West Side Church of Christ - Elkton Ky

• Greeting and Honesty:
  The preacher expresses that Mother’s Day is the hardest Sunday to preach, acknowledging he’s not a mother and can’t fully understand a mother’s experience.
  • “What do I know about being mama?”
• Purpose:
  The lesson is not to instruct mothers, but to say “thank you” and encourage them, focusing on the difficulty and value of being a mom.

“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered…And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

• Physical Hardships:
  • Mary endured a long, difficult journey (70–90 miles, uphill, while pregnant) to Bethlehem for the census.
  • “She had to be tough as nails.”
  • This reminds us that mothers regularly go through immense physical challenges.

“Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom… And when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple… And his mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.’…And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.”

• Emotional Hardships:
  • Mary and Joseph lost track of Jesus for days—a parent’s worst nightmare.
  • The preacher notes that parenting is the art of holding on while learning to let go.
  • Letting children grow up and become independent is emotionally hard, especially for mothers.

“And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel…and a sword will pierce through your own soul also, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’”

• Emotional Pain:
  • Simeon prophesied that Mary’s heart would be pierced.
  • Mary would later fully realize this pain at Jesus’ crucifixion.

“But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother… When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.”

• Ultimate Heartbreak:
  • Mary witnessed her son’s crucifixion—a pain described as a “sword” piercing her soul.
  • “I think this is the day she figured out what that meant.”

• Gratitude:
  • The preacher affirms: “We absolutely could not do it without her (mom).”
  • He acknowledges the heaviness of the message, especially for those who miss their mothers.
• A Poem for Mothers:
  • The sermon ends with a heartfelt poem, asking if mothers would do it all again despite the hardships.
  • The answer, implied by the love of mothers, is “yes”—highlighting sacrificial, unconditional love.

• God’s Design:
  • “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.” (John 3:16)
  • From Eve, the mother of all living, to every mom today, mothers play an essential, God-given role.
• Call to Love and Support:
  • Encourages everyone to honor and help mothers, recognizing the challenges and sacrifices they face.

• Being a mother is incredibly hard—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
• Mary’s life as Jesus’ mother shows us all the struggles, sacrifices, and heartbreaks mothers endure.
• We owe immense gratitude to mothers for their love, endurance, and faith.
• God sees and honors every sacrifice, and mothers are precious in His sight.