From the Pulpit ................................................................Pages

Owner/Publisher: Rob Wood

May is the month to honour mothers; the second Sunday in May is Mother's Day. This special day gives people around the world a chance to show mothers how special they really are... the woman who took her time with you, loved you, cared for you... by bringing her flowers, gifts or both and showing your appreciation for all that she has done for you through all the years, including all the sacrifices that she made for you, and you know that no matter what, she will always be there for you.

Anna Marie Jarvis is the founder of Mother's Day, as she wanted to honor her mother after she had passed away. She had campaigned for the day to honor, not only her mother, but other mothers as well with a special day when they would be appreciated. In 1908, she held a memorial for her mother at the St. Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia; this was the first recorded celebration of Mother's Day.

Mother's Day became an official holiday in West Virginia in 1910, being held as it is today on the second Sunday of May. Four years later on the second Sunday of May, the United States President Woodrow Wilson declared Mother's Day as an official holiday in 1914. One year later, Canada declared Mother's Day an official holiday in 1915, and we Canadians have celebrated this special holiday ever since.

Mothers have always played an important role in the family with their children. On Mother's Day, all mother figures should be given that respect...like stepmothers, foster mothers, grandmothers, mother-in-laws, aunts and so on... they should always be treated with love.

God created mothers to be nurturers, take care and love their children, and there is a special bond between mothers and their children. It is bond that can only be explained by the love of God that He gives to all mothers who raise their babies.

There are a lot of mothers we can talk about in the Bible; all of them that believed in God and loved God were mothers that did the Lord's work. Such mothers as Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel, Jochebed, Elizabeth and of course Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.

So let's talk about them now, starting with Sarah. 1. Sarah: In Genesis 11:30 it says, "But Sarai was barren; she had no child." Now Sarai was Sarah before God changed her name. Sarah was childless as we just read; she couldn't conceive. This truly saddened both Sarah and Abraham. When the word of the Lord was given to Abram, he answered by saying what will you give me Lord since you have not given me an heir? Then God goes on to tell him, look at the stars in the sky, for that would be the number of Abram's offspring. You see, Abraham and Sarah waited 15 years before God renewed His promise to them, and 10 more years before that promise was fulfilled. Then Sarah gave birth to a son, named Isaac, and she became a mother at the age of 90 years old.

Mothers of the Bible

Our mothers take care of us and love us; they are a gift from God!

It says in Genesis 15:1-6, "After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." But Abram said, "Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" Then Abram said, "Look, You have given me now offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!" And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward the heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them," And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness."

Now Sarah waited a long time, as so many of us do, for what we pray for. Also, as

Mothers of the Bible

so many years go by after praying, Sarah laughed at the idea that God could do what He promised, but as we see, and thankfully, God's promises did not rely on the level of Sarah's faith, and it doesn't without faith as well. God had fulfilled His promise according to His plan and Sarah responded in Genesis 21:1-7: "And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sara conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him whom Sarah bore to him Isaac. Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age."

It is so hard to imagine waiting until you are 90 years old to have a child! By today's standards, that wouldn't happen, but with God all things are possible. Matthew 19:26 says, "But Jesus looked at them and said to them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." But Sarah had doubts as she tried to believe the promise, until it finally came to fruition. Sarah had even laughed with joy at what the LORD had done. Isaac would go on to continue in his father Abraham's footsteps.

2. Elizabeth:

Elizabeth was married to a priest named Zacharias and Luke 1 tells us that both Elizabeth and Zacharias were very righteous before God, as they observed all of God's commands. Luke 1:5-6 says, "There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah, His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." But Elizabeth was childless, and they were both old in age also. Luke 1:7 says, "But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years." Back in those days, people thought that sin was preventing women from bearing children, as they thought that of Elizabeth. This would have been a hard thing for Elizabeth to face as she was the wife of a priest.

Now as Zacharias was serving in the temple, Gabriel, an Angel of the Lord, appeared to him, as he was on the right side of the altar of incense. Now Zacharias was troubled and he became very fearful. Luke 1: 11-12 says, "Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of

incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him."

But the Angel Gabriel told him not to be afraid and that his prayers were heard and they would have a son and that his name would be John. Luke 1:12-14 says, "And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the Angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth."

Now when Mary, the mother of Jesus, left her mother and father to visit her cousin Elizabeth, her baby leaped in her womb and at that moment she was filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:41 says, "And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit."

John would go on to

Mothers of the Bible

baptize many people from their sins with water and he would prepare the way for the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. 3. Mary: the mother of Jesus Christ. Mary was a strong, pure young woman, around the age of 15 years old. She was given to a man named Joseph to be her husband. Then one day, the Angel Gabriel came to her to tell her the good news; he told her that she was a favored one and that the Lord was with her and that she was blessed among women. He said that she would conceive in her womb a son and she shall call his name Jesus. Luke 1:31-32 says, "Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call his name Jesus."

Mary wondered how this could be possible, as she was a virgin; she was with no man. But the Angel told her that the Holy Spirit would come onto her. Luke 1:35 says, "And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God." After this, she embraced these words in faith.

Mary would treasure the things in her heart of Jesus; she raised and loved Jesus, but also knew her son was the Son of God and He would, one day, sacrifice Himself for us on the cross. She would have to watch Him suffer, be tortured, mocked and be crucified on the cross. John 19:25-27 says, "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary, the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home." Mothers are caregivers from God. We should be thankful for all that they have done for us. We should love our Mothers, let them know how much we love and care for them.

WOOD Ministries

Publisher/Sales/Graphic Designer/Writer: Rob Wood

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