Mary

As a young virgin who had never been married, Mary lived in a rough town called Nazareth. This was definitely not a prestigious place. In fact, there was a saying at the time that summed up popular sentiment toward the town: "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"

Mary was approached by the angel Gabriel who told her she would be the mother of the promised Messiah. She would be given the privilege craved by every Jewish woman for generations. But there was a catch: she wouldn’t conceive the normal way. What Gabriel was describing sounded impossible. Not just that, it sounded scandalous. She was going to get pregnant without being married. She would conceive because of the Holy Spirit.

Although first Mary and then her fiancé, Joseph, were obedient to God and His will, it could not have been easy. They had to live with the fact that those around them would never likely believe their stories about why she was pregnant before marriage.

Mary and Joseph got married and then had to travel to Joseph's hometown of Bethlehem to be registered for a Roman census. As they arrived, the town was filled with visitors and no guest accommodation was available. Mary was heavily pregnant and there wasn't even a comfortable room for her delivery. She had to give birth in a highly unsanitary, smelly, shed intended for animals.

As a first-century Galilean Jewish woman who did not come from privilege, Mary did not live a life of luxury. But giving birth in these conditions must have felt extreme. It must have tested the faith of this young, incredibly faithful Bible hero.

We know from Scripture that shepherds visited Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus. They were later visited by wise men, also known as Magi, who came from the east bearing gifts. Though this must have encouraged Mary, the next plot twist in her little family's life was downright cinematic.

King Herod was alerted to the birth of Jesus by the Magi who had visited him, asking about the baby's whereabouts. “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him,” said the ruler to the wise men.

Of course, Herod had absolutely zero intention of worshiping the Baby he saw as a rival to his throne. An angel warned the Magi not to return to Herod who, realizing he had been outmaneuvered, ordered the killing of all baby boys in the region. Mary and Joseph had to flee with Jesus to Egypt until Herod passed away.

Mary raised Jesus well. After leaving Egypt, the family settled in Nazareth.

We are told that Jesus “grew in wisdom and favor” with God and men. Mary did her part in raising Him to be a respectable young man as He prepared for His public ministry.

Mary did not always understand what her Son was called to do. She was, in fact, upset with Him when she and Joseph lost track of Him on the returning leg of a Passover trip to Jerusalem when He was 12.

After frantically searching, she and Joseph found Him in Jerusalem with the teachers of the law in the temple. Overcame with emotion, Mary questioned Him, “Son, why have You treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for You.”

Even at a young age, we get a glimpse of Jesus' sense of mission in His reply to Mary: “Why were you searching for Me? Didn’t you know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”

The Bible says that Mary and Joseph did not understand what He was saying to them.

Despite not being able to understand her Son at times, there was no doubt about the love Mary had for Jesus. And the love He had for her was crystal clear.

The first miracle Jesus performed was turning water to grape juice at a wedding feast. He did it because His mother turned to Him, asking to help avert the disaster as wine ran out.

Toward the end of His ministry, Mary experienced crushing sadness as her Son changed the world yet suffered execution. Yet even then, Jesus remembered her. From the cross, He felt her pain and turned to His disciple, John.

“Woman, here is your son,” Jesus said to Mary.

“Here is your mother,” He then said to John, entrusting her care to this trusted follower.

Jesus' resurrection gave Mary and His other followers hope and strength to share His gospel.