts to elevate Mary or Joseph, or distract people away from their Savior and Lord, Jesus.

What Do You Think Of The Christ? Whose Son Is He?

Toward the end of His ministry, Jesus confronted the Pharisees with some questions. A key one being, Whose Son is the Anointed One? The Pharisees replied, the Son of David. Jesus then asked how was it possible that David, via the Holy Spirit, calls Him Lord saying, The Lord said to My Lord, Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet? If David calls Him Lord, how could He be his Son? The Pharisees had no answer. (Psalm 110:1, Matthew 22:41-46)

The same logic applies to Mary. While under the influence of the Holy Spirit, she declares, My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; because he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant. (Luke 1:46-48) Mary recognized her need for a Savior – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) And acknowledged Jesus as Lord and Savior – the promised Messiah. The very suggestion that this very humble teenager would even assume she was the Mother of God, or a Co-creator of the Son of God, demonstrates how easily satan uses religion to pervert God’s Truth. Everyone born naturally from Adam and Eve forward is spiritually dead, cut off from their Creator, with a different spiritual father. (Ephesian 2:1-10) In the Garden, they died “spiritually” immediately when they sinned. But it took many years for their new spiritual father to teach them how to die physically. People lived very long lives back then. Now, satan can talk people into death in around 75 years! That is Not God’s Will.

Worship The Creator, Not The One Created

Mary gave birth to Jesus. However, she is not the mother of God. According to the Bible, the world was created through Jesus. This was long before Mary was born. Hebrews 1:1-2 says, …hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. John 8:58 says, “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am.” Jesus existed before Abraham was born. That means that He also existed before Mary was born. In John 17:5, Jesus says, “And now O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” So Jesus existed even before the world began. Jesus came first, not Mary.

For by him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things [including Mary] were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things [including Mary] and by him all things consist”. (Colossians 1:16-17)

Its sad that so many people are willing to look to the religious, or the traditions of men, over the Truth found in God’s inspired Word.

The Virgin Mary – A Sign, Not A Religious Doctrine

Mary’s status as a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus was a messianic SIGN, NOT a religious doctrine. (Isaiah 7:14, also Matthew 1:22-23, Luke 1:31-33) Once Mary accomplished God’s purpose, she was free to experience married life like any other Jewish woman living under the Covenant, enjoying the promised Blessing of intimacy with a spouse, and an abundance of children. Every young Jewish woman was expected to remain a virgin until married. What was not expected is a pregnant virgin. Yet that is exactly what happened with Mary when she agreed with God’s Word. The Living Word was conceived in her womb. This allowed Joseph to stay married knowing that the child was from God, and Mary’s status as a virgin had not changed. Once Jesus was born, they were free to enjoy intimacy with each other and build a family.

Celibacy does not make you righteous. Faith is what pleases God – Trusting His Word and acting in Love. As Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well – God wants people to worship him in Spirit and Truth (John 4). Remaining a virgin would be against human nature and against God’s Word, which is His will. It would deny them both the joy of intimacy, as well as the Blessing of natural children, since Jesus was God’s Son, Born of the Spirit – and not their child by blood. They were given the privilege and responsibility to care for Jesus and raise him, but he was the Messiah, and as early as 12 recognized God as his Father (Luke 2:49).

Some religious folks assume that since Mary was a virgin, she must have been free from sin – maybe by some act of God. But the vast majority of young Jewish girls were virgins before marriage. It was a common practice, with serious consequences if they behaved immorally. That is why Joseph considered a quiet divorce when he learned Mary was pregnant – assuming she had committed adultery. (Luke 1:18-25) God could have selected any young virgin, as this was only a sign, a way for Jesus to become like us, but without our sin nature. It was His legal entry to the Earth as Son of Man.

How then can a man be just with God? How can he be clean who is born of woman? (Job 25:4)

Religion simply declares that Mary was without sin, in clear contradiction to Scripture, and Mary’s own actions and Words! Mary knew she needed a Savior. After Jesus’ birth, she took her sin offering to the Temple as required by the Law for her Atonement. (Leviticus 12:1-8, Luke 2:22-24) In her Holy Spirit inspired speech she made it clear, Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! (Luke 1:46-47) Neither virginity, or being the birth mother of Jesus, changed her spiritual nature. All have fallen short of the Glory of God. And Mary would learn shortly that nobody was made right by obeying the Law. Like all Believers, she would be made alive in Christ by believing in Jesus Christ. No one is righteous – not even one! Mary could not be the creator of Jesus, even partially. He always existed with the Father. But He set aside His Glory, and the Living Word became flesh in Mary. She was the host. Jesus would enter the world legally, and be the Son of Man – do the Will of God and never sin, and thus God could accurately shout at His Baptism, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:13-17, Romans 3:1-31, Galatians 2:11-21, Ephesians 2:1-22)

Perpetual Virginity – Godless Myths And Old Wives’ Tales

The obsession over Mary’s sex life has led to some really strange religious ideas. The first is the suggestion that Mary remained a virgin her whole life. The first question you have to ask is, why? For what possible purpose would Mary suffer this unnecessary work of the flesh? This would not change her spiritual condition one single bit. Intimacy within the marriage covenant is Blessed by God. Having children is encouraged by Him – be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth. (Genesis 1:28) By assuming this, you create a cascade of consequences. If Mary was a perpetual virgin, that would mean Joseph would stay celibate for at least 12 years – his last mention in Scripture. And what about Mary and Joseph’s children named in the Gospel account? The religious folks claim these are cousins or kinfolks, but the very Greek words used quickly undermine this nonsense. The Holy Spirit, and authors of the Gospels, knew the difference between brothers and cousins, and no kinfolks are going to follow their aunt chasing after their itinerant preaching cousin!

In what is likely the only perpetual virgin story from Scripture, Judges 11, we know many details. Jephthah was the son of a harlot who was chased away by his step brothers. He was a great warrior and was asked to lead Gilead against the Ammonites. He makes a rash vow to God in order to secure victory. He promised that whoever or whatever met him first from his home, he would dedicate, or sacrifice it to the Lord. As he approached home, his daughter, and only child, greeted him. Immediately, he tore his clothes realizing his mistake. His daughter agrees to fulfill the vow, requesting only that she has 2 months of wandering the mountains to mourn her virginity with her friends. She then returns and accepts the consequences of her father’s foolishness. She knew no man, remaining a virgin for life. And just to make sure that this was by no means a happy occasion, note the reaction of the daughters of Israel. The daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. (Judges 11:30-40)

Notice, in this short story from Judges, how much detail is provided. The only thing we don’t know is the daughter’s name. So this obscure story tells us about her Father, why he is in Tob, and that her grandmother was a harlot. And we know Jephthah was a mighty warrior. We have the exchanges between the belligerents. We know that the daughter took 2 months to mourn her situation, and that the women of Israel mourned 4 days a year for her. This very insignificant moment is rich with detail. Yet with Mary, we know NOTHING of any perpetual virginity from the Word. Instead, we have ample SCRIPTURAL evidence to the contrary. What Kermit the Hermit writes in the 5th century does not overrule Scripture, it undermines it, and should be immediately discarded. The Word is Truth, but the enemy does come immediately to steal it, and over time the weeds and thorns of religious tradition overwhelm it. Which is what has happened with Mary. As Paul warned, religion turned to Godless myths and old wives’ tales. If the Bible makes no mention of something, but does provide strong contrary evidence, stick with the Word!

Joseph And Mary – Final thoughts

Mary was Jesus’ earthly guardian, but not the creator of THE Creator. Every name and title in the Word, has a meaning and a purpose. And if the name or title is NOT in the Bible, there is a very good reason for that omission. We should never create our own, rather stick with what the Holy Spirit inspired. You will not see the title, mother of God in Scripture, or its Greek foundation, Theotokos, which means God-bearer, because it would be repugnant to other Scriptures, and undermine the Truth of the Incarnation. Jesus called Himself, Son of Man – His most popular name for himself while on Earth. Why? Because He emptied Himself of His Glory. He identified with man, so we could identify with Him in Glory!

For More On Mary: Jesus, Women And Their Purpose In The Body of Christ

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