A Tale Of Two Mothers

But God’s question to Eve is telling: “What is this that thou hast done?” What had Eve done? She had ignored God’s commandment not to eat of the tree and sinned against Him by doing so anyway. This was a deliberate decision. Then Eve sins again by giving the fruit to Adam to eat. The word “gave” paints the image of Eve persuading Adam to something he really didn’t want to do. And this makes complete sense when we read I Timothy 2:14 – “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”

Again, you know the story. Adam and Eve are forced to leave the Garden of Eden. So what do we see here in scripture about the “first” mother? She had great influence over her husband, so much so that she persuaded him to ignore God’s commandment concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She was also rebellious. God’s Word did not have the final say in her life. She made decisions based on her emotions.

The lesson we can learn from our “first” mother: when she ignored God, she set in motion a chain of events that led to the damnation of the entire human race. Mothers today have great influence in the lives of their husbands and children. And based on what we see today, many are raising children who don’t know the Bible and who don’t know God. They are setting their children on a road that will lead them away from eternal salvation. Remember what I said at the beginning of this message about God’s view of mothers? She is in a coveted position because of ability to influence.

Sadly, most mothers use their influence for purposes other than raising their children to trust the Bible and to trust God. What I’m about to say, I say with great sadness. These are not the mothers we should celebrate on Mother’s Day,

Because of Adam and Eve’s rebellion, God had to step in and activate His plan of salvation – the birth of Jesus, which leads us to the second “mother” we will look at this morning.

Turn with me to Luke 1.

(26) And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth.

(27) To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

(28) And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

We know the story. Gabriel tells Mary that she has found favor with God and that she would become pregnant and give birth to a son. And the angel said his name would be Jesus. God would be His father and he would be of the line of David. Jesus would be of the line of David because Mary was a descendant of David. Let’s pick it up with verse 34.

(34) Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

(35) And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Now I want you to see Mary’s response in verse 38. “And Mary said, Behold the handmaiden of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.