3 Things You Didn’t Know About Mary
- Mary was the only person to be present with Jesus at his birth and his earthly death.
Thinking about the Christmas Story takes me back to my childhood memories of Sunday school. I listened to the teacher tell about the stable, swaddling clothes, and the manger filled with hay. We added each piece to a plastic nativity scene as the story unfolded: Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, animals, and shepherds – in that order.
- Mary knew Old Testament prophecy about the coming Messiah.
This young girl showed unequalled bravery when she accepted the angel’s message by saying, “… may it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38). But did she understand what she was agreeing to?
Mary understood the magnitude of her decision to say yes when God chose her. Her knowledge of God’s promise to send a Savior for His people showed through her worship.
- Mary very probably had four other sons after Jesus.
Jesus faced constant opposition during His ministry on earth. During one such time, a group of skeptics mentioned Jesus’ family members.
“Then they scoffed, ‘He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.’ They were deeply offended and refused to believe him” (Mark 6:3).
