Songs of the Incarnatiton: "The Magnificat: Mary's Song" (Luke 1:39-56, Isaiah 42:1-13)
Rev. David Huffman, December 1, 2024Part of the Songs of the Incarnation series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
The hymn, "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus," puts us in an Old Testament context, but it is also a prayer for Jesus' return at the end of the age. The Magnificat is the first of four songs centering around the advent of Jesus Christ. The Magnificat is the last of the Old Testament songs and the first of the Christian hymns. Praise focuses on God's being and works. Magnificat comes from the Latin word for magnify. The angel said to Mary, "Do not fear..." Mary could scarcely take this all in. Gabriel explained that the Holy Spirit would overshadow her. Mary embraced the Lord's will for her life. She went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. Elizabeth's child leaped for joy in the womb. Elizabeth was also filled with the Holy Spirit. Mary had not told Elizabeth about her conception, but Elizabeth was ecstatic with joy by the Holy Spirit of the revelation that the Savior was coming. Every believer expresses this joy when they believe. Mary shared this joy about what God is doing, His greatness and the coming of God, her Savior. What does magnify mean? It means to enlarge something. Mary delighted in God. Jesus is not only THE Savior; He is also HER Savior and ours...the joy of every longing heart. Mary was commendably humble; a servant of the Lord at His mercy. She was receiving a blessing beyond comparing. We must guard against over-exaltation of Mary. We don't pray to her or through her. She proclaimed Christ as HER Savior, too. She looked past the gift to focus on God Himself; it's not the gift but the Giver, the One with divine attributes and mighty power, able to bring a conception from a virgin and children from aged barren women such as Elizabeth and Sarah. His power is focused, we see, in His mighty arm bringing His children out of slavery in Egypt. He scatters the proud, raises up the humble and upholds the poor. His name is holy, what He is and what He does. He will deliver Israel through the Savior. His reversal of the wages of sin is greater than His reversal of earthly bondage. He is the fulfillment of Abraham's covenant blessing to all nations. The child He placed in Mary's womb is Israel's God incarnate, with a human and divine nature. Mary clearly knew God's word, and it informed her prayers, expressing her expectant hope and longing with the dawning of the age of the Messiah. There is a prophetic, forward-looking aspect, wondering how He would accomplish redemption. Our hope, likewise, aims for the full realization of His promised return.
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Luke 1:39–56 (Listen)
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
(ESV)
Isaiah 42:1–13 (Listen)
42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged
till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.
5 Thus says God, the LORD,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the LORD; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
I tell you of them.”
10 Sing to the LORD a new song,
his praise from the end of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it,
the coastlands and their inhabitants.
11 Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice,
the villages that Kedar inhabits;
let the habitants of Sela sing for joy,
let them shout from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory to the LORD,
and declare his praise in the coastlands.
13 The LORD goes out like a mighty man,
like a man of war he stirs up his zeal;
he cries out, he shouts aloud,
he shows himself mighty against his foes.
(ESV)