I Wonder If She Knew

Today is the 4th Sunday of Advent. So far, during these weeks of Advent, as we anticipate the celebration of Jesus’ birth, we have talked about HOPE, JOY, & PEACE. Today we look at LOVE. God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to us in His overall plan to provide for us the gift of salvation. As I thought about the topic of LOVE, I thought about the love that Mary must have had for her baby.

Jeremy just shared with us the beautiful song “Mary, Did You Know.”

The message title this morning is “I Wonder if she Knew.” I had Mary, the mother of Jesus, in mind as I thought about Christmas from a different perspective. I wonder if Mary realized, if she really realized, what she held in her arms as she held her baby boy, Jesus.

We never know what God’s plan is for our children. As we look at our children, our grandchildren, the children of this church, did it ever occur to you that God might have a magnificent plan for one or more of them?

I wonder if Manu Ginoboli’s mom ever thought that her son would turn out to be a professional basketball star. I wonder if Cindy Crawford’s mother ever dreamed that her child would become a famous model. I bet not. You see, we need to pay close attention to our children because we never know what God has predestined for them. We should never slight our children. We need to see the world through their eyes. We might have a totally different perspective of things if we did.

Surely Mary knew something was different about this baby boy. Only God could produce a child within her while she remained a virgin. And then there’s the angel that spoke to her. Let’s just read about it.

Luke 1: 26-38 – “In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”

******** 29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

******** 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?”

********35 The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless.

******** 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.”

So surely Mary must have known that this child would be extraordinary. She must have known that he was destined for greatness. But, then again, most mothers feel that way about their newborn baby. But I wonder if Mary really knew.

I guess these were the thoughts of Mark Lowry, the Christian comedian and songwriter. I have referenced him several times throughout the years. He’s very funny and can really be a clown on stage. But he must be a godly man, because God inspired him to pen the words to one of the most beautiful Christmas songs of our day. “Mary Did You Know?”

So, I’d like you to come along with me this morning as we take a closer look at the words of this song and imagine what was going through Mary’s mind. We say, “Surely Mary knew.” But I wonder.

I wonder if Mary knew that one day her baby boy would walk on water. One evening, after the five thousand were fed with five loaves and two fish, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and go ahead of Him to the other side of the lake. Actually, it was the Sea of Galilee, but the Sea of Galilee is actually a fresh water lake. After going up on a mountain to pray by Himself, Jesus decided to join His disciples. They had gotten a long distance from the land, but Jesus went out to them walking on the water. I wonder if Mary ever imagined that Jesus had that power.