Mary of Nazareth. She was espoused to Joseph the Carpenter who was a descendent of David. At the time of the cenus that Caesar Augustus ordered, Mary was pregnant and Joseph was afraid to take her as his wife. But, an angel of God assured Joseph that Mary's pregnancy was designed by God. So, Joseph took Mary as his wife, and took her with him to Bethlehem, which was the home of his great-great-great grand father David, the King of Jerusalem. That is why Bethlehem is called the City of David.
2006-12-04 05:56:45
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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Of course, Mary was the human mother of the human Jesus. But the Scriptures provide a much richer answer than that for mature Christians.
Note that Jesus is clearly and repeatedly spoken of as the primary part of "the Seed".
(Genesis 22:15-18) Jehovah's angel proceeded to call to Abraham...18 And by means of your seed all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves
(Galatians 3:16) Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. ...And to your seed," who is Christ.
In fact, Jesus is the primary part of the Seed mentioned in the bible's first prophecy. Jehovah's Witnesses recognize and teach that this prophecy foretold a millinia-long struggle between Satan's agents ('the serpent's seed') and another "seed" which is primarily represented by Jesus.
(Genesis 3:14-15) Jehovah God proceeded to say to the serpent [Satan]: "Because you have done this thing, you are the cursed one...15 And I shall put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise you in the head and you will bruise him in the heel."
Recall that Jesus was KILLED by Satanic agents, but not permanently. That was the 'bruise in the heel'. In the future, Jesus will judge and kill Satan permanently, constituting a fatal 'bruising in the head'.
Note that Genesis 3:15 doesn't specifically describe Jesus as the seed of Jehovah, but as the 'seed of "THE WOMAN"'. This "WOMAN" then is Jesus mother. Are there any more clues about her identity? Well, recall that Jesus is the primary PART of that seed; there are others who are part of that seed. The bible teaches that a limited number of 144,000 faithful humans are resurrected to heaven to help Jesus rule the promised future paradise earth; those 144,000 are the secondary part of the "seed".
(Galatians 3:29) Moreover, if YOU belong to Christ, YOU are really Abraham’s seed, heirs with reference to a promise.
(Romans 8:17) If, then, we are children, we are also heirs: heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ
So this composite "Seed"... who is its mother? The apostle Paul is a member of the 144,000; what did he write?
(Galatians 4:26) But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.
So the indication is that this "mother" of the seed is "above", or heavenly. In fact, Revelation describes this "woman" as being arrayed with the sun, moon, and stars; clearly this is no human woman.
(Revelation 12:1-5) And a great sign was seen in heaven, a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon was beneath her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars, 2 and she was pregnant. And she cries out in her pains and in her agony to give birth. ...5 And she gave birth to a son, a male, who is to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the bible indicates that this "woman", the mother of the Seed and of Christ Jesus, is Jehovah's faithful heavenly organization as a whole. They note that Jehovah's EARTHLY organization, the nation of Israel, was also refered to as Jehovah's "wife".
(Isaiah 54:5) For your Grand Maker is your husbandly owner, Jehovah of armies being his name
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the human nation of Israel was represented by Hagar (the mother of Ishmael); like Hagar, the Israelites were "slaves" in an important respect. On the other hand, Sarah was "free" just as God's faithful heavenly organization is "free" from inherited sin and imperfection. Where do these ideas come from? The Scriptures are quite explicit!
(Galatians 4:22-26) For example, it is written that Abraham acquired two sons [Ishmael and Isaac], one [Ishmael] by the servant girl [Hagar] and one [Isaac] by the free woman [Sarah]; 23 but the one by the servant girl was actually born in the manner of flesh, the other by the free woman through a promise. 24 These things stand as a symbolic drama; for these women mean two covenants, the one from Mount Sinai [the covenant with the earthly nation of Israel], which brings forth children for slavery [to inherited sin], and which is Hagar... and [Hagar] corresponds with the Jerusalem today [or 'earthly nation of Israel'], for she is in slavery [to inherited sin] with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above [God's heavenly organization] is free [from inherited sin], and she is our mother.
Clearly, the "mother" of Jesus (in his role as the Messiah and Christ, the primary part of the "Seed") is Jehovah's faithful heavenly organization.
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20011115/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/article_10.htm
2006-12-05 10:50:22
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answer #5
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answered by achtung_heiss 7
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