Mary's Song

Introduction
1. Christmas is a wonderful season of the year. I am frustrated with the commercialism - the emphasis on gift giving and receiving, shopping, trees, decorations, Santa Claus, etc. Most have missed the point. (Is it a holiday tree or a Christmas tree – and what does a decorated tree have to do with the true meaning and celebration of Christmas anyway)?
2.But in spite of the frustrations, there are great joys. One of the great joys of Christmas is the music. You will hear Christmas music on radio and TV and in the stores and just about everywhere you go. The text of many of those songs speaks of the birth of the Lord Jesus, the Savior. Some tell the story, not only of his birth, but also of his death for our sins, and his resurrection and exultation. For that, I am glad.
3.(Some communities have banned Christmas music from Christmas celebrations because of the mention of Christ! But still the songs of Christmas can be heard).
4. We sing for many reasons. Sometimes we sing of our trials and troubles. Sometimes we sing of our joys and blessings. There are love songs and fight songs. There are tender lullabies and there are angry chants of protest and everything in between. Some songs are popular and heard around the world. Some are simple, private melodies meant only for a few. Some songs are meant to impress the masses. Some are meant to exult the Lord.
5. Over the next four weeks we are going to consider four songs in Scripture. One song was sung by a teenager; another by a priest. The third song was chanted by angels, and the last song, which has yet to be sung in its fullness, hopefully, will be sung by us. There is one general theme in all four songs. It is the great theme of salvation. Mary sings the song of salvation that comes to those who are humble. Zechariah sings the song of salvation that delivers from sin. The angels chant the song of salvation that brings peace. We will sing the song of salvation describing the establishment of eternal justice and righteousness in the Lord's presence.
5. What's your song? Is it, "Nobody knows the troubles I’ve seen"? Or is it a song of salvation? Let's check out Mary's song and see what was on her heart. Mary looked at herself and then she looked at God. Listen to the chorus on her heart. There are three stanzas. (Read vv. 46-55). (If you have a study Bible, you may have a number of OT references that are attached to this song. Mary does not exactly quote any of them, but her song is a definite reflection of the OT collection of hymns in the Psalms. What she had heard and sung throughout her life came out on this most joyous occasion as she contemplates giving birth to the Son of God!) Who is this baby? How can He be described?

I. HE IS THE KNOWING ONE
A. He is mindful of His plan (32-33).
1. Mary sang in verse 46, "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." That was in response to the angel's announcement to her as he prophesied Jesus' birth.
2. It was God's wonderful plan to send Jesus to earth that He might be our Savior. Perhaps nowhere is this plan more clearly and simply stated than from the pen of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:6-8. How much did Mary know? Did she realize that the one whom she would bear would be the one who must die not only for the world, but for her sins as well? It would become clear over the next 30 + years.
3. Whether she knew it or not, or understood it or not, she bore witness to the fact that the Lord was mindful of His plan and He was mindful of her part in that plan. She could sing with a sincere heart, "my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."
B. He is mindful of us (46-48).
1. Mary was of royal lineage, but she was of peasant reality. There is every indication that Mary was a poor peasant girl who was chosen by the Lord. Though Mary is highly regarded today, there was no such honor during her lifetime. She was an obscure figure known by few and honored by fewer.
2. Though it was counted as a great blessing to bring Jesus into the world, the circumstances of His birth brought questions concerning her character. She was likely viewed as the wife of an unknown carpenter and the mother of an illegitimate son. Such was her estate, but her Lord was mindful of all of that. "You are highly favored. The Lord is with you."
3. Mary had a song because the Lord is the knowing one. He knew His plan and He knew her estate. If you have a song this Christmas, it is because you recognize that He has an eternal plan and He is mindful of you and you have been included in His plan! He is the knowing one. Does that make you sing?

II. HE IS THE MIGHTY ONE
A. He was mighty in His incarnation (31-33, 51-53)
1. When the angel came to Mary, he shared some pretty incredible information. "You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
2. I am not sure Mary was able to process that. Her remark, v. 34, was "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" Perhaps she only really heard the first part of the angel's announcement. But, she heard enough to know that God is mighty and this one that she would bring into the world would be great. Did Mary know Isaiah 9? The angel's announcement sounds like that, does it not? (Read Isaiah 9).
B. He is mighty in His exultation (49, 33)
1. It is God who casts down the proud. It is God who raises the humble.
2. It is God who scatters the haughty. It is God who does great things for those who recognize his holy name. Mary saw herself as the servant of the Lord, knowing that He was mighty to raise up and mighty to save (38).
3. How do you see the Lord? "His name shall be called Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." Is He the baby in the manger or the exulted Lord Jesus? What is your song? You cannot sing the song of salvation unless you know that God is mighty to save. But why would God, who knows all about us, want to have anything to do with us, much less save us?

III. HE IS THE MERCIFUL ONE
A. His mercy extends to those He chooses (29-33)
1. Why did God choose Mary? Because He chose Mary! Why did God choose you? Because He chose you! (Adrian Rogers note) God most often chooses the weak and the simple and the unknown and the insignificant.
2. Perhaps God does that because those who are proud are in no position to receive God's grace. But those who respond as a humble servant understand their need and they are ready to look to God for His grace.
3. The Bible uses the phrase "found favor with God", but does not tell us too much concerning how that took place. We could spend significant time discussing how and why God chooses, but I am not too sure it would be of great profit - at least in this setting. All I know is that I deserved His judgment, but in His great mercy, He saved me by His grace. Mary sang of God's mercy at the announcement of Jesus' coming birth. She would later learn the full impact of God's mercy as she watched her Lord die on the cross. It was the Father, who poured out His wrath without mercy on His Son, who prepared the way for God's mercy to be given in great measure to Mary - and to us.
B. His mercy extends to those who fear Him (50).
1. To fear the Lord is to reverence Him for who He is. Mary did that.
2. It goes back to our approach. Listen again to Mary's song. Verse 48, "For he has looked on the humble estate of his servant." Verse 52, "He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of humble estate." When I look at Him and then I look at me, I understand something about this statement. As I humble myself before Him, I am aware of His awesomeness. The better I know Him, the more I fear Him - not afraid of Him, but possessing a godly fear of Him. (Illustrate - Chronicles of Narnia, in The Ultimate Priority, p. 85).
C. His mercy extends to those who trust Him (39-44).
1. The account is quite interesting. Mary comes to visit Elizabeth. The pronouncement is made, "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished."
2. Keep in mind that this was no easy thing for Mary to swallow. She is a teenager, engaged to a man. An angel appears to her and announces that she has found favor with God and she will give birth to a son - and all of that without ever being with a man. She accepts the message and states her trust in the Lord, "I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word.” That's trust!

Conclusion
1. That was Mary's song. What is your song? Are you singing the song of the redeemed, the song of salvation?
2. One of the things that impressed me about Mary's song was her perspective. Though there was some acknowledgement of the blessedness of her being chosen as the one to bring the Lord Jesus into the world, the emphasis of her song was of the greatness of God. She was not focused on herself, but on her Savior.
3. Most of us have TV’s in our homes. Our TV’s have commercials. Our children watch TV at our homes. They see commercials. It's Christmastime. The TV people know that they can advertise lots of stuff on TV that kids will covet, and because it is Christmastime, parents may more likely buy than at any other time of the year. Sometimes our children’s song is "I want that. That's awesome. Will you get that for me for Christmas? That's what I'm getting for Christmas."
4. But our kids are not alone. We also watch TV at home and the advertisers know that they can show us stuff that we might covet. And we might be more likely to buy now than at any other time of the year. And our song becomes, "I want that. That's awesome. Will you get that for me for Christmas? That's what I'm getting for Christmas." But if that is my song, I have missed the point. Mary could have said, "I'm special. God chose me. I'm going to give birth to the Son of God. I will be famous. God must be really impressed with me." But that was not her song.
5. Mary's song was about God. He is a God who knows all things. He is a God who is mighty to save. He is a God who will extend His mercy to those who will humble themselves before Him.
6. Our song should be the same. He is the God of our salvation. Is that your song?