Lifting Up Jesus In 2026 - Having Two Way Love Between Mother And Children

Devotional

Day 1: The Word Wrapped in Swaddling Clothes

Mary gripped the rough cloth strips, her calloused hands wrapping the newborn’s tiny limbs. No royal robes, no silk-lined cradle—just what she carried from Nazareth. The stable’s chill bit her cheeks as she laid him where animals fed. Yet in that manger, the Eternal Word who spoke galaxies into being now whimpered for milk. [13:30]

This child was both Mary’s son and Mary’s Maker. The One who filled Solomon’s temple with glory now filled a feed trough. God chose poverty as His nursery to show His kingdom favors no earthly throne. When Jesus wrapped Himself in human skin, He hallowed every humble act of parental love.

You cradle responsibilities that feel too ordinary for holy work. Changing diapers, packing lunches, stitching torn jeans—these are your swaddling clothes. What if today’s mundane task became an altar? When did you last thank God for the plain gifts that sustained you?

“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.”
(Luke 2:7, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for entering your ordinary moments. Ask Him to reveal His glory in today’s routines.
Challenge: Write “Emmanuel” on a sticky note. Place it where you’ll see it during a routine task.

Day 2: Love That Pierced the Night

Simeon’s wrinkled hands trembled as he held the forty-day-old Messiah. His prophecy sliced Mary’s heart: “A sword will pierce your soul.” For thirty-three years, she’d remember those words when Jesus argued with Pharisees, when crowds turned hostile, when Roman nails tore His flesh. Yet at the cross, she stayed. [37:30]

Mothers know this sword—the cost of loving someone mortal. Every scraped knee, every midnight worry, every silent prayer whispers Simeon’s warning. But Mary’s story didn’t end at the cross. Resurrection morning proved love stronger than death’s bite.

What wound have you avoided because love feels too risky? Jesus didn’t shield His mother from pain—He walked through it with her. Who needs your stubborn, cross-shaped love today? Is there a relationship you’ve guarded more than given?

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
(John 3:16, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one fear that keeps you from loving boldly. Ask for resurrection courage.
Challenge: Call or text someone who’s walked through pain with you. Say, “Thank you for staying.”

Day 3: Found in My Father’s House

Mary’s sandals slapped Jerusalem’s stones as she searched alleys for her twelve-year-old. Three days earlier, He’d lingered at the Temple—not lost, but home. “Why were you searching?” Jesus asked. The question haunted her: Had she forgotten whose Son He was? [26:04]

Mothers nurture what they cannot own. Every child bears God’s image before bearing a parent’s name. Our highest calling isn’t to keep them safe, but to point them toward their true Father’s business—even when it leads beyond our reach.

Where are you clinging to control instead of commissioning? What dream for your child might actually be God’s call to you? When did you last pray, “Not my plans, but Yours” over their future?

“And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. 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.’”
(Luke 2:48, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to reveal where you’ve substituted anxiety for trust in His fatherhood.
Challenge: Write a child’s name (yours or another’s) and beside it, “God’s beloved.” Pray over it twice today.

Day 4: Woman, Behold Your Son

Blood crusted Jesus’ brow as He spotted His mother weeping below. The cross couldn’t stifle His care: “Woman, behold your son.” To John: “Behold your mother.” Even in agony, He rebuilt family from broken shards—making space at the table for all who obey the Father. [46:49]

Jesus transforms biological bonds into eternal kinship. Every spiritual mother, every mentored youth, every fostered child reflects this cross-born family. No one who follows Christ lacks a mother’s love; no nurturer lacks children to cherish.

Who has God placed in your life as unexpected family? What orphaned heart needs your “Behold”? Is there someone you’ve resisted calling “mother” or “son” because bloodlines didn’t dictate it?

“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!’”
(John 19:26-27, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for someone who mothered you spiritually. Ask Him to show you one person to “behold” today.
Challenge: Send a “You’re family to me” note (text/email/card) to someone unrelated by blood.

Day 5: The Road Back to Nazareth

Jesus left the Temple’s scholars to walk home with Joseph and Mary. For eighteen years, He hammered wood, carried water, and honored parents who didn’t fully understand Him. The Maker of stars submitted to bedtime rules. The Word became flesh—then became a good neighbor. [28:47]

Obedience in Nazareth shaped the Savior for Calvary. Daily duties—sweeping floors, mending nets—train us for eternal purposes. Every “small” act of faithfulness in parenting, working, or serving writes another line in God’s kingdom story.

What ordinary responsibility have you dismissed as insignificant? How might today’s chores become training for tomorrow’s calling? When did you last thank God for the Nazareth years?

“And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.”
(Luke 2:51, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to sanctify one mundane task today. Thank Him for His hidden years.
Challenge: Do a chore you’ve avoided with this prayer: “For Your glory, Lord.”

Sermon Summary

Lifting up Jesus sets the frame and the call is for two way love between mother and children. God gives motherhood a high place, and Mary stands as the pattern. Conception and birth show a mother’s early love: she brought forth her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger. The scene does not glitter, but the love is rich. A mother takes what she has and makes it serve the child, even going down near to death to bring life into the world. Gratitude to God for the mother he chose is the right first response.

Childhood tests that love with sorrow and searching. Mary and Joseph look for Jesus at twelve and find him in the temple. Jesus speaks of the Father’s business, yet the text says he went down and was subject to them. The pattern lands clear: children must be brought up. As his custom was, he went to the synagogue. Customs get built by mothers who insist on school, church, and Sunday school, planting tracks that a wandering heart can find again. The promise stands: train up a child in the way he should go, and God knows how to call it back to mind.

Dedication opens a mother’s future tears. Simeon blesses the child and tells Mary a sword will pierce her soul. A mother feels the danger of the world and carries it in prayer and pain. Yet the Word who was with God and was God has taken flesh. Jesus is fully God and fully man, and even in perfect obedience to his Father he models obedience at home.

At the cross, a mother stays. The disciples scatter, but Mary stands there. Love proves itself in pain. Love is also a two way street. Jesus sees his mother and says, Woman, behold thy son, giving her to John. Honor moves both directions. Children owe present, practical care, whether by presence, a handwritten card, or steady help. God so loved the world that he gave; the Son dies, is buried, and rises with all power. That same love keeps mothers, turns prodigals, and sustains homes. Long life is tied to honor of father and mother. The call is simple and urgent: receive Christ, keep bringing the children while the window is open, plant them in the house of God, practice obedience and generosity, and trust the God who keeps promises.

Key Takeaways

1. Two-way love mirrors Calvary care [45:38] This love does not quit in pain. Mary stays at the cross, and Jesus, nailed and crowned with thorns, still sees his mother and provides for her. Honor flows back to the one who first bore sorrow. Real love answers presence with provision and turns sentiment into care. [45:38]
2. Train up a child builds holy customs [28:47] “As his custom was” did not appear by accident. Mothers and fathers carve grooves of worship, Scripture, and service that carry a child when choice gets hard. Even if detours come, early tracks become a map home, because God works through habits to keep a heart. [28:47]
3. A mother’s pain carries prophetic weight [37:30] Simeon’s word names the sword a mother feels as she releases a child into a dangerous world. That ache is not weakness; it is participation in God’s long work in that child’s life. Prayer, tears, and steady presence become the hidden scaffolding God uses. [37:30]
4. Jesus models obedience and mission together [40:13] He must be about his Father’s business, yet he goes down and is subject to Mary and Joseph. Divine calling never excuses domestic rebellion. Parents set loving boundaries; children learn freedom through faithful submission that prepares them to hear God’s call. [40:13]
5. Gratitude becomes action, not price tag [52:09] Honor is not expensive; it is attentive. Presence, a simple card, faithful help, and a life rooted in Christ speak louder than luxury. God ties long life to honoring father and mother, so gratitude becomes a path of wisdom, not a once-a-year gesture. [52:09]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[11:54] - Responsive Reading: Word and Son
[15:45] - Theme: Two-Way Love in 2026
[17:01] - Honoring Mothers in This Land
[21:13] - Mary’s Yes and Elizabeth’s Joy
[23:06] - Swaddling Clothes and Stable Faith
[25:44] - Mothers Labor Near to Death
[26:04] - Lost at Twelve, Found in Temple
[28:47] - Brought Up and Holy Customs
[36:57] - Simeon’s Word and a Pierced Soul
[39:45] - Word Made Flesh, One God
[41:58] - Obedience, Authority, and Beans
[45:38] - At the Cross: Woman, Behold Your Son
[46:49] - Love Returns and Gospel Triumph
[50:23] - Call to Christ and Mothering Charge
[52:09] - Honor Father and Mother
[60:34] - Giving That Turns Life Around
[63:25] - Doxology and Benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Luke 2:51 (ESV)
"And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart."

John 19:26-27 (ESV)
"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."

Observation Questions

What specific actions did Mary take to care for Jesus after his birth, even in humble circumstances? (Luke 2:7)
How did Jesus respond to His parents when they found Him in the temple at age 12, and what does the text say about His obedience afterward? (Luke 2:51) [28:47]
What did Jesus do for His mother even while suffering on the cross? (John 19:26-27) [45:38]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus, who was fully God, chose to submit to His earthly parents after declaring His divine mission in the temple?
What might Simeon’s prophecy about a sword piercing Mary’s soul (Luke 2:35) reveal about the connection between a mother’s love and participating in God’s purposes? [37:30]
How do the "customs" mentioned in Luke 4:16 (like synagogue attendance) reflect the impact of a parent’s guidance on a child’s lifelong faith? [28:47]

Application Questions

What is one practical way you can honor your mother (or a maternal figure) this week, even if it’s small or costs nothing? [52:09]
If you’re a parent, what daily or weekly habit could you prioritize to create "holy customs" for your children? If you’re not a parent, how can you support a child in your life to build these rhythms? [28:47]
Reflect on a time your mother carried pain or worry for you. How might you express gratitude for that sacrifice today?
How can you turn sentimental feelings about love (like Mother’s Day) into tangible acts of care for others, even in difficult relationships? [45:38]
What step could you take to "plant tracks" of faith for someone younger—whether through words, actions, or invitations? [28:47]

Sermon Clips

50s

“Keep on bringing your children. Keep under. Don't get tired. You only got a short window with your child. After a while, they'll move beyond your reach, but they'll never move beyond your love and your care for them. Leave your children not here with you today but you can reach the lord Ask the lord to have mercy. And allow the lord to bring you through and give you the victory While the blood run warm in your vein, do all you can to be a mother to your child.”

30s

“Help me somebody. You didn't get caught up in a whole lot of things. And it's alright if you did. And God had brought you back. But now that you are back, you ought to do all you can to point your child with everyone that you have any control over in the right direction. At least give them a chance. Let them make a decision later on that they wanna go another way. But I promise you, the Bible said, you train up a child the way that he should go, when he's old, he won't depart. He'll find his way back. He'll find his way back because he knows there's a better way.”

32s

“Oh lord, have mercy. Jesus grew up and the Bible said, Jesus suffered things just like we suffered. They said, he learned obedience by the thing that he suffered. Oh, yeah. He was 100% human and 100% god but he he the Bible said, even when he he he said to Mary and and Joseph, I must be above my father's business but the next verse said, he went down and made himself subject unto them. He went back home and became subject unto them and all of our children, your children need to be subject unto you. You need to, the children, the children, and the children,”

32s

“Jesus had brothers and sisters. The Bible talks about them. He grew up in a home, in a family home, but Jesus was at first. And Jesus was the one that was chosen before the foundation of the world to be the savior for the whole world and Mary, Mary brings Jesus into this world. The Bible said, the Bible said, she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there were no room for them in the end.”

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Lifting Up Jesus In 2026 - Having Two Way Love Between Mother And Children

Devotional

Day 1: The Word Wrapped in Swaddling Clothes

Day 2: Love That Pierced the Night

Day 3: Found in My Father’s House

Day 4: Woman, Behold Your Son

Day 5: The Road Back to Nazareth

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Lifting Up Jesus In 2026 - Having Two Way Love Between Mother And Children

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