“And he will be called
Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Mary and Jesus
Mary
Like Hannah and Elizabeth, Mary was godly and devout, full of love for the Lord and wise beyond her years. Unlike Hannah and Elizabeth, Mary was a young girl, betrothed but not yet married.
When Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel to announce the conception of God the Son within her, she wondered in genuine puzzlement how this would come about, as she was a virgin. The angel Gabriel’s description of the overshadowing Holy Spirit seemed to make sense to Mary, but it has left the rest of us, over these ensuing millennia, with our jaws dropped.
God’s miraculous ‘resurrection’ of aged bodies, long beyond child-bearing ability, had already rocked centuries of believers. But now God was going to bring something out of nothing, by God’s incalculably mighty power—the Lord’s Own Person in human form.
Mary understood much of Who this Son would be, and what destiny lay before Him. When she rushed to Elizabeth, – the only person who could come close to understanding what was about to happen – she was filled with the Holy Spirit and broke forth in prophetic song.
Mary’s Magnificat
And Mary said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
Mary’s Song, Luke 1:46-55 (NRSV)
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;
indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his child Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Jesus
Years later, the Lord Jesus Christ echoed the words of his mother Mary in His own teaching. Jesus was raised up in a home which loved and honored God, with parents who took seriously God’s command to teach their children all of God’s words, even to “talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 11:19)
How often must Mary have sung her Magnificat to her tiny son, as His lullaby? How often did she remind Him of Who His Father truly was, and Who He truly was? Now as a grown man, the Lord fulfilled the destiny His mother had lovingly and faithfully raised Him up in.
Jesus’s Beatitudes
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he began to speak and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“… Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”
Jesus’s Beatitudes, Matthew 5:1-10, 12 (NRSV)
Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?”
Mark 8:29
We are interested in your of organization with us in Nigeria.we will abide by the rules and regulations of the organization. Bishop Asaha Udom.
Thank you, Bishop Asaha. My LLC is just me, for now. How may I be of service to you and to your assembly?
Grace and Peace, Joanne