Comments on: Mary, Simeon or Anna: Who First Recognized Jesus as Messiah?

By: Judy

Judy — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 13:35:59 +0000

Jet, there is not a single iota of physical evidence excepted by unbiased searchers, professors of religion and archaeology to prove that any of the characters in either the Old Testament or the New Testament existed who were “religious characters” such as Solomon, David, Abraham, Noah, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the apostles, or even Paul.

It appears that all of these characters are fairytales characters. And yet we have that physical evidence in the millions of human beings who existed including their bones, tombs, statues of their likenesses by many individuals who saw them in person during their lifetime, and yet no one even drew a picture of Jesus during his life, or made a statue, not even a gentile who is allowed to, nor did Jesus Mary Joseph or Paul write a single word by their own hand or carve anything in stone as evidence that they existed.

And again, we have cave painting going back 35,000 years, with their handprints and fingerprints showing that they actually existed. But Jesus couldn’t write a thing an Aramic or Greek and even though he is considered God incarnate he could not have it hidden so that future generations could prove that he existed?

No matter how you slice it, biblical archaeology is nothing more than an extension of Christian apologetics which basically is just teaching Christian how to lie.

By: Stephen MacGinnis

Stephen MacGinnis — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 16:18:37 +0000

In reply to david snyder. Amen brother! Article states Mary had much to learn before she could enter the kingdom of heaven??? What nonsense.! All those degrees and the guy can't figure it out.

By: Dale M. Ogren

Dale M. Ogren — Sat, 24 Dec 2022 21:31:06 +0000

While considering Dr. Witherington’s question, I would like to ask, “How about Elizabeth, wife of Zachariah, whose response to Mary’s arrival plainly states that the Spirit revealed to her the identity of the unborn Messiah?” Luke 1:41-43 reads, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ” If Mary were first to know, then surely Elizabeth was second, or if Mary did not realize, then Eizabeth was first to know.

By: joe miller

joe miller — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 17:57:47 +0000

In reply to Daryl Gilbertson. Exactly. Mary knew.

By: Prasanna Kantimahanti

Prasanna Kantimahanti — Sun, 11 Dec 2022 10:43:32 +0000

The presentations by all, are excellent and non-controversial. The wisdom of Almighty God is unsearchable! Romans 11:33-34 and Isaiah 40:28. Fear God, love God and honor God for the multitude of things he has done in our behalf, the love He has given us and the graciousness He has shown us through His Son and the Holy Spirit! God is testing us everyday and has given us the right to make our own choices. May Almighty God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit and Christianity be our guiding lights, our safety nets and our inspiration for loving happiness with Almighty God! Amen!

By: Daryl Gilbertson

Daryl Gilbertson — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 14:09:12 +0000

In reply to david snyder.

Adding to what David said, Two important points, to say the least:

1. Gabriel made it quite clear to Mary who is Jesus:
“And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call him Jesus. He shall be great, and men will know him for the Son of the most High; the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob eternally; his kingdom shall never have an end.”

2. In response, Mary made it quite clear to Gabriel that she understood:
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be unto me according to thy word.”

3. Mary then announced to Elizabeth (and the world):
“My soul magnifies the Lord; my spirit has found joy in God, who is my Saviour, because he has looked graciously upon the lowliness of his handmaid. Behold, from this day forward all generations will count me blessed; because he who is mighty, he whose name is holy, has wrought for me his wonders. He has mercy upon those who fear him, from generation to generation; he has done valiantly with the strength of his arm, driving the proud astray in the conceit of their hearts; he has put down the mighty from their seat, and exalted the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty-handed. He has protected his servant Israel, keeping his merciful design in remembrance, according to the promise which he made to our forefathers, Abraham and his posterity for evermore.”

By: david snyder

david snyder — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 01:15:19 +0000

ben witherington and all readers,

my name is david snyder. i am a veterinarian in texas and i am catholic! i have a tremendous teachin about the physiologic process a body experiences, during crucifixion. i was searching for private visions by people who have had additional explanations, suvh as the annunciation. i know PROTESTANTS don”t credit private interpretations. If you ever want to read something that fills in the blanks an,d plays out like a movie, read MYSTICAL CITY OF GOD by SISTER MARY of AGREEDA.
Keeping with SOLO SCIPTURUAE, we have left out the first procession of CORPUS CHRISTI, which is MARY visiting ELIZABETH.
SCRIPTURE, proclaims elizabeth asking in wonder, “how is it that the MOTHER of my LORD comes to me?” i could go on and on

By: RevK

RevK — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 05:49:13 +0000

John in the womb.

By: Den Hall

Den Hall — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 16:28:25 +0000

Dewy, one of the best comments regarding this article. Thank you.

By: Dewey Collins

Dewey Collins — Sun, 29 Oct 2017 19:21:33 +0000

GOD THE FATHER, HOLY SPIRIT, JESUS AND MARY AT THE TEMPLE
It was Mary and Joseph’s job to bring up Jesus the Son of Man, as Jesus often referred to himself, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord to be a responsible adult in the Jewish culture. It was God the Father’s and Holy Spirit’s job to prepare Jesus until he was ready to start His ministry.
At the Temple scene, Mary definatly shows she knows this by how she address him after looking for him for three days. She is not shaking in her boots because inwardly Jesus is the Son of God. Which she knows fullwell, she had pondered this in her heart. God gave her a job to do and she is doing it.

Jesus, the adolecent, wasn’t sining or lying here he was jumping the gun. You can be sure God the father and Holy Spirit let Him know about it. Which scripture acknowledges by saying “Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.” He was obident and honored them for another 18 yrs until the God given time had come and He revelled himself by changing the water into wine at the Cana wedding.

It wasn’t that Mary had forgotten that Jesus was also the Son of God that she didn’t understand. She didn’t understand why he
was saying and revelling himself at this age – God had her back on this one!

THE WEDDING AT CANA
It is evident from scripture, by the fact that the people in His hometown and His siblings didn’t know He was the Messia (after thirty yrs), that Mary, Joseph or Jesus ever revealed this.

Mary at the Cana wedding sensed, maybe with the Holy Spirit’s nudging, that perhaps this was the time for Jesus to reveall him self in a big way. He had been baptized and already started gathering his disciples.

Instead of the adolecent’s response, Jesus said this time, “my time has not yet come.” Followed immediatly by changing the water into wine.

The song ‘Mary did you know’ yes Mary did know that her son – God’s son – was capable of not only performing miracles but of saving any one who has faith in Him from eternal death and blessing them with eternal life.