Mary was a young girl and recently engaged to be married to a carpenter named Joseph when suddenly her life changed forever. When the angel Gabriel came to her, she was afraid and would never guess what he was about to tell her. “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.” Can you imagine how she must have felt? These are the words she told to her cousin Elisabeth, “My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour” She was a willing servant. She trusted God and she obeyed his call.
Her son was going to be the Messiah.
Although Mary’s life held great honor, her calling would demand great suffering as well. Just as there is pain in childbirth and motherhood, there would be much pain in the privilege of being the mother of the Messiah.
Mary almost lost her fiance Joseph and with that would have been disgraced as an unwed mother. The fear she must of felt losing her Joseph must have been overwhelming. Mary was with Jesus from his birth throughout his life until his death when her son would be rejected by the people and murdered in such an awful way. The pain Mary must have felt as she watched not only her Savior but her son hang and suffer on the cross must of been unbearable. I don’t think there are many people on the earth that have felt so much pain.
“We often talk about how much God loves us because He was willing to sacrifice His son, but Jesus was Mary’s son just as much as He was God’s son. What great love Mary must have had for all human souls to be willing to offer her son as a sacrifice for all our sins. What a magnificent and amazing woman she must have been. One can only imagine how her soul must have rejoiced at what glorious blessings awaited the world, but how at the same time her heart must have broken into pieces knowing what she knew her son would have to suffer. My soul rejoices in her and I will be forever grateful to this magnificent and beautiful woman for all her sacrifices and the immensity of her love.” Heather Farrell from Women in the Scriptures
As we come into the last week before Christmas, I hope we can take some time to slow down and really think about not only having Christ in Christmas, but remembering this sweet woman, the mother of Jesus Christ and all she did for the entire human race. That lonely night long ago in Bethlehem when she gave birth in a stable and delivered our Savior to save us for all eternity.
I have tears in my eyes as a think of my love for Mary and the suffering she had as a mother. I am so grateful for her sacrifices. I am so grateful for a loving Savior that came to this world so I can return to my Heavenly Father. I hope as you watch this video the spirit will touch your heart and strengthen your testimony of Jesus Christ as it has mine.
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