photo #8859804

Christmas Carol History: Mary Did You Know? One of the most loved modern Christmas songs began as a set of reflective lines written by Mark Lowry in 1984. Lowry had been asked to write a script for a church Christmas program, and as he imagined Mary holding the newborn Christ, he wondered what must have been going through her mind. What did she understand? What did she not yet see? He began writing a series of questions that explored the mystery of God becoming flesh and placing Himself in the arms of a young mother. For several years the lyrics existed without a melody. Then in 1991, musician Buddy Greene composed a tune that carried the reverence, quiet wonder, and emotional weight the words needed. When the two were paired, the song instantly came alive. It felt like a meditation, a slow walk through the staggering reality that the baby Mary rocked to sleep was the Lord who created her. The power of the song is in its questions. It does not try to give answers. It invites the listener to stand beside Mary and feel the awe of the incarnation. Did she know that her child would heal, rule, save, and redeem? Did she grasp that she was kissing the very face of God? These questions lift our eyes from the sentimental to the sacred. Through dozens of recordings, church performances, and Christmas specials, the song has become a modern classic. It resonates because it leads us straight to worship. It reminds us that Christmas is not small. It is the miracle of the Son of God entering our world to rescue His people.