A Mary Perspective for the New Year
This is a sermon I wrote to preach at Bible Baptist Church in Wakarusa, Indiana on 12/29/2024. I have included the recording, but the blog post is a fuller form of the sermon.
Introduction
As we finish out the Christmas season and look toward the beginning of a new year, I want us to meditate today on what our perspective should be as we look forward to the future unknowns. Corrie Ten Boom, a holocaust survivor who was sent to a Nazi concentration camp for hiding Jewish people, once said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Today, we will look at the Mary’s song of praise in Luke 1 in which she does just that: after reflecting on who God is and what he has done, she expresses trust in him for the future. We do not know what evils God will permit in our lives in the coming year. Perhaps the loss of a job, the ending of a friendship, the onset of disease, the death of a loved one. The unknowns of the future can paralyze us, but instead of trying to control our circumstances, we must entrust them to the God who is already in control and working them together for our good in knowing and becoming like him.This passage follows on the heels of Gabriel's announcement
to Mary that she would bear Jesus, and that her elderly, formerly childless
relative Elizabeth was now six months pregnant; after hearing this news, Mary
visited Elizabeth for three months. When Mary approached her, the unborn John
who would prepare the way for Christ leapt in his mother's womb - these are all
miraculous events! Mary's own pregnancy was confirmed by Elizabeth's own
pregnancy and declaration of Mary's blessedness because of her faith.
In some ways, the two songs of praise in Luke 21 can catch us off guard and strike us as odd. But remember that Luke is writing in the style of the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament, and he intends his two-volume work of Luke-Acts to be the next two books of history to continue the history started in the Old Testament. A praise psalm in the middle of an Old Testament narrative following God's mighty works is not uncommon:
- The Song of Moses after the Red Sea crossing (Ex. 15:1-18)
- The Song of Deborah and Barak (Jdg. 5:1-31)
- Hannah’s prayer (1 Sam. 2:1-10)
- David's Song of Deliverance (2 Sam. 22:1-51)
- David's Song of Thanks for the Ark of the Covenant (1 Chr. 16:8-36)
As we read such reflections, we must remember that poetry
isn't written to give new information; it is written to make us think about what
we already know. These songs force us to stop and meditate upon what has
happened and interact with God about it – they lead us to worship God for what
he has done. Mary's song of praise in Luke 1 – often called the Magnificat
– is partly a remix of various Old Testament passages, partly a meditation on
God's past mighty deeds for Israel, and partly an expression of faith in what
God has promised to do through Jesus – "save his people from their
sins" (Mt. 1:21). Because of the Catholic veneration of Mary, modern
Protestants are often unsure of how to relate to her, but the narrative leading
up to her song of praise is clear that she submits to God's will for her life by
consenting to bear the Messiah (v.38) and believes the miraculous news God
announced to her about the birth of Christ (v.45).
So, Mary worships God for his character, mighty works, and faithfulness to his promises (v.46-55). We must seek to be like her: a person whom God saved from her sin because she knew him through his word and believed his promises. We need to imitate her worship of God. There are four questions about Mary’s prayer that I will answer this morning:
- Who does Mary say God is?
- What does Mary say God is like?
- What does Mary say God has done?
- How does Mary respond to God?
Who does Mary say God is?
In studying through the Magnificat, one quickly sees that
Mary is acquainted with God from the Old Testament, since she is herself an Old
Testament Jew and recipient of the Law and covenants of Israel. Especially, we
see that she refers to God by several of the names he uses for himself with
Israel.
In verse 46, Mary opens with “My soul magnifies the Lord,”
which translates the personal name of God from the Old Testament: Yahweh.
He is the eternal God who needs no one, does as he pleases, and binds himself
in gracious promises (Ex. 3:13-15 cf. Rev. 1:4). By speaking of God as
Lord, Mary acknowledges that he is the covenant-keeping God of the Old
Testament who brought Israel out of slavery in Egypt and made promises he has
the power to keep and will not break because of his unchanging truthfulness. Mary
knows that God is the same for her, and he is the same for us today.
She goes on in verse 47 to say, “and my spirit rejoices
in God,” translating the more generic word from God from the
Old Testament: Elohim. He is the mighty creator and sustainer of the
world and absolute ruler over history (Gen. 1:1). By referring to God as God,
Mary acknowledges his mighty power to help and to save those who are in distress,
as well as to judge those who rebel against him. She also admits that, since God
rules sovereignly over human history, the events of the Old Testament that led
to Israel’s state at her time were part of his plan, a plan that would find its
next step in the birth of Christ. Mary knew God was still the sovereign ruler
of her time, and he still is for us today.
After stating that she rejoices in God, Mary calls him “my Savior”
– he is the one who delivers his people out of difficulty. Scripture is clear
that “Salvation belongs to the LORD” (Ps. 3:8) since he is sovereign and
has the right to deliver, even from his own wrath (Ps. 35:9; Hab. 3:18; Rev.
7:10). The Hebrew word for salvation is Yeshua, which is the Hebrew name
underlying Jesus. By calling God her Savior, Mary was acknowledging his ability
not only to help her in the ensuing shame of unmarried pregnancy, but also to
help all of Israel through the coming Messiah. She knew God could help her in
her sin and suffering, and God is the same for us today.
Skipping ahead to verse 49, Mary praises God, saying, “for
he who is mighty has done great things for me …” Her
reference to God as “mighty” recalls the Hebrew El Shaddai, the Almighty
God, who performed mighty signs and wonders for the Patriarchs and Israel (Gen.
17:1; Ex. 6:3; Ps. 91:1). He is the mighty God (Ps. 89:8; Zeph. 3:17), the protecting
warrior of his people who defends them in conflict (Ps. 24:7-10; Isa. 42:13;
Zeph. 3:17). By calling God mighty, Mary was acknowledging not only his power
but his pattern of using his power to help and sustain his people, and he does the
same for us today.
As the New Testament progresses, all of these names will be
used for Jesus himself as the God-Man, incarnate Deity become like us to be our
Savior. In Luke 1:43, Elizabeth asks, “And why is this granted to me that
the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (see 2:11; Mt.
3:1-3; Jn. 20:28). John 1:1 says of Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” In Luke 2:11, the angels proclaim to the
shepherds, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord” (see Mt. 1:21). Returning to Old Testament
prophecy, Isaiah 9:6 prophesies of Christ, “For to us a child is born, to us
a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name
shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace.” (see Acts 2:22-23). Jesus Christ is God made like
us, and we can trust him because his character is the same as it has always
been
If we are to worship God the way Mary does, we must know him
the way Mary does. Our knowledge of God comes from Scripture, not from our own
ideas, human philosophy, or the changing whims of culture. Mary knew God
because she had studied the Old Testament; we must come to know God in all of
Scripture, and especially in Jesus Christ, who is God become man to save us;
he is “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15), “the radiance of
the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Heb. 1:3). We should
trust our uncertain future to this certain God.
What does Mary say God is like?
We have seen that Mary refers to God by the names he used
for himself in the Old Testament, showing that she understands what those names
mean; but she further goes on to also describe God’s character as he revealed
himself in the Old Testament.
Continuing in verse 49, Mary say of God “… and holy
is his name.” The idea that God’s name is holy is an Old Testament one; it
is not that the sounds which make up his name are special, but that his
character as expressed in his name is marked by holiness. Ps. 111:9 says of
God, “He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant
forever. Holy and awesome is his name!” In the Old Testament, he is often called
“the Holy One of Israel” (Ps. 71:22; 78:41; 89:18; Isa. 1:4; 5:19, 24).
Holiness in Scripture has two sides to it: God is transcendent, separate from
his creation (Isa. 57:15); and God is righteous, perfect in his moral character
and actions (Ps. 24:3-4). Mary recognizes God’s transcendence and perfect moral
character as displayed in the Old Testament and expects him to act in the same
way for her; we should too.
Mary goes on to describe God’s character by saying in verse
50, “And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation
to generation.” God’s mercy, kindness, or steadfast love – all translations
of one Hebrew word, hesed – are the backbone of God’s interactions with
his people; it is how God described himself first to Moses.
Exodus 34:6-7 “The LORD,
the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in
steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands,
forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear
the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the
children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
This passage is quoted multiple times
in the OT (Num. 14:18; 2 Chr. 30:9; Neh. 9:17; Joel 2:13) and it is the
constant theme of the Psalms (Ps. 86:15; 103:8; 111:4; 112:4; 116:5; 145:8).
God shows mercy to all people – everybody experiences good things from God, and
Jesus tells us to imitate this mercy:
Matthew 5:44-45 “But I say to you, Love your
enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of
your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the
good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
And yet, Exodus
34 poses a problem: how can God forgive sin and not clear the guilty? Remember,
the Mosaic Covenant stipulated blessings for following God and cursing for
rejecting him, and Israel was judged repeatedly for rejecting God – they were
sinners like us! This so-called “problem of forgiveness” is resolved ultimately
in Christ, who takes the place of sinful humanity to bear his own wrath against
us as one of us, and it is the coming of this promised Christ or Messiah which
Mary’s song celebrates. Yet she states clearly that this forgiveness of sins is
available only “for those who fear him.” “Fear of the Lord” is an Old
Testament way of speaking about salvation. Mary here recalls God’s merciful character
as taught in the Old Testament promises, believing that he is the same God for
her. We should do likewise.
Her next description of God’s character is in verse 51: “He
has shown strength with his arm …” God’s strength or might is
displayed in the Old Testament primarily in delivering Israel from Egypt in the
Exodus. The specific statement “he has shown strength with his arm”
recalls God’s promises to deliver Israel leading up to the first Exodus (Ex.
6:1; 3:19; 13:3) and looks forward to the New Exodus that will come about
through the future, eternal reign of Christ (Isa. 51:5, 9; 53:1). Mary looks
forward to God’s future deliverance of herself and Israel based on his strength
displayed in the Old Testament, and we should too.
By recalling God’s character, Mary is choosing to interpret
her experience through the lens of Scripture, holding to what is true of God
rather than giving in to the fear of her uncertain circumstances. God had told
her that she would be pregnant outside of marriage, a capital offense under the
Old Testament Law, and even though the Jews could not execute her without Roman
approval, the social shame would follow her through her whole life. Knowing
this, she still chose to believe – even though she didn’t understand! – that God
was still who he claimed to be: holy, merciful, and strong enough to help her. Likewise,
we need to interpret our experiences in this new year through the lens of God’s
character as revealed in Scripture; otherwise, we will conclude that he is not
good, not loving, or not able to help us. No matter what God allows in our
lives this year, he remains who he claims to be, and we can trust our uncertain
future to this certain God.
What does Mary say God has done?
Thus far, we have seen Mary identify the truth about God
through his names and his character, which sets the stage for her to recite his
wonderous deeds for her benefit, as well as for all Israel and ultimately all
people through Christ.
God’s Wondrous Deeds for Mary
She begins in verses 48-49 by saying, “for he has looked
on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations
will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and
holy is his name.” In speaking of God’s goodness to herself, Mary focuses
on the abundant mercy of God in making her a part of his plan to deliver Israel
through the promised Messiah, Jesus.” For the second time (see Luke 1:38), Mary
calls herself God’s servant or handmaid, recalling Hannah’s prayer to God for a
son, Samuel.
1 Samuel 1:11 “O LORD of
hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember
me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I
will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch
his head.”
Mary may be connecting with Hannah in recognition that God
will help her to bear the shame of unwed pregnancy (Mt. 1:18-19; Jn. 8:41), as
he had previously lifted the shame of women like Sarah (Gen. 16:1-2), Rachel (Gen.
30:23), Elizabeth (Lk. 1:25), and Hannah herself (1 Sam. 1:6) by granting them
children. But Mary’s perspective seems broader than just personal shame: she is
part of the poor class of Jews known by the Pharisees as the “people of the
land” – country bumpkins – whom they thought ignorant of God (Jn. 7:49),
and whom they spiritually oppressed. Jesus said of the Pharisees:
Matthew 23:4 “They tie up
heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they
themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.”
Matthew 23:23 “Woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin,
and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and
faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”
By neglecting
justice, mercy, and faithfulness, the Pharisees condemned the people as well,
which is why Jesus called Israel “sheep without a shepherd” (Mt. 9:36),
a frequent Old Testament picture for Israel oppressed by wicked leaders (1 Kgs.
22:17; Ezek. 34:5; Zech. 10:2). By speaking of her “humble estate,” Mary
speaks of the state of all Israel: scattered, impoverished, languishing under
Roman occupation and corrupt religious teachers who do not know God themselves.
In saying that God has looked upon her and all Israel, she expresses her faith
that God knows their sorrow and that he has sent Jesus to change all of this,
just as he sent Moses to deliver Israel from slavery in Egypt. It is her being
chosen in mercy as God’s vessel for bearing the Messiah and her response of
faith which make her “blessed” by God (v.46).
Mary then says that God has "done great things” for
her. This statement recalls the frequent reference to God's "wonderful
deeds" throughout the Psalms (Ps. 9:1; 40:5; 72:18; 86:8-10; 98:1; 27x).
Elizabeth has just pronounced that Mary believed the promise given to her, in
contrast to Elizabeth’s husband Zechariah, who was struck dumb for his unbelief
until John the Baptist was born (Luke 1:5-25). The story of John’s birth
recalls that of Isaac’s birth, when Sarah – another elderly woman that God said
would bear a child – laughed at the idea, only to be rebuked by the question: “Is
anything too hard for the LORD?” (Gen. 18:14). It is this verse Gabriel
quotes when he tells Mary regarding her own and Elizabeth’s conceptions “nothing
will be impossible with God” (Lk. 1:35); unlike Sarah and Zechariah, Mary
believed. She knew that God had done amazing works in the past and was continuing
to do so in her own time through the births of the Messiah and his forerunner,
John the Baptist! Our God continues to do amazing works today.
God’s Wondrous Deeds for Israel
Mary now shifts from worshiping God for his goodness to her
to worshiping him for his goodness to the nation of Israel as a whole. In verse
50, she claims “And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to
generation.” In speaking of God’s generation-spanning mercy, Mary recalls
God’s description of himself and the Covenant he made with Israel after leading
them out of Egypt, in which he promised blessing for seeking him and cursing
for rejecting him (Deut. 5:10; 7:9; Ps. 103:17-18).
Exodus 20:4-6 “You shall
not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in
heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under
the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your
God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to
the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast
love [mercy] to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
In speaking of God in these terms, Mary is again recognizing
his faithfulness to promises made centuries earlier and expressing her faith
that he will fulfill them in Christ.
Mary recalls God’s wondrous works for Israel when she says
in verse 51, “He has shown strength with his arm,” and again in verse 54
with the statement, “He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his
mercy.” Again, by saying that God has “shown his strength with his arm,"
Mary reflects upon God’s past deliverance from Egypt in fulfillment of his
promises (Ex. 6:1; Jer. 32:21; Ps. 89:10). Her statement in v.54 that God has
remembered his mercy to Israel further recalls how Exodus speaks of God’s
raising up Moses to deliver them. (Ps. 98:3; 105:42)
Exodus 2:24 And God heard
their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham,
with Isaac, and with Jacob.
In all of this, Mary recalled the promises God had already
fulfilled to Israel as fuel for her faith that he would still keep those he had
not yet fulfilled, and that he would do so in Christ. We must do the same.
God’s Wondrous Deeds for All People Through Christ
This last section of Mary’s song shifts topics again; after
reciting God’s wonderful works for herself and all Israel, Mary speaks of how
God will bring about in Christ the great reversal prophesied all throughout
Scripture (Ps. 146:3-9; Lk. 6:24-26).
In verses 51-53, Mary looks forward to God’s future promise
keeping by saying, “he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their
hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of
humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has
sent away empty.” She is looking forward to the coming kingdom of Christ on
earth, when all wrongs will be made right and perfect justice will reign. This
coming kingdom is foretold throughout the Old Testament.
Psalm 1:7-8 “I will tell
of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth
your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in
pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
Gabriel had already proclaimed to Mary that this kingdom would
come about in Christ.
Luke 1:31-33 “And behold,
you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name
Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the
Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will
reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no
end.”
This coming Kingdom reality involves the judgment of the wicked,
which in Israel often consisted of rich people who gained their wealth by
oppressing the poor – sadly, such is often still the case in our world – so Scripture
speaks often of the rich being brought low and the poor being exalted.
Psalm 12:5 “Because the
poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the LORD;
“I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”
In this claim of God’s future justice, Mary again sounds
like Hannah.
1 Samuel 2:7-8 “The LORD
makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. He raises up the poor
from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with
princes and inherit a seat of honor.”
Money is a gift from God, but money gained by oppression
will have the consequence of divine judgment. It is the pride and sin of the
wicked that God judges, while it is usually the poor with nowhere else to turn
who depend upon God, and he blesses those who seek him.
Mary’s closing reference to Abraham in verse 55 recalls the
Abrahamic covenant, in which God promised not only to bless Abraham’s physical
descendants, but also the whole world.
Genesis 12:3 “I will
bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you
all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
This clarifies what it means that Jesus will come to save
his people from their sins, since his people does not consist only of Israel –
Abraham’s physical descendants – but of all those who, like Abraham, trust God
for salvation.
Galatians 3:7-9 “Know
then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture,
foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel
beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’ So
then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”
We are included in the people Jesus came to save from their
sins!
In these verses, Mary remembers God’s past faithfulness to
empower her confidence in his future faithfulness, and we need to be adept at
this same process. We must become accustomed not only to remembering the
wonderful works of God as recorded in Scripture, meditating upon them often in
prayer and song, but we must also recall his working in our own lives and the lives
of those around us. This is part of why we must pray for each other, so that we
can experience together God’s faithfulness to his people in trial. Especially,
we must recall that all of God’s promises come true in and through Christ and
worship him for his wonderful wisdom and excellent mercy toward us.
How does Mary respond to God?
In some ways, we have worked through Mary’s song of praise
backwards; I have preached it this way so that we would experience the full weight
of her words before examining her response. So, while reciting the character of
God in his names and attributes, and then recounting his wonderful works to
herself and Israel before looking forward to the future kingdom, how does Mary
respond to God? Verse 47 records succinctly, “My soul magnifies
the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior … ”
First, Mary magnifies God. To magnify is to make great; like
a magnifying glass makes something look larger, we must make God loom large in
the lives of those around us. How? By speaking of his mighty works and telling
of his excellent character, just as Mary did. It is the same as glorifying him,
which means to give him a reputation that accurately represents his character. Not
only should we interpret our own experiences through the truth of who God is as
taught in Scripture, we must also lead others to see him clearly and do the
same.
Second, Mary rejoices in God. As we meditate on who God is
and what he has done for us, we will become excited at his abundant grace,
excellent mercy, and faithful love he has lavished upon us in Christ. Thinking
about God and what he has done for us should excite us, and that energy should
be palpable to those around us, for it shows we truly know God. It is the
confidence that God will keep his good and precious promises to us – what we
call hope – that enables us to rejoice in present suffering, for we know that Christ
will return and finally reverse the Curse, making all things new.
Conclusion
Mary’s song of praise to God is a model for us to follow. Our worship to God must be based in his character as revealed in Scripture, and then move to his wonderful works in the past as evidence of his continued future faithfulness, and for all of this we must magnify him and rejoice in his goodness to us. So, as we end this morning, let me encourage you to think on three questions:
- As I start this new year, do I interpret God through my experiences or my experiences through God?
- As I start this new year, am I looking forward to earthly comfort or Christ’s return?
- As I start this new year, is my hope for the future in my uncertain plans or in a certain God?
All Scripture verses come from the ESV.
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