The Song Of Mary - Magnificat Series

In a recent documentary which I viewed on the History Channel on television scientist and historians of various types explored the genetic data of the region of Jesus life and created model of what he may have looked like. It was very interesting to see how people of that time period may have appeared.

Western European paintings of the Middle Ages nearly always depict Jesus with features which are much more in keeping with Western Europeans than with people of the ancient near east, in the lands of Judea.

It occurs to me that like those painters of the Middle Ages, we all tend to create Jesus in our own image. The natural human tendency is an inclination toward defining deity according to our own likeness, our own needs, and our own preferences. We greatly prefer a God, who suits our preferences, don’t we?

This is exactly what even ancient idol worship was all about; making a stone likeness of prosperity, health, physical potency, to worship is fundamentally about defining deity according to one’s own terms. Idolatry is not reserved for the worship of pagan idols alone; idolatry comes in various forms and it is always about redefining or defining the divine according to one’s own terms.

In Christ, however, we see God meeting us where we are, in our sinfulness and brokenness, according to His sovereign decree, not our finite inclinations. In Christ we see the perfect display of the relationship between God’s holiness & grace, God’s sovereignty and mercy, and the sacred creator and His creation!

The hypostasis, that is, the perfect union of the eternal deity of God indwelling the human flesh of Jesus, is a picture of communion between God and His creation; that is, the creator of the universe has stretched out His hand in Jesus Christ that you and I might not simply know of, but know Him!

While we cannot know for sure exactly what Jesus looked like in His facial structure or physical appearance, we can know exactly what He looked like, according to the Scriptures; compassion nailed to a tree! Jesus looks like the harbinger of the upside down Kingdom of God! Jesus looks like a revolutionary of God’s love, grace, and mercy and He is calling us to join the revolution!

Conclusion

Mary’s song is her hearts cry at the wonder of all that God was going to do through the child she would bear. She carried with her He would come to reconcile us unto God and institute a revolution of radical love! We have been enlisted into this revolution of love by the sovereign decree of God who has called us, given us the gift of faith, and even now is working within unto His glory!

How do you participate in the revolution you ask? Surely, it sounds too high and lofty for daily life in the midst of job, family, and all of the rest that goes with this life. Hear and take heed of the words of John Wesley in “Revival and Revolution.”

John Wesley’s rule for Christian living: “Do All the Good You Can, By All the Means You Can, In All the Ways You Can, In All the Places You Can, At All the Times You Can, To All the People You Can, As long as Ever ... You Can!”