Q&A 12/24/2017

Mary seems to have a decent understanding of God and her need for a savior. Where does her understanding of God come from, do we know? How much does she understand about who Jesus was as he grew up and then started his ministry?

We don't know with certainty (from the Bible) where Mary gained her understanding of God. One could safely assume she learned from her parents and community as she grew up in a Jewish home. Regarding Mary's understanding of who Jesus was, we see in the gospels an apparent back and forth on her part. She has an angel clearly tell her all about Jesus, which would make us think that everything would have been set in stone for her. Yet in the gospels, we see Mary have, at best, a misunderstanding of who Jesus is, or at least His purpose (John 2:1-11) and, though we don't know if she was present, there are examples of Jesus' family being hostile towards him (Mark 3:21). Eventually, though, many of Jesus' family members do believe in Him. 

Where did Pastor Josh get his snazzy vest?

It was a gift from someone at my previous church. I have no idea where it was purchased.