I’m Jewish, and I believe in Jesus as my Messiah, Lord and Saviour. I didn’t grow up with Christmas, and I notice that there is no such festival in the Bible. Sure, the virgin birth is in the Bible, but only Matthew and Luke make a feature of it—Mark, John and the other New Testament writers ignore the fact. Clearly it plays a minor part compared to Jesus’ death or resurrection.
But I’m happy to celebrate Christmas (presents are good!). And I certainly believe in the virgin birth, because it’s in my Bible. My question then is this: what is the Christian application of Christmas? Jesus was born, therefore … what?
The King who Saves
In Luke 1:26-38 the angel announces to Mary that she will give birth to a son, who will be the long-awaited Messiah of Israel. Matthew’s parallel passage says that Jesus will save his people from their sins. In verses 26-30 the angel greets Mary and tells her she is highly favoured by God. Verse 31 tells her how she is so favoured: she will give birth to a Son. Verses 32-33 tell us that her son will be: great, the Son of God, and he will rule on David’s throne forever.
Mary asks (verse 35) how this will be, since she is a virgin—a fair question. And the angel replies that God, by his power, through the Holy Spirit, will conceive in her a child, “for nothing is impossible with God”. And Mary responds in faith and obedience, saying: “I am the Lords’ servant. May it be to me as you have said.” I take it she is saying something like this: “I hear God’s plan. I want to go along with it. May God do whatever he wants with me to make his plans come to pass.” It’s a godly response.
Mary – Full of Grace?
The focus of the passage, of course, is not on Mary but on Jesus: the Messiah of Israel, who will save his people from their sins, and bring blessing to all nations. But it is told from Mary’s perspective and she does respond with faith and obedience. Sadly, though, this birth-of-Jesus passage has spawned numerous false teachings about Mary.
Take for example verse 28. The NIV translates the one Greek word (accurately) as: “you who are highly favoured”. The early church used the Latin translation. That same one Greek word was translated using two Latin words, which mean “full of grace”. That too is an accurate translation. Both translations are saying that God has poured out his grace, favour, blessing upon Mary. It’s not about her. It’s not about who she is or what she has done. It’s about what God does for her. He has poured out his grace and favour upon her. But the Latin words “full of grace” were open to misunderstanding. People began to think that Mary had some kind of substance, called ‘grace’, which she was filled with and could give to others. So they began to pray to her. Instead of looking to Jesus and his death on the cross, which saves us, they looked to Mary and prayed to her.
False teachings around Mary multiplied. Although Mary was clearly a normal godly woman who had sexual relations in marriage, resulting in Jesus’ brothers and sisters (Mark 6:3), the Roman Catholic church teaches that she remained a virgin. They also teach that she was without sin. From verse 38, they say that Mary’s response of faith and obedience was necessary to God’s plan, and therefore she saves us along with Jesus. To some Catholics, she is “Co-Redemptrix“—the joint redeemer of humanity.
A Costly Faith
I have little doubt that Mary would be horrified by this blasphemous list of false teachings about her. So let’s not blame her for them! It’s not her fault! She is a godly woman, who shows costly faith we should emulate.
Because it did cost Mary. According to the parallel account in Matthew’s Gospel, Joseph wanted to divorce her. Soon rumours were going around that Mary had sexual relations with a Roman soldier. The virgin birth cost her. And of course, she suffered greatly as the mother of Jesus. It cost her to go along with God’s plan. But her response was a godly one: she wanted God to further his plans to exalt his Son, whatever that might mean for her.
So, yes, we should be like Mary. We should say: “I want to go along with God’s plan to exalt Jesus in this world, no matter what it will cost me.” “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”
Faith Like Mary’s
Our aim is not to have a ‘happy’ life; or a comfortable life or to progress our career. Our aim is to further God’s plan to exalt his Son. Our lives should look very different to that of non-Christians in the world around us. It will cost us to deny ourselves and take up our cross. It will cost us to be like Mary, and follow God’s plan no matter what. As she was disgraced and shamed, so too we might be, as we seek to bring the good news of Jesus to our friends, family and work-mates. Having faith like Mary’s will cost us. But may we be like her, and seek to advance the gospel, to go with God’s plan to exalt his Son Jesus, no matter what it will cost us. May we say with Mary: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”
Picture: The Annunciation, (1898), Henry Ossawa Tanner, Philadelphia Museum of Art
