#53 Jesus' Mother and Brethren Seek Him

#53 Jesus’ Mother and Brethren Seek Him

Please first read: Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21

“And he gave them charge concerning her, (Mary) saying, I go my way, for my Father hath sent me. And whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (JST Mathew 12:44) 

Apostle Bruce R. McConkie:

“Jesus had brothers and sisters who were the offspring of Joseph and Mary. Regarding Mary, the plain meaning of a host of scriptures is that she bore Joseph’s children, children who were the half-brothers and half-sisters of the Son of God. (Matthew 12:46) Jesus had more than one sister and at least four brothers – James, Joses (Joseph), Simon and Judas. (Matthew 13:55) These children lived with Mary and were regarded by the people as members of her family.”

(John 2:12; 7: 3)

“They seem to have been jealous of Jesus and may not have believed in his divine Sonship until after the resurrection. (Mark 3:21; 6: 3-4; John 7:5) None of his brothers were included in the original Twelve, but they seem to have been converted after the resurrection by his appearance to James. (1 Corinthians 15:7) Thereafter they associated themselves with the disciples. (Acts 1:14; 1 Corinthians 9:5) One of them, James, was later called to the apostleship.” (Galatians 1:19)

“Apparently the message that his mother and his brethren sought audience with Jesus caused another woman (undoubtedly herself a mother) to speak these words of praise for Mary. With them Jesus agreed. But then he taught that it is not motherhood of itself, but obedience to the word of God, that brings blessings.” (Luke 11:27-28)   

“Jesus here comments that Mary and his brothers are members of his literal earthly family, and he, as the eldest son, gives directions as to what the others should do in caring for their mother. The clear inference is that Joseph was dead and hence the sons of Mary were attending to her needs. Then he reminds them that though they have the same mother, yet God is his Father and that he must continue about his Father’s business.” (JST Matthew 13:44)  

We remember that years earlier Jesus told his mother. “I must be about my Fathers business” and so again now. This was a golden opportunity to preach the Gospel and make the point that if, after we hear the ‘word,’ we ‘do it,’ we become part of Jesus’ family. The terms for mother and brethren are here used figuratively and thus by doing what Jesus teaches we become his Spiritual kinsmen. (Luke 8:19-21) 

Mary and some other family members may have been genuinely concerned for Jesus’ health because of his ongoing and untiring efforts in healing and teaching the throngs of people; trying to get him to rest for a while. (Mark 3:31-35) The Jewish culture engendered a strong emphasis on filial responsibility, (Exodus 20:12) but the scriptures also related instances where severing allegiance and family ties was a necessary choice in following God. (Exodus 32:8-9) Those in attendance would watch with interest to see how Jesus would react to the calls of his family. It was a good opportunity for Jesus to emphasize that those who do the will of God thus become part of God’s family; and without negatively impacting his earthly mother and siblings. The Greek structure and use of the nouns brother, sister, and mother are again figurative, and allow for Jesus to ‘know’ others in that same relationship.

Jesus’ mother, brothers and sister(s) were outside (or on the edge of the crowd.) The Greek record indicates that they were trying to find a way into the house in order to speak to him. The press of the crowd was such that the house and entrance passageways were all filled with people. Jesus’ response shows no lack of respect for his family. He is merely going on with the work God his Father has sent him to do. Everyone who believes in him and does what he says (the will of the Father) becomes encircled in the family of the Father and the Son. The emphasis here is on doing, not just hearing. (Matthew 12:46-50)  

The Twelve and others who are working and traveling with Jesus are receiving this message in various wordings over and over in testimonies by the Savior. What a glorious experience!

Glenn R. McGettigan

April 2016

References:  

“Doctrinal New Testament Commentary.” McConkie:

“Mortal Messiah.” Volume 2. McConkie     

“Jesus the Christ.” Talmage

“The Four Gospels.” Ludlow

“The Biblical Commentary – Matthew, Mark, and Luke.”   

#7 Joseph, Husband of Mary

#7 Joseph, Husband of Mary

Please first read: Matthew 1:18-25

Annunciation to Joseph

After the visit of the angel Gabriel, Mary left her home and went to visit her cousin Elizabeth. She now returns home and is probably showing her three-month pregnancy. Joseph has not yet been visited by the angel and told of the circumstance involved. Is Joseph possibly being tested? No doubt Joseph is crushed and decides to break their betrothal.  Because he loves Mary he plans to have her put away privately, (a divorce procedure) which under Jewish law he has the right to do. This will spare Mary public ridicule and embarrassment, plus there is the potential of a serious crime having been committed. Under Jewish law unfaithfulness (adultery) by the bride-to-be during this time was punishable by death. Marriage occurs in two separate ceremonies: 1. betrothal (engagement) which is considered as binding as marriage, and 2. the actual solemnizing of the marriage itself. The period between these may be long as one year.   The woman usually continues to live with her family during this time.

The angel now comes to Joseph in his grief and explains the situation. (Matthew Chapter 1): “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” We cannot imagine the flood of joy that swept over Joseph with those words!

 Mary’s conception is of the Holy Ghost … He will be the Son of God, and his name is to be ‘Jesus’… Joseph proceeds and makes Mary his legal wife. Under Jewish law this will make him her guardian and give legal protection to both Mary and the baby. Joseph was no doubt aware of the prophecies of Jewish prophets about the birth of a Messiah and how this was to occur. We would expect that he received this news with great joy and recognized the choice blessing that had come to Mary, and now to him.

Only a few things are written in the scriptures about Joseph. We know that he was a just man, a strict observer of the law, and that he had great love for Mary. We also get some small bits of information from a few latter-day prophets and apostles, but that's it. However, there is much known about the world, history, and culture within which he spent his life. When we look at, and place, Joseph within these settings, we can gain a fairly- good look at who and what kind of person he was. To me it is a picture of a very good, faithful and choice son of our Father in Heaven. When we carefully make assumptions that Joseph was much like his "good" peers of that day, about whom quite a bit is known historically, we can begin to understand basic characteristics about him.

                                          

At the time of the Savior’s birth, Israel was ruled by alien monarchs. The rights of the royal David family were unrecognized, and the ruler of the Jews was an appointee of Rome. Had Judah been a free and independent nation, ruled by her rightful sovereign, Joseph the carpenter would have been her crowned king, and his lawful successor to the throne would have been Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." (Apostle James E. Talmage, "Jesus the Christ".)  Joseph inherited his legal status as Son of David from his father and Jesus would be the lawful successor to the throne.

All the nation knew that its' Savior would be born through the royal line of David. Both Matthew and Luke give accounts of the royal lineage. Matthews' is generally accepted as that of Joseph, establishing the order of sequence of successors to the throne of David. Joseph was recognized by Jewish law as the legal father of Jesus thus making Him the rightful heir after Joseph to be king.

The account by Luke is generally accepted as that of Mary. Many scriptures confirm Mary as a descendent of David. The blood line of David would, of course, come to Jesus through Mary alone. During His ministry Jesus was repeatedly referred to as Son of David. He never repudiated this title, and we have no evidence that He was ever challenged about His Messiah-ship because of His lineage.

Daniel H. Ludlow:

“Robert J. Matthews, Dean of the Religion Department at BYU wrote about the fact that Joseph was chosen in the preexistence to serve as the earthly father to Jesus. He was a choice son of God to be thus selected. Jesus was instructed and taught by God the Father as He grew and matured, but it stands to reason that Joseph would teach and counsel correct principles and set an example for Him. Joseph would demonstrate moral, intellectual, and social qualities, and observe the requirements as they pertained to the Baby, the Child, and the Young Man. “’Joseph was a just man, a strict observer of the law, yet no harsh extremist; moreover, he loved Mary ...’”  

Alfred Edersheim:

“At five years of age, reading of the Bible; at ten years, learning the Mishnah; at thirteen years, bound to the commandments; at fifteen years, the study of the Talmud; at eighteen years, marriage; at twenty, the pursuit of trade or business (active life); at thirty years, full vigor; at forty, maturity of reason; at fifty, for counsel; at sixty, commencement of aged-ness; at seventy, grey age; at eighty ,advanced old age; at ninety, bowed down; at a hundred, as if he were dead and gone, taken from the world.”

Apostle Bruce R. McConkie:

“We are left to conclude that Joseph was certainly not older than twenty years when he took Mary as his wife and she was at least fourteen, perhaps fifteen or sixteen years of age.”

                                

Joseph received four separate “dreams” from the Lord in a short period of time, instructing him regarding the birth and protection of Jesus and Mary. Joseph Smith, in his translation of Matthew, corrects the term “dreams” to “visions.”                         

                                

There is a course of study at BYU entitled “The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles.” The study manual reminds us that Mary returned to Nazareth, to Joseph. Three months pregnant, and Joseph proceeded with steps to protect and care for Mary before the angelic visitation telling him who the father of Mary's baby was. Joseph is truly a special Priesthood brother and son of the Father. He was “foreordained to the honored station that he held.”

The Prophet Joseph Smith:

“Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of Heaven before this world was.”

Joseph's trade was that of a carpenter. Given the traditions and culture of the time, his father was probably a carpenter and taught his son that skill, as Joseph so taught Jesus. The term “carpenter,” translated from Hebrew and Greek texts, had a little different meaning than our word “carpenter” today. It included furniture, cabinetry, wood carving and more general wood handicraft than we think of today when we think of a “carpenter.”

Glenn R. McGettigan

December 2011; Revised September 2018

References:

“Our Lord of the Gospels.” Clark

“The Mortal Messiah.” McConkie

“Jesus the Christ.” Talmage

“Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles.” CES NT Manual

“The Four Gospels.” Ludlow

“Doctrinal New Testament Commentary.” Volume 1. McConkie

“The Gospels.” Jackson-Millet

“Mormon Doctrine.” McConkie

“The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ.” Volume 1. Holzapfel-Wayment

“The Life of Christ.” Farrar

“The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah.” Volume 1. Edersheim

“Sketches of Jewish Social Life in the Days of Christ.” Edersheim

“Doctrines of Salvation.” Volume 1. Joseph Fielding Smith  

                                                                                

#6 Mary, the Mother of Jesus

#6 Mary, the Mother of Jesus

Please first read: Luke 1:26-38

The Annunciation to Mary

Some six months have transpired since the angel’s visitation to Zacharias in the temple.   Elizabeth is with child. God the Father now sends the angel Gabriel to Mary in Nazareth, who is betrothed (engaged in the Jewish tradition) to marry Joseph.

Mary, like many young Jewish maidens of her time, would be aware of the prophecies regarding the coming of their Messiah. The one so chosen would be of the tribe of Judah and a descendant of David. Jesus would come through this the Royal Line which also happens to be the ancestry of both Mary and her husband-to-be Joseph. What incredible joy and excitement would the mother of the Christ experience when that great event occurred! What a blessing for the Jewish nation and all involved! How much longer must they suffer and wait for the Lord to come and restore the nation to its former grandeur?

And then,

“Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women,” the angel Gabriel greets the virgin.

Could this be? Mary knew of her lineage, her unmarried status and her virgin condition. Startled, and before she can respond, the angel continues:

“Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. And behold thou shalt conceive in thy

womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

“Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

Mary’s response is almost child-like: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word,” and the angel departs as quietly as he had come. (Luke 1:28-38)

The time is at hand, the Savior is coming to the earth!

Mary was chosen and foreordained in the preexistence to be the earthly mother of our Lord. She was the greatest, or one of the greatest, spiritual daughters of our Father in Heaven. Just as God chose the greatest of His sons to be the Christ, it is reasonable to think that He would make a similar selection for the earthly mother of that Son. Mary was known to many Old Testament and Book of Mormon prophets. They prophesied her name would be “Mary,” she would be the earthly mother of the Savior, and Jesus would be the only begotten Son of God the Father on the earth.

In the 8th Century BC Isaiah wrote, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

                                    

Nephi, in about 600 BC, stated “And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white” ...  And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms ...  And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father.” (1 Nephi 11:13, 20, 21)

King Benjamin prophesied in 124 BC “And he shall be called Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.” (Mosiah 3:8)

Around 83 BC Alma wrote that Christ “shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem ... she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.” (Alma 7:10)

Christ's coming to the earth in a mortal body had been prophesied among the Jews for centuries. These prophecies were contained in their Old Testament scrolls and other inspired writings. They had revered and taught from them for ages. The prophesies were numerous, included the law of Moses, and at the time of Jesus' coming were considered authoritative in current Jewish worship. They knew that through the fall came death ... Satan and his followers were loosed on earth to oppose God and inflict man; to be the opposition to righteousness. They also knew from prophecy that good would eventually triumph over evil and death, but an atoning sacrifice by a Savior God would be necessary to bring this to pass. Of all our Fathers sons and daughters our Elder Brother, Jesus the Christ was the only one who met all the requirements.  He was a God in the preexistence before the creation of the worlds. He is the first-born spirit son and the only begotten of the Father in the flesh and is second only to the Father in power and authority. He alone has an immortal Father (God) and a mortal mother (Mary.) He alone was given the power to lay down His life and take it up again, which He did in atoning for our sins.

The Jewish nation had long hoped and prayed for God to hasten His coming. They expected Him to come in power and glory ... to vanquish their foes ... make them free again ... and restore them to power and glory. Much of their history was a record of oppression and enslavement, as it was at the time of Jesus' birth. Deep was their longing for God to come, vanquish their oppressors and restore them to power as in the days of David.

We may assume that Mary's parents would be righteous and faithful in keeping and observing the law of Moses and the other requirements of Jewish worship. She would grow up in a normal religious home of that day. The culture, traditions, and societal practices of that day would shape and guide her maturing. From her mother she would learn necessary homemaking and family skills and plan for the time when she would marry a proper Jewish husband. Her work would include the family field and orchard.

Her husband would be the head of the family and the responsibility of providing for them would fall to him. He would lead in the various practices and rituals for worship, prayer, service in the synagogue, and observance of holy days. She would see his faithful performance to God in the religious teaching of his children, and in his keeping the commandments and the law of Moses.

Mary and Joseph, her husband to be, were cousins. Although they were poor they were of royal descent. The lineage of both goes back to David and Abraham. That the Savior would be of the house of David had been widely prophesied. The ancestry of both Mary and Joseph fulfilled this requirement.

The Apostle Joseph E. Talmage:

“The consensus of historians is that Matthews' account is of the royal lineage, establishing the order of sequence among the legal successors to the throne of David; while the account given by Luke is a personal pedigree, demonstrating descent from David without adherence to the line of legal succession to the throne. The all-important fact to be remembered is that the Child promised by Gabriel to Mary would be born in the Royal Line.”

President Joseph Fielding Smith “Our Savior was a God before he was born into this world, and he brought with him that same status when he came here. He was as much a God when he was born into the world as he was before.” (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1)

Glenn R. McGettigan 

December 2011; Revised September 2018

References:

“Our Lord of the Gospels.” Clark

“The Mortal Messiah.” McConkie

“Jesus the Christ.” Talmage

“Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles.” CES NT Manual

“The Four Gospels.” Ludlow

“Doctrinal New Testament Commentary.” Volume 1. McConkie

“The Gospels.” Jackson-Millet

“Mormon Doctrine.” McConkie

“The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ.” Volume 1. Holzapfel-Wayment

“The Life of Christ.” Farrar

“The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah.” Volume 1. Edersheim

“Doctrines of Salvation.” Volume 1. Joseph Fielding Smith