Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 2:1-10
Sermon Title: The Magnificat (Part 2)
Review from Last Week
- Mary’s Worship was in Spirit and Truth (Luke 1:46-56)
The work of the Spirit of Christ is to make the Word of
Christ clear and satisfying to the soul.
Fuel, Fire, Furnace, Heat
"I should think myself in the way of my duty, to
raise the affections of my hearers as high as I possibly can, provided they are
affected with nothing but truth, and with affections that are not disagreeable
to the nature of what they are affected with (Jonathan Edwards)."
The fuel of worship is the grand truth of a gracious and
sovereign God; the fire that makes the fuel burn white hot is the quickening of
the Holy Spirit; the furnace made alive and warm by the flame of truth is our
renewed spirit; and the resulting heat of our affections is worship, pushing
its way out in tears, confessions, prayers, praises, acclamations, lifting of
hands, bowing low, and obedient lives.[6]
Introduction
The Magnificat
Mary offers praise to the Lord through song. The song has
been named by commentators as The Magnificat, a Latin translation of “magnify”
from the opening line (Luke 1:46).
Five Observations
- Mary’s Worship was in Spirit and Truth (Luke 1:46-56)
- Mary praises God for His grace towards her (Luke 1:46-49)
- Mary praises God for His actions towards all people (Luke 1: 50-53)
- Mary praises God for His grace towards Israel (Luke 1: 54-55)
- Mary’s understands the basis for God’s grace is His covenant (Luke 1: 54-55)
Notice the connection between magnify and delight (my
soul magnifies = my spirit rejoices) (vv. 46-47). When God is magnified in our
view, our hearts are raised to joy proportionate to our view of God.
“Our
view” is not just information we know about God. Talk about the difference
between knowing to know Him and knowing to know. 1 John 1: there is a huge
difference between me knowing Staci is loyal and going through seasons of life
where she shows herself to be loyal.
Let us note, second, the Virgin Mary’s deep humility. She
uses the language of someone who has been taught by God’s grace to feel her own
sins and who, far from being able to save others, requires a savior for her own
soul. Humility is the highest grace that can adorn the Christian character. It
is a true saying “a man has just so much Christianity as he has humility.”[5]
Elizabeth says (1:43): “And why is this granted to me
that the mother of my Lord would come to me?” Mary says (1:48): “The Lord has
regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.” You will never be overwhelmed with
the condescension of God if you are so elevated by your pride that, in your
mind, He never condescended.
2) Mary
Praises God for His Actions towards All People (Luke 1:50-53)
Various groups of people are discussed in vv. 51-53. The
referring back to 1:50b helps to define who the poor, mighty, proud, humble,
hungry, and rich are. These lines contrast those who are open and responsive to
God with those who are not.
Mary’s song of praise should not leave the impression
that God favors the poor over the rich, but the humble above the proud. Some
people with particular socioeconomic “advantages” have a greater propensity
towards pride due to their resources and accomplishments. A good definition of
pride is people who demonstrate they feel they have no need for God. Luke
consistently strongly warns the rich of an independent disposition towards God
(6:20-26; 12:19-21; 16:25; 21:1-4).
Luke 1:51-52 alludes to the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11). The
Babylonians attempted to create their own security (pitch and city) and to make
their own name great (tower). When we build security, significance, merit,
perceived joy, etc. for ourselves, we create a perceived Heaven where we
perceive ourselves to be the Savior. Who does God destroy?
- God scatters the proud of heart (v. 51)
- God brings down the mighty from their thrones (v. 52)
- God sends the rich away empty (v. 53)
Like Hannah in 1 Samuel 2, Mary’s soul magnifies the Lord
(1 Samuel 2:1; Luke 1:46) because she understands her lowliness (1 Samuel 2:2;
Luke 1:49 – “There is none holy like the Lord”). Her lowliness is a product of
understanding God’s Holiness as expressed equally in justice and mercy:
- “The bows of the mighty are broken but the feeble gird on strength” (1 Samuel 2:4). “He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree (Luke 1:49).
- “Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger” (1 Samuel 2:5). “He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty” (Luke 1:53).
- “He has mercy on those who fear him” (v. 50).
- “He has exalted those of low degree” (v. 52).
- “He has filled the hungry with good things” (v. 53).
- “He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts” (v. 51).
- “He has put down the mighty from their thrones” (v. 52).
- “The rich he has sent away empty” (v. 53).
Read Romans 3:21-28 and share the Gospel
The difference between the proud and the humble is
illustrated beautifully by Proverbs 2:1-8 (bold is my emphasis):
“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints."
Her humble awareness of her utter unworthiness and God’s
marvelous grace to her produced praise and worship from a joyful heart.[2]
Proud people find it difficult to be thankful because
they always think they deserve better. Mary was joyful because she was
grateful.
3) Mary
Praises God for His Grace to Israel (Luke 1:54-55)
The acts of mercy described in 1:51-55 shows that Mary is
but one of many such blessed God-fearers.[3]
4) Mary’s
Understands the Basis for God’s Grace: His Covenant (vv. 54-55)
The importance of “because” in v. 54 is huge. Abraham is a major Lucan Old Testament figure, mentioned twenty-two
times in Luke-Acts.[3]
- Mary is referring to the sealed covenant in Genesis 15.
- Turn to Jeremiah 34:18-20 – Some background: The people made Covenant regarding the sabbatical release of Israelite slaves (v. 10). No sooner had all Israelite slaves been released than they were reclaimed by their masters (v. 11).
- TURN TO: Hebrews 6:13-20; Hebrews 9:15-22
- If God does not fulfill His covenant, He must die; yet to fulfill it, He must die anyway (Hebrews 9:15-22). God pledged Himself to die if He did not fulfill the Old Covenant. God inaugurated the Old Covenant by shedding the blood of the animals He passed between in Genesis 15:17.
- A Covenant is binding by the penalty represented by the Inauguration.
- The Cross of Christ represents a simultaneous redemption (Hebrews 9:15) and inauguration (Hebrews 9:18).
- As Christ takes the curses of the Old Covenant, He simultaneously inaugurates the blessed condition of the New (O. Palmer Roberson’s The Christ of the Covenants).
If grace were not free and if God were not a saving,
redeeming, forgiving God, people might dread Him and attempt to pacify or
appease Him, but not worship Him.[2]
Sources:
- Sproul, R.C. The Reformation Study Bible. Lake Mary, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2005.
- MacArthur, John. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Luke 1-5. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009.
- Brock, Darrell. Luke 1:1-9:50. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1994.
- Brock, Darrell. The NIV Application Commentary: Luke. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996.
- Ryle, J.C. Luke. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1997.
- Piper, John. Sermon: God Seeks People to Worship Him in Spirit and Truth. Delivered at Bethlehem Baptist Church April 8, 1984. Full sermon manuscript can be found at http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/god-seeks-people-to-worship-him-in-spirit-and-truth.
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