Surely, Mary Didn't Know

"Mary Did You Know"
[Originally written by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene]
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 will calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you 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 of all creation?
Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.

One of my favorite Holiday songs is "Mary Did You Know". I think I first fell in love with that song when one of my best friends sang it at a Christmas program in high school. I have always thought about the words, and whether or not Mary knew anything related to her baby boy at all. For example, how many times in your life have you known God was calling you to do something, and you followed through with the action, but you really didn't understand what all was involved and how it would turn out in 10 years....

Well, now that I am a mother, and more specifically a mother of a baby boy born at Christmas. I have to believe Mary didn't know. I think we would all like to claim that we would have faith like Mary, surrender to the virgin birth process, and raise a son surrending him to Ministry, and maybe be willing for him to save our sons and daughters. But, here is where I have to aruge Mary didn't have a clue. Becuase, as a mother I am here to tell you there is no way a woman agrees to carry, deliver, and raise a child only to watch him be crucified to save us from our sins. If God was to tell me that in order to save ME, You, your sons, your daugthers from going to Hell; I would have to watch my Sam die on a cross. Guess what- we are all aboard the Hell express. I am not kidding, not even remotely trying to be funny. I would not have bothered getting pregnant and delivering that precious child, and raising him for even 15 minutes if I knew I had to watch him die, especially hanging on a cross.

I hate to say that, but I am human. And, Mary was human too. The minute Jesus, Emmanuel, Prince of Peace, was delivered from her uterus she became an earthly mother. And, you haven't seen fight until a momma has to protect her baby boy- even if he is 33 years old. Let me just tell you, starving momma bear watching someone trying to capture her cub hasn't got anything on me if you come near my Sam, my baby boy, with a cross. As much as his daddy would love for him to be a Marine, I am going to be just like Jeff's mom and fight like hell. I don't want to risk him dying in battle, even to protect our country. Mother's, even Mary, couldn't knowingly do that.

That makes this story/song even more precious. Because, as much as NO MOTHER IN THE WORLD could watch thier baby boy be crucified; Mary did it. She may not have known what it all meant when that angel first told her that she was going to have a baby boy, but she delivered. She gave up her son for us, each one of us. If there is ever a time to believe in Christ, Christmas is that time. We get all wrapped up in buying the perfect present, wrapping it perfectly, and having the perfect meal. We don't deserve a bit of that.... we were given the only gift we will ever need thousands of years ago.

Mary, you didn't know. But, I do know. What you did was amazingly remarkable. I have no idea how you brought yourself to watch your son be crucified. I have to believe that God gave you a supernatural peace about what was taking place; but, I still don't think I could have done it. Thank you for that gift! Thank you Jesus for being that gift, that ensures I need nothing more in my life. And, thank you for my children, that helps me understand even better what an amazing gift we have.