Mary was a young Jewish woman from Nazareth in Galilee, engaged to a carpenter named Joseph, when the angel Gabriel told her she would bear the Son of God. The Bible calls her "a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David" (Luke 1:27). She answered, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word" (Luke 1:38). She gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem, raised Him in Nazareth, was at the wedding in Cana, stood by His cross and prayed with the disciples after He rose. This page follows her story in Scripture alone.
Mary is one of the most loved people in the Bible, and one of the most discussed. Christian traditions honor her in different ways, and this page does not try to settle those differences. It simply lets the Bible tell her story in its own words. The Gospels show us a real woman: a teenager or young woman (the Bible does not give her age) from a small town, poor enough that she and Joseph offered the sacrifice allowed for those who could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24, Leviticus 12:8), quick to believe, slow to speak, and faithful from the manger to the cross. The 12 KJV verses below follow her from Nazareth to the upper room in Jerusalem. For the angel's visit, see Angel Gabriel in the Bible; for the birth, see the Christmas story in the Bible.
The handmaid of the Lord (Luke 1)
1. Luke 1:27
"To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary."
Luke introduces Mary with three facts. She was a virgin, she was espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and she lived in Nazareth (Luke 1:26), a village so small it is never mentioned in the Old Testament. Espoused means betrothed, a binding engagement that came before the wedding and the shared home. Joseph's line went back to King David, which is why Jesus could be called the son of David. Then, almost as an afterthought, comes her name: and the virgin's name was Mary. God chose an unknown young woman in an unknown town.
2. Luke 1:28
"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."
The angel's greeting startled her: Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Highly favoured means graced, shown kindness by God. Luke says Mary was troubled at the saying and wondered what kind of greeting this was (Luke 1:29). She did not expect to be singled out. Gabriel went on to tell her that she would conceive and bear a son, call Him JESUS, and that He would be called the Son of the Highest and reign over the house of Jacob for ever (Luke 1:31-33).
3. Luke 1:38
"And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her."
Mary asked one honest question, how this could be, since she had not known a man (Luke 1:34). Gabriel answered that the Holy Ghost would come upon her and that with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37). Then Mary gave her answer: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. A handmaid is a female servant. Mary knew what this might cost her, a pregnancy before her wedding in a small town, and she said yes anyway. Her words have become a model of trust for believers ever since. See Bible verses about surrender.
4. Luke 1:46-48
"And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed."
Mary went to visit her relative Elisabeth, who was expecting John the Baptist, and there she sang. Her song, often called the Magnificat from its first word in Latin, begins: My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Mary calls God her Saviour and herself His handmaiden of low estate. She expected that all generations shall call me blessed, not because of her own greatness but because he that is mighty hath done to me great things (Luke 1:49). The rest of the song is full of Hannah's prayer and the Psalms (1 Samuel 2:1-10).
The mother of the newborn King (Matthew 1, Luke 2)
5. Matthew 1:18
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost."
Matthew tells the same events from Joseph's side: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Joseph, a just man, planned to end the engagement quietly so she would not be shamed (Matthew 1:19). An angel told him in a dream not to fear to take Mary as his wife, because the child was conceived of the Holy Ghost. Joseph obeyed. Matthew's Gospel calls Mary his mother again and again; her place in the story is always tied to her Son. See Emmanuel meaning.
6. Luke 2:7
"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."
A Roman census sent Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem, David's town, about 90 miles away, when she was close to giving birth. There she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. The details are humble: strips of cloth, a feeding trough, a crowded house. Mary herself did the wrapping and the laying down. The Son of God was cared for by His mother's hands like any other baby.
7. Luke 2:19
"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."
When the shepherds came and told what the angels had said, everyone who heard wondered. Mary's response is different: But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. She did not rush to explain it. She treasured what she had seen and turned it over in her mind. Luke may be hinting at one of his sources: who else could have told these private memories but Mary herself? Her quiet reflection is a gift to every believer who has had to wait to understand what God is doing.
8. Luke 2:34-35
"And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
Forty days after the birth, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple. An old man named Simeon took the baby in his arms, blessed God, and then spoke directly to Mary: Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against. Then, to Mary alone: a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also. Even in the joy of the temple, Mary was warned that following her Son would bring her deep pain. Thirty-three years later, at the cross, those words came true.
From Nazareth to the cross and the upper room
9. Luke 2:51
"And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart."
After Mary and Joseph found twelve-year-old Jesus in the temple, Luke gives a rare look at the hidden years: And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. The Son of God obeyed His mother and the man who raised Him. For about eighteen more years, Mary's life was ordinary household work in a small town. Once again she kept His words in her heart, the same phrase Luke used at Bethlehem. See Bible verses about mothers.
10. John 2:5
"His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it."
At a wedding in Cana, the wine ran out, a serious embarrassment for the host family. Mary told Jesus, and though He answered that His hour was not yet come, she turned to the servants with words that have been called her only command in the Bible: Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. She did not tell Jesus what to do. She told others to listen to Him. Jesus turned water into wine, the first of His signs, and His disciples believed on Him (John 2:11). Mary's words are good advice for anyone.
11. John 19:25-27
"Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home."
Simeon's sword reached Mary at Golgotha. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, with other faithful women, while most of the disciples had fled. In the middle of His own agony, Jesus looked down and gave His mother into the care of the beloved disciple: Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! Woman was a respectful form of address in Jesus' day. And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. Even on the cross, Jesus honored His mother. See the seven last words of Jesus.
12. Acts 1:14
"These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren."
The last time Mary is named in the Bible, she is praying. After Jesus rose and ascended, the believers gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem: These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. The brethren of Jesus had once not believed in Him (John 7:5), and Christians have understood that family relationship in different ways. Now they were all together, waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. Mary's story in Scripture ends among the believers, praying with the church.
A short prayer
Lord God, thank You for Mary, who heard Your word and said, be it unto me according to Your word. Give me her trust when Your plans surprise me, and her quiet heart to keep and ponder what You show me. Like her, help me to say to everyone, whatever Jesus says to you, do it. Thank You for the Saviour she carried, raised, followed to the cross and prayed to after He rose. Let my soul magnify You and my spirit rejoice in God my Saviour. Amen.
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Mary, the mother of Jesus?
According to the Bible, Mary was a young Jewish woman from Nazareth in Galilee, engaged to Joseph, a descendant of King David. The angel Gabriel told her she would conceive by the Holy Ghost and bear the Son of God. She gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem, raised Him in Nazareth, and followed Him to the cross. She is last seen praying with the disciples in Acts 1:14.
What was Mary's full name?
The Bible gives her only one name, Mary. In Hebrew and Aramaic it was Miriam (often written Maryam), the same name as Moses' sister. People in her day had no family surnames; they were known by their town or family, so Scripture calls her Mary, or his mother, or Mary the mother of Jesus (Acts 1:14). Mary of Nazareth is a later description, not a full name.
Who were Mary's parents?
The Bible does not name Mary's parents. The names Joachim and Anne, used in many churches, come from a second-century writing outside the Bible called the Protoevangelium of James. Scripture tells us that Mary was a relative of Elisabeth, the mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1:36), and that her sister stood near the cross (John 19:25). For the family line of Jesus, see the genealogy of Jesus.
Where is Mary mentioned in the Bible?
Mary appears in Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2, Mark 3:31-35 and 6:3, John 2:1-12 and 19:25-27, and Acts 1:14. Paul refers to her without naming her: God sent forth his Son, made of a woman (Galatians 4:4). The longest passages about her are the angel's announcement and her song in Luke 1, and the birth and childhood of Jesus in Luke 2.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Angel Gabriel · The Christmas story · Emmanuel meaning · Genealogy of Jesus · Mothers · Christmas · Surrender · Seven last words of Jesus
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