by P. Bobby

Created on: January 17, 2009

'Just' human does not do the virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, justice. She was a special human; but she was human, not divine. Depicted in Christian scripture as a humble and god-loving woman, she was rightly chosen to bear the son of God.

Her son, the Messiah - Jesus Christ - was the 'Word' made flesh, to walk on earth among us. He walked on earth amongst us as carnate, for some thirty two years, and the sins and hatreds of fleshly humans was absorbed by his own flesh in his tremendous flogging and crucifixion; this at once is both the turning point of his own existence as well as mankinds.

One of the most insightful phrases Jesus spoke was when discussing who he was. At one point in reference to King David he said: "Before David was, I Am."

Remarkable! Did Jesus break a basic law of language by speaking of both past and present tense in the one breath?

Yes he did...

This is a critical point.

He did so because he broke the PHYSICAL barrier between past and present.

Jesus broke the physical barrier between past and present, and between spirit and flesh - the barrier between what we see and what is.

And he did this because before he came to earth (and even long before King David), he existed; as spirit. Yet during his time on earth he was as physical a being as you and I; albeit with the vestigial ability to connect with the spiritual. Following his earthly execution, Jesus was transfigured into a part physical (the disciples could touch him) part spiritual (the ascension) state. Jesus' job as the High Priest on earth was over, and his job as the High Priest in heaven (at the right hand of the throne) just beginning, in the cycle of human history.

So what of his mother - so what then of Mary?

The bible clearly states that Mary was touched by the Holy Spirit (incarnate) to produce 'flesh' (carnate). This would not have occurred if Mary was spirit or divine. To argue a divine mother Mary is to say the Holy Spirit touched another 'spirit' (a divine Mary) to create a flesh (Jesus).

In other words, Jesus Christ on earth can be seen as an intimate co-operation between spirit (God) and flesh (woman). Hence Jesus can rightly say 'He' (as spirit) 'Is', before David was; but his flesh came about later, and only through the union of spirit with flesh.

Consider the following:

1. Would a divine Mary need divine intervention to give birth to the son of God

2. If Mary were divine would she not have been able to foretell her place in history, such as Jesus was able to foretell his own

3. If Mary were divine, then her being a virgin would not be nearly so significant, perhaps irrelevant - but in the Holy Scriptures her virginity is clearly not irrelevant, in fact it is perhaps the point of her being chosen: Holy Spirit + Virgin Flesh = God as Man.

Nevertheless, in many cultures and denominations, the virgin Mary is exalted upon high, at times almost at the expense of Jesus. For example, the Greek word for the virgin mother Mary is "panagea", meaning the most blessed, and other Christian denominations make quasi-divine references. Man has placed the mother Mary in a position to perhaps rival Jesus.

This is plainly wrong.

The mother Mary, chosen as she was to bear our Lord, is not the Lord or his equal - she is not the 'King of Kings', 'Prince of Truth', nor the 'Great I Am'.

Nothing in the bible suggests the divinity of Mary. Yes, she was human... but not only 'just'.

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