Christmas 2021 Series 4 Jesus: The SAVIOR for ALL seasons

Luke 2:1-20 (The REAL Christmas Story!)

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Who Wrote “Mary Did You Know?”

The lyrics to “Mary Did You Know?” were written by Mark Lowry in 1984 after he was contacted by Liberty University’s president, Jerry Falwell. Lowry was asked to write the program for The Living Christmas Tree, a church music performance.

Seven year later, Mark contacted his friend Buddy Greene and asked for his help writing the music to the song “Mary Did You Know.” A few weeks later, Lowry and Greene met up and recorded the song and then got it into the hands of Michael English, who sang it and included it in the album he was making at the time. The song was well received, became beloved by many, and has been sung by many including: Michael English, Kenny Rogers, Kathleen Battle, Clay Aiken, Pentatonix, Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, Jeremy Camp, and others. Kathy Mattea even sang it at the White House.

Below is the line-by-line answer based on the lyrics of the song of what Mary did know, and didn’t know, as she gazed down on her newborn son.

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
NO. Mary was not omniscient (all-knowing).

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
YES. Joseph was told this by the angel Gabriel, “She [Mary] will bear a son, and you

shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
YES. Mary herself proclaimed, “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:46-47)
YES. The shepherds on the night that Jesus was born and they visited Him and Mary, were greeted by angels who said, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)

Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
YES. Mary herself proclaimed, “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.” (Luke 1:48-49)

This child that you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you.
YES. Joseph was told this by the angel Gabriel, “She [Mary] will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
YES. Mary herself proclaimed, “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:46-47)
YES. The shepherds on the night that Jesus was born and they visited Him and Mary, were greeted by angels who said, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
NO. Mary was not omniscient. Although IF she was aware of the prophecies about the messiah in Isaiah 35: 5-6, then she wouldn’t have been surprised.

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
NO. Mary was not omniscient.

Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
YES. According to Luke 2:19 she, “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Mary was told by the angel Gabriel that her baby boy was in fact the very Son of God. “He [Jesus] 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.” (Luke 1:32-33)

And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.
YES. The angel Gabriel told Mary that, “the child to be born will be called holy – the

Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)
YES. Joseph was told that Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit, “Do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20) 

Mary did you know, Mary did you know, Mary did you know
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.
POSSIBLY. Assuming that Mary knew the book of Isaiah, and that she knew she was the virgin prophesied about in Isaiah 7:14, then it is also very likely that she knew of the prophecy about the Messiah in Isaiah 35, which told that He would perform miracles of healing. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” (Isaiah 35:5-6)

Mary, did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
YES. The angel Gabriel told her that, “He [Jesus] will be great and will be called the Son of the Most-High.” (Luke 1:32)

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
NOT SPECIFICALLY. She certainly knew that Jesus would rule the nation of Israel according what the angel Gabriel told her, “He [Jesus] will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:33) 

Did you know that your baby boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
POSSIBLY. Mary was never told specifically how Jesus would accomplish the salvation that He was bringing as the Messiah. But once again, if she knew the book of Isaiah and what he prophesied about the coming Messiah then it is likely that she did know that he would fulfill this role. Isaiah wrote of the Messiah, “He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed…He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter; and like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not His mouth…yet He bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:5, 7, 12)

This sleeping child you’re holding is the great I AM.
YES. The angel Gabriel told Mary that, “the child to be born will be called holy – the

Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)
YES. Joseph was told that Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit, “Do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”  And in understanding the prophecy in Isaiah, Matthew writes, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us.)” (Matthew 1:20, 22-23)

Mary, did you know, Mary did you know, Mary did you know?
IN SHORT, YES. Mary knew. She wasn’t as clueless as the song makes her out to be. Whether Mary had really taken in and fully understood all of the things that she heard about Jesus or not is an open question to some extent. But God did clue her in through the angel Gabriel, through Joseph by way of the angel Gabriel, through the words of her relative Elizabeth, through the witness of the shepherds, and much later, through the visit of the wise men.

Mary knew.

The question, however, is really not what Mary did or didn’t know, but how do we respond to Jesus now that we DO know all these things.

            How we respond to Jesus is the most important decision we’ll ever make.

It is important because it affects our lives, WHICH MAY in turn also affect the lives of those we come into contact with while we live on this earth and it will us and them from now all the way through eternity.
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 A Savior for all seasons. Why? First, because Jesus is THE SOVEREIGN SAVIOR.

            The word “sovereign” means to rule, and Jesus rules. He is the Christ of the Cosmos… the Creator of all things, and the Upholder of all things! We read that in the first chapter of Hebrews. That He holds in His hands all of creation. The  Creator and the sustainer IS our Redeemer! And the little baby of Luke Chapter 2 is the Almighty God and Creator of Genesis Chapter 1! And because He Is Creator of all things, we’re told here that He is the heir of all things. All things belong  to Him! Jesus is the sovereign Savior because He sovereignly reveals God’s  word to the world!

A Savior for all seasons. Why? First, because Jesus is the SOVEREIGN Savior.

AND secondly, because Jesus is the SOLITARY Savior.

            After making purification… that is purging our sins, “He Himself sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” By Himself. He Himself! The One who said, (John 12:32) “If I be lifted up, I will draw all unto Myself.” Jesus and Jesus only dealt with sin!
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A Savior for all seasons. Why? Because Jesus is the SOVEREIGN Savior; the SOLITARY Savior; and thirdly, because Jesus is the SUPERIOR Savior.

            It’s a powerful Christmas passage really in Hebrews 1. Verse 6 as we noted  earlier, “Let all God’s angels worship Him… let all the angels worship Him.”
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WHY CELEBRATE THIS CHRISTMAS?

            BECAUSE HE’S NO LONGER IN THE CRADLE.

            BECAUSE HE’S NO LONGER ON THE CROSS.

            BECAUSE HE’S NO LONGER IN THE TOMB.

Don’t give your life to anything less than Jesus, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. I promise you: HE is THE SAVIOR for EVERY season in your life!