 | Dr. John Click, has been the Pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church for 27 years now he is the pastor emeritus. He’s a graduate of Baylor University with a BA and Southwestern Seminary with a BD. He received his DMin at Midwestern Seminary. He has served in numerous positions in the Southern Baptist Convention, including: President of the Kansas/Nebraska Convention, Executive Committee of SBC, North American Mission Board, International Mission Board, and Houston Baptist University Board. He has traveled to preach in Europe, Central and South America and the Far East. Dr. Click is the founder and first President of Harvest Communications, which is a TV production company specializing in producing teaching materials for Para- Church organizations. You may contact him for comments or questions by e-mail at: Jcclick99@aol.com. |
Religion
2008-05-01 13:20:00
Virgin Mary’s role in salvation
Question: I know each of you represents a different faith. Can you tell me, in accordance with your faith, how important is the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary towards one’s salvation?
Answer: Since the Bible says nothing about Mary’s role in our salvation, my response will be short!
We are intrigued by the marvelously brave young girl who obeyed God’s instructions to her or her husband. How we wish we knew of her years as mother of the growing Jesus and his brothers and sisters.
Her husband must have died before Jesus was 30 years old when He began his 3 year public ministry. She and other women traveled with Jesus and His disciples, cooking and supporting them as needed.
The four Gospels tell a few times when she spoke up during His public work. In Matthew 12:46-50, someone told Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are outside and want to speak to You.” Jesus answered, pointing to His disciples, “Here are My mother and My brothers.”
She was present at the cross and was the last person to leave Him there as He sent her away in the care of His disciple, John. But she was not among the women who watched to see where He was quickly entombed, nor was she among those who came to the open grave on Easter morning, nor was she mentioned as one of the several persons He appeared to on that day. He appeared often during the next six weeks as He gave further instruction to His disciples, but she is not mentioned.
When He returned to Jerusalem for His Ascension to Heaven, she was not present. She is mentioned for the last time in Acts 1:14 as being with her other sons at the ten-day prayer meeting in downtown Jerusalem with the about 120 other believers. Was she present on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon them? Probably!
His brothers became leaders in the Church after this.
The rest of the Bible tells of the development of the Church and its spreading the news of salvation throughout the Roman Empire. But God did not seem to see fit to give her any part in this. It remained for later generations to give Mary an important place in the Christian Church, its doctrine, our salvation and even in Heaven!
