Women of the Bible - Mary
A Woman with a Yielded Heart
by Kathryn Capoccia
Young Adults Sunday School Class
All Scripture references are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW
INTERNATIONAL VERSION (C) 1978 by the New York Bible Society, used by
permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
© Copyright Kathy Capoccia 2000. This file may be freely copied, printed out,
and distributed as long as copyright and source statements remain intact,
and that it is not sold.
I. Introduction
A. Singing
"Leaning on the Everlasting Arms"
B. Opening Prayer
C. Review of Last Week's Lesson/Verse
1. Purpose of Bible study
2. Principles of Bible study
3. Memory verse: Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the LORD and he
will give you the desires of your heart."
II. Character Profile: Mary, A Woman with a Yielded Heart
A. Who was she?
1. A Woman visited by an angel
LUK 1:26-38 "In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to
Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to
a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was
Mary. The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are
highly favored! The Lord is with you.'"
a) Who was this angel?
1) Gabriel "God is great": one of two angels named in the
Bible ( the archangel Michael is the other ); a
supernatural messenger/ announcer from God.
2) The angel who delivered and interpreted visions to Daniel
(Dan 8:16; 9:21).
3) The angel who appeared to Zachariah to announce the birth
of John the Baptist (Luk 1:11-20).
b) Why was this significant?
1) Angels appeared only rarely
2) This announcement by the angel came after 400 years of
prophetic silence (from Malachi to the Gospels)
c) What was mankind's response to the supernatural?
1] Terror
DAN 10:7-9 "I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision;
the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed
them that they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone,
gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face
turned deathly pale and I was helpless. Then I heard him
speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep,
my face to the ground."
MAT 28:4 "The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and
became like dead men."
LUK 2:9 "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory
of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified."
2] Awareness of one's own sinfulness
ISA 6:5 "'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man
of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips,
and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.'"
LUK 5:8 "When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees
and said, 'Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!'"
d) What was Mary's response?
She was greatly agitated
LUK 1:29 "Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered
what kind of greeting this might be."
2. A Resident of Nazareth
a) A town in northern Israel, in Galilee, half-way between the
Sea of Galilee and Mt. Carmel; the name may mean "separated"
or "branch".
b) A town with an unfavorable reputation:
JOH 1:46 "'Nazareth! Can anything good come from
there?'"Nathanael asked. 'Come and see,'" said Philip."
MAT 2:23 "And he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So
was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: 'He will be
called a Nazarene.'" i.e., despised.
c) A town that may have had a Gentile/ Samaritan populace
(Samaritans were despised as half-breed Jews and avoided)
JOH 8:48 "The Jews answered him, 'Aren't we right in saying
that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?'"
MAT 4:15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to
the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--"
3. A Woman who was a virgin
a) What was a virgin?
A woman who had not experienced sexual intercourse with a man;
GRK "a man had not known her"
b) What significance did this have?
1) Socially
a] inheritance lines were simplified (Lev 21:14)
b] a woman was considered desirable if chaste (Est 2:2-4)
c] impurity was punishable by Law
DEU 22:20,21 "If, however, the charge is true and no
proof of the girl's virginity can be found, she shall be
brought to the door of her father's house and there the
men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done a
disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while
still in her father's house. You must purge the evil
from among you."
2) Prophetically
ISA 7:14 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth
to a son, and will call him Immanuel."
Only a virgin could have been qualified to bear the child
of the prophecy.
4. A Woman pledged (or betrothed) to be married to Joseph.
LUK 1:27 ..."to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named
Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary."
a) Betrothal meant:
1) A binding marriage contract had been entered into by two
individuals and their families - to be consummated in the
future (at least a year from the formal agreement).
2) The individuals could have been as young as 12 1/2 years
old for the woman and 18 years old for the man.
3) Any impurity occurring during the betrothal period was
regarded as a act of adultery and punished accordingly:
in all eyes from the betrothal onward they were married.
b) Joseph was:
1) A descendant of David : a direct lineal claimant to the
throne of David, King of Israel (Mat 1:1-16)
2) A carpenter
MAT 13:55 "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his
mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph,
Simon and Judas?"
3) A righteous man
MAT 1:19 "Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man
and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had
in mind to divorce her quietly."
4) A poor man
They offered"... a sacrifice in keeping with what is said
in the Law of the Lord: 'a pair of doves or two young
pigeons' "(Luk 2:24). This was the sacrifice allowed
someone too poor to offer a lamb at "the issue of blood" at
birth (Lev 13:8).
5. A Woman named "Mary", a sweet fragrance
a) Her name means "myrrh"; a plant from which a deliciously
fragrant and valuable oil is extracted
b) Her "family tree"
1) Elizabeth, wife of Zachariah (Levite and priest) and mother
of John the Baptist
2) King David (through her Father's line) (Luk 3:23-38)
3) Her sister, Mary the wife of Clopas (Joh 20:25)
4) Her children (Mat 13:55)
a] James: became head of the Church at Jerusalem, a "pillar
of the Church"
b] Joses
c] Simon
d] Jude: author of one of the New Testament epistles
e] unnamed daughters
f] The Apostle John (Joh 19:26,27) by mutual adoption
"When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom
he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, 'Dear
woman, here is your son,'" and to the disciple, 'Here is
your mother.' From that time on, this disciple took her
into his home."
B. What did she do ?
1. She was chosen to bear the Messiah (Luk 1:31,33)
MAT 1:16 "...Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ."
LUK 2:11 "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to
you; he is Christ the Lord. 31 You will be with child and give
birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will
be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord
God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will
reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never
end."
a) Why was she chosen?
1) She was sovereignly picked by God for His purposes
2) She was a woman of character
a] She is commended as one who is "highly favored", someone
that ..."the Lord is with...", and one who had ..."found
favor with God" (Luk 1:28-30)
b] She had a submissive heart toward God
LUK 1:38 "'I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered. 'May
it be to me as you have said.'"
c] She believed God
i] She went to see Elizabeth when the angel told her
that Elizabeth's pregnancy was a confirming sign
LUK 1:36 "Even Elizabeth your relative is going to
have a child in her old age, and she who was said to
be barren is in her sixth month."
LUK 1:39 "At that time Mary got ready and hurried to
a town in the hill country of Judea, where she
entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth."
ii] Elizabeth praised her for her faith
LUK 1:45 "Blessed is she who has believed that what
the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
d] She worshiped God (Luk 1:46-49)
LUK 1:46 "And Mary said: 'My soul glorifies the Lord
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'".
e] She was a student of the Scriptures
LUK 1:50-55 "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, even as he said to our fathers."
b) Who was the Messiah or Christ to be?
1) By definition: the "Anointed One," the one especially
prepared by God
2) According to the Scriptures
a] The "Seed" of Adam and Eve
GEN 3:15 "And I will put enmity between you and the
woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will
crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
b] A Redeemer
JOB 19:25 "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in
the end he will stand upon the earth."
c] A Prophet
DEU 18:15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a
prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must
listen to him."
d] A Priest according to the order of Melchizedek
PSA 110:4 "The LORD has sworn and will not change his
mind: 'You are a priest forever, in the order of
Melchizedek.'"
e] A Judge
PSA 110:6 "He will judge the nations, heaping up the
dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth."
f] From the line of Judah
GEN 49:10 "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor
the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes
to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is
his."
g] The Son of David
2SA 7:16 "Your house and your kingdom will endure
forever before me; your throne will be established
forever."
ISA 11:1 "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit."
JER 33:15 "In those days and at that time I will make a
righteous Branch sprout from David's line..."
JER 33:17 "For this is what the LORD says: 'David will
never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of the
house of Israel.'"
h] A Suffering Savior
ISA 53:4,5 "Surely he took up our infirmities and
carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by
God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced
for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was
upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."
ISA 53:10,11 "Yet it was the LORD'S will to crush him
and cause him to suffer... After the suffering of his
soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by
his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities."
i] A Righteous King
ISA 9:7 "Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne
and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with
justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this."
EZE 37:24 "'My servant David will be king over them, and
they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my
laws and be careful to keep my decrees."
JER 33:15 "In those days and at that time I will make a
righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do
what is just and right in the land."
LUK 1:32 "He will be great... The Lord God will give him
the throne of his father David, and he will reign over
the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
j] Redeemer of Israel
LUK 1:68 "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come and has redeemed his people."
k] God in Flesh
ISA 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a
sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth
to a son, and will call him Immanuel."
ISA 9:6 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is
given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And
he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
l] THE Son of God
LUK 1:32 "He will be great and will be called the Son of
the Most High."
LUK 1:35 "The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come
upon 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.'"
PSA 2:6,7 "I have installed my King on Zion, my holy
hill. I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to
me, 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father.'"
PSA 2:12 "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be
destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a
moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him."
m] The Son of Man
DAN 7:13,14 "In my vision at night I looked, and there
before me was one like a son of man, coming with the
clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and
was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory
and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of
every language worshiped him. His dominion is an
everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his
kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."
3) According to tradition
a] He would be of David's family (Rom 1:3)
b] He would come from an unknown place
JOH 7:27 "... when the Christ comes, no one will know
where he is from."
c] He would know all things
JOH 4:25 "The woman said, 'I know that Messiah' (called
Christ) 'is coming. When he comes, he will explain
everything to us.'"
d] He would come to rule Israel and restore her
ACT 1:6 "So when they met together, they asked him,
'Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom
to Israel?'"
JOH 12:13 "They took palm branches and went out to meet
him, shouting, 'Hosanna!' 'Blessed is he who comes in
the name of the Lord!' 'Blessed is the King of Israel!'"
c) What was Mary's reaction to this?
1) Agitation
a] She was troubled
i] To be addressed by an angel
ii] To be hailed as "highly favored" and as one that "the
Lord is with"
b] She was fearful of what the angel meant
LUK 1:28 "The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings,
you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.'"
LUK 1:29 "Mary was greatly troubled at his words and
wondered what kind of greeting this might be."
c] She received reassurance
i] The angel spoke words of comfort (Luk 1:30)
LUK 1:30 "But the angel said to her, 'Do not be
afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.'"
ii] The angel gave her proof of his truthfulness in the
example of Elizabeth
LUK 1:36,37 "Even Elizabeth your relative is going to
have a child in her old age, and she who was said to
be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is
impossible with God."
2) Wonder/Incredulity
LUK 1:34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I
am a virgin?"
3) Submission
LUK 1:38 "'I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered. 'May it
be to me as you have said.'"
* She could have been fearful, as a betrothed woman, to be
pregnant since the penalty for lewdness was death (Deu
22:20-21) but she showed her great faith and trust in the
sovereignty of God by her answer.
4) Joy
LUK 1:46-48 "And Mary said: 'My soul glorifies the Lord
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.'"
WHY WOULD SHE BE JOYFUL?
a] To obey God brings delight to the soul
b] To become the mother of the Messiah was the greatest
honor any Jewish woman could have
i] He would be the greatest King Israel ever had
ii] The mother of the Messiah would be considered the
greatest mother in Israel
5) Adoration
LUK 1:46 "And Mary said: 'My soul glorifies the Lord
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, even as he said to our fathers.'"
d) How did this occur?
1) Divine orchestration
GAL 4:4,5 "But when the time had fully come, God sent his
Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under
law, that we might receive the full rights of sons."
a] God arranged events
i] He caused Mary to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit (Luk
1:35)
ii] Gabriel reassured Joseph about the suitability of
marrying Mary (when he considered divorcing her)
MAT 1:20 "But after he had considered this, an angel
of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary
home as your wife, because what is conceived in her
is from the Holy Spirit.'"
iii] A census called by Caesar Augustus forced all Jews to
register in their ancestral birthplaces, thus moving
Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
LUK 2:1 "In those days Caesar Augustus issued a
decree that a census should be taken of the entire
Roman world."
LUK 2:3,4 "And everyone went to his own town to
register. So Joseph also went up from the town of
Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town
of David, because he belonged to the house and line
of David."
MIC 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are
small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come
for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose
origins are from of old, from ancient times."
iv] Joseph took Mary with him to Bethlehem, thus placing
Mary in the city of David near the end of her
pregnancy.
LUK 2:5,6 "He went there to register with Mary, who
was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a
child. While they were there, the time came for the
baby to be born."
* This must have been difficult for Mary to do: she
was very close to full-term in her pregnancy so
travel would have been uncomfortable and wearying;
she left her family and midwives behind so she would
be subject to strangers' help, if any, for her
delivery; the trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem meant
climbing upward for several days- yet we see Mary
submitting to her earthly husband without question.
v] There were no accommodations available (because of
the crowding due to others coming to register?) so
they ended up in a stable for the birth.
LUK 2:7 "and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.
She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn."
* Again we see the submissive nature of Mary in that
she accepted these conditions, which must have been,
at best, rude, uncomfortable, and exposed, as the
will of God.
vi] Shepherds were in the fields nearby (this indicates
that it was cool because otherwise they would be in
the country) so they could be summoned to witness the
arrival of the Christ.
LUK 2:8 "And there were shepherds living out in the
fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at
night."
LUK 2:9-11 "An angel of the Lord appeared to them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they
were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not
be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that
will be for all the people. Today in the town of
David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the
Lord.'"
LUK 2:15-17 "When the angels had left them and gone
into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,
'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has
happened, which the Lord has told us about.' So they
hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby,
who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him,
they spread the word concerning what had been told
them about this child."
vii] Wise Men, or Magi, came to Jerusalem to recognize
"the King of the Jews" and present Him with costly
gifts.
MAT 2:1,2 "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in
Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the
east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one
who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star
in the east and have come to worship him.'"
MAT 2:11 "On coming to the house, they saw the child
with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and
worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and
presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and
of myrrh."
viii] Herod the Great, the king of Judea and a man so
jealous of his throne that he had some of his sons
murdered to prevent their ascension to the throne,
regarded the Christ as another potential threat and
moved to eliminate Him (thus sending Mary, Joseph and
Jesus to Egypt so that the Scripture "out of Egypt I
called My Son" could be fulfilled
(Mat 2:15).
MAT 2:3 "When King Herod heard this he was disturbed,
and all Jerusalem with him."
MAT 2:16 "When Herod realized that he had been
outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave
orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its
vicinity who were two years old and under, in
accordance with the time he had learned from the
Magi."
b] God chose the participants
i] Mary and Joseph; descendants of King David, were
chosen to be the Child's parents - they were poor
people from an unimportant town but were rich in
faith and in the direct line of ascension to the
throne of David.
ii] The shepherds; those men who kept sheep for sacrifice
and sheering - the social outcasts of Jewish society
because they could not keep the ceremonial laws or
religious festivals -these were summoned to behold
the birth of the Perfect Sacrifice.
iii] Wise Men from the East; they came from the East,
following a special star that appeared at the time of
Christ's birth - these were astrologers, probably
descendants of the Medes, whom Daniel taught about
the true God (Dan 2:27, 5:11), whose function was to
make or officially recognize kings - these came to
worship the fulfillment of the Scriptures.
MAT 2:1,2 "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in
Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the
east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one
who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star
in the east and have come to worship him.'"
MAT 2:7-12 "Then Herod called the Magi secretly and
found out from them the exact time the star had
appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and
make a careful search for the child. As soon as you
find him, report to me, so that I too may go and
worship him.' After they had heard the king, they
went on their way, and the star they had seen in the
east went ahead of them until it stopped over the
place where the child was. When they saw the star,
they were overjoyed. On coming to the house they saw
the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down
and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures
and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense
and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not
to go back to Herod, they returned to their country
by another route."
iv] Herod the Great; this man was an expert at survival,
and the safety of his throne was his obsession. When
he heard the Wise Men he quickly responded in
character to this new threat by ordering the deaths
of the infant boys of Bethlehem and it's environs and
God sent His Son to safety in Egypt.
2) Celestial affirmation
a] Angels proclaimed the birth
LUK 2:9 "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the
glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were
terrified."
LUK 2:10-12 "But the angel said to them, 'Do not be
afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be
for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior
has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will
be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths
and lying in a manger.'"
b] Angels praised the Father
LUK 2:13,14 "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly
host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men
on whom his favor rests.'"
c] A star appeared at the time of the birth
MAT 2:9,10 "After they had heard the king, they went on
their way, and the star they had seen in the east went
ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the
child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed."
MAT 2:2 "and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born
king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have
come to worship him.'"
MAT 2:16 "When Herod realized that he had been outwitted
by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill
all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two
years old and under, in accordance with the time he had
learned from the Magi."
d] An angel of the Lord warned them of danger to Jesus
MAT 2:13 "When they had gone, an angel of the Lord
appeared to Joseph in a dream. 'Get up,' he said, 'take
the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there
until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the
child to kill him.'"
e] An angel of the Lord told them to return to Israel after
the danger had passed.
MAT 2:19-21 "After Herod died, an angel of the Lord
appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 'Get
up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of
Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's
life are dead.'" So he got up, took the child and his
mother and went to the land of Israel."
2. She was chosen to raise the Messiah
a) To protect Him - they obeyed the Lord when told to flee for
the safety of the child, and to find a safe home for Him in
Israel upon their return.
MAT 2:13-14 "'Get up,' he said, 'take the child and his mother
and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is
going to search for the child to kill him.' So he got up,
took the child and his mother during the night and left for
Egypt."
MAT 2:22 "But when he [Joseph] heard that Archelaus was
reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid
to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the
district of Galilee..."
b) To provide for his physical needs
1) They resided where Jesus would be safe and among friends
(in Nazareth).
2) Joseph supported them as a carpenter (Mat 13:55)
3) Joseph trained Jesus to be a carpenter also (Mark 6:3)
c) To raise Him according to godliness
1) They modeled piety
a] Both Mary and Joseph were full of faith and their lives
could not have helped reflecting their deep commitment
to God.
b] They both knew the abiding presence of God and
undoubtedly demonstrated their trust in Him.
c] They studied the Scriptures and taught them to Jesus and
their other children.
LUK 2:47 "Everyone who heard him was amazed at his
understanding and his answers."
LUK 2:52 "And Jesus grew in wisdom."
d] Mary meditated on what the Lord had done
LUK 2:33 "The child's father and mother marveled at what
was said about him."
LUK 2:19 "But Mary treasured up all these things and
pondered them in her heart."
LUK 2:51 "But his mother treasured all these things in
her heart."
2) They obeyed the Law
a] They brought Jesus to be circumcised according to Gen
17:12
LUK 2:21 "On the eighth day, when it was time to
circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel
had given him before he had been conceived."
b] They brought the prescribed offering after Mary's
child birthing.
LUK 2:22-24 "When the time of their purification
according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph
and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the
Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, 'Every
firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord'), and
to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the
Law of the Lord: 'a pair of doves or two young
pigeons.'"
c] They went to Jerusalem for the prescribed worship days
LUK 2:41 "Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for
the Feast of the Passover."
JOH 7:2,3 "But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was
near, Jesus' brothers said to him, 'You ought to leave
here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the
miracles you do.'"
JOH 7:10 "However, after his brothers had left for the
Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret."
3) They taught Jesus obedience
LUK 2:48 "[she] said to him, 'Son, why have you treated us
like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching
for you.'...LUK 2:51 "Then he went down to Nazareth with
them and was obedient to them."
WERE THEY SUCCESSFUL AS PARENTS?
LUK 2:52 "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in
favor with God and men."
3. She was chosen to follow the Messiah
a) Why?
1) She was a believer committed to obeying God, and Jesus was
God
HEB 1:3 "The son is the radiance of God's glory and the
exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by
his powerful word."
LUK 1:28 "The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you
who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.'"
2) She needed a Savior
ROM 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God,"
LUK 1:47 "and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,"
3) Jesus commanded His disciples to follow
MAT 16:24 "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone
would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his
cross and follow me.'"
b) How?
1) Self-sacrificially
MAR 8:34 "Then he called the crowd to him along with his
disciples and said: 'If anyone would come after me, he must
deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'"
2) Whole-heartedly
MAT 22:37 "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'"
c) Would it be easy?
1) She would suffer
LUK 2:34,35 "Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his
mother: 'This child is destined to cause the falling and
rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be
spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be
revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.'"
a] As a mother she would have grieved over criticism/
rejection of her beloved son.
b] As a believer and mother she would have been anguished
when Christ suffered and died on the cross.
2) She would be humbled
a] She was regarded like any other disciple, not treated
with honor for being the mother of the Christ.
MAT 12:50 "For whoever does the will of my Father in
heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
LUK 8:20,21 "Someone told him, 'Your mother and brothers
are standing outside, wanting to see you.' He replied,
'My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word
and put it into practice.'"
b] She was not regarded as the greatest disciple.
LUK 7:28 "I tell you, among those born of women there is
no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in
the kingdom of God is greater than he."
3) She would make mistakes.
a] When Joseph and Mary took the boy Jesus to Jerusalem
when He was 12 they did not recognize that Jesus' first
allegiance was to His Heavenly Father and to doing His
will: they misunderstood His motives so they rebuked Him
(Luk 2:41-50)
LUK 2:48,49 "When his parents saw him, they were
astonished. His mother said to him, 'Son, why have you
treated us like this? Your father and I have been
anxiously searching for you.' 'Why were you searching
for me?' he asked. 'Didn't you know I had to be in my
Father's house?'"
b] At the wedding at Cana she made the mistake of thinking
that she could direct Jesus in spiritual operations
instead of being subject to Him.
JOH 2:3,4 "When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to
him, 'They have no more wine.' 'Dear woman, why do you
involve me?' Jesus replied. 'My time has not yet come.'"
c] Mary and her sons did not understand Jesus' ministry.
i] They came to take Jesus physically away from the
crowds because they said," He's out of His mind."
MAR 3:20,21 "Then Jesus entered a house, and again a
crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not
even able to eat. When his family heard about this,
they went to take charge of him, for they said, 'He
is out of his mind.'"
ii] Her sons did not believe in Jesus until after His
resurrection.
JOH 7:5 "For even his own brothers did not believe in
him."
WHY DIDN'T THEY BELIEVE?
MAR 6:4 "Jesus said to them, 'Only in his hometown,
among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet
without honor.'"
d) Did she persevere?
1) She followed Him throughout the Gospels.
2) She was there at the cross.
JOH 19:26 "When Jesus saw his mother there, and the
disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his
mother, 'Dear woman, here is your son,'"
3) She was there when Jesus ascended to Heaven from the Mt. of
Olives and joined in prayer with the rest of the disciples.
ACT 1:14 "They all joined together constantly in prayer,
along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with
his brothers."
C. What can we learn from her?
1. Spiritual maturity is not dependent upon the age of a believer.
a) Mary was apparently quite young, being at the oldest someone
in the latter teens, yet she evidenced a well developed faith.
b) Joseph was probably also young yet he was a "righteous man."
2. Obedience is a matter of the will.
a) Mary had filled herself with the word of God so:
1) She could trust God knowing who He is.
2) She could trust in God knowing what He had done.
b) When she was presented with choices she chose to submit to
God's will.
3. A submissive heart is pleasing to the Lord (1 Pet 3:4)
4. God will support a believer who is trying to live for Him.
a) He gave reassurance to Mary.
b) He encouraged Mary through others.
c) He protected her from danger.
d) His grace carried her through painful circumstances.
D. What fruits of the Spirit can we see in her?
1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Goodness
5. Self-control
III. Memory Verse: 1 Peter 3:3,4
" Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided
hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it
should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and
quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "Kathy Capoccia's Sunday School Lessons" by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 119
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
Websites: www.biblebb.com and www.gospelgems.com
Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986