MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother... John 19:25

As I think upon the person Mary must have been, I am continually amazed at the strength I find in her life. Her life as a young woman was "interrupted" by an angel with an dauntingly divine message. She was entrusted with the job of raising the very Son of God. In addition to that special child, she was also mother to other children and a wife to Joseph. We see her very few times in the Scriptures, but each time she is mentioned we see the picture of a strong devoted woman.

I have gained much spiritual insight and strength through my own experiences as a mom. My sons have taught me important lessons about love, faith, grace and mercy. They are also responsible for a fervent prayer life for me! I am not sure I ever grasped the reality of God giving up His one and only Son until I held my own sons in my arms.

Several years ago I watched the Easter Pageant at our church. Jeremy, our oldest son, portrayed one of the thieves that was crucified beside Jesus. It was pure agony watching him up on that stage prop of a cross. I kept having to remind myself that "it was just a play, not for real". Mary did not have that option. She was at the foot of that awful cross watching her sinless first born die "for real."

During this time when we reflect upon the death and resurrection of our Savior, please do not overlook exactly what our redemption cost. The cross was real, the nails driven in the hands and feet of our Savior were not stage props. The noise of the hammers that drove the nails into the sinless flesh of my Jesus were not sound effects. The tears and agony of Mary were not an act.

Salvation is a free gift, but it cost God everything He had.