Mary’s worship of God began long before that fateful Advent when the Angel Gabriel appeared to her.
The eternal question is why did God choose that particular woman to be the mother of His son?
He obviously knew her well.
How do we know that?
Because of Mary’s worshipful response to the angel’s preposterous news.
Mary’s character
The Gospel of Luke provides us with the largest understanding of Mary.
(Some Biblical scholars believe Mary served as Luke’s main source for his Gospel.)
Like most Hebrew women of the time, Mary was betrothed. She lived in a small village, Nazareth, about 19 miles west of the Sea of Galilee.
Jews and Romans, along with a motley mix of other Gentile cultures lived in the Galilee region.
When the angel Gabriel stood before Mary, he had words of praise:
“Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”
But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
(Luke 1:28-31 ESV)
She couldn’t imagine why an angel would appear to her, much less what it meant “the Lord was with her.”
Wasn’t He always with her?
But then the angel delivered the surprising news she would conceive by the Holy Spirit and bear a child named Yeshua!
What does Yeshua mean? Salvation.
Mary’s worship
Gabriel filled in a few details–Jesus/Yeshua is the Son of God– and Mary responded with a basic question.
How?
The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”
Luke 1:35-37 NKJV
Notice that while Gabriel answered her question, he also provided her with corroborating evidence that God could do miraculous things. Her elderly cousin Elizabeth was pregnant.
And note his last sentence, which may have been a gentle chiding: “No word from God will ever fail.” This will happen.
What would you do with such a message?
Mary acknowledged and “agreed,” with humility: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
God knew Mary’s heart.
Mary’s worship: the Magnificat
The young woman traveled to visit Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah in the southern hill country of Judah (not far from Jerusalem).
Elizabeth called out her greeting, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”
Did the teenager simper?
No.
Instead, she used the greeting to worship the God who had put her into such an interesting . . . state.
My soul magnifies the Lord,
Luke 1: 47-55
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
What can we learn from how Mary worshipped God?
Several things stand out:
- Focus: God (v. 46-47).
- Humility (v. 48).
- Awe (v. 48-49).
- Recognition of God’s character (v. 49).
- Acknowledgment of His mercy toward her and others (v. 50).
- Awe at God’s power and ability (v. 51).
- Marveling at God’s work in the past (v. 52).
- Recognition of God’s grace to the poor. (v. 53).
- Remembrance of God’s work in the lives of His people (v. 54-55).
To whom did Mary direct her words?
God.
Do you see the words “I, me, feel, just, mine,” or other personal references?
No. Mary’s worship focused on the God who created her.
Her understanding of who God is, how He acted in history, and what He promised to do, motivated her praise and worship.
Mary’s worship at Advent focused on God alone.
Let’s do the same this Advent.
Tweetables
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