Mary: The Mom of Jesus Christ

via TJC

“Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother….”

—‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭25‬ 

Charles was a bright guy in our college fraternity. Everywhere he went, he cracked jokes and made people smile. He was one of those people that just made things feel less stressful somehow…

There we were—my wife, Charles, Charles’ wife, and myself—at another fraternity brother’s wedding reception. We all listened as a guy at our table quipped about his newborn daughter’s diapers. I chuckled, but then realized neither Charles nor his wife were laughing… Not even a smirk. Why not?

Charles and Nikki had suffered through a miscarriage just a few weeks prior to the wedding. Even the thought of children cut deep into their hearts & reminded them of the unbearable grief that smoldered their joy for what felt like years... 

Christmas season is upon us. So often during this time, we only remember the first two chapters of Luke, Mary’s crazy pregnancy, marriage, labor, delivery, and postpartum. But we forget the rest of Mary’s story… Our Anchor Verse this morning is a painful reminder of the suffering Jesus eventually endured for us, and how his poor mother lovingly witnessed it all…

Of course, the story didn’t end there… While the Scriptures do not explicitly mention Mother Mary witnessing her resurrected son, one can reasonably assume she either saw him at some point in those 40 days (Acts 1:3), or heard the news of his resurrection from someone else at the very least. She is undoubtedly reunited with her Prince of Peace in Heaven today. 

The story didn’t end there for Charles either… I saw him just a few days ago. He told me how proud he was of Nikki’s faith, how he’s watched her grow as a woman these past couple months, how they’ve grown closer as husband & wife… He told me how one of Nikki’s atheist friends said to her, “I now see there is no one to turn to but God in this circumstance.” 

Daily Battle Order:

Today, as we remember Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, let’s remember all the women who too lost a child, whether from…

• miscarriage

• waywardness

• suicide 

• infertility

• combat

• cancer

• addiction

• incarceration

Pray for women all across the world who grieve the loss of their sons or daughters. Pray for them to be reunited with their children, whether in body or in spirit. 

Give thanks to God for your mother.