Conclusions on the Nativity

But the gospel of Mark had, perhaps unwittingly, left a testament that, if historical, clinches our case. We find in this gospel behavior from his own family members that we would not expect had they known about the events of the Nativity and its meaning (as Joseph and, especially Mary should have). There is an episode related by Mark that occurred during the beginning of Jesus ministry that shows how his family (including his mother!) reacted when they heard he had started preaching:

Mark 3:21,31-34 When his family heard about this [i.e. that Jesus was preaching to a crowd] they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."...Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent someone to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you." "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and brothers! Who does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

The gist of the above incident is clear, his family including Mary upon hearing that Jesus had started preaching thought he had gone mad and went to take charge of him. Jesus, angered or perhaps embarrassed by his family's reaction, publicly denounced them.

Now if this passage is historical, the question here is obvious: why did Mary try to stop him when he started preaching? Didn't she consent to an angel to be the virgin mother of the "son of the most high"? Wasn't it her who sang the Magnificat and said that "all generations will call me blessed" because she will be the mother of Jesus?

Only one answer is possible, the historical Mary, who had at least seven children, knew nothing of the angels, the virgin birth, the slaughter of the innocents, the visit of the wise men and the star of Bethlehem because these events never happened!

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References

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