MARY’S SONG OF JOY

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on September 11, 2019 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group: September 11, 2019 from Luke 1:46-56

Theme: The response to the announcement of Jesus’ birth should be a joyful song of praise to God for the victory of salvation.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

Mary, the mother of our Lord, was a woman of great faith in God. We have already seen this in the way that she responded to the announcement that the angel had made to her about the Child she would bear. We will go on to see this from the story of the Gospels that she expressed faith in her Son’s identity and power as the promised Messiah. We will see it near the end of the Gospel of Luke in how she was present with Him as He was dying on the cross. We can even see it later in the Book of Acts, when she was among those who had gathered together as her risen Son’s faithful worshipers

Already, in Luke 1, we have seen her submissiveness to the promise of the angel—that she would bear the Son of God in her womb (vv. 28-38). And already, we have read of her blessedness—as it was expressed by her relative Elizabeth (vv. 39-45). And now, let’s add this to her story: that after it was revealed that the Son of God had become flesh, she is the first person ever in human history to break forth in a song of praise to God for Him. We find this song told to us in Luke 1:46-56—and it is as wonderful as any psalm ever written by her great ancestor King David.

We’re told, after she heard the declaration from Elizabeth;

And Mary said:

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth 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 on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.

He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.

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 seed forever.”

And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house (Luke 1:46-56).

Traditionally, Christians have referred to this Holy Spirit-inspired song as ‘the Magnificant’. It’s a name that comes from the Latin translation of Mary’s words “My soul magnifies the Lord” (Magnificant anima mea Dominum). It is a song of worship. And from Mary’s inspired example, we learn that the proper response to the announcement of Jesus’ birth should be a joyful song of praise to God for the victory of salvation.

We—like her—need to exercise an active faith in the plan of God for us through the gift of His Son. And if we do, we too will be moved to praise God that He has kept His promises for our salvation.

* * * * * * * * * *

Let’s look at the details of her song of praise. First, we can see …

1. MARY’S PERSONAL JOY (vv. 46-49).

All that Mary had been given—the announcement of an angel that she would bear the Son of God in her womb; and Elizabeth’s confirmation of it by the power of the Holy Spirit; and even her experience of beginning to feel Jesus in her womb—must have had an overwhelmed effect on her. It’s understandable, then, that she would break forth into an expression of praise for what God had done for her personally. This is something like what her ancestor King David had done when he was told that this same offspring of his would reign forever. He said;

“Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come. Is this the manner of man, O Lord God? Now what more can David say to You? For You, Lord God, know Your servant. For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them. Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears” (2 Samuel 7:18-22).

Compare these words with those of Mary; who, knowing that the time had come for the fulfillment of this promise to David, declared,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name” (vv. 46-49).

These words are not for everyone to say, of course. They are only appropriate to Mary; because only she was given the unique privilege—in all of humanity—of bearing the Son of God in human flesh inside her womb. That is why she could say that ‘all generations would henceforth call her ‘blessed’. Truly she was blessed above all women.

We must not, for this reason, think that Mary was beyond the need for salvation. As she said in these words, she rejoiced in God her ‘Savior’. Mary was not only a daughter of King David; but she was also a daughter of Adam and Eve. She was in need of redemption—just like David and all the rest of fallen humanity. God had regarded her lowly state; and had done great things for her; and she acknowledged God gratefully for this.

But as Dr. Harry Ironside wrote, even though some traditions of Christendom have elevated her too far, we don’t need to worry at all that we’re going too far in calling her “the Blessed Virgin”. As he put it, “She was indeed marvelously blessed above all other women and we need not fear to acknowledge it. Since our Lord Himself chose Mary to be the means whereby He came into the world as a little Babe, why should we hesitate for a moment to speak of her as the Blessed Virgin?” (Addresses on the Gospel of Luke [1947], p. 44).

We can say ‘Amen’ with her. She truly was blessed

Note also …

2. MARY’S JOY FOR ALL (vv. 50-52).

Her song of praise reached beyond only herself, and went on to speak of the blessings of God that are available to all people—throughout all time—because of her Son.

And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation (v. 50).

Her song of praise was being given to her by the Holy Spirit. And in it, she speaks with divine authority of the change of things that has come upon the world because of her Son. All of human history centers upon the coming into the world of the Child she bore. Because the Son of God has become human flesh and has entered into this world as a member of the human race, the sinful pride of self-righteous man no longer has the final say;

He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly (vv. 51-52).

No longer do the poor and broken-hearted and needy and humble people of the world live without hope; for

He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty (v. 53).

As her words make clear, this is the hope of all who fear (that is, ‘reverence’) God. It doesn’t matter who they are, or where they live—or even when they live. As the angel would later declare, His birth is “good tidings of great joy which will be to all people” (Luke 2:10); and as the angelic choir would proclaim, ““Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (v. 14; or as some manuscripts have it; “toward men of goodwill”).

But though the coming of the Son of God into the world is the blessing of all peoples, it is an especially great blessing to one people group in particular—Mary’s own people. Note further …

3. MARY’S JOY FOR ISRAEL (vv. 54-55).

Mary goes on in her song of worship to declare how God has kept His promises to Israel in giving them their promised King. Back in Genesis 12, God had taken Abraham out from a pagan nation; and promised to him;

“I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3).

And now—at the news that she bears the Son of God in her womb, Mary praises God and says;

“He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever” (vv. 54-55).

The Child that she bore—the promised Seed of Abraham—is destined to reign upon the throne of David forever. When He came to His people the first time, they rejected Him and handed Him over to be crucified. But He will come to them again; and then, they will acknowledge Him and receive Him.

What a day of blessing to the whole world that will be!

Now; let’s note one more thing; and that is …

4. MARY’S RETURN TO NAZARETH (v. 56).

We’re told that, after hearing the declaration from Elizabeth, and offering up this song of praise, “Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.” She did not remain with Elizabeth and give birth to her Child in Elizabeth’s city. Instead, she returned to her home in Nazareth. It was from Nazareth that she and Joseph would later travel to Bethlehem—in keeping with Gods’ promise:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting.”

Therefore He shall give them up,
Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth;
Then the remnant of His brethren
Shall return to the children of Israel.
And He shall stand and feed His flock
In the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God;
And they shall abide,
For now He shall be great
To the ends of the earth;
And this One shall be peace (Micah 5:1-6).

* * * * * * * * * *

As the mother of our Lord, Mary’s experience was unique; and so much of her song was uniquely applicable only to her. But when we acknowledge what God has done for us through giving His Son—just as she did—then we can justifiably join her in singing,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.”

EA