Mary’s Song, known as the Magnificat, which is the first word in Latin for, “Magnificat anima mea Dominum” or “My soul Magnifies the Lord” – In the narrative, Mary goes to visit Elizabeth, and Elizabeth affirms that Mary is carrying the Messiah, and this is Mary’s response:

V46-47 – “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my Spirit rejoices in God my Savior” – scholars draw comparisons with this song to Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2:1, which begins, “My heart rejoices in the Lord” – Mary says here, “My Spirit rejoices in God my SAVIOR – We said it last week, but be reminded that Mary was a sinner in need of a Savior – just like her generation, they would pray daily for the promised Messiah to come and rescue them – she didn’t say A SAVIOR, but MY SAVIOR – it is very clear here that Mary did not see herself as deity in any way, but a normal everyday person in need of what only God could provide.

V48 – “God has been mindful of the humble state of his servant” – remember, she was a teenage girl, women were not highly favored in this culture, she was from a no-name town, so she was poor, engaged to a carpenter – nothing impressive about her – but again, this is the way of God – Psalm 51:17, God is attracted to brokenness, Matthew 5:3, the poor is Spirit are blessed and given the KOH, James 4:6, quoting Proverb 3:34, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble – in the KOG, the humble are exalted and the exalted are humbled, James 4:10

“From now on all generations will call me blessed…” – is she being cocky here? NO. She just said God has seen my humility, and has chosen me for this great honor – She knows she is part of a bigger story – by faith she believes that everything in humankind is hinging on this moment in time – How incredible is that?

A reminder here that God is attracted to humility – God has a calling on your life, it is activated by Jesus, and it is to be lived out in humility – remember, YOU HAVE A GIFT, BUT YOU ARE NOT GOD’S GIFT – in fact, anything good you have comes from God – James 1:17

V49 – Why will people call Mary blessed? Because “the MIGHTY ONE has done great things for me” – Mary, again, recognizes that what is happening to her is not of her own doing, but the Mighty One – Genesis 49:24, Psalm 24:8, Psalm 89:8, Isaiah 60:16, Isaiah 63:1 - what has the MIGHTY ONE done? He has chosen her, he has overshadowed her, he has exalted her –
“Holy is his name…” – He is set apart from all other beings – Isaiah 6:3 – Not just Holy, but Holy, holy, holy – Rev. 4:8 – “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come” – This is a song of WORSHIP from the depths of Mary’s heart – “I am blessed because he is MIGHTY – I am blessed because HE IS HOLY” – how do you respond to blessings in your life? Do you take credit, or do you realize that it is the MIGHTY and HOLY ONE of God that is at work in your life?

V50 – “His mercy extends to those who fear him…” – God is attracted to an understanding of his power and might – he extends his hand to those who realize they don’t have what it takes without him: YOU CAN’T SAVE YOURSELF – the mercy of God is that in your brokenness, he provided a path to wholeness through the cross, but you must recognize that you don’t deserve it, and would be completely lost without him.

This whole idea of fear is important – this is not the terror of seeing an angel – this is a healthy understanding of the power of God – it is likened to the way we fear electricity – we know it’s power and we live within its boundaries – God extends his mercy to those who are clear about the boundaries he has set up in the name of freedom and wholeness – AND IT’S FOR ALL PEOPLE FOR ALL TIME.

Max Lucado puts it this way: “God does not save us because of what we’ve done. Only a puny god could be bought with tithes. Only an egotistical god would be impressed with our pain. Only a temperamental god could be satisfied by sacrifices. Only a heartless god would sell salvation to the highest bidders. And only a great God does for his children what they can’t do for themselves. God’s delight is received upon surrender, not awarded upon conquest. The first step to joy is a plea for help, an acknowledgment of moral destitution, an admission of inward paucity. Those who taste God’s presence have declared spiritual bankruptcy and are aware of their spiritual crisis.… Their pockets are empty. Their options are gone. They have long since stopped demanding justice; they are pleading for mercy.”

The next three verses are defined by William Barclay as a picture of the Revolution of Jesus – these verses show both the past tense of what God has done, and foreshadowing of what Jesus will do –

V51 – “He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts…” – This is a MORAL REVOLUTION – Jesus is the death of pride – in Jesus, I can no longer think highly of myself – Romans12:1-2 – changing the way I think – 2 Corinthians 10:5, Galatians 2:20 – the revolution of Jesus is the death of my pride, the shifting of my agenda, no longer me, but CHRIST IN ME.

V52 – Rulers brought down, and humble exalted – This is a SOCIAL REVOLUTION – in the KOG, it is no longer about the power brokers, the best and brightest, but a leveling at the foot of the cross because Jesus CAME FOR ALL – And it is the HUMBLE who are placed in the positions of power, not the “natural born leaders” – so, if you are naturally the smartest guy in the room, or the natural influencer, are you disqualified? NO! But in order to fulfill your role in the KOG, you MUST BE HUMBLE.

V53 – The hungry get filled, while the rich are sent away – this is an ECONOMIC REVOLUTION – Matthew 5:6 – those who hunger and thirst for righteousness get filled – but this really speaks to those who have much, that in the KOG it is not about what you have, but what you can give away – while this can be misconstrued as socialism, it is really GENEROSITY and SACRIFICE – In the Kingdom, those who have been blessed with much are quick to give it away, so those with less can flourish

[ILLUS] Billie Beasley, with Journey Home, is a ministry that provides housing for pregnant teenage girls – needed a home, trying to get to finish line, and as a church we were able to give $10K to get them to the finish line to purchase new home –

V54-55 – all of this is fulfillment of a promise made for generations – began in Genesis 3:15 – a Savior is coming! Isaiah 9:6-7 – God is faithful to fulfill his promise - So, songs define generations, but this song defines ALL GENERATIONS –

1. The MIGHTY ONE is the hero of the story. Jesus is the hero of every story. He is LOGOS, the one who gives meaning to life. John 1:1-3
2. Humility is required in the Kingdom of God. You will never experience the power of God until you realize you have nothing to offer without him. John 15:5
3. The way of Jesus is REVOLUTIONARY. It is a new way of thinking, a new way of belonging, a new way of giving. It is the way to change the world.