Mary Faithfully Magnifies
Advent 2022 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 2 viewsMary believes the Angel and goes to see the miracle of John's conseption, once there she praises God with scipture.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Open your Bibles to Luke Chapter 1 and we will start in verse 39 this evening. Luke 1:39 going through the end of the Chapter
We continue the Advent series in Luke
On Sunday we heard about the visitation of Mary by Gabriel the Angel.
We can notice the scholarly nature of Luke’s account again, in verse 26 where Luke says “In the sixth month the angel.”
More than anything we take away from this that Luke intends to present a coherent, chronologically accurate account of events.
The angel when speaking to Mary clearly proclaims that this Son to be born is the fulfillment of God’s promise from 2 Samuel 7 to David that his seed would sit on the throne of Isreal forever.
And indeed Christ is sitting on the thrown and will continue to sit on it forever.
Let’s read
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.
May God Bless the Reading of His Holy and Infallible Word
Let’s Pray
Transition
Transition
The sufficiency of God’s word to all things related to life and Godliness is on display in this text in many ways. There are many ideas that, as Paul said in Eph 6, lift themselves up against the knowledge of God in our world today. One of those ideas is that faith is blind, doesn’t seek evidence. Faith is a blind leap into an unknown. That is the worlds definition of faith in most cases, however that is not the biblical definition of faith. Right in verse 39 tonight we will see Biblical faith in action.
Body
Body
Biblical Faith in Action
Biblical Faith in Action
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.”
“In those days”
We know that Elizabeth when she found she was pregnant hid herself for 5 months and this is 6 months after Zechariah saw the Angel.
So Elizabeth, would have just come out about her Baby or is about to.
It is reasonable to assume that not many know of Elizabeth's pregnancy,
Marry didn’t even know about it until the Angel told her.
“Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah”
John Calvin Comments brilliantly at this point “The haste indicates a sincere and strong affection. We may infer from it that the Virgin disregarded every thing else, and formed a just estimate of this grace of God. But it may be inquired, what was her object in undertaking this journey? […] There is no absurdity in supposing, that she sought to confirm her faith by a view of the miracle, which had been adduced to her with no small effect by the angel. For, though believers are satisfied with the bare word of God, yet they do not disregard any of his works which they find to be conducive to strengthen their faith. [1]
The Christian faith is no blind faith. It revels in all of God wonderful things that God reveals.
The reason that the world system says that faith is blind is because it takes blind faith to believe and explosion of nothing billions of years ago created everything.
While the Christian faith wonderfully coheres to the reality God created.
Mary Hurries to see Elizabeth partially out of love for her family and partly wanting to see the great miracle the Angel told her about.
When Mary arrives,
Verse “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?” (Lk 1:41–43 ESV)
Elizabeth, and the response granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
This is a warning to all of us,
It is a honor when the Lord sends is spirit to be with us and comforts us,
It is a privilege that the Lord thinks of us and intercedes for us
it is a wonder of grace that he will one day come make his home with us.
Guess what, you will get to meet this Elizabeth one day because everyone that calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Verse 44 “44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.” (Lk 1:44, ESV)
Dr James White last week tweeted this text to remind the world that babies in the womb are alive and they to be protected. I was especially saddened to read a reply the got from someone with a Master of Divinity like me, went to seminary and had the title of pastor. They said the reason the Baby leaps in the womb was that adrenaline from Elizabeth’s excitement at see Mary had made the baby jump. And used this to justify the murder of Babies on the womb.
What disgusting miss use of Scripture, it Elizabeth who had just been giving divine revelation about who Jesus is said, “baby in my womb leaped for joy.” John the Baptist by revelation of the Spirit though he was in the womb, joyed at his Lord’s presents
Calvin does brilliantly at explain, “It is natural that sudden joy, on the part of a pregnant woman, should cause a motion of the child in her womb; but Luke intended to express an extraordinary occurrence. No good purpose would be served by involving ourselves in intricate questions, if the child was aware of the presence of Christ, or felt an emotion of piety: it is enough for us that the babe started by a secret movement of the Spirit.” [2]
Verse 45 “45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Lk 1:45, ESV)
Reinforced picture of Mary’s faith.
Transition
Transition
at this Mary worships so amazingly, have to see how many scriptures she references here in verse 46-55
My Soul Magnifies the Lord
My Soul Magnifies 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.”
I want to pause here for just a moment, reading the words of this young woman puts me to shame. this text is so saturated with scripture. Her understanding of scripture is amazing.
I am going to give the scripture references in just the first 5 verses here, 46-50 version. I will go quickly so you might be be able to write them all down but I can provide the list later on request.
Verse 46 1 Sam 2; Psa 33, 69
Verse 47 Psa 35, 106; Isa 61; Hab 3,
Verse 48 1 Sam 1 and Psa 72 and 138 Mal 3
Verse 49 Psa 71, 89, 99, 111, 126; Isa 57, Zeph 3
Verse 50 Deut 5, 7; Psa 89, 103.
Imagine how saturated her mind was with the word the Holy Spirit makes all of these connections instantly bringing her to worship and praise.
Like I said, though I have been int he word all my life this young woman knew the scriptures far better then I do.
One day God willing we will have pastor Gabe or myself preaching through Luke, I can tell you, when we get to this part we are going to be here for a while. There are several sermons is each of these verses.
Today though we can get the salient themes
“46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
Worship
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
Joy
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
She is blessed and in her even the barren are 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.
It is God’s work, He did, this creation in marries womb.
It wasn’t Mary's permission or Mary's work, God did this.
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.”
It is the fulfilment of God promises
Transition
Transition
We will close with verse 56 this evening.
She Stayed for John’s Birth it Seems
She Stayed for John’s Birth it Seems
56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
She stayed for John’s Birth, not to be confused with the Apostle John.
Yes, I have had to explain that one a few times.
Conclusion
Conclusion
How do we conclude to night, perhaps with understanding that we will be able to return to this account over and over throughout our lives and we will never begin to plum-it the depth of what it means that he is Emmanuel, God with us.
From here is is about a 6 month pause in the account, Mary is about 3 month pregnant at this time and when we see this again it will be on the way to Bethlehem where Christ will be born.
Benediction
Benediction
English Standard Version Chapter 15
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
References
References
[1] John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke, vol. 1 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 47 - 48.
[2] Ibid, 48
Bibliography
Bibliography
Calvin, John, and William Pringle. Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.