Happy Mother’s Day!  We all have a mother we remember dearly.  Some of us are mothers, perhaps even grand-mothers.  So I thought this week we would study a couple of mothers in the Bible.  So let’s begin at the beginning – with Eve.

Eve is the first mother of the human race.  She is best known for her disobedience to God’s Word, caused by being deceived by Satan.  This “first” has affected all generations since her time.  How would you like to be known by such a quality?  However, before we begin to cast stones, let’s remember that all of us have made some bad decisions too; just maybe haven’t affected quite as many people.  The important thing to remember is she too was created in the image of God; and that God was NOT taken by surprise by her disobedience, and He already had a plan in the making to help not only her out of the situation but all of us.  His name is Jesus!

Coming down through the generations of time we come to Mary, the mother of Jesus.  She is remembered by her submission to the announcement by the Angel Gabriel that she was chosen by God to have a baby conceived by the Holy Spirit, even though she was a virgin.  He would be known – not only as the Son of Man but also as the Son of God.  Think about that for just a moment, don’t you think that would make you head “tilt” a little?  However, her response is classic because she agrees to God’s plan even though I’m sure she knew the risk of being stoned to death if Joseph who she was engaged to decided not to marry her!  This is what I call bravery; and says a lot about her faith in God.

Jesus was born fulfilling many Scriptures telling about his birth.  During His earthly ministry Jesus went about doing good, healing those oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him.   Jesus died on the Cross, also fulfilling many Scriptures regarding His death and thus becoming our Savior.  Then another miraculous event took place as Jesus rose from the dead and then ascending unto heaven to be our Advocate and High Priest and Intercessor forever.  God’s plan for saving His prize creation – the human race – was completed.  Praise God! The only part left in the plan is for mankind to exercise faith in God’s plan thereby becoming the children of God.  Pretty simply I think.

Through the disobedience of Eve –and her husband Adam who was given the authority over the earth, they lost their righteousness and as a result the human race was born with a sin nature; a nature and character after Satan.  In all my years of teaching and working with children I’ve never known one child that didn’t already know how to be selfish, to lie, or be jealous, etc., they all have to be taught to share, to tell the truth, to be kind, and to forgive others.

Through the obedience of Mary –and Joseph who married her after finding out she was pregnant, the Son of God was born; and with Him came the redemption from that sin nature and the offer of grace to all mankind to receive a righteous nature after the nature of God Almighty.

We each have influence on generations after us because we influence our children and they in turn influence their children.  The important point to remember is that our decisions DO affect others.  We may not always realize the gravity of the decisions we make but they are important.  The reason is that others are watching and how we conduct our lives may be the difference between someone accepting Jesus as Savior or rejecting Him.

Let’ choose to be like Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and agree with God’s plan for our lives, leaning not to our own understanding but trusting in Him.

Happy Mother’s Day to every mother, grand-mother, and mother’s to be.   

Genesis 1:27 – Eve created in the image of God.

Genesis 3:13 – Eve admits to being deceived by the serpent (the devil).

Genesis 3:15 – God promises a seed of a woman, who would bruise the head of the serpent (the devil)

Isaiah 9:6 – A child is promised whose name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace

Matthew 1:21 – God tells Joseph that Mary will bring forth a son and His name is to be Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

John 1:1, 14 – In the beginning was the word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Romans 5:19 – For by one man’s disobedience (Adam’s) many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience (Jesus’) many will be made righteous.

Acts 10:38 – God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppress of the devil; for God was with him.

John 3:3 – Jesus says “Except a man (meaning mankind) be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Romans 10:9-10 – That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved….  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.