The Magnificat

Luke 1:46-49

THE MAGNIFICAT

"My soul magnifies the Lord"

December 25, 2022

The Setting: Mary has just been visited by the angel Gabriel and told of the miraculous life that is now in her womb. She has just made the journey to her cousin Elizabeth, who is also expecting, in her old age, a promised baby, John the Baptist. When Mary arrives and speaks to Elizabeth, the baby in Elizabeth's womb leaps for joy. Elizabeth responds by telling Mary that she is blessed because she has believed the Lord and that God will do all that He has said He will do to and through her life. Hearing this, Mary, even though she is young, unmarried and pregnant, begins to lift her voice in praise to the Lord. In doing so, she reveals a heart that has been saturated with the Old Testament Scriptures. Mary's great hymn of praise has come to be known as The Magnificat. This is the Latin translation of her doxology, "My soul magnifies the Lord."

I. The Savior (V.46-47) - The first thing which she lifts her voice in praise is for salvation. “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior” Like the rest of us, Mary was born in sin and stood in need of a Savior, but in this verse, she declares her dependence upon God for salvation. Your life may be falling apart this morning, but if you have been redeemed by the precious Blood of Jesus, then you have a reason to magnify the Lord! Because you have been saved, you will never stand in judgment, you are granted daily access to the Throne of Grace, and you will experience the presence of the Lord throughout eternity in Heaven.

If you are a child of the King right now? You should offer the sacrifices of praise unto the Lord right now - Hebrews 13:15 Through [Jesus] then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. ESV Psalmist 107 said, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!”

II. The Servant (V.48a) - (KJV says that He has Regarded the lowly = "to turn the eyes upon.") Mary is telling Elizabeth that she is a nobody, but she has experienced the grace of God firsthand. Mary knows that she does not deserve wonderful favor of God that He has extended to her. Yet, the Lord did it anyway. We who are saved, have been chosen, called and cleaned by His blood because of pure grace. There was nothing in us then, and there is nothing in us now, that would commend us to the Lord. However, in His grace He loved us, reached down to us and saved us when we responded to him in faith. To be regarded by the Lord is a tremendous thing! “He has looked on the humble servant.” Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, He hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)KJV Even though there was nothing in us that reconciled us to Him, He still loved us and by grace transformed us into His children. Romans 5:6-8 For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: for peradventure for the good man someone would even dare to die. But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ASV

Mary praises the Lord because He did not come to reach out to the proud and the mighty. In fact, God chose to reveal Himself to those who were poor and humble. In His working of this great miracle, God has demonstrated His power and has put to shame all those who thought they had Him figured out, 1 Corinthians 1:27-30 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. ESV

In one great act, God has reversed the order of society. Only those who are willing to humble themselves before the Lord can expect anything from the Lord. Those who are willing to admit their sin can expect to be saved. Those who are willing to admit their need can expect to be blessed. 1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; ASV

III. The Song (V.48b-49) - Mary sings because she realizes that God is doing the supernatural and miraculous with her life. She sings because she is to be the means by which the God of eternity enters humanity. While many in her day ridiculed her and talked about her, she sings because she knew that in days to come, others would look back on her obedience and know that she had been blessed by the Lord. “All generations will call me blessed.” She looked beyond her problem and believed in the promise! In verse 28 when the angel Gabriel first spoke to her, he said, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”