Rebellious Mary

Jesus is the son of Mary, but Mary is not a nice name.

According to Strong's Concordance, Mary (Maria or Miriam) in Hebrew means "Their rebellion," or a rebel.

Names have significance for God, and His choosing Mary as the mother of Christ was no accident. We can have a deeper understanding of God's will by meditating on it.

Mary symbolizes man's rebellious nature needing the indwelling of God's holy presence in order to give birth to a new and perfect being.

Of the flesh we are rebellious even in our obedience, for by it the work is not of the spirit.

Unlike Abraham and Sarah whose names were changed by God to reflect their new identity in grace, Mary remained the same name even after giving birth to Jesus Christ.

She remained a rebel, but this time for the gospel and not just representing man in his sinful state.

Jesus is the son of a rebel, He came not to uphold or enforce the law, but to overthrow the requirement and bondage of law toward man by fulfilling it Himself on the cross.

His was a divine rebellion!

There are several Marys of importance in the Bible: Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the sister of Martha.

According to Scripture these three women went against the moral code or common convention of the time.

Mary the mother of Jesus had a child before wedlock. Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Mary the sister of Martha did not serve Jesus as guest but sat at His feet listening to Him.

All were subject to condemnation for not following moral and proper conducts by supposed God-loving and fearing people of high value and service to the Lord.

Yet the Marys were touched by grace, and their seeming "rebellion" was then not of the flesh but the spirit.

And they all pleased Christ more than the sincerely pretentious pharisees and even Martha busy and angry in the kitchen.

In the spirit we are obedient even when rebellious, for today it is against the flesh we wage war.

The spirit of grace is rebellion against law that enforces dead works and exultation of man's pride.

In Christ we are now rebels fighting against the old flesh nature that wants to obey, work and serve for glory instead of allowing grace to transform us from glory to glory.

Mary was the first church. Let us also be Marys in a church of one and many that first rebelled against sin in repentance, and now rebel against flesh by living purely in the freedom of grace, to overthrowing the tyranny of law.

Amen!