Love

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.”

God’s Love for Mary

 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.

God showed his love for Mary

> Placing her in the middle of His redemptive story.

> Offering her a court side seat to watching her son usher in the Kingdom of God.

> Mary is an example of faithfulness that with echo through eternity.

God’s plan is stressful.

Illustration: Record being created.

> Mary’s stress

Her pregnancy would be seen as a social disgrace.

Had God not intervened with Joseph, she could have lost her engagement to Joseph.

Jesus’s birth would be in a barn.

Living in love will be the most stressful thing we could ever do.

> We submit all things to God that he loves us to do what is best.

> We understand

God’s love can’t be earned.

> Mary does not boast in her abilities or character. Instead, she sings about her deep longing and need for God.

> The term soul and spirit refer to the depths of Mary’s inner being and she sees God as her only hope.

> If the mother of the Messiah cannot earn favor with God, who are we to assume that God is impressed with our spiritual resume.

The characteristics of God’s Love

Sacrificial

Communal and individual

Grounded upon his authority

Our Response to God’s Love

All people respond to God’s love.

We are called to embrace the love of God in every area of life.

> Relationships with one another. Treat others as Image Bearers of the living God to their face and behind closed doors.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

> Loving others requires us to grow and remember we don’t have all of the answers.

> Mary sings about the proud, the mighty, and the rich. These are people who do not see their need for any form of salvation.

Embrace God’s love

> Embracing God’s love leads to a complete transformation of life.

> Love means willing to hear the hard things.

To embrace the love of God is to celebrate God’s full redemptive work and to meditate on his goodness.