SERMON #1061

   Title:              MARY'S SONG

   Text:              Luke 1:46-56

            And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.    -- Luke 1:46-56

 

   Subject: Mary's Song of Praise at the News of                    Christ's Incarnation

   Date: Tuesday Evening - December 22, 1992

   Introduction:

 

     After Mary heard the good news of Christ's incarnation she went to visit her older, beloved cousin Elizabeth, who was six months pregnant with John the Baptist. When the two women met together, they talked of the marvellous things God had done for them and taught them. Both were full of faith and joy. So they inspired one another. What a blessing good companions are! They help each other in the way. Happy are those family meetings where Christ is the theme of thought and conversation! When we meet with our families and friends, let us pray that our time together may be both pleasant and profitable. Tonight I want us to look together at this song which Mary composed and sang when she and Elizabeth met one another.

 

     Before we look at the verse of the song, several things should be observed about Mary herself:

 

   1. Her Remarkable Faith - Here is a women who believed God's Word concerning a totally unprecedented matter, scientifically impossible, without any evidence

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to support her. Compare verses 35 and 45.

     The angel Gabriel said to Mary, " The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."    -- Luke 1:35.   And Elizabeth said, "Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord."    -- Luke 1:45. Pray that God will give us the kind of faith that Mary here demonstrated.

 

   2. Her Tremendous Familiarity with Holy Scripture - As we read Mary's hymn, though she was but a young woman, we cannot avoid noticing that she had a ready grasp of the Old Testament Scriptures. She quotes the Psalms, refers to God's works of old, refers to his goodness to Leah, and repeats many of the words of Hannah's prayer (II Sam. 2).

     Let us strive each year we live to become more fully and experimentally acquainted with Holy Scripture. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."    -- Col 3:16. Such knowledge of the Bible can never be attained without regular and daily study. The benefits of such study will prove priceless. When she needed them most, Mary had a firm grasp of the promises of God in the Bible; and these strengthened her faith.

 

   3. Her Deep Humility - "She who was chosen of God to the high honor of being Messiah's mother, speaks of her own `low estate,' and acknowledges her need of a Savior. She does not let fall a word to show that she regarded herself as a sinless, `immaculate' person. On the contrary, she uses the language of one who has been taught by the grace of God to feel her own sins, and so far from being able to save others, requires a Savior for her own soul." (J.C. Ryle).

 

   4. Her Spirit of Thankfulness - That which stands out in this hymn, perhaps above everything else, is the fact that Mary considered herself a debtor to mercy alone. Therefore she sought to magnify the Lord her God, from whom all mercy and grace springs.

 

   5. Her Contentment with Christ - Mary was a poor woman. We have no evidence that she ever ceased to be afflicted with poverty. When the Savior died, he committed his poor mother to the care of one of his

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disciples. Yet, Mary was perfectly content. Having Christ to be her Savior, she wanted no more. She says, "My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior" (v. 47). In verse 56 we read that "Mary returned to her own house." Though she was blessed in the most extraordinary manner, she was content to go back to her modest home and become the wife of a simple carpenter. May God give us that blessed spirit of content, so that we can say with Paul, "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need."    -- Phil 4:11-12.

 

     Now, I want us to look at this tremendous song of faith. Remember, everything spoken of in this song is spoken of as though it had already been accomplished, though, as yet, Christ had not even been born.

 

Proposition: All true praise arises from a heart of faith, humility, gratitude and love.

 

Divisions:

     As we look at the lines of this song, let call your attention particularly to seven things for which Mary gives praise to God:

   1. Being Her Savior (vv 46-47)

   2. The Mysterious Incarnation of Christ (vv 31-35)

   3. His Distinguishing Grace (v 48)

   4. His Glorious Holiness (v 49)

   5. The Great Things He Has Done (vv 49-53)

   6. His Unfailing Help (v 54)

   7. His Covenant Faithfulness (v 55).

 

I. First Mary gives praise to the Lord God, who was in her womb, for BEING HER SAVIOR.

 

     And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.    -- Luke 1:46-47

 

     A. She spoke of her God with great reverence.

     B. She claim a personal interest in Christ.

     C. She magnified her Lord.

            - By Acknowledging Him as Her Lord

            - By Ascribing Greatness t6o Him as God

            - By Making Room in Her Soul for Him

            NOTE: The word magnify here means to enlarge and make room for. Mary flung open the gates of her

            soul for the King of glory to come in!

 

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     D. She rejoiced in her Lord.

            NOTE: The word means "danced". Like her great grandfather David, Mary danced before the Lord.

 

II. Secondly, Mary's song of praise was inspired by THE     WONDROUS, MYSTERIOUS INCARNATION OF CHRIST.

 

     She sang this song because she believed the report of the angel Gabriel, And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.    -- Luke 1:30-35

 

III. Mary particularly gives praise to God for HIS           PARTICULAR, DISTINGUISHING GRACE.

 

     For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.    -- Luke 1:48

 

     A. God had chosen her alone to be the mother of            our Redeemer.

     B. She was blessed of God in Christ.

     C. She was blessed because Christ was in her by a          supernatural work of grace and power by God the         Holy Spirit.

     D. She is called blessed because of God's goodness         to her as the object of his grace.

 

IV. Mary gives praise to the Lord God because of HIS        GLORIOUS HOLINESS

 

     She declares, "Holy is his name!" (v 49). That which caused Moses, Isaiah and Daniel to tremble caused Mary to rejoice, because she saw clearly that God in his holiness had provided a holy Sacrifice. Holiness seen through the blood shed at Calvary is the most comforting and delightful thing in the world.

 

V. Then, fifthly, Mary offers praise to the Lord for   

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   THE GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE.

 

     For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.   -- Luke 1:49-53

 

     A. In Providence

     B. In The Incarnation

     C. In Redemption

     D. In The Experience of Grace

            - God puts down the mighty.

            - He exalts them of low degree.

            - He fills the hungry with good things.

            - The rich he sends away empty.

 

VI. Sixthly, Mary gives praise to the Lord God for HIS      UNFAILING HELP.

 

     He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;    -- Luke 1:54

 

     The word "holpen" means to place one's hand under the fallen, prostrate one, and lift him to his feet.

 

     A. God Helps His Elect.

     B. He Always Remembers Mercy To His Own.

 

VII. Lastly, in verse 55, Mary gives praise to the Lord      God for HIS COVENANT FAITHFULNESS.

 

     As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.    -- Luke 1:55

 

     In Christ God has fulfilled his promises to the fathers, and particularly his promise to Abraham.

 

            - The Woman's Seed

            - The Lamb Provided

            - The Blessings of Grace (Gal 3:13-16)

 

Application:

 

Let us each, from the depths of our hearts, join Mary in this song of praise to our great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

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-For Who He Is!

-For All That He Has Done!

-For His Distinguishing Grace (I Cor 1:26; II Cor. 4:7)

-For His Great Faithfulness!