Mary's Praise

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Christmas time is often dominated by presents and trees, relatives and food. But Christmas ought to be primarily a celebration of Jesus’ birth; a celebration of God’s plan of salvation instigated that first Christmas; a celebration of God’s power at work in the life of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men; and even a celebration of God’s power at work in the world.

Mary’s song that we are looking at this morning does just that. It celebrates God’s power at work in Mary’s own life and in the world at large. So please have Luke chapter 1 verses 46 to 55 open in front of you and we are going to look for a few minutes at what Mary says.

Mary’s song of praise falls into two sections so I have two main headings for you this morning on your outline. Heading one, God’s power at work in Mary, and heading two, God’s power at work in the world. So my first heading, and the first section of this song, God’s power at work in Mary.

GOD’S POWER AT WORK IN MARY (v46-49)

The first part of Mary’s song (verses 46 to 49) focuses on Mary’s own experience. She pours out praise to God for what he has done in her life. It is a testimony to how God’s power has been at work in Mary’s own experience. Take a look at what Mary says from verse 46:

46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.” (Luke 1:46-49)

As we will discover, the emphasis throughout this song is on God’s power and God’s work. The glory is due to him for all the things that Mary has experienced in the last few months. And it has been an astonishing few months. Take a look with me at chapter 1. We read from verse 5 onwards how the angel Gabriel appeared first to Zechariah. He was the husband of Mary’s relative Elizabeth. Gabriel announced to him the birth of John the Baptist and astonished Zechariah, who was old and believed that his wife was beyond the age of child bearing.

Then Gabriel appeared to Mary herself, verse 26 and following of chapter 1. We read in verse 30 that the angel Gabriel said to Mary:

30 “Do not be afraid . . . you have found favour with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” (Luke 1:30-32)

Of course that was all the more astonishing to Mary because she was still a virgin as she says in verse 34. But this will be God’s work and “nothing is impossible with God” as the angel reminds us in verse 37.

Shortly after Gabriel’s visit, Mary goes to see Elizabeth, and we read in verses 39 to 45 of how as the two women greeted one another the Holy Spirit again spoke and confirmed the miraculous things that were taking place in Mary’s life. Elizabeth calls Mary “the mother of my Lord”, verse 43. It is an astonishing greeting. Amazing events are taking place and Mary has much to glorify God for.

But I often wonder just how much it cost Mary – how hard all this was for her. I sometimes wonder how much she told her parents for instance, and whether her father or mother believed her. She was probably quite young when Gabriel appeared to her – a teenager pledged to be married. What did the neighbours make of her story of how she became pregnant? In Jewish law adultery was punishable by stoning.

It must have been a great encouragement to have Elizabeth reaffirm the message that it was God who was at work in Mary’s life. And of course Joseph, after receiving a vision from God explaining the situation (Mt 1:20) would have been able to support her. But there was still the rumours, the gossip in the town, the lonely birth in a stable, the years that lay ahead of not fully understanding, the pain of watching her son die on a cross (Jn 19:25).

Mary’s song of praise is remarkable because it is so full of joy. It has the eyes of faith that see through the temporary hardship to the indescribably power and sovereignty of God. Mary, full of the Holy Spirit, declares God’s praise and announces the great victory that God has brought to pass, in her own life and in the world. It seems to be one of Mary’s characteristics to humble her self and exalt God. Look again at what she says in verse 46:

My soul glorifies the Lord 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.” (Luke 1:46-48)

Mary pours forth praise. Her soul and spirit, her very inner being, overflows with joy. God the Lord is God her Saviour. Those are words that are full of faith. They look beyond the miraculous conception of a baby in her womb, to the fulfilment of the words spoken by the angel. This son she will bear . . .

“. . . will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:32-33)

Mary knows that this is not about her. She doesn’t boast about the fact that she has been chosen by God. She doesn’t declare how wonderful and special she is as a person. Look at verse 48; she describes herself as a servant. She knows her situation is humble. She was probably fairly poor. She lived in a small town, in an enemy occupied country. There would have been lots of oppression by the Romans, daily hardship, poverty.

Perhaps it was because of Mary’s humble situation, and her ready willingness to be God’s servant, that God chose to use her. And it was indeed an awesome privilege and blessing to be used by God, to be the human mother of Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah. Mary is right to say in verse 48 that “From now on all generations will call me blessed”. The Mighty One has indeed done great things for her (1:49). But the emphasis is on God. Mary is giving praise to the Mighty One. His name is to be hallowed.

Unfortunately the Christian church over the centuries has failed to get this right. At one extreme there has been a tendency to exalt Mary and hallow her name. There have been some who have even worshiped her. But that completely misses the point of Mary’s words. She is not asking, or even saying that all generations will bless her name. Rather that all generations will acknowledge the blessing of God in her life.

There is a right place for acknowledging God’s blessing in one another’s lives. Provided that the glory is going to God it is right to praise God for the way he has blessed another person. You and I can thank God for the way he has blessed a person that we know with financial wealth, a promotion at work, success in an exam, a new baby, deserved recognition.

Sometimes actually it is hard to glorify God in such a situation because if we are honest we are jealous of the way God has blessed that other person. We covet what they have. We think it unfair that God has blessed them. But the Bible instead encourages you and me to rejoice with those who rejoice (Rm 12:15). The next time you see God’s power at work in someone else’s life, the next time you see God bless another person, there is an opportunity there to respond with joy and give glory to God for the blessing that that person has received.

Regrettably the protestant church has tended to be at the other extreme when it comes to Mary. Our tendency has been to ignore her all together. For fear of being too focussed on Mary, and exalting her, we ignore her and we fail to think about the way God was powerfully at work in her life. That is why a sermon like this is useful. It rejoices with Mary at the blessing that she received from God.

However the protestant church is correct to not exalt Mary. She wasn’t super human. She was an ordinary girl who was humble, willing, and available to be used by God. She was not sinless or perfect. She presumably made many mistakes as a mother. But in some ways that is the point of Mary’s song. God took an ordinary human being and blessed her by using her in a remarkable way.

Her example is supposed to be an encouragement to you and me today. You and I are to be encouraged in our own relationship with God. We are not going to be blessed in exactly the same way as Mary, but God does still bless us today. God blesses us with salvation. God blesses us every time you and I are used by him in his service. God pours out blessing on us in terms of allowing us to enjoy relationship with him. One day we as Christians will experience the ultimate blessing of being in his presence for eternity.

And when you and I are blessed we should like Mary be ready to pour out our praise to God. Mary’s song is a good example of that. She is full of praise. God had indeed been powerfully at work in Mary’s life.

GOD’S POWER AT WORK IN THE WORLD (v50-55)

Yet God, at this incredible moment of history, is doing even more than blessing Mary the individual. God is also powerfully at work in the world. As Mary prophetically acknowledges, these events that are impacting her life are also transforming the world. So that is my second heading and the second section of this song: God’s power at work in the world, verses 50 to 55.

At first glance it seems hard to understand how these verses follow on from what we have read so far. The story of a young girl and a baby appears to have little to do with God’s mighty power being displayed against rulers, kings, the rich and powerful, in the verses that follow. It is hard to see how a weak and helpless baby can bring any benefit to those in humble circumstances, as suggested a few verses further on.

And yet that is the astounding message of Christmas. The baby didn’t stay in a manger – despite all the Christmas cards. The birth of Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah has unstoppably implications. Like a dam bursting and the floodwaters surging forth.

Mary is caught up in a culture of Messianic expectation. Her song language is full of theology. She seems to draw together material from the Old Testament Scriptures, the language of the Psalms, the songs of great women of God who have gone before her. Her song contains truth, and great encouragement for God’s people.

So I simply want to work my way through these verses and look at what she says. And I have five points for you about the nature of God and his work in the world.

1) God is merciful and loving

Number one, Mary’s song of praise highlights the fact that God is merciful and loving. God is merciful and loving. Take a look with me at verse 50. Mary declares:

50 [God’s] mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. (Luke 1:50)

Mary is declaring that God is merciful. In the events that are about to unfold God will demonstrate his mercy. When people respond to him, when they fear him in the sense of respecting him and giving him the honour that he is due, when they accept his Son the Lord Jesus Christ, he extends his mercy toward them.

I don’t know what sort of childhood you had, but perhaps you can remember being in a fight at school, or punching your younger brother, and what probably happened next was that you got into trouble with a teacher or a parent. But just imagine that your younger brother didn’t tell your mum or dad, but instead forgave you for walloping him over the head.

Well that is mercy, not getting what you deserve, being let off the hook. The Bible says that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son (the lord Jesus Christ) to die on a cross, so that anyone who believes in him and accepts the salvation that he offers, would not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

As human beings we rebelled against God and we deserve to experience his wrath. But instead of being punished God acts towards us with love. And if we turn to him, if we fear and honour him as God, he extends his mercy toward us. And he keeps doing it, just as he always has, generation after generation.

This baby to be born to Mary, will be Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He will make salvation available to the world. He is the mercy of God perfectly expressed, and effective for all generations. It is through the events of Christmas (and then Easter) that we learn most clearly that God is merciful and loving.

2) God is powerful – the Mighty One

Number two, Mary’s song of praise highlights the fact that God is powerful – he is the Mighty One. God is powerful. Mary has already addressed God with the title ‘the Mighty One’ in verse 49. But in verse 51 she adds the fact that God has performed mighty deeds. Have a look there at how Mary puts it, verse 51. She says:

51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. (Luke 1:51-52)

The title Mighty One of verse 49, is a title that is associated with God’s immense power. It is the image of God leading out his armies, with no one who can stand before him. This is Messianic hope – a day when God will triumph over his enemies and restore the fortunes of his people.

Mary sees with the eye of faith and speaks in the past tense of the mighty deeds that God has completed. The incarnation of God the Son, the Messiah, has set in motion a chain of events that is unstoppable and will shake the world. One day, yet to come, God will wipe away all opposition. All evil will be removed from creation. We will enter the new heavens and earth. The kingdom of our Lord will fully come.

Verse 51 refers to the arm of God. With the arm of his strength he has acted mightily, scattered his enemies, brought down the opposition. It is like a nuclear bomb going off and a wave of explosive power sweeping away anything that stands in its path. And yet God only has to lift his arm. He doesn’t even have to stir his whole being to action. He is more powerful than the most powerful ruler sitting on their throne. The proud cannot stand against him. God is the ultimate power – the only Mighty One.

3) God exalts the humble but brings down the proud and powerful

Number three, Mary’s song of praise highlights the fact that God exalts the humble but brings down the proud and powerful. Look again at verses 51 and 52. Mary says that God’s power is directed against the proud – they are scattered. God’s power is directed against the powerful rulers on their thrones – they are brought low. But the humble are lifted up.
Herod was a powerful king ruling in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus birth. In the midst of his pride and hunger for power he felt threatened by the talk of a new king to be born. The visit of the Magi disturbed him (Mt 2:3). He tired to eradicate the threat to his kingdom by having every boy in Bethlehem under two years old put to death. But the Mighty God was watching over his Son, and Mary, Joseph and the baby escaped to Egypt. The powerful are not powerful in comparison to God.

And when God brings low the proud and the powerful it is often done with mercy in mind. Those who are proud and secure in their own ability are unable to trust in God to save them. They want to save themselves. They fail to acknowledge their need. They are trying to rule their own kingdom not live in God’s kingdom.

It is the humble (like Mary) that God lifts up. Not so that they can be proud and powerful, but so that the distinctions are removed. It is the humble who today turn to Christ for salvation and become members of his eternal kingdom. So don’t let your pride, your own strength, achievements, ability, skill, or intelligence, stand in the way of your turning to God this Christmas. God exalts the humble but brings down the proud and powerful.

4) God satisfies the hungry but sends the rich away empty

Number four, Mary’s song of praise highlights the fact that God satisfies the hungry but sends the rich away empty. God satisfies the hungry but sends the rich away empty. In some ways it is similar to the previous point. But the emphasis now is on wealth rather than power. Have a look at verse 53. Mary declares that:

53 He [God] has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. (Luke 1:53)



From Mary’s perspective God has already fed the hungry and protected the vulnerable. The coming of Jesus’ birth is so real and life transforming that it is as if God has already announced good news to the poor (Is 61:1). God is truly concerned for the poor, the hungry, the vulnerable, the oppressed. He is concerned for his people living under Roman occupation, he is concerned for the spiritual hunger and thirst of a world in need of salvation and restored relationship with him.

These words of Mary’s will only ultimately be fulfilled when Jesus returns a second time and brings in his eternal kingdom. But there is still an opportunity today for you and me to share God’s concern for the hungry, the poor. Perhaps even this morning you could use the envelopes in the pews to support Tearfund in their work among the needy.

5) God helps his people and is faithful to his promises

Number five, Mary’s song of praise highlights the fact that God helps his people and is faithful to his promises. God helps his people and is faithful to his promises. Look at what Mary says in verses 54 and 55.

54 [God] has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers. (Luke 1:54-55)

The Christmas story is the fulfilment of centuries of expectation. The incarnation of the Son of God in Mary’s womb is the event that Abraham and the prophets were looking forward to. The Messiah, the Christ is about to be born. God has remained faithful to his promise to Abraham, that one day one of his offspring would be born who would bring God’s blessing to all people. In other words God can be trusted to keep his promises and look after his servants, which includes you and me even today.

CONCLUSION

God has indeed been powerfully at work in Mary’s life, but these events of Christmas also demonstrate God’s power at work in the world. God is merciful and loving towards his creation, he is powerful, he brings down those who trust in their own power and riches, but raises up the humble and the poor. God is faithful to his promises and helps his people.

Mary is right to give glory to God. And that should be our response as well. This Christmas you and I should be people who are primarily concerned with celebrating the birth of Jesus, celebrating God’s plan of salvation, and celebrating God’s power at work in the world.

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