“Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against “(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” … “He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.” Luke 2: 34-35, 50- 51
All of us have heard something that did not have significant meaning at the time, only to realize later its great importance. We are told Mary kept all these things in her heart even though she did not understand what they meant. A man named Simeon by the Holy Spirit told Mary that her child (Jesus) like a sword would pierce her own soul.
How did Jesus pierce the soul of Mary His mother? The answer is in John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things…” On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to Jesus’ disciples to declare the meaning of all that Jesus did in His life, death, and resurrection. Prior to the Holy Spirit’s New Testament ministry Christ was only a shadow in the Law and the Prophets but, after Pentecost the substance of God’s plan of salvation was clearly revealed.
A study done by Harvard University revealed that the people who love others most are loved most by others, which is not hard to believe. Therefore, we can conclude that Mary loved her son Jesus more than all other women loved their children because Jesus was love personified to perfection.
It had to be a crushing blow when Mary realized that the sufferings of Christ, which she beheld at the cross, were for her personal sins as He suffered and died in her place. Everyone who is a Christian feels the sting of Christ piercing their heart as they realize their sins caused Christ’s sufferings and death.
The miracle of the first Christmas reaches down the centuries to individual people today, and their sinful hearts are made new.