What does Scripture say about the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary)?

²⁶ Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!” ²⁹ But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be. ³⁰ The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ Behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and shall name him ‘Jesus.’ ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.” ³⁴ Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?” ³⁵ The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.

⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy! ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”

⁴ But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Emmanuel.

³⁸ Mary said, “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

⁴⁶ Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord. ⁴⁷ My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, ⁴⁸ for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed. ⁴⁹ For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name. ⁵⁰ His mercy is for generations and generations on those who fear him. ⁵¹ He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. ⁵² He has put down princes from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly. ⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty. ⁵⁴ He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy, ⁵⁵ as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever.”

¹⁹ But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.

³⁴ Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against. ³⁵ Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

²⁷ It came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!” ²⁸ But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it.”

¹ The third day, there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. ² Jesus also was invited, with his disciples, to the wedding. ³ When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine.” ⁴ Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with you and me? My hour has not yet come.” ⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Whatever he says to you, do it.” ⁶ Now there were six water pots of stone set there after the Jews’ way of purifying, containing two or three metretes apiece. ⁷ Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the ruler of the feast.” So they took it. ⁹ When the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and didn’t know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast called the bridegroom ¹⁰ and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when the guests have drunk freely, then that which is worse. You have kept the good wine until now!” ¹¹ This beginning of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

²⁵ But standing by Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home.

¹⁴ All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

¹⁵ And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed, he shall watch against thy head, and thou shalt watch against his heel.

¹ Then he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary that looks eastward; and it was shut. ² And the Lord said to me, This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no one shall pass through it; for the Lord God of Israel shall enter by it, and it shall be shut.

² And an angel of the Lord appeared to him in flaming fire out of the bush, and he sees that the bush burns with fire,—but the bush was not consumed. ³ And Moses said, I will go near and see this great sight, why the bush is not consumed. ⁴ And when the Lord saw that he drew nigh to see, the Lord called him out of the bush, saying, Moses, Moses; and he said, What is it? ⁵ And he said, Draw not nigh hither: loose thy sandals from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

¹ A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. ² She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth. ³ Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. ⁴ His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. ⁵ She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God and to his throne. ⁶ The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.

²⁴ Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife to himself; ²⁵ and didn’t know her sexually until she had given birth to her firstborn son. He named him Jesus.

⁴⁶ While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him. ⁴⁷ One said to him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you.” ⁴⁸ But he answered him who spoke to him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ He stretched out his hand toward his disciples, and said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

³ Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they were offended at him.

¹⁹ But of the other apostles I saw no one except James, the Lord’s brother.

⁵⁵ Many women were there watching from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, serving him. ⁵⁶ Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.