The Bible’s Mary, according to Luke 3:23 and Matthew 1:16 is descended from David, and as all humans, is conceived in sin. Rome’s Mary is immaculately conceived, based on human logic, and doctrines gained by “piety of the people”, and a connection to the Babylonian traditions of Semiaramis and others.

In Luke 1:26-38, the announcement and response: “Hail,” a common greeting, as in James 1:1. It simply means happy or blessed. “Full of grace” means endued with honor, as Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. That grace has been extended to all of God’s people, as in Ephesians 1:6. But in the Roman version, Mary is being praised! Mary is sinless, in a near-God status.

Luke 1:39-56 tells of the incident of her visit to Elizabeth. “Blessed are you among women,” says Elizabeth. But see Judges 5:24, in regards to Jael, the heroine of the Deborah-Barak story. Same words! She was blessed! But Rome says Mary is super holy and to be honored above all others. Jesus never did or said such a thing.

The Bible’s Mary is further called “mother of my Lord.” That Lord is Jesus, fully a man because of Mary. Fully God because of the Father. Mary was a willing servant, carrying Jesus. Truly to be honored and revered in our memories. But Rome says Mary is the Mother of GOD, near Deity herself, and to be honored constantly for her actions.

Matthew 1:18,20 tells us of Jesus’ birth, a true immaculate conception. The seed of the

woman made holy by the Spirit of God overshadowing her. Matthew 1:23, A virgin shall conceive and bear a son… In Rome this is rightly called the virgin birth but should also be known as the virgin conception, the only one recorded in Scripture. A conception of a child without a human male present. Strangely enough, when Rome speaks of an immaculate conception, it is talking about Mary’s birth, not Jesus’!

Luke 2:8-20 tells of the shepherds who came to see Jesus on that wonderful birth night. Nothing in the speech or conduct of shepherds points to Mary. Whenever they are together HE receives the glory! While all are marveling, Mary is pondering. So it should be today. Only Jesus is to receive the glory. But is it that way in Rome?

Luke 2:25-35. Simeon gives his blessing. Joseph and Mary are equal in their marveling. But the words are spoken to Mary, since Joseph is not a parent. “A sword will pierce your heart.” An obvious reference to the crucifixion of Christ, and Mary losing her Son in His prime. An awful thing to be sure, multiplied in its awfulness because of Who He is. But in Rome arises the whole “sacred heart” devotion, along with mythical stories accompanying. Mary’s heart was broken, indeed. But Mary’s heart is not Divine.

Matthew 2 and Luke 2 record how Jesus is taken with His mother to Egypt, then Nazareth, all by age 2. 10 years pass. Luke 2:41-51. Jesus is in the temple. She doesn’t know He’s gone. She is anxious and worried. She doesn’t understand what “the Father’s business” is. In other words, she is an ordinary young mother caught up in something eternal, who struggles like the rest of us to figure it out.

Matthew 1:25. Joseph did not have sexual relations with Mary until Jesus was born. But the relationship did proceed as planned after that. That’s the record. But in Rome they say Joseph did not have sexual relations with Mary, ever. So what do we do with the brothers and sisters of Jesus, 2 of whom (James and Jude) gave us Scriptures? If you’re Roman, you cover by calling them cousins, or just relatives. But there’s a word for cousin, anepsios, as in Colossians 4:12. The word for Jesus’ kin is adelphos. Yep, it’s in there.

In John 2:1-12 there is a wedding in Cana. Mother is there. That is all we know about her connection to the wedding party. Jesus and His disciples are invited. Somehow Mary has picked up on her son’s connection to God. When the veiled request, “They have no wine,” comes out of her lips, His immediate response is that it is really not time to push Him into the unveiling of God’s plan. The Father allows the change of plans based on Mary’s faith, a faith which was further demonstrated by her comment to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

Matthew 12:46-50, Mark 3:31-35,Luke 8:19-21. The first synoptic story of Mary. Here is Jesus’ chance to glorify her! He is teaching when she comes and needs to talk to Him. But at the mention of “mother” and “brothers” His response is that His true family is

A. whoever does the will of my father! and B. whoever hears the word of God and does it!

What Jesus never does, Rome does a lot. Mary is above Jesus for all practical purposes. She takes people to herself, lifts herself up. “Build me a shrine. Listen to and repeat my messages. Build statures to me. Pray rosaries to me.” Big mother, little baby. This is not the Bible’s Mary.

Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3, John 6:42. The second Mary reference in the Synoptics. The Jews are astonished at His works, and begin to ask, Who is this Jesus? His mother is Mary! His brothers are James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. His sisters….Oops. There’s no hiding behind the word “cousins” here. Jesus really had brothers and sisters. Mary did have other children. The Bible’s Mary did.

John 19:25-27. At the cross Mary is told that John is her new son. (Look at your son.) He’s to care for her now. Jesus’ real brothers did not believe yet. Her husband is gone. John’s home is a good and safe atmosphere of faith. Very reasonable explanation and in keeping with the best traditions of what actually happened, starting with the context itself: From that day, it says, John took her to his home. Rome doesn’t care for this interpretation one bit. Rome has Jesus saying, Mary, look at me, your poor son. John, Mary is to be the mother of the church. You decide what makes more Biblical sense.

Matthew 27:56-61. Mark 15:40-47. Mary is not mentioned at the funeral attempt on Sunday morning. Mary Magdalene, and a Mary who was the mother of James & Joseph. Jesus had two such brothers, but it would seem odd to call Jesus’ mother the mother of James and Joseph! Can it be that John and the other apostles are laying low! Mary is of course staying with John, and under his advice stays away?

Acts 1:14. With the apostles, Mary received the Spirit like the others, as one of many new believers. Then she understood. And here the sword wound begins to be healed. That she continues to grieve and wants us to pray to her along those lines is a bit iffy, to say the least. No special honor is afforded to her by the historian of Pentecost. That same writer, Luke, was generous in his attention to her when her part of the story was central. By Pentecost, it is not central any longer. How did it come back to center I wonder?

Here ends the Biblical testimony. Unfortunately, Rome’s testimony does not end here. In Romanism, Mary not only received the Spirit but was in a unique way, by some Catholic theologians and historians, the very source of that Spirit for the apostles.

She becomes the queen of heaven, from a faulty interpretation of Revelation 12. That picture of a lady there brings one back to Genesis 37:9. The lady in the context of Revelation, is none other than Israel. But Alas! There is one called “queen of heaven” in the Bible, in Jeremiah 44:17. She is the pagan goddess of the Babylonian religion.

Her ascension is also taken from paganism. No clue of such in Sacred Writ.

Later she is called co-redemptrix, co-mediator. These titles only belong to Jesus. But it is claimed that because of her willingness to bring Jesus into the world she shares in His office and glory. One could argue more Biblically that all who are willing to carry Jesus into their world share in the victory of the Redeemer. But only Jesus is God. And only God gave His blood for the life of the world. Let no human try to share this glory. It is the Supreme Sacrifice of Jesus that so pleases the Father. No one else did it. No one else could do it.

Then Mary is the intercessor. But only the Son and the Spirit intercede with the Father. All human intercessions must be in accordance with the interceding that God Himself is orchestrating.

In the words of Mary we end this search. “Whatever He says to you, do. Perhaps

some of the greatest wisdom in Scripture from her mouth, indeed. But He says nothing about prayers to His mother, elevating her, having days and months set aside to her. He