Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-56)
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Introduction
Introduction
General Overview of Passage. (1) Gabriel informs Zechariah of John the Baptist’s upcoming birth. (2) Zechariah responds to this news with disbelief. (3) Gabriel informs Mary of her pregnancy with Jesus. (4) Mary responds with belief.
General Overview of Passage. (1) Gabriel informs Zechariah of John the Baptist’s upcoming birth. (2) Zechariah responds to this news with disbelief. (3) Gabriel informs Mary of her pregnancy with Jesus. (4) Mary responds with belief.
December 23, 2018 | Christmas AM Service
The responses appear to be similar, but the text informs us that their internal reception was different.
Introduction
Introduction
And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”
First, yikes! That was inevitably a sobering and daunting interaction with Gabriel. As a result of his unbelief, Zechariah remains mute until the birth of John the Baptist. And yet, on face value Mary appears to respond to Gabriel with a similar reply.
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
Luke 1:
And yet, Elizabeth informs us that Mary’s response was one of belief.
And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
While Mary and Zechariah’s responses appear to be similar, clearly the inner workings of their hearts varied.
Now Mary sounds a lot like Zechariah when she replies in verse 34, but apparently there is no unbelief in her question. She’s not asking, “Can you do it?” She’s asking, “How will you do it?” Her question builds on faith not on unbelief. This is why Gabriel does not rebuke. (Anyabwile, Exalting Jesus in Luke, 27)
Observations
Observations
General Overview of Passage. (1) Gabriel informs Zechariah of John the Baptist’s upcoming birth. (2) Zechariah responds to this news with disbelief. (3) Gabriel informs Mary of her pregnancy with Jesus. (4) Mary responds with belief.
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Observation # 1. The poem evidences a life of Biblical immersion.
Expositions of Holy Scripture: Luke 1–12 The Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55)
Critics shake their heads over its many quotations and allusions to Hannah’s song and to other poetical parts of the Old Testament, and declare that these are fatal to its being accepted as Mary’s. Why? must the simple village maiden be a poetess because she is the mother of our Lord? What is more likely than that she should east her emotions into forms so familiar to her, and especially that Hannah’s hymn should colour hers? These old psalms provided the mould into which her glowing emotions almost instinctively would run, and the very absence of ‘originality’ in the song favours its genuineness.
Observation # 2. The emphasis is not on her humility (in fact humility is not really what’s being mentioned) but instead God’s greatness and his regard for the lowly.
The poem evidences a life of Biblical immersion.
Expositions of Holy Scripture: Luke 1–12 I. The More Personal Part Extends to the End of Luke 1:50
There are moods in which the devout soul dwells on its own calm blessedness and on God, its source, more directly than on the gift which brings it.
Observation # 2. The emphasis is not on her humility (in fact humility is not really what’s being mentioned) but instead God’s greatness and his regard for the lowly.
Observation # 2. The emphasis is not on her humility (in fact humility is not really what’s being mentioned) but instead God’s greatness and his regard for the lowly.
Observation # 3. Mary’s internal delight erupts in external praise. This is not a calculated theological statement, although it is inspired and therefore theologically accurate. It as well is not simply an external act of worship void of any internal reality.
Observation # 4. Mary responded to Elizabeth differently than she did with Gabriel. Why?
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .
Expositions of Holy Scripture: Luke 1–12 The Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55)
the very absence of ‘originality’ in the song favours its genuineness.
Expositions of Holy Scripture: Luke 1–12 The Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55)
Little does Mary as yet know that ‘a sword shall pierce through’ her ‘own soul also,’ and that not only will ‘all generations’ call her ‘blessed,’ but that one of her names will be ‘Our Lady of Sorrows.’ For her and for us, the future is mercifully veiled. Only one eye saw the shadow of the Cross stretching black and grim athwart the earliest days of Jesus, and that eye was His own. How wonderful the calmness with which He pressed towards that ‘mark’ during all His earthly life!
Expositions of Holy Scripture: Luke 1–12 I. The More Personal Part Extends to the End of Luke 1:50
Not when Gabriel spoke, but when a woman like herself called her ‘mother of my Lord,’ did she break into praise.
The responses appear to be similar, but the text informs us that their internal reception was different.
Expositions of Holy Scripture: Luke 1–12 I. The More Personal Part Extends to the End of Luke 1:50
We need not attribute to the maiden from Nazareth philosophical accuracy when she speaks of her ‘soul’ and ‘spirit.’ Her first words are a burst of rapturous and wondering praise, in which the full heart runs over. Silence is impossible, and speech a relief.
And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” ( ESV).
First, yikes! That was inevitably a sobering and daunting interaction with Gabriel. As a result of his unbelief, Zechariah remains mute until the birth of John the Baptist. On face value, Mary appears to respond to Gabriel with a similar reply. “And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (). And yet, Elizabeth’s statement informs us that Mary’s response was one of belief. “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” ().
While Mary and Zechariah’s responses appear to be similar, clearly the inner workings of their hearts varied. Zechariah appears to be incredulous. “Come on now! I’m really old! How is that ever going to happen?!” And Gabriel’s response is in essence, “I’m typically standing in the presence of God. He just sent me to tell you this – and that’s your response? Really? I think you need to just not talk for a little bit.” Whereas when Gabriel proclaims the good news to Mary, she responds in belief. “She’s not asking, ‘Can you do it?’ She’s asking, ‘How will you do it?’ Her question builds on faith not on unbelief. This is why Gabriel does not rebuke.”[1]
Specific Outline of Mary’s Praise. A thorough and in-depth study of Mary’s words of praise would bear much fruit. (1) Mary offers devout worship due to God’s inherent character (1:46b-48a). (2) Mary offers the great facts from which her praise arises (1:48b-50). (3) Mary then offers the consequences or realities accompanying these great facts. God is mighty and merciful and has done great things. Those “things” display the strength of his arm and how he reverses the socio-cultural norms. He lifts the lowly. He puts down the proud. He exalts the humble and feeds the hungry whereas the rich go away empty (1:51-53). (4) Mary reminds the reader that God will fulfill the promises he made to Israel (1:54-55).
These four elements can be simplified even more into two: (1) the personal elements concerning Mary and (2) the mighty deeds that God has done.
Observation # 1: Order Matters in Worship
Observation # 1: Order Matters in Worship
Mary’s internal delight erupts in external praise and worship. Mary offers no calculated theological statement. It is not her intention to establish an order of worship or model true and transparent worship. She simply erupts in praise. MacLaren writes, “Her first words are a burst of rapturous and wondering praise, in which the full heart runs over. Silence is impossible, and speech a relief.”[2] However, inspired by the Spirit, Mary does offer a helpful progression of appropriate worship.
Likely no one would argue with me this morning that we should worship God as our Lord and Savior. Correct? As well, we would likely all agree that worship should be both internal and external. Agreed! But, do we agree, or have we even considered, that the order matters? We first worship him as Lord and then our Savior. Our worship should begin internally and work itself out externally.
First Lord then Savior. Mary acknowledges God as Lord then her Savior. She acknowledges the attributes or character of God, and then she acknowledges how those attributes impact her and others. She first praises God for who he is and then praises him for the blessings she has received. Her emphasis is first on God and then His blessings.
His greatness not her humility. Mary emphasizes God’s character not her humility. Mary emphasizes God’s power and mercy not the blessings she received. Some find it hard to love and praise God, simply for his goodness. They prefer to delight “in their salvation much more than in their Savior, in the gift more than in the Giver. . .”[3] And yet, Luther goes on to write, “When a prince takes a poor beggar by the hand, it is not the beggar’s lowliness but the prince’s grace and goodness that is to be commended.”[4]
So then, while the emphasis ought to be on God’s goodness, we can secondarily acknowledge the value of Mary’s humility. She comes to God as a sinner and in need of a Savior. She exalts in Christ as her savior.
Some translations allow for emphasis to be placed on Mary’s humility. For instance, the NIV translates the phrase, “he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant ()”. Potentially the emphasis could be removed from God’s merciful work of looking down on the lowly, and instead placed on Mary’s humility and how God looked down on her due her quality of humility. The verse better reads:
For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. ( NASB95, very similar to KJV).
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. ( NLT).
Mary was humble, but the song emphasizes how God looks down on lowly outcaste, on the poor, on the rejected, on the hungry, and on the needy. In other words, Mary isn’t pointing out, “Hey look at my humility. See, God blessed me because I’m humble.” Instead, she marvels at how God could have chosen such a worthless nobody to bear the Messiah. “He should have chosen the king’s wife to bear the Messiah. Maybe he should have had Jesus born from the ranks of the religious leadership. Someone, anyone other than me!”
Fully aware of her lowly position, she wonders how God could have ever taken note of her, just a simple, unimportant, village girl, poor and hidden. So then, we admire her for her humility, but we do as one “blessed among women” not one “blessed above women.” Most definitely, Mary was honored, and we ought to appreciate her but by no means worship her.[5]
Practical Note. We tend to first and foremost, if not singularly, focus on the blessings God has given to us and then later, potentially, acknowledge His character. Sadly, we only care about is character so far as it impacts us personally. The problem with this approach is the absence of worship that results when we have no obvious blessings. God is worthy of praise, even if I never receive a blessing. Of course, I’m going to praise him for the blessings he grants me, but I can and should praise him regardless.
First internal then external. It is her soul that magnifies, not simply her mouth. In the first two phrases of her song, Mary verbally declares what is going on inside of her. “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” ( ESV).
Practical Note. We tend to work from the outside to the inside in our worship. We want an experience that leads to an experience of worship. We attempt to manufacture worship. We set the stage in such a way, play particular music styles, embrace particular rhetoric patterns, all motivated by a desire to manufacture an experience of worship. In these cases, it is not our soul magnifying the Lord, simply our mouths and hands. Instead, we must strive to first look at who God is, then what he has done for us, and as a result internally moved to gratitude. When particular moments arise, we then find ourselves erupting in praise – but these moments must be the overflow of a life gazing at God.
Observation # 2: The Bible Matters in Worship
Observation # 2: The Bible Matters in Worship
Mary’s song indicates a life of Biblical immersion. Mary’s song possesses many similarities to Hannah’s song in and to other poetry throughout the Old Testament. So much so, that many critics question whether the song originated with Mary.[6] Some place it in the hands of Luke and a well-crafted “cut and paste” of Old Testament passages. However, we proceed under the assumption that these verses are an accurate representation of Mary’s outburst of wonder and gratitude. And instead of the many Old Testament allusions pointing to it being a fake, instead it reveals something rather beautiful about Mary. When Mary erupts with praise, the Bible flows from her heart and off her tongue. It was those Psalms and Old Testament passages that formed the “mould into which her glowing emotions instinctively run.”[7]
Sadly, I think that I would probably have responded with a quick, “That’s awesome!” Which is fine in and of itself. And then, maybe, biblical concepts and vague recollections of passages read long ago would tumble around in my mind with a hope that my unsuspecting friend could place them in some context. Granted, Mary was filled with the Spirit in a special way. I get it. But, in an unplanned and unscripted moment of utter amazement and wonder, Scripture overflows from her lips. She expressed the content of her heart, and Scripture was the overflow of her heart.
Practical note. Too often we look at the Bible as a resource for problem solving. It, like all reference books, sits untouched until a problem or question arises. We as well desire that bible studies and preaching be applicable and relevant, and by applicable and relevant, we mean, present and immediate solutions and answers. Instead, we ought to immerse ourselves in scripture, and then, when confronted with either problem or blessing, we inherently respond biblically. This seems to be how Mary responded. We ought to see every moment of our time in Scripture as an opportunity to build a robust and accurate view of God and his expectations for us. This knowledge of God will eventually work itself out in knowledgeable and appropriate responses and worship.
Observation # 3: People Matter in Worship
Observation # 3: People Matter in Worship
Mary responded to Elizabeth differently than to Gabriel. Why? Oh, what speculation we could enjoy in this moment. Let’s give it a try for a moment. (1) Maybe, in her conversation with Gabriel, Mary never moved past the shock of seeing an angel. Luke reveals that Mary replied to Gabriel, but her response is significantly less dramatic than her response to Elizabeth. (2) Maybe she had been able to process the news by the time she arrived at Elizabeth’s home. I imagine she had done a lot of thinking following her conversation with Gabriel. I would also imagine that not all of those thoughts were encouraging. Inevitably she knew she’d be ostracized for being pregnant and not married. She knew her reputation was forever altered – negatively so. Personally, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she collapsed into tears when she talked to Elizabeth. “Do you know what I’ve had to go through already? Do you know what this means for me? This is a mess!” And yet, that is far from the picture Luke paints. Due her belief in God’s message, she exalts in her honored position.
I tend to think Mary stood near mute in front of Gabriel. Over a period of time and undergirded by her belief in God’s promises, she transitioned to a place of immense joy and excitement that God would have chosen her for such a special honor. Then Elizabeth “exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?’” (). In that moment, Mary’s belief and internal excitement and emotion, erupted as someone else confirmed the truths within her heart.
MacLaren. Not when Gabriel spoke, but when a woman like herself called her ‘mother of my Lord,’ did she break into praise. . . . God’s voice is made more sure to our weakness when it is echoed by human lips, and our inmost hopes attain substance when they are shared and spoken by another.[8]
Practical Note. Although a secondary point of Mary’s song of praise, the fact that people play an important role in our worship is hardly a secondary point in the Christian life. Our doubts and fears consume our minds, and a believer holds our hand and reminds us that both God and they care. They remind us that God is actually in control even though sometimes it doesn’t feel like it.
We confess our sins one to another not because people need the juicy news of our lives, but because they have an opportunity to remind us that God forgives those who confess their sins. They also are able to remind us of the severity of sin and the possible ramifications.
Maybe I’m going too far with this statement, but at times, people release that which only finds potential in our hearts.
People matter in worship. The Bible matters in worship. Order matters in worship.
[1] Thabiti M Anyabwile, Exalting Jesus in Luke (Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group, 2017), 27.
[2] Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 19.
[2] Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 19.
[3] Martin Luther, Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, and Helmut T. Lehmann, Luther’s Works. 21: The Sermon on the Mount (Sermons): And the Magnificat (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1956) Kindle Location 5899-5902.
[3] Martin Luther, Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, and Helmut T. Lehmann, Luther’s Works. 21: The Sermon on the Mount (Sermons): And the Magnificat (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1956) Kindle Location 5899-5902.
[4] Luther, Pelikan, and Lehmann Kindle Locations 5988-5989.
[4] Luther, Pelikan, and Lehmann Kindle Locations 5988-5989.
[5] Koontz, “Mary’s Magnificat,” Bibliotheca Sacra 116, no. 464 (October 1959): 343.
[5] Koontz, “Mary’s Magnificat,” Bibliotheca Sacra 116, no. 464 (October 1959): 343.
[6] J. Gresham Machen, The Virgin Birth of Christ (Monergism, 1930), 24–32, https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/machen/virginbirth_p.pdf; Koontz, “Mary’s Magnificat,” 336–39. Machen titled the 4th chapter “The Hymns of the First Chapter of Luke.” In it, Machen offers a helpful overview of the argument against Mary’s song being original to her as well as offering an argument for its authorship being Mary. As well, Koontz offers a more concise overview of this discussion in his article in Bibliotheca Sacra.
[6] J. Gresham Machen, The Virgin Birth of Christ (Monergism, 1930), 24–32, https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/machen/virginbirth_p.pdf; Koontz, “Mary’s Magnificat,” 336–39. Machen titled the 4th chapter “The Hymns of the First Chapter of Luke.” In it, Machen offers a helpful overview of the argument against Mary’s song being original to her as well as offering an argument for its authorship being Mary. As well, Koontz offers a more concise overview of this discussion in his article in Bibliotheca Sacra.
[7] Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: , .
[7] Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: , .
Critics shake their heads over its many quotations and allusions to Hannah’s song and to other poetical parts of the Old Testament, and declare that these are fatal to its being accepted as Mary’s. Why? must the simple village maiden be a poetess because she is the mother of our Lord? What is more likely than that she should east her emotions into forms so familiar to her, and especially that Hannah’s hymn should colour hers? These old psalms provided the mould into which her glowing emotions almost instinctively would run, and the very absence of ‘originality’ in the song favours its genuineness.
[8] Maclaren, 19.
[8] Maclaren, 19.