My Soul Magnifies the Lord: The First Song of Discipleship - Luke 1:46–47 (NLT)
Introduction: When Discipleship Begins with Worship
Discipleship does not begin with a plan, a programme, or a platform.
It begins with a heart that is captured by God.
Before Mary ever held the Christ-child in her arms, she carried Him in her heart.
Before Jesus ever preached a sermon, His mother preached one—with her worship.
Luke 1:46–47 gives us the first recorded human response to the coming of Christ.
It is not strategy.
It is not explanation.
It is worship.
And at the heart of discipleship—following Jesus—is this simple but life-altering truth:
If your soul does not magnify the Lord, you will never truly follow Him.
Luke 1:46–47 (NLT): Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.How my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour!”
Luke’s Gospel is written with careful historical detail. Luke tells us he investigated everything carefully from the beginning (Luke 1:3). What we have here is not poetry invented later—it is the Spirit-inspired testimony of a young Jewish girl living under Roman occupation, in a forgotten town called Nazareth.
Mary is likely a teenager. She is poor. She is powerless in the eyes of the world. She has just been told she will carry the Messiah—not through human effort, but by divine intervention.
Her response tells us something crucial:
True discipleship begins when God interrupts your life—and you surrender with worship.
Mary’s song, often called The Magnificat, echoes Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2 and is soaked in Old Testament theology. Mary knows her Scriptures. She understands God’s covenant faithfulness. And she recognises that the child she carries is her Saviour.
Key Truth #1: Discipleship Starts in the Soul, Not the Schedule
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord”
The word “soul” comes from the Greek psyche, meaning the whole inner life—the seat of desire, affection, and will.
The word “praises” is megalyno, meaning to make great, to magnify.
Mary is not making God bigger—God cannot be enlarged.
She is declaring His greatness, just as a magnifying glass reveals what is already there.
Discipleship is not about adding Jesus to your life; it is about reordering your life around His greatness.
Psalm 34:3 (NLT): “Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt His name together.”
David writes this after escaping from Abimelech—on the run, misunderstood, and afraid. Yet his instinct is worship.
Disciples magnify the Lord not when life is easy, but when God is enough.
Max Lucado: “Worship is the heart’s response to who God is and what He has done.”
Lucado reminds us that worship is not a mood—it is a response. Mary doesn’t worship because she understands everything; she worships because she trusts the One who does.
Think of a telescope. It doesn’t create stars—it reveals them.
Worship doesn’t create God’s greatness—it reveals it in your life.
Many Christians struggle in discipleship because they try to follow Jesus without first falling in love with Him.
Key Truth #2: True Joy Flows from Knowing God as Saviour
“My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour”
The word “rejoices” is agalliao, meaning to leap for joy, to exult.
This is not quiet satisfaction—it is overflowing delight.
Notice this:
Mary does not say “God my helper” or “God my example”
She says, “God my Saviour.”
Mary understood something many modern people miss:
She needed saving.
Isaiah 12:2 (NLT): “See, God has come to save me. I will trust in Him and not be afraid.”
Isaiah points forward to salvation that brings joy, not fear.
Joy grows where salvation is treasured.
Tim Keller: “The gospel is not just the ABCs of Christianity, but the A to Z of the Christian life.”
Keller reminds us that disciples never graduate from the gospel. Mary’s joy flows from grace, not performance.
A drowning person does not critique the rescuer’s technique.
They cling.
Mary rejoices because she knows she has been rescued—not by religion, but by grace.
Key Truth #3: Discipleship is Rooted in Humble Surrender
Luke 1:48 expands this truth “For He took notice of His lowly servant girl” (NLT)
Mary’s worship flows from humility.
James 4:6 (NLT): “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Greek Insight: Charis (grace) is unearned favour. It flows downhill—to the humble.
Pride resists discipleship. Humility receives grace.
R.T. Kendall: “God’s greatest blessings often come disguised as interruptions.”
Mary’s life plan was interrupted—but heaven’s plan was revealed. Disciples learn to say, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
The Gospel: Why Mary Rejoices in God Her Saviour
Mary’s song points forward to the cross.
The child in her womb would:
Live the sinless life we could not live
Die the death we deserved
Be buried in a borrowed tomb
Rise again on the third day in victory
1 Corinthians 15:3–4 (NLT): “Christ died for our sins… He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day.”
Jesus is not merely an example—He is a Saviour.
And the call of discipleship is the same today as it was then:
Repent. Believe. Follow.
Call to Action: How Do We Respond?
For Believers
Re-centre your discipleship on worship – Magnify the Lord daily.
Rejoice in the gospel – Do not drift into joyless religion.
Walk humbly – Say yes to God’s interruptions.
Romans 12:1 (NLT): “Give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you.”
Invitation to Salvation:
Perhaps today you admire Mary’s song—but you have never sung it yourself.
You know about Jesus, but you do not know Him as your Saviour.
Today, you can say:
“My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”
If you will turn from sin and trust in Jesus Christ—crucified and risen—you can be forgiven, made new, and begin the journey of true discipleship.
Conclusion and Benediction:
Discipleship does not begin with doing more.
It begins with loving Jesus more.
May your soul magnify the Lord.
May your spirit rejoice in God your Saviour.
And may your life proclaim His greatness in a watching world.
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.”
May that be the song of every disciple who follows Jesus.
