To Christ-followers on both sides of the Protestant Reformation fence, the answer to Mary's being called the "Mother of God" is simple. She gave birth to Jesus Christ, who was fully man and fully God.
"For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body." (Colossians 2:9 NLT)
In seminarian circles, this is called a "hypostatic union." It sounds complex, but understanding the word's etymology helps. The Greek word hypostatos means "substantially existing." Its stem is histasthai, meaning "to be standing" and "to stand under or support." Both meanings create a single thought, much like Jesus was "the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." (Hebrews 1:3 NIV)
His "being" and "radiance" are essential to note because those equal states were nestled in the womb together. That's the point of contention with many fundamentalists or believers with a strict legalistic and literal interpretation of God's Word. What is required to be a "birth mother"?
- Carries a child in her womb
- Provides half of the DNA makeup for a child
- Raises that child to navigate life
The first and second ideas are biological and physiological. The third idea can be literal and metaphorical because of adoptive, foster, nuclear, and extended families. All believers agree Mary can check the first and third boxes, but the second one creates a prickly theological and dogmatic debate. Yes, that was Jesus' mother, but did Jesus have her genetic code?
Can you be "fully God and fully man" if part of your chromosomes comes from a sweet 16-year-old Nazarene girl with the capacity to sin? Is this biblically accurate, a biological fallacy, or just something we passed down in theory?
The Connections Between Mary and Jesus
Fundamentalists debate whether Mary's DNA is part of Jesus since her codex is faulty. Mary is human, so she has a sinful nature. It's part of who she is. Jesus was tempted in every way, as we are, but never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). Man–or woman—can't do that. Ever. Yet, she's still known as the "Mother of God."
This is where faith in the infallible Word of God is necessary. God created man and woman and is the master architect of humanity and every living thing around it. Suffice it to say that He understands how childbirth works. Jesus Christ was not placed in a magical placenta shielding Him from human nature.
God chose Mary for many reasons we will never know. However, we know a few things because of theology, biology, and psychology.
Theology
Mary was chosen to be the carrier of Jesus because of what she was. The delivery of Jesus was to be an immaculate conception. In Jeremiah 31:22, Mary is "the beginning of the new creation." However, it wasn't her womb that was the beginning of the "new creation;" it was her obedience.
She was already a "favored woman" and a "chosen woman" (Luke 1:27) because of her love and respect for humanity and God's will. The Archangel Gabriel shares with Mary what's about to happen. The interesting point of this exchange is that Mary never showed fear, only concern. How many other people would have done that? No one.
"How will this happen?" was her response. It wasn't vigilant protection of her home because this glowing stranger was standing in the window. She wasn't screaming for help. And it was possible Joseph wasn't there in the first place. Mary was "promised in marriage" (Luke 1:27), so custom forbids them from sleeping in the home until then.
"I am willing to be used of the Lord. Let it happen to me as you have said" (Luke 1:38 NIV).
Mary wasn't chosen by God only because of her innocence. She was selected because of her nature, open heart, and willingness to obey God. Those are more than boxes on a checklist. They are traits that can be inherited.
Biology
It is physically impossible to be impregnated without a man's sperm fertilizing a woman's egg. Yet, the Holy Spirit went beyond the impossible. However, for a child to gestate for nine months, a woman's womb is required. She nurtures the child with her body and allows human nature to care for the rest.
In Greek, Mary is known as the Theotokos, or "God-bearer." Jesus is fully man and fully God. If she "bore" Jesus from her womb, Mary is fully the "Mother of God." Elizabeth, who was pregnant with a future John the Baptist, confirmed this theological and biological truth.
"Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.' But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord" (Luke 1:42-45 NKJV).
Through her DNA, part of Mary's nature would become part of Jesus' nature. If the seed of God was placed in her womb, Jesus was that fruit. That's how it works. God made it work that way. Of course, he knew more than Mary's nature would help bring forth the Messiah. He would genetically take on specific characteristics from her that were "favored" and "chosen" by God for His Son, Our Savior.
Psychology
Why psychology? How can we possibly know what was in Mary's head other than what we have read already? She was willing, even though she wasn't ready. She was obedient, even though she wasn't sure what she agreed to do. Yet, before Jesus entered the will of man into the world, Mary's state of mind went from maternal to eternal.
"And Mary said, 'My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God, my Savior'" (Luke 1:46-47 DRA).
Mary wasn't sure how she was favored and connected to God's lineage, but she did understand the magnitude of what she was asked to do. Mary was the link between God and man; Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy and the Savior of humanity. And even Mary knew she wasn't worthy.
Mary was blessed among women because she was chosen to carry the light of God in her womb. Those fundamentalists insist that Mary is the earthly mother of Jesus and not the eternal mother of God.
Jesus' divine nature was imparted to Him by His Father in heaven. However, Jesus' earthy nature is connected to Mary. She raised him in the way that He should go so when He was older, He would not part from it (Proverbs 22:6). It took a woman worthy of God's approval to bear the responsibility of mothering the Son of God.
Whether she believed she did anything to merit this gift, Mary understood the gift she would receive. She needed a Savior. She was carrying the Savior, the second Adam, the "new creation," the redeemer of the world. Mary raised her son but revered her Savior. And it required a woman far more mature than anyone understood who could do both concurrently.
To raise someone who was fully man and revere someone who was fully God. Mary was that person's mother. And that person was Jesus Christ, who said, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30-38 NIV).
