A Mother became the First Believer

The Ministry of Women

Some religious traditions elevate Mary, the mother of Jesus, to be something more than human. They venerate the young woman chosen by God to bear His son into the world to the point of praying to her for intercession with her son. Though she is worthy of honor for her excellent spirit and her willingness to be a vessel for the birth of the Messiah, it is clear from Scripture that she also had the normal feelings and experiences of motherhood.

The conception was a miraculous event where the Spirit of God caused a virgin to become pregnant. The rest of her maternal experience was very normal. She suffered the discomforts of travel to Bethlehem to register for the census due to the fact that she was well advanced in her pregnancy. She had the same concerns that any other mother has when her toddler is in danger of being hurt from falling. Mary felt the panic of fear when Jesus was found missing along their journey from Jerusalem when He was twelve and the rush of relief when He was discovered at the temple. The pain of the passion of Christ was more intense for Mary than any other observer at His crucifixion. It seemed to be more than a mother could bear.

Most significantly, this mother believed in the message and ministry of her son. She followed His life with interest and kept His words in her heart (Luke 2:51). She visited Him, supported Him, and believed in Him. This is all the more evident when in the roster of those present in the upper room Mary, the mother of Jesus, is listed with the rest.

Yes, Mary, the mother of the Messiah was among those who waited expectantly for the “Promise of the Father” that Jesus had announced prior to His ascension. She waited with 120 other believers in anticipation of this promised event. “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). Even Mary recognized her need of this experience and desired to be a part of the mission of her son.

Mary is not a mother to be worshipped, nor an advocate to get favors from her son, but rather a fellow believer, a disciple of Christ whom we shall meet in eternity as one who was transformed by the power of the Spirit into a child of God. Think of the irony, the mother of the Messiah became a child of God! The mother of Jesus was filled with the Spirit of Jesus! She was His first believer!