Mary: Mother of God, Mother of the Lord, or Mother of Jesus?

Exploring Mary's Identity

Mary was a young Jewish woman from Nazareth, chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus. Her life is the ultimate example of faith and obedience. Although she was of humble origin, she was betrothed to Joseph, who belonged to the house of King David. Mary was a relative of Elizabeth, who was the wife of Zechariah, the high priest of the temple, to whom the angel Gabriel appeared to announce that his wife would give birth to John the Baptist. Later, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce that she would be the mother of the Messiah, the Savior promised by God. Despite her youth, Mary accepted with humility and faith the divine plan, which connected her with a family of great religious importance in Jewish society of that time.

Is Mary, Mother of God?

In Christian faith, Mary is venerated as the mother of God, because she gave birth to Jesus, who is considered the Son of God or the True God. This belief is based on the doctrine of the Incarnation, which holds that Jesus is completely divine and completely human. However, God is a self-subsisting being who has not been created: he already existed. God has no cause, nor beginning nor end; rather, he is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega. Therefore, a self-subsisting being cannot have a mother. To assert that Mary is the mother of God is to assert that she is the mother of a being that has no beginning or end, which constitutes a logical contradiction. Therefore, Mary cannot be considered the mother of God.

Is Mary, Mother of the Lord?

The word "Lord" had two nuances: Adoni was used to refer to a master or earthly lord, and Adonai was used to refer to God. Mary was indeed the mother of Jesus (Adoni), but was not the mother of God (Adonai). Therefore, Mary cannot be considered the mother of the Lord in the sense of being the mother of God.

Is Mary, Mother of the Messiah?

Mary was indeed the mother of Jesus, who is the Messiah promised by God. However, the title "Mother of the Messiah" is not as commonly used as "Mother of God" or "Mother of the Lord". Isaiah 7:14 prophesied that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, which was fulfilled in Mary. Therefore, Mary can be considered the mother of the Messiah, but this title is not as significant as the other two. As the angel Gabriel said to Mary: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). As a child, Jesus said to his parents: "Why were you searching for me? Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49). Also, Jesus called Mary "Woman" (John 2:4, John 19:26), which is a title of respect in Jewish culture, but does not imply that she is the mother of God or the Lord. Certainly, Mary is the mother of Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior promised by God, because when God separated from Jesus at the moment of his trial, Jesus himself exclaimed: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). Therefore, Mary is the mother of that Jesus who showed himself to be human and who submitted to human trials.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Mary cannot be considered the mother of God or the mother of the Lord, because God is a self-subsisting being who has no beginning or end. However, Mary is indeed the mother of Jesus, the Messiah promised by God, who submitted to human trials and showed himself to be human. Therefore, the most appropriate title for Mary would be "Mother of the Messiah" or simply "Mother of Jesus". The veneration of Mary as the mother of God or the Lord is a belief that has no biblical or logical foundation, and has led to confusion and idolatry in Christian faith.