Theotokos is one of the oldest titles given to Mary, going back to the
third century. It’s often roughly translated into English as “Mother of God,”
but a more accurate translation means “God-bearer.” The solemnity of Mary,
Mother of God is celebrated on January 1, which is also the day of Jesus’
circumcision.
I think both translations of Theotokos reflect interesting aspects of
Mary and Christ. One question I often had as a kid (and I think a lot of Christian
kids do) was “Who was God’s mommy?” which was really a way of asking, “Where
did God come from?” or “What came before God?” The concept of an eternal being
is hard to impress upon kids who haven’t developed abstract thinking yet. But
interesting, although God has no beginning, he does have a mother. Jesus is
fully God, therefore, the mother of Jesus is the mother of God. She was the one
who carried God Incarnate in her womb, who raised him as a child, who urged him
to perform his first miracle, who followed him to the cross.
“God-bearer” focuses again on the
incarnation part of her role as Christ’s mother. She literally bore God into
his own creation. She served as the Ark of the New Covenant. God used Mary to
unite the Word and flesh. The term Theotokos was affirmed at the Council of
Ephesus in in 431. The council primarily dealt with Christ’s nature as fully
God and fully man. Affirming Mary as the Theotokos was a logical conclusion of the
affirmation of the Nicene Creed and hypostatic union.
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