As my children will tell you “Don’t even bother to ask mommy her favorite of anything. She never has one.” This is a true statement for most of the categories I am asked to choose favorites from. I am not a favorite’s kind of person. I like to reserve the right to change my mind on things like colors, songs, hair style, food, and clothes. Picking favorites ties me down and pigeon holes me. That being said, I do have a few things that I really am fond of. One song that I just happen to have a strong fondness for is one that is typically heard quite often around this time of year.
I first heard “Mary Did You Know?” several years ago and though I cannot remember the exact moment in time or space where I actually listened closely to the words, I do remember being very moved by the sentiment of the song once I did. I believe it was first released in the early 90's and I surely heard it numerous times during the Christmas seasons of my youth but, I didn't really stop and listen and hear its words until I was a mother. I began to develop a new perspective on the Word of God, and on life in general. Though I grew up in the church and heard the story of the birth of Jesus many times, listening to this song at this time in my life was the first time I actually thought about this miraculous event from his mother Mary’s perspective.
Who was Mary? Why choose Mary? What did Mary know? All of these questions sort of swirled around in my thoughts for a while. I started investigating. I found that scripture only really gives us a few insights into her life. I can trace lineage and learn a bit about her hometown of Nazareth in Galilee from the biblical accounts but I also learned a bit more from history and customs of the day. According to the customs of the culture she was probably just an average young woman. Though we can’t know how old she was exactly, many young women were betrothed and on the path of marriage like Mary was as young as 13 in those times. She was from a peasant’s town in a poor region of Israel and was betrothed to a simple carpenter. She does have a fairly impressive heritage that traces her blood line all the way back to king David.
Her life was probably filled with many hardships. She was from Nazareth in Galilee which was a poor region and scripture points out in John 1:45-46 that this was a commonly known fact. When it is proclaimed by Philip that they have found the one the prophets spoke of and that it was Jesus of Nazareth, Nathaniel replies “can anything good come from Nazareth?” Mary had lived her entire life in a community where good things seemed to have been pretty scarce.
Why would God choose this poor young woman just living an ordinary life in a small town? I can see why when I look at her encounter with Gabriel, the angel who brings her the news of Jesus’ impending arrival. Luke 1:34-55 is just one biblical account that shows us why she was so special.
“And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her. In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’ And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
After being told exactly what God’s plan was and how it would happen she replied in verse 38 “I am the servant of the Lord: let it be to me according to your will.” She could have responded any number of ways. She could have said things like “I am far too busy just helping my family here.” or “Can’t you find someone else I am afraid of what people will think of me.” Though she was not yet married her engagement to Joseph was as binding as marriage but without the privilege of a physical relationship. Both she and Joseph most certainly would have had an enormous stigma of scandal attached to them. Joseph even thought he would “divorce” Mary quietly so that she would not be made some sort of public example until he receives a visit from an angel as well (Matthew 1:18-25). Mary made no excuses. She didn't worry how people would look at her or about the burdens she may have to endure. She simply said “I am your servant.” She was even so excited she hurried to share her news with Elizabeth who, being filled with the Holy Spirit, tells Mary she is blessed because she heard and believed what the Lord had promised. Mary even sings praises to the Lord for His blessings in verses 46-55.
As I read on in the gospel accounts I saw a few more glimpses of Mary’s character until finally she stood close by her son as he died an agonizing death, for sins that were not his own, on the cross. Watching that gift from God die for even her is an unimaginable place for a mother to be. Seeing her child, her heart, in that condition and no one fully understanding yet what it all meant. Though Jesus had tried to explain, it wasn't time yet to understand. He told the apostles, his closest followers and friends in John 16:12-13:
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
They still couldn't even understand what they were watching unfold there on that dark Friday of the death of Mary’s son. No one could tell her why, or what, or how this was happening to this child God had given her.
Mary, what Did you know? She knew that there were prophecies about the Messiah. She knew that God had promised her people a deliverer. She knew what the angel Gabriel told her about this child she was to bear. She knew that her God had chosen her for a task and that she was His servant. She knew that she carried in her heart examples and instances of Jesus’ growth in knowledge and stature and favor with God and man (Luke 2:49-52).
She did not know she would have to watch her boy go through all that he went through for her own deliverance. She did not know she would hear him give her care over to his disciple and friend as she watched him hanging on the cross of shame because he loved her so much (John 19:26-27). She did not know he would be resurrected and ascend to his heavenly Father to sit down at his right side (Acts 2:33).
She knew very little about what life would have in store for her and her baby boy when Gabriel visited her with God’s assignment for her. She only knew she was the servant of the Lord and whatever task he gave to her she would do and she would rejoice in it, even if she did not know where it would take her in her life.
What a tremendous lesson I learned from this examination of Mary. I am just an ordinary woman living my life and yet, the Lord has saved me through His son and has asked me, yes me, to share salvation through His son with the world. I don’t always know what that may look like. I don’t always know what opportunities or pitfalls lay before me. I don’t know what people may or may not think of me if they hear me share what Jesus has done for me. All I know is that God has given me a task, he has promised me deliverance, and I am the servant of the Lord. May I never forget what He has done because He loved me and may I always be willing to sacrifice what fears I may have or doubts I may feel for the truth of His Word.
Here is a link to a fabulous version of “Mary Did You Know?” by Pentatonix
