What Child Is This? (Part 5): Mary, Did You Know?

Hello and happy new year to everyone! I pray you have had a great time celebrating Christmas and bringing in the new year.

Welcome back to our series What Child is This? where we have been studying and learning more about the identity of the child that was born of Mary.

As we come to the end of this Christmas and New Year season, I want continue our series by reviewing a Christmas song which is rather controversial. The song is "Mary Did You Know?."

The controversy over Mary, Did You Know? often stems from differing theological interpretations of Mary’s knowledge and role in God’s plan, as well as the way the song frames these themes.

For many, the song remains a beautiful and moving reflection on the life of Christ and the unique role of Mary, while for others, it raises questions about theological accuracy and respect for Mary’s role as described in Scripture and tradition. In many cases, these concerns are driven by a commitment to biblical authority, theological precision, and Christ-centered worship.

On the other hand, supporters of this song argue that it encourages awe and worship, centers on Christ’s divinity and mission, and offers a poetic reflection on the Incarnation. It allows believers to meditate on the mystery of God’s plan through Mary’s perspective while inspiring devotion, gratitude, and wonder for Jesus as the Savior of the world.

I believe that there are valid points on both sides here. The song can be appreciated as a devotional and artistic expression of the wonder and mystery of Christ’s Incarnation. It effectively stirs awe and invites reflection on Jesus’ divine mission and humanity’s redemption through Him. 

However, it is important to recognize that the song is not a theological treatise or a comprehensive exposition of Scripture.

Christians can benefit from engaging with the it as a personal or seasonal reflection while being mindful of its limitations and it is most impactful when paired with a clear understanding of biblical truth.

With all of that said, let’s take a look at the lyrics, one line at a time, and try to answer the questions that are posed.

Did you know your baby boy...

1. Would one day walk on water?
   No, Mary would not have known specifically that this is something Jesus would do.
2. Would save our sons and daughters?
   The prophecy of the Messiah would give Mary an idea of Him saving the people. His name, after all, was Jesus, which means “Yahweh is salvation.” The problem, however, is that the Jews were waiting to be saved from human oppressors, not from the true oppression, which is the sin within us that condemns us to hell.
3. Has come to make you new?
   No. This is something that even Nicodemus struggled to understand when he spoke to Jesus in John 3. When Jesus told him, “You must be born again,” Nicodemus kind of understood it but did not fully grasp it. This is why his response is, “How could this be?”
4. This child that you delivered will soon deliver you…
   Again, the deliverance of the people in a physical sense is what the Jews were expecting. However, they did not understand that true deliverance comes from the freedom that comes with faith in Jesus.
5. Would give sight to a blind man?
   No other person in Scripture before Jesus ever healed a blind person. The miracle of healing the blind was exclusive to Jesus in the Bible, making it a unique and significant sign of His divine authority and messianic identity. Isaiah 35:5–6 foretells that when the Messiah comes, “the eyes of the blind shall be opened.” It is possible that Mary would have heard this reading from Scripture.
6. Would calm the storm with His hand?
   No. Again, the specifics of what Jesus would do were not revealed to Mary.

7. Has walked where angels trod? When you kiss your little baby, you’ve kissed the face of God…

   My original response to this was “no.” However, the angel’s message to Mary would have at least provided a glimpse at this reality. The child would be called the Son of the Most High. His name Emmanuel means God with us.

8. The blind will see, the deaf will hear, and the dead will live again. The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the Lamb…

   This is a direct reference to Scripture in Isaiah 35:5–6:

   5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. 6 Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness, And streams in the Arabah.

   It can also be seen in Matthew 11:4–6:

   4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”

9. Is the Lord of all creation?
   I do not think there was a way she would have comprehended this. The apostle Paul speaks of the mystery of Christ. A mystery is something that was hidden or veiled in the Old Testament but has been revealed in the New Testament. The Incarnation and the person of Christ would not have been understood by Old Testament readers as we do now after the life and resurrection of Christ.

10. Would one day rule the nations?
    The Messiah was expected to be a conqueror, so Mary would have had some understanding that He would rule. The Messiah was expected to rule Israel and, ultimately, the world.

11. Is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
    Christ is both the sacrificial Lamb and the scapegoat driven into the wilderness. Mary likely did not know that it was for this purpose that the Messiah would come.

12. This sleeping child you’re holding is the great I AM
    The Jews would never have imagined that God would become flesh. This is why they cried “blasphemy” when Jesus claimed to be God. One example of this reaction is found in John 8:58, where Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.”

Final Thoughts

Perhaps my favorite aspect of this song is that it emphasizes the magnificence of Christ. He was not merely a baby. The fullness of deity was in this child who was born. He is the Savior who sets us free from sin. He not only walked among angels, but He created them. All that exists does so because of Him.

He is the One who in the beginning created the heavens and the earth. He is the God in whose image we were created. He is the God of Abraham. He is David’s Lord. He is the One seated on the throne.

This child is the great I AM.

For Reflection

How does reflecting on both the mystery and the glory of Christ shape the way I worship Him this Christmas and in my daily life?