Praise The Lord

Luke 1:46-49

So now as Mary who is in the house of Zechariah, finds out through the filling of the Holy Spirit in Elizabeth, that she has not entered the house of Zechariah by herself.

Mary hears that she is not alone through Elizabeth, being filled with the Holy Spirit

That Christ is in her womb not a day after the visit from the Angel Gabriel; and good news which she knew as coming, was actually present with her now.

So we pick up in the Gospel of Luke where Mary just heard Elizabeth's words, and her realizing reality.

So rightfully so, when someone finds out good news, what soon is to follow? Is a an eruption of praise, adoration rejoicing and magnifying the Good News.

Examples:

The Cancer is gone the doctor says, only after on treatment of radiation

You find out your friends in the Ukraine were not bombed nor harmed and are alive and are in poland

You find out that your wife who just had a baby is going to survive and be the mother of your child, after a very complicated birth

Or in the storm that destroyed all you have, so the Lord watched over your family when you should of been hurt

And as we hear of this Good News from these stories, so what erupts from our life?

Praise (and at times if you even watch unbelievers speak of their “good news” moments then you can hear they are speaking of God in some context; without even realizing it.

In our text today Mary does just that; Praise’s the Lord as Good News has now been heard, and now confirmed in her womb.

Please stand for the reading of God’s Word

Luke 1:46-49 “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

Pray

Luke 1:46 “And Mary said...“My soul magnifies the Lord,”

Mary’s response to what she heard Elizabeth say, being filled with the Holy Spirit, now Mary speaks up

Elizabeths words were clear in verse Luke 1:42-45 “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.””

“Mary said.” - meaning in greek to express in words

Because when we read of someone saying something they use words to form a thought or in this case praise

So what did Mary say?

Verse 46 “Mary said…my soul magnifies the Lord...”

So as Mary hears…

Then she says and she speaks of her “soul”

Not her physical body, but her “soul magnifies the Lord”

It becomes a matter and moment where it’s not enough physically to do so, so we read her “soul”

See in each human to ever exist we are all born with a soul or spirit (as we will see in our text today so soul and spirit are interchangeable words (as they both are referring to our spiritual nature)

Isa. 26:9 “My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.”

Soul and spirit both referring to our spiritual nature

Soul - translated in greek - indicate meanings of desires, personal or individual being, a conscious self, or emotional state. ( The soul denotes man in his varied emotions and inner self)

If we take a peak into the OT we can see many speak of their soul rejoicing in the Lord:

Deut 13:3 “you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

David writes - Psalm 34:2 “My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.”

Psalm 35:9 “Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord, exulting in his salvation.”

Psalm 103:1 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” (Where our song comes from we just sang, and will sing again)

Soul - being our inner self

Meanings of desires

Personal or individual being

A conscious self

Emotional State

As it may sound funny we all have an “inner self” a soul.

As you hear someone say “his soul has left his body, meaning he is or she, though their physical flesh is present, their inner self is no longer present.

Their soul has left their body.

But Mary’s Soul is present, Mary isn’t dead

And what is Mary’s soul doing?

“My soul…magnifies the Lord,”

Marys full - psychological faculties (such as the the heart, mind and conscience)

Are on one thing and that is her entire being is caught up in praise to the Lord.

As she says “my soul...Magnifies the Lord,”

Magnifies - meaning the greek - to exalt, glorify, to honor highly (or)

To cause something to be held in greater esteem (with oneself or others) conceived of as physically enlarging it

Christ yet so small in her womb, yet her soul recognizes the magnificent Lord who is now in this moment being made LARGE and enlarged in her soul and who is present in her womb.

David writes of this word magnify in - Psalm 34:3 “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!”

When you take a magnified glass, and hold it up to what is small, so what happens?

That which seemed tiny is now BIG. (in no way am I saying Christ in His Holiness has ever been small or weak or tiny)

But in this text we know physically that Christ is in Mary’s womb, a tiny fetus; and yet Mary is magnifying Christ with her soul.

Mary wether by hearing, or by reading of the OT, and so out of the abundance of her heart and her mouth spoke (she knew the Savior Jesus was to come), and she gave vent to her feelings in Scriptural language. Moved by the Holy Spirit to break forth in praise to who?

As we can see it says she is Magnifying “the Lord...”

Luke 1:46 “And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord...

Luke 1:47 “and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,”

Now what is the difference here, as Mary says “and my spirit...”?

So everyone is born with a soul. So in the Scripture soul and spirit are interchangeable as we talked of a minute ago. (Both referring to our spiritual nature)

So we can know for sure something inside Mary is taking place, while not only in her womb but in Her Soul and Spirit

It is important to note here this mention of Mary’s spirit is not speaking of the Holy Spirit in our context

But we can see here that all of Mary is present, all she is and has to give in this moment is praising the Lord.

Luke 1:46-47 “And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,”

Now:

While everyone has a soul; spirit and heart

But not everyones soul spirit or heart has been encountered by the Spirit of God. (the Holy Spirit)

Set apart from our spirit or soul

Mary’s soul is magnifying, her spirit is rejoicing and know Mary’s heart has been touched by grace or the favor of the Lord.

What we need to see here before we move on is:

Mary here upon her own standing; and good works does not magnify the Lord. No.

Mary magnifies the Lord because she has been shown favor and the Lord is with her; the Lord has revealed Himself to her. That she can know who her soul magnifies and who her “spirit...rejoices in…

And who does her spirit rejoice in?

my spirit rejoices in...God my Savior.”

Mary herself is not free from sin, but is need of a Savior as well, just like the whole world lost in sin, she knows it all to well.

And this morning you may be asking yourself the ? well who is my soul magnifying this day? Who is my spirit rejoicing in everyday? A very important question you must know the answer too this morning.

Now as Mary has mentioned

My Soul magnifies the Lord

And how her “spirit rejoices...”

“spirit rejoices…in God my Savior.”

This time Mary knows and repeats what has been known since the beginning of time.

Hab 3:18 “yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”

Or as Paul says in... 1 Ti 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,”

Well pastor Shaun Jesus is our Savior, so why does it say “God my Savior? (Remember the triune God, God in three persons forms the Trinity Father, Son and Holy Spirit and they all work together as one)

Seeing this language of God my Savior” lets us know again God is all powerful to work in this triune way for His glory

“in God MY Savior...”

Mary here makes it personal, or God made it personal with her

Is God your Savior? has it been revealed to you what HE has done for us?

In sending His Son Jesus to die our death on the cross, to be buried only to rise that we would be “filled” - innerly with the promised Holy Spirit?

You mean to tell me someone has died for me so I can be filled and live with the presence of God inside of me? YES!

See in verse 46-47 - Marys magnificat follows the common form of Psalms of Thanksgiving, which begin by thanking God and then telling why one is thankful.

The Magnificat being one of the five songs of praise we see arise from the NT.

Now she will tell us why she is thankful to “God her Savior”

And we will not go through the whole magnificent today, but will finish up next Sunday for resurrection Sunday.

Luke 1:48 “for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;”

So Mary refers to God looking down upon her; because we know God is the heavens

Psalm 115:3 “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” - Heaven being High above so He can look down and see all.

“he has looked” - in the greek meaning this To look favorably upon; pay respect too

Also meaning to notice or acknowledge (conceived of, as focusing one’s sight onto someone or something

So God does as He pleases and it pleased God to look upon Mary’s life “to look favorably upon”

From the Psalms we see in Ps 138:6 “For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.”

What did the Lord see?

Did he see and was he more concerned about Mary’s physical appearance and posture?

No he looked “on the humble estate of his servant.”

on the humble estate of his servant...

He saw something of humble estate,

“humble estate” - the state of being humble and unimportant

But how does God look upon someone and say they are humble?

1 Sam 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.””

It’s important to know that God looks upon; and sees directly inside man; he looks right through us, their is no way to hide.

Heb 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

God sees; inside, therefore we can take and learn right now, you even in your darkest sin struggle, you and I are totally exposed by His light.

And if we did not know we know now, God sees all and through all.

See what is the opposite of being humble? being prideful...

As God has much to say about the pride in mans heart.

James 4:6 “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””

“opposes” - meaning in the greek to be against, express opposition to, be hostile towards.

1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”

Mary isn’t prideful you see, Or we can see God sees this to be true.

It is important to know because God’s Word helps us understand Marys soul and spirit are humble (at least in this moment) - Meaning she may act out in pride in her flesh; as we all can. But her spirit her inner posture soul and spirit are of humble estate.

And this morning we need to ask ourself what is the posture of our soul and spirit?

Are we humble or prideful before the Lord?

Because from our definitions of Pride - I guarantee you; you do not want to be in opposition or have the God of the universe be hostile towards you.

The God who split the red sea, the God who made a bush burn that didn’t really burn, the God who flooded the whole earth. The God who brought Egypt and pharaoh to it’s knees by the form of plagues

Are we humbled by God’s Word this morning or are we marching in our pride?

Lets continue…

“humble estate of his servant... For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.”

We would assume reading this without knowing (context) of what Mary says before this; that she would be praising herself right?

“Oh I’m a servant of the Lord you are to call me blessed!”

No.

We know from God’s Word He has looked upon her in “humble estate”

Meaning Mary wasn’t about herself in this moment but about her Lord!

And so knowing her Soul and Spirit are humble, she says “For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.”

As we can see the Holy Spirit filled Elizabeth in Verse 42 “and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

Mary was not praising herself, Mary was just repeating back to God what He said about her through Elizabeth who was filled with the Holy Spirit to prophecy to Jesus who was to come.

Mary was realizing, even more she is child of God. (which as we grow in grace so our assurance in Christ is more sweet)

Referring to the word blessed we use the word “blessed” often but for what reason? (I am blessed because I have this or that right?)

Blessed in the greek - meaning happy (Mary doesn’t say she is blessed with a posture of pride, no she speaks of what the Lord already says about her, as she heard Elizabeth say this)

Luke 1:42 “and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”

Luke 1:49 “for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”

Mary begins to speak of the things the Lord has done for her and in her as she says “for He” - the Lord

“who is mighty” - a term referring to the God of Israel with emphasis on his strength or capability

Well what mighty thing has God done in and for Mary?

He sent Gabriel (the angel of stands in His presence to Mary)

We know that she is now conceived of A son by the Holy Spirit, and Jesus is in her womb now.

We know another Mighty act of God is Him filling Elizabeth with the Holy Spirit to tell Mary Jesus is with her in her womb

This is a “mighty” work of God through the power of the Holy Spirit to bring forth Jesus!!

for who is he? The Lord Jesus & God my Savior? “and holy is his name.”

Being “He” Jesus, not her being Mary

Holy is Christ Jesus, Mary says

Holy meaning - set apart from the world and set apart from sin

He is perfect in all His ways!

Mary is praising “God her Savior” who is from the Holy Spirit without sin. Because she knows she is in deep need of the Holy one, Jesus - who’s name in Hebrew means salvation.

Mary knows her need for a Savior and Lord

Points:

As we have only looked at 4 verses this morning what can we take away from this text? (for me I can’t wait to see “Bless the Lord O My Soul” again here in a minute)

This morning:

Church, praise is about the Lord and Him alone and what He has done for us and in us and what we have to look forward to into eternity with Him forever.

Praise belongs to Him alone!

But this isn’t accomplished by man alone, in our own sinfulness. No our hearts, souls, and spirits first must behold Christ to Praise Him as Lord!

We are not born praising God, but we are born into this sinful world because of Adam and Eve hostile in the eyes of God.

We are born deep in pride and sin, praising ourself and the pleasures of the flesh

And so what this means as we can see Mary is now praising the Lord

She first just like all of us born, we are not born praising the Lord, but self and magnifying sin.

But in this case in our text God said “Blessed Mary such as He did with her womb.”

In this case, in our text if there were anyone else whom praise and worship would belong to it would of been Mary, for all the Mighty things the Lord has done in her life, she could of been filled with pride.

But we can see Mary is of ‘Humble estate” and points strongly, confidently, rejoicing in Christ alone! Who has shown her grace.

See In our Christian culture today, so as their is nothing new under the Sun. The temptation for us Christians is to praise self, to lift up self and not Christ. And to magnify sin it seems and the ways of the world, as they have even creeped into the Church.

See Mary’s Soul and Spirit have beheld Christ as Her Lord and Savior (God has shown His grace to her)

Notice in this text it says both “Lord” & God my “Savior”

Non- Christians:

For those this morning who do not know Christ as Lord, and you do not rejoice and magnify Him with your soul as Savior of your life

It’s because you have not beheld the glory of the Lord

This morning as Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

This morning behold that first you are wicked, sinful, and prideful apart from the Lord. Left to yourself and your own pride so the hostility of God is towards you. (Woo Is Me)

This morning as you behold your pride; so NOW behold the LORD God and Savior who deals with your pride and sin.

God wants you to see through Christ who is the Word, who was sent from the Father, to pay for our sins by dying on the cross of calvary, being buried in the tomb and on the third day rising from the grave to declare VICTORY over the pride and sin of man.

Yes today by grace through faith; God our Savior can break through the pride of man and shine his glorious light into the darkest areas of sin and expose them; that you now may be saved given the gift of the Holy Spirit as you trust in him as Lord and Savior.

So I pray this moment you non Christians are convicted deeply of pride and sin in your life; don’t deny it’s not that there this could be the death of your soul.

Christians (those who have been saved) today:

We who have beheld the glory of the Lord in the face of Jesus Christ, our response to the Good News who is Jesus, is what Mary says...

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

We have been set free from the penalty of sin and pride, through Christ not to worship ourselves, but to worship God our Savior.

God, our Father in heaven sent Christ His Son conceived of the Holy Spirit, that we might have pardon from our sin and humble ourselves before Him and Praise His name.

When we think of praising the Lord this morning we not only praise Him for who He is

But also for what “Mighty things” He has done in us and for us and will continue to do throughout now and eternity and forever.

So what has the Lord done mightily in your life that makes praise rise up in your soul and spirit unto God our Savior?

Or what do you long for the Lord to do mightily in your life? (pray)

What is your response to Christ our Lord this morning?

As His word has gone forth in truth and power let us respond to the Lord.

Christ who died for you and I that we might have eternal life with Him!

Because our souls will leave our body one day. They will either find rest in Christ or in Hell.

See our souls can not praise God for sending Jesus until we realize that Jesus truly came to save us from our sins.

Then as we have this made known to us by grace, through faith, then our souls magnify the Lord for all He has done in Christ for us, in us and for His glory!

&

Mary isn’t exalting self; even though Elizabeth says bless her. No Marys full attention is not on self but on Christ

When we who are in Christ have (His Holy Spirit) him enlarged in our every faculty; then this is true God honoring worship to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords

We can learn from Mary who is blessed; that worship is not about her, but about Christ. And what Christ has done in her, and for her and will continue to do throughout eternity.

So rightfully so when someone finds out good news, what soon is to follow? Is a an eruption of praise, adoration rejoicing and magnifying the Good News.

Church this morning let our souls magnify the Lord, let our spirits rejoice in God our Savior, for He is Good News to us prideful and sinful humans.