THE CHRISTMAS SONG

LUKE 1:39-56

      Following the announcement by Gabriel, Mary hurried to the Judean hill country to visit Elizabeth, the mother-to-be of John the Baptist. Consider the strong emotional and spiritual bonds these two relatives shared after the miracles the Lord did in them.

1. Elizabeth experienced the filling of the Spirit (1:39-44)

•          Leap of prophecy (Jn. 3:29)

•          Shout of praise

      Robertson wrote, “Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit to understand what had happened to Mary.”

2. Mary exercised faith in a statement (1:45)

      Before the angel’s announcement, those hoping for the Messiah had lost the song. Like most peasants in Nazareth, Mary lived under the oppressive weight of poverty, politics, and Pharisees. Life without a Savior meant helplessness.

“Yet with the woes of sin and strife

The world has suffered long,

Beneath the angel strain have rolled

Two thousand years of wrong;

And man, at war with man, hears not

The love song which they bring:

O hush the noise, ye men of strife,

And hear the angels sing!” (Edmund Sears)

      In a response of faith, Mary sang a spiritual, scriptural song (Col. 3:16) like the song of Hannah (1 Sam. 2:1-10). The title, taken from the first line of the song, has been called the Magnificat (Latin).

      Robertson said, “Every idea here occurs in the Old Testament, showing that Mary’s mind was full of the spiritual message of God’s word.”

  I. Sing about God’s grace (1:46-48)

•          Exalt in the spirit

•          Joy in the soul

      A. Because He saw

          1. Necessity for a Savior

          2. Needs of a servant

      B. Because He selected

 II. Sing about God’s mercy (1:49-50)

      Vincent explained, “The word emphasizes the misery with which grace . . . deals; hence, peculiarly the sense of human wretchedness coupled with the impulse to relieve it, which issues in gracious ministry. Bengel remarks, ‘Grace takes away the fault, mercy the misery.’”

•          Forever

•          Fearful

      A. Because of His mighty works (power–Lk. 1:35)

      B. Because of His holy name (holiness–Lk. 1:35)

III. Sing about God’s power (1:51-53)

•          Humility

•          Hunger

      A. Because His might lowered the proud (arrogant, conceited)

          1. Thoughts

          2. Heart

Dan. 4:37 [CEV]. That's why I say: "Praise and honor the King who rules from heaven! Everything he does is honest and fair, and he can shatter the power of those who are proud."

      B. Because His majesty lifted the humble

          1. He filled the poor

          2. He emptied the rich

 IV. Sing about God’s faithfulness (1:54-55)

•          Fulfill a covenant

•          Faith in Christ

      A. Because He redeemed His people

      B. Because He remembered His promises

Summary

•          Only the mention of the name of Jesus ought to emote passionate praise to Him.

•          A rehearsal of God’s mercies ought to evoke new worship songs about Him.

•          The revealed Word of God ought to enlarge believers with a secret spiritual pregnancy in anticipation of what God will do.