God's Story: Mary

God's Story, Mary. So part of God's story is about a woman named Mary, and it goes like this. Out of everyone in the whole world, Mary was chosen to be Jesus's mom. She lived in a town called Nazareth and was probably very poor. She was part of God's special family. She grew up listening to stories about God and how one day he would send a savior to rescue the world and bring God's kingdom to earth. One day, an angel appeared to Mary with a message from God. The angel told Mary that she would give birth to the rescuer that God's family had been waiting for. At first, Mary was terrified, but the angel assured her that God chose her for a reason and she didn't need to be afraid. Mary was the first person in the whole world who got to hear the news of Jesus and how he would be the son of God. She sang, oh, how my soul praises the Lord, how my spirit rejoices in God my savior. She sang about how God is powerful and merciful and just and how he always keeps his promises. She trusted in God's plan, even if it didn't make sense yet. When the rescuer was born, Mary and Joseph named him Jesus. And because he was a baby, he needed someone to take care of him, someone to hold him when he cried, comfort him when he was sad, help him when he got hurt, and teach him things he didn't know yet. One day, when Jesus was 12, Mary and Joseph took their family to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. After they left and walked all day, Mary realized that Jesus wasn't with them. She was so worried and it was three more days before she and Joseph found Jesus at the temple, listening to the teachers and asking them questions. Mary might've been frustrated at first. She said, son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been worried about you. We've been looking for you everywhere. But Jesus told her she didn't need to worry. Didn't you know I had to be in my father's house? After that, Jesus obeyed his parents and went home with his family. You see, even though Jesus was God's son and was the king over all kings, he was still a kid who loved his mom and knew that obeying his parents made God happy. When Jesus grew up, he began to do amazing things. Mary was there for Jesus' first miracle when he turned water into wine at a wedding. He went on to heal the sick, bring people back to life, and perform many other miracles. But even though she saw some of these miracles, Mary didn't always understand what Jesus was doing. Even Mary had to choose to believe in Jesus and follow him. Finally, the time came when Jesus did what he was sent here to do. He died on the cross and took the punishment for our sins. Mary had to watch her son be hurt and mocked and killed. Before he died, Jesus told his disciple John to take care of his mother. She was heartbroken. But then, three days after he was buried in a tomb, that tomb was empty. Jesus had come back from the dead and Mary saw with her own eyes that he was alive. Mary must have been so filled with joy. Jesus appeared to hundreds of people after that and he promised that he would be with them forever and then went up to heaven. After that, Mary gathered with the disciples and Jesus' brothers and they prayed together and received the Holy Spirit. Mary was a part of the early church, a group of believers who lived the way Jesus had taught them and who shared the news of Jesus with others. And that's the story of Mary. So, in case you missed it, here's the quick version. God chose Mary to be Jesus' mom. She gave birth to Jesus. Jesus loved her and obeyed her. She saw Jesus do miracles. Mary saw Jesus die on the cross. Then, Jesus came back to life. Mary helped spread the message of Jesus to others. And that's a part of God's story.