Mary Did You Know?

Mary Did You Know?

Mary did you know that your baby boy will someday walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've 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 a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when your kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

Oh, 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?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am.

Mark Lowry, a Christian comedian and singer was part of the Gaither Vocal Group when he was inspired to write the lyrics to this song in 1984. In his typical Mark Lowry way, he recounted the day that he first sat down to write the lyrics. He remembers, "I just tried to put into words the unfathomable. I started thinking of the questions I would have for her if I were to sit down & have coffee with Mary. You know, "What was it like raising God?" "What did you know?" "What didn't you know?"

There are some modern scholars, addressing the rhetorical questions in the song, who note that anyone who has even a slight familiarity with the biblical account of Christ's conception and birth shouldn't need to ask if Mary knew, because the Bible plainly tells us that she did.

True, but this rather misses the point of what was written as a secular song to a secular audience, not a sacred one. It addresses the human yearnings of a mother, looking upon her new born child, and pondering what the future holds. Because knowing the end, does not mean that she knew every event and detail in between She was a virgin, not omniscient!

So just to go with it, it is a beautiful melody with haunting lyrics, sung well by our own Tony Errett.