Luke 1 39-56 2006
Advent 4
Luke 1:39-45
December 24, 2006
“Hymns of Joy”
Introduction: How we love to sing Christmas hymns in this season of the year! That is only natural, for us as humans, when we are happy we want to sing. Sometimes, even when we are not happy and content, the act of singing or listening can give us peace and contentment. This is God’s gift of music to us all. And so from the beginning of time, for long century’s men and women, boys and girls have been singing. But some music gives us even greater joy, songs about hope and life, songs about our salvation and our Savior, songs about God’s love, His grace, His mercy given to all people through Jesus Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection. It is no mistake to say that some of our favorite hymns are the grand old Christmas hymns of Christmas time.
Did you know that even before Jesus was born two fine Christmas hymns were sung, one of them by Zacharias, the aged father of John the Baptist, and the other by Mary, who was to become the mother of Jesus? It is the Christmas song of Mary that we read from the Bible today.
“And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 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. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever."
After the angel Gabriel had told Mary that she was to be the mother of Jesus, Mary left Nazareth and went to see her cousin Elisabeth. Elisabeth lived at Hebron in the hill country of Judah. It was quite a long journey from Nazareth through Jerusalem and through Bethlehem, the little town Jesus was born in not many months later.
Of course these two saintly women were glad to see each other. People did not get to visit as much in those days. They didn’t have trains, plains our automobiles, no telegraphs, U.S. mail, phones or cell phones. So when finally saw each other, they had a great deal to talk about. On this day there conversation didn’t center on the village news or the latest gossip. It centered on the most important thing that was about to happen in the lives of both of them, in fact, the most important thing in the world, namely, the coming birth of Mary’s child Jesus, and of Elisabeth's child, who was to be called John. We note this in the words of Elizabeth herself. By the power of the Holy Spirit of God 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.” God made it plain to Elisabeth that Mary was to be the mother of Jesus and when Elisabeth mentioned this Mary was glad. In response she sang the wonderful Christmas hymn we call the Magnificat.
The more we study this wonderful hymn the better we understand why God should select Mary to be the mother of our Lord Jesus and His first teacher. For Mary's hymn shows us that she had an un-usual knowledge of God and of the way God deals with people. She praises God's love in choosing her, a poor country girl, to be the mother of His Son. And she praises His power for she knows that the birth of Jesus will be a "great and mighty wonder" only God Himself could bring about. She praises God’s Holiness too, for Mary understood that the birth of Jesus was to be free from the stain of man’s sinfulness. And she sings of God’s justice in putting down those who are proud and mighty and raising up those people that are poor in spirit and trust in Him. Finally Mary sings of God’s mercy, how He is now about to help His people by promises He had made to Abraham to send them a Savior.
No wonder that, as Mary thinks of all these she is so happy that she just has to sing. And at this Christmas time we can be just as happy as Mary was. Mary’s Song is our song. God has chosen us to reveal the knowledge of His only begotten Son. God has not chosen the kings of this world to reveal the knowledge of Salvation, no; he has chosen us common people. We have heard of this great and mighty wonder that God has done, and He has opened our eyes of faith to believe in His Son. We understand and believe that this Jesus was born as a true man and yet He was also the holy God, sinless and perfect. Through His perfect sinless life, and then by bearing our sin upon the cross we have received the mercy of God that gives us forgiveness and new and eternal life for His sake. God has fulfilled His promise. It was the promise that Mary held dear to her heart just as Abraham by faith claimed the same promise for himself. Abraham had to wait to see the promise. Mary had to wait to see the promise. Then she saw it unfold before her eyes as she watched her Son Jesus die on the cross, and then rise from the dead By God’s word we have seen God’s promise fulfilled, and know it to be true. And so we sing too.
That is why the songs go on through every age, through every generation in every country, land and language. The human heart cannot contain the praise of the eternal God that created us, watched us fall into sin and death, and now has rescued us through His Son Jesus. Mary sang and we sing. Christians will continue to sing. That is why we have a new hymnal that has been created by our synod for us to use if we choose. For no one hymnal can contain all the hymns that have been written and continue to be written in the praise of God our Savior and of Jesus Christ our Lord. As Christ’s church sings, we proclaim to ourselves and to the world all that God has done. Amen.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank Thee for the great Christmas gift that made Mary sing and that makes us sing along with her and all Your saints. Amen!
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 ex claimed 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 be1 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 empty away. 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.
