The Motherliness of Jesus, Part 1

What is your first memory of childhood? For me, it’s my mother. Her smile. Her golden hair. Her beautiful face. I remember my first day of school - but actually, I don’t. I remember my mom’s smile in the pictures, holding her hand as I nervously tiptoed into the classroom, and seeing her face at the end of the torturously long morning. Memories of my mom reside in my heart from every stage of life. I remember her at ballgames, recitals, graduations. I remember her on my wedding day. I remember her on her death bed. The last word I clearly heard her speak was my name.

Messages about God our Father are frequently preached. What a beautiful picture for many of us, as we recollect the love of our own fathers! But I sometimes wonder if we might relate better to the concept of God as our Mother.

Last Mother’s Day, my father-in-law preached that message, and it stirred my heart deeply. I learned an entirely new aspect of my Savior which I had never considered before. Very few of us have not known or felt the love of a mother. It is much less common for moms to abandon their children than fathers, and women tend to be the nurturers in a child’s life. That’s not to say that every child has a good mother, but perhaps a look at the “Motherliness of Jesus” will help some who have not known their fathers recognize God’s work in their lives.

As a disclaimer, please don’t get me wrong! I’m not trying to make Jesus something He is not. Humanly speaking, Jesus was a man - strong, masculine, purposeful. He was not effeminate or confused about His identity. Yet his character and nature are “motherly” in many ways. That is to be expected because we - even mothers and grandmothers - were made in His image.

1. Mothers care for their children with great vigilance.

My first experience as a mother was, admittedly, not the norm. I was expecting twins, but went into labor 16 weeks early. Due to an infection, some creative doctors, and my great and mighty God, I delivered one baby and continued to carry the other for 9 more weeks. Almost immediately, my husband and I were presented with the option to abort our babies. In fact, that was recommended as the best option for us. It didn’t take long for the Mama Bear instinct to kick in! I was determined that the hospital staff would do everything they possibly could to support my babies and help them live and thrive!

That mother’s instinct carried over into many other situations with all of my children. I was again determined that no one would treat my children unfairly. I wasn’t afraid to speak up to anyone that I thought might harm them in word or in body. I had no qualms pulling them out of a pool - fully dressed - when I thought they were sinking. I made sure they were never out of my sight or care, especially when we were in public.

As vigilant as I tried to be, God is more so. He never sleeps nor slumbers. He knows everything that comes across His children’s paths. He protects and shelters them from any and all evil and harm.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stoneth them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matt. 23:27)

“My soul trusteth in Thee: yea, in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.” (Ps. 57:1)

A quick look through Psalm 91:1-6 helps us see the heart of God in protecting His beloved, just as a mother wants to protect her children from anything harmful. See the Lord’s loving actions on our behalf:

• Those who dwell with God will “abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” This indicates that He is close to those who need Him.

• He is a refuge and fortress for those who put their trust in Him. He is a strong protection from enemies that intend to do us harm.

• He promises to “surely deliver” His people from the traps and calamities that the enemy prepares for them.

• He covers us with His feathers, cherishing and warming us even while He shelters us from danger.

• His truth is our protection from the Enemy, the world, and all their lies. He is faithful to keep every one of His promises.

• God’s children have no need to fear terror, attack, pestilence, or destruction in the day or in the night, because God is always watching, guarding, and protecting His children.

2. Mothers possess a nurturing heart.

Most mothers have the gift of mercy. They feel what their children feel, whether hurting, lonely, misunderstood, or sad. And mothers always want to comfort their children as they go through these hard parts of life. Who hasn’t been soothed by a kind word, a freshly baked cookie, or a hug from their mom? Whether the problem is a spiritual need, physical illness, injury, a broken relationship, or any other pain, moms always know how to make it all better, don’t they? The same is true of our Lord.

• He gives comfort.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised…” (Lk. 4:18)

“Come unto Me ,all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30)

• He offers healing.

“…Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.” (Matt. 9:22)

“O Lord my God, I cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed me. O Lord, Thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.” (Ps. 30:2-3)

• His presence overcomes our loneliness.

“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”(Jn. 14:18)

“Be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” (Heb. 13:5b-6)

• He understands our grief.

“And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And He came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And He said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And He (Jesus) delivered him (the previously dead man) to his mother.” (Lk. 7:13-15)

“When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto Him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how He loved him!” (Jn. 11:33-36)

3. Mothers respond to their baby’s cries.

Do you remember the early days of motherhood? Those weeks when the baby sleeps like an angel all during the day, but stays awake all night? The months of teething and tummy aches? Or perhaps your child has been afflicted with an illness, and you have spent countless hours at his bedside or in a hospital, anxiously awaiting news of treatment…help…hope. Being a parent is often a heavy burden that can easily leave mothers exhausted, weary, and drooping physically.

As a young mother, I well remember the feeling that would come over my body and mind when I heard my newborn baby cry. Everything within me reacted to the pitiful sounds of those tiny babies. Without me - or someone else - their needs would not be met. Their very survival depended upon me! Or at least, it seemed that way. This is a response that seems to be ingrained in mothers everywhere. And it does not go away just because our children wean from our breast or leave our home.

As I type this, I am sitting in an airport, just outside the women’s restroom. A young mother has just gone into the facilities with a baby in her arms. Now I can hear the little one crying her heart out as her mother must’ve surely laid the child on a diaper changing table in order to tend to her own needs. My eyes instantly well up with tears, and I consider rushing into the bathroom to see if I can help soothe the baby for even a second while her own mother is busy.

Imagine how quickly, how frequently, Jesus responds to the cries of His helpless children.

God has been keeping vigilant watch over His children for thousands of years, and He will continue meeting their every need for eternity. He demonstrated this watch-care with His disciples as they crossed the sea and a violent storm arose (Mk. 4:35-39). Although He was exhausted from long hours of ministering to the needs of many people, He awoke from His nap at their terrified cries: “Master, carest Thou not that we perish? And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Not even the elements were too much for Him to control in order to meet the needs of His own.

Other Scriptures tell us that God hears and responds to the cries of His children.

“And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey…” (Ex. 3:7-8)

“Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto Me, I will surely hear their cry; And My wrath shall wax hot…” (Ex. 22:22-24a)

“In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and He did hear my voice out of His temple, and my cry did enter into His ears.” (II Sam. 22:7)

“The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry…The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” (Ps. 34:15,17)

“I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” (Ps. 40:1)

“Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” (Ps. 55:17)

“For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when He shall hear it, He will answer thee.” (Is. 30:19)

“And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?” (Lk. 18:7)

4. Mothers endure the pain of labor for the joy of a new life.

Think back to those moments of labor and delivery. Maybe for you that was measured in hours. For me it was days. For a few blessed women, it truly is just moments. But however long or short, wherever you chose to endure it, whatever measures you took to make it a bit easier, there is one indisputable fact of delivering a baby: it hurts. That’s part of the curse of sin on our world and on women. But we are not alone.

Jesus endured the pangs of birth, not of a child, but of salvation for mankind. My father-in-law put it this way: “Jesus was willing to endure the suffering and pain of the cross in order to birth the way of salvation for His children.” Christ bore the full wrath of God and the pain of separation from Him in the “Obstetrics Ward of Calvary.”

Remember Jesus’ final words on the cross?

• I thirst.

“After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to His mouth.” (Jn. 19:28-30)

• Why hast Thou forsaken Me?

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46)

• It is finished.

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.” (Jn. 19:28-30)

Can you relate to any of these experiences while in labor - thirst, loneliness, exhaustion? While I am not trying to equate childbearing with the immense pain and torture Christ went through when He took the sins of the world upon Himself, I do believe that He understands - far better than we give Him credit for - the pain and suffering of labor and delivery. He knows the loneliness. The long hours of birth pains. The immense suffering that is often present.

Just as mothers are willing to go to great lengths and endure much for the joy of bringing their sweet babies into this world, He endured much more than these to bring spiritual life to those who believe on Him.