"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has looked upon the humble state of His slave,
For behold, from this time on, all generations will count me blessed.
For behold, from this time on, all generations will count me blessed.
For the Mighty One has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is upon generation after generation
Toward those who fear Him.
He has done a mighty deed with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And sent away the rich empty-handed.
He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his seed forever."
Good Morning my beloved,
The Christian Faith is marked by the praises offered by God's people, as an expression of adoration and gratitude, giving thanks to Him as our source of hope and comfort, equipping us to find joy in this fallen world, is an integral part of worship, and is evident in the many hymns we sing to honor God.
Mary's praise, or Mary's Magnificat as it is commonly called, where she bursts forth in spontaneous, overflowing worship pouring from within her, praising God for what He has done on her behalf,
blessing her with the child in her womb and His faithfulness to Israel, is poetic and is often sung during various church services, especially those with a liturgical tradition, however, Luke does not record that she sang it. What especially struck me about Mary's words, is that they are filled with many references to the Old Testament Scriptures, clearly indicating that Mary's heart was saturated with God's Word and is a wonderful testimony of her devotion and obedience to God, and is possibly the greatest example of a true worshiper, the most touching example of pure worship and adoration of God found anywhere in the New Testament. Further, Mary acknowledges that she is the recipient of God's blessing, not the dispenser of His blessing or His divine grace and clearly recognized her position as a humble His slave.
Allow me to point out, that nowhere does she indicate that all generations will look to her to bless them, she only says that all generations will "call her blessed," because of the blessing she received from God. She does not identify herself as being the object of worship and adoration, but affirms her worship and adoration of God, the only One worthy to be worshiped and adored. Jesus later affirms in Luke 11:28, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it." This is surely true for Mary and anybody who hears the Word of God and obeys it. In Deuteronomy 6:24, the Lord commands us to observe all His statutes and to fear the Lord our God. And in Romans 2:13, Paul says "For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified." And John 9:31 says, "We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He listens to him." In John 14:15, Jesus said in a call to obey Him, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." This is another way of saying, "If you have a relationship with Me, you will be obedient." In verse 23 of this same chapter, He said "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him."
Therefore, we can conclude, that obedience is foundational to our relationship, our joy, our blessing and our usefulness and is the evidence of our love for Him. I believe that it must be understood, that we were set apart unto God, in order that we might obey the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, many unsanctified Christians are often are put off by the command to obey God, in fact, they feel very strongly that in Christ, it is their right to choose whether they want to obedient or not, they are free from necessary obedience, being covered by grace, however, it seems to be a very convenient theology for those who want to pervert the Gospel, in order to have a clear conscience, while continuing to live a life of sin. I am confident that it's essential to understand, we are not delivered from sin in order to continue in it, because that's just not what the Bible teaches.
In fact, we can’t avoid it, in 1 Peter chapter 1:2, Peter writes that we have been sanctified by the Spirit in order that we may obey Jesus Christ, it's not a question whether we want to obey Him or not, but we are sanctified by the Spirit so that we will obey, as the response to God's Word. It should be obvious from the Great Commission in Matthew 28, that obedience is synonymous with making disciples, when Jesus said "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
As a true child of God, who has come to know the Truth, our goal is to become like Christ, obedience is the deepest expression of our profound gratitude to God for all He has done on our behalf, through Christ. That said, I believe the apostle Paul would certainly agree that while a follower of Christ longs to obey, obedience is not easy, it's a struggle, in Romans 7, when he wrote, "For what I am working out, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate." In verses 24-25, he wrote "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
Disobedience and shallow worship dishonors God, in Isaiah 29, He plainly states it is intolerable to Him, "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but they remove their hearts far from Me,and their fear of Me is in the command of men learned by rote." In other words, shallow worship is an exercise of memorization learned from. The worship Mary offered to God was not superficial or shallow, her praise was certainly induced, it was deeply personal, with a swelling intensity, exuding from the unspeakable joy rising within her, as true worship should.
Let us pray
Heavenly Father,
Amen
Today's Message: Praise Overflowing
As the people of God, we have been saved for the ultimate purpose of worship. Every glimpse of heaven we get in Scripture, is always filled with praise and worship to the triune God, whether it's the angels, the redeemed saints, or the church triumphant, praise and worship is the theme of what's taking place. Frankly, it is overwhelming to me, to think that when all of God's redeemed people get to heaven, we will collectively spend all of eternity doing just that. Imagine for a moment the highest, most fulfilling worship experience you can think of in terms of your own personal experience, when your heart was literally exploding with the most exhilarating joy and overwhelming gratitude to the Lord, that you couldn't possibly contain it then multiply that by infinity and will give you an idea of what worship in heaven will be like! I believe that is exactly the expression of great faith that young Mary was feeling when she burst for in worship and praise from the heart, as she was contemplating the great blessing God has bestowed upon her. Is it any wonder why Jesus says to the Samaritan woman in John 4, that God is spirit, and the Father seeks true worshipers to worship Him in spirit and in truth?
Open your Bibles with me, if you would and turn to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1, verses forty-six through fifty-five. I invite you to follow along with me as I read to set this marvelous passage in our minds. I pray that we will all listen for the voice of our Lord with open ears and a hearing heart. Luke 1:46-55.
As the people of God, we have been saved for the ultimate purpose of worship. Every glimpse of heaven we get in Scripture, is always filled with praise and worship to the triune God, whether it's the angels, the redeemed saints, or the church triumphant, praise and worship is the theme of what's taking place. Frankly, it is overwhelming to me, to think that when all of God's redeemed people get to heaven, we will collectively spend all of eternity doing just that. Imagine for a moment the highest, most fulfilling worship experience you can think of in terms of your own personal experience, when your heart was literally exploding with the most exhilarating joy and overwhelming gratitude to the Lord, that you couldn't possibly contain it then multiply that by infinity and will give you an idea of what worship in heaven will be like! I believe that is exactly the expression of great faith that young Mary was feeling when she burst for in worship and praise from the heart, as she was contemplating the great blessing God has bestowed upon her. Is it any wonder why Jesus says to the Samaritan woman in John 4, that God is spirit, and the Father seeks true worshipers to worship Him in spirit and in truth?
Open your Bibles with me, if you would and turn to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1, verses forty-six through fifty-five. I invite you to follow along with me as I read to set this marvelous passage in our minds. I pray that we will all listen for the voice of our Lord with open ears and a hearing heart. Luke 1:46-55.
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has looked upon the humble state of His slave,
For behold, from this time on, all generations will count me blessed.
For behold, from this time on, all generations will count me blessed.
For the Mighty One has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is upon generation after generation
Toward those who fear Him.
He has done a mighty deed with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And sent away the rich empty-handed.
He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his seed forever."
Let's look at verse 46, "And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord." My soul is a term that has to do with her inner person, when the Scripture that was embedded deep within her heart suddenly burst out of her mouth in praise that echoes the words of David in Psalm 34:2, which says "My soul will make its boast in Yahweh; The humble will hear it and rejoice."
Perhaps you remember the passages in which Paul breaks out in an escalating doxology of worship as he cries out from the depths of his soul, in Romans 8 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we eagerly wait for it." And again near the end of Romans 11, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be repaid to him? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen."
The word Luke uses for magnifies, is the verb "megalunó," which means to exalt, declare great or to esteem highly as expression of her love for God. I imagine that at some point, we have all engaged our hearts in offering praise to the Lord, exalting His Name and glorifying Him, or perhaps lifted our voice in song, I believe what is often forgotten are the reasons behind our exultation. Consider His great love, His goodness and His endless mercy demonstrated on a regular basis on our behalf. Make no mistake, Mary certainly had such a particular reason as she lifted her voice in praise, exalting the Lord.
The word Luke uses for magnifies, is the verb "megalunó," which means to exalt, declare great or to esteem highly as expression of her love for God. I imagine that at some point, we have all engaged our hearts in offering praise to the Lord, exalting His Name and glorifying Him, or perhaps lifted our voice in song, I believe what is often forgotten are the reasons behind our exultation. Consider His great love, His goodness and His endless mercy demonstrated on a regular basis on our behalf. Make no mistake, Mary certainly had such a particular reason as she lifted her voice in praise, exalting the Lord.
Verse 47, "And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior." As Mary rejoiced, she knew with certainty that there was a God and He was watching over her, however, she could not have known at that particular moment all that the she was now carrying would mean for her or for the whole of mankind, or the pain she would later experience as she watched her firstborn Son, the child that gave her so such much to rejoice over and praise God for, be crucified to give life to so many. Nor could she have know the confusion she would experience when her other children would refuse to believe in, the One Whom she would soon give birth to, declaring Him out of His mind. Her words echo Isaiah 45:21, "And there is no other God besides Me, a righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me," as it applies it to her own situation. Little did Mary know, that God Who reigns on high that was working in her life, was also working in the world. If we are followers of the Son of God, Mary’s confession holds true for each of us. He has already effectively worked in your life to deliver you from the judgement of your sin, bringing you into His glorious eternal Kingdom. I believe we should all take a moment to think about that great Truth! If judgment begins with us, imagine what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the Gospel? Many today are exceptionally foolish to imagine they will escape the great wrath of a Righteous and Just God.
Verse 48, "For He has looked upon the humble state of His slave, for behold, from this time on, all generations will count me blessed." Mary understood that she was blessed because of the God she humbly worshipped, and she was amazed that God has chosen her to be the mother of Messiah, never once did she imply that she was one to be worshiped, she never exalted herself, in fact, she acknowledged that she is a nobody, and was merely God's humble slave. Frankly, I believe that Mary would be appalled by those who seek to elevate her, making her the object of adoration, nothing she says supports such a foolish notion. Yet, exalting Mary is the blasphemous practice of the Roman Catholic Church, even claiming that she was a perpetual virgin and lived a sinless life adding that she didn't die, she ascended into heaven, called the assumption of Mary, and is now the queen of heaven, and co-redemptrix with Christ. One Catholic woman recently told me that "Mary is absolutely the queen of heaven because she knows for a "fact" that Mary's blood was running down the cross. And the first time Mary interceded as co-meditator on behalf of others, was at the wedding in Cana, and Jesus obeyed and granted her petition." You can't worship God if you don't know the God you're worshiping. Tragically, the Roman Catholic Church can't seem to cross the barrier of their ignorance, struggling with their lack of understanding of what Scripture teaches. Only humble people can worship God, proud people are far too busy worshiping themselves. Mary was humble, amazed that God would chose her to produce His Son.
Verse 49, "For the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name." For the Mighty One, Notice, Mary takes no credit, she doesn't claim that she should be of praised for the child in her womb, she is giving glory to the One to Whom glory belongs, God, Who has done great things for her. It was utterly shocking to her that God would work through, giving her this child she's carrying. And holy is His name, this is a statement contrasting God's holiness against her sinfulness, she didn't put herself on a pedestal, neither should the Roman Catholic Church, who claims Mary is to be exalted, having received a pure soul as a gift from God, lived a sinless life from the moment of her conception, implying that Mary did not suffer in childbirth as one inflicted by the effect of sin. Even going as far to say that Mary was created without sin, like Adam and Eve, and no real Christian would argue that. (c.f. Genesis 1:31) But if Mary is to be considered a sinner because of original sin, rather than actual sin, for there is no such evidence, than Jesus should surely be included in that category. (c.f. Romans 3:23) Anyone who believes the promises of God and submits to His will is blessed, who are we that He should come to die for us? Like Mary, we are far from sinless, but the recipients of God's undeserved grace and overwhelming mercy.
Verse 50, "And His mercy is upon generation after generation Toward those who fear Him."
Notice she's quoting from Psalm 103, "But the lovingkindness of Yahweh is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him." What I find so beautiful about this, is Mary's not only praising God for her salvation but for all who come to salvation in the future after her. I believe this is because in her humility, she doesn’t want anyone to think that she’s only talking about her own salvation, He is going to do the same for others, saving His people from their sin, from generation to generation toward those who fear Him, through this child Who will be named Jesus! Mary knew her salvation depended on God's grace and mercy, like all of the rest of us who believe, and have been saved from our sins. No matter how good some of you may think you are, apart from Christ, you don't measure up to God's standards.
Verse 51, "He has done a mighty deed with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart." Notice she says "He has," Mary began worshiping God for what He is doing in her life, then, as she looked forward, she worshiped God for what He will do in the lives of generations to come of people who fear Him, now she's looking back in redemptive history, worshiping God for what He has already done on behalf of His people. If you go through the Psalms, you'll find this is very typical Jewish approach to worship. There are often times when we are unable to clearly see what God is doing in the present, and rarely can we see what He is going to do in the future, but we can always worship God in remembrance for what He has already done. Because God has always been faithful in the past, we can trust He will be faithful in what He is doing, and what He will do.
Verses 52-53, "He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble. He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent away the rich empty-handed." Throughout history, God has exercised His mighty arm in overturning the normal social order. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, removing the most powerful men from their highly exalted positions, He has stripped the most proud and self-sufficient men of all their possessions, sending them away empty-handed and at the same time, He has exalted those who were humble, He has filled the hungry with good things. Not even the wealthiest, most powerful, most intellectual of men can withstand the purposes of God.
Verse 54, "He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy." Mary was surely experiencing God's mercy in the present, from the Savior who is saving her, she saw God's mercy in the past as she looked at Israel's redemptive history and she believed God would be merciful for generations to come. God has always merciful toward penitent sinners, hasn't He? He continues to grant salvation to generation after generation even today to those who recognize their wretched, corrupt, sinful condition. That's why God indicts the world through the proclamation of the Gospel; so that they can flee to Him to receive mercy. Sadly, much of modern evangelism has abandoned sound doctrine, the Gospel that Jesus Himself proclaimed, ignoring the warnings of Scripture about sin, judgement and repentance. Teaching a false gospel of no repentance, no obedience, no righteousness, no turning from sin, no spiritual fruit is required. Just believe.
That brings up verse 55, "As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his seed forever." She's looking at the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant in the past, where God promised to bless Abraham, and she's looking to the future, God promising salvation to the world, through Abraham's seed, and through the coming Savior, who will go to the cross to die and bear the sins of all those who will believe in His name and confess Him as Lord. As Christians, we praise God Who has faithfully kept His covenants and it has finally reached us, that's why we should all worship God, praising Him for what He has done, laying the iniquities of us all on Him, and the faithfulness of God assures us He'll do it in the generations to come. Praise be to God for His loving kindness, meeting every need of His own beloved people, for He alone is worthy of such praise.
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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