"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." - Luke 1:46
Mary needs no introduction to those of us in the Christian faith. Of all the women in the Bible, she figures most prominently as the mother of our Savior, chosen by God above all other women to bear His Son. We know of her quiet and faith-filled acceptance of Gabriel’s message; we’ve seen the images of her pregnant form as she and Joseph traveled from inn to inn that fateful night in Bethlehem. Many of us even know the later stories of Mary in the gospels: her frantic search for the boy Jesus in Jerusalem; the mother who was present for some of her Son’s most prominent miracles; and the grieving widow who stood at the foot of the cross as He hung there to pay for the sins of the world. She was there in the shadows for every important moment of Jesus’ life, and we’ve watched as she navigated this motherhood that outwardly seemed so similar to any other—and yet was so unlike that faced by any other woman in history.
Since we know so much about Mary, I want to focus today on the scene in which she takes an active role in the story. Luke 1:39 tells us that upon receiving the news of her pregnancy, she goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s son John (still in the womb, remember!) leaps for joy at Mary’s greeting, miraculously aware of the Messiah’s presence within her. Elizabeth greets her with an acknowledgment of this as well, and Mary responds with her own song of joy (we know it as “The Magnificat”). Let’s look briefly at this song:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
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.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
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.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.
- Luke 1:46-55
I have to say, Mary’s song doesn’t sound very Christmasy to me. I don’t hear any of the festive bell-ringing or sweet motherly overtones that most of us associate with the Advent. In fact, had Mary submitted the Magnificat to most modern hymnal publishers, I doubt they would have included it in their Christmas collection. Her song doesn't seem to tell any part of what we traditionally call the “Christmas story.”
But what is the Christmas story? Is it not both the continuation and near-climax of God’s story—His story of faithfulness, strength, and care for His people? Even as Mary considered her humble position in life, she was overcome with a revelation of God’s goodness and His sovereignty. The One who determined the course of history before the foundation of the world is also the One who determines the course of each person on the planet. And He had come to earth in a most unassuming way in order to turn the world upside down and bring hope to mankind. Mary’s song wasn’t about her pregnancy—her song was about God!
Mary was surely facing an enormous test of faith. Though many girls in her day desired to be the mother of Israel’s Messiah, her out-of-wedlock pregnancy would have been a scandalous event, one which could have resulted in her stoning death (Deut. 22:20-21). The man she was engaged to marry had intended to divorce her; by her peers, she was likely to be regarded, at best, with suspicion. And once she got past those hurdles, she had to face the hugely challenging task of mothering the holy Son of God! (How does one nurture and train a perfect being, anyway?)
But we see in the midst of her challenges, Mary turned her heart and soul to the praise of her heavenly Father. She used her knowledge of scripture to recount God's history of goodness and faithfulness to His people, and in faith anticipated the blessing He had promised. Her God, she knew, turns today’s darkness into tomorrow’s light; He takes the lowly and exalts them to new heights while bringing down the proud; and in His mercy, He fills hungry souls with His Bread of Life.
In this Christmas season, are you facing difficulties of your own? The same God who placed the Savior of the world in Mary’s womb wants to birth His new life in you also. When you turn to Him in faith, you will find that His love will drive away your fears, and your darkness will scatter in the light of His goodness.
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture used in "Joy in the Morning" is taken from the English Standard Version.
