Luke 1:26-38 (NLT)
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For the word of God will never fail.” 38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Virgin Mary
- Chosen by God? Yes.
- Favored by God? Yes.
- Honorable? Yes.
- Virtuous woman of character and integrity? Yes.
- The only woman in the history of the world to give birth as a virgin? Yes.
- Deserving to be celebrated during the Christmas season? Yes.
- Worthy to be held in high esteem? Yes.
- Worthy to be worshipped or prayed to? Nope.
Mary was highly favored by God but was never intended to be a mediator between us and God.
4 REASONS YOU SHOULD NOT PRAY TO MARY
1. THERE IS ONLY ONE MEDIATOR
1 Timothy 2:5 (NLT) says, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.
This confirms we don’t need a “go-between.” We don’t need a middle-man (or woman) beyond Christ.
When Jesus died, shed His blood, and was raised from the dead the need to have someone (e.g. high priest) represent us was ripped away just like the curtain that tore from top to bottom.
2. GOD ALONE SHOULD BE WORSHIPPED
Luke 4:8 (NLT) says, Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”
Praying to Mary and/or any living or deceased saints is an act of worship…which is reserved for God alone.
When Jesus modeled prayer (Matthew 6:7-13) He began with, “Our Father in Heaven.” No where in Scripture is it suggested that we pray to Mary or any other deceased saints.
3. MARY WORSHIPPED JESUS AS GOD
In Acts 1 the disciples and about 120 believers were in an upper room waiting for the promise of the Holy Spirit (at Jesus’ command). Guess who was present with them? Mary. What was she doing? Praying.
Acts 1:14 (NLT) says, They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.
It’s important to note that the apostles weren’t praying to Mary as a go between. She was joined with them in prayer…to GOD.
4. MARY WAS A SINNER IN NEED OF A SAVIOR
According to Psalm 51:5 we are all born as sinners in need of a Savior, Mary included.
Mary was highly favored, not sinless. There is not one scripture to support that Mary was without sin. JESUS is the only one who never sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 2:22) which explains why Mary had to be impregnated by the Holy Spirit.
Extras
- The Bible is about JESUS, after all Jesus is the Living Word (John 1:14). The Old Testament points to JESUS. The New Testament is about Jesus. The authors of the four Gospels saw JESUS as the central figure and only mention Mary in reference to JESUS. The word “Jesus” is mentioned 1,478 times in the New Testament. The word “Mary” is only mentioned 55 times and some of those are in reference to Mary Magdalene. Also, Jesus is referenced in 26 of 27 New Testament books.
- I was discussing this with my friend Mike last night and he simply added, “She can’t hear you.” Good answer. Only God can hear all of our prayers as He is the only one omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.
- Mary was not even recognized in Scripture as a leader in the early Church. Peter is the one who stood up, addressed the crowd, and preached in Acts 1, not Mary.
- JESUS is the only Way, Truth, and Life. No one can come to the Father, except through JESUS.
Let me end by saying this blog post is not to attack one’s belief system or even ridicule it for that matter. My purpose is to educate and communicate what Scripture teaches. After all, we have a responsibility as believers to weigh everything we believe and teach against the inerrant Word of God.
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