Zechariah and Mary each asked a question in the Gospel of Luke; Zechariah was concerned about what the future held for him and Mary asked about the present and how God would fulfill His will. Zechariah got nine months of no speech and Mary received charitoo. This study of Mary came about because I wanted to see her journey through the Gospels.

When Mary said “yes” to God, I am pretty sure she was aware of how a pregnant, unwed teenager in Nazareth would be treated. She still said, “yes” and set an example for anyone who would follow her Son and His Father. The customs and traditions of 1^st century Galilee are not our modern customs or verbiage. There has been a lot of ink used on the legends, traditions, and dogma that surrounds Mary, the mother of our Lord. Hebrew thoughts and familial relationships that were recorded in Greek have occupied some of this maelstrom of ink. The multiuse thought of “brothers” and kinswoman/female-relative did show up in this study. I did find that “cousin” was used once in reference to Mark and Barnabas.

συγγενίς | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com kinswoman used 1x for Elizabeth

ἀνεψιός | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com  Mark the cousin of Barnabas, 1x

God, “the Father of her Child” was her shield and buckler. The words of Gabriel, Elizabeth’s greeting, and Joseph‘s dream formed a wall around the obedient, young woman. Personally, some of the things I found were interesting, but they do not change the facts. The Virgin Mary’s Son willingly offered Himself as a “sin sacrifice” and rose from the dead. He now sits at His Father’s righthand waiting to come back and claim His Bride.

To find the references to Mary was not as easy as you may think. The translation you use will affect search terms and possible the number of times something is listed. I used several translations to check myself and I am still not sure I got them all. The terms I found and used include Mary, parents, His mother, dear woman, and mother of Jesus. In the RSVCE Matthew used Mary, in referring to Jesus’ mother, five times, Mark once, and Luke twelve times. John does not use her name, Mary, at all; instead, he refers to her as “Jesus’ mother”. My takeaway, Jesus had a mother who was descended from David and was called Mary. It was clear He loved and respected her His whole life.

John – “The disciple who Jesus loved.” On the cross Jesus transferred the care of His mother to John. We know John went and spent time in Asia and we assume Mary went with him. It would seem Luke had a personal interview with her, so Ephesus seems like a great location for that to have taken place. (Or Jerusalem, when John left Judah is unclear.) At first, I thought it strange John not using the name Mary, but now I view it as respect and separating himself from any thought that she was his birthmother.

I did not expect to change anyone’s thoughts or beliefs about Mary, but here are all of the times I found her referred to in the Gospels and Acts.

 Introduction – Luke 1:27, Matthew 1:18

Mary and Gabriel – Luke 1:30,34,38

Mary and Elizabeth – Luke 1:39, 41, 43, 46-55 this is Mary’s song of praise, 56

Mary and Joseph, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem – Matthew 1:18, 20, 24;Luke 2:5, 16, 19, 33, 34, 39

Mary and the Wisemen, to and from Egypt – Matthew 2: 11, 13, 14, 20, 21

Mary and Joseph in Jerusalem at Passover – Luke 2:41, 43, 48, 51

Mary (the mother of Jesus) and the Cana Wedding – John 2:1, 3, 4, 5, 12

His/Your Mother and His/Your Brothers – Matthew 12:46, 47, 48, 50; Mark 3:31, 32; Luke 8:20

Mary and His Brothers – Part 2 – Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3; John 6:42

Mary the Mother of James. I have included these but there were many women named Mary at the Cross and Grave. Matthew 27:56 and Luke 24:10

His Mother and John at the Cross – John 19: 25, 26

Mary the Mother of Jesus – Praying   – Acts 1:14