Mary, Did You Know?

I have loved Mark Lowry’s “Mary Did You Know?” ever since I first heard it years ago. I’m glad it has become a modern Christmas classic and that its meaning-laden lyrics are so widely spread abroad at this season.

The song asks many poignant questions of Mary. In fact, I counted SEVENTEEN questions! You’d better check for yourself, just in case.

Of course, the implication is that Mary couldn’t have imagined all the life-giving and life-changing events that were to come through her child. No human could have imagined it all, even after visitation by an angel.

But God certainly prepared Mary and gave her assurances through that angel.

In Luke 1: 28-33, the angel told her:

“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. . . . Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Her trust in this remarkable revelation is clear from her response: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” In the same chapter she visits her cousin Elizabeth, who will soon bear the son who will be John the Baptist. Her wonderful pronouncement of praise at her growing understanding is called the magnificat in the Latin Vulgate translation. That word begins her “hymn” with “My soul glorifies (or magnifies) the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

I’m very thankful that Mary’s very thoughts and words have been preserved as a testimony to us through God’s Word, the Bible.  Have you ever wondered how the gospel writers knew such intimate details of Jesus’s birth, not to mention his three years of ministry that led Him to the cross? Luke 2:51 says “But his mother (Mary) treasured all these things in her heart.” 

The disciple John tells of Christ’s charge to him from the cross, that on that day John became a son to Mary and she became a mother to him. “And from that time on the disciple took her into his home.” What a blessing to both John and Mary.  We don’t know how many years they had, but this may explain why John is the only gospel writer who told of Jesus’s very first miracle—changing water to wine at the wedding at Cana.  Not only was Mary present that day, but it was at her urging that the miracle took place.

Mary, do you know?  I believe she knew all she needed to know.  As tragic and heart-rending as it was for her to see her son Jesus crucified, that meant she was the ONLY person privileged to know our Lord through his entire earthly existence. She had seen simple shepherds and wise kings kneel and worship at his manger bed. She had heard Simeon and Anna prophesy and bless him at the temple.

I would love to know everything else that Mary DID know.  It would be fascinating.  As John said at the close of his gospel, “Jesus did many other things as well.  If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”  What an amazing statement.  And I don’t doubt its truth.

In our lifetime we can never know all that Mary knew.  But thank God, we can know all we NEED to know.  That God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

If you haven’t really gotten in the Christmas spirit yet, I suggest you take time to re-read any of the gospels in the next few days.  Not just the Christmas story, but the whole Good News. 

                                

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Here are the lyrics to “Mary Did You Know?” if you’re interested:

Mary, Did You Know? By Mark Lowry

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered
Will soon deliver you

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?
Did you know
That your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby
You've kissed the face of God

Mary, did you know?
The blind will see
The deaf will hear
And the dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know
That your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding
Is the Great I Am

Oh Mary did you know?