Question not found.
Community answers are sorted based on votes. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is.
Short answer - Mary was never perfect. She was born with a sin nature just like everyone else. Hence her need for a Savior (Luke 1:47). No one calls God their Savior unless they need saving (from sin). Jesus never once addressed God as His Savior because He didn't need to be saved. He is the one and only, unique and perfect sinless One.
Luke 1:28 states "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." "Among women", not above women. In Luke 1:46-47 Mary responded to Elizabeth's. salutation: "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.For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name." Yes, Mary was a young lady of great faith, blessed and used in a wonderful and miraculous way to fulfill prophecy and give birth to the eternal, preexisting Son of God. Yet she was just a woman and no different from any other, a natural born sinner who was saved by the shed blood of the one she gave birth to.
From the fall in the garden till today all but one person has been born into sin. Romans 3:23 tells us, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.' Jesus was born of a woman that had not been with a man. The seed of Sin is passed through man through men from Adam till this day. Jesus didn't have the seed of Adam but was the seed of God (Matt.1:21-23). So to answer the question "Was Mary more perfect than Adam or Eve? No, because Mary had an earthly father that carried the seed of Adam therefore she was born into Sin the same as all humans. Jesus is the only one that has not the seed of Adam (Luke 1:30-35), making him the son of God.
In the Bible Jesus is called the last Adam because the first Adam was perfect, sinless; made in the likeness of God, his Father until Satan tempted him and Adam yielded; believing the enemy above his Father. Notice in Genesis Satan contradicts the words of God. As a result, sin entered the world for the first time and it corrupted everything; including Adam. God had breathed His spirit into Adam and Adam's spirit died when he sinned. That is the reason Jesus, the last Adam, was born from a virgin because all mankind's blood was tainted since Adam's decision. Remember, Jesus was sinless, His birth mother wasn't. She was born from the same sinful blood line as every other person. She, acknowledged this various times and called Him Lord. It's a scientific fact that an unborn baby's blood does NOT interact with the mothers. They can even have different blood types. Paul says, "For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam ALL die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.(1 Cor 15:21-22) The Bible tells us Jesus had to come as a man to undo what Adam did;bring sin into the world. The Bible says, "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law (Galatians 4:4) The Bible goes on to tell us why - verse 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Jesus was born Jewish, lived and worshiped as a Jew and died as a Jew; under the Jewish laws. He spent time in the local synagogues; teaching His fellow Jews the transition from the Old Testament to the present New Testament. The Pharisees, Sadducee, and other Jewish sects were not very receptive, to say the least. The Bible clearly says He came to teach the Jews first. He called them the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 15:24). Jesus tells a Samaritan woman that salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22) Remember, God made a covenant with Abraham because he was willing to leave the land that was filled with false gods and be led by the One true God to a land God promised He would give Abraham and his descendants. When Israel crossed the Jordan the land was theirs; God gave it to them. Read Genesis 15:18-21 and it describes the exact location and its borders.Of course, it would eventually become the birth place of the Messiah. God in His infinite wisdom had a plan to rescue mankind from the foundation of the world. In Titus 1:2 it says "in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began" and so in God's world, there is no time. He is outside of time. It is always now....present. So Mary, a Jewish girl, was chosen to carry the developing Savior in her body, at the chosen perfect time. The Bible says it would happen. God told Satan there would be One who would crush his head (recorded in Genesis 3:15) All throughout history Satan was on the look out for this prophesied Savior! He was well hidden in the womb of a peasant Jewish girl who loved God and was willing to nurture this child to adulthood; knowing He had come to earth for one specific reason; to die; shedding His sinless blood for all mankind; therefore fulfilling all the demands of God's laws. That is the reason Jesus said in a loud voice, "It is finished!" Then, and only then, did Jesus bow His head to His chest (a symbolic place of love) and willingly die. That is God's GIFT to all mankind. What will you do with it; accept it or reject it? You need only believe that "God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son that WHOSOEVER believes in HIM should not perish but have ever lasting life." God Himself rip the veil of the temple in two from top to bottom which signified an open relationship for all to enjoy; not just an Old Testament priest. Christ is now the only and everlasting High Priest. The Bible teaches there is only one mediator between God and man; that is Jesus (1 Tim: 2:5).
The Bible plainly states that All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. With only ONE exception to this, that was the Only Begotten Son of God! Now, are we to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary? Yes! The Angel said she was Blessed and Highly Favored! He never said she was without faults, failures, worries, sins that plague us ALL as Adam's children. I truly believe we have come to believe if we Honor someone, that has elevated them to a higher plane! We see this with so called saints, actors, singers, athletes, even doctors! Honor by man means little. Honor by God seen by man means a little but itself is not worth much. Honor by God unseen, in prayer, Word of God, more Knowledge of Himself? Priceless!
Mary is blessed (Lu. 1:28, 46-47) among all women and deserves our respect and reverence, but not to be worshipped. She is not more perfect than Adam & Eve, as "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God". She needs salvation as all of mankind. But, to be chosen by God, for him to dwell incarnate in her virgin womb is "once in a lifetime" blessing. More important though is the realization that she was a "surrogate" mother of Jesus. There was never an egg from Mary or sperm from anyone else's in the conception of Jesus. Christ came "from above" (John 8:23) along the genealogy of Adam and kingly/priestly line.
Mary was only a woman chosen to be a vessel to give birth to the Savior, but she was a sinner, just like you and me.Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." First John 1:8 adds, "If any man says he has no sin he is a liar and the truth is not in him." These texts could not be clearer for millions of Protestants: "How could anyone believe Mary was free from all sin in light of these Scripture passages? What’s more, Mary herself said, ‘My soul rejoices in God my savior’ in Luke 1:47. She clearly understood herself to be a sinner if she admits to needing a savior. She recognized her need for the Savior as well. She is nothing but dust now. When Jesus returns, she will be made whole again.
We often use Adam and Eve's story to teach kids about disobedience and its consequences. Opposite that, we use Mary's story to teach about obedience. "Be it done unto me according to your word" was the humble girl's response to an angel's message. Jesus, our Savior, was born to that handmaid of God. Because of Adam and Eve's disobedience, death. Because of Mary's obedience, life.
All answers are REVIEWED and MODERATED.
Please ensure your answer MEETS all our guidelines.
A good answer provides new insight and perspective. Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone.