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Q8. (Matthew 1:18-25) What do these verses tell us about Joseph's character? His faith? When he takes Mary home to be his wife, how does this affect his reputation in Nazareth as an upright Jew? One can only imagine Joseph being totally devastated on hearing about Mary’s pregnancy. He knew it was not his child, and that Mary being a righteous person would not have been unfaithful to him; things just don’t seem to add up. I think Mary couldn’t have told him what had happened – who was going to believe her anyway? He doesn’t understand the situation but one thing he knows is that no righteous Jew would go ahead with the marriage. He loved Mary and so much wanted her to be his wife, but, above all, he was a kind-hearted man, a righteous person (Luke 1:6), a man of principle, one who with his whole heart wanted to live in accordance with the will of God, the God who took so very seriously the breaking of the marriage vow. So, the only outcome seems to be a quiet divorce. By doing this he will take the blame for her pregnancy, and in this way protect her from utter shame, disgrace, and perhaps even stoning to death. But, while this gentle uprighteous man was trying to work out a strategy to protect Mary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and explained that her pregnancy was a miracle of the Holy Spirit. Consenting to marry Mary would cast doubt on his own innocence regarding the pregnancy, as well as leaving them both with a social stigma they would carry for the rest of their lives, but at least the child would be seen to be his own. As a result of the angel's intervention, Joseph abandoned his plan to divorce Mary, and he continued to recognize their betrothal until Jesus' birth, after which he married her.

6.What things should we be doing to be able to live both in the present age and be ready for the age to come? What should we cease doing? There must be a completely new mindset about our priorities. The things that take up most of our energy and the ones that are most important to us here on earth will soon be of no concern in heaven. Things like wealth, money, power, sex, and honour and status will all fall away. So, when we come to think of it, investing all our time energy in these earthly things is actually a bad investment, having no future value. Also, there will be no time, sin, or death. Which brings a whole new dimension of its own. As true believers we feel the pull of heaven and yearn to spend eternity with Christ. Heaven will be far better than our earthly life, for we will be present with our Saviour in a place devoid of sin, sickness, and death (2 Cor 5:8). What we lose in life we will gain in heaven. Before that time comes, our purpose on Earth is to live as a light of hope in the darkness of sin and death (Matthew 5:16). The things we should be focusing on, are the things of Christ. Christ should be the centre point of our mind, heart, body and soul. Everything that we do, we do for Christ’s glory. As we run the “race marked out for us,” we lay aside the entangling sin and worldly distractions, “fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

5.What effect does Jesus' question about the son of David being David's Lord have? Of whom did He ask the question? Why? They did not have the courage to question Him any longer (20:40). So, Jesus takes this opportunity to question them, specifically the Scribes and Pharisees who were the ones who really studied the Scriptures and who professed that the Messiah would be the Son of David. Being students, teachers, and interpreters of the Law, they knew the covenants and they knew the scriptures, the promise to David that his descendant, his Son, would sit forever on Israel’s throne as King. That the Messiah would be from David’s line is seen in such places as 2 Samuel chapter 7; Psalm 89:20; Isaiah 9:2, 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5, 33:14; Ezekiel 34:23, 37:24; and many more. So, Jesus asks them, "How is it that they say the Christ is the Son of David?” (20:41). This is an attempt to get these religious leaders to recognize who He is; to think about His true identity. What do they believe concerning the identity of the Messiah, and from whom would He be descended? They answered correctly that He would be the Son of David. Now Jesus shows them that according to Psalm 110 (which they acknowledged to be messianic) the Messiah would also be David's Lord. “The LORD says to my lord"(Psa 110:1a). How could He be David's Son and David's Lord at the same time? And how could David, the king, have someone who was his Lord on earth? The answer of course was that the Messiah would be both God and Man. As God, He would be David's Lord. As Man, He would be David's Son. And Jesus Himself, combining in His Person both deity and humanity, was David's Master and David's Son. He was descended from David as Son of Man; yet He was David's Creator.

4.In what way does Jesus' reply destroy the Sadducees' carefully constructed objection? First of all, Jesus tells them we will be immortal and there will be no marriage in heaven. Since marriage was given for populating the earth, be fruitful and multiply, as well as the relationship between man and woman, and in the next world, heaven, no one dies, there is no need to have children. Now, Jesus gives actual scriptural proof for the resurrection, by referring only to the Pentateuch. Jesus refers to the story of Moses and the burning bush which is found in Exodus (Exodus 3:6), which is a portion of Scripture accepted by the Sadducees. Hence, they cannot argue the source. This event in the life of Moses occurred about 1440 BC. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived from 2000 BC to 1870 BC. They were a long time dead (by at least 500 years) even when God said this to Moses. The Sadducees would have believed them to be extinct, no longer existing. But God did not say “I was the God of Abraham …,” instead He said “I am …,” right now, still, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The character of God, as God of the living, demands the resurrection. Furthermore, by citing Exodus 3:6 He also reminded the Sadducees of something very current. The official Jewish prayers of this time include seventeen benedictions. These prayers ask for blessing, protection, love and mercy on the one praying, but also upon Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now how could God bless, protect, love, and favour someone who no longer exists? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

3.What was "levirate marriage" and what was its purpose in Israelite society? It was designed to protect women who were widowed and had no other family member to provide for them, and to carry on the family name and preserve the family property (Deu 25:5). The purpose in the Israelite society was to provide an heir for the dead man. Suppose a man died without a child, then the man’s unmarried brother could marry the widow in order to provide an heir for the deceased. A widow would marry a brother-in law, and the first son born was considered the legal descendant of her dead husband. An example of this occurred in the Book of Ruth. Ruth was married to Naomi’s son Mahlon, and he died before there was an heir. Boaz, being a relative of Naomi’s deceased husband, Elimelech, qualified to marry Ruth. Born out of this marriage was Obed, the grandfather of King David, and their offspring continued the family line through which the Messiah came into our world.

2.What can be the result in a person's heart if he feels there will be no reckoning in the life to come for the things he or she has done during this life? Having faith in the resurrection and a better life to come can serve as a motivation in times of hardships. We know that this is not all, having put our trust in Jesus, we know there is more to come. Our God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, and there is a glorious life to come. Without Jesus Christ having victory over death, there is no future, no resurrection, and our Christianity has no meaning and is worthless. If there is no reckoning or accountability in the life to come, and this life is all there is, then there is nothing stopping us from maximising our pleasures here on earth. Living a sinful life with no concern for others, a dog eats dog situation. All will be forced to do everything to survive, and the result will be total anarchy. However, from Acts 24:15 we learn that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. And we will face judgment for what we have done during this life. After our departure from this life, our body will be raised from the dead, we will face judgment, and we will be with Christ eternally.

1.What did the Sadducees believe about the resurrection? What did Jesus believe? What did the Pharisees believe? The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection from the dead because according to them it was not taught in the Pentateuch. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Himself was raised from the dead, and this is the central point of Christianity. This opened the door for God's grace and kindness to be poured out on us (Rom 1:4). Paul considered that a Christianity without the resurrection would be empty and meaningless (1 Cor 15:12–19). The Pharisees did believe in resurrection, but I believe it was more of a resurrectional stance (whatever that means).

Q7. (Isaiah 9:6-7) Why is a never-ending Kingdom an anomaly in world history? Why is a just and righteous government so rare? What justice will Jesus bring to you when He comes? There will be no end to the reign of the Messiah, and He will rule for all eternity. Jesus brings about a condition of eternal peace between God and man, which is unlike the instability of world powers where there is constant strife, conflict, fighting, and trouble caused by man’s greed, power hunger, pride, and sin. The same characteristics that result in so many corrupt governments. My country is experiencing a high degree of corruption since 2009, and it does not look like ending soon. Even resulting in state capture. Jesus will bring justice, mercy and grace, to us all when He comes. Hope and joy and peace and rest will cover us all. In contrast to the politicians of today who only look for what they can get from us, our Lord Jesus will look for what He can do for us. As an example, in God’s Kingdom we will see people gently caring for orphans and those rejected by family. So, indeed, the government will be alive and working. Often silently, mostly unseen. Come Lord Jesus. Come!

Q6. (Isaiah 9:6) Paraphrase in your own words the amazing titles given to Jesus in Isaiah 9:6. How should knowledge of His titles affect our relationship to Him? We can always depend on Jesus to provide us with good instruction, proper guidance, and correct advice, even in times of trouble. He guides us with grace and righteousness, and will never cause us to go astray. As the God-Man, Jesus is both the all-powerful Father, for whom nothing is impossible, and who can sympathise with us in our human weakness. He is the all-sufficient Saviour who loves us enough to die for us. He is God manifest in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16), and the True God of eternal life (1 John 5:20). Jesus, the Everlasting Father and God’s Son – both separate but one with Him – “I and My Father are One” (John 10:30). His presence brings peace and inner tranquillity to those who have placed their trust in Him, even in the midst of troubling circumstances. The glory of who He is and what He has done for us will fill us with wonder. We can never really look at Jesus, really know Him, and be bored. He is Wonderful and will fill our heart and mind with amazement! The Messiah, our Saviour Lord Jesus Christ is Wonderful.

Q5. (Isaiah 9:1-2) Why do people choose to live in darkness when light is available? (John 3:19). Why do people seem to resist the Light of Jesus? Why do you sometimes hesitate to step into Jesus' full light? How did Light transform the reputation of Galilee? How has light transformed your reputation in your circle of friends? The reason people choose to live in darkness rather than in the light, is not that they are ignorant, having never heard the Gospel, but rather that their deeds are evil. They are always resisting the Light of Jesus, they will have nothing to do with Christ, the source and embodiment of God’s truth and love. They never read the Bible, refuses to attend church, etc. In their heart they really hate the light, fearing that this Light will expose their evil deeds. There are, of course, also the people who love their sin, and fight against the truth of Jesus, not wanting to face a God who will judge their sin. We might think of some notorious sin, but we should remember the simple demand to be lord of our own life is enough of a sin to deserve condemnation before God. Also, Satan puts various barriers between unbelievers and God, effectively preventing the light of Jesus or the Gospel from shining in. This may be because of pride, or of rebellion, or of self-righteousness, or any one of a hundred other things (2 Cor 4:4). The region of Galilee was most severely ravaged when the Assyrians invaded from the north. However, since most of Jesus’ ministry took place in this region, God certainly had a special blessing for this once neglected land. Having been the first to suffer from invasions, in God’s mercy they were the first to see the Light of the Messiah, thereby enhancing the reputation of the land of Galilee. Hopefully there is enough of the fruit of the Spirit visible in me; that there is a glimpse of Christlikeness to have transformed my reputation among friends. This can only happen with the help of the Holy Spirit, and our lives must be joined to His (John 15:4-5). We must know Him, love Him, remember Him, and imitate Him. For this to happen to us our lives have to be disciplined, and ****, passions, appetites, and temper have to be controlled and eliminated.

6. What does Jesus mean when He says to render to God what is God's? How do we do that? How do we live that out? The denarius coin had Caesar image on it, so it belongs to Caesar, we bear the image of God (Gen 1:27), so we belong to God. This is what Jesus meant when He said, “Give … to God what is God’s” (20:25). The money belongs to Caesar, and we belong to God. Let the world have its coins, but let God have His servants. We are to give our soul to Him. We belong to Him, He owns us, we are His creatures. Since we can never ever discharge our obligations to Him, we should give Him all the praise and honour due to him. We do this by loving the LORD our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength (Deut 6:5). We repent of our sins and put our faith in Him for our salvation. Remaining obedient to His Word, we become more and more like our Lord Jesus, persevering to the end, and bringing glory to our Heavenly Father.

5. How does Jesus' answer affect our attitude in paying taxes? Are we ever to resist civil government? Jesus tells us that since we use the goods and service of this world, we must therefore pay for them with this world’s currency. We pay our taxes while we live in a relatively orderly society and enjoy police protection, good roads, honest judicial system, and municipal services, etc. We are to obey the powers that are over us, for in any ordered society there must be authority and submission to that authority. If not, we will have a state of anarchy. Any government is better than no government. God has instituted human government, and no government exists apart from His will (Rom 13:1). He does not approve of all the things they do; He certainly does not approve of corruption, brutality, and tyranny! But the fact remains that the authorities that exist are appointed by God, and while God’s laws are not being contravened it is our duty to obey the rulers over us. Yes, we resist civil government if we are told to do something that disobeys God’s Word. "We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 5:29). While we should try to live at peace with everyone (Rom 12:18), this is not always possible as conflict with the world and its authorities is sometimes inevitable for a Christian. The world hated the Lord, and it will hate all who resemble Him (John 15:18). There will be situations where we cannot obey both God and people. Then we must obey God and trust His Word.

4. Why did Jesus ask His opponents for the coin? Why would they have in their possession a coin that carried blasphemous inscriptions? I think that Jesus asked for a denarius, because it was the coin that was used for paying taxes (Mat 22:19), and the fact that they had them on them, was proof enough that they were using it for that purpose. Another argument could be that Jesus wanted the coin to come from the pockets of His opponents, so as to impress upon them the fact that they themselves were using this coinage, were benefiting from its use, and had accordingly accepted the resulting obligations. It could not be used, for example, for paying temple tax. Here the drachma was used. This is the reason why the money changers were exchanging money in the courts of the temple. Being a Roman coin, it had a picture of Caesar on it, which was a breach of the commandment forbidding the use of images (Exo 20:4). On top of this, it also had on the reverse side the dreadful inscription which said that Caesar was divine and the supreme ruler in spiritual as well as religious realms. By carrying them, with these being blasphemous inscriptions only showed their hypocrisy again.

3. Can flattery ever be used to accomplish righteous purposes? Why or why not? Flattery is an attempt to deceive. We see this in the spies sent to flatter Jesus, hoping He would say something that could be reported to Pilate the Roman governor, and so have Him arrested. But Jesus knew what they were trying to do and stayed out of their trap. We should be on our guard against flattery. With God’s help, we can detect it and avoid the trap that often follows. Flattery is an attempt to manipulate others. Unfortunately, many people are deceivers, liars, flatterers who think they will get their way or what they want by deception. I feel in the world today, sincerity and truth are extremely valuable because they are so rare. The only sure truth we have today is the Word of God – His Words are as flawless as refined silver (Psalm 12:6). Flattery distorts the truth. In trying to persuade people, we may be tempted to make our message more pleasing or to use flattery or praise. The truth of the gospel must never be compromised. Flattery hides real motives. Flattery is often a cover-up for a person’s real motives. We have a responsibility to be honest and not to tell people what they want to hear to our advantage. Flattery destroys integrity. Our focus should not be on ourselves or on the impression we make. Rather, our aim should be to glorify our Lord, pointing to Him, and not to ourself. Christians should not be flatterers. They can be used to accomplish our purposes but never to accomplish righteous purposes.

2. In what way did the "spies" act as hypocrites, that is, pretending they were something that they were not? These spies were pretending to be honest and righteous people, but instead they were devious followers of the religious leaders. They were so underhanded and dishonest in that they did not go to Jesus themselves, but got other people to approach Him, in order to trap Him with a trick question. Their smooth talk and flattery, displayed their level of hypocrisy - they were master of hypocrisy. However, Jesus knew that these men were spies sent by the Pharisees and the Herodians (Mark 12:13), so He patiently listened and replied. Normally these two groups would be fighting each other, but now they had a common enemy, and this brought them together. Jesus who knows our inner thoughts, knew they were not speaking sincerely, instead they we using demeaning flattery. Naturally, the Lord did not fall into their trap. Luke tells us that ‘He saw through their duplicity’ (20:23).

1. What was the strategy of the scribes and chief priests that involved trick questions? What did they seek to accomplish? They hated Jesus and had been looking for an excuse and opportunity to kill Him. Jesus’ words against them (20:18), put them in a bad light, and this was the last straw, so He had to be killed. But they could not do it themselves for fear of the people who at this stage were still hoping that He might be the Messiah. So, they worked out a strategy that involved a trick question, hoping to get Jesus to say something against Caesar. If they could get Him so announce that they must not pay taxes to the Roman government, this would incite the Romans to have Him arrested. Maybe even killed – problem solved. The Romans were very strict and sensitive about any revolt especially one involving non-payment of taxes. On the other hand, if He states that taxes must be paid to the pagan, Gentile, evil Roman government and its gods, He would be a traitor to the Jewish nation and their religion, and could not possibly be the Messiah. With this strategy in mind, they ask Him the trick question “Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" (20:22). These scribes and chief priests really thought they had Him this time, but He outwitted them again.

5. How can we detect when our hearts are rebellious against God? What should we do when we are angry at God? How can we prevent "a root of bitterness" against God to grow in our heart? Is this only hypothetical or is there any danger of the Stone crushing us to powder? When things go wrong we begin to question God. Our hearts become rebellious against God, we start complaining, we may get angry, blaming God for what is happening. This is dangerous for it gives Satan a foothold in our lives. We need to understand that God is sovereign and recognise His attributes of love, mercy, grace, kindness, righteousness, justice, and holiness. At the same time try to see the difficulties we are going through in the light of His Word. One of the greatest verses in the Bible is Romans 8:28:” We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” And then there is my favourite: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Prov 3:5-6). We begin to see our problems in a different light. To be angry with God is a sin, we are telling Him that we don’t trust Him. Of course, anger against our Heavenly Father, being a sin, there will be judgment.

4. In what ways did the Pharisees and Chief Priests stumble on the stone and were broken to pieces? In what ways are they crushed by the "falling stone"? Both the Pharisees and Chief Priests stumbled on the “stone” they rejected and were broken to pieces. This depicts His first coming. When our Lord comes again to judge all, the “stone” is depicted as falling from heaven and grinding unbelievers to powder. Anyone who persistently opposes Christ is going to be crushed. They will find out, in a dreadful eternity, what it means to reject the mercy of God. Especially this world today, there are many who think that this world has outgrown the old Gospel of salvation through the redemption of the blood of Jesus.

3. In 20:17 who is the stone? Who are the builders? In your opinion, why did they ultimately reject Jesus after studying Him carefully? The Stone = Jesus Christ. The builders = Jewish religious leaders. The Jewish religious leaders rejected Jesus because He did not fit their preconceived idea of a warrior king who would deliver them from political oppression. Their minds had been hardened by pride and unbelief. He was also getting in the way of their money-making rackets they had operating in the temple. The builders, the Jewish religious leaders, had no place, no use for Jesus Christ, the Stone in their building plans. They threw the capstone aside as useless. Even the people rejected Jesus, when Pilate offered to release Jesus after the flogging, they shouted for a criminal to be released: "Away with this Man! Release Barabbas to us!" (23:18). But following His death He was raised from the dead and given the place of pre-eminence by God, making Him the cornerstone, the most important stone in God’s building. “God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name” (Php 2:9).

2. What does the vineyard itself represent? The owner? The tenants? The servants who are sent to collect the owner's portion? Who is the son? Historically, how did God destroy the "tenants"? (20:9-16) The vineyard = Israel. The owner = God. The tenants = Religious leaders. The servants = The prophets God sent to Israel. From Moses to John the Baptist. The Son = Our Lord Jesus Christ. God destroyed these murderous “tenants” by the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70. “He will give the vineyard to others” (20:16). The others who will inherit the vineyard being the righteous remnant (believing Israel and the Gentiles.

1. How did tenant farming work in Jesus' day? In our day? What did the owner of the vineyard expect of his tenants? In Jesus’ day the wealthy owned much of the land and rented it to tenant farmers. The landlord typically lived elsewhere, even perhaps in another country. He had tenant farmers work the vineyard, their hard work earned them a percentage of the harvest, the balance going to the owner. On site the owner would normally have a servant looking after his interests. I should imagine that similar arrangements are made today. The owner providing the capital needed while tenant farmers contribute their labour and perhaps management skills. Depending on the contract, tenants make cash payments to the owner for his percentage. In Jesus’ time, the owner of the vineyard would send his servants to collect his portion of the harvest which according to contract belonged to him.

Q4. (Genesis 22:16-18; Galatians 3:16, 29) To whom are blessings promised through Abraham's descendant? In what way does Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac prefigure the Father's sacrifice of Jesus? The blessings are promised to the Gentiles who put their trust in God’s promise to raise His only Son from the dead. These descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. We see the similarities between the sacrifice of Isaac in the sacrifice of Jesus. Isaac, like Jesus, is an only son, loved by his father, willing to do his father’s will, and received back from the dead. Then the ram, like Jesus, is an innocent victim that died as a substitute for another, and its bloodshed.

Q3. (Genesis 49:10) What does the image of a lion tell us about Judah's descendant? How does Jesus qualify for the promise of the ruling sceptre? Why is obedience so hard for us? Why is it so important for us? Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? Genesis 49:9 (KJV). Initially Judah’s descendants are spoken of as “a lion’s whelp” for his strength and courage. Referring to a young Judah going up against the Canaanites and overcoming them. Then as “an old lion”, one that has grown up. Referring to king David as one who has subdued the nations round him with his royalty, courage, valour, and conquests. This leadership prophecy took some 640 years to fulfil in part with the reign of David, first of Judah’s dynasty of kings. Finally, “who shall rouse Him up”. Referring to a lion in its full strength, at its fiercest, and the most dangerous to rouse up when laid down. All this may be applied to Christ, the Messiah and son of David, the lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev 5:5); the lion being the king of beasts, and the strongest among them, denotes the kingly power and authority of Christ, His great strength as the mighty God and mighty Saviour, His courage in engaging with all the powers of darkness, and valour in vanquishing all Hos enemies. This prophecy took some 1600 years to completely fulfil in Jesus. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a staff from between His feet refers to the ruling position Judah will have and that the eventual kings of Israel would come from Judah and that the Messiah, God’s ultimate leader, would eventually come from the tribe of Judah. We find it so hard to obey others, especially someone in a position of authority. There are various reasons for disobedience to enter our hearts. This can be the result of pride and arrogance. Or we don’t obey because of our greed and **** as shown by Eve (Gen 3:6). It can be the result of fear, impatience, unbelief, lack of love, or even rebelling against our Lord. It is important for us to obey our Heavenly Father, since failure to obey Him leads to punishment. If we are not willing to bow the knee to Him now, then one day we will be compelled to do so (Phil 2:10). Believers that are in a loving relationship with our Lord Jesus, willingly keep His Word, and have a loving desire to do His will.

Q2. (Luke 1:39-45) Why did the angel put Elizabeth and Mary together? How is Elizabeth a comfort to Mary? How is Mary an encouragement to Elizabeth? To whom has God sent you to give and receive comfort? Angel Gabriel got both Elizabeth and Mary to meet each other, so that they could compare notes and rejoice together. Mary had just been told she has been chosen by God to be the mother of Messiah – all very overwhelming! The angel had also told Mary about Elizabeth being 6 months pregnant whom she knew to be barren and elderly. So, this was also a miracle and there was a lot to share with each other. Everything was very hard to believe, especially for such a young girl, and a visit to Elizabeth would confirm what the angel had told her. It wasn’t that Mary did not have any faith, but confirmation would most definitely strengthen her faith. Being much older and therefore more mature and experienced in life, Elizabeth was able to teach and instruct her. Being 6 months into her pregnancy God had provided her with a helper for the 3 months Mary stayed with her relative; most probably until the birth of John the Baptist. My dear neighbour Alan, was diagnosed with colon cancer. He had part of the colon removed and when he came home I was given the privilege of being there for him. He is over 80 yo and for him this was a major op and I’m only pleased that I could be a comfort to him.

Q1. (Luke 1:26-38) What honour did God bestow on Mary? What would this honour cost her? What does her response to the angel indicate? What discipleship lesson can you learn from Mary's response? What an honour to be the mother of the long-expected Messiah – giving birth to the Son of God! The angel told her she was highly favoured, and that the Lord was with her = truly blessed. This honour came with great risk. A poor young unmarried girl, in the culture of the day, risked potentially being stoned to death for adultery. Even telling her story about becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit, risked being considered crazy as well. However, despite the possible risks she showed great love and maturity in willing to serve God. Mary has taught us that God can do the impossible, and we are to obey and trust Him in all circumstances.