Considering Mary (Miriam) 

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Luke 1:26-27:  And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 

 (Her Hebrew name was Miriam which means “wished for child.”  Mary is the mother of the wished for child.) 

Isa 7:14 So, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel. 

Mat 1:18-24:  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was this way (for His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph) before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.  But Joseph, her husband to be, being just, and not willing to make her a public example, he purposed to put her away secretly. And as he thought upon these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take to you Mary as your wife. For that in her is fathered of the Holy Spirit.  And she shall bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins. Now all this happened so that might be fulfilled that which was spoken of the LORD by the prophet, saying,   "Behold, the virgin shall conceive in her womb, and will bear a son. And they will call His name Emmanuel," which being interpreted is, God with us.  And Joseph, being roused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took his wife, 

Luk 1:28-35:  And the angel came in to her and said, Hail, one receiving grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what kind of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, Do not fear, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold! You shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father David. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end. Then Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I do not know a man? And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come on you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you. Therefore also that Holy One which will be born of you shall be called Son of God.  

Luk 1:38  And Mary said, Behold the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her. (Are we willing, as Mary was, to follow God’s leading in our lives.) 

Pro 3:5-6:Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path. 

(Mary Visited Her Relative Elizabeth who was pregnant  with John the Baptist.) 

Luk 1:39-42:  And Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah.  And she entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened as Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,  and cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  

(The child in the womb responded to the presence of God in Mary.  Elizabeth received the presence of the Holy Spirit who was present in Mary.  Elizabeth’s response was a to praise God.) 

Luk 1:43-45:  And from where is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For lo, as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believes, for there shall be a perfecting of those things which were told her from the Lord.  

(Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat) 

Luk 1:46-55:  And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He looked on the humiliation of His slave woman. For, behold, from now on all generations shall count me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.  He has worked power with His arm, He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart.  He has put down rulers from their seats and exalted the lowly, He has filled the hungry with good things, and He has sent away the rich empty. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.  

(This should be the testimony of every believer.) 

Luk 1:56  And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her own house. 

(The Birth of Jesus) 

Luk 2:4-7  And Joseph also went up from Galilee to be taxed (out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David). And he took Mary his betrothed wife, being with child. And while they were there, the days for her deliverance were fulfilled. And she brought forth her son, the First-born, and wrapped Him, and laid Him in a manger because there was no room for them. 

(Mary encouraged the first miracle.) 

Joh 2:1-5 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. And the mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus and His disciples were both invited to the marriage. And when they lacked wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, They have no wine. Jesus said to her, Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come. His mother said to the servants, Whatever He says to you, do it. 

(And Jesus turned the water into the best wine.) 

(Mary stood at the foot of the cross.) 

Joh 19:25-27: And His mother stood by the cross of Jesus, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Then when Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her into his own home. 

(Ancient texts suggest that John the beloved disciple and Jesus were cousins.) 

(Mary was at the Ascension and in the upper room on Pentecost.) 

(After the Ascension,) 

Act 1:12-15:  Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount Of Olive Grove, which is a sabbath day's journey from Jerusalem. And when they had come in, they went up into an upper room, where Peter and James, and John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James; these all were continuing with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. 

And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples...(the number of names together was about a hundred and twenty.) 

Act 2:1 And in the fulfilling of the day of Pentecost, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly a sound came out of the heaven as borne along by the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And tongues as of fire appeared to them, being distributed; and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled of the Holy Spirit. 

(The Bible doesn’t offer information about the later years of Mary’s life.  One tradition says that she stayed in Jerusalem with John.  Another tradition says that she and John moved to Ephesus. There is a shrine in Ephesus called The House of Mary, which is visited by millions of pilgrims each year.  

(The Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and parts of the Anglican Communion believe in the bodily assumption of Mary into heaven.) 

(Mary is not to be worshipped, but she is to be highly respected and admired.)