Mary, Did You Know? 2nd Advent Sunday
Though the lyrics to so many wonderful Christmas carols are powerful, so many in the world sing them without really pondering them — they are so familiar, they’ve become inoculated to the meaning. But “Mary, Did You Know?” still causes them and us to think — as does this video from The Passion using the song.
This picture of Mary hearing from Gabriel is from Jesus of Nazareth, one of the best portraits I’ve seen of the nativity story.
May we be ponderers, as Mary was.
1. Sing the song contemplatively and share your thoughts.
Mary, did you know that your baby boy
would 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
would give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy
would calm a storm with his hand?
Mary did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little baby, you’ve kissed the face of God.
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 will 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!
2. Here are scenes from The Passion put to this song. Watch and share your reflections:
Click here.
3. Meditate on these phrases from Luci Shaw’s poems of the incarnation — share your thoughts:
A. The Word, stern-sentenced to be nine months dumb
B. Eternity walled in a womb
C. His cool immensity of splendor small-folded in a dim small female space
4. What do you think Mary really understood? Why do you think that? (Give Scripture references if possible.)
5. What’s your take-a-way this week?
How will you be “true in relationship” this Christmas?
We’ve been talking about the women in the genealogy of Christ and of how they were “true in relationship.” They chose to bless, to make the sacrifices they thought God would have them make in order to be true. I love the greeting scene when Elizabeth blesses Mary over and over. She was not jealous of Mary but thrilled at her good news. She saw Mary’s faith and encouraged her with a good word.
We have a chance to bless the dear people and the difficult people in our lives this Christmas — a chance to be “true in relationship.”
How will that look for you? How will you depend on the Lord in this?
I’m already asking the Lord to help “no negative word come out of my mouth, but only that which will edify.” I truly want to be a blessing. Pray for me to be as dear and positive as Elizabeth!
How about you? How can we pray for you to be true in relationship?
How did each of the five women in the genealogy of Christ take a risk that resulted in preserving the line to the Messiah?
Another deeper look at the women of the Bible than most books provide is a book by Carolyn Custis Jones entitled “Lost Women of the Bible.” The link that she sees between the five women is that each one took a risk that resulted in the line to Christ being unbroken. How can you see it in:
Tamar (Genesis 38)
Rahab (Joshua 2)
Ruth (Ruth 3)
Bathsheba (1 Kings 1:15-21)*
Mary (Luke 1:38) (Painting to the left is of the annunciation)
*In the genealogy Bathsheba is simply called Uriah’s wife. Tim Keller says that is not a slam at Bathsheba, but at David, since he betrayed his good friend Uriah. He feels the Lord is saying, “Even though there is a King in the genealogy of Christ, it is a King that needed redemption — in other words, Christ’s genealogy continually shows how He brought the outcast in.
But my question for each of the five women above is “How did they each take a risk that preserved the line to Christ?”