Mary's Faith Journey

The Gospel of Luke is the only gospel with a detailed story about Mary. Beginning with the angel Gabriel to notice a virgin who lived in a town called Nazareth. Mary was a virgin, a young girl who was engaged, suddenly startled by a message from the angel of the Lord. (Luke chapter 1 verses 26-35 :26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called [Or So the child to be born will be called holy,] the Son of God.)

We can imagine how Mary feels surprised and fear heard about it. On the other hand Mary was amazed because she gets a great gift but on the other hand of course, Mary had to face a very serious problem. She'll get pregnant! And it happened when she was unmarried. At the time it is a crime and disgrace for a young girl pregnant before marriage. Especially if she was engaged she would be considered adultery and threatened punishment stoned to death. But God chose Mary not a haphazard and without any reason. Although still not understand the great plan of God through the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ reincarnated into humans through her, but Mary chose to obey God and put her faith to Him. In Luke chapter 1 verse 38 we can see the response of Mary after heard the Angel Gabriel notices: “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. Elizabeth, Mary’s relative who is also pregnant, in the Holy Spirit said: (Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” "Luke chapter 1 verse 45) Mary, humble servant who faithfully sing songs of praise which is a statement about the Lord Jesus Christ. In Luke chapter 1verses 46-49 Mary says: 46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is his name. It was great! Song of Mary is not the singing that comes from herself, but the Holy Spirit who guided her. At that time she began her journey of faith.

How did God acts surprised to Maria. Mary saw the plan of God worked through Joseph her fiancé who took her to be his wife. So Mary saves from the death penalty under Jewish law. Mary began to be confronted with amazing events that she did not understand. When she gave birth a child who came from the Holy Spirit, Mary and Joseph had a visit from the shepherds who said that the angels had told them about the Child. Mary did not understand, but he kept it in her heart and pondered. (Luke chapter 2 verses 18-19: 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.). Similarly, when the Magi came to worship the Son, and give offerings are expensive, of course she was surprised and still do not really understand the meaning of child birth.

When Jesus Christ was 12 years old he disappeared when they returned from Easter celebrations in Jerusalem. Apparently he was in the temple of God; speak to the experts of the law. We can see the conversation of Jesus with his mother Mary, in Luke chapter 2 verses 48-51: 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.

During Mary raised Jesus, he dilled with a sense of surprise and unfamiliarity. But she keeps it all in his heart. Maria continues to believe that Jesus was a holy man of God. This is visible in the marriage in Cana. In John chapter 2 verses 1-11 spoken 1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. [Greek: two to three metretes (probably about 75 to115 litres)] 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so,9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realise where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” 11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

Mary believed that Jesus was capable of doing extraordinary things. But Mary just as the others disciples of Jesus, she has not understood the true meaning of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ on this earth.

When Jesus Christ began His ministry, Mary would often hear about the wonderful things and remarkable what He did and how shocked she heard the statement of Jesus Christ when Mary and Jesus Christ’s brothers come to meet. Jesus Christ said “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” (Luke chapter 8 verse 21). In her hearts, Mary must have felt offended and saddened to hear this word, but it was done the Lord Jesus is not to hurt her but to open Mary’s heart so she understand the meaning of the existence of Jesus Christ, and the meaning of who exactly Himself.

We can see then that Mary’s hearts and faith broke when Jesus Christ died on the cross at Golgotha. Mary thoughts about Jesus Christ that He would become king of Israel as the Angel Gabriel said are shattered. But Jesus Christ knew Mary sorrow, before dying, Jesus Christ said to Mary and John the disciple: 26 When Jesus saw his mother there and the disciple whom beloved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (John chapter 19 verses 26-27).

These words are not just comfort, so John receive Mary as his own mother and to comfort the sad Mary but underneath it all, in the presence of John in addition to Mary then she remained gathered together with others Christ disciples. She also have faith recovery. I believe that Mary was with Jesus Christ disciples when He visit them after He rose from the dead. And I also believe that Mary saw the Lord Jesus Christ is lifted up to heaven.

Praise the Lord! Mary’s faith restored even more so. In Acts chapter 1 verse 14 Mary also looking forward to the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ that is filled with the Holy Spirit(They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.). Mary in her faith journey has now understood the meaning of hymns that once she sang; My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. She finally understands that Jesus Christ is not just a child that she bore by the power of the Spirit of God but Jesus Christ is God who became man, and He came to die to redeem mankind from sin slavery, but then rose and triumphed over death and ascended into heaven and promised to give the Holy Spirit for everyone who believes to Him.

ASTA ARUNA friends, someone who took the decision to believe and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who took the decision to believe and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, doesn’t mean it is the end of a journey. But on the contrary, it is a start. When a person believes in the Lord Jesus Christ in his heart may still filled with questions that are difficult to found the answer. But through the experience of Mary's journey of faith, we can learn to further grow in the knowledge and accompaniment to the Lord Jesus Christ. God's Word in the letter of 2 Peter chapter 1 verses 5-8 clearly says 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is a process that must be passed every person who chooses to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is not the 1 or 2 years process, but it is a journey of faith throughout our lives. Was the experience difficult? I definitely answered YES! The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew chapter 7 verses 13-14). Choose to become followers of Jesus Christ means choosing the narrow road and difficult. Why? We must remember that this world is under the power of sin and the spirits of darkness. And they hate the people who believe in Lord Jesus Christ because they are full of iniquity and hated. the Lord Jesus Christ at the end of time will destroy this world and its evil spirits. The Lord Jesus said “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: `No servant is greater than his master.’ [John 13:16] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. (John chapter 15 verses 18-21).

It is very important for everyone who chooses to believe to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith believing Christ persevere firm. God’s Word said : 21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of [Or minds, as shown by] your evil behavior.22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation — 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. (Colossians chapter 1verses 21-23). Like Mary who remained persistent and eventually see the triumph of faith to believe when Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Similarly, every person have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will get part that cannot perish from the Him as His Word in the letter of I Peter chapter 1verses 3-9 said: 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Hallelujah! HAVE YOU STARTED YOUR FAITH JOURNEY......?