Mary, the mother of Jesus, is held in high esteem throughout Christendom. She should not be worshiped. She is not God. But it is right that she is admired. Her faith, her virtue, and her character deserve special attention and credit. Read Luke 1:26-38, 46-55 and learn why she could say, “From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed” (Luke 1:48).
I. Mary Was a Virgin
Personal purity and integrity were the high watermarks of her character. She was not a flirt, craving the attention of lustful men. She obviously did not exploit her beauty or pawn it for self-gratification. Virginity is beautiful. It is like an unfolding flower blossoming into radiant splendor. It is purity unstained by sinful lust. It is virtue finding fulfillment in living by godly principles rather than physical passion. It is the greatest gift that a prospective bride can give to her lover on their wedding day.
Mary was engaged to a man who was equally just and conscientious. Their love for God and each other was a true love. They didn’t permit infatuation for each other to blur their sense of reason or their respect for each other’s character. They practiced restraint and kept their passion in check. When Joseph, her engaged husband to be, learned Mary was with child by the Holy Spirit, he honored her by not having relations with her (“knew her not”) until after Jesus was born. What a difference it would make in our society if every man and woman would exercise such quality of character.
II. Mary Was Favored by God
“Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God” (Luke 1:28, 30).
To be told you are a favorite with God would have to be the most wonderful words you could hear. God was pleased with Mary. He is pleased with every single girl who maintains her virginity.
No doubt Mary was punctual in her devo tion and worship of God. She was faithful in learning about and keeping the commandments of God. Her expression of humility, modesty, and submission enabled her to be a role model among her peers.
Mary was a vessel God could use. God wanted more than a human body to be mother of His beloved Son. He wanted a human soul that loved purity, righteousness, and truth. He looked for a pure young woman who would be true to her convictions. He found Mary.
III. Mary Was Willing
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38). What a leap of faith. To believe the impossible and to trust God to do it is faith that God loves. Mary’s cousin Elisabeth commended her for her faith. “Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45).
To be a virgin in a promiscuous society requires faith. To come to marriage and promise lifelong fidelity is a commitment of faith. Then to faithfully assume the role of motherhood and its responsibilities as God leads must indeed bring pleasure to God.
IV. Mary Expressed Gratitude
Far from being lifted up as a celebrity, Mary remained humble and grateful. She rejoiced in God her Saviour as one who experienced His salvation. She acknowledged that God was in control of human affairs and of her life. She considered that being chosen to be the mother of the Son of God was an act of mercy from heaven. Her testimony still rings clear to all the world: “He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name” (Luke 1:49).
Lesson for Us
Virginity is a priceless commodity. Mothers, teach your daughters (and sons) the value and reward of personal integrity and purity. Champion the cause of holiness by shunning the indecent exposure of the body that is in vogue in our society. Show your daughters the beauty that is experienced by living decently and conscientiously. Teach your daughters that virginity that is sold for momentary pleasure can never be rebought. Think about the response of the young Christian who was being taunted because she would not compromise her conviction on maintaining purity. “Anytime I choose I could become like you, but you can never become like me.”
Be worthy of a just and noble husband that will lead your home in truth and love. Put your heart and soul into being the best wife and mother (if God gives you children) that you can be. Look to the Lord to perform His promises to those who follow Him. Let your faith transcend and mount above the difficulties and seeming impossibilities that block your way. Believe that with God all things are possible.
Be grateful. Rejoice continually in the great salvation we have in Christ Jesus. Rejoice that God chooses mothers to propagate the human race. Thank God for hope and courage to face the hard times that every mother experiences.
Take time to reflect on Mary’s character. Let her virtue, her faith, her submission, her gratitude inspire you to be a noble virgin or mother that will inspire others. The world, the church, and all society desperately need you. Don’t let them down.
If you have failed God and have not lived a pure life or taught purity to your children, you can find forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ. Come to Him, repenting of your sin, and being willing to live a pure life from here on out. You will find the peace of God in your own heart and you can point your own generation and the coming generation to honorable womanhood and motherhood.
-by J. Luke Martin