MARY: THE ROLE MODEL FOR CHRISTAN WOMEN PART 1

A LECTURE DELIVERED BY
SUP/EVANG DR. E. A. ADEGOKE
Rector CCC Seminary and Leadership Training Institute.

Mary is a spiritual person and most blessed of all women. A look into the book of Luke chapter 1 talks explicitly about the life of Mary and how she conceived. Of a fact it is only the book of Luke that gave a full account or details of how Mary conceived. But in the bible we have six Mary’s. Few years ago I spoke about the six Mary’s that existed in the bible and of them all she is the most blessed. In Luke chapter 1 Mary was mentioned as the most blessed of all women in five places, and if we look at the book of Luke all through to chapter 2 it was mentioned 7 times. Talking of numbers five represent “grace” spiritually and when it get to seven it means ‘completeness’’ or ‘total’.
Mary as a lady already had a fiancée but in the marriage of Israelites among the Jews marriage is divided into three stages: first is introduction, second is period of betrothal when earth of the betrothal can visit each other’s family and even stay with them for few days before the marriage but are allowed to have intercourse although they also talk and walk share emotional feelings just as if is nowadays so it was but they do not go beyond the limit because sex is meant to be on the wedding night and when they know each other there is a white towel in the room where the couples are to sleep and after intercourse and the man meet the woman a virgin while the families are celebrating the man will use the white towel to wipe the blood stain then throw it outside for the families to see and that is when the parent of the bride can be at peace knowing that their daughter have not put them to shame.
But in between this stage God himself, deliberately caused a problem. Why God did that is what I don’t understand when he knew that Mary will be disgraced. Infact she would have been stoned to death because she brought disgrace unto herself, her family and the husband to be. I pray we will not be put to shame before we are honored and that is why Mary is worth celebrating. God made her go through shame tribulations and was mocked and yet she endured it and never blaspheme God I won’t lie to you if a woman’s glory will shine she must go through such humiliation .not that alone, after she was delivered of the child, I don’t know if it is a curse or blessing the prophet that carried the child said “this child is chosen for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel” luke2 vs. 34” and sorrow like sword ,will break your heart” if I were to be Mary I would have held the prophets garment and ask why he cursed my child and said the secret thoughts of many may reveal.
Since then Mary went through a lot of trouble. If it were to be someone else she could have abandoned the child and on away. They even had to hide Jesus from king herod when they returned back to their home the child too could not control is mouth but went on to teach the elders in the temple, how can a little boy speak to the elders saying ‘so do your father’ and existed before thee’ even when his mother went to him saying that they have been searching for him for few days he replied “I cannot but be in my father’s house”. That Mary continued to experience until Jesus turned 30 years when Mary left he was old enough to take care of himself yet she never abandon his son and she played a part in his son’s ministry, witnessing that pass wed at his son, yet he endured it all.
Someone asked me yesterday that we are celebrating the Holy Mary Day, what about the Joseph. There and then I repeated that Joseph does not deserve such celebration because he denied Mary and fetus at the initial stage. I don’t think Joseph clocked 30 before his death of a fact Joseph never witness d beginning of Jesus ministry. His role ended after they returned from Egypt and the God father took over. Therefore let us look at the journey. Jesus kept talking about his death yet the mother never mind. But she knows the glory in his son because when she got to thewedding in canna she told her son the wine is finished, what does Jesus have to do with wine and Jesus told her that it is not yet his time but his mother never got angry but rather went ahead to tell the servers to do whatever his son tells them. How many of us know our child ability. But she is blessed. She followed until right in his presence of his son was nailed in the hand and crucified, she witnessed him say ‘ Father I lay my hands in your hands’ very early on the day of resurrection the Mary’s ( mothers who kept vigil for the sake of their children)arose despite the mourning to get the news to get the news to Mary mother of Jesus and she was ascending to heaven such a child that one suffered so much for should at least live and take care of the mother. Therefore if she suffered all this and Jesus is the savior of all then she deserves to be called the most blessed. She is the most blessed who begot a blessed realize that in the first gospel alone Jesus mention the word ‘blessed’ thirty one times, therefore out of the blessed came forth the blessed.
Let us look at the book of Luke 1 vs. 28 “ and angel came in into her, and said, hail thou that art highly favored, the lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women”.

Verse 41” and it car to pass, that, when Elizabeth hearted the salvation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost
Verse42 and she spoke out with a loud voice art thou among women and blessed is the fruit. Of thy womb\’ that is the second time. The third “let us read verse 45- “and blessed is she that believed: for there shall be performance of those things were told her from God”
Prophesying or praying for someone that all is well and sickness is gone is not as much as believe in me. So if you believe in me. So if you a prophecy, the word of god and stand on what has been said about you then you are blessed before it fulfillment.
Let us look at verse48 “for he hath regarded the low state of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generation shall call me blessed” the angels said it, Elizabeth mentioned it twice and many herself recognizes herself as a blessed. I don’t know what you say about yourself I know am blessed. Mary prophesied if it is what ever you say about yourself that will be. She said that all generations will call her blessed. That is why we are doing this ceremony. What we do in celestial is a fulfillment of Mary’s prophecy about herself that though all generations she will be called blessed.
Because of what Mary said even after thirty years a woman came forth from the crowd and saying (chapter11 vs. 26) the prophecy did not became fulfilled is not just now but began before the death of Jesus “and it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said to him, blessed is the womb that bare thee, and came to pass thou hast sucked”. Her prophesy came to pass, her generation called her blessed to be Luke 2 vs. 28” then he took him up in his arms, and blessed God,” He bless God through the birth of Christ. I told you yesterday that is when the glory is not bright enough that people will not respect God in your life but when the glory is shining bright, people will acknowledge god and pray using God’s name through you. I pray that the world will magnify the name of god in your life. It is a good thing if our children will grow up and pray saying the God of my parent which means be believes that as parent you have served the one through God. But if you are a lookwarm Christian they won’t be able to say such. Let our children inherit goodness so they can say in the days of trouble that the God of my father’s will save me. The seventh is verse 34 were Simeon bless them “and Simeon bless them, and said unto Mary his mother. Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in isreal; and end his speech saying “(yea, a sword shall pierce through thy soul also) that the thought of many hearts may be revealed). TO BE CONTINUE