Motherhood is Ministry
=Happy Mother’s day to the A). Physical & B). Spiritual mothers!
Jesus’ Mother Mary
Luke 1:26-33, 38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end....And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Jesus
- God could have come as an adult, but honors children and life
- God could have come without having parents, honored parental authority
- If a perfect child needed parents, every child does
Women
- Motherhood is often unexpected & inconvenient
- Motherhood is a calling
- Motherhood is a major test of faith
Men
- Don’t overlook godly single mothers
God gives children to parents, not governments
Matthew 2:13-15 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
- The government was the greatest threat to Jesus
- Jesus family practiced civil disobedience
Motherhood is ministry
Luke 2:51-52 And he [Jesus] went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
- Jesus had at least 6 siblings – 4 brothers, 2 sisters
- James & Jude – worship brother Jesus, pastors, wrote Bible books
“James the half-brother of Jesus was executed . . . he was thrown off the temple and, still alive, was stoned to death.” Dying, James echoes his big brother Jesus from Luke 23:34 saying, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” One archaeological expert says, “When James is murdered…it is Simon…who takes over leadership of the movement.”
- Jesus’ family did not have money, fame, or power
- Jesus’ family had love and the Holy Spirit
- Jesus’ mother changed the world by ministering to her family
