Why ‘Mary Did You Know’ Is The Most Biblically Illiterate Christmas Tune

The Federalist ^ | Holly Scheer

[SeekAndFind]

According to the Washington Post, the Christmas song “Mary, Did You Know” should be tabled because talking about Mary’s virginity is part of purity culture, which is destructive for rape victims. But there are far bigger and more accurate reasons to axe this song from Christmas playlists. “Mary Did You Know” is one of these newer Christmas classics that deserves to be called neither a classic nor a Christmas song. That’s because it’s biblically illiterate, and Christmas descends directly from the Bible and the Word made flesh who gave it to us.

“Mary Did You Know” (let’s call it MDYK to make life easier) entered the scene during the rise of the praise and worship Christian music genre in 1991, written and performed by members of the Gaither Vocal Band. The Gaithers, popular gospel singers with a Southern flair, have produced a ton of contemporary Christian music for nearly four decades. Since then, MDYK has somehow become a song not only played on the radio but sung in churches, moving it from generic Christian mistake to doctrinally baffling gaffe.

Anyone actually listening to the words 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 she did.

Oh, Mary Knew

MDYK is a series of questions, all aimed at asking pregnant Mary, the mother of Jesus, various things about her soon-to-be-born son and Messiah. I counted 17 questions, ranging from if she knew that her baby was God himself to questions about his miracles.

Unfortunately, these questions fall in line with the disturbing new trend of presenting the Nativity narrative as a story of Mary being raped by God, and taking turns blaming both Mary and the patriarchy for how women feel during Advent. Together, these ideas question what Mary knew and what she agreed to, and both of these lines of thinking miss the important and pertinent fact that in the Bible Mary herself sings an entire song about her pregnancy.

To answer the questions MDYK poses: Yes, Mary knew she was having God’s Son. Luke 1:30-33, 35 answers this clearly: “And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.’”

Yep, Mary knew that her baby boy was God himself. Even easier to answer is whether Mary consented to bear the Son of God. Her response on the subject was: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

Mary Has Her Own Better Christmas Song

History has given us a far more beautiful and accurate song for Christmas about Mary, one that actually confesses the truth about her, God’s plan, and that tiny baby. That song is the one Mary herself sang, and it’s one that churches around the world still regularly sing: the Magnificat, or Song of Mary:

My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever (Luke 1:47-55).

Don’t expect the world to get Mary right when they still can’t manage to get Jesus right on Christmas. Don’t be surprised when pop stars want to sing about Christmas without actually reading the Bible.

Making a Christmas album is not a necessarily a confession of personal Christian faith (see Barbra Streisand’s “Classic Christmas” album). Society has never understood the Annunciation, Visitation, or Nativity, and they’re not going to start now. Instead of getting frustrated at people who think Mary didn’t consent, or that if she did she didn’t know the plan for her baby, go read the gospel accounts of Jesus’s birth where she speaks for herself. It’s enough of a fantastical and amazing story without trying millennia later to add contemporary drama.

Mary shows us a picture of a faithful woman, delighted by the honor God bestowed on her to bear the savior of the world, and that’s how we should remember her.

[John S Mosby]

Here’s a song that presents the Gospel of The Christ at His birth.
And is, frankly one of the most poignant ancient melodies- in this case singing by Alison Krauss, Yo Yo Ma-Cello, Natalie MacMaster-Violin Shane Shanahan-Bodhran,Bells & Cristiana Pato- Uilleann pipes.

The Wexford Carol. 12th Century original lyrics in Gaelic, and the song is Mixolydian (two chords, one step apart). Lyrics on the playback.

The story, in song as rendered many hundreds of years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgXYt2WKLXc

[taterjay]

God also told Abraham he would be the father of a great nation. But did he understand or see it?

I think God can say it, but we are human as was Abraham, Mary, and others. I don’t think there is full comprehension because we look through the glass darkly, but then face to face.

[Bommer]

Mary didn’t have a clue until after the circumcision and Simeon told her that a sword would pierce her heart. But that song ranks up there with Simply having a wonderful Christmas time and Grandma got ran ofpver by a Reindeer. We need to reach out to more Jews to write some great Christmas songs. These are all 70 years and older.

[Tax-chick]

I agree, there are a lot of terrible “holiday” songs. “Mary, Did You Know?” is pretty. You don’t have to overthink it.

[21twelve]

“We know what the angel told her, but how much did she actually understand? She knew she would bear the Son of God. Did she realize that meant he was God Incarnate? Did she realize then that His mission was to pay for our sins? Or that he would hang on the cross?

I think the song is fine. I think it presents the wonder of the nativity in a warm and brilliant way.”

What you said above is perfect. I was just reading some scripture where the emotions of joy and sadness are mixed together. That is what I feel when I hear that song. Yes, Mary knew the joy of God's love and was grateful, but I wonder if she knew how her Son would die - would that have changed how she felt?

Interestingly, while we know that Mary was present at the Crucifixion, it says nothing about her reaction, other than that she was standing by the cross.

[dsc]

Is this woman crazy?

Is she stupid?

Is she suffering from PTSD?

Whatever her problems are, it’s clear that she needs to shut up before she misleads other weak minds.

[Salvation]

88Mary didn’t have a clue until after the circumcision and Simeon told her that a sword would pierce her heart. 88

Exactly right. St. Gabriel the Archangel did not tell her of all the sorrows she would experience.

[smvoice]

I don’t see how she COULD have realized that His mission was to pay for our sins. She was Jewish. They were expecting a warrior king Messiah to set up the Kingdom of God in Jerusalem. Not a man who would be led to the slaughter. They didn’t realize they NEEDED someone to save them. They were following the law. Including the provision God gave them for sacrificing a lamb yearly.

[smvoice]

The BEST Christmas song that is NEVER sa g at Christmas: Amazing Grace. Christ’s birth WAS God’s Amazing Grace given to us at Christ’s birth.

[Dogbert41]

Because I Am
https://youtu.be/N79t5kG2ssE

What Child Is This - Tree63 & BarlowGirl
https://youtu.be/WWprIp4feRc

[Don W]

You may think it's OK, I personally find it near as grating as John Cougar Mellenkamp's kid screeching "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" at the end of aforementioned "song".

Children's Choirs singing traditional Christmas songs, or even Heavy Metal interpretations, sure.

A song that is inaccurate, insulting, and annoying? No thanks.

[Ken Regis]

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Luke 2:25-35

[Bryan24]

I wonder what burr got under Holly Scheer’s saddle?

The scriptures indicate that Mary did not have a full grasp of the importance of her child.

Virtually every question in the song refers to something that she did NOT know would occur. The song is from the standpoint of asking Mary these questions right after she was told by the angel she would be with child.

Holly Scheer is pretty far out of line on this.

[AndyTheBear]

Oh come on, its a song not a statement of doctrine...people can study the Bible to get the real story, its not the job of song lyrics. And its a beautuful one too.

[Robert DeLong]

Lyrics

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you 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 the storm with His hand?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

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.

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?
The sleeping Child you're holding is the great "I am"

Please identify the lyrics you find insulting. I certainly see none.

[Mom MD]

I prefer the song Breath of Heaven also from Mary’s standpoint and hauntingly beautiful

[daniel1212]

Never in a million years would I have come up with this author’s take. I always assumed they were rhetorical questions for us to appreciate the miracles.

Catholics are typically very reactionary in response to anything that impugns their unscriptural exaltation of the holy virtuous Spirit-filled mother of Jesus into a perpetually sinless virgin almost almighty heavenly godness .

Lowry explains,

The lyrics evolved from a series of questions that Lowry scripted for a Christmas program at his church: 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?"

However,

The text has received criticism for perceived ambiguity or lack of scriptural or theological depth.[4][6] For example, Lutheran writer Holly Scheer, in addressing the rhetorical question of the song's title, wrote: "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 she did."[7] Baptist theologian Michael Frost suggests it is the "most sexist Christmas song ever written... It treats her like a clueless child... Could you imagine a song asking Abraham 17 times if he knew he'd be the father of a great nation?"[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Did_You_Know%3F#Music_and_lyrics

Thus a reasonable examination of "Mary Did You Know" lyrics as regards literal accuracy is in order:

Mark Lowry (Lyrics licensed by LyricFind.) 1. Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?

Not likely, nor much of anything of detail as to what the Lord's ministry would entail. Yet such would not be unexpected in the light of her being told that,

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1:31-33)

2. Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?

By intimation yes, but not all the scope of the Lord's salvific work which included the Gentiles.

Mary could have been perplexed by the understanding of Jews who typically expected that Christ was coming in judgment. as the temporal conquering king, versus only a spiritual deliverer,.

3. Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?

No, it is unlikely that Mary understood the washing of regeneration any more than John the baptizer did, though they were both full of the Holy Spirit.

4 This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Yes, as her savior from sin, regardless of RC attempts to make her an unstated exception to the norm, while Scripture characteristically states even lesser notable exceptions to the norm.

5.Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?

6.Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?

Not likely to both, but as in #2.

7.Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?

8. And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

Perhaps implicitly in both cases, as one filled with the Spirit, if she considered what the implications of being "called the Son of the Highest" likely entailed.

9. The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.

10. The lame will leap, the sums dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.

Not likely to both, but as in #2.

11. Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?

If meaning functionally would be. (Acts 2:34,35; 1Co 15:25; Heb 1:13; 10:12,13) Perhaps, as in #8.

12. Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?

Likely yes as per #8.

13. Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?

If she understood the Messiah as coming as the Lamb, versus the Lion as Jews typically expected.

14.This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am.

Perhaps implicitly as per #8.

[Tax-chick]

If you’re starting with the premises of this article’s author, you wouldn’t like that, either, because it ascribes to Mary the emotions and viewpoint of a normal, human girl.

[ozaukeemom]

One of my favorites, as well. I catch myself humming it this time of year. I listen to many versions of it, as well as, O Holy Night. Songs that make my heart sing; bring joy and smiles.

[Ken Regis]

It’s a great song.

I suppose if you hold onto some non-Biblical beliefs about Mary, you might think she knew more than she did or that she had some kind special powers or something.