Jesus: Son of Mary

Yes it is!

Affirmed: Jesus is Mary’s son

Luke 1:34–35 ESV

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

While His essence was of God, it was also rightly of Mary; He was not an alien growth in her womb, but a child

This should be taken as a miraculous event; not a pattern to be repeated. This is the one and only instance; thus Jesus’s title as the Only Begotten

John 19:26–27 ESV

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Jesus rightly regarded and honored his mother to the last, in obedience to the 5th commandment and out of love for her

Affirmed: Jesus had family

Matthew 13:55–56 ESV

Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”

Matthew 1:25 ESV

but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

John 7:5 ESV

For not even his brothers believed in him.

Acts 1:14 ESV

All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Luke 8:21 ESV

But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

jn 7:

Some make the case that these were Joseph’s children, perhaps from a previous marriage before Mary.

Others suggest that these siblings were more like cousins.

There is nothing in scripture to suggest that Mary and Joseph could not or did not have other children.

The surface reading of the text seems to read that there were both brothers and sisters from Mary and Joseph.

Either way, Jesus clearly regarded them familially; His statement in 8:21 that his mother and brothers were whose who “hear the Word of God and do it,” was in no way a rejection of familial relationship to them, but rather a higher view of the eternal relationship

Affirmed: Jesus was truly a man

He was human

growth, hunger, and all

He was a 1st century Jew

He followed the Jewish Synagogue custom

John 10:22 ESV

At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter,

An Exposition of the New Testament, Volumes I–III Chapter 10

but this was the feast of dedication, appointed by Judas Maccabæus and his brethren, on account of the purging the temple, and renewing the altar, after the profanation of them by Antiochus; which feast lasted eight days

F

This in no way demands that we be Jewish in custom, but rather speaks to the complete manner in which Jesus lived as a man, and an affirmation of the validity of those traditions in that time.

Familiarity breeds stumbling

Negates many false notions that Jesus hovered around glowing and just being generally miraculous

He spoke from his crib as an infant

His diapers, and even the water they were washed in held healing power

His sweat was collected and made into an anti-leprosy balm

He parted streams and lakes for he and his friends to cross and play

He was known as a sorcerer and other kids were told to stay away from him

They took offense because they thought they knew Him and thus He had authority over Him

Story about the gun

Story about Union Hill Revival

Mark 6:4 ESV

And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”

John 7:5 ESV

For not even his brothers believed in him.

Abstinence, not Hindrance

Mark 6:5 ESV

And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.

Jesus needs no empowering from us

He is not energized or recharged by our prayers or worship

Jesus did not need people to commend His acts to God for permission

The simple fact is that because the people were stirred up with offense at and disbelief in Jesus’s identity and authority, few came to HIm.

He marveled because of their unbelief

Ample proof had been provided

The people of Nazareth were much like the Pharaoh in Exodus, whose hard heart was only hardened the more God showed Himself

So Jesus moved on

The offense and unbelief of the people in no way hindered Jesus, but rather excluded themselves from Him.

Their willing rejection of Jesus is the very reason they were not healed, not enlightened, not saved

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

whosoever believes - πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων - all the believing

Who does all the believing leave out? It leaves out the majority of the crowd in Nazareth. Does it leave out you?

What is the source of your unbelief? of your rejection?

Whatever it is, it in no way hinders the ministry of Jesus. He moves on and ministers to all who will have Him.

Regardless the specific nature of your rejection; it is an unnecessary insanity that condemns you; that leaves you alone under the wrath of God.

This is Jesus. He is the son of Mary; carpenter by trade. He is also Son of God, Savior. He speaks today through His Word; through His imperfect Church. Lay down offense and unbelief; come to Jesus and be saved.