< Background on Mary, Jesus' Mother
There are multiple Marys in the Bible, but here is what the Bible and history say about Jesus' mother.
Prophecy in the Old Testament
Enmity between Satan and the woman and her seed in Genesis 3:15. Pre-Nicene Christians, keen to recognize symbolism, called Mary "the new Eve".
Isaiah 7:14 prophesies that a virgin shall conceive a child. The Hebrew word here, almah, can mean virgin or young maiden. However, the miraculous prophecy suggests the ultimate fulfillment is a virgin, which is how the Septuagint translators saw it.
Jeremiah 31:22 says, "For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth – A woman shall encompass a man." (NKJV) refers to the virgin birth too.
Mary in the New Testament
We know very little of Mary, and her cousin Elizabeth, until Gabriel bursts on the scene in Luke 1:27. She was from the tribe of Judah in Luke 3:23-38. This is important for Jesus to be biologically from the tribe of Judah. Based on Luke 1:51-54 Mary was cognizant of the proud people ruling the land, as was Zechariah in Luke 1:71,74.
In Acts 1:13-14 the disciples were in an upper room worshiping, and Mary the mother of Jesus was there also. There is no hint that they were praying to her, bowing down to her, or doing anything special to her.
Mary's Husband Joseph the Carpenter
Both Jesus and his father Joseph were carpenter according to Matthew 13:53-57. This is also affirmed by Justin Martyr, the Diatessaron, and Tertullian. Origen claims Joseph but not Jesus was a carpenter.
Which tribe was Jesus from?
Some wondered how Jesus is from Judah, since [allegedly] tribe is only inherited through the father. Jesus was from Judah in two ways: his adopted father was from Judah, through the line of David and Solomon. Second, while tribal affiliation was usually considered through the father, it could be through the mother if the father was not from one of the twelve tribes. This is the case for Jarha's family (1 Chronicles 2:34-41), and the sons of a priest (Ezra 2:61; Nehemiah 7:63). How much more would tribal affiliation be through the mother for the virgin-born!
In the tribe of Judah, Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. So he gave his daughter in marriage to his Egyptian servant Jarha, and they had a son named Attai. Attai's genealogy is listed under Judah 1 Chronicles 2:34-41.
A second example is Jair, whose grandfather was Hezron of the tribe of Judah and the daughter of Makir, a Manassite. In 1 Chronicles 2:21-23 Jair controlled 23 towns in Gilead (in the territory of Manasseh). Yet even though Jair's grandfather was from Judah, Jair is still called a Manassite as was his mother in Numbers 32:41 and Deuteronomy 3:14.
A third example is Ezra 2:61 and Nehemiah 7:63, where sons of a priest who married a daughter of Barzillai were called the sons of Barzillai.
Jesus' mother and brothers and sisters? Where was Joseph? Jesus said to John, "Behold your mother" and to Mary "behold your son" in John 19:26-27.
Did Jesus have Siblings?
While Jesus was the firstborn of the virgin Mary, that does not answer the question, because an only child is the firstborn too. Jesus had brothers and sisters in Matthew 1:25; 12:46-49;13:55-56; Mark 3:31-34; 6:3-4; Luke 8:19-21; John 2:12; 7:3-10; Acts 1:14; 1 Corinthians 9:5; Galatians 1:19.
This is affirmed by Origen, Eusebius of Caesarea, and Hegesippus. Jerome (373-379 A.D.) was the first to write that Jesus' brothers and sisters were really cousins. Epiphanius of Salamis (360-403 A.D.) and the heretical Ebionite Protoevangelium of James (145-248 A.D.) said they were Joseph's children from a previous marriage. Until that time, nobody had written about hearing of either of these. The first who wrote of Mary as "every-virgin" are Hippolytus of Portus (222-235/236 A.D.), Origen (246-248 A.D.) and Peter of Alexandria (285-311 A.D.)
There is one thing about Jesus' family, outside the Bible, recorded by the Christian chronicler Hegesippus (170-180 A.D.) He writes, "There still survived of the kindred of the Lord the grandsons of Judas, who according to the flesh was called his brother. These were informed against, as belonging to the family of David, and Evocatus brought them before Domitian Caesar: for that emperor dreaded the advent of Christ, as Herod had done. So he asked them whether they were of the family of David; and they confessed they were. Next he asked them what property they had, or how much money they possessed. They both replied that they had only 9000 denaria between them, each of them owning half that sum; but even this they said they did not possess in cash, but as the estimated value of some land, consisting of thirty-nine plethra only, out of which they had to pay the dues, and that they supported themselves by their own labour. And then they began to hold out their hands, exhibiting, as proof of their manual labour, the roughness of their skin, and the corns raised on their hands by constant work. Being then asked concerning Christ and His kingdom, what was its nature, and when and where it was to appear, they returned answer that it was not of this world, nor of the earth, but belonging to the sphere of heaven and angels, and would make its appearance at the end of time, when He shall come in glory, and judge living and dead, and render to every one according to the course of his life. Thereupon Domitian passed no condemnation upon them, but treated them with contempt, as too mean for notice, and let them go free. At the same time he issued a command, and put a stop to the persecution against the Church. When they were released they became leaders of the churches, as was natural in the case of those who were at once martyrs and of the kindred of the Lord. And, after the establishment of peace to the Church, their lives were prolonged to the reign of Trojan."
The one (and only) reason people say Mary was a virgin all her life, is to remove from her the supposed "stain" of having sexual relations. Other than that, it would not matter.
Jesus did not Have Movie Star Looks
It was prophesies that the Messiah would not be attractive in Isaiah 53:2f. This does not necessarily mean he was ugly, only that he was at best average-looking. This is also affirmed by Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus of Lyons, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Hippolytus of Portus, Origen, Adamantius, and Lactantius.
Should We Call Mary the Mother of God?
In Luke 1:48 Mary says that all nations will call her blessed. She is, because she is the mother of Jesus. But would you call Mary the Mother of God?
This was a major question at the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D. They declared you were a heretic if you did not say Mary was the Mother of God. Here is the back-story on that.
Nestorius, the patriarch of Constantinople said that Jesus had two natures (human and divine) and two wills, a human will and a divine will. It almost sounds like he thought there were two beings inside Jesus' body. All orthodox and Coptic Christians say that Jesus was human and divine, but only one had will. Nestorius was expelled from the church.
Nestorius would agree that Mary with Christotokos, or the bearer of Christ, but he would never agree that she was Theotokos, the bearer of God.
Today Protestants do not prefer to call Mary the invented title the Mother of God not because it is both extra-Biblical and misleading. It implies that Mary is the Mother of the Father and Holy Spirit. Sabellians and Oneness Pentecostals have no problem joining with Roman Catholics and easter Orthodox saying that Mary is the mother of God.
The first three writes to call Mary mother of God are Peter of Alexandria (285-311 A.D.), Alexander of Alexandria (312-316 A.D.) and the sub tuum praesidium, a 25-word 3rd or 4th century papyrus.
Mary in History before Nicea I in 325 A.D.
After the New Testament and prior to 325 A.D. Christians wrote about 4,180 pages plus 1,055 by Eusebius of Caesarea. There is nothing about venerating Mary or Mary being sinless. As Mary said in Luke 1:47, Jesus would be her Savior too.
Mary in History After Nicea I (325 A.D.)
Immaculate Conception (Roman Catholics only). Mary did not have original sin. Thomas Aquinas was against this, but Duns Scotus Erigena was for it. Pope Pius IX decreed this ex cathedra in the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary on Dec. 8, 1854.
Say Hail Mary's (Roman Catholic church only)
Mary lived a sinless life. The first to teach this were Augustine of Hippo and Pelagius. Augustine included her in original sin in the fall of Adam though. Philip Schaff The Creeds of Christendom vol.1 p.119
Bodily Ascension of Mary into heaven. Epiphanius of Salamis (377 A.D.) said he did not know if Mary died or not. John of Damascus (after Muslim conquests) taught that Mary ascended to Heaven, as did the Protestant Henrich Bullinger (1539 A.D.)
Mary, Queen of Heaven. Pope Pius XII called Mary Queen of the Universe in Nov. 1, 1950.
Mary intercedes in our conversion.
Devotion to Mary besides devotion to Jesus. Against this, Cyprian of Carthage (c.246-258 A.D.) said "Among very many there still remains a sincere mind and a substantial religion, and a spirit devoted to nothing but the Lord and its God." Epistles of Cyprian Letter 67 ch.8 p.372. Also Epiphanius of Salamis condemned adoration of Mary. Some popes were devoted to Mary, as Pope John Paul II was.
Co-redeemer and co-mediator. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) called Mary the gate of heaven. St. Bonaventure (1221 - 1274): "As the moon, which stands between the sun and the earth, transmits to this latter whatever it receives from the former, so does Mary pour out upon us who are in this world the heavenly graces that she receives from the divine sun of justice." In 1935 Pope Pius XI gave the title co-redemptrix to Mary during a radio broadcast.
Mary suffered for us: Sacred Heart of Mary. Simeon's prophecy of Mary "And a sword will pierce your heart also" Luke 2:35. In 1985 Pope John Paul II recognized Mary as co-redemptrix" during a speech in Guayaquil, Ecuador. He said, in part, "Having suffered for the Church, Mary deserved to become the Mother of all the disciples of her Son, the Mother of their unity...In fact Mary's role as Co-redemptrix did not cease with the glorification of her Son." There is a picture of Mary on the cross in a church in Peru.
Catholics claim Mary suffered for us at six other times besides the crucifixion too.
Prayer to Mary. Ephraim and Gregory Nanzianzen mention prayer to Mary. A Catholic priest in France said that prayers to Mary were more effective than prayers to Jesus because every good son listens to his mother. Augustine of Hippo (388-430 A.D.) prayed to Mary.
Mary has unlimited stores of merit according to the Roman Catholic church.
Mary takes those wearing the scapula from Purgatory to Heaven once a week according to the Roman Catholic Church.
Mary in Other Religions
The Collyridians were a heresy mentioned only by Epiphanius of Salamis in 376 A.D.. He wrote that they worshipped Mary and baked little cakes to her, called Collyridia.
The Qur'an claimed that Christians called Mary God as well as Jesus in Sura 5:116. Some Muslims try to say that it was referring to Collyridians, but Muslims throughout history have interpreted this as Christians in general believed Mary as God. So the writer of this verse wrote something that misled Muslims in what Christians taught for all these years.
Catholic Apparitions of Mary
Mary of Guadalupe (1531) was a series of five apparitions of a brown-skinned, Nahuatl-speaking woman that appeared to a young boy. Some Roman Catholic leaders have spoken against this apparition as encouraging idolatry and superstition.
Garaison (early 16th century) an apparition that appears to a poor 12-year old shepherdess, a few miles from Lourdes. She was the only one who could see it, though others said they could hear it.
Mary of La Sallette (1846) Near Grenoble, France, a larger, older, darker-skinned Mary appeared to very young children with the message to rest on the seventh day and respect God's name or else the potatoes would rot. There was a potato famine in Europe in 1846-1847. This was a few hundred miles from Lourdes.
Mary of Lourdes (1858) was 18 apparitions that appeared only to a poor 14-year old girl in France. The apparition was the same height as her, 4 ft 7 inches. She wanted to make sure it was not demonic so she tested it by throwing holy water on her. Subsequently there have been many reports of miracles at Lourdes. Some have proven to be hoaxes. Pope Francis crowned a statue of the Mary of Lourdes. About 6 million pilgrims visit Lourdes each year. There have been 70 verified miracles, and about 2,000 unexplained healings in the last 150 years.
Mary of Fatima (1917) Was five apparitions that appeared to teenage girls in Fatima, Portugal. There were three secret messages, the second being to devote yourself to the immaculate heart of Mary. One alleged miracle was a temporary change in the appearance of the sun. A photograph was taken of the sun at the same time, and it showed nothing unusual.
Mary of Medjugorje (1981) Among other things she told people to study the book Poem of the God-Man. This is on the Roman Catholic list of forbidden books, because it has heretical doctrine. The Catholic church did not approve of her until Pope Francis in 2019