John 16:12 (ESV)
“I still have many
things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy has come to make you new?
And this child that you’ve 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 a storm with his hand?
Did you know
That your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby
You’ve kissed the face of God
Have you ever received a promise, a prediction, or a
prophecy, only to have to wait for it to come to fruition?
Perhaps you had been told you would be an amazing parent,
but had to wait many years for your first child, overcoming losses along the
way. Or perhaps you worked hard to earn a degree, but were unable to find
employment in that field for a long time.
It can be very difficult to hold a dream.
In many ways, Mary didn’t have a lot of information about
her unborn child. She knew that he would be known as the Son of God, the
Messiah, and that he would play an important part in the future of God’s
people.
Imagine being Mary, who as a young teenager was asked to
carry the Son of God in her womb. In addition, imagine her being told that this
baby will be the Savior of the world.
What do you think Mary thought? How did she hold onto all
of this information?
What was going through her mind when she changed his
diapers? When she taught him to eat solid foods? Helped him learn how to dress
on his own? Guided him through childhood and helped him turn into a capable
adult. Do you think she constantly had in the front of her mind, “This is the
Son of God!”
Or did that thought slowly move to the background when
Jesus turned out to be a normal baby and grew up as a regular child?
Jesus public ministry didn’t start until he was 30 years
old. Think about it – for 30 years, Mary held the knowledge that Jesus was the
Messiah.
Could you imagine holding on to an unrealized truth for so
long?
Did she have any idea what kind of ministry life Jesus
would have? The healings? The prophecy? The teachings? The opposition? The
suffering?
I have come to believe that Mary did not know the vast
majority of the details about Jesus life beforehand, and that on some level, she
was just as surprised by Jesus’ ministry as anyone.
You see, God usually only gives us a piece of the big
picture at a time. That’s how God works.
Because, friends, God’s understanding is too much for us to
bear. He may give a premonition, a promise, or a prophecy, but often he doesn’t
give us the details of how, or even when, we will arrive.
That information too much to bear.
What if as a young teenager, the angel told Mary, “You are
to give birth to the Son of God, and for thirty years, he’ll be your child
until he starts his public ministry. At that point, he’ll be opposed and
confronted by the leaders of this country for three years, when he’ll then be
brutally beaten, crucified, and all will abandon Him.”
How could a human possibly bear that knowledge?
Dear Lord, we thank You that You give us the information we
need at the right time. Help us to trust You this Christmas Season. In the Name
of Jesus, Amen.
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