“Mary, did you know…
that your baby boy would one day walk on water? Mary, did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters? Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new; This Child that you 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 would 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, 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 all creation? Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations? Did you know that your baby boy was Heaven’s perfect Lamb, and the sleeping Child you’re holding Is the great, the Great I AM?”
(“Mary, Did You Know?” by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene. © 1991 Word Music).
Lyricist
Mark Lowry said,
“I just tried to put into words the unfathomable. I started thinking of the questions I would have for her if I were to sit down & have coffee with Mary. You know, ‘What was it like raising God?’ ‘What did you know?’ ‘What didn’t you know?’”
Since the song’s release, it has become incredibly popular and has been recorded by such artists as
Kenny Rogers and
Wynona Judd,
Carrie Underwood,
Pentatonix, and
Dolly Parton (among many others).
It has also been panned by some theologians and preachers who
suggest that she absolutely did know because the Bible says an angel appeared to her and told her.
Here’s the account from
Luke 1:26-38:
Now in the sixth month [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy] the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1: 46-55 records the
Magnificat, or “Mary’s Song,” in which she joyously shares with Elizabeth about
the birth of the Messiah about whom she had surely been told all her life
would come to bring justice to God’s people.
But there’s knowing about something, like what you learn in history class,
and there’s knowing, in a way you can’t fully do without experiencing it.
So, what do you think? Did she know?
Here’s my answer:
She knew more than anyone else about the baby in her womb, but she did not know everything. She got a message from God; she did not receive God-like omniscience.
And the point of the song is to
engage the imagination, not to answer all the questions.
It is the wonder of faith and devotion expressed in art.
I can’t think of a better approach to Christmas than one of
wonder.
Faith is messy and mysterious and requires us to sit humbly in realities that are beyond our comprehension.
Here’s what I know:
In an amazing mystery that completely amazes me, God came to us and remains with us.
Merry Christmas.
Be amazed and be amazing, my friend.
“Mary, did you know…
that your baby boy would one day walk on water? Mary, did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters? Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new; This Child that you 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 would 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, 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 all creation? Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations? Did you know that your baby boy was Heaven’s perfect Lamb, and the sleeping Child you’re holding Is the great, the Great I AM?”
(“Mary, Did You Know?” by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene. © 1991 Word Music).
Lyricist Mark Lowry said,
