The Magnificat 2

Opening:

It is a beautiful thing to gather together on the Lord’s Day.

Introduction of the Text:

This morning, we are going to be reading and diving further into our study of the opening of the Gospel according to Saint Luke. This morning we are specifically going to be studying one of the greatest songs of all time. It is beyond a doubt one of the most influential and beneficial songs the church has ever sung. With this in mind, please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.

Reading of the Text:

Luke 1:39-56, 39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

47  and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48  for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

49  for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

50  And his mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

51  He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

52  he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate;

53  he has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

54  He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

55  as he spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

Behold, the Word of God. Let’s Pray.

Prayer:

Oh Lord, speak to us through your Word. Apply it to our lives. We need to hear from you, Lord. Please speak to your people through your word. We ask this, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Opening Illustration: (The state of our music)

I am curious. If I were to take a poll asking people what they think of when they think of Christian music, what would they say? What would their favorite songs be? Would any of them be even remotely similar to the song of Mary?

I did some research this week on the top Christian songs of our day. The billboard top Christian music is to be kind, a mixed bag. It is filled with music that is at best, self centered and at worst openly heretical.

yes, there is a lot of horrible music pretending to be Christian. However, there are many really good songs being produced in the Christian world. I mean this. There is some fantastic music. But if we look at the Christian genre as a whole, it is a mixed bag.

Much of the top Christian music being made today is comparable to a big mac and a large fry. It is tasty, easily accessible, and filling. But we all know that a big mac is not really healthy. Sure, its okay, but we as Christians are called to a real work. And eating a big mac is not what you want to do before going out and lifting weights. You sure can, but you’ll get one set in and be hugging the trash can, then need a nap afterward. Compared to this, Mary’s song here is like a good meal of grilled chicken breast and veggies. It is a hearty home cooked meal that is not as quick and easy as fast food, but is clearly better for us.

And this song may not be on the billboard top ten in the Christian category according to Spotify, but let’s zoom out a little bit. If we were to examine the whole of church history, this song would probably be number two on that billboard. This song has been sung for two thousand years by the saints. The only song that may be more popular in church history is Psalm 23. It is a sad state that our music has left Scripture to be self centered dribble. But this morning, I pray you see the beauty of this biblical song. It is food for the soul that we can get to work for the Kingdom. This is a church militant song. It is a church workout song. It is meant to cause our souls to be lifted up and encouraged for the work ahead of us.

We should saturate ourselves in the music of the Bible. Be blessed by it, be educated by it, be strengthened by it, be encouraged by it and more. So let’s study this passage, and especially this church workout and church militant song of Mary.

Transition:

As we open this passage we see Mary visits Elizabeth.

Mary Visits Elizabeth.

Listen again to Luke 1:39–45“In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.””

We saw in the passages from last week how Elizabeth had conceived John the Baptist and how Gabriel had foretold the miraculous conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Gabriel had also told Mary that Elizabeth, her cousin had conceived and was now six months pregnant. So Mary, in joy goes to her cousin Elizabeth. This was over a 90 mile journey. This is a long journey. If Mary walked, as was common in those days, this was anywhere from 30-45 hours of straight walking depending on how fast Mary walked. So you know that it was a joyous meeting when Mary finally arrives. But it is not just Elizabeth and Mary that are excited. Scripture tells us that when Mary greets Elizabeth, John leapt for joy in her womb.

When Mary Greets Elizabeth, John Leapt for Joy in Her Womb.

Explanation:

This is incredible! The baby John in his mother’s womb, hears the greeting of Mary and leaps for joy! Anyone who has been around a pregnant woman for any stretch of time knows that sometimes, they will seemingly randomly cry out in surprise. And you learn quickly, this is because, when the baby kicks or spins or any other kind of sudden movement, they feel that intimately.

Explanation:

But John, did not just kick. No, John went from one end of the womb to the other. He jumped for joy! And poor Elizabeth is an old woman. Mary walks into the house after days of travel, and salutes Elizabeth, and at the sound of the greeting, John leaps at full force in the womb of Elizabeth. And Elizabeth cries out! Obviously she cries out. But she does not cry out in pain. No, the Holy Spirit comes upon her and she cries out in praise of God!

Argumentation:

But here is the question. Why did John leap? Why did the baby in the womb jump for joy when Mary walks in? This is because John was sent with the express purpose of worshipping and proclaiming the way of Jesus. And here is the truth. When Mary walked in, Jesus was there, in her womb. Jesus, savior of the world was incarnate in a real human body there in the womb of the blessed virgin Mary. And John’s purpose was written into his very being. John was filled with the Holy Spirit of God from the womb! This means that John was saved and glorifying God as an infant in the womb. And when Mary walked in carrying the God of the universe in her womb, John, the one divinely destined to proclaim worship for Christ began to worship joyfully. John’s purpose was so written into him that in the womb, he worshipped the Lord he loved. This is the first worship that the incarnate Christ recieved. John is the first person to worship Jesus incarnate. And there is so much we can learn from this act.

What can we learn from this fact.

This is packed with truth. First, we see that Jesus and John are alive.

Jesus and John are alive.

We cannot miss this. We must see this. The word for the babies in the womb are the exact same words used for babies who have been born. The Bible speaks of children in the exact same way weather in the womb, or out of it. Beyond this, not only are babies in the womb spoken of as alive, but they are capable of worship and joy. John is spoken of as alive and capable and exercising worship. And the object of his worship is the living Christ in the womb of the virgin Mary.

And this is a point worth noting. The miracle is not the birth of Christ. The incarnation is not the birth of Christ. The incarnation, God becoming man, did not happen in that stable with the manger. God became a man at the conception. When the Holy Spirit united perfectly, the divinity of Christ with a human nature, it happened at the conception. This is why Gabriel came and announced the conception to Mary. And this is why Elizabeth, under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, calls Mary the “mother of my Lord.” She does not call her, the future mother of my Lord. No, Mary is already a mother. The Lord is already there on Earth.

There is much debate over when is a child alive. That is a common debate between the pro-life cause and the pro-abortion cause. Let me be abundantly clear. God has spoken. Babies are alive from conception. Babies are also themselves from conception. John was John in the Womb. He was accomplishing his heavenly purpose of worshipping Christ from the womb. At the moment of pregnancy, women become mothers. This is not even a question. Scripture is clear. You either submit to Scripture or deny it.

Transition:

And then, Mary breaks into a song of praise. This is high poetry, so let’s look at Mary’s song.

Mary’s Song.

Explanation:

This is beautiful piece of poetry. It is well worded, well organized, and filled with reference to other biblical songs. Let’s read this song again.

Luke 1:46-55 “46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.””

This is one of the most beautiful songs in Scripture. The song is divided into a title, the object of the song, the reason for the song, a praise, and then a list of the works of God. So let’s look at it.

The Title: Magnificat.

For centuries this song has been referred to as the Magnificat. And that is because Magnificat is the first word of this song in Latin. Mary says, “My soul magnifies (Magnificat) the Lord.” The first cry is magnify the Lord. This is the opening line and functionally the title of the song. This is what Mary is saying her longing is. Her heart is crying out to magnify God. What a cry. What a desire. Her heart is aimed toward magnifying God. And she says her soul rejoices in God her savior. And this brings up the object of this song. God.

The Object of the Song: God.

God is the object, the principle subject of the song. Yes, Mary is singing with herself in mind, but the clear subject is God. This is in direct contrast to many of our songs. Many songs we sing today are focused on us. Many church songs are in essence the old Toby Kieth song, “I wanna talk about me, wanna talk about I.”

In opposition to this, Mary’s song is focused on God. She wants to talk about Him. And her soul itself rejoiced in God her savior. That is important. Her savior. She was a sinner in need of a savior. She cries out in this song that she needs a savior. And that savior is the baby in her womb. And then Mary gives the reason for her song. God has blessed her.

The Reason for the Song: God has blessed Mary.

Why is Mary singing? Well, besides the point that her soul itself cries out in worship of God, the reason for the song is that God has blessed Mary. She says that God has looked on her humble estate. And she calls herself “His servant.” This is a poor translation of this. Mary literally calls herself the slave of God. She is the slave-maiden of God. Remember her words to Gabriel? She says in Luke 1:38, “38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant (slave) of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” Mary calls herself the slave of God. And this again speaks to this extreme humility of this woman.

I know for certain that Mary would be horrified to learn that there are people who worship her as queen of heaven, co redemptrix of our salvation. She would be absolutely horrified at this. This incredible woman of God proves again and again in Scripture that she is humble and a dear lover of God. But this does not mean she is not worthy of great honor.

She herself, under inspiration of the Spirit says, “all generations will call me blessed.” Amen, this woman is blessed. May we Christians reject the worship of Mary, but may we cry out, blessed is the wonderful woman who bore our Lord. She is blessed. God blessed her, so she is singing His praise.

And this is the praise. Holy is God’s name.

The Praise: Holy is God’s Name.

God has done great things for Mary, but beyond this, she says “Holy is His name.” If we were to echo one praise, it ought to be the praise of the angels and the seraphim and the living creatures and the mother Mary. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty.” Mary here is joining in the song of heaven itself. “Holy is the name of God almighty.”

And Mary then lists the works of God.

The List of the Works of God.

Explanation:

Read again with me verses 50-55. Mary lists the wondrous works of God. Luke 1:50-55 “50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.””

God has done great things. I want to go into these things God has done, but not just yet. I believe looking at these things God has done will spur our hearts on into applying this text. I believe that as we look at these wondrous truths, our hearts will cry out to God in thanks and with praise. So before we do this, I want to draw your attention to something.

Argumentation:

This song of Mary is very similar to multiple other songs in Scripture. It is nearly a direct quote of several of the Psalms. But more-so, it is nearly the same song as the song of Hannah. Hannah was the mother of Samuel. And God had blessed Hannah with a son, the prophet Samuel, after she had prayed and begged God to let her conceive. She was barren, and she prayed that if God gave her a son, she would give him to the temple for service to the Lord. God answered her prayer. And she gave her son to the temple to serve the Lord. And Hannah sang this song of praise.

1 Samuel 2:1-10, And Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in the LORD;

my horn is exalted in the LORD.

My mouth derides my enemies,

because I rejoice in your salvation.

2  “There is none holy like the LORD:

for there is none besides you;

there is no rock like our God.

3  Talk no more so very proudly,

let not arrogance come from your mouth;

for the LORD is a God of knowledge,

and by him actions are weighed.

4  The bows of the mighty are broken,

but the feeble bind on strength.

5  Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,

but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.

The barren has borne seven,

but she who has many children is forlorn.

6  The LORD kills and brings to life;

he brings down to Sheol and raises up.

7  The LORD makes poor and makes rich;

he brings low and he exalts.

8  He raises up the poor from the dust;

he lifts the needy from the ash heap

to make them sit with princes

and inherit a seat of honor.

For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s,

and on them he has set the world.

9  “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,

but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,

for not by might shall a man prevail.

10  The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces;

against them he will thunder in heaven.

The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;

he will give strength to his king

and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Clearly this is nearly the same song Mary sang. And as I said, her song is also packed with quotes from the Psalms as well. Why do I bring this up? I say this to beg you to let these words become dear to your heart. If we have seen anything about Mary it is that she is a faithful Jew. She loves the Lord her God. And as with any faithful Jew of that day, she would have had the songs of the Bible memorized. The faithful Jews of that day held these songs near and dear to their hearts. And it is clear that these songs were dear to Mary.

It is a true statement that in times of great emotion, what we fill our hearts with will come flowing out of us. We bleed what we are filled with. When you prick us, what flows out is what we fill ourselves with. If we are filled with strife, anger, and worldliness, then times of high emotion will reveal it. But if we are filled with the Word of God, righteousness, and holiness, when we are pricked with joy or sorrow, it will flow out. If anything stands out to me about the words of Mary, it is that they are overflowing with a deep heart filled with the songs of the Bible. She is filled with joy and what comes bubbling up out of her emotion is pure music from Scripture.

And let me say, when your emotions get high, something will bubble up. I think of a two years ago in the hospital with Caspian, or the times now when we are back in emergency rooms and emergency trips to doctors, praying he does not reject the kidney transplant. As I think of those highly emotional days, and I am so thankful that the Psalms bubbled up in my soul. Sitting in the hospital holding Caspian, and I just would begin to sing some of the Psalms. I would just start humming them. I would weep while trying to sing “it is well.” Times of great joy should bring us to singing the praises found in Scripture along with Mary. Times of great joy should bring us to singing of the great works of God along with David.

Application:

So let us apply these words by letting the words of this Scriptural song become dear to our hearts. Mary sings of the works of God. Beloved, these words, if you let them, will become a walled garden for your soul. They will keep the enemy out and away from your broken soul in times of pain. They will refresh you with beautiful truth when you are weary. They will overwhelm you with beauty and love when you are filled with joy.

So let us read these truths and then pray, thanking and praising God for these truths. We will thank and praise God in prayer. As I close my prayer, I encourage us to say amen together as a church. Amen means, may it be, or it is so.

Mary first sings that God has mercy on those who fear Him, from generation to generation.

God has mercy on those who fear Him from generation to generation.

Explanation:

Yes, in some very limited sense, God has mercy on all. All sinners deserve hell every moment they sin. But God, in mercy, spares us. But more than this, there is a real sense in which God only has mercy on those who fear Him. In the end, those who do not fear God will face His wrath without mercy. But to those who fear God, He gives mercy. This is a blessed encouragement!

We fear the Lord. We do not fear men. We fear God and God alone! And He promises us His hand of mercy. Men may hate us. Men may attack us, but God has given us peace. Better to be at war with all earth and peace with God than to be at peace with all men but at war with God. And the encouragement is not just for us. This is a covenantal peace. The mercy of God is from generation to generation. We are here promised in four words that if we teach our children to fear God, He will have mercy on them. Those four words, “from generation to generation” ought to be the most loved words of every single Christian parent. Will you pray with me in thanksgiving and praise for the mercy of God on those who fear Him.

Pray in thanks for this:

“God, we thank you for your mercy! We thank you for showing mercy to those who fear you. Please, teach us to fear you. Keep us from fearing any man, and please teach us to fear you. Show us mercy, Lord. Teach us to teach our children to fear you. Do not let us give our children over to the world and the fear of man. May we teach our children to fear you, so that you will have mercy on them.

Lord, we thank you for showing mercy to those who fear you! Thank you Lord!

But Lord, we do not just thank you, we also praise you! God of all creation, divine judge of all mankind, we praise your name for showing mercy to those who fear you, from generation to generation!

As a church we say, Amen.

Transition:

Mary next says, God has shown the strength of His arm.

God has shown the strength of His arm.

Explanation:

All through Scripture we see reference to God’s strong right arm. This is speaking of God’s strength. God is not weak. God is not limited. God can do whatever He wants. He is never limited.

Will you join me in thanking and praising God for the strength of His arm.

Pray in thanks for this:

Oh Lord, we thank you for your strong right arm. You are never limited. You are not weak. We grow weary, but you are always strong. You accomplish all your will. Nothing is to hard for you. You can do as you will, amen do as you will Lord. You have never lost a fight, you have never failed. We thank you for the strength of your arm.

We praise you God, all powerful Lord of all, King of the universe, creator of all, you are the Almighty God who has never failed! We praise you that you are the almighty God with the strongest of strong right arms!

As a church, we say, Amen.

Transition:

Next Mary says God has scattered the proud.

God has scattered the proud.

Explanation:

God hates a proud heart. And He scatters the proud in the wicked thoughts of their hearts. God hates pride. It is one of the utmost wicked sins. And we may wonder if God has scattered them. Surely all the mighty in our world seem to be utterly proud. Well, we know from Scripture that the proud will be scattered. They either have been scattered already or they will be scattered by God. It is a ticking clock. And this is a good thing. It is a wonderful thing that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Will you join me in thanking and praising God for scattering the proud.

Pray in thanks for this:

Our Lord, we live in a day and age where pride is seen as a virtue. But we know how you see it. And we thank you for opposing the proud. We thank you that you are not like earthly rulers. You scatter the proud and we thank you for this wonderful truth!

Oh God, who humbled Himself to become a servant and die in our place, we praise you for opposing the proud in heart! As a church, we say amen.

Transition:

God has also brought down the mighty and exulted the humble.

God has brought down the mighty and exulted the humble.

Explanation:

As with the proud, the mighty are also attacked by God. The mighty of this world are so often wicked. Not always, but very often. And we must know that the proud and the mighty have reason to be afraid. But the humble, they have reason to rejoice. As Christ said, the first will be last and the last first. In like manner, the humble will sing of God’s goodness, while the mighty will sorrow in God’s anger.

Join me in prayer thanking and praising God for this.

Pray in thanks for this:

Our great Lord, we thank you for bringing the systems of the world into submission to your Law. We thank you that you oppose the proud and mighty of this earth, and we thank you for the great riches in Christ you pour out on the humble.

God, we praise you for bringing down the mighty to their knees before the true King Christ, and we praise you for exulting the humble!

As a church we say, Amen.

Transition:

God has filled the hungry and sent the rich away empty.

God has filled the hungry and sent the rich away empty.

Explanation:

Here again we see a flipping of the world’s order. God does not work as man works. God is the one who gives grace to the weak and needy. He is the one who feeds those in need and yet rejects the powerful. This is pure mercy of God. While man looks to the rich and powerful and ignores the poor and weak, God ignores none. He is one who condescends to the poor. And it is from Him that all blessings, even food comes from. Let us pray in thanks and praise to God for this.

Pray in thanks for this:

God, our provider, thank you for not looking past the weak and poor. We thank you for providing for the poor and poor sinners like us. And Lord, we thank you for the food you have given us. Our belly’s are full. That is a blessing and we thank you for it.

God we praise your name for providing food for us to eat!

As a church we say, Amen.

Transition:

God has helped His servant Israel in remembrance of His mercy.

God has helped His servant Israel in remembrance of His mercy.

Explanation:

We know that we Gentiles have been grafted into the true Israel. And we know that the Scriptures are the record of God working with His people. He has helped us in the past. He has helped us in the present. He will help us in the future. Let us pray and thank and Praise God for this.

Pray in thanks for this:

God, we thank you for helping us. We thank you for helping us all the way through history. You are faithful forever. You are God and you are faithful to us. You are merciful to Israel, your true church forever. We thank you for your help.

God, we praise you for the help you have faithfully given and will faithfully give to your church forever and ever! As a church, we say Amen.

God spoke to the fathers, to Abraham and his offspring, forever.

Explanation:

What else can we say to this than thank you. God condescended to speak to mankind. He spoke to Abraham and the other fathers. He spoke through the prophets, and He still speaks to us today in the Scriptures. This is what this means to us. This is thanksgiving for the sacred Scriptures. Let us pray in thanks and praise to God for the gift of His Word.

Pray in thanks for this:

God, we thank you for the enduring Scriptures. You spoke to the fathers and prophets and apostles. And now you speak to us in your Word. You have preserved the words you spoke to the fathers in your Word. Heaven and earth may pass away, but your Word will never pass away. We thank you for your Word, the Sacred Scriptures.

God, we praise you for speaking! You spoke your Word to the father, the prophets, the apostles, and you have preserved that Word for us and forever. We praise you that your Word will never ever fail!

As a church we say, Amen!

Transition:

Thus ends the Song of the blessed virgin Mary.

Further Application:

I am in awe of this song. I pray we sing such songs. Let us make such praise a common part of our lives.

Let us make such praise a common part of our lives.

May we constantly be praising God in such wonderful words. I pray this for you. I pray this for us as a church. May we make such praise common in our lives.

More than this, I pray something else for you. Let us be so familiar with the songs of Scripture that we break out in praise similar to them.

Let us be so familiar with the songs of Scripture, that we break out in praise similar to them.

I pray we sing these songs. I pray we pray these songs. I pray they are so familiar with them, that when you are in pain or joy, these songs will bubble up in you without even thinking.

Finally, Let us rejoice in God our Savior, who came to save us from our sins and has blessed us from generation to generation!

Let us rejoice in God our Savior, who came to save us from our sins and has blessed us from generation to generation!

We are about to close in singing. Let us, in this time of advent, sing praise to God. May we praise God for all He has done from generation to generation . Amen and amen. Let us sing.

Offering Hymn:

Offering Prayer:

Closing Benediction:

Hebrews 2:14 “14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,”

This week, praise the one who has victory over death and has given that victory to us! Amen, praise God, Amen.