Mary, the Mother of Jesus - Part II

In the last seconds of a football game the quarterback drops back to pass. All his receivers race downfield to the end zone. In a desperation throw the hope is for a touchdown. This is called a “Hail Mary.” Mary, the mother of Jesus, would not be pleased that any prayer would be addressed to her. The very last time Mary is mentioned in the Bible is in Acts 1:14 where she is found with others devoting herself to prayer. This is as it should have been, for Jesus said that the time would come when Mary, as with all believers, can and should call on Jesus in prayer (Jn. 14:13, 14). There was a time when Mary had to learn that her son would no longer submit to her requests. This occurred when Jesus gently but firmly told his mother that the wine problem at Cana of Galilee was something that the will of His Father would resolve (“Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come” Jn. 2:4.). Mary would have to lose her son in order to find Him as Savior. Mary does not receive any prayers. She is fully occupied with worshiping her son, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Mary’s name does not appear in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11, but she certainly qualifies as one who lived a life of faith. Her initial responses to the news about her pregnancy are an example of how we should all respond to God’s will. It is evident that this teenage Jewish girl knew the Old Testament Scriptures and had a good enough grasp of the plan of God to be able to understand the significance of her “holy offspring.” Did she fully understand Simeon’s reference to the uniqueness of her child who would pierce her soul like a sword (Lk. 2:35)? Probably not, but she pondered the meaning of God’s revelation and learned more about her son, Israel’s Messiah, as he journeyed to the cross and was raised from the dead (Lk. 2:19). Like the rest of Jesus’ disciples, the eyes of her mind would need to be opened to understand the Scriptures and rejoice in God’s Redeemer (Lk. 24:45). Mary conducted her life according to what God had revealed to her and thereby has distinguished herself as a woman of faith. But her faith allowed room for perplexity and growth in understanding. A deepening experience of grasping the significance of what God has said is consistent with trust in God. This forces a question upon us. What is limiting us from seeing the implications of what we hear from God’s Word? Has the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ brought a spiritual transformation to your life? Are you born again? The Holy Spirit opens the spiritual eyes of those who belong to Christ (1 Cor. 2:14).

There is another misconception about Mary that needs attention. It is taught that Mary lived under a vow of perpetual virginity after the birth of Jesus. There is no Scripture to support this assumption. Actually, the contrary is true. It is said that Joseph “kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son” (Matt. 1:25). Joseph and Mary lived a normal life as husband and wife and bore other children (Mk. 6:3). There would have been no spiritual or moral advantages for Mary to have remained a virgin in marriage. Sadly, an unbiblical asceticism crept into the early church as it regarded celibacy as an ethically higher state than sexual relations.

The sword that Simeon predicted would pierce Mary’s soul was felt most deeply when her son, Jesus Christ, was nailed to the cross. Mary suffered pain so that Jesus might bear the pain of God’s judgment on sin (Lk. 2:35; 23:48, 49; Jn. 19:26, 27). Morning sickness, labor pains, a life time of a misunderstood pregnancy, and a rejected ministry all culminated at the crucifixion. As Mary stood in the shadow of the cross, Jesus, the Man of Sorrows, felt compassion for her. The care of Mary was delegated to the disciple whom Jesus loved. This disciple, probably John, would take Jesus’ place and assume the duties of a son. As we think back over Mary’s life up to the hour of her son’s death her own cross comes to mind. Mary’s sorrow became her cross. To follow Jesus means that the disciple must take up his cross and follow Him. In Mary’s case she saw her own son, the Son of God, rejected and crucified. She stumbled and encountered difficulties by virtue of Jesus’ mission on earth (Lk. 8:21; 11:27-28; 12:51-53). Her son’s suffering and rejection weighed heavily upon her heart. But is this not the way of all who, by doing the will of God, are Jesus’ mother and brothers (Lk. 8:21). Our identification with Christ is a call to suffering for Christ. There is no easy way to live the Christian life. As Christ’s people we, like Mary, fight the world’s hostility to the gospel message. Yes, Mary was blessed for bearing Israel’s Messiah, but the greater blessing is for all those who obey God’s Word (Lk. 11:28).

What was Mary’s life like beyond the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus? Mary reappears with the eleven disciples of Jesus as they waited in prayer for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14). She took her place among those who became “charter members” of the body of Christ. The one who had given birth to Jesus’ physical body became a part of His spiritual body, the church. Some insult Mary by calling her the “mother of the church.” Christ alone is the “head of the body, the church, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything” (Col. 1:18). A further joy to Mary was the delight of seeing her children come to faith in Christ (1 Cor. 15:7; Acts 1:14). Mary’s need for the power of the Holy Spirit mirrors each Christian’s need for that same power if there is to be bold witness for Christ. We can also draw encouragement from the eventual conversion of Jesus’ half brothers. Do you have family members who resist the hope-filled gospel of Jesus Christ? They may yet believe.

Mary is “blessed among women” because of the sovereign choice of God, her belief in the word of God and her firsborn, “a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” However, Mary’s maternal relationship to Jesus is surpassed by those who put their trust in Jesus (Lk. 8:18-21; 11:27-28). Her physical relation to Jesus did not give her any advantage over those who are related to Him through redemption. Spiritual ties are closer than blood ties. Mary takes her place with other blood-bought, born again children of God. Would you like to be counted as a relative of Jesus Christ? Jesus said, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.” Hearers and doers of the Word of God are Jesus’ family. If you have heard the gospel and believed in Christ, then you are in His family. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is your sister in Christ whom we will all join in singing, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

Mary, the Mother of Jesus - Part I

Mary, the mother of Jesus, has suffered much. Certainly she suffered in her life. But she has been mistreated in a variety of other ways. The biblical Mary is hardly recognizable due to the man-made traditions that have become attached to her. Some have declared out of the thin air of human speculation that Mary was “preserved free from all stain of human sin.” In other words, Mary is not to be viewed as a sinner like the rest of fallen humanity. The reasoning is that since she was instrumental in victory over Satan she could not have been under Satan’s dominion (not a sinner). The theological abuse of Mary gets even worse for it is claimed that, “So also one can scarcely draw near to the Son except through his mother.” Mary would be more than embarrassed at such a remake of her honored role as the mother of Jesus.

God has given us a portrait of truth in the life of Mary. The same Spirit who brought about the conception of the Christ child in the womb of Mary has given us the record of the ways of God in her life. This offers us a way of marveling at the wonders of God’s grace in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. God’s grace to Mary is evident in the beginning of the story of redemption. God said that it would be through her that judgment would come upon Satan (Gen. 3:15). She was to have a vital role in the conflict between God and Satan by giving birth to the one who would deliver a final and fatal death blow to Satan. According to Old Testament prophesy and the confirming announcement by the angel Gabriel Jesus was to be conceived in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit (Isa. 7:14; Lk. 1:31). In the infinite wisdom of God and by His omnipotence He chose for the eternal second person of the Trinity to take on Himself humanity without a human father. The miraculous birth of Jesus Christ is a witness to His uniqueness. Only God incarnate could be the Savior of sinners (Heb. 2:9, 14, 15). Mary had not done anything to deserve such a role in redemptive history. Her honor was due to God’s grace (“Hail, favored One!”). All the glory goes to God, not Mary. Elizabeth’s song focuses upon adoration of God for what He had done for Mary (Lk. 1:42-45). This is not to diminish the fact that Mary was honored by being chosen to give birth to the Messiah. But Mary’s blessedness depended entirely on her son and his greatness. To refer to Mary as the “mother of God” can easily be misunderstood. Mary was not the mother of the divine nature of Jesus. Her DNA contributed to the humanity of Jesus, but she did conceive God in her womb.

At this point we can draw a refreshing drink of cold water from the well of truth regarding Mary. Though our circumstances certainly differ from those of Mary we can know that God has a sovereign plan for our lives and will accomplish it through Jesus Christ. Be assured, Christian, that the days of our lives are written in God’s book (Psa. 139:16). Each of us has a role to fulfill in the drama of redemption. Mary’s role was most unusual, but by the indwelling presence of Christ in the believer and the power of the Holy Spirit Christ is incarnated through us. The conception of spiritual life within us by the Spirit’s work of regeneration is a miracle. Rejoice ye pure in heart. And keep this in mind as well. Like Mary, God comes to us and uses us not because of who and what we are, but because of who and what He is. He did not choose us because He saw us believing or because we merited His favor in some way. We deserve the opposite of what we receive, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast” (Eph. 2:8, 9).

Mary willingly submitted to God’s will for her role in the dear Savior’s birth (Lk. 1:38, 46-55). Imagine the shock involved in receiving the news that she was to be the mother of Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. It is understandable that Mary was a bit perplexed as to the method of fulfillment (“How can this be since I am a virgin?”). But as the angel explained what God was going to do she was submissive and humbled by it all. She knew that people would misunderstand her pregnancy and was aware of her lowly social position. But Mary believed God and was willing to accept the embarrassment, suspicion, and the pain necessary to bring into the world the One who would “reign over the house of Jacob forever” (Lk. 1:33). As God’s instrument of hope for a lost world, Mary is an example of a response of obedience to God’s will. This truth is the hallmark of every disciple of Jesus Christ (“If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” Matt. 16:24.). Mary became the model for how a disciple of the One who was in her womb should live. Are we equally willing to embrace selfless living, a loose attachment to things, and fearless obedience for the glory of Christ?

Some have showered upon Mary such titles as the Queen of the Apostles, Queen of Heaven, Queen of the Angels, the Door of Paradise, Mother of Mercy, and Mother of Grace. But all this can easily betray one fact, namely, that Mary needed a Savior like all the rest of sinful humanity (Lk. 1:46, 47; Jn. 2:4). She was not free from sin but was God’s chosen vessel to bear Jesus “who will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). “The Mother of Grace” was one of those who needed to be saved from sin. Mary was not exempted from fallenness (Rom. 3:23). The universality of sin is the result of God’s judgment upon the race because of Adam’s transgression. Our only hope for forgiveness comes through Christ who bore our guilt on the cross. Reader, have you experienced God’s forgiveness in Christ? Christ was “made a curse for us”(Gal. 3:13). He bore the curse of God which was due us because of our sins. Sin is an offense to God and we can never hope to live in His presence unless our guilt is pardoned. Do you know that pardon? Come as you are to God and receive what He alone can give you. Right now rely on Jesus’ death and resurrection. Then you can enjoy the sweetness of God’s forgiveness and the pleasure of eternal life.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

Amazed Angels

Every Christmas a lot of angels show up. It’s not that they aren’t around the rest of the year, but in the Christmas season they make their appearance on the top of Christmas trees, in store windows, on the roofs of houses, in television shows , in movies (remember Clarence in “It’s a Wonderful Life?”), and in countless nativity scenes. The recently released movie, “The Nativity Story,” reminds us of the key role angels played in the birth of Jesus Christ. Angels as God’s messengers make frequent appearances in the Bible and undoubtedly are running errands throughout the invisible world. I have never sighted an angel that I know of. But I know they must be there. The prophet Elisha and his aide-de-camp were surrounded in the city of Dothan by an angry Syrian army. Reassurance of God’s protection was given lest knee-knocking fear take over. The eyes of the attendant were opened and he saw the mountain “full of horses and chariots of fire all round Elisha.” This threw an entirely different light on everything. This episode is in the Bible for our benefit as a vivid reminder that things are never as they may seem. Angels are a part of the Lord of host’s army to accomplish His purposes in the grand drama of redemption.

Of special interest at the Christmas season is the angelic activity in the birth narratives of Matthew and Luke. An angel of the Lord appeared to Zacharias while he was carrying out his priestly duties in the temple of Jerusalem (Lk. 1:11). The angel told him that his wife, Elizabeth, would bear a son. He was to be no ordinary son. His name was to be John (a.k.a. John the Baptist) who would be the prophetic forerunner of Israel’s Messiah. This angel later identifies himself as Gabriel. This was the same Gabriel who appeared to Daniel to communicate vital truth regarding God’s plan for the nation of Israel (Dan. 8:16; 9:21). Later Gabriel was sent to the city of Nazareth to visit a young Jewish girl named Mary. No greater message was ever delivered to a human being than was given to her. This teenage girl was to be the mother of Israel’s Messiah and the world’s Savior (Lk. 1:32, 33). Mary doesn’t seem to flinch (“be it done to me according to your word”) in the face of the stupendous fact that she would become pregnant without a sexual relationship with a man and give birth to the Christ-child. Joseph, who was to be married to Mary, also receives an angelic visitor (Matt. 1:20-23). The angel gave Joseph a much-needed explanation of Mary’s pregnancy and confirms this astounding development by quoting Isaiah 7:14 (Angels know Scripture). Joseph didn’t hesitate to do what God had commanded. Both parents of Jesus demonstrated the admirable quality of readiness to obey God.

We meet angels again once Jesus has been born. The now famous “shepherds keeping watch over their flock by night” were frightened when an angel suddenly stood before them and encouraged them to be calm. They were told that “a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” had been born and He could be found in Bethlehem. At that moment a sound and light show of an army of angels appeared in the night sky singing praise to God for His marvelous provision. This angelic choir is noteworthy for several reasons. These very angels had experienced the joyous presence of Christ’s glory from the time of their creation (Isa. 6:1-4; Jn. 12:41; 17:5). The incarnation of the Son of God with its promise of hope for lost sinners was something to sing about. What is to be done about man’s fall and the infinite chasm between sinful man and a holy God? Angels are fascinated as they see the wisdom of God displayed on the stage of human history (Eph. 3:10; 1 Tim. 3:16). The apostle Peter tells us that God’s angels are captivated by the wonder of seeing totally depraved human beings who can be made to live lives that glorify God (1 Pet. 1:12). It causes angels to break out in exuberant delight when one sinner repents (Lk. 15:10).

The angels that joined in a celestial chorus of adoration in the night sky outside of Bethlehem said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” This was an appeal to all creation to praise God and celebrate the peace brought to earth in the gift bound up in the infant born to Mary. Reconciliation between God and man is possible to all those who experience God’s favor (Rom. 5:1). How could the angels not have been overwhelmed with the magnitude of God’s love and His provision of a Savior? What else could they do but pour out praise?

Angels played an important role in the Christmas event. Their message to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds is about the greatness of God’s Messiah and His kingdom (Lk. 1:32-33). They remind us that there are spiritual beings in the unseen world. Angels are examples to us in their continual worship and obedience to God. They exist to bring glory to God (Psa. 103:20). Angels must certainly be embarrassed at how humans make more of them than they do the Lord Jesus Christ. We are not to worship angels, pray to them, or seek their counsel (Col. 2:18). Instead we are to rejoice in the assignments that God has delegated to them (e.g., bringing answers to prayers, Acts 12:5-7; observing our service and suffering for God, 1 Cor. 4:9; watching over and protecting Christians, Psa. 34:7; 91:11, 12; rejoicing at our salvation, Lk. 15:10; watching the ministry of the local church, 1 Cor. 11:10; 1 Tim. 21; Rev. 1:20; and caring for the believer at death, Lk. 9:22; Jude 9). Angels are absolutely amazed at what God is doing in this world. Are we equally amazed at His grace? Are we ready to do His bidding? Are we joyfully adoring Him?

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

The Simplified Life

The Christmas season is not an easy time of year. Gift buying and busier-than-usual schedules can take a lot of the joy out of what ought to be a time of special delight in the “mystery of godliness.” God has revealed His perfect righteousness in Jesus Christ. Because of the forgiveness of sin and the gift of eternal life, heaven’s gates are not barred to us. The glories of this wonderful message can, however, become obscured by our harried and hurried life-style. But something can be done about this. Our culture defies us. It has a dark side. Arrogance, shallow relationships, materialism, and a quest for entertainment can play the tune by which we dance. A simplified life is the determination to dance to the different tune of biblical truth.

When Martha was scurrying around her kitchen and complaining about her sister Mary’s lack of involvement, Jesus said that Mary had chosen “the good part.” This helps us. A simplified life is one of measuring our schedule and making our plans according to the invisible rather than the visible (Lk. 10:42; 2 Cor. 4:18; 5:7). Jesus did not correct Martha because of her work ethic. He rebuked her because her work ethic dominated her. She let it keep her from doing the most important thing at that moment. Mary made the right choice. Martha did not. Likewise, we who are Christians can consign our heart’s desires to less important things and can buy into our culture’s mode of thinking. A simplified life is a life of worshiping God. The heart that overflows in glad obedience to the infinite worth of God is a simplified life. It finds time to commune with God and His Word and prayer. Relationships are important, real, and meaningful. We have time for people, conversations, and mercy. How easily we can become dominated by the lust for privacy, comfort, and entertainment.

It has been said that “the ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary, so the necessary can speak” (Hans Hauffman). What is the necessary? It is to love God and one’s neighbor. This is the sharpened focus of a life that has meaning. Simplifying one’s life is a journey guided by the compass of God’s Word (Matt. 4:4). Redeeming the time is purchased by the currency of God’s commandments. The simplified life means staying in close and meaningful contact with family and friends. Be hospitable and kind. Encourage others with the warmth of your home and generosity. Life’s demands should not be dictated by our energy, the demands of others, or the values of American culture (1 Jn. 2:15-17). Be content with what you have. Don’t let your possessions be your master. Make them serve you. Remove the things that clutter your schedule with non-essentials such as television, movies, excessive newspaper and magazine reading. If you have sons, don’t let them spend endless hours playing video games. Give them designated times for this on the weekend. And there is the ubiquitous computer. The internet and email will have to be taken in hand and not be allowed to occupy time that’s needed for soul nourishment. Self-discipline must become a way of life, not an elective. Pray for it. It is a grace of the Spirit and flows from the spring of a heart enthralled with God (Gal. 5:23). Self-mastery is one of the prime achievements in life. Don’t be satisfied without it. You will also want to declare war on the habit of procrastination. It is a thief of time. Make a list of the things you have been putting off. Arrange them in order of importance and then get to work and enjoy the God-given sense of relief. There are sub-floor issues that will have to be looked at. Beneath the habit of procrastination is very often found over commitment. We are trying to do too many things. Plan your schedule before others plan it for you. But beware of the self-help and success books which tell you how to get more out of your time. Packing more into your time in order to produce more is not the way to pursue a simplified life. Is more what we want?

The life that is in biblical order insists upon the preparation for and the experience of worship with God’s people. There is not a better reminder of what is most important in life than worship which is in spirit and in truth. It is not a good sign when meeting with God’s people for praise, prayer, and the preaching of God’s Word has been pushed to the margins of your life. We can get life out of perspective. That is why it is necessary from time to time to break away from our routine to rest, renew, and reevaluate our lives. A life unexamined is a life unfulfilled. The kind of life for which God has made us is one that seeks His glory above all else. I recommend taking your Bible, a good book (Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper), and a worship and praise CD. Establish and guard a private time with God each day. There is a no more fundamentally important routine than meeting with God on a regular basis for time in the Word and prayer. Refuse to let life crowd out such a time.

A.W. Tozer saw many years ago where modern life was leading the multitudes. His words are worth pondering. “Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life all but impossible. It wears us out by multiplying distractions and beats us down by destroying our solitude, where otherwise we might drink and renew our strength before going out to face the world again…The need for solitude and quietness was never greater than it is today. What the world will do about it is their problem. Apparently the masses want it the way it is and the majority of Christians are so completely conformed to this present age that they, too, want things the way they are. They may be annoyed a bit by the clamor and by the goldfish bowl existence they live, but apparently they are not annoyed enough to do anything about it. However, there are a few of God’s children who have had enough. They want to relearn the ways of solitude and simplicity and gain the infinite riches of the interior life.” Is there something you can do this week to take a step toward simplifying your life? Let Solomon’s counsel keep us company, “This only have I found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes” (Eccles. 7:29).

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church