Things We See In Mary, The Mother Of Christ

Jarrod Jacobs

            Jesus’ mother Mary stands out as a great example of a godly woman. She was the one chosen by God to be Jesus’ mother (Lk. 1:28), and as a result, she has become the focus of admiration, but sadly, gossip and slander, and even idolatrous acts. It seems that folks’ reaction to Mary has run the “spectrum” just as it has with Jesus. In this article, let us see what God said about Mary.

            Early in Bible history, we read about this one who would give birth to the Savior. She was not specifically named; however, she is described for us in Genesis 3:15. Another passage which speaks of Jesus’ birth and of His mother is Isaiah 7:14. It says, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

            Upon reading about Mary in the books of Matthew and Luke, we learn she is a virgin chosen to bear God’s Son (Lk. 1:34). She was the fulfillment of God’s prophecy, and served the Lord’s purpose, not only in bearing a son, but also in raising Him (Lk. 2:51).

            What we are told about her character revolves around the events of God choosing her to be the mother of Christ. When we read about her during this time, we find a young woman whose example ought to be emulated by young girls today.

            Probably the most obvious characteristic is that she is an example of moral purity. She did not commit sexual sin with anyone and sin against God and her body (I Cor. 6:18; Lk. 1:34; Heb. 13:4).

            In addition to this, we see Mary as humble and obedient to God. When Gabriel told her she was chosen, and answered her questions, her response was: “Behold I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Lk. 1:38). Her attitude was not unlike Noah, Moses, and many others (Gen. 6:22; Ex. 40:16, 39:42-23). She obeyed the Lord and was blessed for it.

            Please understand though, that as great as Mary was, she was not sinless. Romans 3:23 applies to her just as it does to everyone else on earth. Jesus died for the remission of her sins, just as He died for the remission of everyone else’s sin (Matt. 20:28, 26:28). At the same time, she was not born in sin. The Bible does not teach this. The Bible teaches the opposite, declaring, “The soul that sins will die” (Ezek. 18:4, 20). The sins she would have committed came as a result of her yielding to Satan’s temptation (Jas. 1:14-15).

            Sadly, people throughout history have made more of Mary than God ever intended. This issue began while she was living. One time, a woman cried out to Jesus and said, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed.” Jesus corrected her by saying: “Blessed rather, are those who hear the word of God, and keep it” (Lk. 11:27-28). Mary was not then nor is she now deserving of worship. Only God is deserving of worship (Acts 10:25-26; Rev. 19:10, 22:9)! She is not deity. She was a humble servant, like many others in the Bible. At the same time, she is not a mediator. Only Christ serves in this work (I Tim. 2:5-6).

            While on earth, she served a very important role. Yet, to give her undue glory is not right. It is just as wrong to give her undue glory as it is to place upon her scorn and ridicule as if she were guilty of sexual relations before marriage! (Many have said this through the years.) She was not guilty of fornication.

            Mary strikes me as a kind, virtuous, considerate woman. Certainly, her example ought to be remembered, just as we remember the examples of Noah, Hannah, Ruth, Moses, Peter, Paul, Phoebe, and others. Young women today who follow her example will be blessed, as well as their families. Fathers and mothers, what are you doing to encourage your daughters to act like Mary?

Some Things Man Cannot Escape

Jarrod Jacobs

            In our society, we are used to people “getting away” with certain things, aren’t we? It has become almost commonplace to hear about a person hiring a “dream team” of lawyers so as to avoid criminal charges and prosecution. Closer to home, we may notice people “getting away” with theft by eating displayed food at the grocery store without buying it; or taking extra time on their breaks at work and getting paid for it. Perhaps someone we know has been dishonest (lying). Don’t men tend to ignore this sin? It seems that we have reared a society which thinks that we can escape certain sins by ignoring them and no one is the wiser. Is this really the case?

            God says there are things we cannot escape in this life no matter how hard we try! Just like Adam and Eve could not escape God (Gen. 3:7-10); just like Jonah could not escape God (Jonah 1:3-17, ch. 2); neither can we escape God (Prov. 15:3; Heb. 4:13; Ecc. 12:14; Rom. 2:16)! Nor can we escape the truth He has revealed.

            We have reared a society of people who are under the impression that they can “bury” their sins deep enough that no one will find out about them. Sometimes, folks have the idea that they can somehow escape the consequences of sin if they pay enough money, run far enough away, deny it, etc. In truth, this is not possible! “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23)! We need to understand that we cannot escape sin independently of Christ and His shed blood (Rom. 6:3-6; Acts 2:38, 22:16)! Whether we are discussing the physical or the spiritual consequences of sin, we cannot escape without Christ! Lest we forget, go back and read Romans 6:23, which tells us, “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” In addition to this, God compares physical sowing and reaping with spiritual sowing and reaping in Galatians 6:7-8. Be sure, there will be a “bitter harvest” awaiting us if we have sown a life of sin and have not repented nor have been forgiven!

            As hard as men try to avoid it via medicines, vitamins, exercise, food choices, etc., we also know that we cannot escape death! (Heb. 9:27). Death was something God promised as a physical consequence of Adam and Eve’s sin (Gen. 3:19) and it continues to this day. Solomon put it this way: “The living know that they shall die” (Ecc. 9:5a)! How true this is! In fact, “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (I Cor. 15:26). Therefore, be assured we will not escape death because it will be with us until the Lord returns!

            Further, let us remember that there is a Judgment Day coming in which all mankind will be judged by Christ (Acts 17:30-31; Jn. 5:22). Just like death, no one will escape this event! How do I know this? I know this because the Bible reveals this truth to us (Ecc. 12:13-14; Matt. 25:31-33, 46; II Cor. 5:10).

            Can there be any question as to the coming Judgment? Can there be any question as to who is going to be there? We will all be present before Christ in Judgment (II Cor. 5:10). The question is: “Are you ready?” If not, why not?

            Yes, some things we cannot escape! Yet, we can come through anything successfully when we are in Christ. Are you in Him? (Eph. 1:7-13; Gal. 3:26-27)

What Is Man’s True Value?

Jarrod Jacobs

            If anyone wants to know his actual value, consider the value God and Satan have placed upon you. You see, by words and actions, they have placed a value or worth upon each one of us. What is it?

            We get a good idea of what Satan thinks man is worth in Matthew 4. Read Matthew 4:1-11 (or Luke 4:1-13) for the entire context. We will focus upon Matthew 4:8-9. “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory. And he said to him, All these things I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

            Perhaps we have read this before and wondered what use Christ would have with buildings, gold, silver, etc. The truth is, He has no use for such things (Ps. 50:10; Acts 17:24-25). In truth, Satan, being the “god of this world”, “the prince of this world” and “the prince of the power of the air” (II Cor. 4:8-9; Jn. 12:31, 14:30, 16:11; Eph. 2:2) was not offering Jesus buildings and lands, but was offering Him the people, the souls who occupied those lands!

            Put simply, Christ was offered every soul’s subjection by Satan. Christ was tempted to avoid the cross, the suffering, the rejection, etc., by worshipping Satan! Think about it: This is Satan’s estimation of every person! He would gladly give away every person on earth if he could just have Christ as his servant! To him, you and I are but pawns in his twisted, selfish work.

            God’s estimate of man’s value is far different. Instead of looking for things He might consider more “valuable” than us, God sent His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for us (Jn. 3:16). This sacrifice was first promised in Genesis 3:15. This “theme” of redemption echoes throughout the pages of the Bible. God’s redemption for man is offered to us out of love and mercy so that we do not die in our sins (Matt. 20:28; Rom. 5:6-8).

            When Jesus stood before Pilate, He declared that He had come into this world to die (Jn. 18:36-37). His sacrifice was a selfless sacrifice. He gave Himself to die on the cross so that the souls of humanity could be saved from sin (I Pet. 1:18-19). Is there not a clearer contrast between Satan’s estimation of man and God’s?

            Now that we understand Satan’s and God’s estimation of our value, why are we continuing to fall into Satan’s snares (Jas. 1:14-15; I Jn. 2:15-17)? Satan does not love us. He is a liar and murderer from the beginning (Jn. 8:44). He lurks and hunts for folks to devour (I Pet. 5:8). He makes sin seem so sweet, lovely, and fulfilling; yet it is full of rottenness and filth (Heb. 11:26; II Pet. 2:19-22).

            Let us stop falling for his lies. Let us open our eyes and see the truth. God loves us and has provided the best for us. He has given us a way to be saved (Mk. 16:16), and if we will be faithful for our short lives (Jas. 4:14), we can enjoy an eternity in Heaven (Rev. 2:10; II Tim. 4:6-8; Rom. 8:16-18; II Cor. 4:17). While on earth, we can see that we are blessed people when we belong to Him (Eph. 1:3; I Pet. 3:10-12). We are truly valuable to God. To Him, we are priceless; to Satan, we are worthless! Why not leave sin and selfishness and follow the only One who believes we have real value.

We Are What We Repeatedly Do

Jarrod Jacobs

            The title for this article is part of a longer quote. When we think about the statement, “We are what we repeatedly do”, it states the truth. Our habits have a great impact on our lives. More than this, I see this statement as a good explanation for “why” God emphasizes the need for man being faithful to Him.

            Throughout the New Testament, we read about the need for God’s people to continue to follow Christ with obedient faith. Inherent in this is the need for patience, or endurance, as well as strength and courage when times get hard. Let us read some of these passages together.

• “… the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt. 10:22, 24:13).
• “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (Jn. 10:27).
• “To those who by patience in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life” (Rom. 2:7).
• “Note then the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness to you. Provided you continue in his kindness” (Rom. 11:22).
• “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (I Cor. 15:58).
• “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give not” (Gal. 6:9).
• “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (I Tim. 4:16).
• “Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope” (Heb. 3:5-6).
• “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (Jas. 1:25).
• “Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son, and in the Father” (I Jn. 2:24).
• “… be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).

            From these passages, we see a pattern, do we not? God wants us to continue in a certain manner of life. Why? It is because “We are what we repeatedly do.” The man or woman who dies in sin has done so because he or she lived in sin (Jn. 8:24; Col. 3:7). In contrast, the man or woman who dies in the Lord (Rev. 14:13) has done so because he or she lived in the Lord!

            Thus, the question must be asked: “What do we repeatedly do?”  If we do not like what we are becoming, then it is time to stop what we are currently doing and start doing something else — repeatedly until the habit is formed!

            The full quote from which I got the title for this article comes from Aristotle (384-322 B.C.). He said, “We are what we repeatedly do.” Now, pay attention to the rest of the quote. “Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

            May we appreciate just how true these words are. May we also then resolve to make excellence a habit by making the ultimate decision to become a Christian (Acts 2:38) and live faithfully to the God of Heaven (I Cor. 15:58). A life spent in repeatedly doing what God says will not be a wasted life.

The Truth Written In Three Languages

Jarrod Jacobs

            Four times in New Testament Scripture we read about the written statement that Pilate wrote and placed above Christ when He hung on the cross. (Matt. 27:37; Mk. 15:26; Lk. 23:38; Jn. 19:19). The statement over Him declared that it was “The King of the Jews” being crucified that day. While the chief priests protested this statement, demanding that Pilate instead write, “This man said, I am the King of the Jews”, Pilate stood firm saying, “What I have written, I have written” (Jn. 19:21-22).

            In studying this event, we see that the inscription was written in three languages, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. This is significant, for regardless of who might have been present that day in Jerusalem, those who looked upon Christ on the cross could have read the writing. Why was this statement written in those three languages so significant? Please consider the following:

• The Hebrew language was the language of revelation. God’s word had come to the world through the Hebrew people up to this time (Genesis-Malachi).
• The Greek language was the language of the philosophers and “great thinkers” of the day such as Plato and Aristotle.
• The Latin language was the language of government and power. This is the language that Caesar and Pilate, as well as others, spoke within the Roman government.

            Therefore, this writing posted above Christ on the cross was a world-wide announcement! When we with our mind’s eye look to the cross, we see a Suffering Savior who was pronounced as “King of the Jews” by the Roman governor Pilate, to the population of the entire world!

            In truth, we see that Pilate’s writing had a greater meaning than perhaps even he realized. What do we mean by this? Consider once more the statement written in the languages of revelation, philosophy, and power. Certainly, our Lord Jesus Christ is the embodiment of these things. For example, we see that Christ being the embodiment of the Word (Jn. 1:1) shows us that He is God’s revelation. In “times past” God spoke to men in various ways, but now speaks to us today through his Son (Heb. 1:1-2; Matt. 17:5).

            In addition to this, Christ is also able to discern the uttermost thoughts of men’s hearts (Jn. 2:24-25, 6:64). This makes Him greater than any philosopher on earth. His doctrine is the greatest philosophy ever revealed! Third, Jesus Christ is revealed as the lawgiver (Jas. 4:12; Gal. 6:2). He revealed “the perfect law of liberty” (Jas. 1:25); that which will lead us to Heaven. No one before or since has been able to accomplish or give as much as Christ.

            Pilate may not have realized how true and far-reaching his writing was when he wrote it. Yet, the statement is still true! Today, we who are Christians had our sins forgiven when we accepted Christ’s terms of salvation (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38; etc.). At the same time, we who are His children are the recipients of God’s blessings (Eph. 1:3) when we listen to the revelation, apply His true philosophies, and obey His law (Eph. 3:4; Rev. 1:5, 22:14)! If we want to have salvation from sin and look forward to an eternal life in Heaven, then let us stop rejecting the Lord. Let us follow what the Lord says unconditionally, knowing that He is the One who possesses all authority “in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18; Col. 3:17). He is our king (Rev. 17:14, 19:16; I Tim. 6:15), and wants us in Heaven with Him.