The Mother of Jesus

Jesus was not crucified because He healed the sick or raised the dead. He was crucified because He made Himself equal to God. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one!” and “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 10:30 and 14:9, NIV). Jesus’ claim that He and the Father are one was seen by the spiritual leaders as pure blasphemy, which merited the death penalty.

Jesus' mother was present at her son's crucifixion. She witnessed his first breath when he was born, and his last breath on the cross. What must she have felt at that moment? Despite her immense grief and heartache, Mary remained silent. And her silence at the foot of the cross is an impressive testimony to who Jesus really is, because it shows us she always knew Jesus was the Messiah.

Mary knew that Jesus was conceived by miraculous, divine intervention. God had sent the angel Gabriel to her with the message, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 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, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:30-35, NIV).

Mary’s response is powerful and shows her faith: “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38, NIV).

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, an angel of God appeared to a group of shepherds saying, ‘’...‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger’” (Luke 2:10-12, NIV).

The shepherds immediately set out and found Mary and Joseph with the child lying in the manger. They told Mary and Joseph what the angel had said about Jesus. Luke writes of this moment, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19, NIV).

Some Bible interpreters think that Mary did not fully understand all that was said about Jesus at his birth. Another translation reads, “But Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often” (NLT). However, that translation may not fully capture the meaning of the original language. In Greek literature, the word for “pondered” is sum-ballō, used when people respond to apparitions, dreams, or visions. In this context, it means “to ascertain” or “to understand.” With this understanding, Luke 2:19 can also be translated as, “Mary kept all these words in her heart; she understood what they meant.”

Mary knew that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel. I can imagine her putting him to bed at night, telling baby Jesus about the angel who told of the miracle of creation and how she became pregnant with the Messiah. We also see her knowledge years later. When the wine at a wedding party was running low, it was Mary who told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5 NIV).

Mary understood Jesus when He later said, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58, NIV).

If anyone knew who Jesus really was, it was Mary. She did not abandon her Son. At the foot of the cross, she stood close to Him. Had Mary lost her way now that Jesus is being crucified? Did she doubt Him? No, but she is silent. Her silence speaks volumes—her silence says it all.

Any other mother—when her son claims to be God—would stand up and say, “He says he and God are one? He is confused; he’s making it up. You can punish him, but please, don't kill him! Please, don't kill my boy!”

But Mary knew who He was and what He had to do on the cross, so she stayed silent. Mary's silence is the most reliable testimony of who Jesus really is. She knew what the Roman commander came to know when he testified at the foot of the cross, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39, NIV).