Did Mary Know?

Many of us are familiar with the popular contemporary Christmas song refrain, 

“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? (Did you know) This child that you delivered, will soon deliver you?

To which we all reply, “of course she knew!?” Enough of this already! Well, maybe this is only my reply?!

Either way, we well know Mary knew, because the Lord God sent an angel to reveal what the baby, conceived in her womb by the Holy Spirit, would do and who He would be (Luke 1:26-38, 46-55; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:11-24; Luke 2:1-19). Not to mention, Elizabeth affirms the baby Jesus in Mary’s womb as “my Lord” (Luke 1:43). And afterward, acknowledges Mary believing what the angel revealed to her from God about her baby (1:45). What’s more, the shepherds who sought out the newly born Jesus shared with Mary and Joseph what the angel revealed to them about Jesus being Christ the Lord (2:17-19). Not to mention how he was born to be Savior (2:8-11).

Moreover, this is a central reason Mary celebrates her pregnancy in Luke 1:46-47 as she exclaims, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,”. And, as we saw the other Sunday, when Mary exclaims “my spirit rejoices”, our translation isn’t the best representation of the original language. Rather, Mary literally exclaims “my spirit rejoiced”! Her expression of joy or “rejoiced” is past tense and serves as her remembrance of the news the angel initially revealed to her about her baby on behalf of the Lord God.

She totally had a working understanding of the news the angel revealed to her about the baby conceived of in her womb by the Holy Spirit. She well knew the baby conceived of in her was of Divine initiative and Divine purpose. Again, Mary in fact, did know that her baby boy wasn’t just any baby. Especially when considering, she was actually expecting His life to be salvific. This is why her “spirit rejoiced in God my Savior” upon bringing to mind the initial news from the angelic emissary of God the Father.

All in all, Mary inarguably knew her “baby boy” would save, make new and deliver as the aforementioned line from the song asked about. This being said, the concept of the song is a cute one.

Now, what exactly did Mary Know about Jesus?

So, what did Mary personally know about, “the way, the life and the truth” (John 14:6) conceived of within her womb by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35); the third person of the Godhead/Trinity?

Firstly, Mary knew Jesus was God with her as her Savior (Luke 1:28,1:46-47). Not to mention, God with us as our Savior. After all, Mary celebrates news of her salvation and ours by remarking, “And his mercy (referring to the saving mercy God has shown her {1:46-49}) is for those who fear him from generation to generation” (1:50). And of course, there’s Luke 2:10 where the angel divulges that the nature of Christ’s coming, “is good news of great joy that will be for all people” (Luke 2:10).  News the shepherds shared with Joseph and Mary (Luke 2:16-17). 

Mary and Joseph undoubtedly had conversations about these matters. At the least, Mary pondered them and thought through the implications (Luke 2:19). God is present with you and me SGC, as our personal Savior!!  (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21-23)

We’re further reminded of this good news of a personal Savior through what the angel gloriously revealed to the shepherds in Luke 2:10, “Do not be afraid. I bring you (sinful shepherds) good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you (sinful shepherds and all sinful people, not just born to Joseph and Mary); he is the Messiah, the Lord.” This phraseology was purposeful and meaningful. The angel of God was assuaging the fears of sinful shepherds, that He wasn’t presenting himself to announce judgment for their sin! Rather, he was there announcing and preparing them for the forgiveness of their sin. 

Jesus was born to be God with us SGC! In the flesh! To personally save us! To rescue us from God’s judgement of sin (Luke 1:47,77, 2:14). To emancipate or deliver us from the bondage of sin (Luke 1:68-75; Matt.1:21). And to relieve us of the guilt of sin (Luke1:77-79, 2:14).

Again, this is precisely why Mary begins her Magnificat by singing, “my spirit rejoiced in God my Savior” (Luke 1:47). Her joy is our joy SGC! The saving life of Jesus conceived in her by the Holy Spirit, is the same saving life of Jesusconceived of in you and me by the Holy Spirit! This is what Paul celebrates when writing to Titus, “…when the goodness of loving kindness of God our Savior -the same “God my Savior” of Mary’s Magnificat- appeared (in Jesus’ coming is meant), he saved us. . .according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. . .” (Titus 3:4-6)

Let’s rejoice in this salvation together this Christmas. Our personal Savior, Jesus Christ has come!

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come, Let earth receive her king – Let every heart prepare her king – Let every heart prepare him room – Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns – Let all their songs employe – Repeat the sounding joy”

Secondly, Mary also knew that Jesus being conceived in her, was the ‘Wonderful Life’ of God, Himself, being graciously and mercifully bestowed upon her. To be personally with her! She did give expression to knowing how the Christ child was making her new; over and against what the Mary Did You Know songs asks. 

And being with her and making her knew, even though, and this is most sublime, she of all people wasn’t worthy of this wonderful and divine blessing of new life. What grace and mercy SGC.

In her own words, Mary gives honest and humble expression to this when celebrating in Luke 1:48, “…he (the Lord our God) has looked upon the humble estate of his servant (MARY).” This is so wonderful SGC! Mary is well aware of her estate in life. She knows how society looks upon her and categorizes her. She grasps her so called societal and cultural ‘status’. She understands she’s marrying into the working class, so to speak. Joseph was a carpenter after all. Mary didn’t view herself as entitled or privileged. She wasn’t highly influential. She wasn’t politically postured. She wasn’t communally influential or affluent. And she wasn’t the Taylor Swift of her generation!

She also didn’t assume herself to be a victim of circumstance. Mary well knew the implications of being with child, while not being married. And yet, we find no special pleading with Mary. Rather, her fears and anxiety are assuaged by the gracious and merciful presence of Jesus with her (Luke 1:26-45). The very presence of Jesus’wonderful life brought her to know a wonderful life! While having peace in life in the face of everything else that would ensue in life.

So much so, that she breaks into her celebratory Magnificat praising God despite being a “victim of circumstance”, as it were (Luke 1:46-55). Mary’s faith or ‘belief’ in the gracious and merciful endowment of Jesus in her life and experience transformed her emotions, attitudes and memories (See Mary’s joyful and excited response [Luke 1:46-55] to Elizabeth affirming God conceiving of Jesus in her life [Luke 1:39-45]). 

This being said, Mary realizes in faith (in addition to Joseph), that God has looked upon her favorably (1:30)! And looked upon her favorably, regardless of her own understanding of a humble ‘self-valuation’ or cultural estimations that defined her categories of ‘self worth’. Regardless of her understanding of how others esteemed or measured her. And regardless, of how her own emotions and experiences may have entrapped her to think of herself diminishingly.

Mary has come to know that Jesus in her is the wonderful life for her. Regardless of how she had experienced life. And, regardless of how her community and society construed her life. Mary coming to believe of the life of Jesus, God has conceived in her, and knowing Jesus to be with her is what brings her to break out so joyously and expressively as she does in her Magnificat. The Lord has brought her to know how wonderful life is when the saving life of Jesus is conceived of within her. 

A saving life, wonderfully conceived of within us as well SGC! This new life of Jesus conceived of within us by the Holy Spirit also brings us to leap for joy because of the presence of Christ with us, as John the Baptist leaped for joy (Luke 1:41,44). Knowing this will bring us to exclaim with loud cries of blessing as Elizabeth accordingly exclaims in the presence of Jesus (1:42-43). Knowing Jesus our Savior will bring us to excitedly bless God as Zechariah did (1:67-79). Moreover, encountering Jesus will transform our usual lives and draw out a new life of glorifying and praising God as the shepherds did following their encounter with Jesus (2:20). Embracing Jesus will produce a peaceful satisfaction within us much like Simeon experienced such peace among a scattered searching(2:25-32). And, receiving and recognizing the new life our Savior, Jesus Christ, came to bring will compel us to exuberantly worship and praise God as Anna does upon recognizing our Savior in the temple (2:36-38). 

Knowing the new life Jesus was born to bring in us and among us cannot bring about any other expression of life. This is the life Mary came to savingly know. This is the life we have been brought to savingly know in grace and in peace 

As our song from Sovereign Grace Music celebrates, ‘Grace and peace, oh how can this be – For lawbreakers and thieves – For the worthless, the least – You have said, that our judgement is death – For all eternity – Without hope, without rest – Oh, what an amazing mystery – What an amazing mystery – That your grace has come to me – Grace and peace, oh how can this be – Let songs of gratefulness – Ever rise, never cease – Loved by God and called as a saint – My heart is satisfied – In the riches of Christ’