The Virgin Mary Sings My Spirit Rejoices, My Soul Glorifies: A CHRISTmas Story
Christmas, for Christians, is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The birth of Jesus is full of meaning. We celebrate this time with words describing Jesus’ birth as the coming of the Savior, Messiah, Immanuel, and the Word become flesh. Jesus is all those things and I celebrate Him for all that. But, what does it really mean that He’s the Savior, Immanuel, Word as flesh?
Qualities of the Virgin Mary
I’m guilty of thinking of those words as concepts or just Jesus’ names. I’m also guilty of glossing over Mary’s “Magnificat”, that is, her song of praise found in Luke 1:46-55. After all, Luke has already told us the important stuff about the angel visiting Mary, Mary becoming pregnant, and then Mary visiting her relative Elizabeth whose own baby leaped in her womb when Mary greeted her. So, for me, the poem has always been something I just skimmed over, thinking it was merely something pretty that was said by Mary but without real impact or meaning to the birth story. I never gave it a second glance, nor did I ever read it to really read the words and take them in.
This year, though, I read only Mary’s song of praise, paying careful attention to each word. Have you ever done that? Mary’s role in Jesus’ birth story goes beyond merely being His incubator. We learned from my other Christmas blogs about Mary, that she shows us the kind of faith we need and is expected of us as believers in Jesus. We learned that she is blessed because she heard the Word of God and obeyed. But, Mary’s song tells us who Jesus will be, what He means.
Mary’s Song of Praise
Elizabeth praises Mary in verse 45, calling her blessed for believing God’s Word and obeying. Mary then breaks out into her praise of God, in what is called her “Magnificat” or “Song of Praise.” What I’ve never really read before, thinking it was a merely extraneous, is actually quite remarkable and relevant to what God was doing. In Luke 1:46-55 (ESV), Mary says,
My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.
Mary’s Soul Magnifies and Her Spirit Rejoices
Her soul magnifies and her spirit rejoices that God looked upon her, a nobody, and chose her for this incredible moment. The Bible doesn’t tell us much about Mary’s family or background, but she says she’s of “humble estate” which refers to a low social status and background; that is, she’s not wealthy, she’s not a celebrity or holds multiple degrees. In today’s terms, she doesn’t have a blue checkmark by her name on her socials. But, God chose her. She came from nothing to now be blessed.
And then, look at what she says about his mercy and might, what he does for the hungry and oppressed. Do you think she’s describing what God has already done or what Jesus is about to do? Maybe both? Think about Jesus’ ministry and what He did while on earth, and what His death and resurrection represent. She believed. This is not quite a prophesy, but her words here are foretelling what Jesus will do and mean for the world.
Mary and Baby Jesus
There’s a popular Christian Christmas song that is really lovely called “Mary Did You Know.” The song asks a series of questions about whether Mary knew her son, Jesus, would “walk on water,” “save our sons and daughters,” “come to make you new,” “has walked where angels trod,” is “Lord of all creation,” and lists several miracles Jesus performed and more of His attributes. The short answer to the song’s question is, yes, yes Mary knew. Look what she said in Luke!
Before Jesus is even born, Mary sums up what He will do. Circle back to what Elizabeth said to her in Luke 1:45 and what Jesus said about her to the woman in Luke 11:28, “blessed” is she who believed. Mary praises God for what He’s done for her and her people, but also for what He’s doing through the birth of Jesus, the Messiah and Savior. The angel told her, “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.” (Luke 1:32-33 ESV)
If the SON Sets You Free
One of my favorite verses is John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Why is that my favorite verse? Because it speaks to the human side of Jesus. In addition to the Divine, He was fully human. The “Son” in that verse references the divine, but also the human “son.” It doesn’t say “Christ” or “Messiah” will set you free, it references the human, the personhood, “son.” As the human Jesus walked the earth, think of all He did and what He went through. His experiences mirrored our experiences, His emotions and pains, problems with friends, inability to rely on friends when He needed them most, tears, ridicule, false accusations, being stretched in several directions, interacting with those who were most in need of help or who were outcast – as a fully human being, He fully understands what we go through on a day to day basis. When I understood that Truth, when I understood that He fully understands my pains and sorrows, - because He’s been there too - I was set free.
The “Son” is God’s son but also Mary’s son. This freedom is what Mary knew and believed. Mary’s spirit rejoices at the redemption that the child within her will bring. Her soul magnifies the awesomeness of God through the saving grace and mercy that the child within her will bring.
Believe
Mary is blessed because she heard the Word of God and obeyed. She believed. On that first Christmas, Mary was the first to believe. She believed what the Gospels tell us about Jesus. Yes, He’s our Savior, but He showed mercy, love for the outcast and downtrodden, He elevated the humble and those of “humble estates”, He saw people – not their statuses, stigmas, or labels – but that man or woman before him. Jesus fed people, He gave real help to those in need, not “thoughts and prayers.” He taught through words and actions. He was tender to those in distress and stood up for the oppressed and marginalized. He humbled those who thought too much of themselves and used religion as a weapon. He did not seek power, He sought the hearts of people.
O, Holy Night
As we celebrate Jesus’ birth, may we also celebrate Jesus by living like Him. May we reflect on His words, actions, love, mercy, and grace. That’s what Mary did. Mary didn’t celebrate her pregnancy and birth, she celebrated God and what Jesus would be doing in the world.
Oh, Holy Night, may we come and adore Him. Merry Christmas!
Speaking of O Holy Night, my favorite version of it is from Josh Groban. Check it out here.