THE MOTHER
OF OUR LORD
No two people ever enjoyed a closer, more tender, mother-and-child relationship than the Lord Jesus did with his mother Mary.
The Lord Jesus Christ is God manifest in human flesh. He is the very God of the universe. It was he who created all things by the word of his power, and who continues to maintain and uphold all things by that same power. Every plant, every flower, every star in the heavens, owes its existence to him. All things were created for him, and by him.
But while all that is true, we must never lose sight of the fact that he became man. He continued to be what he had always been; he continued to be God. And he took upon him what he had not previously had; he took on him a human nature. And in that human nature he enjoyed a special, and unique relationship with his mother.
Those who worship Mary are wrong. She was not the mother of his divine nature; she was not, as they say, the mother of God. In his divine nature he does not have a mother; he is self-existent and eternal. But she was the mother of his human nature. It is in that relationship that the Bible repeatedly refers to her as his mother.
It is wrong to worship Mary, and refer to her as the mother of God. Mary would be the very first to discourage any such language. But, while we would never, for a moment, consider worshiping Mary, we do revere her memory for who she was, and what she did for our Lord. No one ever did for our Lord what she did.
The Lord does not need us—none of us. He created the universe without our help, and he sustains it and upholds it without our assistance. If there was any job God could not do without our help, he would still be just as helpless, no matter how we might try to assist. Can you imagine any poor mortal trying to help God to hold the moon in its orbit, or turn the earth on its axis.
But there was a time when he needed his mother. He was conceived in her womb by the direct operation of the Holy Spirit. She carried him, and delivered him after the usual nine months. She nursed him and fed him. She cared for him and saw after him. She picked him up when he fell and barked his knees. She changed his diaper when he needed it. Bear in mind that, even though he was God manifest in human flesh, he was as fully human as any of us.
How very tender and gentle Mary must have been with the baby Jesus. How watchful she must have been all the time he was growing up. My heart is stirred when I think all she did for him.
In all of human literature there is no more tender and touching story than the story of the love of Mary for her son, and the love of the Lord Jesus for his mother. That love continued to be manifest until that final moment on the cross when he “bowed his head and gave up the ghost,” John 19:30.
Luke tells about the day when the Lord revealed to Mary that she was to be the mother of her Lord. “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women,” Luke 1:26-28.
No other woman was ever so blessed as Mary was; no other woman was blessed to be the mother of our Lord. No other woman had the same relationship with him that she had.
He was conceived in her womb by the direct operation of the Holy Spirit. She delivered him after the usual nine months. How very tender and gentle she must have been. She nursed him and fed him and cared for him. She picked him up when he needed attention, and she changed his diaper when he needed it. No one ever saw after him or cared for him in quite the way she did.
There is much to be learned from the relationship between Jesus and Mary, and there is also much to be learned from his relationship with the rest of his natural family—his natural brothers and sisters. Bear in mind that they were only his half-brothers and half-sisters. The Lord was virgin born; he had no full brothers and sisters.
But after the Lord was born, Mary and Joseph had several other children, conceived and born in the usual manner. He had four brothers: James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas (Matt. 13:55), and we hear of all his sisters (vs. 56). All requires at least three; so there were, at least, seven other children in the family.
In his human nature the Lord grew up in that family, and he had the usual family relationship with them. That relationship was not always what you might expect it to have been.
At first glance, the Bible does not seem to tell us much about Mary’s husband, Joseph; but when go back and read again, we discover that the Bible provides a wealth of information about him. The Bible just does not require as long to tell anything as we do. God can provide an abundance of instruction in a very few words.
Joseph was not the actual and physical father of our Lord; the Lord was virgin born. The Bible simply refers to him as “the husband of Mary of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ,” Matt. 1:16.
But, even though Joseph was only legally, and not physically, the father of the Lord, still, in talking to Jesus, Mary refers to Joseph as thy father (Luke 2:48). He was due the respect, and Jesus gave him the respect, that was due a father. We read that Jesus “went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them,” to Mary and Joseph. Even though he is the very God of the universe, still, as he was growing up in his human nature, he was as obedient to his parents as any little boy ever was.
And even though James, and Joses, and Simon and Judas, were only the half-brothers of the Lord, the Bible refers to them as his brethren (John 7:5, Gal. 1:19), without always spelling out the way in which they were his brothers. God leaves it to us to do some digging on our own. And since the Bible refers to them simply as his brethren, without stopping to give a long detailed explanation, I think it is proper that we just go ahead and refer to them the way the Bible does.
God dispatched the angel Gabriel to Galilee to a virgin called Mary and announced to her, “Blessed art thou among women” Luke 1:28. Mary was the most blessed of all women; no other woman was blessed to be the mother of our Lord. No other woman had that special mother-and-child relationship she had with her Lord. There were special, tender, moments she was blessed to have with him that no one else ever had— not in that way.
When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, she lived in Nazareth. That was one of the worst of all cities. Nazareth had such a bad reputation that people had the idea that if you lived there you must be bad too. You remember that when Philip went to Nathaniel and told him he had found the Christ, Nathaniel’s immediate reply was, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” John 1:46. In other words, “Is there anybody in Nazareth you and I would want to be associated with?”
But there was at least one virtuous woman—and one honorable man—in the city of Nazareth. Joseph was fully as honorable a person as Mary was. They were sinners of Adam’s race—sinners in need of a Savior—just as surely as we all are. But they were good and honorable people, as honorable as mortals ever are. God would send his Son into this sinful world to save his people from their sins; but he would provide a chaste and pure home environment in which for him to grow up. He would send him into a wicked and sinful world, but he would not thrust him, as a tiny infant, into a vile and impure home. He would provide him with good and honorable parents.
“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his father David,” Luke 1:30-32.
The angel announced to her that this holy thing that should be born of her would be the Son of the Highest, that it would be the Son of God, and he would occupy the throne of his father David.
Four thousand years before—on the very heels of the fall— God prophesied of the coming Messiah. He said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel,” Gen. 3:15 . Now, that prophecy is ready to be fulfilled. God is always faithful to his word. The child Mary was to bring into the world was to be the very Son of God.
Can you imagine how this young Jewish maiden must have felt when this announcement was made? She wanted to know, “How can this be, seeing I know not a man?” How could she deliver a baby, when she had never been with a man? “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall overshadow 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.
That very first prophecy of the Messiah foretold that he would be virgin born, that he would be the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15). In the history of the world, every child that has ever been born has been the seed of the man—every child except this one. This child was the seed of the woman; he was virgin born.
It seemed the people had forgotten that the Messiah was to be virgin born, because virtually every expectant Jewish mother for hundreds of years had hoped that this next child of hers would be the expected Messiah. But the prophecy was clear enough, he would be the seed of the woman.
When Mary heard what the angel had to say, she did not argue. She said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” (verse 38). Consider how brave a statement this was. This placed Mary at great risk. She was espoused to Joseph, but this was not his child. How could she ever explain this to anybody? Most of all, how could she ever explain it to Joseph? Joseph knew this was not his child.
Matt. 1:18,19, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise; When his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.”
Joseph was a good and honorable man. Perhaps, before he found Mary, he had almost despaired of ever finding a virtuous woman in the wicked city of Nazareth. It appeared there was no one in this immoral city he would want for his wife. Now he had found this sweet and pure and virtuous woman. They were espoused to be married, and he was looking forward to a long and happy life with her. He believed he had found as pure and innocent a person as there was anywhere in the world.
But now she has gone away into the hill country, and visited her cousin Elizabeth. She stayed with Elizabeth for three months, and when she comes back, Joseph discovers that she is with child. It appears that this girl he thought was the purest person he ever knew is not what he thought at all. Joseph must have been absolutely devastated.
Can you imagine the state of mind Joseph was in. How could anybody explain this to Joseph? How could Mary explain it to him? How could she explain it to anybody? The child was to be virgin born, but in the history of the world no child had ever been virgin born, and no child would ever be born that way again. How could she ever explain this, so that Joseph would understand?
When Mary submitted to the announcement of the angel, she placed everything at risk. All her hopes and plans for the future were in the balance. It certainly placed her marriage at risk.
When you can’t help yourself, God can still help. When you can’t help yourself, God comes to your rescue.
Mary was Joseph’s espoused wife. There was some differ-ence between a Jewish marriage and our present day mar-riages. A Jewish espousal somewhat corresponds to our present day engagements, but it was much stronger than that. After the espousal, the husband would go away for a time, prepare a home, perhaps build a house, and later come back to claim his bride. But even though the husband had not yet claimed his bride, he was referred to as her husband, and she was referred to as his wife. So the arrangement was much more formal, and binding, than modern engagements.
Joseph was a righteous man; he thought he had found a righteous person to be his wife. Now it looked like she was not at all what he thought. If Mary was as immoral as it was beginning to look like she was, there was no way he could marry her. But confused and bewildered as he was, he still loved her. He was more disappointed than he could ever tell, but he would not raise his hand to harm her.
He had every right to take action. If a man was espoused to be married to a woman, and he found her not to be a virgin, the law allowed him to bring her to the door of her father’s house, place the charge against her, and if the tokens of her virginity could not be provided, he could deliver her to the men of the city to be stoned (Deut. 22:20,21). When Mary submitted to that announcement, she was placing herself in danger for her very life.
But there was no way Joseph would do any such thing. He was “not willing to make her a public example,” Matt. 1:19. He was not willing; he would have no part of it. He would not raise his hand to harm her.
He would not marry her, but, he would not make her a public example, either. He would instead put her away privily— quietly. He would end it all without saying anything to anybody. He was absolutely devastated, but he still loved her.
“But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost, Matt. 1:20. While he thought on these things? His entire world was in turmoil; it is unlikely he could think about anything else.
But at that very moment God sends an angel to let him know there is no other man involved. Mary is every bit as pure, every bit as innocent, as he ever imagined she was. Far from being an immoral, unprincipled person, she is the most bles-ed woman of all time.
“Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold a virgin shall be with child,” Matt. 1:20-23.
God sent an angel to tell Joseph that, even though Mary is with child, she is still a virgin. She is just as pure as Joseph ever imagined she was. “Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife. And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus,” Matt. 1:23-25.
If ever anybody acted on simple child-like faith, Joseph did. All he had to go on was what Mary, and the angel, told him., and what they told him, was an absolutely preposterous story. Nothing like this had ever happened before, but he believed it. He believed that what Mary and the angel had told him was true, and he believed that this child was, indeed, to be God manifest in human flesh. Because he believed God—because he believed that this was the very truth of God himself—he claimed Mary to be his wife.
We are told that he “knew her not till she had brought forth her first born son” (vs. 25). They lived in the same home, under the same roof, but they did not avail themselves of the other benefits of marriage; they did not share the marriage bed. They were husband and wife; they had every moral right. There was nothing to prevent them from enjoying every benefit of the marriage union. But the prophecy had said the child would be the seed of the woman. He was to be virgin born; and they would respect that prophecy. What restraint they demonstrated; what strength of character. There was never a child born into a more healthy, moral family environment than was the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Luke chapter 2, we read that Mary and Joseph were living in Nazareth. The time was drawing closer and closer when the child was to be born. But Micah had prophesied hun-dreds of years before that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting,” Micah 5:2.
The time kept drawing closer and closer. It looked like the Messiah was going to be born in the wrong city, and at that time Mary was in no condition to travel, not to Bethlehem, nor anywhere else. Then, from hundreds of miles away, the Roman Emperor issued a decree that “all the world should be taxed,” Luke 2:1. More than that, he required that everyone should go to his original birthplace to pay his taxes.
“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered,” Luke 2: 4-6.
I am sure you remember the story of how, that night, God sent “a multitude of the heavenly host” to a few shepherds out on a hillside to announce the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is fascinating to me that God passed by the religious leaders of that day. He passed by the priests, and the scribes, and the Levites. He passed by the Pharisees, and the Sadducees. He passed by the entire religious establishment, the aristocracy of that day. And he announced the birth of the Savior to a few shepherds out on a lonely hill side. This was the most momentous event in the history of the world, up until that time, and he broke the news to shepherds—ordinary laborers.
That tells us a lot about the nature of this kingdom he came to set up. In his kingdom, rank, and status, and privilege are unimportant. He would be scorned and rejected by the religious establishment, rejected by those who should have been the first to recognize him. But these humble shepherds went immediately to “see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us” (vs. 15). The angel told them this child was “Christ the Lord,” and that he was born a Savior. He told them the news of his birth was “good tidings of great joy,” not just for a privileged few, but “for all people.” He was to bring peace on earth, and “good will toward men,” (vss. 10,11,14).
“And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning the child” (vs. 17). Others might scoff and ridicule, but these humble shepherds could not wait to tell the story.
“But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart,” Luke 2:19. If there was ever any doubt in anybody’s mind; if there was ever any lingering doubt even in the mind of Joseph, there was never any doubt in the mind of Mary. This was the most special of all children.
It appears that Mary and Joseph stayed in Bethlehem for six weeks or more after the Lord was born. We read in Luke 2:22, that, “When the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord.” According to Leviticus chapter twelve, that was to take place when the child was six weeks old.
It was about five miles from Bethlehem to Jerusalem; it was closer to seventy miles to Nazareth. It is hard to imagine that, in her condition, having just given birth to a baby, Mary and Joseph would have traveled seventy miles to Nazareth, only to travel another seventy miles, when he child was six weeks old to present him to the Lord in the temple. It is unlikely they would have done that, considering they were very nearly in Jerusalem, when the child was born. Under the best of circumstances, travel was not easy in those days. It made more sense for them to stay in Bethlehem, until she was better able to travel, and after the child had been presented at the Temple.
It was when they took the Lord to be dedicated at the temple, that Simeon made that beautiful prophecy. “And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel,” Luke 2:25-32.
It had only been six weeks since the Lord was born, six weeks since the shepherds came telling of the great display they had seen in the heavens. Mary still “kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (vs. 19). Now this venerable old saint holds her baby in his arms, and makes this profound statement. No wonder “Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him,” (vs. 33). How could these two humble, and God-fearing people take it all in?
How tenderly this little Jewish maiden must have handled the Christ child, when Simeon finally handed him back. How moved she must have been she looked down at his tiny face, and tried to realize how special he was.
But that was not all Simeon had to say. “And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed,” vss 34,35. It would be another thirty-three years before Mary understood the full import of that last expression. As she stood in Pilate’s Hall and saw her son presented to that murderous crowd. There can be no doubt that a sword did, indeed, pierce her very soul as she heard that crowd shouting, “Crucify him, crucify him,”—kill him, kill him.
He was born a Savior (vs 11). He is our Savior, and he was Mary’s Savior, her creator, and her Lord. But, to Mary, so long as he was here on earth, in a human body, he would always be her little boy. She would always hold him in her heart. She would always remember him as he grew from a little boy. How that good woman must have suffered on that day.
As soon as they had performed all the law required of them, they returned to Nazareth. “And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth,” (vs 39). It was his mission to fulfill the law on our behalf. He would fulfill every requirement of both the moral law and the ceremonial law. With regard to the ceremonial law, God provided Mary and Joseph to perform what he was not yet able—in his humanity—to do. They saw to it that he was circumcised on the eighth day (vs 21), and presented at the Temple on the forty-first day (Lev. 12:2,3, Luke 2:22-39). As soon as that was accomplished, the returned to Nazareth.
After they went back to Nazareth then, after a period of time there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem saying, where is he that is born king of the Jews, for we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him. Some people imagine that the wise men and the shepherd both came there that night. They didn’t do that . You can read the Bible, it is as clear as it can be. The shepherds found him wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. The wise found him in a house in Nazareth.
Let me prove it to you that they didn’t come at the same time. You remember after he was presented at the temple they went back to Nazareth. According to Leviticus 12, this presentation at the Temple had to happen after the fortieth day, or at least on the fortieth day. As soon as the wise men left, that very night they left and went into Egypt. That had to be when he was at least six weeks old. The nativity scene, never did happen. The shepherds and the wise men came at two different times. The shepherds came at one time and the wise men came six weeks later and found him in a house.
Somebody says there is a contradiction. One says he was in a manger, one says he was in a house. The difference was that there were two different visits, at two different locations. But the point I am getting at is this: God was about to tell Joseph to take the young child and Mary, his mother and go into Egypt.. Did you ever notice how it always puts the child first? “Take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt; and be thou there until I bring thee word; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” Matt. 2:13. Joseph didn’t have enough money to go to Egypt. Joseph was flat broke. Somebody says, Brother Hunt, how do you know that? Does the Bible say that? No it doesn’t it, but it strongly implies it. The Bible cannot declare a mistake, it cannot imply a mistake. And it clearly implies that Joseph was flat broke. How do we know that? Do you remember that in Luke chapter 2, when he went into the temple to present the Lord to the Lord that he offered “a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons?” Go back to Leviticus 12 again and find out who was allowed to make that kind of offering. It had to be somebody who couldn’t pay for a sheep. Somebody who did not have enough money, who absolutely could not pay for one sheep. Do you believe that a man as honorable as Joseph would have shortchanged the Lord? Joseph was flat broke.
Somebody says, Brother Hunt, why would a man be that broke? He had just gone to Bethlehem to pay his taxes. It was six weeks after tax day, do you see, they had cleaned him out. When he went to the Temple to present Jesus, he didn’t have enough money to pay for one sheep. God was going to send him into Egypt.
Now we find out why those wise men were there. God was about to tell Joseph to move to Egypt. That is like God speaking to one of us and saying you have to move to Mexico, and you don’t have any money. But God always has the remedy. Before God told Joseph what he had to do, he had already sent the wise men on their way with the necessary funds.
These were not pagan philosophers, these were Jewish doctors of the law, living in Babylon. These wise men had the money and the gifts Joseph needed, and God sent them on their way. I have an idea they had probably been on the way that entire six weeks. Did you notice they got there just in time? Just before God told Joseph that night, he had to move, those wise men got there with gifts, gold and frankincense, and myrrh.
God had it timed just right. Joseph didn’t have enough money to move on; these men had the money, God sent them on their way. Just as soon as they came and left enough gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh, to finance Joseph’s move into Egypt, God told him he had to go.
But think about it, in spite of that, what great faith it required on Joseph’s part. God spoke to Joseph in the middle of the night. He says, “Joseph, you are going to have to move, you are going to have to relocate; they are going to seek this young child; they are going to try to kill him. You are going to have to leave here, you are going to have to move into Egypt.” What did Joseph do? He left that night.
What an honorable man he was. What a faithful person he was. He took God at his word. When God told him he had to move, he didn’t even wait until morning. What happened to his house in Nazareth, if he owned one? If he owned one he left it. What happened to the furniture? He left it. He left everything he had and left that very night for Egypt. “And was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son,” Matt. 2:15.
But I want to look as quickly as we can at the relationship between Mary and the Lord Jesus Christ. This was God manifest in the flesh. But to Mary this was her little boy. The Lord Jesus Christ did not have an actual father on this earth, but he had an actual mother. She carried him for nine months, brought him into the world, nursed him, bathed him, and changed his diaper, when he needed it. He was verily man. She picked him up when he fell. She was his port in the storm. Finally the day came when the mob was after him. Put yourself for a moment in Mary’s place, if you will, follow him around. Here is this crowd doing everything they can to do away with him.
Let’s drop on down to the end of the story. Can you see him as they bring him out of Pilate’s hall? There he is. This is her little boy. It doesn’t matter if you are 80 years old, and your little boy is 60 years old, he is still your little boy. Can you see Mary there in the crowd? This is her little boy. He is God manifest in the flesh but to Mary he is still her little boy. Simeon said to her, “Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,” Luke 2:35.
Imagine yourself in Mary’s place. Pilate says, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” Matt. 27:22. And the crowd cries out, “Crucify him, crucify him, kill him, kill him.” What would that have done to you if you had been Mary? This is your little boy up there before that crowd; they have beaten him. Isaiah said he didn’t even look like a man. “His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men,” Isa 52:14. They had buffeted him, they had slapped him in the face until he didn’t look like a man, they had plowed his back with whips, and there was her son there before that crowd and the crowd is crying out crucify him, crucify him.
They took him to Calvary, and they crucified him. Mary followed him afar off. The disciples forsook him and fled. You know the women followed him afar off from Galilee, ministering unto him. Mary was at the foot of the cross. She was the very first one to go to the grave. “At the end of the Sabbath as it began to dawn at the first day of the week came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre,” Matt. 27:61. Simeon was right; a sword did pierce through her very soul.
The Lord had such a beautiful and close relationship with his mother. How she cared for him. That good woman had her hands full, she had at least eight children. The Lord was virgin born. Then she had at least seven more children born in the normal way. There were his brethren James, Joses, Simon, and Judas, and all his sisters. All has to be at least three. Those kids must have been just like stair steps.
But that good woman took care of him, she was his port in the storm, all the time he was growing up she watched over him. We have said many times that raising children is an educa-tion. It teaches you a lot about yourself. She never had any trouble out of Jesus.
The other boys picked at him. How do we know they picked at him? They picked at him after he was grown. In John chapter 7, even whenr the Jews were trying to kill him, they challenged him and said, Why don’t you go up to Jerusalem if you are who you claim you are? If the things you are telling are the truth, why don’t you go on up there. “For neither did his brethren believe on him,” John 7:5. If they picked on him when he grew up, surely they picked on him when he was little.
Look at it just for a moment from the vantage point of those children. Put yourself in the place of his brothers. They were just as good, or just as mean, as any other bunch of boys were. Let me ask you, did you, perhaps, when you were growing up have a brother that was better behaved than you were? Maybe a sister that was better behaved than you were? And it made it difficult for you, because the other person behaved better than you did. What if you had a brother who was perfect? And then as mean as you and I are, do you have an idea you might pick on him? Sure you would, and they did.
When all the others were picking on him, when he was increasing in wisdom, and stature and favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). There is not a person on earth that can entirely explain that text. How did he, if he was God manifest in the flesh, we can understand how increased in stature, we can understand something about he increased in favor with man, how did he increase in wisdom and in favor with God? We can’t explain that. There is not a person on earth that can entirely explain that.
But during that time she took care of him. What a close relationship she had with him, and he had with her. What great love he had for her. When he came to die, his mind was on his mother. Think about this relationship that has gone on now for thirty-three years. There at the marriage in Cana in Galilee, when she still thought she had a unique influence over him and he said to her, “Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.”
That term ‘woman’ was not a term of disrespect. He used that same term in the most tender moment when he was speaking to her from the cross. She had followed him and there on the cross when our Lord was suffering and dying, in the very moment of his death, his mind was on his mother. In the very moment of his death, he was thinking about her. There she was as the foot oft he cross, when the others milling around the cross were mocking him, making fun of him, quoting things he had said, and twisting them, saying all kinds of vile things about him, saying, He trusted in God, let him deliver him now, if he will have him, for he said that I am the son of God. There was Mary. They could not run her off. That was her son hanging on the cross of Calvary. And there in his very dying hour the last thing he did outside of saying, “I thirst,’ the last thing he did was to make sure that his mother was taken care of.
As God he has all power in heaven and earth, but this was the man Christ Jesus who was suffering and dying. God does not die, cannot die. He became man for the purpose of dying. And the man Christ Jesus, there on the cross looking down at his mother, would not give up the ghost until he made arrangements for his mother. The most momentous event in the history of the world was the suffering and death of the lord Jesus Christ. But the Lord would not give up the ghost until he had seen to it that his mother was taken care of.
He sees his mother at the foot of the cross. There was John at the foot of the cross. And he says to his mother, “Woman behold thy son!” And to John he says, “Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own house,” John 19:26,27. What a tender moment there was there when the Lord Jesus Christ would not give up the ghost until….until he had made arrangements for the care of his mother.
THE END