Mary of Nazareth
- James Collazo
- Jan 18, 2020
- 7 min read
Updated: Nov 11
Introduction
Mary of Nazareth (Hebrew: Miryam ha-Notzrit / Greek: Maria hē Nazо̄rēnē) was born around 18 BC in the Roman district of Galilee. She came from the royal family of King David, an important figure in Israel's history. Because of her noble Jewish heritage, God chose Mary to be the mother of the promised Messiah, Jesus.
Mary may have had a sister named Mary of Clopas (John 19:25). The only relative we know by name is her cousin Elizabeth, who gave birth to John the Baptist. Elizabeth was married to Zechariah, a priest from the Abijah division, and she came from the priestly line of Aaron and Levi (Luke 1:5, 36). This family connection suggests that Mary may also have descended from Israel's old religious leaders. Scholars often link Luke's genealogy of Jesus to Mary, while they associate Matthew's genealogy with Joseph, Jesus' earthly father. Mary's family line descended from Nathan, the third son of David and Bathsheba (Luke 3:31). Joseph's family line traced back to Solomon, David's firstborn son, who became a renowned king (Matt. 1:6–7). The family lines of Mary, Elizabeth, and Joseph all came from the tribe of Judah.
When Mary visited Elizabeth in the Judean hill country near Hebron, she traveled about 100 miles (161 kilometers) south from Nazareth (Luke 1:39–40). Hebron had been a city of priests since the time of Joshua, who entered the Promised Land and helped establish the kingdom of Israel (Josh. 11:21, 21:11, 13). Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months before returning home to Galilee.
Consenting with God
Too often, we assume that Mary obeyed God without hesitation. The text, however, shows otherwise. Luke explains that she felt troubled when the angel Gabriel greeted her, saying, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you" (Luke 1:28). Some modern commentators suggest that people in ancient times were more superstitious, or more religious, than we are today. Yet doubt and skepticism have always been fundamental aspects of human consciousness. Faith, by contrast, comes as a gift from God (Eph. 2:8). The New International Version translates Luke 1:29 as "She was greatly troubled," reflecting the original Greek word dietarachthē (G1298), which conveys a sense of extreme agitation.
Mary carefully considered Gabriel's message, as the Greek word dielogizeto (G1260) at the end of Luke 1:29 suggests, meaning she "wondered what kind of greeting this might be." When Gabriel reassured her, saying, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus" (Luke 1:30–31), Mary continued to question him. She understood that virgins could not naturally give birth—a challenge to the laws of nature (Luke 1:34). She could not have imagined that this debate over her virginity and God's plan would echo through generations, eventually influencing the divide between Jews and Christian Gentiles. Gabriel answered her: "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. . . . For no word from God will ever fail" (Luke 1:35–37). In other words, God would act beyond the ordinary laws of nature to enable Mary to conceive without sexual intercourse. To confirm this extraordinary plan, God also caused her elderly cousin Elizabeth to conceive a child well beyond the normal age of childbearing (Luke 1:36).
Consent plays a central role in modern intimate relationships. Many readers of the New Testament assume that Mary had no choice in giving birth to Jesus. In reality, God always respects human freedom. As he says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock" (Rev. 3:20), he approaches us gently rather than forcing his will on us. God visited Mary with respect and dignity, and her response demonstrates her consent: "I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled" (Luke 1:38). In response, Mary praised God through a hymn of devotion, which we now call the Magnificat, derived from the Latin translation of its opening words:
My soul glorifies the Lord [Magnificat anima mea Dominum], and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on, all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors (Luke 1:46–55).
Mary: Virgin or Young Woman?
The virgin birth of Jesus has long been a point of controversy between Jews and Christians. This debate is not recent. In AD 90, Judea's leading rabbis convened in the coastal city of Jamnia (Hebrew: Yavneh, H2996) to decide which biblical texts held authority for the Jewish people. After losing their temple in AD 70, they adapted their traditions from the temple to the synagogue and from the priestly class to the rabbinical system. One decision at the Council of Jamnia was to reject the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures used by Hellenistic Jews. According to tradition, around 200 BC, seventy Jewish scholars in Alexandria translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek—the common language of trade and culture across the Mediterranean. Jamnia rejected the Septuagint for two main reasons: New Testament authors quoted Greek translations exclusively, and the Septuagint translated Isaiah 7:14 using the Greek word parthenos (G3933) for the Hebrew almah (H5959), raising questions about its meaning.
Even today, theologians debate whether the Hebrew word almah refers simply to a young woman or explicitly to a virgin. Christian scholars, however, present the stronger argument. The Jewish translators of the Septuagint, fluent in both Hebrew and Greek, recognized that almah implied virginity and therefore chose parthenos. This Greek word refers only to a virginal woman. Matthew followed this understanding when he applied Isaiah's prophecy to Mary, demonstrating that Jesus' birth fulfilled God's long-promised plan (Matt. 1:21–23). By interpreting Scripture carefully in this way, the translators and Matthew show that the doctrine of the virgin birth rests on historical and linguistic evidence, linking Jewish prophecy directly to Christ's arrival in history.
All Generations
Everything we know about the historical Mary comes from the New Testament. After Jesus' birth, she had other children—James, Joseph, Simon, Jude, and at least two daughters (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3, 15:47, 16:1; Gal. 1:19). Matthew confirms that she and Joseph continued to live as husband and wife after Jesus' nativity (Matt. 1:25). Mary appears in Jesus' life at key moments and even expressed doubt about his ministry at first. At the wedding in Cana, however, she demonstrates understanding of his mission, instructing the servants to follow his directions (John 2:3–5). Despite this insight, she still endured a mother's grief at the crucifixion. Mary became one of the first witnesses to the resurrection, visiting Jesus' tomb whenever she could. More importantly, she came to believe fully in Jesus as her firstborn son and the only-begotten Son of God. Luke records that the apostles "were all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers" in an upper room (Acts 1:14). One of her sons, James, would later lead the early church in Jerusalem.
All generations have indeed called Mary blessed. While some of this honor has drifted into exaggeration and false teaching, Christians can rightly admire her servant heart toward God, which persisted throughout Jesus' life and beyond. Roman Catholic tradition suggests that the Lord assumed Mary into heaven after her death, and others have called her the "Queen of Heaven," a title rooted in paganism and idolatry (Jer. 7:18, 44:17–25). In reality, Mary experienced death, as do all people. She remained in Jerusalem until her last day, serving as a matron to the early church under the care of her son, James. At the same time, Christians may rightly describe Mary as the virgin God-bearer (Greek: Theotokos, G2316 / G5110) with respect to Jesus' humanity (see "Definition of Chalcedon").
Conclusion
Mary's life shows how God unfolds his plan through history. Born into the royal line of David, she gave birth to Jesus, the promised Messiah, fulfilling ancient prophecies and ushering in a new era of salvation. She displayed faith, humility, and obedience, setting an enduring example for all believers. When she visited Elizabeth, she strengthened their bond and revealed the connection between Jesus and John the Baptist, highlighting his mission and ancestry. Throughout her life, Mary trusted God completely, acted with courage, and devoted herself to his will. Generations call her blessed and follow her example, showing that one life, lived in faith and obedience, can shape history and participate fully in God's plan for salvation.
Prayer
Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of heaven and earth. You chose Mary, a virgin of David's line, to be the mother of your only-begotten Son. Redeemed by his blood, may we call her blessed and share in the glory of your eternal kingdom. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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