Facts About Mary
—The mother of Jesus

The Mother of Our Lord

• There are three Marys who stand out in the story of Jesus: Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:1-3), Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 11:18-45), and of course Mary the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38).
• Most of what is told about Mary the mother of Jesus occours in the early chapters of Matthew and Luke. She is not mentioned in the letters (epistles) of the New Testament except in the phrase "born of a woman" (Galatians 4:4).
• The book of Revelation portrays a woman who is very splendid and heavenly, a woman of great power. She gives birth to the Christ child. This vision may be regarded as having reference to Mary (Revelation 12:1-5).
• When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he said to her, "You have found favour with God". (Luke 1:28-30). Later her sister Elizabeth said to her, "Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb" (Luke 1:41-44).
• When the angel Gabriel told Mary that she was going to have a baby, she said, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:34).
• The angel also told Mary that her relative Elizabeth, who was said to be barren, was now expecting a child in her old age (John the Baptizer). So Mary hastened to visit her and stayed three months (Luke 1:36-39).
• When Mary visited Elizabeth, the Holy Spirit caused them both to prophesy. Mary uttered the beautiful Magnificat "My soul magnifies the Lord..." (Luke 1:46-55).
• Prophecy predicted "Behold the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call his name Immanuel meaning 'God with us' " (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23).
• Mary was betrothed (pledged or engaged to be married) to Joseph when she became pregnant. He considered divorcing Mary. However an angel changed Joseph's mind. So he honoured the pledge and took Mary as his wife, but did not consummate the marriage until after Jesus was born (Matthew 1:20-25).
• Mary’s marriage to Joseph son of David meant that Jesus, as Joseph’s legal son, became entitled to Joseph’s lineage and to be called "Jesus Christ the Son of David" (Matthew 1:1,16).
• Mary and Joseph were residents of Nazareth, a town in lower Galilee, between the Great Sea (Mediterranean) and the Sea of Galilee (Luke 1:26-27, 2:39).
• While Mary was nearing the end of her pregnancy, she travelled with Joseph from Nazareth, south past Jerusalem, to Bethlehem the City of David. They went there to be registered in the census as members of the House of David (Luke 2:1-5).
• While in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus "her firstborn Son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:6-7 NKJV).
• Observing the requirements of the law of Moses concerning the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem where Simeon and Anna prophesied about the babe (Luke 2:21-40).
• Mary did not understand some of the things that were said and done, "but Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19). Mary trusted God.
• Mary was not spared adventure. When Jesus was but a young child, Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt with him, because Herod wanted to kill him. They stayed in Egypt till Herod died, and then returned to Israel and later to Nazareth (Matthew 2:13-23).
• Mary had other children after Jesus, several brothers and sisters (Matthew 13:54-57, Mark 6:3).
• When Jesus was 12 years old, Mary and Joseph took him on their yearly journey to Jerusalem. On the way home, Mary and Joseph realised that Jesus was not with the travelling company, so they went back to Jerusalem. After three anxious days they found him in the temple talking with the teachers. Mary rebuked Jesus and he answered back respectfully but firmly (Luke 2:40-52).
• When Jesus was grown up and at the beginning of his ministry, he and his disciples were invited. His mother Mary was there. The wine ran out and Mary encouraged Jesus to turn water into fine wine to save embarrassment to the host. So Mary was responsible for the beginning of signs by Jesus (John 2:1-11).
• One of Mary’s visits to Jesus failed when he was busy preaching and did not want to stop (Luke 8:19-21).
• Mary was present at the crucifixion, and Jesus assigned his disciple John to look after her as though she were his own mother (John 19:25-27). Jesus apparently did not consider any of Mary’s sons, his brothers, suitable or reliable.
• After Jesus ascended to heaven, Mary his mother was, with her sons, among the disciples in Jerusalem who were gathered to pray (Acts 1:13-14).
• There is no record in the Scriptures of when Joseph, Mary’s husband, died and she became a widow.