WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.040 you today. A special welcome if you are new or visiting. We're glad that you're here. And we're 00:00:06.040 --> 00:00:10.880 glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats, but because we're following Jesus 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:16.679 together as one community. And as we follow Jesus together, we become convinced that there's no one 00:00:16.679 --> 00:00:21.839 so good. They don't need God's grace and no one so bad that they can't have it, which is why we 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:29.560 come back week after week to hear what God has to say to us in his word. We are in the season of 00:00:29.559 --> 00:00:36.179 Advent, and the word Advent comes from a Latin word that means to come or to arrive. And so during 00:00:36.179 --> 00:00:43.000 this season, we celebrate Jesus coming or arriving to this earth. And in doing that, we do a couple 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:49.219 things. We celebrate what's happened in the past. So we sing songs like, joy to the world, the Lord 00:00:49.219 --> 00:00:55.620 has come. And we also celebrate and long and look forward to the future, Jesus' second coming. 00:00:55.619 --> 00:01:02.519 And so we sing songs like, O come, O come, Emmanuel. And really what we do during Advent is the entire 00:01:02.519 --> 00:01:07.659 Christian life, which is that we look to God's actions in the past. We hope for his actions in 00:01:07.659 --> 00:01:14.659 the future. And both of those allow us to live with faith and obedience in the present. And we're 00:01:14.659 --> 00:01:19.920 taking a break from our series in the book of Judges this morning. Since it is Christmas Eve, we're going to 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:28.000 be in Luke chapter 1, looking at what is called the Magnificat, which is Mary's song, praising God for 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:37.859 what he's done in choosing her as the mother of our Savior. Now, it is a cliche at this time of year to 00:01:37.859 --> 00:01:45.900 talk about in the church the true or real meaning of Christmas, right? But what about the real or true 00:01:45.900 --> 00:01:54.800 joy of Christmas? Mary doesn't hide it. She tells us right up front, if you look at our passage, she 00:01:54.800 --> 00:02:05.140 says, verses 46 and 47, my soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. So Mary's 00:02:05.140 --> 00:02:13.460 experiencing tremendous joy in this moment. Now, the question for us is not just what's the source of her 00:02:13.460 --> 00:02:24.819 joy, but what's the source of our joy as well. Mary's filled with joy. How on Christmas do we have 00:02:24.819 --> 00:02:31.420 real and true joy? Let's say with that that we turn together to God's Word. We're in Luke chapter 1, 00:02:31.640 --> 00:02:38.140 starting at verse 46. You can turn with me in your Bible. You can turn on your phone. You can turn in 00:02:38.139 --> 00:02:43.279 your worship guide. No matter where you turn, remember that this is God's Word, and we're told 00:02:43.279 --> 00:02:50.219 in Proverbs chapter 30 that every word of God proves true. He is a shield to those who take refuge in 00:02:50.219 --> 00:02:59.099 him, which is why we read now Luke chapter 1, starting at verse 46. And Mary said, my soul magnifies the Lord, 00:02:59.739 --> 00:03:06.539 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. 00:03:06.539 --> 00:03:14.680 For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed. For he who is mighty has done great 00:03:14.680 --> 00:03:23.759 things for me, and holy is his name. Verse 50. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:31.500 to generation. He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their 00:03:31.500 --> 00:03:38.139 hearts. He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate. 00:03:38.840 --> 00:03:46.460 He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his 00:03:46.460 --> 00:03:54.420 servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his offspring 00:03:54.419 --> 00:04:00.519 forever. I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's word. 00:04:02.459 --> 00:04:10.459 Our Father in heaven, we praise you and thank you as we do every week for speaking to us in your word. 00:04:11.259 --> 00:04:17.199 We thank you that you are a good father, the ultimate father, who tells his children exactly what 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:21.819 they need to know. And we ask that you would do that this morning, that you would help us, 00:04:21.819 --> 00:04:28.480 that we would know exactly what you have for us in this passage, and that you would remind us of 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:36.219 the true and ultimate source of our joy, and that would overflow into our celebrations together today 00:04:36.219 --> 00:04:41.519 and tomorrow. And we ask these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 00:04:41.519 --> 00:04:53.359 Well, Mary doesn't bury the lead for us. She doesn't hide the headline. She tells us right here at the 00:04:53.359 --> 00:05:00.419 very beginning of the passage what it is that she's experiencing. Verses 46 and 47, her soul magnifies 00:05:00.419 --> 00:05:08.579 the Lord, and her spirit rejoices in God her Savior. Now, this distinction of soul and spirit is simply a way 00:05:08.579 --> 00:05:14.819 of saying that Mary's whole self is caught up in what's happening. She is having a full-bodied 00:05:14.819 --> 00:05:21.659 experience. She's being filled with this joy. Some compare this to when Ella Fitzgerald sings, 00:05:22.139 --> 00:05:33.579 I'm all for you, body and soul. It's all of Mary that's rejoicing. She is filled and overflowing 00:05:33.579 --> 00:05:39.419 with what is happening. And we're told also not just that this is happening to her. We're told why. 00:05:39.979 --> 00:05:46.039 Mary doesn't waste time getting to the point, but instead she gives us the reasons for her joy, 00:05:46.139 --> 00:05:52.079 why it is that she is experiencing this. First, we have some narrow reasons, reasons that are for 00:05:52.079 --> 00:06:00.060 Mary personally. None of us are the mother of Jesus. And so what she gives us here are things that are for 00:06:00.060 --> 00:06:08.620 her specifically. Verse 48, he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. Verse 49, for he who is 00:06:08.620 --> 00:06:17.639 mighty has done great things for me. And so there's a sense in which Mary's joy has a focus on what God 00:06:17.639 --> 00:06:26.120 has done for her specifically. However, she moves from the narrow very quickly to the broad. Verse 50, 00:06:26.120 --> 00:06:33.199 his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:51.759 In other words, Mary is reminding us that her joy is not just for her. Mary's joy is for everyone who fears God. 00:06:51.759 --> 00:07:02.480 Mary's joy doesn't remain something that's just for her. No, her joy is something that pours out and 00:07:02.480 --> 00:07:17.659 overflows to the rest of God's people. God has done great things for you. If you fear him. 00:07:17.660 --> 00:07:25.220 This is on page seven of your worship guide. I would argue that despite the unique features of Mary's 00:07:25.220 --> 00:07:33.440 situation, we should all be amazed that we are Christians, that the great God is working in us. We should be 00:07:33.440 --> 00:07:42.220 just as shocked that God would give us, with all our smallness and flaws, such a mighty gift. 00:07:42.220 --> 00:07:57.740 Yes, Mary experiences honor that is unique to her. And salvation is so much greater. 00:07:59.320 --> 00:08:08.900 What you have received in Christ is better than Mary being the mother of Jesus. 00:08:08.899 --> 00:08:21.219 Christian, God has done great things for you. And so where's the joy? How do we experience 00:08:21.219 --> 00:08:30.739 the joy that Mary experiences? Well, she gives us a hint here in verse 48. It requires a humble estate. 00:08:30.740 --> 00:08:44.860 Mary is blown away that God has looked on her. The point is this. It is easy for the gospel to bring 00:08:44.860 --> 00:08:56.519 great joy when we know our need. It is easy for the gospel to bring us great joy when we know how 00:08:56.519 --> 00:09:09.579 how dependent we are. Which brings you greater joy? Someone who forgives you a debt of $10 or someone who 00:09:09.579 --> 00:09:19.120 forgives you a debt of $100,000? Which brings you more joy? Someone who forgives you a debt of $100,000 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:30.220 or someone who forgives you a debt of $1,000,000? The more humble your estate, the greater your joy. The more you 00:09:30.220 --> 00:09:38.759 understand and know your need for the gospel, the more you will be like Mary here. 00:09:38.759 --> 00:09:50.799 We give gifts to each other at Christmas as a small symbol of the gift that God has given us in Christ. 00:09:53.299 --> 00:09:57.460 How large of a gift do you think you've received? 00:09:57.460 --> 00:10:12.240 The larger the gift, the larger the joy. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 00:10:14.920 --> 00:10:21.440 The joy that we find in this passage, though, is more than just personal salvation. 00:10:21.440 --> 00:10:28.960 Mary also reminds us there is going to be this reordering of the world. Now, that's what we see in 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:37.900 verses 51 through 53. In verse 51, we find out that God has shown strength with his arm. God has great 00:10:37.900 --> 00:10:46.120 strength. In fact, it's so great, it is greater than anyone else's strength. Now, there's all sorts of 00:10:46.120 --> 00:10:50.779 things that God could do with his mighty arm. What does he choose to do? 00:10:53.560 --> 00:11:02.000 Well, these next couple of verses, we find out God is going to stage a takedown. And he's going to 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:10.740 stage a takedown of the proud, the mighty, and the rich. There is going to be a great inversion. 00:11:10.740 --> 00:11:19.519 Jesus is coming to bring a great reversal. And this reversal is going to happen for two 00:11:19.519 --> 00:11:25.500 categories. We see the world broken up into two separate groups. We have the proud and the humble. 00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:30.580 And it's very simple here. The proud are lifted up. I mean, the proud are brought low, the humble are 00:11:30.580 --> 00:11:39.139 lifted up. Not hard to understand. One group is going down, one group is going up. I will look first at 00:11:39.139 --> 00:11:46.240 the proud. Who exactly is in this group? How do you know that you are one of the people who is going to 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:53.019 be brought down in this great reversal? Well, thankfully, verses 50 and 51 are right next to 00:11:53.019 --> 00:12:00.960 each other. And so they give us this contrast. We understand the scattering of the proud, verse 51, 00:12:01.419 --> 00:12:08.559 because we're given the opposite category in verse 50. Who is the mercy for? The mercy is for 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:18.119 those who fear God. That's verse 50. So who are the proud? Verse 51. Clearly, they are those who do not 00:12:18.119 --> 00:12:27.099 fear God. Those are our two categories here. And so the proud, we're given a picture of them. We're 00:12:27.099 --> 00:12:32.839 given a picture of what it looks like not to fear God. The proud are not confident in God. They are 00:12:32.840 --> 00:12:38.460 confident in themselves. And there's a few things in particular that they have great confidence in. 00:12:38.740 --> 00:12:46.399 The proud are confident in their power. That's verse 52. The proud are confident in their wealth. 00:12:46.899 --> 00:12:55.500 It's verse 53. The proud have so much power and so much wealth that they have no need for God. 00:12:55.500 --> 00:13:03.639 I've told you before that wealth and power, they're not bad. They're not wrong. In fact, 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:09.019 we need people who are wealthy and powerful. They're just extremely dangerous. And they're 00:13:09.019 --> 00:13:14.600 extremely dangerous because wealth and power present this temptation to believe that we are somehow 00:13:14.600 --> 00:13:22.460 self-sufficient and independent. It is the wealthy and the powerful who face a special temptation to 00:13:22.460 --> 00:13:31.700 believe they do not need God. It is wealth and power that fool us, that trick us into thinking we don't have 00:13:31.700 --> 00:13:41.240 a humble estate. I've told you also before, it is hard to be in this part of town. It is hard to reach 00:13:41.240 --> 00:13:51.580 the Broadmoor because many people there have too much money to need God. It is easy to hide spiritual need 00:13:51.580 --> 00:14:00.820 when you have no physical needs. It is hard to hide spiritual need when you have many physical needs. 00:14:02.139 --> 00:14:10.960 The greater the wealth, the greater the power, the less a sense of need. Now, it's easy to pick on the 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:19.420 Broadmoor. The reality is this. All of us in this room are extremely wealthy and extremely powerful. 00:14:19.419 --> 00:14:28.879 If we look around the world and throughout time, we are the richest and most powerful people who have 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:40.719 ever lived. The point is not that you cannot be rich or powerful. The point is this. We must know our need. 00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:52.259 We must be people who know our humble estate. The greater the need, the greater the joy. 00:14:52.259 --> 00:15:00.659 The proud are going to be cast down and the humble will be lifted up. 00:15:02.120 --> 00:15:09.000 We turn to the humble next. We see them twice. We're told about them in verse 48 and verse 52. In the 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:14.319 humble, we've already seen know their need for God. They're looking to him for salvation. 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:24.560 And if you know your need for God and you are looking to him for salvation, then Christmas brings joy. 00:15:25.580 --> 00:15:34.620 Not just regular joy, capital J joy. The ultimate joy because it's the ultimate gift. 00:15:34.620 --> 00:15:42.179 And so the same question comes up for us here. Do you know your need? 00:15:44.980 --> 00:15:57.179 The greater you know it, the greater the joy. The greater the gift, the larger the celebration. 00:15:57.179 --> 00:16:07.439 There is joy, not just because of God's mercy to the humble. There's also joy in this great reversal. 00:16:08.419 --> 00:16:14.679 Why is this great reversal such good news? Why is it worth celebrating that the proud are going to be 00:16:14.679 --> 00:16:20.579 cast down and the humble are going to be lifted up? Well, I'm going to suggest for you two reasons that 00:16:20.579 --> 00:16:26.939 this is worth celebrating. First, if the humble are going to be lifted up and the proud are going to be 00:16:26.940 --> 00:16:38.360 cast down, there is an unshakable hope. And the unshakable hope looks like this. The world tells you 00:16:38.360 --> 00:16:51.680 what is most valuable in this life may never happen to you. You may never have the peak experiences 00:16:51.679 --> 00:17:01.699 that make life worth living. You may never have the romantic connection, which is the pinnacle of human 00:17:01.699 --> 00:17:13.819 existence. You may never amass enough wealth for it to be worth it. And so unless you're in a very elite 00:17:13.819 --> 00:17:22.659 group, your options are set, your marriage is whatever it's going to be. Your education is capped where it's 00:17:22.659 --> 00:17:28.599 going to be capped. Your ability to experience things that are the good life in this world, they may or may 00:17:28.599 --> 00:17:38.200 not be available. In other words, you at some level are stuck. You don't have the power and the wealth. 00:17:38.200 --> 00:17:48.960 Good luck. The gospel here says something very different. What is most valuable and precious in 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:58.900 this life is attainable to all. What is most valuable and precious in this life comes through faith and 00:17:58.900 --> 00:18:08.920 repentance? Maybe in the eyes of the world, your options are set. Maybe in the eyes of the world, your 00:18:08.920 --> 00:18:16.320 ceiling is fixed. The eyes of the gospel tell us something very different. One of the most precious 00:18:16.320 --> 00:18:23.500 promises we have in scripture comes in 1 Peter 1, verse 4, which tells us that we have an inheritance 00:18:23.500 --> 00:18:37.759 that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. In other words, the casting down of the 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:48.799 proud and the raising up of the humble reminds us that the best is yet to come. You have not missed out on 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:58.799 anything. Verse 53, he has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent away empty. 00:19:01.619 --> 00:19:07.720 Are you in the humble? Do you fear God? 00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:22.100 He will fill you with good things. Better things than you've ever experienced. Greater things than you can 00:19:22.100 --> 00:19:31.860 imagine. The great reversal is good news because you, Christian, have that inheritance. An inheritance that is 00:19:31.860 --> 00:19:37.700 imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 00:19:37.720 --> 00:19:49.279 The great reversal is also good news because it reminds us that evil is coming to an end. 00:19:52.500 --> 00:19:54.460 Think of an evil person. 00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:02.799 Either God is going to turn their heart from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh, 00:20:02.799 --> 00:20:08.720 or one day they will meet full and final justice. 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:17.180 Verse 51, he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:26.000 The great reversal is good news because one day there will be no more human trafficking. 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:30.839 There will be no more corrupt politicians. 00:20:32.440 --> 00:20:38.579 There will be no more leaders who care more for themselves than they do for their followers. 00:20:41.859 --> 00:20:48.480 He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate. 00:20:48.480 --> 00:21:00.039 I invite you to look with me on the very back of your worship guide, which has a quote that I think is worth time and 00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:02.019 meditation about the great reversal. 00:21:02.759 --> 00:21:08.000 The world as God sees it is a panorama of deprivation and exploitation and death. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:19.500 The history of the world has shown over and over again that it is incapable of rescuing itself from forces too strong for mere human nature. 00:21:20.200 --> 00:21:28.940 The great good news of the last judgment is that on that day, God will set everything right once and for all. 00:21:29.640 --> 00:21:32.220 He will end war forever. 00:21:32.220 --> 00:21:35.799 And then now it's quoted from Mary's song. 00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:40.579 He will put down the mighty from their seat and exalt the humble and meek. 00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:46.460 He will overthrow the pride of the smug and arrogant. 00:21:48.680 --> 00:21:52.279 That, brothers and sisters, is Christmas joy. 00:21:54.160 --> 00:21:55.860 God is coming. 00:21:56.079 --> 00:22:00.279 Jesus has come to set all things right. 00:22:00.279 --> 00:22:04.980 That's also what's counterintuitive about the gospel. 00:22:05.319 --> 00:22:15.079 The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 1 that God has chosen what is weak and foolish to shame the wisdom of the world. 00:22:16.399 --> 00:22:19.359 And what is it that we celebrate that's weak and foolish? 00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:25.099 Well, we celebrate one element of that is that God came as a little baby. 00:22:25.099 --> 00:22:32.699 That it is the child in the manger who is going to overthrow the mighty and cast down the proud. 00:22:34.139 --> 00:22:41.719 And it's the child in the manger who is going to lift up the humble and fill the hungry with good things. 00:22:41.720 --> 00:22:47.299 So where does our Christmas joy come from? 00:22:48.259 --> 00:22:52.339 It comes from the knowledge that God saves us from our sin. 00:22:53.180 --> 00:22:57.559 That we have the greatest gift that leads to the greatest joy. 00:22:58.559 --> 00:23:02.400 It comes from the knowledge that he is going to lift up the humble. 00:23:03.500 --> 00:23:06.160 That the best things in this world are yet to come. 00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:08.259 And you're not going to miss them. 00:23:09.360 --> 00:23:13.980 And it comes from the news that he is going to cast down the wicked. 00:23:14.920 --> 00:23:18.560 He's going to bring full and final justice once and for all. 00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:23.140 And that is exactly what we sing together in this final verse of the reign of mercy. 00:23:23.140 --> 00:23:48.020 Let's pray. 00:23:48.019 --> 00:23:54.139 Our Father in heaven, we praise you and thank you that you give us a great hope. 00:23:54.779 --> 00:23:56.940 Not just a great hope, but the greatest hope. 00:23:57.519 --> 00:24:00.680 We ask that you would remind us of what is most true. 00:24:01.240 --> 00:24:03.480 We celebrate your first coming. 00:24:04.099 --> 00:24:06.839 And you would help us to look with great longing towards your second. 00:24:07.740 --> 00:24:12.519 We thank you that we don't have to worry about whether we've earned or deserved these things. 00:24:12.619 --> 00:24:13.599 We know that we haven't. 00:24:13.599 --> 00:24:16.960 And so we simply ask for them in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. 00:24:17.559 --> 00:24:17.759 Amen. 00:24:18.019 --> 00:24:18.400 Amen. 00:24:25.059 --> 00:24:26.779 Amen. 00:24:26.779 --> 00:24:27.039 Amen. 00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:27.200 Amen. 00:24:27.460 --> 00:24:27.660 Amen. 00:24:27.740 --> 00:24:28.160 Amen. 00:24:28.200 --> 00:24:28.839 Amen. 00:24:28.839 --> 00:24:29.160 Thank you. 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:29.900 Amen. 00:24:30.819 --> 00:24:30.900 Amen. 00:24:31.000 --> 00:24:35.220 Amen. 00:24:37.319 --> 00:24:37.339 Amen. 00:24:37.359 --> 00:24:38.879 Amen. 00:24:38.879 --> 00:24:39.420 Amen. 00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:42.339 voulais venerion. 00:24:42.660 --> 00:24:46.740 Amen. 00:24:46.740 --> 00:24:46.839 Amen.