Mary's Song

Introduction

- Unsurprisingly, each year, and rightfully so, Christ is mentioned across our land

- As believers—Christians—we can argue that it should be more while some outside the church would say less

- For many, many years, believers and unbelievers alike have at least acknowledged the truth that Jesus Christ was born

- The visual imagery of Jesus laying in a manger has been firmly imprinted on most of our minds

- While some look to Christ thinking He’ll make our lives perfect,

- Our best case scenario is recognizing that a life apart from Him becomes increasingly hopeless

- When we look at the story of the birth of Christ, we have to look at His parents Joseph and Mary

- Each had their separate, divine encounter that, first of all, caught them off guard

- But when you look deeper; each encounter helped to instill hope…

- That the Son that was to be born to them was all in God’s plan

- Joseph convinced by an angel that he and Mary would play a starring role in God’s plan;

- He knew that he needed divine direction if his marriage to Mary would go forward

- Think of the fact that Mary was in her mid-teens while Joseph was perhaps a few years older than she

- On the other hand, Mary has an encounter that leads her on a journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth

- Mary’s encounter happened before Joseph’s but I believe that what she says after visiting Elizabeth is key;

- It’s key to her then but it’s also important to us now

- She says a lot, and it’s deemed Mary’s Song, but let me point out a few things that she says about the Lord:

- The Lord has:

1 - Been mindful

2 - Extended mercy

3 - Lifted the humble

Message:

1 - Been mindful

48 “for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant”

- Mary starts off her song with an outright praise of God

- This is the same teenager who is given news that for some of us would have utterly shocked us

- She’s not married yet nor has she “known” a man

- Yet, in the situation that she’s in; she chooses to praise the Lord and rejoice in God

- She recognizes God as her Savior

- She’s not leaning on something or someone she doesn’t know

- She looks to what she does know…that if God is delivering her the news—choosing an angel and sign through Elizabeth

- It has got to be good news

- With just about any person, emotions would be in a whirlwind

- Ranging from the highs of what will happen—meaning the thrill and excitement

- To the lows of what could happen—the uncertainty and lack of acceptance

- And now, Mary has to deal with it all—including any other emotions that could surface

- Add to the fact that she did not know how Joseph would take this news nor how her family would

- The Holy Spirit lets her know that her cousin Elizabeth is pregnant

- Mary travels to go see Elizabeth

- To me, it was as if Elizabeth helped to provide a confirmation of sorts

- The unborn John the Baptist leaps while he is in Elizabeth’s womb at the sound of Mary’s greeting

- Imagine if you can, Mary pondering the angel’s visitation and things to come

- Now, after meeting with Elizabeth, what once seemed impossible has greater clarity for her

- She’s no longer questioning what happened and if it’s true

- Her confidence and expectation begins to grow towards what God has promised her

- Can you relate in that aspect?

- You know for yourself that God has promised you something

- And, now, after some time, you begin to see the glimmer or have a vague notion that God has not forgotten

- Sometimes that is all you need…that inkling that God has not forgotten you

- If there is an ounce of hope, I’ll take it

- Mary received just that [measure of hope] in meeting with Elizabeth

- Regardless of the length and challenge of the journey, she endured

- Just like we all need to do, she recognizes that although God chose her;

- It is still her responsibility to recognize that just like any one of us, she is His servant

- God can choose to use anyone and He chose Mary and chooses us

- No matter how great the work; in this case, bearing the Savior of the world

- She is still God’s servant

- I’m always impressed when I see the interview of Christian leaders that have huge followings,

- Yet, their humility shines the interview

- Their words and actions convey that God alone makes what they are doing possible

- Of course, they are willing but their availability as a vessel most likely stood out to God

- They aren’t perfect and God is still working on them

- More importantly, God is still working through them

- Mary’s song is sometimes called the Magnificat which denotes “an outburst of praise”

- It’s kind of like Hannah in the Old Testament who had to face her husband’s (Elkanah’s) other wife [that’s another story] Peninnah (1 Sam 1:1-20)

- Hannah was without a child for years when the prophet Eli delivered the news that she would finally have a child

- She [Hannah] also had a response though some would call it a song…she responded in prayer

- That great prophet of the Old Testament, Elijah, would be the answer to her prayers

- Much like Jesus is the answer to our prayers

- When you look at the response of Hannah or Mary, be it praise or prayer;

- Either if directed towards God as the Source brings Him glory and shows Him honor

- Mary recognized that the generations to come would call her blessed

- How can any one generation not call her blessed?

- She would carry and deliver the Savior of the world

- God, the Mighty One, indeed did great things for her

- We can reason it away and say that God could have used anyone but Mary was one of a kind

- You and I both can testify that God can use someone else in spite of us

- Still, He chooses to use us—you, in all your uniqueness, personality wise, skill and talent base

- God knows how to choose who He needs at whatever time

Transition: He also extends mercy

2 - Extended mercy

50 His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.

- One thing that I like is the wording of the King James Version, “His mercy is on them that fear Him”

- All of us are in need of God’s mercy—whether we like to admit it or not

- Here’s a little something and I know it may sound cliché but “where would we be without His mercy”

- If God were not merciful with us, each time we stepped outside of His perfect will we could not last

- God’s mercy is mentioned a few times in this chapter of Luke and just as Mary and Israel needed every ounce of mercy so do we

- God is merciful to many…but when it’s someone who fears (reverences) Him

- It makes it even more meaningful

- I, for one, believe that God takes special notice

- There are so many opportunities for us to be wrapped up in ourselves and what we have going on

- Or, we can take the time to adore and show love to God and others

- Think about it for a second, how many times do we take the time to show reverence for God?

- We see the word fear and think of cowering to God

- Yet, to show Him the reverence, I believe honors Him the most

- It shows we love and choose Him freely more than out of duty

- I imagine that very few people want to be loved out of duty

- It’s when we are freely loved that opens the floodgates of God’s grace and mercy

- Listen to this,

““Fear” in the Bible means to be overwhelmed, to be controlled by something. To fear the Lord is to be overwhelmed with wonder before the greatness of God and His love…you find Him “fearfully beautiful.””

- That type of fear/reverence for God can be passed on from generation to generation to our children and children’s children

- Time after time in Scripture, we see that God looks down on the proud and their thoughts and action

- Then, we see Him taking care of the humble; those who revere, respect and admire Him

- Whenever we can “intentionally” take the focus off of ourselves in favor of God and others,

- That’s a step in the right direction

- I think of the Grinch and how he starts to feel affection and love for the Whoville residents

- And his heart grows “three sizes that day”

- Not that any one of us can be considered “The Grinch”

- Going back to mercy, Mary mentions that God has “[remembered] to be merciful” (v.54)

- In spite of all that Israel did towards God, He never failed in his covenant commitment to them

- He thought of Abraham, David and he thinks of us

- Mary doesn’t take this for granted; she believes His promise towards His people

TRANSITION: It’s closely linked to His mercy; He lifts up the lowly, the humble

3 - Lifted the humble

52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.

- I kinda alluded this earlier regarding mercy but now with humility

- God alone knows who to exalt

- It can be the right person but not the right time

- Some scratch and claw to get to the top but at the end of the day, it amounts to nothing

- Even if it does get one person to where they think it’s getting them; it may not last

- One spin on a John Wooden quote,

"If you are not careful, your talents will take you places your character can't keep you" (Dr. Eric Thomas)

- It’s okay to be motivated, purpose-filled and intentional

- It’s another thing to be driven to the point that you demean, discount and belittle others to get to your goal

- James, who happens to be the Lord’s brother, put it this way,

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:10)

- I don’t know about you but I know I have growing to do, no doubt

- And maybe you do as well; well we’re not alone…

- Surprisingly, Psychology Today (dtd 11-Apr-2021) mentioned in an article that,

“Particularly in Western societies, there is a remarkable conflict between the call for humility by spiritual sources and the societal value system that rewards materialism, competitiveness, and prominence.”

- In that same article, the writer (Armin Zadeh) mentions that Jesus says (Matt 18:4), and I am paraphrasing, “the path to greatness is through humility”

- Whereas the movers and shakers, are normally seen out front

- God looks at it differently

- He fills the hungry and helps His servants

- When it comes to those proud and haughty in their thoughts, he scatters

- One thing for sure is that the proud or haughty will not have the last word

- The rulers as we know them will be subject to Him

- Despite her age at the time, Mary was communicating with wisdom

- She was speaking beyond her time

- So, it just wasn’t to Elizabeth

- But, our ears are open as well

- Hopefully, our hearts are just as open

- God in all His wisdom allows us to hear from those like Mary who have gone before us

- What we learn from Mary is her obedience, gratitude and praise to God

- She never expected that she would be the one to help fulfill the promise

- And, rather than highlight that she is the most special one

- She directs the spotlight on the One most deserving of it, God

- That’s exactly what we can do

- No, our story is not as impressive as Mary’s nor does it need to be

- God has worked in each of our lives in different ways so that’s what is impressive

- That’s how He continues to get the glory

- He uses “the imperfect ones” meaning us to help perfect His body, the church

- That’s what it’s all about…when our lives lived for Him, point back to Him

- That’s what God receiving all the glory is all about

- He sent His Son to provide the way back to Him so He can get the glory or the goodness from a life submitted to Him

- Tim Keller writes, “Christmas is an invitation by God: Look what I've done to come near to you. Now draw near to Me. I don't want to be a concept; I want to be a friend.”

Closing:

- As I am closing, Mary understood that God wasn’t presenting to her a concept

- She believed that the Lord was mindful of her and merciful towards her

- Mary was the type of person—the humble servant, that God could lift up and trust to be obedient

- What about you? Are you that type of person?

- If you aren’t, then you have the opportunity to realize it and ask God to intervene in your life now as you know it

- Or maybe you once knew it and in need of a tune up

- If you will, join me in a word of prayer…

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I ask you to forgive me for all of my sins known and unknown, I renounce them all. Lord Jesus, come into my heart. I receive you now as Lord and Savior of my life. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He died for me and arose and sits at the right hand of God praying for me, interceding for me. Lord Jesus, I give you everything. I thank you for saving me, delivering me and setting me free, in Jesus’ name!