LUKE 1: (39-45) 46-55
THE MAGNIFICAT / Mary’s Song of Praise
[1 Samuel 2:1-10]
Mary had hidden the Word of God in her heart since childhood. When she was filled with the Holy Spirit she was able to pour forth this song of praise to the out of the treasure of Scripture in her heart. Mary’s hymn of praise reflects her character and her emotional response to God’s mighty work in her life. It also extends praise to God for His faithfulness to the righteous remnant down through history and for their future vindication. Her understanding of what God is now doing in her life causes her great joy. Her faith rests in a God that acts on behalf of the righteous to take care of them.
The song is poetic in structure and makes free use of Old Testament language, showing evidence of much contemplation on the part of Mary as she weighed all the things which Gabriel had told her. Mary was obviously taught the sacred writing from an early age and she remembered them well (2 Tim 3:15). Now in her meeting with Elizabeth God gave her additional evidence for her faith that He truly was working a most unusual event in her life. These encouraging words caused Mary’s full heart and mind to overflow in joyful praise.
[If you see resemblance in Mary’s song to Hannah’s prayer you are very astute. Both of these devote Jewish women were praising God for the gift of their first born. (See Hendrickson, Luke, NT Com. p 101-2).]
MARY MAGNIFIES GOD:
I. FOR RESPONDING TO HER HUMBLENESS, 1:46- 48a.
II. FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR HER, 1:48b – 50.
III. FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR MANKIND, 51-53.
IV. FOR KEEPING HIS COVENANT PROMISES, 54-55.
The personal part of the song extends to the end of verse 50. It contains three stanzas (or strophes). The first stanza is verses 46 & 47. It is the exuberant personal expression of the glad emotions awakened by Elizabeth’s presence and blessing which confirmed to Mary the angel’s announcement. There is deep truth here. God’s voice is made more sure to our weak faith when it is echoed by human lips and our inner-most hopes develop firmness when they are given spoken confirmation by another.
The song of praise begins in verses 46 & 47 with MARY MAGNIFYING GOD for what He was about to do and for her part in it. And Mary said: "My soul magnifies [exalts] the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
Mary’s first words are a burst of jubilant and wondrous praise from an overflowing heart. Silence is impossible and acknowledging speech a relief. Magnifies or exalts (êåãáëìíù) means to make great. The Latin translation (Vulgate) of the text has given to Mary’s song the title “The Magnificat” (Magnificat anima mea dominum – My soul magnifies the Lord).
Mary magnifies the Lord by proclaiming His goodness and bringing attention to Him. The praise comes from her both her soul and spirit, the totality of Mary’s inner being. Her soul dwelt on the greatness of God and on what He was doing for His people, and she gives Him exuberant thanksgiving for it. She had never seen God so great as He now showed Himself to be to her.
She rejoices by expressing her inner state of joyful well-being from meditating upon her experience. She proclaims Him, “God my Savior.” The redeeming God, who was the Lord of Mary’s life, was the object of her joyful praise. She knew deliverance from sin and enjoyment of fellowship with God for He was her. And so He would prove Himself to be, for God’s angel had previously said to her “you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Mt 1:21).
Those who magnify the Lord are those whose spirits rejoices in God their Savior. If you are not rejoicing then look to see if you are magnifying the Lord. Are you are making God great and glorious in your inner being?
[Three points of parallelism: 1) Soul-Spirit, 2) Exalts–Rejoices, 3) Lord–Savior]
Verse 48 gives a reason for her exuberant praise. For He has had regard for the humble state of His bond slave;
The Lord looked down on Mary with loving care. He saw her as someone He could bless without it going to her head, without it making her proud. God could so bless Mary because she was humble before the Lord. In Mary’s eyes and the eyes of others she was no one special in the world. She was to become the wife of a village carpenter. Yet the God of Israel had chosen her as the mother of His Incarnate Son. Because of the humiliation Mary’s Son would experience, God chose a humble couple living in humble circumstances. With the coming of God’s Son the poor and down-trodden would have opportunity to see light and find freedom from sin’s bondage.
Mary’s humble perspective forms the basis of her gratitude. Her exemplary characters grows out of her understanding of God character. [Darrell Bock, Luke, IVP NT Com. Series, 45] The Scripture reveals Mary as deeply spiritual and meditative (even from her childhood- Lk. 2:19, 51, Jn. 2:5).
II. MARY MAGNIFIES GOD: FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR HER, 48b–50.
In the second half of verse 48 Mary speaks of the blessing her privilege would bring her. for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
Mary would not be blessed because of any special or superior worth or perfection of her nature, but because of the Child she would bear. She regarded herself as unworthy to become the object of God’s special favor, nevertheless, from now on not only Elizabeth (1:42) but all generations would call her blessed. She acknowledged that the honor God has conferred on her was incredible. Mankind will call her blessed but is not intended to invoke her blessing. She was a simple human touched by divine power and presence. God owes her nothing. She owes everything to Him.
[Mary knows God would not have her be venerated as the holiest of all creatures (hyperdulia). What she means is that all generations are going to praise God because of the marvelous manner in which He has honored her.]
Think of that simple young girl in her obscurity having flashed before her the certainty that her name would be repeated, recognizing her blessing, till the world’s ends. She here lays the honor at God’s feet. What a lesson on how to receive all distinctions and exaltations!
In verse 49 Mary gives the reason for her blessedness as God’s mighty power and holiness which brought about her conception. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name.
As Mary reflects on what God has done for her, He is understandably called “the Mighty One” (Deut. 10:21; 34:11; Ps. 44:4-8; 89:8-10; 111:2, 9; Zeph. 3:17). Had He not lifted her from her humble state and bestowed on her the highest honor conceivable, namely to be the mother of the Messiah; as far as His human nature was concerned. Had He not performed within her the miracle of virgin birth [parthenogenesis, conception without penetration of a passive female cell by an active male cell]? The great thing is Mary conceiving though a virgin. How marvelous is God’s power!
Because the All Mighty God had worked in this pure, set apart, and sinless way, His name would be recognized as holy, completely set apart from sinfulness. Holy – gadosh, ascribes sinlessness to God and describes Him as being lifted infinitely high above all creation including man’s falleness and sin. He is uniquely Holy, infinitely exalted and transcendent.
Notice Mary says done “for me. True religion is a very personal relationship between God and His child. God’s work is not abstract or theoretical but real and personal. Was your salvation experience real and personal or only abstract and theoretical?
From verse 50 on the words are mostly quotations from the Old Testament with new applications and meaning. Not only does Mary exalt God’s power and holiness, she also lifts up His mercy. AND HIS MERCY IS upon generation after generation Toward those who fear Him.
Mary’s song now expands from the individual to the corporate, from what she herself had experienced to what God has offered to one generation after another throughout the course of history. God has always reached down in mercy to the devout humble in each generation.
Note please the qualifications for God’s mercy. God’s mercy is available to the reverent or “to those who fear Him,” that is to those who in heart and mind are filled with worshipful or devout regard for God. These are the genuinely God-fearing and pure people. God does not withdraw His kindness from mankind (Gen. 12:20, 39:5; Ps. 36:6; 145:9,15,16; Mt. 5:42; Mk 8:2; Lk. 6:35f; Acts 14:16f; Rom 2:4; 1 Tim. 4:18). Though God bestows common grace on all, He reserves special consideration, special mercy for those who fear Him. These are those who bow before His holiness and marvel at His kindness. Those who worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
III. MARY MAGNIFIES GOD: FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR MANKIND, 51-53.
The Mighty One who worked in humble Mary also acts upon the thoughts of man as verse 51 reveals. “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
The thought describes the future work of God’s Son as continuing God’s past work. As God did in the past, He will do again in the work of His Son. God’s arm represents His might or strength. It can be used to strongly support and uphold. It can also be used to scatter, bring down and drive out (Deut. 4:34; 9:10; Ps. 34:15; 44:3; 89:13; 118:15). In God’s time He supports the faithful humble and frustrates the proud.
The “proud” are those who do not fear God (v. 50), who are not hungry for God’s righteousness (v. 53), nor afflicted (vv. 48, 52). He stands against the proud to overturn their political power and position. The Salvation Jesus brings to the humble will also bring judgment to the proud (6:20-26).
The innermost thought or thoughts of the heart describes the hidden place or center of a person’s reasoning power. The hidden imaginations of our heart reveal our true self, which is opened before God’s all-seeing eyes. [He will see to it that the proud of heart will not attain unity of purpose or comradeship.]
The contrast between the humble and the haughty continues in verse 52. “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble.
The Old Testament taught Mary that sooner or later God acts upon one’s innermost attitude to bring about a reversal of prospects or futures (Job 12:19; 1 Sam. 2:7; Ps. 147:6; Lk.. 10:13-15; 14:11; 16:19-31; 18:14). God dethrones autocratic rulers (äõíÜóôçò, from where our word dynasty comes). Though He may do it through secondary cause, He is the primary reason they are brought down before they do irreparable damage.
Bless God that the reverse is also true. God pays careful loving attention to the humble, raising them up to new positions of significance before Him (Eph. 1:11; Rom. 8:28). Mary is deeply conscious of the fact. For God’s exalting is clearly seen in the choice of Mary to be the mother of His Son.
[Contrasting parallelism is used here: brought down ruler, exalted humble; filled hungry, emptied rich.]
Verse 53 proclaims God’s concern for the spiritually hungry. “He has filled the hungry with good things; And sent away the rich empty-handed.
This verse reflects the OT (1 Sam. 2:5; Ps. 72:11; 107:9) hope of vindication for following the Lord, but again it foreshadows Jesus’ ministry (Lk. 6:21, 24-26; 11:5-13; 16:19-31; 21:1-4). Both the Old and New Covenants recognizes God’s desire to satisfy the spiritually hunger who trust in Him (Isa. 55:1-2; Amos 8:11; Mt. 5:6; Jn. 6:35, 48). [This is not to say that God does not care for the physically hungry (1 Sam 21:1-6; Mt. 12:1-8; 1 Kgs 17:1-16; 19:5-8; 2 Kgs 4:42-44; Ps. 37:25), but that He wants to fill with something more sustaining that physical food.]
The proud, the powerful and the rich are those pursuing their own purpose and even against the purposes of God. They are empty though they be full of all the world offers (Isa. 48:22; 57:21).
MARY MAGNIFIES GOD:
IV. FOR KEEPING HIS COVENANT PROMISES, 54-55.
Mary has been praising God in song for His deeds. In the closing stanza she points out what those deeds have meant to Israel and the promises made to the forefathers. Verse 54 lifts our hopes by calling to mind God’s help and mercy. “He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy,
Through-out Israel’s history God has stepped-in to help the remnant who served Him. The history of Israel tells the story of God’s help and mercy. Each chapter from Genesis 12 tells of God’s undeserved help and tender mercy for His people. Yes, God has done what He promised.
God acts and His actions toward His people reflect His mercy. May His name be magnified forever and ever.
Verse 55 proclaims the hope and vindication of God’s covenant promises. As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.”
The recalling of the fathers and Abraham emphasizes the continuation of salvation history in Jesus. Through the Child that she was to bear, God was being merciful “to Abraham and his descendants.” God had promised Abraham “in your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18).
Mary was aware that the birth of her Child was a fulfillment of the covenant promises to Abraham and his descendants. The blessed seed of Abraham is Jesus Christ, God’s one and only Messiah, who would give His perfect sinless life so that all who believe might be saved. The offer and the promise still stand today. For the true descendants of Abraham are those who live their life based upon faith in God and His promises (Gen. 15:6; 22:9; Hab. 2:4; Rom.4:3; Gal 3:9, 29).
The God who has helped His people so often in their past distresses and captivities because of His covenant with them, was coming to offer them and all of mankind salvation and deliverance. It is an invitation He still extends to us today.
The passage concludes with verse 56 by bringing Mary and us back to the harsh reality of day to day life. And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months, apparently until John was born (v. 36). Mary then returned home. The Greek has the words “her home,” indicating that she was still a virgin and was not yet married to Joseph. She was showing when she returned home and would be the object of accusation and ostracization [separation].
Let the people say what they would. Mary was willing to bear the disgrace in order to become an instrument of God’s grace.
CONCLUSION
A baby leaps. The Spirit moves. Elizabeth blesses. In response [to the God blessed situation,] the Lord gave Mary a song of praise, a song which praised God for His favor on her and her people.
She spoke of God’s faithfulness (v. 48), power (v. 49), holiness (v. 49), and mercy (v. 50). She praised God for His special favor on His people (vv. 51-55). She recognized God’s redemptive purposes had been worked out in history and were still being worked out in Mary’s life and in the life of the world. May we too understand that God’s purposes and proposals for our life are also redemptive and may we too give Him glory and praise as we live them out.
“With the help of the past, proclaim to those present, that a work of God be done in the future.” Dennis Davidson
