The Christmas Song That Brought Me to My Knees

I’ve been waking up with “Mary Did You Know?” playing in my mind for about two weeks now. The last time I wrote (post) I suggested finding Bible verses the composer might have considered when writing the song. When I first glanced through the lyrics, I had several events and miracles come to mind. By the time I had gotten to the lessons with the kids for Christmas, I had a whole different view of this song. I considered making a video, but I didn’t want to sob on camera. For easier reference, the put the lyrics on this post also. There are multiple Bible passages that can be found. These stood out to me.

“Mary, Did You Know?” lyrics

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?

– “25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.” – Matt 14:25 [“Them” is the disciples.]

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?

“11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” – Matt 18:11


Did you know that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?

“3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” – John 3:3 [Conversation with the Pharisee, Nicodemus, who became a Believer]

“17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” – 2 Cor 5:17

This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

“20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matt 1:20-21

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?

“11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.” – John 9:11 [Sidenote: I love the response of this man when healed and when asked Who healed him. Compare his response to that of the man healed in John 5.]

“51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. 52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.” – Mark 10:51-52 [“Blind Bartimaeus”]

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?

“26 And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” – Matt 8:26-27

Did you know that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?

“33 For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and He that believeth on Me shall never thirst…38 For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.” – John 6:33-35, 38

When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God.

“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.” – John 1:1-3

Mary did you know? Ooo Ooo Ooo

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.

“22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.” – John 7:22 [The “them” here are the disciples of John the Baptist, who was imprisoned and about to be executed.]

“29 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. 30 And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and He healed them: 31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.” – Matt 15:29-21

The story of Lazarus is found in John 11.

“49 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. 50 But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. 51 And when He came into the house, He suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.

52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but He said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. 53 And they laughed Him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.

54 And He put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. 55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and He commanded to give her meat.

56 And her parents were astonished: but He charged them that they should tell no man what was done.” – Luke 8:49-56

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?

“12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

16 For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: 17 And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.

18 And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.” – Col 1:12-18

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?

“11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. 13 And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

15 And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

16 And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.” – Rev 19:11-16

“4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” – Rev 20:4

Did you know that your Baby Boy is Heaven’s perfect Lamb?

“29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” – John 1:29

“12 But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool.” – Heb 10:12-13


The sleeping Child you’re holding is the Great I Am!

“58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” – John 8:58

As the miracles of the Lord and the remembrance of Who He is came to mind, I began to cry. I didn’t have words to express my awe. I played the song again, and it occurred to me that the bridge of the song isn’t just about people Jesus healed. I saw myself in those words.

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.

I was blind. I was unable to see. This passage came to mind.

“39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. 40 And some of the Pharisees which were with Him heard these words, and said unto Him, Are we blind also? 41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.” – John 9:39-41

I thought of the song “Amazing Grace” and remembered that even though there is so much more for me to learn, I can see and understand some spiritual things only because the Lord opened my eyes.

I was deaf and unable to hear and understand His messages. I kept thinking about the phrase, “He that hath an ear, let him hear…” And I thought about how my desire to hear and learn had grown for Him.

When I heard the choir sing, “The dead will live again,” I froze. All I could think was, “This is me.” Yes, Jesus physically raised people from the dead, but He came so that we may have life – everlasting life. He came that we might live! I was dead – dead in my sins. I was unable to come to Him. I was that stranded lost sheep gone in my own way, the coin unable to do anything but lie in my sin, and the son who had tried to live life on my terms. Jesus saved me, and all I had was sin. Who am I that He should save me?

In His love, He took my place and sacrificed Himself so that I might be made righteous in the eyes of the Father, that I can share in His inheritance, and that I may live with Him eternally.

“1 And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” – Eph 2:1-9

“The lame will leap.” I thought about my walk with and without Christ.

“The dumb will speak the praises of the Lamb.” By this line, that was the only thing I wanted to do. In light of the reminders of Who Jesus is, what He has done, and what He will do, I considered my speech and His holiness. I thought of Isaiah’s words.

“5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” – Isa 6:5-7

We should be striving to be more and more like Christ, but I still fall short. I still sin. When I take time to think about the holiness of God, it shines a light on my sin and need for a Savior. I am and will be eternally grateful for Him. “Praises of the Lamb” seems the most appropriate response.

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