Mary Mother of Jesus

Mary was likely born between 30-20 BCE. She grew up around Nazareth, about ten miles (16 kilometers) west of the Sea of Galilee. Her parents were Joachim and Hannah, and she had two sisters and two brothers. She was a descendant of a long line of remarkable women, including Eve and Ruth. Her ancestry is characterized by the predominance of strong but average individuals. In culture and belief, Mary was a Jew, but in heredity her lineage was Syrian, Hittite, Phoenician, Greek, and Egyptian.

Mary was a brown-eyed, nearly blond woman. Her family was well educated, and she was far better educated than most women of her day. Mary developed a talent for planning and the ability to adapt and execute her plans. She was an expert weaver and skilled in most of the household arts of her day; she grew to be a good housekeeper and a superior homemaker. She was usually a cheerful person with a sunny disposition; she freely and frequently indulged in emotional expression.

Mary married a craftsman named Joseph, a man from a good family. Not long after they were wed, in November of 8 BCE, Mary was visited by a celestial being named Gabriel who announced she was to become the mother of a “child of promise.” This announcement came as a shock, and she said nothing to anyone for many weeks. When she knew without a doubt that she was pregnant, she told Joseph. But Joseph was skeptical until he had a dream that coincided with Gabriel’s announcement. Soon, Mary and Joseph came to believe they were to be the parents of an expected one, a Messiah who had long been foretold by Jewish prophets. Nine months after Gabriel’s visit Joshua (Jesus) was born, on August 21, 7 BCE.

On April 2 of 3 BCE, she gave birth to a second son, James. The first girl, Miriam, came on July 11 of 2 BCE. On March 16 of 1 CE, another boy was born, and named after his father, Joseph. Jesus’ third brother, Simon, arrived on April 14 of 2 CE. On Thursday, September 13, 3 CE, the second girl, Martha, was born. On June 24 of 5 CE, Mary gave birth to another boy, Jude. On Sunday night, January 9 of 7 CE, Amos arrived. The last child, Jesus’ baby sister Ruth, came on April 17 of 9 CE. Mary became a loving mother to all nine of her children, and also a fairly strict disciplinarian.

All went well with Mary’s family for fifteen years. There were no deaths or serious injuries and they prospered as her husband Joseph was a skilled workman and good provider. But tragedy struck on September 25, 8 CE when he was killed in a construction accident. Fourteen-year-old Jesus then assumed Joseph’s role and duties as head of the family and remained at the home helping Mary raise his eight siblings until he was twenty-seven years old (Amos, the youngest in the family, died of a fever in 12 CE).

Because Mary stubbornly held onto her belief that Jesus was to become a political ruler, a king to “sit on David’s throne,” their relationship was often strained. Mary had difficulty understanding her son and his mission, both before and after he left home. But she was always buoyed by the memory of Gabriel’s announcement.

At age twenty-seven, Jesus turned over the responsibility as the family head to James and began his mission to proclaim truth. Between his many journeys, Jesus visited his family only occasionally. Because of his infrequent visits, distance grew between himself and Mary. This distance may have been intentional on the part of Jesus since Mary, nor any of his other family members, suffered as he did at the end of his life – accused, tried, and killed by the religious authorities who feared him and rejected the truths he proclaimed. Mary came to him just before he perished on the cross. And that was their last contact in the flesh. After his death, the resurrected Jesus appeared to Mary and his siblings on April 9, 30 CE. Mary lived the remainder of her natural life in the home of John Zebedee and died less than a year later.

When earth was selected as the planet to receive a divine son, the task of locating a place, and a couple to be his parents, was given to Gabriel, a high administrator of celestial affairs. After making a survey of the people of the planet, Gabriel decided the Hebrews were best suited to receive and raise Jesus, a child of destiny. When that decision was made, Gabriel appointed a commission to find the most qualified couples to bear the child. Out of the three couples that the commission nominated, Gabriel selected Mary and Joseph. He then laid plans to announce his choice to Mary.

Young Mary’s father hired a man named Joseph to help build an addition to their home. One day, as Joseph was having lunch, Mary brought him water. Their romance began that day and, after a two-year courtship, they married in March, 8 BCE at Mary’s home. They then moved into a house that Joseph and two of his brothers built. It was there that they planned to raise a family.

After settling in their new home, and without any warning or foreknowledge, Gabriel appeared to Mary when she was alone and said to her:

“I come at the bidding of one who is my Master and whom you shall love and nurture. To you, Mary, I bring glad tidings when I announce that the conception within you is ordained by heaven, and that in due time you will become the mother of a son; you shall call him Joshua, and he shall inaugurate the kingdom of heaven on earth and among men. Speak not of this matter save to Joseph and to Elizabeth, your kinswoman, to whom I have also appeared, and who shall presently also bear a son, whose name shall be John, and who will prepare the way for the message of deliverance which your son shall proclaim to men with great power and deep conviction. And doubt not my word, Mary, for this home has been chosen as the mortal habitat of the child of destiny. My benediction rests upon you, the power of the Most Highs will strengthen you, and the Lord of all the earth shall overshadow you.”

Gabriel’s appearance came as a shock to Mary, and she did not tell Joseph about it until she was certain that she was pregnant. He was troubled at first, but later, after an impressive dream, came to believe he was going to be the father of the Messiah, a long-expected leader and presumed liberator of the Jewish people. In this dream, a brilliant celestial messenger appeared to him and said, among other things:

“Joseph, I appear by command of Him who now reigns on high, and I am directed to instruct you concerning the son whom Mary shall bear, and who shall become a great light in the world. In him will be life, and his life shall become the light of mankind. He shall first come to his own people, but they will hardly receive him; but to as many as shall receive him to them will he reveal that they are the children of God.”

After Gabriel’s appearance to Mary, she came to believe her son was the expected deliverer as predicted in Old Testament scripture (Isaiah 9:6-7), even though that was not part of Gabriel’s announcement. Nevertheless, Mary firmly believed her son would become a national political leader and that he would restore the “throne of David.” Joseph, however, suspected he would become a spiritual leader.

According to Gabriel, Mary was to be Jesus’ mother and her cousin, Elizabeth, would give birth to Jesus’ forerunner and herald, John (the Baptist). Since Gabriel had informed each of these mothers-to-be of his appearance to the other, they were anxious to get together, compare experiences, and talk over the probable futures of their sons. Mary persuaded Joseph to allow her to visit Elizabeth in the City of Judah where she stayed for three weeks. While there, Elizabeth did much to strengthen Mary’s faith in the vision of Gabriel, and she returned home more fully dedicated to the call of being mother to the child of destiny.

Gabriel’s announcement to Mary was made the day following the conception of Jesus, in the middle of November 8, BCE, and this was the only supernatural event connected with her entire experience of carrying and bearing the child of promise. As Jesus grew, he became more and more of a mystery to his mother. She alternated between believing and doubting, but she was always steadied in her final attitude by the memory of Gabriel’s appearance to her at the beginning of her pregnancy.

Roman law required that Joseph go to his ancestral home, Bethlehem, to enroll in the census. On August 18 of 7 BCE, he and Mary departed Nazareth for Bethlehem to fulfill this obligation. Mary did not have to travel with her husband, but she insisted on going because she knew her time was near and wanted Joseph to be close when the child was born. At the end of the third day’s travel, they arrived at Bethlehem. All the inns were overcrowded because of the order for everyone to enroll in the census at the same time. An owner of one of the inns cleaned out a stable that was normally used to shelter animals and partitioned it with curtains. After a restless night, and with the help of other women staying at the inn, Joshua ben Joseph was born around noon on August 21, 7 BCE.

The day after Joshua was born, Mary sent word to Elizabeth, her cousin who had also received a visit from Gabriel. He had told Elizabeth that she too would bear a son of promise, one who would become a herald for Joshua. Elizabeth had already given birth to John in March of that year. Eight days after Joshua’s birth, and according to Jewish practice, he was taken to the temple in Jerusalem, circumcised, and formally named Joshua.

Mary was required by the law of Moses to submit to ritual purification after giving birth, and Joseph was expected to donate to the temple in lieu of sacrificing his firstborn son. While they were at the Jerusalem temple fulfilling these obligations, there was a poet, Anna, and a singer, Simeon. The father of John the Baptist, Zacharias, was a priest and he had revealed to Anna that Jesus was the expected Messiah according to visions given to Mary and his wife, Elizabeth. Anna wrote a poem that Simeon sang which surprised and disturbed both Mary and Joseph. And when word of this odd occurrence reached Herod the Great, Roman ruler at the time, it set the stage for a terrible slaughter of innocent boys. Herod believed the rumors about a Messiah being born, and he feared a Jewish uprising or any threat, real or not, to his authority. He decided it would be best to find and destroy the child before he grew to manhood.

After the baby’s birth, Mary and Joseph decided to remain in Bethlehem since that was the City of David and they presumed Jesus would be his successor. They stayed for more than a year during which Mary tended to the babe and Joseph worked at carpentry. All this year, Herod’s agents searched for the baby but did not find him. Finally, Herod ordered that all baby boys in Bethlehem be killed. Jesus would have been one of them had not Mary and Joseph been warned and escaped to Egypt only one day before the slaughter of sixteen innocent babies.

Mary and Joseph left for Egypt the night before the “massacre of innocents” occurred. Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus stayed in Alexandria with Joseph’s wealthy relatives during which time Joseph worked first as a carpenter, and later, a construction foreman. They lived in Alexandria for two years until Herod the Great died, then returned to Bethlehem only after refusing their relatives and friends’ invitation to remain in Egypt. Once back in Bethlehem, the decision whether to stay or go on to Nazareth had to be settled. For three weeks, Mary and Joseph debated the matter and finally settled on Nazareth and Galilee as the best and safest place to rear their “child of promise.”

Mary weaned her firstborn child only after they were safe and secure in Alexandria. The two years they stayed in Egypt was one long vigil for Mary. Although she behaved as most other mothers, she was inclined to be overprotective with Jesus. Joseph was less so and restrained Mary’s instinctual fears, convincing her that it was wise to let the child grow up as any other. But she made it her business always to be on watch.

When Jesus grew out of infancy, Mary’s natural positive attitude became a strong influence on him. During his early years, he developed a broad viewpoint of religious life and a liberal concept of personal spiritual freedom thanks to Mary. While Joseph held vigorously to the Jewish religion, Mary leaned strongly toward the more liberal and broader Western, or Hellenistic, interpretation of “the law and the prophets.” Both Mary and Joseph were good teachers, and they saw to it that all their children were well versed in the learning of that day. But they decided on the way home from Alexandria, when Jesus was still an infant, that it would be wise not to mention to anyone that he was a child of promise.

In April of 3 BCE, the second son arrived and was named James. In July of that year, Mary took both children to her brother’s farm to escape an epidemic of intestinal flu that swept through their hometown of Nazareth. They stayed there for two months. The next significant event in Mary’s life was in July, 2 BCE, when she had her first girl. They named her Miriam. Young Jesus very much enjoyed interacting with his siblings and was a great help to Mary in their care. It was a Jewish custom for the mother to train both male and female children until age five, then give the responsibility for the boys to the father. But even after age five, Mary trained Jesus to care for the vines and flowers that encircled their home. And she provided sandboxes where Jesus practiced writing and making maps. She and Joseph often discussed Jesus’ future privately, but his upbringing was for the most part normal and average for that time and place.

Mary’s cousin Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, came to visit the Nazareth family just before Jesus was six, in the early summer of 1 BCE. Jesus and John had a happy time during this, their first visit within their memories. Although the visit lasted only a few days, the parents talked over many things, including the future plans for their sons.

Mary’s overprotective tendency came into play once again when Jesus was seven. He fell while descending the stairs from the roof of their home during a sudden sandstorm. He was not badly injured, but the incident caused Mary to keep him at her side for some months. Only an affectionate mother can know the burden Mary carried in her heart for the safety of her son during these years of his infancy and early childhood. She was always anxious about her firstborn’s health and safety, but by his eighth year, she became reconciled to his spending a week at an uncle’s farm, or a week fishing with another uncle who lived near the Sea of Galilee.

When Jesus was eight, there arose a debate about whether to send him to the Jerusalem academy of rabbis. Mary favored it since she believed her son would become the Jewish Messiah. His father opposed the idea. After much debate and no decision, they asked Jesus his opinion. The lad was not certain, but he had a talk with God and felt God wanted him to remain at home. Mary marveled at her son’s wisdom and maturity, and this was only the first of several occasions where Jesus surpassed his parents in decision making.

Mary had three more children in quick succession. She gave birth to Joseph in March of 1 CE. Simon arrived in April of 2 CE. In September of 3 CE, she had her second girl, Martha. Jesus was nine when Martha was born. He was always helpful to Mary and loved his siblings, even if there were occasional tensions within the rapidly growing family.

Around this time, Jesus began to ask questions about his life mission. Many of these questions neither Mary nor Joseph could answer. Besides his unanswerable questions, there were a number of incidents that occurred between Jesus’ ninth and fourteenth birthdays that tried his parents to their limits. But he always obeyed them, he learned from them, and to their amazement, they also learned from him.

At age ten, Jesus was becoming more conscious of his special mission in life. He had a long talk with Mary, but neither she nor Joseph offered advice. They listened and said little. He entered the synagogue school this year and asked more and more questions. He began to show a preference for discussions with older people. Mary tried to persuade him to associate with those of his own age, but his keen reasoning and exceptional curiosity were not satisfied by discussions with those of his age.

Both Mary and Joseph were sometimes tempted to show favoritism for Jesus but, for the most part, they restrained this urge to give him preference as a son of destiny. Always in the back of Mary’s mind was Gabriel’s announcement that her son had a special mission. The few times she did give in to showing preference, Jesus was quick to refuse it.

Mary gave birth to her seventh child, Jude, in June of 5 CE. There were natal complications and Mary was sick for several weeks. Joseph stayed home to care for her, and Jesus took on many of her duties and responsibilities. This was a turning point for the family where the firstborn son left childhood behind and his mother observed how he was maturing, and how he was getting along better with his siblings.

In January, 7 CE, Jesus’ youngest brother Amos was born. Mary remembered this year for another reason as one of the most traumatic experiences of her life as a mother happened in April when the family went to Jerusalem for Passover. Jesus was becoming acutely aware of the spiritual importance of life and, during this four-day holiday, fully engaged himself in discussions with the priests at the Jerusalem synagogue. But when it came time to return home, Mary thought Jesus was with his father’s group. And Joseph believed his son must be with his mother’s group. In fact, he was still at the temple absorbed in discussions about angels. Of course, his parents were frantic when they arrived at Jericho, their first overnight stop on the way home to Nazareth, and discovered their firstborn was missing. For three awful days, Mary and Joseph searched and finally found their son deep in conversation with the Jerusalem temple’s elders. Mary chastised him for worrying them so, but Jesus' new-found maturity was up to the occasion. He simply said, “the time has come that I be about my Father’s business.”

On the way home, while traversing a path on Mount Olivet that overlooked Jerusalem, Jesus looked down on this city and thought about the Jewish people trapped by their own practices and suffering under Roman rule. He said: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, and the people thereof, what slaves you are—subservient to the Roman yoke and victims of your own traditions—but I will return to cleanse yonder temple and deliver my people from this bondage!”

Mary, despite her worry and inability to understand Jesus, took the declaration he made on Olivet as confirmation that he was indeed the expected Messiah. She set to work with renewed energy in an attempt to mold his thoughts into patriotic and nationalistic channels. She enlisted the help of her brother, Jesus’ favorite uncle, and in every other way tried to prepare Jesus for the work of restoring the throne of David and freeing the Jewish nation from Roman dominance.

It was a trying experience for Mary and Joseph to rear this exceptional person, this unique combination of divinity and humanity. They deserve great credit for so faithfully and successfully discharging their parental responsibilities. But neither Mary nor Joseph told Jesus about Gabriel’s appearance to Mary and Elizabeth. He did not know until his cousin John the Baptist told him on the day he baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.

In September of 8 CE, a great tragedy struck the family. Mary’s husband, Joseph, was injured when a derrick fell at the construction site where he was a supervisor. When Mary received word she rushed to him, leaving Jesus to care for the family. But Joseph died before she could reach him. Fourteen-year-old Jesus, being the eldest child, had to assume the role of family head. For months Mary was consumed with sadness by Joseph’s sudden death; grief hung over the household despite Jesus’ valiant efforts to lighten the mood. And he proved to be a good manager of their finances and other affairs while bereaved Mary pined over Joseph’s absence, as only a devoted wife would. To compound her grief and remind her of Joseph’s death, she was newly pregnant. Little Ruth, the ninth and last child, was born the following April of 9 CE.

Jesus bravely shouldered and cheerfully accepted the responsibilities of fathering and providing for his family after his father was killed. He was a true father to the household, despite his youth. He spent every possible hour with the youngsters, and they truly loved him. Mary grieved to see him work so hard; she sorrowed that he was day by day toiling at the carpenter’s bench earning a living for the family instead of being, as they had so fondly planned, at Jerusalem studying with the rabbis. While there was much about her son that Mary could not understand, she did love him, and she thoroughly appreciated the willing manner in which he carried out the responsibilities of their home.

When Jesus was seventeen, a nationalist group, the Zealots, came to town recruiting. Mary insisted that Jesus join them and become an example to his brothers and the other young men in Nazareth. She secretly held the belief that this might lead Jesus into the Messiah role she so longed to see him fulfill. But it was not to be. Jesus said plainly that his responsibilities for his home and family took precedence. As time went on, it became more difficult for Mary to understand Jesus. Because of her mistaken notions about his life mission, she stumbled over his sayings and misinterpreted his doings. Some of his siblings were likewise not able to comprehend him and were confused because their mother had always told them he was destined to become the deliverer of the Jewish people. But he always denied all such ideas.

After Mary’s cousin Elizabeth’s husband died, in 12 CE, Elizabeth and John visited Mary and Jesus once again. It was during this visit that the boys, now eighteen, discussed their plans for public ministry to begin after “the heavenly Father should call.” But Jesus could not discuss his plans with Mary because he knew she held tightly to the mistaken idea that he was the Messiah.

During Jesus’ eighteenth year, tragedy struck the household once again when five-year-old Amos died of a fever. It was about this time when the family’s income was low, and they felt the pinch of poverty. The funeral expense only added to their problems and Mary’s grief. But during this difficult period, Jesus was like a rock in turbulent waters, not only for Mary but for his siblings too. Mary now regarded Jesus less as a son and more as a father to her children. And less frequently did they speak of his life’s work. All their energies were focused on the support and upbringing of their family, now with four boys and three girls. Jesus won his mother over to the acceptance of his methods of child training—the positive injunction to do good in the place of the older Jewish method of forbidding to do evil. Gradually Jesus had, in Mary’s eyes, become the unquestioned head of their household.

When Jesus turned nineteen, Mary’s sense of security was threatened. Her son was well known and highly regarded by the young women of Nazareth and a seventeen-year-old fell in love with him. The girl, Rebecca, talked with Jesus’ sister Miriam about asking for Jesus’ hand in marriage. Hearing about it troubled Mary greatly. First Joseph was killed, then Amos died, and now the head of her household might be taken away. Before talking it over with Jesus, Mary went to Rebecca and tried to dissuade her, but to no avail. Mary’s anxiety was short-lived as Jesus kindly and graciously rejected her offer when he attended Rebecca’s seventeenth birthday celebration, citing family obligations as part of his rationale for declining. Rebecca never married, but followed Jesus when and wherever she could. She came with Mary to Jerusalem and stood by her as they beheld Jesus hanging on the cross.

After Jesus’ refusal of Rebecca’s offer, Mary had a long talk with her son about marriage. She asked him if he would get married if he were free from his family responsibilities. He explained that his mission did not include marriage and was committed to doing God’s will, which, in his case, would preclude taking a wife.

Jesus worked steadily in the family’s repair shop to support them while Mary cared for the home. After Joseph’s death, money became scarce, and they had their hands full raising and educating Jesus’ siblings. As he became more fully aware of his mission, Jesus gradually prepared his younger brothers to take over his responsibilities as head of the family. Mary knew her firstborn would someday leave whether or not they agreed on what his mission should be. But he would not leave until the family was secure and his fatherly duties were firmly in the hands of his brothers. Jesus remained at Mary’s side until he was twenty-seven.

Between his fourteenth and twenty-seventh year, Jesus and Mary tended to the family’s needs. During that period, little by little, each of the children began taking on adult responsibilities. Eventually the children found mates. James and Miriam were the first to marry and move out of the house, but they lived close by. When James left, Joseph took on the role as head of family. Mary was happy but often wished Jesus would talk with her like he did in his younger years. She and everyone in the family knew that Jesus would soon leave the Nazareth home and “be about the Father’s business.” But Mary never did comprehend the real meaning and true significance of that statement which Jesus so often repeated.

Well before he left home, when the children were older, Jesus frequently traveled. Mary became accustomed to his journeys, and she sensed he was planning to leave permanently. In January of 21 CE, when he was twenty-seven, with everyone in the family secure and watching over Mary, Jesus left the family home and never again lived there. Since the married children were living nearby, and the others were still at home, Jesus felt free to spend nearly three years traveling and working around the Mediterranean. But before he departed, he arranged for regular payments, out of his savings and earnings, to be made to Mary. It was during this period of travel, and not hearing from him, that Mary began to fear that her son had died. Only the reassurances from one of her late husband’s friends kept this fear from overtaking her.

In December of 23 CE, Jesus returned to Nazareth for a few weeks. These weeks he spent mostly with Mary. By that time, her years of raising children were almost at an end. Joseph, Martha, Simon, and Jude had all married, only Ruth was still living at home. Early in 24 CE, Jesus called a family conference and proposed that Mary and Ruth move to a home that his apostle John Zebedee had purchased for him in Capernaum that Jesus had given to James.. All agreed, and Mary shared this home with James until after Jesus' death.

Jesus then left once more to work and travel. After a year away, he returned and was baptized by John. Mary believed this baptism meant her son would soon declare that he was the expected Messiah. She would not let go of her plans for him to be a king, a national ruler, and liberator. This erroneous idea of Jesus’ mission came to a head at a wedding in the town of Cana, in late February of 26 CE.

After his baptism, Jesus selected six of his apostles and announced they would attend Naomi’s wedding at Cana. Rumors had been circulating that the wedding would be the occasion where Jesus would finally announce that he was the Messiah. Before the ceremony, Mary, with James at her side, approached Jesus, wanting to know how and when he would make this announcement and also provide evidence to prove he was a “supernatural one.” But they aroused his characteristic indignation and he said, “If you love me, then be willing to tarry with me while I wait upon the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Jesus’ indignant reply was a great disappointment to Mary, and she became depressed for hours. When both James and Jude tried to console her, she said to James: “I cannot understand him; what can it all mean? Is there no end to his strange conduct?”

Because Nazareth and the surrounding community had heard of Jesus and believed the rumors that he would make a declaration of his divinity at the wedding, twice the number of people that were invited came. Soon the wine ran short and when Mary heard this, she went to her son hoping he might help. He asked her why she would trouble him with such matters and that he should not, and would not, do anything. Mary broke down in tears and pleaded with him. Jesus’ sympathy and pity were aroused by his mother’s plea and without intending it, her wish became a fact. Six large stone pots full of water were suddenly turned into wine. Jesus was the most surprised, but Mary was gleeful. To her, he had finally asserted his authority and divine status, he had exhibited and confirmed his Messianic power.

Mary’s glee turned to disappointment when Jesus failed to say anything and withdrew for an hour. When he returned, he was light-hearted but made no statement. The next morning the festivities went on, but he, without saying anything to Mary, gathered his apostles and left for Capernaum.

In the months after the wedding, when no more apparent miracles were performed, and no Messianic claims were made by Jesus, Mary’s faith sank to new lows. An estrangement settled in between her and Jesus and lasted the rest of her life. It was especially hurtful to Mary on another occasion, in 29 CE at Bethsaida, where she and the family came to visit Jesus. Jesus was speaking to a large group when they arrived, and the attendant crowd made it impossible to reach him. Mary passed the message that she and his siblings were there. When this message reached Peter, he interrupted Jesus and announced that his family had arrived and wished to speak with him. Mary intended to persuade her son to come home and give up preaching a new religion that would only bring trouble to him and dishonor to his family.

When Jesus heard Peter say his mother and brothers had arrived, he replied:

“Say to my mother and my brothers that they should have no fear for me. The Father who sent me into the world will not forsake me; neither shall any harm come upon my family. Bid them be of good courage and put their trust in the Father of the kingdom. But, after all, who is my mother and who are my brothers?” And stretching forth his hands toward all of his disciples assembled in the room, he said: “I have no mother; I have no brothers. Behold my mother and behold my brethren! For whosoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my mother, my brother, and my sister.”

Mary collapsed when she heard him say the words, “I have no mother.” She did not know Jesus intended to speak with them later, but he had to leave quickly when word came that authorities were on the way to arrest him.

This incident only deepened the estrangement between mother and son. Mary and others in the family could not understand him. They were confused and worried. The following week they talked, debated, and prayed. Finally, word came that he was safe, in good health, and on the way to Phoenicia.

In August of 29 CE, Jesus arranged to meet with his family at Capernaum. But the authorities happened to be in the area looking for him. When they asked Mary where Jesus was, she became nervous. They decided, because Mary was so perturbed, that her son must be expected and set up camp near the house. Word was passed to Jesus, and he had to forego this attempt to meet with his family. Between this failed meeting and Jesus’ arrest in April of 30 CE, his family heard many stories about his sayings, his doings, and his miracles, but did not see him.

Throughout Jesus' life, Mary alternated between accepting that her son had a mission only he understood and believing that he was mentally unbalanced. When he left home to begin his mission, in 21 CE, she remained wondering and pondering what Gabriel predicted, that her firstborn was a “child of destiny.” Nine years later, after so much misunderstanding between them, word came that Jesus had been taken into custody and that she should go immediately to Jerusalem.

By the time Mary reached Jesus, on Friday morning, April 7, 30 CE, he had already been convicted and was hanging on the cross. His apostle, John Zebedee, stood on one side of Mary while her son Jude stood in support on the other. Jesus smiled down on her and famously said, “Woman, behold your son!” He then asked John and Jude to take her away. And that was the last time Mary saw her firstborn in the flesh. John took her to the place where he was staying in Jerusalem and, the next day, to the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in Bethany. On Sunday, the resurrected Jesus appeared to Mary and the rest of his family. And that was the last time Mary saw her firstborn son.

Mary’s hopes were so often dashed by Jesus and, in the end, she witnessed the awful spectacle of his cruel death, condemned by her own people, and killed by the Romans. After he appeared to her and the family, in resurrected form, Mary stayed for a week in Jerusalem and Bethany communing with others who had seen him. She then went home and was cared for by her children, all of whom were married, including Ruth who became the wife of David Zebedee shortly after Jesus died. Following that, Jesus’ apostle, John Zebedee, took Mary to live in his home for the rest of her natural life and she died there less than a year later.

The earliest Biblical reference to Mary is in the New Testament epistle to the Galatians, which was written before the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. She is referred to as "a woman" and is not named: "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law" (Galatians 4:4).

Mary is mentioned several times in the Gospels, once in another book—the Acts of the Apostles—and lastly in the Book of Revelation, as follows:

The Gospel of Matthew mentions her by name five times. Four of these (Matthew 1:16, 18, 20, and 2:12) are in the infancy narrative and only once elsewhere (Matthew 13:55).

The Gospel of Mark names her once (Mark 6:3) and mentions Jesus' mother without naming her (Mark 3:31–32).

The Gospel of Luke mentions Mary the most often, twelve times in chapters one and two (various). Jesus’ parents are also referred to in these two chapters.

The Gospel of John refers to the mother of Jesus twice, but never mentions her name. First, at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1–12). The second reference is at the cross (John 19:25-27).

In the Acts of the Apostles, Mary and the brothers of Jesus are mentioned in the company of the eleven apostles who are gathered in the upper room after the Ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:14).

In the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, the “woman clothed with the sun” who will give birth to a male to “rule all the nations” (Revelation 12:1–6) is sometimes identified as Mary.

The New Testament tells little of Mary's early history. The Gospel of Matthew does give a genealogy for Jesus by his father's paternal line, only identifying Mary as the wife of Joseph. John 19:25 states that Mary had a sister. According to the writer of Luke, Mary was a relative of Elizabeth who was the wife of the priest Zechariah and the mother of John the Baptist.

In Luke 1, the angel Gabriel announced to her that she was to be the mother of the promised Messiah by conceiving him through the Holy Spirit and, after initially expressing disbelief at the announcement, she responded, "I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done unto me according to your word." In Matthew 1:18-25, Joseph planned to quietly divorce her, but was told her conception was by the Holy Spirit in a dream by "an angel of the Lord"; the angel told him to not hesitate to take her as his wife, which Joseph did, thereby formally completing the wedding rites.

Continuing in Luke, when the angel Gabriel told Mary that Elizabeth—having previously been barren—was then miraculously pregnant, Mary hurried to see Elizabeth, who was living with her husband Zechariah in "the city of Juda." Mary arrived at the house and greeted Elizabeth who called Mary "the mother of my Lord," and added, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” Then Mary sang a song of praise that later became known as the Magnificat*. Luke also states that Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months (Luke 1:39–56).

The birth story also appears in Luke: A decree of the Roman Emperor Augustus required that Joseph return to his hometown of Bethlehem to register for a Roman census. While there she gave birth to Jesus; but because there was no place for them in the inn, she used a manger as a cradle. After eight days, the boy was circumcised according to Jewish law and named Yeshu'a. After giving birth, Mary went through the ritual purification period prescribed by Mosaic law, she brought her burnt offering and sin offering to the Temple in Jerusalem, so the priest could make atonement for her. While there, the baby was blessed by a man named Simeon, a “righteous and devout” man and the prophetess named Anna. The family then "returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth" (Luke 2:22-39).

According to Matthew, 2:1-13, Magi coming from Eastern regions arrived at Bethlehem where Jesus and his family were living, and there they worshiped him. Joseph was then warned in a dream that King Herod wanted to murder the infant, and the family fled by night to Egypt and stayed there for some time. After Herod's death in 4 BC, they returned to Nazareth in Galilee, rather than Bethlehem, because Herod's son Archelaus was the ruler of Judea.

Mary is included in the only event of Jesus' adolescent life that is recorded in the New Testament. At age twelve, Jesus, having become separated from his parents before their return journey from the Passover celebration in Jerusalem, was found three days later in the Temple among the religious teachers. Mary chastises Jesus for worrying her, to which Jesus replies: “Did you not know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:41-51).

Mary was present when, at her suggestion, Jesus worked his first miracle during a wedding at Cana by turning water into wine (John 2:1-12). There is another event when Jesus was preaching at the Nazareth synagogue and Mary is mentioned, along with Jesus’ brothers: James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, along with unnamed sisters (Mark 6:3 and Matthew 13:55).

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all repeat the same incident in which Jesus asks, “Who is my mother?” From Matthew 12:46-50:

While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him. Someone told Him, “Look, Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You.” But Jesus replied, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” Pointing to His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers. For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

Mary is present with a group of women at the crucifixion (John 19:25-27) standing near the disciple whom Jesus loved (John Zebedee) along with Mary of Clopas and Mary Magdalene.

In Acts 1:14, Mary is mentioned by name. She, other women, and the apostles gather in the upper room (site of the Last Supper) after Jesus’ ascension.

Her death is not recorded in Bible scripture, but Orthodox and Catholic tradition has her first dying a natural death, known as the Dormition of Mary, and soon after, her body and soul are taken into Heaven.

More than one legendary story has grown up around Mary; the most well-known is that she was a virgin who was born sinless, the result of an “Immaculate Conception,” conceived without “Original Sin.” Catholics teach she was a “perpetual virgin,” the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven, and the Mother of the Church. And, according to the Catholic “Assumption” doctrine, after dying, Mary’s body and soul were lifted to heaven. Belief in the assumption is a dogma of the Catholic Church, the Latin and Eastern Catholic Churches, and is believed by the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglican movement.

Catholic tradition has assigned names to two other events in Mary’s life. There is the “Annunciation” (Gabriel’s appearance to Mary to announce she will be mother of the Messiah) and the “Dormition” which commemorates Mary's "falling asleep" or natural death shortly before being taken bodily into heaven.

Mary is venerated in the Catholic and certain other Christian traditions, as well as in Islam. She has been sainted, prayed to, invoked, and even worshiped, for centuries. Some traditions teach that she left behind certain relics, hair, nails, and breast milk. There are claims that her clothes, and other objects touched by her, are relics held by churches. She has, reportedly, appeared to many over the centuries. There are devotees who claim to have seen her as an apparition. Some sects teach that she lived in Ephesus and, while there, also appeared simultaneously in Spain.

The Christian doctrine of Mary's “perpetual virginity” has been challenged on the basis that the New Testament explicitly affirms her virginity only until the birth of Jesus and because it mentions the brothers of Jesus: James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. Further scriptural indications are in Luke 2:7, which calls Jesus the "first-born" son of Mary.

There is a vast array of sculptures and paintings depicting Mary with an “immaculate heart.” The Pietà is the best-known sculpture in which a young Mary cradles the lifeless body of a thirty-three-year-old Jesus. There are many versions of the Pietà, Michelangelo’s being the most famous. The number of paintings depicting Mary is in the thousands, the most prominent is probably “Madonna and Child” which has been painted by more than one artist. The word Madonna, often applied to Mary, is derived from the Italian 'ma donna,' or 'my lady,' and is used to describe the mother of Christ. The Madonna is central to Christian art and iconography.

The ancient Grecian mother cult of Crete became incorporated in the early Christian religion under the guise of the glorification and worship of Mary. Mary is also venerated in at least one non-Christian faith, Bahá'í. The Bahá'í religion describes Mary as "that most beauteous countenance,” and "that veiled and immortal Countenance.” In Judaism’s holy book, the Talmud, there is no mention of Mary by name. There have been scholarly suggestions that she and Jesus are referenced, but there is nothing conclusive and much disagreement. Stacks of the copies of the Talmud were burnt upon a court order after the “1240 Disputation” for allegedly containing material defaming the character of Mary.

The number of feast days dedicated to Mary spans the calendar in many Christian traditions. Catholicism alone venerates her on at least eighteen days. The months of May and October are also devoted to, or associated with, the “virgin Mary.” The Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, the Anglican Communion, and the Lutheran tradition all have their special days dedicated to Mary’s divine status or God-given virtues. Some of these traditions involve “praying the rosary” and invoking her with “Hail Mary.”

In Islam, Mary is mentioned by name or referred to in that religion’s holy book, the Qur’an, some seventy times. The Qur’an refers to Mary more often than the Bible. In fact, the Qur’an has a chapter titled Maryam (Mary). It recounts her story according to the view of Jesus in Islam. Mary is revered in Islam as the only woman named in the Qur’an and explicitly identifies her as the greatest woman to have ever lived.