I’m glad you are joining us at Eastwood Baptist Church for Mother’s Day!

Lots of emotions and memories. Let’s give a shout out to our moms with us or with the Lord today! We are going to look at three incredible ladies today from the pages of Scripture. One is a mom and two are not mentioned as moms. All three share the same name. This message is for all of us. Let’s dive in!

The name ‘Mary’ occurs several times in the New Testament. We are going to highlight three of them this morning. The most well know is Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was a woman of amazing faith and courage. Another well-known woman named Mary was the sister of Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead. This Mary had a sister named Martha. These two have probably been the topic of thousands of sermons! The third Mary is the first person Jesus appeared to after His resurrection. Her name is Mary Magdalene. These amazing ladies help us see the invisible!

Each one of these remarkable Mary’s reveal the heart of God to us. These three women can teach us something about our heavenly Father. God reveals His heart through these ladies. The love of the invisible God becomes visible to us.

Let’s look at Mary Magdalene first. Transformed by Love
Luke 8:1–3 (NKJV)

We are not told all the details of Magdalene’s story. We she was possessed by demons but Jesus healed her. She was a follower of Jesus and along with other ladies provided some of His needs. We also know that Jesus appeared to her first after His resurrection (John 20:10-18). This is amazing!

The great love that Magdalene had for Jesus moved her to the tomb and kept her there. She was transformed from a demon possessed outsider to a follower of Jesus. We don’t know all about her past but we can see the transformation that Jesus brought into her life. Jesus is still able to cast out anything that is ruining us and keeping us in bondage.

Mary the sister of Lazarus and Martha were a friends of Jesus.

Transformed at the Feet of Jesus
Luke 10:38–42 (NKJV)

In five verses we see the ‘one thing’ that is necessary! Mary reveals her heart and the heart of God by her hunger for His word. This whole family was loved by Jesus. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus John 11:5 (NKJV). Mary was the one who sat at Jesus feet. Jesus said,
“But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42 (NKJV)

Our last ‘Mary’ is the most well-known.Mary the mother of Jesus.

Transformed by Pain
Luke 2:25–35 (NKJV)

Look carefully at that last verse. God used Mary to be a revealer of the invisible! It was a heavy assignment that God entrusted to Mary. Her life was filled with blessing and privilege. But imagine having the Son of God for thirty years! Her life was one of blessings for sure. But it also was filled with confusion, frustration, and pain. Her life was not her own. It’s hard to fathom what she went through. Maybe only a mother can know. Is it not true that our most gut wrenching pain is caused by raising our children? Imagine raising the Son of God.

I asked two moms what was hardest about having children. They immediately said that it was tough to watch them when they were sick. When they were hurt. And when they were going through something that they wanted to fix but couldn’t.

Look at what Simeon prophesied again,
“Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” V35.

What we do with our lives affects many people. What Mary went through as she watched her child grow had to be gut wrenching. I’m sure there were moments of pure pleasure. The pain had to be overwhelming at times. If you are a mom (or dad) you know there are choices we wish that our children wouldn’t make. We often want to shield them from the hurts of life, but we can’t.

Jesus is the ‘heart knower.’ His crucifixion is the dividing of history and separator or the One who unites men and women. Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters” Luke 11:23 (NKJV).

You can’t be neutral about Jesus. There is no middle ground with Jesus. He polarizes every group and by each one's response, his/her heart is revealed. For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to lightLuke 8:17 (NKJV). But the One who knows us best, loves us the most!

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