Introduction
Mary of Nazareth (Hebrew: Miryam ha-Notzrit—Greek: Maria hē Nazо̄rēnē) was born circa 18 BC (3743–3744 in the Hebrew calendar) in the Roman district of Galilee. She came from the royal lineage of David, the ancient king of Israel. Because of this high Jewish pedigree, God chose Mary as the mother of Israel's long-awaited Messiah, Jesus. Her sister may have been Mary of Clopas (see John 19:25). The only relative of Mary that we know by name is Elizabeth, the cousin who gave birth to John the Baptist. Elizabeth was the wife of Zechariah, a priest from the Abijah division—she came from the ancient priestly lines of Aaron and Levi (see Luke 1:5, 36). This connection suggests that Mary, too, was a descendant of Israel's old religious hierarchy. Scholars often identify Luke's genealogy of Jesus with Mary, while they consider Matthew's to be about Joseph—Jesus' earthly father. The Davidic line of Mary stemmed from Nathan, the third son of David and Bathsheba (see Luke 3:31). However, Joseph's line came from Solomon, their firstborn son who became an esteemed king in his own right (see Matt. 1:6-7). The lineages of Mary, Elizabeth, and Joseph all came from the tribe of Judah.
When Mary visited Elizabeth in the Judean hill country in Hebron, she traveled about 100 miles (161 kilometers) due south from Nazareth (see Luke 1:39-40). Hebron was a city of priests dating from the time of Joshua, who entered the Promised Land and established the kingdom of Israel (see Josh. 11:21; 21:11, 13). Mary spent about three months with Elizabeth before returning to her home in Galilee. Why did Luke mention this trip in his gospel? It both established a connection between Jesus and his cousin, John the Baptist, and reinforced his claim to the royal house of David. Mary needed emotional support from Elizabeth, which was perhaps hard to come by while living with disapproving and scandalized parents.
Consenting with God
Too often, we assume Mary obeyed God without reservation. However, this is not what we see in the text. Luke explained that she felt troubled by the angel Gabriel's message, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you" (Luke 1:28). Many commentators in our day believe the ancients were more superstitious (i.e., religious) than most people are now. However, doubt and skepticism were always the essential characteristics of our human consciousness. Faith, on the other hand, is a gift from God (see Eph. 2:8). The New International Version (NIV) translation of Luke 1:29 ("She was greatly troubled") corresponds to the original Greek dietarachthē (G1298). This word suggests extreme agitation.
Mary thoroughly reasoned over Gabriel's message, as the Greek dielogizeto (G1260) implies at the end of verse 29 ("[she] wondered what kind of greeting this might be"). So when he comforted her by saying, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus" (Luke 1:30-31), Mary continued to argue. Even in the first century, this young Jewish woman knew that virgins could not give birth to children—it is a violation of nature (v. 34). Little did she know this line of debate would go on well into the future generations; one that would eventually divide the Jews from Christian Gentiles. Gabriel answered Mary's question: "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. . . . For no word from God will ever fail" (vv. 35-37). In other words, God will contradict the laws of nature he created—to impregnate Mary without sexual intercourse. As a sign to confirm her doubt, God also caused her elderly cousin Elizabeth to conceive a child well beyond the childbearing age (v. 36).
Consent is a significant focus in intimate relationships today. That said, many readers of the New Testament assume Mary did not have a choice to give birth to Jesus. However, we know that God is a perfect gentleman. The Lord himself says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock" (Rev. 3:20). He does not kick the door down like a criminal would. God also visited Mary with respect and dignity. To be sure, this was her statement of consent: "I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled" (Luke 1:38). Mary also praised God by singing this hymn we know today as the Magnificat (from the Latin translation of the first clause):
My soul glorifies the Lord [Latin: Magnificat anima mea Dominum], and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on, all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors (Luke 1:46-55).
Mary: Virgin or Young Woman?
The virgin birth of Jesus is one of the most controversial doctrines between Jews and Christians. It is not a recent phenomenon, either. In AD 90, Judea's leading rabbis met in the coastal city of Jamnia (Hebrew: Yavneh, H2996) to decide which biblical texts held Jewish authority. After losing their sanctuary in AD 70, these Jewish leaders needed to adapt their traditions from temple to synagogue—from the priestly to the rabbinical. One of the decisions made at the Council of Jamnia was the rejection of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament for Hellenistic Jews. According to legend, a group of seventy (Latin: septuaginta) Jewish scholars met in Alexandria circa 200 BC to translate the Hebrew scriptures into Greek—the language of Mediterranean business. There were two reasons that Jamnia denied the Septuagint's validity: 1) The authors of the New Testament used Greek translations exclusively in their quotes of the Old Testament, and 2) The Septuagint's rendering of Isaiah 7:14 used parthenos (G3933) to translate the Hebrew almah (H5959).
Even today, Jewish and Christian theologians debate whether almah means only "young woman" without considering her sexuality or if it only applies to virgins. However, it seems that Christian scholars have the winning argument. The Septuagint's Jewish translators, who spoke Greek and Hebrew, understood almah to infer a woman's virginity. Hence, they used parthenos, a Greek term referring only to virginal women. Therefore, Matthew was not wrong to ascribe Isaiah's prophecy to Mary (see Matt. 1:21-23).
All Generations . . .
Everything we may learn about the "historical Mary" comes only from the New Testament. We know that she gave birth to other children after Jesus' nativity: James, Joseph, Simon, Jude, and at least two sisters (see Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; 15:47; 16:1; Gal. 1:19). This coincides with Matthew's testimony that she enjoyed regular intimacy with Joseph after Jesus was born (see Matt. 1:25). Mary interweaves into the earthly life of Jesus on rare occasions and even doubted his ministry at first. However, when we see her interact with him at Cana, Mary understands Jesus' mission (see John 2:3-5). That did not prevent her from suffering a mother's grief during the crucifixion. Mary was one of the first witnesses to the resurrection, visiting Jesus' grave as often as possible. More importantly, Mary came to believe in Jesus as her firstborn son and the only-begotten Son of God. Luke told us the apostles were "all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers" in a room upstairs (Acts 1:14). One of her sons, James, would go on to lead the early church from Jerusalem.
All generations have indeed called Mary blessed. Granted, some of this honor for an otherwise obscure Galilean peasant has gone too far into heresy and blasphemy. However, there is a place for all Christians to observe Mary's servant heart toward God, which continued throughout Jesus' earthly life and beyond. Some pious fictions suggest the Lord assumed his mother into heaven after death. Others call Mary the "queen of heaven," a pagan and idolatrous title (see Jer. 7:18; 44:17-25). However, Mary died as all people do. She stayed in Jerusalem until her last day, serving as a matron to the church under her son James' care. Nevertheless, we may rightly describe Mary as the virgin God-bearer (Greek: Theotokos; G2316, G5110) regarding Jesus' humanity (see "Definition of Chalcedon").
Conclusion
Mary of Nazareth's life is a testament to the intricate plan of God unfolding through the generations. From her royal lineage to her pivotal role in the birth of Jesus, Mary's story intertwines with the fulfillment of ancient prophecies and the ushering in a new era. Her journey, marked by faith, humility, and obedience, is an enduring example for believers. As we reflect on her journey, we are reminded of God's faithfulness to his promises and willingness to employ ordinary individuals for extraordinary purposes. Mary's visit to Elizabeth strengthened their bond and affirmed the providential connection between Jesus and John the Baptist, reinforcing the significance of Jesus' lineage and mission. In every aspect of her life, Mary embodied courage, devotion, and unwavering trust in God's plan, leaving an indelible mark on the story of salvation.
Prayer
Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of the universe; you have taken to yourself the blessed virgin Mary, mother of your incarnate Son: Grant that we, whom his blood has redeemed, may share with her the glory of your eternal kingdom; through Jesus the Messiah our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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