MARY of NAZARETH - Mother of Jesus

MARY of  NAZARETH - Mother of Jesus stands apart from all other women in history. In art, music, and literature she has become the embodiment of all that is fine and noble in womanhood. No woman in the entire history of the world has been so honored and revered, and rightly so. In spite of Mary's extraordinary role in the redemption story, exasperatingly little is told of her in the New Testament Scriptures. But what is included is quite revealing.

Her greatness had humble beginnings. She was a simple peasant girl living in Nazareth 20 centuries ago. Her family and community taught her faith in the one monotheistic God and hope in the promised Messiah. Mary reared her son in obscurity and had neither wealth nor acclaim. She never exalted herself, and she suffered as much as any other woman. Yet, her suffering changed into exceeding joy at her Son's resurrection when she believed in Him as the fulfillment of Prophecy.  Early Church tradition records that Mary lived with John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, both in Jerusalem after the ascension of Christ, and later in Ephesus, where John served as pastor to the Christian believers. Many believe Mary was buried in the city of Ephesus where she died and all of Christendom greatly mourned her passing.

ABOUT THE PRESENTATION

From the perspective of a grandmother and the advantage of being present in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given to the Church, Mary shares her life story in retrospect. She recalls only those unique events in her and Jesus' lives recorded in the New Testament Scriptures. From the amazing prophecies of the angels, the Prophets Simeon and Anna the Prophetess, the escape to Egypt through Christ's ministry and miracles, to the foot of the Cross, hear how Mary "pondered all these things in her heart" and came to faith in Christ herself. For Biblical accuracy, only those incidents where Mary appears in the Scripture are included in the program. Mary's last recorded words, spoken to the servants at the wedding in Cana, Galilee, serve as her message to the world up to this very day: "Whatsoever Jesus tells you to do, do it."