From the day when she heard the angel's announcement in the home at Nazareth Mary had treasured every evidence that Jesus was the Messiah. His sweet, unselfish life assured her that He could be no other than the Sent of God. Yet there came to her also doubts and disappointments, and she had longed for the time when His glory should be revealed. Death had separated her from Joseph, who had shared her knowledge of the mystery of the birth of Jesus. Now there was no one to whom she could confide her hopes and fears. The past two months had been very sorrowful. She had been parted from Jesus, in whose sympathy she found comfort; she pondered upon the words of Simeon, "A sword shall pierce through thy own soul also" (Luke 2:35); she recalled the three days of agony when she thought Jesus lost to her forever; and with an anxious heart she awaited His return.

Lige fra den dag, hvor Maria havde hørt engelens bebudelse i hjemmet i Nazaret, havde hun bevaret ethvert bevis for, at Jesus var Messias, som en skat. Hans skønne, uselviske livsførelse overbeviste hende om, at han ikke kunne være nogen anden end den, Gud havde sendt. Men også her mødte hun tvivl og skuffelser, og hun havde set hen til den tid, da hans herlighed skulle åbenbares. Døden havde skilt hende fra Josef, med hvem hun havde delt sin viden om det hemmelighedsfulde ved Jesu fødsel. Nu var der ikke mere nogen, med hvem hun kunne dele sit håb og sin frygt. De sidste to måneder havde været meget sørgelige. Hun havde været skilt fra Jesus, i hvis medfølelse hun fandt trøst; hun grublede over Simeons ord: "Også din egen sjæl skal et sværd gennemtrænge" (Luk. 2,35); hun mindedes de tre dages kval, da hun mente, at hun for stedse havde mistet Jesus; og med ængsteligt sind afventede hun hans tilbagekomst.