What Did Mary Know

Good Sunday Morning...

Good Sunday morning…

Mary Did You Know is a the most popular modern-day written Christmas song. It was penned by gospel singer and comedian Mark Lowry as part of a Christmas play script in 1984. Lowry finished the lyrics in 1984 and Buddy Greene wrote music for it in 1991, the year it was first recorded by Michael English. It has been recorded by hundreds of singers.

The video above is done by the One Voice Children’s Choir. One Voice is a ministry based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Its mission is to inspire the world through the power of children's voices. The Children’s Choir began with performances at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Lowry’s lyrics were the result of conversations with his mother about Mary and Jesus, and what it might have been like to raise the son of God.

It asks a series of questions seeking to know if Mary was aware of the miracles that her son would perform, and if she knew of the real power and significance Jesus would have in the world.

The song just asks the questions. It never answers whether Mary knew, or not.

Lowry had the advantage of the stories in the Bible of Jesus’ miracles. He knew that Jesus walked on the water because Matthew, Mark and John all told of it in their books (Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52 and John 6:16-21).

We know that Jesus healed the sick, the deaf and the lame. He made the blind to see, the dumb to speak and the dead to live again. We know he came to save our sons and daughters.

But did Mary?

She may not have known all of the things Jesus could or would do, but here’s what she did know:

Mary knew that she gave birth as a virgin and she was selected by God to do so.

As the Gospel of Luke tells us, she knew that an angel of the Lord came to her and the angel told Mary that she would conceive and give birth to a son, and to name him Jesus. In Luke 1:35 the angel told her her baby would be known as the Son of God. The angel also told Mary that Jesus would rule over the house of Jacob forever, and that his kingdom would never end.

In Luke 1:38 “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”

Mary knew it would be her responsibility to give birth the the baby and raise the child. As he grew, she knew he had special powers. She knew Jesus had a special insight into God’s history and God’s plan for His life.

Evidence that she knew he had special powers came at the wedding in Cana when Mary went to him to replenish the depleted wine for the guests. Mary didn’t just expect Jesus to go down to the local convenience store and get more wine. She wanted him to fill the jugs with wine immediately, a process that normally would take months.

John 2:1:11 tells the story:

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, ² and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

⁴ “Woman,^[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” (as his ministry had not yet begun)

Then Mary issued her only commandment found in the Bible. She told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Jesus told the servants to fill the jugs with water. When that was done, he told them to pour it and take it to the master of the banquet.

It was now wine, really good wine.

In Matthew 13:55 it tells us Jesus is the half brother of James, Joseph, Simon and Judas (Jude). James and Jude wrote books that are included in the Bible. Mary apparently saw to it that her boys were well educated.

As Christmas approaches we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Without Mary, and her faithfulness, there would be no savior’s birth to celebrate.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

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