Mary: The Faithful Mother of the Messiah

One of my favorite family traditions at Christmas is gathering around the tree and reflecting on the prophecies of the First Coming of Jesus. When my children were young, we made ornaments with key passages of Scripture and hung them year after year as an annual reminder. One of the most striking passages is Micah 5:2: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”

Just as Bethlehem was “little” and lacked the prestige many would consider a worthy birthplace of the Messiah, the family He was born into was also unexpected by human estimation—unless we consider how much God valued Mary’s and Joseph’s character and humble, immediate response to what He was about to do. 

In my previous article, I focused on Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. Now, in the season when the First Coming of Jesus is broadly celebrated, let’s look at Mary’s life and how her faithfulness and character both glorified God and were sovereignly used to bless the world.

The Miraculous Message

As we saw with Joseph, here we see the remarkable interplay between the divine intervention of the sovereign God of the universe and Mary’s reaction. God orchestrated events, and Mary responded with faithfulness and great character to what He was doing.

God orchestrated events, and Mary responded with faithfulness and great character to what He was doing.

Imagine how young Mary, engaged to Joseph, might have felt as the words of the angel Gabriel washed over her: “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” (Luke 1:28). The angel’s appearance troubled her as she sought to make sense of the announcement (v. 29). Gabriel told Mary not to fear. He repeated that she “found favor with God” (v. 30) and gave her the thrilling and surprising details of how her life was about to change: 

You will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end (vv. 31–33).

Seeing an angel and hearing him speak would be jarring enough, but realizing what Gabriel’s proclamation meant for Mary, her husband, her family, her people, and the world would have been awe-inspiring.

Humble Faith

This isn’t the first announcement given by Gabriel in Luke’s Gospel account. Earlier in the same chapter, Zacharias, the elderly priest who ministered in the Temple, did not believe Gabriel’s announcement of the birth of his son, John (Luke 1:20).

Unlike Zacharias, Mary was ready to trust the Lord no matter how incredible the angelic announcement sounded or what it might cost her reputation and standing in society. Mary asked how she could be with child since she was a virgin (v. 34), but she did so with reverence and humility, saying, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (v. 38). 

What a beautiful response! If we had to guess if it would be the unknown young woman or the revered and well-educated priest that met the Lord’s spectacular announcements with humble anticipation, we might have expected it to be Zacharias, the priest with great knowledge of Temple matters. But it was Mary, not Zacharias, whose heart was immediately bent toward God in humble adoration with childlike faith in her heavenly Father and the mighty things He would do.

Trusting Beyond Our Understanding

Just as David the shepherd boy might have been overlooked as a worthy prospect to be king when compared to his physically impressive eldest brother, Eliab (1 Samuel 16:6–13), Mary was capable in that all-important moment in time to find her dependence on God and not what she could understand. Like David, she evidenced her character and unwavering trust in God. 

Zacharias did not respond in faith but with a questioning heart. However, “man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Mary’s heart responded with worship, and her confidence was not in what she could see but in the Word of the living God whom she loved and to whom she devoted her life.

In a moment with great personal risk of reputation, Mary’s faithful response to God was immediate. Before she broke into her famous and beautiful words of praise (Luke 1:46–55), Mary must have heard these words from Elizabeth while she was filled with the Holy Spirit: “Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45).

Am I, like Mary, ready to take God at His Word, even when circumstances are beyond my comprehension, responding to God’s greatness and sovereignty over my life?

I don’t want to be too hard on Zacharias. I can’t imagine how I would respond if I stood before Gabriel, trying to comprehend what I was experiencing, but I do ask myself: Is my response to what God is doing in my life immediate or do I question Him? 

This Christmas season, as I celebrate God’s faithfulness, love, and wonderful plan of redemption, am I focused on what I can see with limited understanding like Zacharias? Or am I, like Mary, ready to take God at His Word, even when circumstances are beyond my comprehension, responding to God’s greatness and sovereignty over my life?

I invite you to ask yourself the same question. Maybe start a new family tradition of reading the magnificent prophecies that Jesus wonderfully fulfilled in the Gospel accounts surrounding His First Coming. And, as you reflect on God’s promises, remember that He can be trusted to work in and through you (Philippians 2:13), whatever your circumstances, as you respond in increasing faith and take Him at His Word. 

To read “Joseph: The Selfless Father of the Messiah,” click here.

About the Author



Did Mary Know?

Let’s face it—Christmastime may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also one of the most confusing times.

Who would want their true love to give them eight maids-a-milking or six breeds of fowl? And why do singers of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” so rudely demand their figgy pudding? What is figgy pudding, anyway?

Then there’s the pop culture theology of the Christmas season. For example, while Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life is a Christmas classic (and my favorite movie), its angelology, epitomized in Zuzu Bailey’s immortal words, is decidedly not biblical—“Teacher says, every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.” And the meme floating around social media of Santa Claus bowing at the manger is downright cringeworthy.

It’s not just the secular world that muddles Christmas theology, though. Consider the popular song “Mary, Did You Know?” It’s a beautiful song filled with references to the life and ministry of Jesus, but the title’s question is one we can answer authoritatively from Scripture: Of course Mary knew.

What Did Mary Know?

In his book They Called Her Miriam, Dr. Victor Buksbazen points out that in the whole New Testament narrative, there are only 23 references, both direct and indirect, to Mary (or Miriam, as she would have been known in Israel). She is portrayed as a common, young Jewish woman betrothed to a common Jewish carpenter in Nazareth (Mt. 13:55; Lk. 1:27). What is extraordinary about Mary, however, is that she knew quite a bit about the Messiah, her baby, because she evidently was a young woman who knew the Scriptures.

Mary’s statement of praise (her “Magnificat”) following her initial meeting with her pregnant cousin Elizabeth demonstrates her familiarity with the Hebrew Bible. She references passages from Genesis, the Psalms, 1 Samuel, Isaiah, and Habakkuk.

Throughout the Scriptures, God made clear what the Messiah’s life and ministry would be like. And while not every detail was revealed to Mary, she knew that the little baby she would soon carry would be a miracle-worker, the Son of God, and her salvation.

Although surprised that she would be the mother of the promised Messiah, Mary was not baffled by the pronouncement that there would be a Messiah. In fact, when the angel Gabriel told her that she would be the mother of the coming King of Israel, her only question was, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” (Lk. 1:34).

Mary knew her Bible, a remarkable feat, considering individuals, especially poor individuals, did not have their own copies of the Scriptures, like we do today. The young woman would have heard the reading of the Scriptures at her local synagogue each week and hidden the words in her heart, which is how she knew about the Messiah to come.

Given Mary’s familiarity with the Hebrew Scriptures, she likely knew a great deal about the identity of the Messiah, particularly His miracles, His deity, and His offer of salvation.

He Would Perform Miracles

“Mary Did You Know?” asks if Mary knew her son would perform miracles. The answer is yes. She would have known Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah’s Kingdom, where “the eyes of the blind shall be opened,” “the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped,” “the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing” (35:5-6).

In fact, years later, Jesus cited this verse as proof to John the Baptist that He was indeed the Messiah. “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see,” He said. “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Mt. 11:5).

Yes, Mary knew her Son would perform miracles.

He Would Be God in the Flesh

Mary knew her Son would be more than merely a miracle-worker. Throughout Israel’s history, God performed miracles through His prophets (Ex. 14:21; 1 Ki. 17:17-24). Although it must have been a mysterious thing for her to contemplate, Mary knew that her Son was God Himself.

As a student of the Scriptures, Mary would have been familiar with Isaiah’s pronouncement that the Messiah would be “called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (9:6). She would likely also have known that the promised King of Israel would be called “The LORD our Righteousness” (Jer. 23:6).

Not only would Mary have known about Jesus’ deity through the Hebrew Scriptures—a messenger from Heaven told her directly. When the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would be the mother of the Messiah, he told her that the child would be “called the Son of the Highest” (Lk. 1:32). The “Highest” or “Most High” is a common reference to God throughout the Hebrew Scriptures (cf. Gen. 14:18; Ps. 47:2, 91:1; Dan. 7:18), so the message to Mary was clear.

Yes, Mary knew her Son would be God in the flesh.

He Would Save

The expectation of Israel, Mary included, was that the Messiah would save them from their enemies. Indeed, the Hebrew Scriptures teach that the Son of David would “execute judgment and righteousness in the earth” and that “[i]n His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely” (Jer. 23:5-6).

The salvation Jesus would offer, however, would go beyond the political. It would be personal, too. Mary knew this, because she had doubtlessly read Isaiah’s description of the Messiah, who would bear the grief and sorrows of the Jewish people, the one on whom the LORD would lay the sins of Israel (53:4, 6).

Additionally, after Mary’s time of purification, following giving birth, she and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to dedicate Him to the LORD. At the temple, they met an elderly man, Simeon, who God had promised “would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Lk. 2:26). Simeon held the baby and praised God for allowing him to see the Lord’s salvation. He described the baby as a light “to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel,” and as the one who was “destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel” (vv. 30-34).

Yes, Mary knew her Son would save.

Mary Knew, and So Can We

Christmastime can be confusing, but it doesn’t need to be. Throughout the Scriptures, God made clear what the Messiah’s life and ministry would be like. And while not every detail was revealed to Mary, she knew that the little baby she would soon carry would be a miracle-worker, the Son of God, and her salvation.

As believers, we should join her in praising God for His revelation to man of Himself and the gift of the Messiah. “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” (Lk. 1:47).

About the Author



Y a-t-il quelque chose qui soit trop difficile pour l’Éternel ?

L’incarnation de Jésus-Christ, et à la base de celle-ci sa naissance virginale, devrait être au cœur de la période de Noël. Qu’une femme ait conçu un bébé venant de Dieu et que Dieu soit devenu chair sont deux vérités que les chrétiens qui croient en la Bible n’accepteront jamais de voir remises en cause.

Cependant, le judaïsme rabbinique rejette ces deux doctrines. Carolyn Glick, du Jerusalem Post, a clairement énoncé la position juive en écrivant : « Dieu est ineffable et par conséquent sans forme ». Le judaïsme considère la doctrine de l’incarnation comme équivalente au paganisme. Et la seule pensée d’une vierge donnant naissance à un Dieu-bébé est, pour la plupart des gens, tout simplement absurde.

Ayant grandi dans un foyer juif, ma compréhension du christianisme était, il faut le reconnaître, limitée. Ma conception de Noël était simple : de bons moments à passer ensemble en famille. Quant à mon opinion sur la naissance virginale, elle était tout aussi simple : Marie et Joseph s’étaient mis dans le pétrin et ils avaient besoin d’un alibi. Je considérais qu’il s’agissait d’une tentative faite pour étouffer l’affaire et m’étonnais que l’on puisse croire à l’incarnation. Je n’avais jamais entendu parler d’une vierge ayant donné naissance à un enfant, pas plus que je n’avais parlé avec quelqu’un qui croyait une telle chose. Cela me paraissait illogique et impossible.

Et pourtant, les pages de ma Bible juive contenaient de nombreuses choses qui étaient illogiques et apparemment impossibles. En voici quelques unes seulement :

-Moïse avait parlé à un buisson en feu qui ne se consumait pas ;

-Moïse avait frappé un rocher et de l’eau en était sortie ;

-Samson était un homme doté d’une force surhumaine en raison de sa chevelure qui n’avait jamais été coupée ;

-La femme de Lot s’était transformée en une statue de sel parce qu’elle s’était retournée pour regarder la destruction de Sodome.

Bien que de nombreux Juifs rejettent la possibilité que des miracles aient lieu, il est contraire au texte que de ne pas croire à ces derniers. De tous les miracles décrits dans la Torah, l’un en particulier affecte profondément les Juifs où qu’ils soient : la naissance d’Isaac.

En Genèse 18.10-14, Dieu promit que, dans l’année qui suivrait, Abraham (99 ans) aurait un enfant avec sa femme Sarah (89 ans). La réaction de Sarah à cette déclaration montre ce qu’elle en a pensé : Sarah rit (v.12). Les couples de leur âge ne concevaient plus d’enfants. Cependant, l’année suivante, comme cela avait été annoncé, le bébé « Rire » (sens du mot Isaac) était né.

Le judaïsme enseigne qu’une naissance extraordinaire a donné lieu à un peuple extraordinaire : le peuple juif. Comment une telle chose a-t-elle pu se produire ? La réponse réside dans les versets 13 et 14: L’Eternel dit à Abraham : Pourquoi donc Sara a-t-elle ri, en disant : “Est-ce que vraiment j’aurais un enfant, moi qui suis vieille ?” Y a-t-il rien qui soit étonnant de la part de l’Eternel ?

Y a-t-il rien qui soit étonnant de la part de l’Eternel ? Voilà précisément la juste question qu’il fallait se poser face à une prédiction aussi risible. C’est également la question qu’il convient précisément de poser aujourd’hui.

Le texte juif

Si le judaïsme accepte la conception miraculeuse d’Isaac, ne devrait-il pas tenir pour vrai un autre événement extraordinaire, en particulier un événement prophétisé dans les pages de son propre texte sacré ? Les Écritures juives font-elles mention d’une vierge qui concevrait et enfanterait ? Le prophète Ésaïe avait rédigé un tel passage sept siècles avant la naissance de Jésus : C’est pourquoi le Seigneur Lui-même vous donnera un signe ; voici, la vierge deviendra enceinte, elle enfantera un Fils, et elle lui donnera le nom d’Emmanuel (Ésaïe 7.14). Ce passage est l’un de ceux qui jettent les fondations du Nouveau Testament. Les auteurs des Évangiles ont cru que Dieu avait accompli les paroles du prophète lorsque Marie (en hébreu Miriam) a donné naissance à Jésus. La plupart des exégètes juifs rejettent un tel enseignement et insistent sur le fait que la naissance de Jésus n’a pas cette signification. Il existe trois principaux points de contestation :

1. La traduction du terme hébreu almah.

2. L’identité de la personne ou du groupe à laquelle/auquel est donné le signe.

3. La signification du nom Emmanuel.

Esaïe a choisi le mot almah, « jeune fille », pour décrire la femme. Le terme ne souligne pas vraiment son statut sexuel mais plutôt son âge. Dans chacun des six autres passages dans lesquels ce mot est employé, la personne désignée par almah n’était pas mariée, ce qui laisse entendre qu’elle était vierge.

Deux cents ans avant la rédaction du Nouveau Testament, les traducteurs juifs de la Septante (traduction grecque de l’Ancien Testament) ont choisi le mot grec parthenos (« vierge ») pour traduire almah.

Rashi, sans doute le plus célèbre des rabbins médiévaux, prétendit que la personne désignée par almah était une vierge. Toutefois, les exégètes juifs modernes insistent sur le fait que si Ésaïe avait voulu parler d’une vierge, il aurait employé le mot plus précis qu’est betulah. Cependant, Michael L. Brown a écrit : « Sur les cinquante occurrences du mot betulah dans le Tanakh, la NJPS (Nouvelle Société d’Édition Juive) le traduit par “jeune femme” plutôt que par “vierge” trente-et-une fois ! »1

Selon Alan A. Macrae, « Il n’existe pas d’exemple dans lequel on puisse prouver que alma [almah] désigne une jeune femme qui ne soit pas vierge ».2 L’emploi de l’article défini ha-almah indique qu’il s’agit d’une jeune femme spécifique. Il est possible que ce mot se réfère à la semence de la femme dans Genèse 3.15, où Dieu dit à Satan : Et je mettrai inimitié entre toi et la femme, et entre ta semence et sa semence. Elle te brisera la tête, et toi tu lui briseras le talon [trad. Darby]. Nul doute que cette semence allait être un enfant spécial, ce qui soulève la question : y a-t-il quelque chose qui soit trop difficile pour l’Éternel ?

Un signe pour qui ?

Le roi Achaz refusa l’offre qui lui était faite d’un signe lorsque le prophète Esaïe alla le rencontrer. Cependant, le Seigneur Lui-même lui en donna un ainsi qu’à toute la maison d’Israël. L’érudit biblique Victor Buksbazen l’a bien expliqué :

L’incrédule et l’idolâtre Achaz a été contraint de comprendre le signe qui lui était donné au travers d’Ésaïe dans son sens le plus courant et le plus littéral, à savoir qu’il lui était donné l’assurance qu’il n’aurait pas besoin de craindre les deux ennemis mortels qui menaçaient son règne et l’avenir de sa dynastie.3

Achaz n’était pas intéressé, peu importe ce qu’Ésaïe disait. Alors le prophète poursuivit la description de cet Enfant, mentionnant Sa divinité et Sa Royauté (Ésaïe 9.6, 11.1-5), afin d’assurer aux Israélites qu’ils seraient préservés, quel que soit l’ennemi.

Le nom « Emmanuel » décrit l’Enfant comme « Dieu avec nous ». Non seulement cet Enfant allait-il être Dieu avec nous mais encore « Admirable, Conseiller, Dieu puissant, Père éternel, Prince de la paix » (9.6). Ces noms écartent toute possibilité que l’Enfant soit le fils du roi Ézéchias ou celui d’Ésaïe. L’identité de cet homme était inconnue du prophète. Ésaïe parla du Messie à venir sans savoir qu’Il serait finalement une Présence miraculeuse.

Quiconque considère comme ridicule de croire à la naissance d’un enfant d’une femme vierge, comme cela était mon cas il y a de nombreuses années, admet inconsciemment ignorer l’existence miraculeuse du peuple juif. Que ce soit un couple de personnes âgées ou une femme vierge qui conçoive un enfant miraculeux, la question reste la même : quelque chose peut-il être trop difficile pour l’Éternel ? La réponse est non, bien évidemment.

N O T E S

1.  Michael L. Brown, Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus, (Grand Rapids : Baker Books, 2003), 3:21.

2.  Alan A. Macrae, « alma », Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, sous la dir. de R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, Jr. et Bruce K. Waltke (Chicago : Moody Press, 1981), 2:672.

3.  Victor Buksbazen, The Prophet Isaiah (1971 ; réimpression, Bellmawr, New Jersey : The Friends of Israel, 2008), 152.