Did She Know?
I have been thinking about Mary a lot recently. As the mother of Jesus, Mary’s life was unique and unusual. I am also thinking it was challenging, rewarding and heartbreaking. A life lived by no other.The lyrics to the Christmas song, “Mary Did You Know” have run through my head over and over again as I have recently spent much time rehearsing for a Christmas concert. Considering I do not typically sing solos, I therefore spent a good amount of time preparing and memorizing the song. I have always been intrigued by the words of the song especially after I had children of my own. Finding a version in a key that worked for me assured me this was the song I was to sing.The song questions whether Mary knew all that she had signed up for when she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus. Did she know all her new baby had done and would do? He had: created the worldwalked with angelslived in heavenHe would:heal the blind and deafraise the deadcalm a stormwalk on waterrule the nationsBut maybe the most difficult thing for Mary was that her baby, Jesus, would be the sacrificial lamb of God. Yes, Jesus would save her and the world. As amazing as that sounds, for a mother to watch the process must have been heartbreaking. She knew who He was as she had been told by the angel who visited her and announced her upcoming pregnancy. In Luke 1:32-33 we read, “He (Jesus) will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David. And He will reign over Isreal forever; His Kingdom will never end!”Even so, she would see Him:rejectedmockedcreate controversybeatenconvicted of a crimetorturedaccused of blasphemyhung on a cross to dieHow many unseen tears did Mary cry? Or did she know that Jesus would be raised from the dead? We don’t know. What we do know is that this is what happened. It is the life, death, and resurrection of Christ that we celebrate each year at Christmas time. A plan so incredible that if you really think about it is almost beyond believe. What kind of God sends His only Son to a hostile world as a baby intending for that baby to grow up and ultimately be sacrificed for all the sin in the world?A God that loves.A God that forgives.A God that gives hope.This is the God that we honor and give praise. This is the God to whom we give our lives and He saves us, giving us a life fulfilled. If you have not yet meet Jesus personally you can do so right now. Just say, “Yes” to Jesus. Give Him your life, your heart and you love. He will forgive your sins and give you eternal life in Him. This is the best gift that Christmas and Christ has to offer!!JW