Mother’s Day
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Happy Mother’s Day!
After Jesus’ resurrection, He remained on earth for 40 days to teach His followers things pertaining to His Kingdom. Afterwards Jesus led them to the Mount of Olives and instructed them to wait in Jerusalem until they received the power of the Holy Spirit. Then while they watched, Jesus ascended up into heaven with the promise that He would come again. We pick up on the account of that day in:
Acts 1
12 ¶ Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey.
13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James.
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
When I read this passage it leaves me with some questions and some answers.
First, concerning the brothers of Jesus. The accounts of Mark 3:21-31ff along with John 7:5 tell us that the brothers of Jesus didn’t even believe in Jesus before the resurrection.
First Question: What were the brothers of Jesus doing in the upper room getting ready for the power of Pentecost?
• Evidently people can change when confronted with the risen Savior!
The Next Question I have from verse 14 is: Who were ‘the other women’ present and praying in that upper room?
• Well you know, we can’t know … but we can certainly study the scriptures to make a very reasonable consideration.
Mark 6:3 “Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” And they were offended at Him.
• It stands to reason that if the brothers of Jesus were there, His sisters were probably there too.
• As well as His brother’s wives … and the wives of the Apostles too …
1 Corinthians 9:5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
• And surely Mary and Martha from Bethany were there … they were considered to be some of Jesus’ best friends.
• As well, how about all of those women who followed Jesus everywhere He went … don’t you imagine Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome the wife of Zebedee, and Jonna the wife of Chuza, and Susanna and of course those the Bible calls “the other women” who werealways accompanied Him.
• How many and who may be questions, but there is no question that there were women in the upper room praying that day.
Well, those are the questions I have from verse 14 but this verse also gives me some answers I wasn’t even looking for. For example: What happened to Mary the Mother of Jesus after the cross?
The answer: Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was in one accord continuing in prayer and supplication with the disciples, and her family and friends in the midst of those 120 who were waiting on the Promise of God and when the day of Pentecost came Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. She began to speak in tongues and ran out of that upper room and down into the streets of Jerusalem to be a witness of the wonderful works of God through her Son, Jesus the Messiah, Who had now become her Lord and her Savior.
The Mother of Jesus was with Him from conception to His crucifixion, from His resurrection to His ascension, from prayers to Pentecost, and there is not one doubt in my mind that we will see Mary, the Mother of Jesus, coming with her Son in the clouds when He comes again. That’s just what mothers do! Mothers are forever loyal and loving to their children … from conception to eternity.
Mary was chosen to have a Child and Mary was wise enough to understand that she was having her Child for someone else …
Every woman who has children, has them for someone else. And, I’m not just talking about the man who gets her pregnant.
God gives children to women … and only to women …
A mother’s life is dedicated to raising children. A wisemother realizes she is raising her children for somebody else.
God gives children – it’s the Bible pattern …
• He gives children to married women
• He gives children to unmarried women
• He gives children to young women
• He gives children to older women
• He gives children to women who want them
• He gives children to women who don’t want them
• He gives children to women who want them and can’t have them
• Only God give a child to a woman … and
• God only gives children to women …
But - Who gives that child a mother?
• A woman is not born a mother because she is female …
• A woman does not become a mother because she gives birth to a child …
• A woman chooses to be a mother every day to those God gives her to love, guide, guard and grow.
A woman mothers a child for someone else’s benefit.
A woman who carries, adopts, raises, guards, guides or grows a child for her own benefit is not living in reality. She can’t keep them … not for eternity. It would be unrealistic to imagine your child belongs solely to you.
A good mother is a woman who loves, guards, guides and grows a child for someone else.
• First for God
o Every child needs the love of a mother – whether:
▪ Biological Mothers
▪ Mothers-In-Law
▪ Adopted Mothers
▪ Foster Mothers
▪ Spiritual Mothers
o Every mother carries her child for someone else … First for God!
• Mothers raise their children for God
• Mothers raise their children for marriage
• Mothers raise their children for family
• Mothers raise their children for community
• Mothers raise their children for life
Every child was born of a woman but sadly, not every child has a mother.
When God wants something done, He looks for a mother.
• From Eve to Sarah to Leah to Jochebed to Tamar to Rahab to Deborah to Hannah to Mary to Eunice to Lois to some of you …
• God has some unfinished business and He is willing to give you a child …
You might say, How can I become, or continue to be, a mother?
• You can be a mother in this house by
o Teaching Sunday School, children’s church or working in VBS or helping with Christmas Fest or attending youth camp.
o Meet with the ladies who cover our Church with prayer.
• You can look for someone who needs the encouragement of a mother in your neighborhood or workplace.
o I think of Miss Ruby Boudreaux who has nurtured and mothered countless numbers of children for moms who work outside the home during the day.
o Lisa Carson who is serves a motherly neighbor bringing children to Church and encouraging them to make best decisions in life.
• God has granted so many golden opportunities for you to use the resident gift inside of you.
• There is no reason to imagine that you ever need to stop being the mother God made you to be.
You see, God still needs some things done and He wants to give you a child. What will you say? You may say, “How can this thing be?” However, I want to encourage you to simply trust God for the answers you don’t have and say to Him: “Be it unto me according to your will.” Let God be God …
Happy Mother’s Day!
