Mary's Relationship to God as the Mother of Jesus
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a figure of significant theological discussion, with various Christian traditions holding distinct views on her role and relationship to God. She was of the tribe of Judah and the lineage of David, connected by marriage to Elizabeth, who was of the lineage of Aaron [1, 3]. The New Testament identifies her as a virgin who conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit while betrothed to Joseph [2, 8].
The early Church recognized Mary's unique position as the mother of Christ. Augustine of Hippo noted that Jesus was both God and man; Mary was the mother of his humanity, his flesh, and the weakness he took on for humanity's sake [6]. Thomas Aquinas, a scholastic theologian, affirmed that Mary is truly and naturally the Mother of Christ, as Christ's body was formed from her [10]. This understanding emphasizes her biological motherhood of Jesus' human nature.
Protestant traditions generally emphasize Mary's faith and obedience. Matthew Henry, a Nonconformist commentator, highlights Mary's willing submission to God's will, stating, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord" [9]. John Gill, a Baptist commentator, notes her steadfastness in remaining by Jesus' cross, fulfilling Simeon's prophecy [5]. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary describes her as being among the disciples "in prayer to her glorified Son," but explicitly states that this excludes "the idea of her having any pre-eminence over the disciples" [7]. This commentary also notes that the New Testament contains no mention of her after this point, challenging later traditions such as the Assumption of Mary [7].
Some traditions, however, accord Mary a more elevated status. Charles Hodge, one theologian, observed that in some worship, Mary became "the object of all religious affections; the ground of confidence; and the source whence all the blessings of salvation are expected and sought" [11]. He also noted historical opposition to this "deification of the mother of our Lord," particularly concerning the doctrine of her immaculate conception, which he states was not present in the early Church [11].
Mary's "Magnificat," recorded in Luke 1:46-55, is a key biblical text for understanding her relationship with God. This song of praise, which echoes Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1-10, expresses her joy and recognition of God's care for the oppressed and his reversal of fortunes [4]. This passage underscores her role as a faithful servant who magnifies God for his redemptive work.
Sources
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Mary The Virgin — the mother of our Lord. There is no person perhaps in sacred or profane history around whom so many legends have been grouped a the Virgin Mary; and there are few whose authentic history is more concise. She was, like Joseph, of the tribe of Judah and of the lineage of David. (Psalms 132:11; Luke 1:32; Romans 1:3) She had a sister, named, like herself, (John 19:25) and she was connected by marriage, (Luke 1:36) with Elizabeth, who was of the tribe of Levi and of the lineage of Aaron. This is all that we know of her antecedents. She was betrothed to J”
- Matthew “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this; for after his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit. -- Matthew 1:18”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Mary — Hebrew Miriam. (1.) The wife of Joseph, the mother of Jesus, called the "Virgin Mary," though never so designated in Scripture (Matt. 2:11; Acts 1:14). Little is known of her personal history. Her genealogy is given in Luke 3. She was of the tribe of Judah and the lineage of David (Ps. 132:11; Luke 1:32). She was connected by marriage with Elisabeth, who was of the lineage of Aaron (Luke 1:36). While she resided at Nazareth with her parents, before she became the wife of Joseph, the angel Gabriel announced to her that she was to be the mother of the promised M”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 1:46: 1:46-55 Mary’s song is the first of three songs of praise in the birth narrative. It is called the Magnificat (“magnifies”), from the first word in the Latin translation. The song has many parallels to Hannah’s prayer in 1 Sam 2:1-10. The fact that God cares for the oppressed and reverses their fortunes is a common theme throughout Luke’s Gospel. The coming of God’s Kingdom brings salvation to rejected and outcast people.”
- John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 19:25: Now there stood by the cross of Jesus,.... So near as not only to see him, but to hear him speak: his mother; the mother of Jesus, Mary; which showed her affection to Christ, and her constancy in abiding by him to the last; though it must be a cutting sight, and now was fulfilled Simeon's prophecy, Luk 2:35 to see her son in such agonies and sorrow, and jeered and insulted by the worst of men; and though she herself was exposed to danger, and liable to be abused by the outrageous multitude; and it also showed that she stood in need, as others, of a crucified Saviour;”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — CHAPTER II I-4. (part 10): refutation. 9. Why, then, said the Son to the mother, "Woman, what have I to do with thee ? mine hour is not yet come ?" Our Lord Jesus Christ was both God and man. According as He was God, He had not a mother; according as He was man, He had. She was the mother, then, of His flesh, of His humanity, of the weakness which for our sakes He took upon Him. But the miracle which He was about to do, He was about to do according to His divine nature, not according to His weakness; according to that wherein He was God not according”
- Acts (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Acts 1:14: continued with one accord--knit by a bond stronger than death. in prayer and supplication--for the promised baptism, the need of which in their orphan state would be increasingly felt. and Mary the mother of Jesus--distinguished from the other "women," but "so as to exclude the idea of her having any pre-eminence over the disciples. We find her with the rest in prayer to her glorified Son" [WEBSTER and WILKINSON]. This is the last mention of her in the New Testament. The fable of the Assumption of the Virgin has no foundation even in tradition [ALFOR”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 1:18: 1:18 Jesus the Messiah (literally Jesus the Christ): Using Messiah in the translation accurately communicates that it is a title rather than a personal name (“Jesus Christ”). • engaged to be married: In Judaism, engagement (or betrothal) meant a permanent relationship (Mal 2:14) that could be broken only by legal process; thus, Mary was considered Joseph’s wife and he her husband (see Matt 1:20; Deut 22:23-24), even though they had not had sexual relations. Mary’s status as a virgin at the time of Jesus’ conception through the power of the Holy Spirit helps authe”
- Luke (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Luke 1:38: Behold the handmaid of the Lord - I fully credit what thou sayest, and am perfectly ready to obey thy commands, and to accomplish all the purposes of thy grace concerning me. It appears that at the instant of this act of faith, and purposed obedience, the conception of the immaculate humanity of Jesus took place; and it was Done unto her according to his word. See Luk 1:35.”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of Christ's Nativity, Art. 3: Article: Whether the Blessed Virgin can be called Christ's Mother in respect of His temporal nativity? I answer that, The Blessed Virgin Mary is in truth and by nature the Mother of Christ. For, as we have said above (Question [5], Article [2]; Question [31], Article [5]), Christ's body was not brought down from heaven, as the heretic Valentine maintained, but was taken from the Virgin Mother, and formed from her purest blood. And this is all that is required for motherhood, as has been made clear above (Questio”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 43: Christ. The Virgin Mary is to her worshippers what Christ is to us. She is the object of all religious affections; the ground of confidence; and the source whence all the blessings of salvation are expected and sought. There was, however, always an undercurrent of opposition to this deification of the mother of our Lord. This became more apparent in the controversy on the question of her immaculate conception. This idea was never broached in the early Church. The first form in which the doctrine appeared was, that from the fact that God s”