Mary, just like Elizabeth, surrendered her son to the will of God.
Now, someone might say, “How can you say she surrendered Jesus Christ to God’s will? He was her Lord, her Creator!”
Yes, indeed, He was all of that. But while on earth, He was also her son. He had to be guided, nurtured, and raised like every other child. He had to submit to parenting, to care, to structure and Mary and Joseph were the ones chosen to steward that divine responsibility.
Like any mother, she carried Him through the normal course of pregnancy.
She likely felt the nausea, the discomfort, the cravings, the fatigue.
She must have had nights where sleep evaded her, tossing and turning, trying to find a comfortable position.
She felt the fluttering of tiny feet inside her, the sharp kicks, the tightening pangs that signaled labor.
And just like many women before and after her, she pushed Him out into the world.
Then came the days of tender care:
She nursed Him, bathed Him, clothed Him, and kissed His cheeks.
She probably stayed up many nights, whispering lullabies or praying under her breath while rocking Him to sleep.
She was fully His mother, in every sense of the word
She loved Him, was attached to Him, just like any devoted mother would be.
So when we say she surrendered Jesus, it was not theoretical or distant.
She surrendered a child she had loved with her body, her soul, and her strength.
And still, she said yes to God’s will, again and again.
But here’s the key:
Mary’s surrender didn’t begin the day she birthed Jesus.
She was already surrendered when the angel came to her. We can tell from her response: “Be it unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38)
No arguing. No negotiating. Just yes, Lord. Your will is my command.
Can you picture her?
A young woman, in love. Found by a good man. Waiting eagerly for the day of her wedding. Dreaming of a home, a simple life with Joseph. Then suddenly, her plans are intercepted, interrupted by God.
And without grumbling or complaining, before consulting her parents or even her fiancé, she says yes.
This was a woman who placed God above man.
Whose desire to please God far outweighed her desire to please anyone else.
Even in the face of shame. Even when the explanation wouldn’t make sense.
she said yes.
Even with the uncertainty of being misunderstood.
Even when she could not yet explain it to her own family or fiancé.
Even when the assignment was unlike anything the world had ever seen and probably would never understand.
She said yes.
We often say, “There’s nothing new under the sun,” but Mary’s story was new. A virgin, pregnant by the Holy Spirit? Unheard of. Impossible, except for God. And she didn’t just say yes once.
She said yes again and again:
Yes to raising the Son of God in humility.
Yes to watching Him step into public ministry and face persecution.
Yes to watching Him die a brutal death…
She stood by and yielded to God’s will in the life of her precious Son
She watched Him pick up a cross, not just a spiritual burden, but a blood-stained wooden beam He carried to Calvary
His head crowned with thorns
She saw His body mauled and beaten.
And she could do nothing… nothing but weep and follow.
I imagine, in those painful moments, their eyes met a few times.
And with tears in hers, she whispered, “I love you.”
She surrendered her Son.
And just like we saw in the life of Elizabeth, Mary’s surrender of herself, her life, and her child, became the channel through which redemption flowed and continues to flow.
Because she said yes, we were given a Savior.
She Was Not Just a Vessel, She Was a Disciple
She could have panicked when He went missing at age 12. She could have held Him back when He said, “I must be about my Father’s business.” But Mary wasn’t a controlling mother. She was a discerning mother.
And years later, in the garden of Gethsemane, we see Jesus mirror the very surrender she modeled: “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)
Is it too far-fetched to think that a boy raised by a surrendered woman would learn how to surrender? I don’t think so.
He saw it in Mary.
He saw it in Joseph.
He saw it in the way they lived, obeyed, trusted, and listened.
She wasn’t just the woman who gave birth to the Word, she lived under it.
She was a mother, yes, but also a disciple who never became familiar with the anointing.
Mary was that kind of mother who could hold both truths at once:
- This is my child.
- This child is anointed.
She never lost sight of the divine nature of her Son’s mission. She didn’t get too comfortable with the presence of God just because it came through her womb. And so at the wedding in Cana, when the wine ran out, she said: “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:5)
Oh, what confidence that reveals.
She believed in Him.
She trusted what He carried.
She honored both the natural and spiritual dimensions of her child.
She Didn’t Just Give Birth to Destiny, She Protected It
In a generation where everything about our lives is just a post away, Mary teaches us discretion. Scripture says, “She treasured these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19). She wasn’t hasty to share or boast about the prophecies concerning her child, thereby exposing Him to unnecessary warfares.
She didn’t announce: “I’m carrying the Messiah! The Savior of the world is growing in my womb!”
She kept things sacred.
She guarded the mystery.
She protected her family.
Her validation wasn’t dependent on how great her child was going to be, or even how great He already was. She was content to simply be His mother. To pray. To protect. To ponder. She didn’t need a crowd to affirm her role. She didn’t post His prophecies or parade His potential. She was faithful in silence. She was present in secret. She was steady until the day of His announcement and even then, she stayed behind the scenes.
We must return to discretion, mindfulness, and spiritual discipline as parents. Not everything needs to be posted. Not every revelation must be shared. Some things must be prayed through and protected.
Dear Parents….
- Are you modeling the kind of surrender you want to see in your children?
- Do you trust God’s process enough to say “yes” even when you don’t understand?
- Are you sharing prematurely what God has asked you to steward privately?
- Can you hold both the natural and the spiritual realities of your children’s lives?
- Can you trust God with your child’s destiny, even when it’s painful to watch?
Prayer
Lord, make me a surrendered parent like Mary.
Teach me to say yes to You, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Help me raise children who are bold in destiny, but rooted in humility.
Give me the grace to treasure what You reveal and the discernment to guard what is sacred.
Let my life, like Mary’s, be a legacy of obedience and faith.
Amen.
Just like Mary, may we treasure what is sacred, protect what is prophetic, and surrender what we love most into God’s hands.
Amen.
