Expert: Sal - 1/31/2009

Question
Hi Sal,

What do I say to the Protestant who tells me that the Blessed Virgin Mary was just a woman who gave birth to Jesus?

Answer
Hello Les:

I would ask the Protestant why he says that when the Bible says otherwise. We know that Jesus honored his mother. We know this because Jesus kept the Law perfectly and one commandment stated to honor one’s father and mother. Even though Jesus didn’t want to perform his first miracle he did so at the behest of his mother (see John 2:1-11). As Jesus was about to die on the cross he was concerned with the welfare of his mother (see John 19:25-27). Ask the Protestant if just any woman is prefigured in the Old Testament?   

There are literally hundreds of references in the Old Testament to the Blessed Virgin Mary. I will only list a fraction of these references. The earth in Genesis 1 is created in a state of perfection. “God saw how good it was” (v. 10). Everything that God had made was “very good” (v. 31). The earth was immaculate until after the Fall of Adam & Eve. “Cursed be the ground because of you!” (Genesis 3:17). The perfect, immaculate earth is a type of the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Further Adam was born of this earth. “The LORD God formed man out of the dust of the ground” (Genesis 2:7). So we see that the first Adam had the virgin earth as his mother (remember that as of yet the ground had not been cursed). The second Adam, Jesus (see 1 Corinthians 15:45; Romans 5:17-19), had the Virgin Mary as his mother. The Jews had the understanding that the earth was our mother. “Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb and naked shall I go back again” (Job 1:21; see also Sirach 40:1; Psalm 139:15). Job is obviously referring to the earth which he saw as his mother’s womb based on Genesis 2:7 and ancient tradition.

Eve is another type of the Virgin Mary. Eve was, like the earth, created immaculate. Mary was born without original sin—the Immaculate Conception. Eve was without sin until she chose to sin. Mary remained sinless because she chose not to sin. The Fall of Adam & Eve produced this great prophecy of Redemption. “I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman (Mary), and between your offspring (evil) and hers (Jesus); He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel” (Genesis 3:15). While God spoke this to Eve, the ultimate fulfillment could only be found in Jesus & Mary. Further Eve is called “the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). Mary is the mother of all those alive in her son. “Seeing his mother there (at the cross) with the disciple whom he loved, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, there is your son.’ In turn he said to the disciple, ‘There is your mother.’ From that hour onward, the disciple took her into his care” (John 19:26-27). All scholars recognize that whenever John uses the term “disciple whom he loved” John is referring to all Christians. Therefore, Mary is the mother of all Christians which is confirmed by Revelation 12 where Mary’s offspring are said to be “those who keep God’s commandments and give witness to Jesus” (v. 17).

The Ark of the Covenant is another type of the Virgin Mary. The ark housed the word of God in stone (see Exodus 25:16). The Virgin Mary housed the Word of God in the flesh (see John 1:1, 14). St. Luke goes to great lengths in order to show Mary to be the Ark of the New Covenant. For example, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaps for joy when he is in the presence of Mary just as David leaped for joy in the presence of the Ark (Luke 1:41, 44; II Samuel 6:14, 16). Shouts of great joy greet Mary and the Ark (Luke 1:42; 2 Samuel 6:15). Elizabeth does not deem herself worthy to be in Mary’s presence as David does not believe he is worthy to be in the Ark’s presence (Luke 1:43; 2 Samuel 6:9). Mary remains in Elizabeth house for 3 months just as the Ark was in the house of Obededom for 3 months (Luke 1:56; 2 Samuel 6:11). Both houses were blessed by the visits (Luke 1:57; 2 Samuel 6:11).

Another type of Mary in the Old Testament is the queen mother. The king in the line of David always had a queen mother by his side as his most important and trusted aide. She would often intercede with her son for the people. So it is that Jesus, the ultimate king in the line of David, had his mother, Mary, as the queen mother. “…the king stood up to meet her and paid her homage. Then he sat down upon his throne, and a throne was provided for the king’s mother, who sat down at his right” (1 Kings 2:19). The queen mother has unparalleled intercessory power (see v. 20). Mary as queen mother has unparalleled intercessory power with her son (see John 2:3-5, for example).

Perhaps the most well known prophecy concerning Mary & Jesus is found in Isaiah. “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel” (7:14). This is the famous prophecy of the Virgin Birth of our Lord. “Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be since I am a virgin?’” (Luke 1:34).

I believe that any honest person will admit that Mary is more than just a woman.

God Bless You,
Sal