MARY’S JOY AND JOY TO THE WORLD
Luke 1:46-57
MARY GLORIFIES THE LORD
V:46 And Mary said:
\”My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
Mary had just conceived baby Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.
She had been informed by the Angel Gabriel that her older cousin Elizabeth
well past the childbearing age was six months pregnant.
Notice, Mary a teenager was full of joy.
She readily accepted her assignment to be the living vessel to bring
the spirit of Jesus in the flesh to the world. At the risk of being stoned to
death by the community because of her pregnancy before marriage, she
considered herself blessed.
God revealed to us that every person has a body, soul, and spirit.
The soul embodies all our emotions and feelings.
From deep inside her emotions she was filled with Joy.
Mary understood how important her assignment was to the community
and the world.
She was grateful to God for selecting her for this awesome assignment,
She glorified God for her heart with her mouth
She humbled herself before the Lord and considered herself a servant.
We ought to be grateful for what God is doing in our lives. It is our
faithfulness that gets God\’s attention. God blesses those who humble themselves
before Him. We never know what blessings we miss because we are
to proud honor God.
It is surprising to me that a teenager would understand that her actions would
bless the whole world. God blesses those who reverence Him with uncommon
wisdom. When God gives you an assignment He will not leave you ignorant of
what to do.
MARY PRAISES GOD
V:49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me —
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
God has done great things for each of us. Every moment we live,
God is doing great things. It is up to us to give God credit for what He does.
God is holy and without sin. Anything he does for us to benefit others along
with us,
When we reverence the Lord, we bless our families and grandchildren.
This shows the importance of living a holy life. Our children are influenced by
the relationship we have with the Lord. If they see their parents praising
and worshipping the Lord. They are more likely to do the same. If
children see their parents trusting the Lord in all their activities, they
are likely to trust the Lord. God has shown mercy on us
because of the prayers of our parents,
MARY CLAIMED THE WORK OF GOD
V:51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted the humble.
Again, this teenager shows exceptional wisdom and knowledge
of how God deals with the community, with nations, and with individuals
who praise their accomplishments and neglect His work in their
lives. Anyone neglecting God has an attitude of pride.
Mary shows exceptional maturity by being able to recognize that God
brings down the proud and lifts the humble. It is only a mature person
knows the difference between being humble and being proud.
How does a teenager with limited life experiences, know that God deals with
man according to His commands?
In my mind, it shows the influence of the Godly teaching of parents or guardians.
Whoever she lives with taught her to love and respect God. Jesus, Himself was
growing in wisdom and spirit at the age of 12. You would expect that from God,
but not from a teenager.
It is obvious to me that from birth God has been supernaturally guiding the mental
development of Mary. She was selected for the job of being the mother of Jesus
from her birth.
MARY’S KNOWLEDGE OF HISTORY
V:53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers.\”
Mary had accurate knowledge of Israel’s history.
Consider this there were no written copies of the Old Testament
available to the public. Only the rich would have a copy of
the Old Testament. The only time a poor person would come
into contact with the written Word would be in the Synagogue at the reading
of scripture. Mary\’s knowledge would have come directly from God
or someone connected with teachers of the law or the Synagogue,
Mary\’s knowledge of Israel\’s history was broad enough to go back to
the promises God made to Abraham. The phrase “servant Israel”
is only mentioned in the Old Testament three times; Isaiah 44:1, 49:3
and Psalms 136:22.
Mary, the mother of Jesus was truly an unusual and remarkable teenager.
I am spending this talking about the quality of the person God prepared to be born
His Son in the flesh in the world so that you would know her worth.
When God is involved in our children\’s lives they are positioned to become
great people.
MARY’S KINDNESS
V:56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
Mary spent enough time with her Cousin Elizabeth that she knew the pain of child
bearing. Being with Elizabeth and Zachariah she gains more knowledge about God
the Father. I suggest that Mary\’s faith in God was strengthened through her conversations
with Elizabeth.
As we grow, God surrounds his chosen people with others who guide their knowledge
in His Word.
SUMMARY
Let me summarize the characteristics of Mary, the mother of Jesus
1. She was faithful to God. She accepted her assignment with joy
2. She was a caring person. She traveled 80 to 100 miles to be with her cousin.
3. She was courageous. She accepted the charge knowing that she could be stoned
to death being an unwed mother
4. She trusted God. She left her security to God against robbers on the road
to her cousin\’s house and the possible scorn of the community
5. She was grateful. She praises God from the depths of her soul for selecting her.
6. She was unselfish. She preferred her state over her desire for a traditional wedding
7. She had a helpful spirit. She stayed and comforted Elizabeth during the difficult
time of her pregnancy.
THANK GOD FOR MARY’S LOVE
Rev. M. Mitchell
