Every year on Mother’s Day, we reflect on the incredible gift and calling of motherhood. But this year, our Scripture reading may have surprised you: Revelation 12. Yes—that Revelation 12, with the woman clothed in the sun, the red dragon, and a cosmic battle over a newborn child. It’s not your typical go-to Mother’s Day passage. But it might just be one of the most powerful pictures of what it means to be a mother—and even more, what it means for the Church to be a mother.
We’re in a series right now tracing the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection, leading up to Pentecost. While Revelation isn’t a Gospel narrative, it offers a rich theological vision of what Jesus accomplishes through his life, death, resurrection, and ascension. And tucked into Revelation 12 is a stunning image: the church as a mother who gives birth to Christ in the world, nourishes her children, and endures the attacks of the enemy.
The Mother Metaphor in Scripture
We’re used to hearing that the Church is the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, or the family of God. But the Church is also presented—especially here—as a mother. It’s not the only place this happens. When Jesus was dying on the cross, he said to John, “Behold your mother,” referring to Mary. In that moment, a new kind of family was being formed—one grounded not in biology, but in the shared life of discipleship.
And when the soldier pierced Jesus’ side and blood and water flowed out, we’re reminded of Eve—formed from Adam’s side—and the idea that the Church, the bride of Christ, is birthed through his sacrifice. Water and blood: the waters of baptism and the blood of atonement. New life emerges from Christ’s side, just as Eve was taken from Adam’s.
The Church Is a Steady Mother
Revelation 12 describes a woman “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet.” It’s a poetic way of saying she is permanent, dependable, and constant. That’s what a mother is meant to be. No matter the chaos of life—whether we’ve failed, fallen short, or feel alone—there’s someone we can call: Mom.
The Church, too, is meant to be that kind of presence in the world. Through all the ups and downs, God has placed the Church here as a steady and nurturing mother. Not everyone has had a good experience with their earthly mom. Some were abandoned or hurt. Some moms are gone. But the Church, when faithful to her calling, can step in to provide that kind of healing, nurturing love.
Giving Birth to Christ in the World
The woman in Revelation 12 wears a crown of twelve stars—representing either the twelve tribes of Israel or the twelve apostles. Either way, she symbolizes God’s people. She gives birth to a child, and that child is clearly the Messiah, who is “caught up to God and to his throne.”
So who is the woman? She is Israel. She is Mary. She is Eve. She is the Church. She is all of them at once. She gives birth to Jesus and continues to bring Jesus into the world.
That’s our job as the Church—to bear Christ into the world. It’s not easy. The text says she cries out in agony. Evangelism, discipleship, raising children in the faith—it’s all hard. It’s like childbirth: messy, painful, and risky. But it’s worth it. And it’s how new life enters the world.
The Dragon Hates the Church—and Moms
Revelation tells us there’s a red dragon waiting to devour the child. It’s a chilling image. That dragon is the devil. He hates life. He hates mothers. He hates the Church. He wants to stop the work of new life—whether it’s in families or in the body of Christ.
This is why spiritual warfare surrounds motherhood and church ministry. It’s no accident that Satan wages war on babies (remember Pharaoh and Herod?) or that he targets healthy, growing churches. He wants to devour our offspring—our children, our new believers, our witness to the world.
But God protects the woman. She is nourished in the wilderness. Even when the Church feels harassed or pushed to the margins, God sustains her.
Your Labor Is Not in Vain
The number in Revelation 12—1,260 days—is symbolic. It’s three and a half years, half of seven (the biblical number of completeness). In other words: the agony doesn’t last forever. It’s measured. It has an end. Your faithfulness, your discipleship, your tears, your late nights and exhausting days—they are seen. And they will give way to glory.
And mothers, hear this: the devil hates you because you bring life. God chose you to embody the nurturing, life-giving heart of the Church. Your work may feel unseen, but it is sacred. You are doing what the Church is called to do.
So whether you’re a mom, a spiritual mom, a Sunday school teacher, a youth mentor, a friend—if you’re helping bring Christ into someone’s life, you’re a mother in the deepest sense.
And Church, let’s be that kind of mother to a hurting world: steadfast, nourishing, protective, and full of life.
Happy Mother’s Day.
