Shall we bow our
heads for prayer?
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Father in heaven, we thank
You so much for the privilege of
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being here to open
and study Your word.
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And as we examine what the
Bible has to say about Mary, the
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mother of Jesus, we ask for the
guidance of Your Holy Spirit,
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and we thank You for
hearing our prayer for we ask it
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in Jesus' name, Amen.
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As I mentioned in my prayer,
we are going to study in this
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series about Mary,
the mother of Jesus.
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In our study today we're going
to look at what the Bible has
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to say about Mary.
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We are going to be
exhaustive in our study.
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In other words we're
going to leave no stone unturned
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as we examine the
Biblical evidence.
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We are not going to
embellish the record.
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We're not going to add to
what Scripture has to say.
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We simply are going
to take the testimony of
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Scripture at face value.
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Now it might be surprising
to some that the Bible does not
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have a lot to say about
Mary, the mother of Jesus.
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Actually, the only place that
we really find Mary mentioned
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is in the four gospels.
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After the four gospels there
is really no direct mention to
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Mary, the mother of Jesus.
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What we're going to do is
we're going to take a jaunt
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through the gospels.
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Actually there's one
reference after the gospels,
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but it really is in the context
of what Jesus did when He
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died on the cross on
the Day of Pentecost.
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But we're going to
examine the references to Mary
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in chronological order.
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The first reference that
we're going to find about Mary
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is found in the nativity stories
that we find in the gospels,
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in other words the
record of the birth of Jesus.
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The second place that we're
going to take into account is
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when Jesus visited the temple
when He was twelve years old.
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That's the next mention
of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
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Then we're going to visit the
wedding feast where Jesus went
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to Cana and He
performed His first miracle
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as He began His ministry.
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Then we're going to examine
a couple of references to Mary
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during the ministry of Jesus.
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Then we will go and visit
the reference to Mary as Jesus
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hung on the cross of Calvary.
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And finally, we will examine
Mary as she is found on the Day
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of Pentecost after the death of
Jesus, actually fifty days after
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the resurrection of Christ.
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And then towards the end of our
study together we're going to
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examine one other passage,
which some people have taken
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to be referring to Mary,
and that is Revelation 12;
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the woman who is clothed with
the sun, who's standing on the
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moon, and has on her
head a crown of twelve stars.
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This woman has been
taken as representing Mary,
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the mother of Jesus.
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And so we are going to
examine that reference as well.
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So lets go immediately and speak
about the nativity references
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that we find in the gospels:
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
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The first thing that I want
us to notice is that both Joseph
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and Mary were of
the lineage of David.
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Mary, who was the
natural mother of Jesus,
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was of the lineage,
the royal lineage of David,
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and Joseph was as well.
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What this means is that Jesus,
biologically, as well as legally
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through Joseph, had
a right to kingship.
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He had a right to
the throne of David.
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Please go with me in your Bibles
to the gospel of Luke 2:4,
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and we'll notice that Joseph
was of the lineage of David.
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It says there:
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Very clearly, Joseph
was of the line of David.
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But Scripture makes it
equally clear that Mary was
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of the lineage of David.
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Notice Romans 1:3,
Romans 1:3. It says:
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You'll notice that
Jesus got His flesh from Mary.
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So if He was born of the seed of
David, according to the flesh,
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it must mean that Mary
was of the lineage of David.
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I would like to read a statement
also from that majestic
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biography of Jesus
called, The Desire of Ages.
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And this quotation
is found on page 44.
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See, Cyrus and Caesar Augustus
played a very important role
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in prophecy being fulfilled.
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And then we find this
reference, speaking about Mary.
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So, very clearly, both
Joseph and Mary were of
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the lineage of David.
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Through Joseph Jesus had
the legal right to the throne.
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Through Mary He had a
biological right to the throne.
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Now it's interesting to notice
that the Bible does not mention
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anything about
the birth of Mary.
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I know that through tradition,
we've come to believe that
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the parents of Mary were called
Saint Anne and Saint Joachim,
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but that actually
comes from an apocryphal work
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of the second century A.D.
called the Nativity of Mary.
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So it's not found in Scripture
that her parents were called
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Saint Joachim and Saint Anne.
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In actual fact, the Bible has
nothing to say about when Mary
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was born, where Mary was
born, to whom she was born,
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or how she was born.
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Scripture is silent
about the birth of Mary,
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although the Bible has much
to say about the birth of Jesus.
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The Bible makes it very
clear that Joseph and Mary
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had absolutely no sexual
relations before Jesus was
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conceived and He was born.
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I'd like to read three passages
from the gospels which show
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that Jesus was
born from a virgin.
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Notice Luke 1:26, 27,
Luke 1:26, 27. It says:
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By the way, that means engaged.
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See there you have it again.
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Now we need to remember
that Luke was a physician.
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And so Luke would know
very well what a virgin was.
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And he makes it very clear in
these verses, these two verses,
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Luke 1:26, 27, that
Mary was a virgin when she
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conceived Jesus Christ.
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Notice also Luke 1:34,
35, Luke 1:34, 35. It says:
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To know means to have
sexual relations in Scripture.
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I haven't known a man.
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I haven't had any
sexual relations, she says.
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Once again we're told
that she did not know a man
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before Jesus was born.
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One final text that speaks about
the fact that Mary was a virgin
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until the moment of the birth of
Jesus, is found in Matthew 1:18
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where we find
the following words:
00:10:09.12\00:10:11.49
Once again, before they
had come together she conceived
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this child in her womb.
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Now a question which comes up
very frequently is whether Mary
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had children
after Jesus was born.
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Whether Mary was a perpetual
virgin, and whether Joseph was
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a perpetual virgin.
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Some people believe that
Joseph never actually had
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sexual relations with
Mary, either before, obviously,
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or after Jesus was born.
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Now can that be
corroborated from the testimony
00:11:01.26\00:11:04.36
of Holy Scripture?
00:11:04.39\00:11:05.50
Well, lets see what
the Bible has to say.
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Notice Luke 2:7, Luke 2:7.
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And today we're just studying
the Biblical foundations.
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I'm going to go through
everything that the Bible
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has to say about Mary, no stone
unturned, there are not any
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other references than
the ones that we're going
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to take a look at.
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So we want to know what the
Bible has to say about Mary.
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Luke 2:7. It says there:
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Notice that Jesus is called
the what? the firstborn Son.
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It wouldn't make any sense
to say that He was the firstborn
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son unless she
had other children.
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In that case she
would say her only son.
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But Jesus is
called her firstborn son.
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Notice also Matthew 1:24, 25.
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The idea is that Mary did
not have any sexual relations,
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even after Jesus was born.
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In other words
Mary was perpetually,
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by a miracle of God, a virgin.
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Notice Matthew 1:24, 25.
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And now notice this:
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He did not know her, he did not
have sexual relations with her,
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until the birth of Jesus.
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It would be senseless to say
that he did not know her until
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Jesus was born, and to say
that she did not have sexual
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relations with
Joseph after Jesus was born.
00:12:59.93\00:13:03.18
In other word she was a
virgin until Jesus was born
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according to this text.
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Notice also Matthew
1:18, Matthew 1:18. It says:
00:13:08.50\00:13:17.67
Before they came together.
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It's obvious that
afterwards they came together,
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or else you wouldn't have to
say before they came together.
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Also, if you examine Psalms 69,
which is a Messianic prophecy,
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let me just give you a couple of
references that indicate this.
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You have, for example,
in verse 9, Zeal for Your
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house has eaten Me up.
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Jesus quoted that verse
when He was referring to
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cleansing the temple.
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In verse 21 you have the
reference, gall for food,
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and vinegar to drink,
which is what was given to Jesus
00:14:02.06\00:14:05.02
as He hung on the cross.
00:14:05.05\00:14:06.61
Now notice what
we find in verse 8.
00:14:06.64\00:14:09.40
Here the Messiah is speaking,
Jesus is speaking, and He says:
00:14:09.43\00:14:13.26
Did you catch that
point? I have become an alien
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to My mother's children.
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Of course the mother
of the Messiah was Mary.
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It seems to indicate that
Mary, the mother of Jesus,
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had other children.
00:14:34.34\00:14:35.98
Now you're probably
wondering what about the sons,
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or rather the
brothers and sisters of Jesus.
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Well let me read that passage.
00:14:45.98\00:14:47.84
It's found in Matthew
13:55, 56, Matthew 13:55, 56.
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The people marveled at
the knowledge of Jesus,
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and we find these words:
00:14:58.09\00:14:59.25
So you'll notice here that
Scripture says that Jesus had
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brothers and sisters.
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The most likely explanation
to this, however, is that the
00:15:29.41\00:15:32.93
brothers and sisters, which
are mentioned in the gospels,
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are actually sons
and daughters of Joseph
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from a previous marriage.
00:15:39.72\00:15:41.20
And it becomes
obvious that Joseph was a
00:15:41.23\00:15:43.34
lot older than Mary was.
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She was a very young
maiden, according to Scripture.
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You know, you see, for example,
in the gospels that the brothers
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and sisters of Jesus
are constantly wanting
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to Lord it over Him.
00:15:56.42\00:15:57.86
That's something that older
brothers and sisters would do
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to a younger sibling.
00:16:01.42\00:16:03.23
Now some people say, Well no,
actually the expression brothers
00:16:03.26\00:16:07.14
and sisters is a
different way of saying cousins,
00:16:07.17\00:16:11.37
they were cousins of Jesus.
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Well, the fact is that
the Greek language has a very
00:16:13.31\00:16:16.42
definite word for cousins.
00:16:16.79\00:16:17.82
It's the word anepsious.
00:16:17.85\00:16:19.74
For example, it's used in
Colossians 4:10 where we're told
00:16:19.77\00:16:25.11
that Mark was the
cousin of Barnabas.
00:16:25.14\00:16:28.11
So if the gospel writers
had wanted to say that these
00:16:28.14\00:16:32.76
individuals were
actually cousins of Jesus,
00:16:32.79\00:16:35.87
he could have used, or they
could have used the word cousins
00:16:35.90\00:16:39.63
because it existed.
00:16:39.66\00:16:41.55
Allow me to read you, once
again, a statement from this
00:16:41.58\00:16:44.95
classic biography of Jesus,
The Desire of Ages, page 90.
00:16:44.98\00:16:49.85
So very clearly, according
to the author of Desire of Ages,
00:17:20.97\00:17:25.82
it says the sons and
daughters of Joseph knew this.
00:17:25.85\00:17:30.73
And so the brothers and sisters
of Jesus, in the gospels,
00:17:30.76\00:17:35.38
most likely are a reference
to sons and daughters of Joseph
00:17:35.41\00:17:39.56
before Joseph
actually married Mary.
00:17:39.59\00:17:44.00
Now a question that always comes
up when you deal with Mary is
00:17:44.03\00:17:48.10
whether Mary was
the mother of God.
00:17:48.13\00:17:51.00
You say, that
sounds almost blasphemous!
00:17:51.03\00:17:54.74
Now in the strictest
sense of the word, Mary was not
00:17:54.77\00:17:59.83
the mother of God, because we
know from Scripture that Jesus
00:17:59.86\00:18:04.80
actually pre-existed Mary.
00:18:04.83\00:18:07.46
In fact we find in
John 17:5, in the prayer of
00:18:07.49\00:18:12.26
Jesus to His
Father, He says this:
00:18:12.29\00:18:14.72
Obviously, Jesus pre-existed
the creation of the world,
00:18:25.33\00:18:28.72
according to that text.
00:18:28.75\00:18:29.96
Jesus also said in John 8:58,
Verily, verily I say unto you,
00:18:29.99\00:18:35.24
before Abraham was, I AM.
00:18:35.27\00:18:39.23
John 1:1-3, In the
beginning was the Word,
00:18:39.26\00:18:42.29
and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.
00:18:42.32\00:18:44.97
He was in the
beginning with God.
00:18:45.00\00:18:47.12
All things were
created through Him.
00:18:47.15\00:18:49.97
In other words, Jesus, very
clearly according to Scripture,
00:18:50.00\00:18:54.12
pre-existed Mary. So could
we really call Mary the mother
00:18:54.15\00:19:00.90
of God in the
strictest sense? Absolutely not!
00:19:00.93\00:19:04.43
But there is a sense in
which we could call Mary,
00:19:04.46\00:19:08.57
the mother of God.
00:19:08.60\00:19:09.67
And that is in the sense that
the human nature of Jesus was
00:19:09.70\00:19:15.09
joined with His divine nature,
and the human and divine child
00:19:15.13\00:19:19.60
was born from
Mary into this world.
00:19:19.63\00:19:21.73
In that sense you could
say that Mary brought the God
00:19:21.82\00:19:26.36
man into the world.
00:19:26.39\00:19:28.33
The God man was born from Mary.
00:19:28.36\00:19:30.86
But in the strictest sense of
the word, we could not say that
00:19:30.89\00:19:34.37
Mary was the mother of God,
because Jesus existed as God
00:19:34.40\00:19:38.47
previous to the incarnation.
00:19:38.50\00:19:40.05
In fact, I'd like to read you a
very interesting statement that
00:19:40.08\00:19:43.49
we find in the devotional book,
Lift Him Up. It says there:
00:19:43.52\00:19:49.27
So Mary did bring the
God man into this world.
00:20:07.98\00:20:12.08
But the divinity of
Jesus pre-existed His humanity
00:20:12.11\00:20:17.70
before His incarnation.
00:20:17.73\00:20:19.86
Now let's notice some
characteristics about Mary.
00:20:19.89\00:20:23.62
First of all, Mary was a
very humble and obedient person.
00:20:23.65\00:20:29.96
Notice Luke 1:38, Luke 1:38.
00:20:29.99\00:20:38.83
When the angel says, You've been
chosen to bring the Messiah into
00:20:38.86\00:20:42.78
the world, notice what we find.
00:20:42.81\00:20:45.78
In other words, I am willing.
00:20:56.30\00:20:58.17
And lest anybody think that this
was an easy thing, you need to
00:20:58.20\00:21:02.15
remember that many people
did not believe that what was
00:21:02.18\00:21:06.53
conceived in the womb of Mary
was actually the Son of God.
00:21:06.56\00:21:10.41
They believed that Joseph and
Mary had had sexual relations
00:21:10.44\00:21:13.93
actually before marriage.
00:21:13.96\00:21:15.54
And so Mary would have to live
all of her life with this stigma
00:21:15.57\00:21:20.12
upon her of having been
unfaithful, and having committed
00:21:20.15\00:21:24.89
sexual improprieties before
Jesus was actually conceived,
00:21:24.92\00:21:29.96
before she
actually married Joseph.
00:21:29.99\00:21:32.31
Now I would like to mention
also that Mary, besides being
00:21:32.34\00:21:37.54
obedient and humble,
Mary was also very poor.
00:21:37.57\00:21:42.02
And we know this because
when Jesus was brought to be
00:21:42.05\00:21:46.66
dedicated to the temple, they
were not able, Joseph and Mary
00:21:46.69\00:21:50.30
were not able to bring the
normal lamb, which was required
00:21:50.33\00:21:55.31
for the dedication service.
00:21:55.34\00:21:56.83
I'd like to read
Luke 2:22-24 where the law
00:21:56.86\00:22:04.49
of Leviticus 12:6-8 is
referred to about what needed
00:22:04.52\00:22:08.92
to be brought at the dedication.
00:22:08.95\00:22:10.76
It says there in Luke 2:22:
00:22:10.79\00:22:14.01
If you go back to Leviticus
you'll discover that those who
00:22:39.07\00:22:41.69
were not able to afford a lamb,
could actually bring a pair
00:22:41.72\00:22:46.06
of turtledoves or
two young pigeons.
00:22:46.09\00:22:49.44
Another interesting
characteristic about Mary is
00:22:49.47\00:22:52.23
that Mary was blessed.
00:22:52.26\00:22:54.77
I want to underline
that the Bible does not say
00:22:54.80\00:22:57.76
that Mary was the blesser.
00:22:57.79\00:22:59.78
Scripture says
that Mary was blessed.
00:22:59.81\00:23:03.89
Notice Luke 1:48, 49.
00:23:04.33\00:23:08.90
Obviously it would be a great
blessing to have the privilege
00:23:29.67\00:23:33.06
of bringing the
Messiah into the world.
00:23:33.09\00:23:34.59
And so the text tells us very
clearly that Mary was greatly
00:23:34.62\00:23:39.47
blessed by the Lord.
00:23:39.50\00:23:41.35
Notice also verse
42 of Luke 1. It says:
00:23:41.38\00:23:46.60
This is Elizabeth.
00:23:49.53\00:23:50.56
Notice that we're not told here,
Blessed are you above women.
00:23:57.22\00:24:01.39
It says, Blessed
are you among women.
00:24:01.42\00:24:04.74
And for those who think that
this is some peculiar, special
00:24:04.77\00:24:09.07
way of addressing Mary because
she was out of the ordinary,
00:24:09.10\00:24:13.04
this expression is
used more than one time
00:24:13.07\00:24:16.83
in the Old Testament.
00:24:16.86\00:24:17.89
Notice for
example Genesis 30: 13.
00:24:17.92\00:24:21.58
This is speaking about
the birth of Asher from Leah,
00:24:21.61\00:24:27.07
from Leah and Jacob.
00:24:27.10\00:24:28.62
And you'll notice
what Leah says. She says:
00:24:28.65\00:24:32.72
The identical expression
that we find in Luke 1:
00:24:39.81\00:24:43.79
The daughters
will call me blessed.
00:24:43.82\00:24:45.61
You'll notice that Scripture
does not say that Mary was
00:24:45.64\00:24:49.16
the fountain of blessings.
00:24:49.19\00:24:51.05
She was not the
giver of blessings.
00:24:51.08\00:24:52.84
She was actually blessed
by God so that she could bring
00:24:52.87\00:24:56.45
the Messiah into the world.
00:24:56.48\00:24:58.57
Another very clear
characteristic of Mary in the
00:24:58.60\00:25:04.43
stories about the birth of
Jesus is the fact that Mary
00:25:04.46\00:25:09.60
is a sinner in
need of redemption,
00:25:09.63\00:25:14.05
in need of a Redeemer.
00:25:14.08\00:25:15.70
In fact we're told in Romans
3: 23 that all have sinned
00:25:15.73\00:25:20.97
and come short
of the glory of God.
00:25:21.00\00:25:23.05
Now Scripture makes it
very clear that there's one
00:25:23.08\00:25:25.51
exception to this.
00:25:25.54\00:25:26.57
In fact in Hebrews 4:15 we
find these words: that Jesus was
00:25:26.60\00:25:32.67
tempted in all things such
as we are, yet without sin.
00:25:32.70\00:25:38.37
So if you read the Bible,
if you read the New Testament
00:25:38.40\00:25:41.88
particularly, you're going
to discover that there is only
00:25:41.91\00:25:44.75
One who is excepted from
sin, and that is Jesus Christ.
00:25:44.78\00:25:50.11
I want you to notice Luke
1: 46, 47 where we're told very
00:25:50.14\00:25:56.79
clearly that Mary
needed a Redeemer;
00:25:56.82\00:26:00.78
She needed a
Savior. It says there:
00:26:00.81\00:26:03.47
Notice that she
rejoiced in God her Savior.
00:26:15.57\00:26:18.84
Mary needed a Savior, because
all have sinned and come short
00:26:18.87\00:26:24.24
of the glory of God.
00:26:24.27\00:26:25.47
I'd like to read
another statement from the book,
00:26:25.50\00:26:28.76
The Desire of Ages, page
147, where we have a reference
00:26:28.79\00:26:33.10
to this need that
Mary had of a Redeemer.
00:26:33.13\00:26:35.76
The author of
this biography says:
00:26:35.79\00:26:39.13
In other words Mary was
one with the lot of humanity.
00:27:16.07\00:27:20.27
She needed a Savior to save
her from sin, according to the
00:27:20.30\00:27:24.99
testimony of Scripture.
00:27:25.02\00:27:26.47
Not only according to
the gospels was Mary greatly
00:27:26.50\00:27:31.03
blessed, but we also find that
Mary was highly favored by God.
00:27:31.06\00:27:37.40
Notice what we find in
Luke 1: 28, and we are using
00:27:37.43\00:27:42.49
the New King James Version.
00:27:42.52\00:27:43.89
Luke 1:28. It says:
00:27:43.92\00:27:48.05
Notice here that Mary is
called highly favored one.
00:28:05.79\00:28:10.40
Now there's one version of
the Bible that gives a different
00:28:10.43\00:28:15.87
translation, and that
is the Douay version of the
00:28:15.90\00:28:18.98
Roman Catholic Church.
00:28:19.01\00:28:20.22
It actually is a
translation that is based on the
00:28:20.25\00:28:23.24
Latin Vulgate, which
was translated by Jerome,
00:28:23.27\00:28:26.79
very much around the
320's, 325 approximately.
00:28:26.82\00:28:33.15
And the Latin Vulgate translates
instead of highly favored one,
00:28:33.18\00:28:37.49
it translates gratia plena,
which means, Mary full of grace.
00:28:37.52\00:28:44.22
And the idea is that Mary
is full of grace and therefore
00:28:44.25\00:28:48.43
she's a dispensary of grace.
00:28:48.46\00:28:51.01
In other words, she's full
of grace, and therefore she can
00:28:51.04\00:28:53.69
pour out, or she can give grace
to the people that come to her
00:28:53.72\00:28:57.65
after her assumption
into heaven, supposedly.
00:28:57.68\00:29:00.83
Now Luke 1:30 underlines
the fact that she found grace
00:29:00.86\00:29:06.94
in the eyes of the Lord.
00:29:06.97\00:29:08.27
She found favor, she doesn't
give favors. Luke 1:30 says:
00:29:08.30\00:29:12.77
Notice once again, she is
the one who has found favors.
00:29:22.42\00:29:25.81
She is not actually
imparting, or giving favors.
00:29:25.84\00:29:29.78
In actual fact, the Bible makes
it very clear that there is only
00:29:29.81\00:29:33.81
One who is full of
grace, and that is Jesus Christ.
00:29:33.84\00:29:37.19
Notice John 1:14,
John 1:14. It says:
00:29:37.22\00:29:42.77
Who is the One full of grace?
00:29:57.16\00:29:59.45
It's Jesus who is full of grace.
00:29:59.48\00:30:02.22
Mary is highly favored.
00:30:02.25\00:30:04.53
She has received grace from the
Lord, but Scripture never says
00:30:04.56\00:30:08.93
that she is a
dispensary of grace.
00:30:08.96\00:30:12.16
Another interesting
characteristic about Mary is
00:30:12.19\00:30:15.66
that Mary knew her Bible.
00:30:15.69\00:30:18.11
She knew the Old
Testament Scriptures.
00:30:18.14\00:30:20.90
You say, how do we know that?
00:30:20.93\00:30:22.30
Notice Matthew 13:54, 55.
00:30:22.33\00:30:26.69
We read these texts
before, but lets read them in
00:30:26.72\00:30:29.46
the new context now. It says:
00:30:29.49\00:30:31.71
And His sisters, are
they not all with us?
00:30:56.30\00:30:59.63
Where did this man
get all these things?
00:30:59.66\00:31:03.82
It becomes very obvious that
Mary had homeschooled Jesus.
00:31:03.85\00:31:09.69
Mary had reviewed the Old
Testament Scriptures with Jesus.
00:31:09.72\00:31:14.46
She felt that the greatest job
to which a mother could aspire
00:31:14.49\00:31:17.98
was to bring up her children
in the fear of the Lord.
00:31:18.01\00:31:22.30
You can imagine Jesus sitting
on the knee of Mary as Mary
00:31:22.33\00:31:26.73
reviewed the
stories of the Old Testament
00:31:26.76\00:31:29.74
which pointed to the Messiah.
00:31:29.77\00:31:31.37
You know, you've
heard about the magnificat.
00:31:31.40\00:31:34.74
This is where Mary
actually extols and praises God
00:31:34.77\00:31:38.09
for having chosen her to
be the mother of the Messiah.
00:31:38.12\00:31:42.19
It's found in Luke 1:46-55.
00:31:42.22\00:31:45.70
You know, as you read
the magnificat it's actually
00:31:45.73\00:31:49.11
a collection of quotations
from the Old Testament,
00:31:49.14\00:31:51.96
and Mary is the one
who is singing this song.
00:31:51.99\00:31:54.72
Do you know that she actually
has Bible texts from 1 Samuel,
00:31:54.75\00:32:00.13
several from the Psalms,
and also even a reference
00:32:00.16\00:32:03.53
from the book of Job?
00:32:03.56\00:32:04.94
So we find very clearly that
Mary had a very good knowledge
00:32:04.97\00:32:10.36
of the Old
Testament, and she shared this
00:32:10.39\00:32:13.32
knowledge with Jesus.
00:32:13.35\00:32:15.55
And, of course, we're going
to come in a few moments to the
00:32:15.58\00:32:18.64
visit of Jesus to the temple.
00:32:18.67\00:32:19.93
Jesus was actually teaching
the Rabbi's a few things
00:32:19.96\00:32:22.93
that they didn't know,
and He was teaching them from
00:32:22.96\00:32:25.00
the Old Testament Scriptures.
00:32:25.04\00:32:26.20
Obviously He had heard
many of these teachings
00:32:26.23\00:32:29.98
from Mary, His mother.
00:32:30.01\00:32:32.05
Now as you look at the
story about the birth of Jesus,
00:32:32.08\00:32:37.09
you discover that Jesus
is the center of attraction.
00:32:37.12\00:32:41.06
Never is Mary the
center of attraction.
00:32:41.09\00:32:44.07
For example, I just mentioned
these texts in Matthew 1:11
00:32:44.10\00:32:48.26
we're told that the
wise men came and they bowed,
00:32:48.29\00:32:52.30
and worshipped Jesus.
00:32:52.33\00:32:54.74
We find in Luke 2:17, 18
that when the shepherds came in
00:32:54.77\00:33:00.78
they marveled at the child,
and when they left the place
00:33:00.81\00:33:04.75
they publicized about
the child far and wide.
00:33:04.78\00:33:08.63
Nothing about exalting Mary
in the minds of the shepherds.
00:33:08.66\00:33:13.07
Also, Joseph and Mary, according
to Luke 2:33, says that they
00:33:13.10\00:33:18.63
marveled at what
Simeon said about Jesus.
00:33:18.66\00:33:21.93
You can read these
nativity scenes in the gospels,
00:33:21.96\00:33:25.38
and you'll discover
that always Jesus is the
00:33:25.41\00:33:28.63
center of attraction.
00:33:28.66\00:33:29.69
Never are Mary and
Joseph the center of attraction.
00:33:29.72\00:33:33.55
Now something that Simeon said
to Mary was very, very important
00:33:33.58\00:33:39.01
when they took Jesus to
dedicate Him at the temple.
00:33:39.04\00:33:41.83
In Luke 2:35 Simeon says to her:
00:33:41.86\00:33:46.15
Do you know that Mary suffered
along with Jesus all throughout
00:33:51.61\00:33:57.97
the ministry of Jesus,
culminating with the death
00:33:58.00\00:34:01.00
of Jesus on the cross?
00:34:01.03\00:34:02.49
We could not deny that
Mary suffered along with Jesus.
00:34:02.52\00:34:06.34
We're going to study a little
bit later on in this series
00:34:06.37\00:34:09.50
that some people
believe that Mary was actually
00:34:09.53\00:34:12.33
co-redemptorix
with Jesus, co-redeemer,
00:34:12.36\00:34:15.82
because she
experienced suffering and agony,
00:34:15.85\00:34:19.25
as Jesus suffered and agonized.
00:34:19.28\00:34:22.93
Now we can't deny
that there was suffering
00:34:22.96\00:34:25.99
of Mary along with
Jesus, but does this raise Mary
00:34:26.02\00:34:31.33
to the level of
co-redemptrix with Jesus?
00:34:31.36\00:34:34.27
We'll have to
deal with that later.
00:34:34.30\00:34:35.54
Now what was it that Simeon
was meaning when he said that
00:34:35.57\00:34:39.18
a sword would
pierce the soul of Mary?
00:34:39.21\00:34:42.92
He was actually referring
to the crucifixion of Christ.
00:34:42.95\00:34:46.59
You say, How do we know that?
00:34:46.62\00:34:48.27
Because he's really
quoting a prophecy from
00:34:48.30\00:34:51.58
Zachariah 13:7 where it says:
00:34:51.61\00:34:54.15
So we've examined the nativity
scenes, the scenes that speak
00:35:07.69\00:35:12.37
about the birth of Jesus, and we
notice several characteristics
00:35:12.40\00:35:15.80
about Mary, the mother of Jesus.
00:35:15.83\00:35:17.71
Now we must move on to the
moment that Jesus was taken
00:35:17.74\00:35:22.10
to the temple
for His bar mitzvah.
00:35:22.13\00:35:24.58
In other words, He's
going to be, He's actually
00:35:24.61\00:35:26.99
going to become a man.
00:35:27.02\00:35:28.59
And He's taken to Jerusalem,
probably for the first time,
00:35:28.62\00:35:31.75
at the period of the Passover.
00:35:31.78\00:35:34.36
And as He goes to the Passover,
and as He watches the ceremonies
00:35:34.39\00:35:40.50
which take place in the temple,
He is profoundly impacted.
00:35:40.53\00:35:44.89
Everything in the temple service
seems to speak about His life,
00:35:44.92\00:35:50.03
about His mission, about His
origin, and about His destiny.
00:35:50.06\00:35:54.38
I'd like to read this passage.
00:35:54.41\00:35:56.47
It's a rather extensive passage.
00:35:56.50\00:35:58.14
And as we go along I would
like to make a few comments
00:35:58.17\00:36:01.31
about this visit of
Jesus to the temple.
00:36:01.34\00:36:03.93
Luke 2 and
beginning in verse 43.
00:36:03.96\00:36:07.41
At this time remember
Jesus is twelve years old.
00:36:07.44\00:36:10.15
It says in verse 43:
00:36:10.18\00:36:12.92
They had been in Jerusalem.
00:36:17.05\00:36:18.22
I want you to
notice that at this point
00:36:27.09\00:36:28.64
Joseph was still what?
Joseph was still alive. It says:
00:36:28.67\00:36:32.83
I find it very interesting
that it doesn't say His parents.
00:36:36.64\00:36:39.94
It doesn't say Joseph His
father, and Mary His mother.
00:36:39.97\00:36:43.33
It says Joseph and His mother.
00:36:43.36\00:36:45.90
It's seeming to indicate
that Mary is His mother,
00:36:45.93\00:36:49.18
but Joseph is what?
Joseph is not His father.
00:36:49.21\00:36:52.82
It continues saying, verse 44,
But supposing Him to have been
00:36:52.85\00:36:58.99
in the company...
They kind of neglected Him.
00:36:59.02\00:37:02.02
They went a days journey
and sought Him among their
00:37:02.05\00:37:05.69
relatives and acquaintances.
00:37:05.72\00:37:07.43
So when they did not
find Him they returned to
00:37:07.46\00:37:10.76
Jerusalem seeking Him.
00:37:10.79\00:37:12.66
Can you imagine the
agony in the heart of Mary,
00:37:12.69\00:37:16.03
and in the heart of
Joseph at Jesus being lost?
00:37:16.06\00:37:19.07
Now notice how long He was lost.
00:37:19.10\00:37:20.93
It continues saying, this...
00:37:20.96\00:37:24.69
Lets read once again verse 45,
So when they did not find Him
00:37:24.72\00:37:28.25
they returned to
Jerusalem seeking Him.
00:37:28.28\00:37:30.27
How long did the
agony last? three days.
00:37:34.53\00:37:39.82
It seems to say that
He asked them questions,
00:37:55.62\00:37:57.76
and then He
kind of stumped them.
00:37:57.79\00:37:59.87
They weren't able to give
the answers, and so He answered
00:37:59.90\00:38:03.34
His own questions.
00:38:03.37\00:38:04.44
Interesting that this twelve
year old child was teaching the
00:38:04.47\00:38:08.13
Ph. D's in the temple.
00:38:08.16\00:38:09.79
Were did He get
this knowledge from?
00:38:09.82\00:38:11.92
He got it from God, but He
also got it through His mother
00:38:11.95\00:38:15.59
who taught Him the
Scriptures of the Old Testament.
00:38:15.62\00:38:18.52
And then in verse
48 we find these words:
00:38:18.55\00:38:22.78
Well they were the
ones that had neglected Him.
00:38:29.60\00:38:32.71
Notice she says,
I and your father.
00:38:39.76\00:38:44.39
Now notice the
answer of Jesus, verse 49:
00:38:44.42\00:38:46.87
What is Jesus saying?
00:38:55.96\00:38:57.74
He's saying,
Joseph is not My Father.
00:38:57.77\00:39:00.94
God in heaven is My Father.
00:39:00.97\00:39:04.12
He's disowning the fatherhood
of Joseph, and He's saying
00:39:04.15\00:39:07.01
that His Father
is God in heaven.
00:39:07.04\00:39:09.43
And then notice they didn't
understand what He was saying
00:39:09.46\00:39:12.60
when He spoke about
His Father's business.
00:39:12.63\00:39:14.97
It says in verse 50:
00:39:15.00\00:39:17.18
I want you to remember this.
00:39:19.41\00:39:20.44
In other words she was
reflecting about His words.
00:39:30.84\00:39:33.85
You know, I must be
about My Father's business.
00:39:33.88\00:39:36.45
He denied that He's the son of
Joseph, and He's speaking about
00:39:36.48\00:39:40.32
His Father's business.
00:39:40.35\00:39:41.60
And she's pondering
these things in her heart.
00:39:41.63\00:39:44.10
She's trying to
resolve this deep mystery
00:39:44.13\00:39:47.76
that is taking
place in her mind.
00:39:47.79\00:39:50.40
Now I would like to
read another statement from
00:39:50.43\00:39:53.16
The Desire of
Ages, pages 82, 83.
00:39:53.19\00:39:56.23
Mary was to witness His last
agony, and Jesus desired her
00:39:56.26\00:40:03.10
to understand His mission that
she might be strengthened to
00:40:03.13\00:40:06.68
endure when the sword
should pierce through her soul.
00:40:06.71\00:40:10.72
As Jesus had been separated
from her, and she had sought Him
00:40:10.75\00:40:16.73
sorrowing three days, so
when He should be offered up
00:40:16.76\00:40:20.66
for the sins of the world
He would again be lost to her
00:40:20.69\00:40:23.92
for three days. And as He
should come forth from the tomb,
00:40:23.95\00:40:28.74
her sorrow would
again be turned to joy.
00:40:28.77\00:40:33.55
But how much better she
could have borne the anguish
00:40:33.58\00:40:37.88
of His death if she had
understood the Scriptures
00:40:37.91\00:40:41.68
to which He was now
trying to turn her thoughts.
00:40:41.71\00:40:45.78
In other words, Mary did
not understand the Scriptures
00:40:45.81\00:40:48.70
that spoke about the
Messiah at this point.
00:40:48.73\00:40:50.41
I want you to remember this,
because later on in this series
00:40:50.44\00:40:53.51
we're going to take a look at
this idea, because some people
00:40:53.54\00:40:58.20
believe that Mary knew
everything that was going to
00:40:58.23\00:41:00.81
happen with Jesus from
before the time that Jesus was
00:41:00.84\00:41:04.49
conceived actually in her womb.
00:41:04.52\00:41:06.31
But very clearly Scripture says
that they did not understand
00:41:06.34\00:41:10.47
what Jesus was saying
when He said, I must be about
00:41:10.50\00:41:14.18
My Father's business.
00:41:14.21\00:41:15.24
Now we must move on to
the experience at the wedding
00:41:15.27\00:41:19.17
of Cana, the next reference
to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
00:41:19.20\00:41:23.61
At this point we
know that Joseph was dead.
00:41:23.64\00:41:27.20
You say, How do we
know that Joseph was dead?
00:41:27.23\00:41:29.23
Well, for three main reasons:
1. In John 2:12 when Mary
00:41:29.26\00:41:37.56
returned home after the wedding
of Cana, we're told that she
00:41:37.59\00:41:42.64
went home with the
brothers and sisters of Jesus,
00:41:42.67\00:41:46.48
but there is no
reference to Joseph.
00:41:46.51\00:41:48.32
Notice John 2:12 says this:
00:41:48.35\00:41:51.41
No reference
whatsoever to Joseph.
00:42:02.94\00:42:05.76
Also in Mark 3, which we're
going to look at in a moment,
00:42:05.79\00:42:09.37
Mark 3:21 and verses 31-35,
we find that the brothers and
00:42:09.40\00:42:13.90
sisters of Jesus, and Mary
actually come to seize Jesus
00:42:13.93\00:42:17.69
during His ministry.
00:42:17.72\00:42:19.35
And we find that there's
no reference to Joseph coming
00:42:19.38\00:42:24.05
with Mary and the
brothers and sisters of Jesus.
00:42:24.08\00:42:27.17
Furthermore, when Jesus is
hanging on the cross of Calvary,
00:42:27.20\00:42:30.84
we find that Jesus commends
Mary into the hands of John.
00:42:30.87\00:42:37.04
She would never have done
that if Joseph was still alive.
00:42:37.07\00:42:41.37
So at this point, when
Jesus began His ministry,
00:42:41.40\00:42:44.51
Joseph was already dead.
00:42:44.54\00:42:47.02
In fact, The Desire of
Ages, page 145 states this:
00:42:47.05\00:42:51.21
Death had separated her
from Joseph who had shared
00:42:51.24\00:42:55.52
her knowledge of the
mystery of the birth of Jesus.
00:42:55.55\00:42:58.19
Now there was no one
to whom she could confide
00:42:58.22\00:43:01.80
her hopes and her fears.
00:43:01.83\00:43:03.94
And, of course, at the wedding
the wine runs out, and so Mary
00:43:03.97\00:43:08.74
comes to Jesus and she
says, There is no wine.
00:43:08.77\00:43:12.57
Obviously she's trying to get
Jesus to do something about it.
00:43:12.60\00:43:17.40
And Jesus says, What do
you have to do with me woman?
00:43:17.43\00:43:21.30
He's not being disrespectful.
00:43:21.33\00:43:23.77
This was a common way of
sons addressing their mothers.
00:43:23.80\00:43:27.64
He says, My time
has not yet come.
00:43:27.67\00:43:32.12
What did He mean when He
said, My time has not yet come?
00:43:32.15\00:43:36.73
In what sense was He kindly,
but firmly rebuking Mary?
00:43:36.76\00:43:43.11
Well, in The Desire of
Ages, page 147, we find the
00:43:43.14\00:43:48.21
explanation as to what
Jesus meant when He said,
00:43:48.24\00:43:50.64
My time has not come.
00:43:50.67\00:43:51.94
You know, in the gospels Jesus
says the time is coming when all
00:43:51.97\00:43:54.83
those who are in the graves
will hear His voice, right?
00:43:54.86\00:43:57.19
At that time He's going
to be the glorious Messiah.
00:43:57.22\00:44:00.09
Notice in the light of that
statement in John 5:28, 29, what
00:44:00.12\00:44:04.80
we find in The Desire of Ages,
and once again the page is 147.
00:44:04.83\00:44:10.75
See He knew what
she was thinking.
00:44:20.61\00:44:22.39
What was that expectation?
00:44:28.90\00:44:30.80
The description continues.
00:44:30.83\00:44:33.20
She was actually hoping that
He would declare Himself king,
00:44:54.28\00:44:58.33
sit on the throne, destroy
the Romans, and put the Jewish
00:44:58.36\00:45:02.54
nation where it
should be: on top.
00:45:02.57\00:45:05.38
And Jesus says that moment,
that hour has not yet come.
00:45:05.41\00:45:10.24
It's not the moment.
00:45:10.27\00:45:11.59
Do you know, actually Mary at
this point, had a little feeling
00:45:11.62\00:45:16.70
that she has had some rights
and some claims upon Jesus
00:45:16.73\00:45:20.09
because she was
the mother of Jesus.
00:45:20.12\00:45:21.97
Notice this comment from
the book, Spirit of Prophecy,
00:45:22.00\00:45:24.83
volume 2, page 101, regarding
the response of Jesus to Mary
00:45:24.86\00:45:31.40
we find these words: His
manner was respectful yet firm.
00:45:31.43\00:45:36.88
He designed to teach Mary that
the time for her to control Him
00:45:36.91\00:45:41.20
as a mother was ended.
00:45:41.23\00:45:43.54
His mighty work now lay before
Him, and no one must direct
00:45:43.57\00:45:49.33
concerning the
exercise of His divine power.
00:45:49.36\00:45:53.23
So even she was tempted that,
you know, because I'm the mother
00:46:06.92\00:46:10.60
I can kind of
manipulate my son into doing
00:46:10.63\00:46:14.17
what I want Him to do.
00:46:14.20\00:46:16.04
The fact is that her motherly
authority, at this point,
00:46:16.07\00:46:19.45
had already come to an end.
00:46:19.48\00:46:21.90
Now lets examine a
couple of references to Mary
00:46:21.93\00:46:26.69
during the ministry of Jesus.
00:46:26.72\00:46:28.78
Mark 3:21 and then we'll
jump down to verses 31-35.
00:46:28.81\00:46:34.27
Jesus had been working non-stop,
and His mother, and brothers,
00:46:34.30\00:46:38.53
and sisters thought that He
was at the point of a nervous
00:46:38.56\00:46:40.97
breakdown so they're coming
and they're going to seize Him,
00:46:41.00\00:46:43.30
and they're going to take
Him home. Notice verse 21.
00:46:43.33\00:46:47.79
They arrived a little bit later.
00:47:00.41\00:47:01.56
He knew why they had come.
00:47:12.03\00:47:13.39
They'd come to seize Him.
00:47:13.42\00:47:14.83
Were Mary and His brothers and
sisters in tune with the purpose
00:47:14.86\00:47:19.73
of His ministry, with the
purpose of what He was doing?
00:47:19.76\00:47:22.30
Absolutely not! Those who were
present there were more in tune.
00:47:22.33\00:47:26.08
And so notice what we
find beginning in verse 33.
00:47:26.11\00:47:30.72
In other words He's saying
these people who want to listen
00:47:50.05\00:47:52.59
to My words, who are following
My ministry, are more in tune,
00:47:52.62\00:47:56.41
they're more like My mother,
and My brothers, and My sisters
00:47:56.44\00:47:59.81
than My own flesh and blood.
00:47:59.84\00:48:02.34
You know, Jesus once encountered
a lady who really felt that it
00:48:02.37\00:48:07.88
was a great privilege for
Mary to give birth to Jesus.
00:48:07.91\00:48:11.77
Notice Luke 11:27, 28,
Luke 11:27, 28. It says:
00:48:11.80\00:48:21.42
In other words, this
woman is exalting whom? Mary.
00:48:37.02\00:48:41.64
Notice the response of Jesus.
00:48:41.67\00:48:43.44
In other words Jesus
shifted the center of attention
00:48:51.22\00:48:55.34
from His mother to those who do
the will of God, who understand
00:48:55.37\00:48:59.62
His ministry and what He
came to this earth to do.
00:48:59.65\00:49:02.91
Now we must move on to Jesus
hanging on the cross of Calvary.
00:49:02.94\00:49:08.21
At the foot of the
cross are some women,
00:49:08.24\00:49:11.36
as well as John the apostle.
00:49:11.39\00:49:13.39
Lets read the story in John 19:
25-27, John 19:25-27. It says:
00:49:13.42\00:49:23.02
You see, Jesus was
at the point of death.
00:49:51.40\00:49:53.67
He was going to leave to
heaven, and He was concerned
00:49:53.70\00:49:56.81
about the welfare of His mother.
00:49:56.84\00:49:58.37
And so He commends His mother,
the care of His mother to John.
00:49:58.40\00:50:03.36
Notice that it wasn't Mary
who took John to her household,
00:50:03.39\00:50:07.03
it was John who took
Mary to his household,
00:50:07.06\00:50:10.43
because Jesus had commended
Mary into His disciple's care.
00:50:10.46\00:50:16.35
Now we need to examine
the one reference to Mary
00:50:16.38\00:50:20.05
after the resurrection of Jesus.
00:50:20.08\00:50:22.64
It's found in the book of Acts.
00:50:22.68\00:50:25.17
It's the final reference
to Mary in the New Testament.
00:50:25.21\00:50:28.04
After Acts 1:13, 14 there
are no more references to Mary.
00:50:28.07\00:50:33.20
It says there in Acts 1:13,
14, And when they had entered
00:50:33.23\00:50:39.19
they went up into the upper
room where they were staying.
00:50:39.23\00:50:43.97
Peter, James, John, and Andrew,
Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew,
00:50:44.01\00:50:50.67
and Matthew, James the
son of Alphaeus, and Simon
00:50:50.70\00:50:55.30
the zealot, and
Judas the son of James.
00:50:55.33\00:50:58.89
The twelve apostles,
the eleven apostles at this
00:50:58.92\00:51:01.15
point, are mentioned.
00:51:01.18\00:51:02.21
You know, it's really
exciting to notice that His
00:51:14.45\00:51:16.60
brothers came around.
00:51:16.64\00:51:17.67
His brothers actually
were in the upper room,
00:51:17.70\00:51:21.09
and they accepted Jesus as
the Messiah, and we're told that
00:51:21.13\00:51:25.37
His mother was there.
00:51:25.41\00:51:26.44
There's no special
emphasis here placed upon Mary.
00:51:26.47\00:51:30.18
They're not praying to Mary.
00:51:30.22\00:51:31.86
They're not exalting Mary.
00:51:31.89\00:51:33.47
In fact the central figure
on the Day of Pentecost is whom?
00:51:33.50\00:51:37.07
It's Peter, who
stands up and speaks.
00:51:37.10\00:51:40.24
There is no special
reference here to Mary at all.
00:51:40.27\00:51:44.64
It simply states that
she, and the brothers of Jesus,
00:51:44.67\00:51:48.57
were there in the upper
room when the Holy Spirit
00:51:48.61\00:51:52.47
was poured out on
the Day of Pentecost.
00:51:52.50\00:51:55.53
As I mentioned, after
Pentecost there are no further
00:51:55.57\00:52:00.28
references to Mary.
00:52:00.32\00:52:01.45
We find no reference,
or no mention to her death.
00:52:01.48\00:52:05.74
And so some people might assume,
well, because her death is not
00:52:05.78\00:52:09.73
mentioned, maybe she was assumed
to heaven after she died,
00:52:09.76\00:52:13.98
She was bodily
assumed to heaven.
00:52:14.02\00:52:15.65
Well, the fact is that it's not
so significant that the death
00:52:15.68\00:52:19.32
of Mary was not mentioned,
because most of the deaths
00:52:19.36\00:52:22.40
of the disciples
were not mentioned either.
00:52:22.43\00:52:24.64
We simply don't know about the
deaths of most of the apostles,
00:52:24.68\00:52:30.41
and we don't know
about the death of Mary.
00:52:30.44\00:52:32.97
In fact according to the gospels
the last group that resurrected
00:52:33.00\00:52:37.49
were those who came forth from
the grave when Jesus resurrected
00:52:37.52\00:52:41.97
in Matthew 27:51-53.
00:52:42.00\00:52:46.03
The next group which will
resurrect, according to the
00:52:46.07\00:52:49.37
New Testament, are those who
will come forth from the tomb
00:52:49.40\00:52:52.83
when Jesus descends from heaven
with the shout, with the voice
00:52:52.87\00:52:56.30
of the archangel, and
with the trump of God,
00:52:56.33\00:52:58.87
and the dead in
Christ will rise first.
00:52:58.91\00:53:01.41
We find this very interesting
reference in Manuscript Releases
00:53:01.44\00:53:05.76
volume 5, pages 101, 102.
00:53:05.80\00:53:09.17
Notice this comment:
00:53:09.20\00:53:11.83
And they will be
pierced when Jesus comes
00:53:32.73\00:53:35.82
on the clouds of heaven.
00:53:35.86\00:53:37.06
So this leads us to ask
a very important question,
00:53:37.10\00:53:41.55
and that is who then is
this Mary who is appearing
00:53:41.59\00:53:45.36
in different parts of
Planet Earth at present?
00:53:45.40\00:53:49.10
If Mary died and was
buried, and she's awaiting the
00:53:49.13\00:53:54.78
resurrection, who are these
entities that appear all over
00:53:54.82\00:54:00.25
the world claiming
to be the virgin Mary?
00:54:00.28\00:54:03.46
We will be dealing with
this in future lectures,
00:54:03.49\00:54:06.98
particularly the last
lecture which is titled,
00:54:07.02\00:54:10.48
The Ecumenical Mary.
00:54:10.51\00:54:12.33
Now I would like to deal with
one final reference, and that is
00:54:12.36\00:54:16.27
the reference to the woman
who is clothed with the sun,
00:54:16.30\00:54:19.75
and who is standing on the moon.
00:54:19.79\00:54:22.13
I visited, for example,
many Roman Catholic Cathedrals,
00:54:22.17\00:54:25.86
and I've discovered that
many times Mary is depicted as
00:54:25.89\00:54:29.59
standing on the moon, clothed
with the sun, having a crown
00:54:29.62\00:54:33.57
of twelve stars on her head,
with the baby Jesus in her arms,
00:54:33.60\00:54:37.51
and also
trampling upon the serpent.
00:54:37.55\00:54:41.24
In fact Saint Alphonsus
Liguori, who wrote a book
00:54:41.27\00:54:46.20
which we will refer to more
extensively later on in this
00:54:46.24\00:54:48.72
series called, The Glories of
Mary, says this about the woman
00:54:48.75\00:54:53.01
who is clothed with sun: He
says, It was she who was seen
00:54:53.05\00:54:57.05
by Saint John in the apocalypse,
clothed with the sun.
00:54:57.08\00:55:01.04
And then he quotes the
verse: And a great sign appeared
00:55:01.07\00:55:04.47
in heaven, a woman
clothed with the sun.
00:55:04.50\00:55:07.71
Now is this woman of
Revelation 12 actually Mary?
00:55:07.75\00:55:12.23
If you look carefully
at the text you will find
00:55:12.27\00:55:16.72
that it's not Mary.
00:55:16.75\00:55:17.78
First of all you're
dealing with symbols.
00:55:17.81\00:55:20.65
And in Bible prophecy
a woman represents what?
00:55:20.68\00:55:24.25
A woman represents the church.
00:55:24.29\00:55:26.47
This is not a
literal woman at all.
00:55:26.50\00:55:28.46
Furthermore we're told that
the woman fled to the wilderness
00:55:28.50\00:55:31.79
for 1,260 days, which
are really 1,260 years.
00:55:31.82\00:55:36.94
How is it then that if
this is Mary she fled into the
00:55:36.98\00:55:41.46
wilderness when
supposedly she was assumed
00:55:41.50\00:55:43.66
to heaven after her death?
00:55:43.69\00:55:45.40
She was bodily assumed, body
and soul, to heaven according
00:55:45.43\00:55:48.36
to Roman Catholic theology.
00:55:48.39\00:55:49.61
What is she doing being
persecuted by the serpent
00:55:49.64\00:55:51.97
on Planet Earth
during the 1260 years?
00:55:52.01\00:55:54.76
We're dealing with symbols.
00:55:54.79\00:55:57.48
Furthermore the 1260 years do
not fit the idea of Mary being
00:55:57.52\00:56:02.58
the person that
is spoken of here.
00:56:02.61\00:56:04.25
Furthermore, this passage makes
it very clear that the woman
00:56:04.28\00:56:08.65
represents the saints of God.
00:56:08.69\00:56:10.94
It represents the church of God.
00:56:10.98\00:56:13.20
You say, How is that?
00:56:13.23\00:56:14.26
Well, if you notice Daniel 7:25
it says that God's people would
00:56:14.29\00:56:22.29
be persecuted for a time,
times, and the dividing of time.
00:56:22.32\00:56:26.31
It says the saints would
be persecuted for time, times,
00:56:26.35\00:56:30.31
and the dividing of time.
00:56:30.34\00:56:31.51
When you go to Revelation 12
it says that the woman was going
00:56:31.55\00:56:35.88
to be persecuted for time,
times, and the dividing of time.
00:56:35.91\00:56:40.21
So one passage in
Daniel says it is the saints.
00:56:40.24\00:56:43.55
In the other passage it says
that the woman was going to be
00:56:43.58\00:56:47.14
persecuted during
that period: time, times,
00:56:47.17\00:56:50.11
and the dividing of time.
00:56:50.15\00:56:51.46
So, very clearly, the woman
is a representation of whom?
00:56:51.50\00:56:56.96
Of the Saints. Jesus was born
from the Old Testament church,
00:56:57.00\00:57:02.43
is what Revelation 12
is trying to teach us.
00:57:02.47\00:57:05.41
We have many more
exciting things to study
00:57:05.45\00:57:08.36
during this series.
00:57:08.40\00:57:09.43
We've studied the
Biblical portrait, which should
00:57:09.46\00:57:11.70
be the foundation.
00:57:12.00\00:57:13.03
In future lectures we
will deal with other issues.
00:57:13.06\00:57:17.42
And I hope that all of us will
plan to tune in, or to attend,
00:57:17.45\00:57:21.29
to study these
very important matters.
00:57:21.32\00:57:23.96