We're starting Christmas, being the 1st of December, that means there's about 23 sleeps
until we get this Christmas time on the road where we get our turkey on, where we get our
Brussels sprouts on, and we're going to take the whole month of December to look at the
songs in Luke's Gospel about Christmas.
We called it Christmas Hits.
I called it Christmas Hits, it wasn't a democracy.
And today we're looking at the first one, the one that Mary sings.
But I want to ask you, when do you sing?
When do you yourself sing?
In the shower?
I sing in the shower?
I think that's probably the reason Aileen moved to Brussels.
Sing with the hairbrush in front of the mirror?
Maybe in the car on the way to work?
On the terraces?
Do you support Airdrie United?
By yourself?
In the karaoke bar at the Christmas party?
Maybe on the street in church?
Or when no one else is around?
When do you sing?
Why do you sing?
Some people sing laments.
Got it in the Bible, we looked at it yesterday.
By the rivers of Babylon we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion.
Song about sadness, a lament.
Some people sing romantic songs.
The lady in red is dancing with me.
There's nobody else here.
Just you and me.
Some people sing victorious songs.
Championes, championes.
Ole, ole, ole.
I put that on the screen just in case now you've got your own white paper,
you thought you were going to get ideas ahead of your station.
Some people sing joyful songs.
I'm H-A-P-P-Y.
I know I am.
I'm sure I am.
I'm H-A-P-P-Y.
Yet more often than not,
I guess we find ourselves singing worship songs.
So we get to the beginning of Luke's gospel.
Luke, a doctor,
who's carefully investigated the life of Jesus.
And the first two chapters read like a score of a Gilbert and Sullivan musical.
There's a bit of narrative and then someone will break into song.
And there's a bit more narrative and someone will break into song.
Today we're going to look at the first song,
the song that Mary sings.
A worshipful response to the unprecedented favor,
attentive care and outrageous grace
she has been shown by the God of the universe.
It is a joy-filled, praise-home, God-focused,
cosmic chorus of true worship and kingdom insight.
Mary sings a biblical, theological, soteriological, doxological, canticle
about the majesty, might and magnanimous nature of God.
After his introduction to Theophilus, that's verses 1 to 4,
Luke zooms in on an old barren couple.
A couple called Zechariah, who is a priest,
and he's got a wife who's old,
and they have no children because she is barren.
And while Zechariah is taking his turn on duty in the temple,
he's waving a grain offering before the Lord,
and an angel speaks to him.
God hasn't spoken for 400 years.
If you weren't here yesterday,
you'll have trouble remembering that.
If you were here yesterday, no problem.
God hasn't spoken for 400 years.
No angels, no miracles, no fresh revelation.
But this day, the divine dialogue restarts,
and the angel comes and speaks to him and says,
your wife is going to have a baby.
Elizabeth's been barren for years.
Zechariah says,
how do I know that's true?
And the angel says,
you'll be struck dumb until this boy is born.
Zechariah finishes his stint in the temple.
He goes home.
Elizabeth becomes pregnant.
He goes south to Judea in the hill country where they live.
And Luke, then, chapter 1, verse 26,
goes six months forward and 80 miles north
to the despised Galilean town of Nazareth.
And Gabriel comes to a girl.
He's probably about 14 years old.
And he speaks about another miracle pregnancy.
This time, the pregnancy is not miraculous
by overcoming age and barrenness,
but quite the reverse.
Overcoming youth and virginity.
Mary, the highly favoured,
the one who has received great grace from God,
in being given this unique task,
is told that her son is to be called Jesus
because he will save his people from their sins.
He will be son of the most high God.
He will reign on David's throne
over the descendants of David
and his kingdom will last forever.
Mary, unlike Zechariah, believes
and submits to this outrageous plan
and says,
I am the Lord's servant.
May your words be fulfilled.
Then, in chapter 1, verse 39,
we get these two women meeting.
Mary travels 80 miles to see Elizabeth,
her relative.
Mary is in a privileged position.
She's given this unique task,
but she's also in a precarious situation
because she could,
her engagement could finish,
her reputation could be soiled,
she could be thrown out of the family house,
she could even be killed,
according to Old Testament law.
It is not normal
for 14-year-old girls
to say they are incubating God,
having immaculately conceived
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
No one does that.
It's not normal.
That is enough to get you called
a lunatic by onlookers,
a harlot by your fiancé,
and worthy of death
by the religious establishment.
However, in visiting Elizabeth,
Mary gets all the encouragement
that she needs
to know this is God's plan.
She gets three signs.
She gets her personal sign.
She sees Elizabeth put on a bit of weight.
It's not because she was having
an early Christmas,
because Christmas isn't invented.
It's because she's pregnant.
She's six months pregnant.
She gets her physical sign.
She gets her physical sign
as fetal John the Baptist
leaps for joy
when brought into proximity
with the zygotic Jesus.
That was my favourite line
from the sermon.
It's downhill from here.
Mary also receives
a prophetic sign
because Elizabeth,
filled with the Holy Spirit,
confirms everything
that she knows to be true.
Blessed are you among women
and blessed is the child
you will bear.
But why am I so favoured
that the mother of my Lord
should come to me?
She's got great confidence.
And now we're going to read the bit.
Luke chapter 1,
46 to 55.
And this is what it says.
Let me show you the outline
so you can be looking for it
as we go through.
We see Mary models
kingdom worship.
Mary testifies to
kingdom dynamics.
That's the two things
I want you to look out for.
And this is what
I want us to take away.
We can only sing
Mary's song
if we're trusting
Mary's Saviour.
We can only sing
Mary's song
if we're trusting
Mary's Saviour.
Karen's going to read this for us.
Chapter 1
verse 46.
Mary said,
My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices
in God my Saviour.
For he has been mindful
of the humble state
of his servant.
From now on
all generations
will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One
has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.
His mercy extends
to those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has performed
mighty deeds
with his arm.
He has scattered
those who are proud
in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down
rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up
the humble.
He has filled the hungry
with good things
but has sent
the rich away empty.
He has remembered
his servant Israel
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham
and his descendants
forever
even as he said
to our fathers.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth
for about three months
and then returned home.
Let's pray.
Father God,
speak to us.
We pray.
Speak to us
in a way we can't dismiss.
In a way we can't forget.
Father,
speak to us
that we might
once again
see the glory
of your gospel
in the face
of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
The first thing we see
is that Mary
models kingdom
worship.
It is possible,
isn't it,
to sing the right song
in the wrong way.
So I was at a youth camp.
14,
15 year old boys.
I've got the joy,
joy, joy, joy
down in my heart.
As they sing it,
no joy.
Sung in completely
the wrong way
or I don't know
if you saw last week
the England
under 15 football team
played a match
in the victory shield.
Wasn't many people
there watching.
They sung the national anthem.
I have never heard
the national anthem
sung like that.
Supposed to be
this vitriolic call
to rally for the country.
They sung it
like they were
whistling a tune
they didn't like
on the bus.
I was speaking
in Dorchester
at a church
and I think
the average age
of the congregation
was about 81.
I took one of my friends
who was leading worship
and he thought
we were saying
did you feel
the mountains tremble?
And we got to the chorus
which says
oh I feel like dancing.
I have never seen
people look less like
they were feeling
like dancing
in my life.
Mary sings
the perfect song
in the perfect way.
And the first thing
why do I keep doing that?
The first thing we see
is that Mary's song
is informed.
See this from
the first three verses.
None of Mary's lyrics
are original.
She has borrowed
the entire content
of her song
from the Old Testament.
If we take
just the first three verses
she explicitly quotes
seven verses
from the Old Testament.
She quotes
from the law
the prophets
and the Psalms.
Her entire song
is modelled
on the song
that Hannah sings
in 1 Samuel chapter 2.
We know Mary was young
we know Mary was poor
but we must also conclude
that Mary was saturated
in scripture.
That when this good news
came to her
a volcanic eruption
of scripture
erupted deep down
in her soul
and overflowed
from her mouth.
This is a real encouragement
to internalise, memorise,
meditate and hide
scripture in our hearts.
That we would like
Mary's parents
give our children
scripture
morning, noon and night
three square meaty meals
a day.
Let us unleash
the word of God
to do the work of God
in our lives
and in the lives
of the people
that we're seeking
to shepherd well.
Let us be those
like Mary
from whom
scripture oozes
from every pore.
Let us be those
who respond to God
who reveals himself
explicitly in scripture
to us.
Have you ever thought
for example
that the Psalms
are God giving us
songs to sing back
to him?
Have you ever
thought about that?
God says
here's a song book
and I want you
to use these songs
to sing my praises.
That's amazing.
Mary's song
is sung perfectly
with the right attitude
because it is informed.
She knows the God
she's talking about.
Let us be praying
the scriptures,
singing the scriptures,
pouring over the scriptures,
sharing the scriptures,
encouraging each other
with the scriptures.
Like Mary,
let us not worship
God glibly
or ignorantly.
Let's worship
God informally.
We can only sing
Mary's song
if we're trusting
Mary's saviour.
The second thing
we see,
Mary's song
is internal.
See the words
that she uses
in the first two lines.
My soul
glorifies the Lord
and my spirit
rejoices in God
my saviour.
Soul and spirit
are deep
internal things.
You don't put
a new pair of trousers
on your soul
because it's deep
in the inside.
True worship
is deep
crying out to deep
as we imbibe
the resonant hum
of creation
praising its creator.
nature.
And when we're
talking about
worship
we're talking
about a deep
thing.
We're talking
about an internal
thing.
We're talking
about something
on the inside
out
than something
that we take
in from outside.
We live
in a wafer
thin culture
that is about
appearance,
strap lines
and sound bites.
Mary shows us
that our worship
is never to be
superficial or
skin deep.
Mary models
for us
that true
worship is
in to out
inside
to outside
the heart
response
being the
source
of everything.
That means
my praise
and worship
is never
dependent on
the music
the lighting
the amplification
the ambience.
It is
dependent solely
on the inclination
of my heart
towards the
God of the
universe.
It is about
the posture
of my soul
and my spirit.
It is about
what is going
on deep
down
inside.
Mary sings
the perfect
song
in the
perfect way
and we
this morning
can only
sing Mary's
song
if we're
trusting
Mary's
saviour.
thirdly
we see
Mary's
song
is
intense.
Look at
that verse
in verse
46
my soul
glorifies
the Lord.
Does anyone
have my soul
magnifies
the Lord
in their
Bible?
That is
because
it is
literally
the Latin
word
that we
get the
word
magnification
from.
Mary is
saying
my soul
magnifies
the Lord
it is an
intense
experience.
it is
from the
word
magnificat
that we
get the
word
magnification
and I
think this
is a
great
description
of what
is going
on here.
We use
the word
magnification
in two
ways don't
we?
We
magnify
something in
a microscope
that is
taking
something
very small
and blowing
it up so
that we
can see
it.
That is
not what
Mary is
doing.
We
also use
magnification
for a
telescope
where we
take something
that is
enormous and
vast like
the moon
or the
stars but
it is far
away so
it looks
really small.
So we
magnify it
through a
telescope so
people can
see it and
go wow
the moon is
huge.
Wow
Saturn has
got some
massive
rings.
that is
what Mary
is doing.
Mary is
taking the
person work
majesty
dominion and
sovereignty of
gods which
is vast
and magnifying
it in her
life so that
people can see
what God is
like and how
glorious he
is.
She is
intensely
mirroring the
magnitude of
God for
others to
see and
learn from.
That is
what we're
called to
do Brunsfield
not just on
Sunday but
as we go
out into
our lives
we are
called to
magnify the
Lord.
Because lots
of people in
this city
don't know
God.
They don't
know the
Lord Jesus.
And he's
far away.
He doesn't
mean anything
to them.
And so you
are a
telescope.
And what
you're doing
is you're
focusing in
on the
Lord and
you're
magnifying him
in your
soul.
And people
go wow.
I didn't
realize he
was so
big and
so beautiful
and so
gracious and
kind and
loving and
good.
Mary's
worship is
intense.
She sings
the right
song in
the right
way because
she knows
God.
She's trusted
God.
We can only
sing Mary's
song if we've
trusted Mary's
saviour.
And then
lastly she
models kingdom
worship because
her worship is
indefinite.
The first
verb glorious
in the
original Greek
is present
continuous.
It is
something that's
happened,
happening and
going to happen
into the
future.
Her worship
is not
restricted to
this song.
She is a
worshipper with
all of her
life.
The second
verb is
rejoices or
whatever you've
got in your
version.
question.
In the
original Greek
it is the
aggressive
aorist.
Your question
what is the
aggressive aorist?
I can see it
on your lips.
The
aggressive aorist
is something
that begins
now and
continues
forever.
And Mary's
worship is
indefinite.
It started,
it's happening
and it will go
on forever.
That's what
she's singing.
She sings
the right
way
with the
right attitude.
Just a
side note.
Look at
what she
calls God
in verse 47.
And my
spirit rejoices
in God
my saviour.
The fact
that Mary
calls God
her saviour
completely
flies in the
face of
any assumption
that Mary
is sinless,
divine or
a co-redemptrix
with Christ.
Mary here
says I'm a
sinner and
I need a
saviour.
I'm sinful
and I need
a rescuer.
She's in
exactly the
same position
as us
but she
is a
glorious
model
of what
we're
supposed to
be.
Mary
models
kingdom
worship
because her
worship
is informed,
she knows the
scriptures,
internal,
it's happening
deep within,
it's intense
because she's
magnifying God
and it's
indefinite
because it
will go
on forever.
We can
only sing
Mary's
song
if we're
trusting
Mary's
saviour.
And then
let's look at
the content
of her song,
Mary testifies
to kingdom
dynamics.
Mary also
gets the
gospel,
she understands
the upside
down nature
of the
kingdom
that her
unborn son
will usher
in.
Mary testifies
that God
dwells,
God dwells
irreproachably
but acts
personally.
Look at
verses 49
and 50.
Look at
how Mary
describes God
verse 49,
the mighty
one,
the one
whose name
is holy.
Mary testifies
that God
is perfect
and omnipotent.
omnipotent.
He is
glorious
and irreproachable.
He is
bigger,
superior,
above,
and infinitely
more than
anything we
can understand.
God who
is utterly
perfect and
set apart
from the
world,
that is
what holy
means.
The
unfathomable
God who
created the
cosmos by
listing a
few nouns
is a
God who
is and
should
remain
inconceivably
and
unapproachable
by sinful
people.
Mary says
God,
he is the
mighty
one.
He is
the holy
one.
But look
at what
he says.
She says,
for the
mighty
one has
done great
things for
me.
Look at
verse 50.
His mercy
extends to
those who
fear him
from generation
to generation.
Yes,
he is big
and glorious,
holy and
irreproachable,
and yet he's
personable.
He does
things for
us.
He shows
mercy to
me,
and not
just to
me,
but from
generation to
generation and
all who
will turn to
him.
Fear here
is as
reverent
seriousness
and heartfelt
dependence.
God dwells
irreproachably
as the
mighty one
whose name
is holy,
and yet
he acts
personally by
doing great
things on
our behalf
and extending
mercy to
us,
the unworthy.
Mary gets
the gospel.
Mary,
we can
sing,
we can
only sing,
I thought I
would have
known it by
now,
we can
only sing
Mary's
song if
we've
trusted,
if we're
trusting
Mary's
saviour.
We also
know that
she gets
the gospel
because she
says,
God exalts
the humble
but scatters
the proud.
Look at
51 and
52.
He has
performed
mighty deeds
with his
army,
he has
scattered
those who
are proud
in their
inmost
thoughts,
he has
brought down
rulers from
their thrones
but has
lifted up
the humble.
will.
This is
God's
glorious
plan,
this is
the way
that God
always
operates.
The
nauseating
pride of
rebellious
humanity
incurs
wrath and
judgment
from the
God who
is worthy
and yet
to those
who are
meek and
respond in
submissive
humility and
awe are
blessed and
exalted.
Wasn't that
the case?
You can tell
I did a
Bible overview
yesterday.
Wasn't that
the case on
the plains of
Shinar?
that humanity
said I want
to build a
tower to
be like
God that
reaches to
the heavens?
I don't
need God
anymore.
What does
God come
down and
do?
He scatters
them.
Because he
scatters the
proud.
Or what
about Moses
and the
Pharaoh?
Pharaoh in
God-like
fashion says
I'm going to
enslave this
people in
order that they
can facilitate
my own
hubris and
be brought
into
worshipping
me.
Moses the
shepherd from
Midian comes
and is the
instrument through
which God
humiliates the
Pharaoh by
utterly decimating
him and
showing that he
is mightier than
all the gods of
Egypt.
God scatters the
proud but he
exalts the
humble.
Or Saul the
king, no
heart, head and
shoulders above
everyone else.
I am the
big cheese.
His knees
knock at
facing Goliath
and he
ends up
committing
suicide.
And his
whole household
is destroyed.
God scatters
the humble.
And little
David who
wasn't even
invited to
Israel's Got
Talent as
Samuel comes to
anoint the
kings is
actually the
one God's
chosen to
be king.
God exalts
the humble
but scatters
the proud.
Do you
see the
gospel isn't
for good
people who
want to add a
little religion
to their lives,
who want a
little Jesus on
the dashboard of
their car.
God
the gospel is
for repentant
sinners who
know they
deserve nothing
and therefore
through faith in
Christ are
able to receive
everything.
It is the
ones who
realise they
are sick
who will go
to the
physician of
souls and
find healing
for their
lives.
People who
are proud
have no
room for
God.
People who
are humble
and desperate
say God I
need you.
Do you
see they
have pride
in their
inmost
thoughts?
That deep
down inside
it is them
that they're
worshipping.
And yet
Mary will
say my
soul magnifies
the Lord.
My spirit
rejoices in
God, my
saviour.
Mary gets
the gospel.
We can only
sing Mary's
song if we're
trusting Mary's
saviour.
Thirdly,
God fills
the hungry
and empties
the rich.
Mary is
not here
talking about
physical hunger
but spiritual
hunger.
In a few
chapters Luke
will relay
a sermon
that Jesus
gave on the
plane to
the watching
world and
he would say
blessed are
those who
hunger now
for they
will be
satisfied.
We read
about a man,
you're going to
read about him
just after
Christmas,
a man called
Simeon who
is old and
what it says
about him is
he was waiting
for the
consolation of
Israel.
That word
waiting is
literally the
word hungry.
He was
ravenous for
God to come
and do
something in
his world.
Those who
know they are
incomplete without
God find
themselves filled
by God whereas
those who are
full of everything
else remain
ravenously
restless.
That's all
over the
gospel.
Jesus makes
us aware of
our blindness
and then gives
us sight.
Jesus makes
us aware we
are wrong and
then he puts
us in the
right.
Jesus makes
us aware we
are lame and
then enables us
to walk.
God creates
in us a hunger
and then fills
us with his
goodness.
So I'm
working in my
office,
concentrating on
what I'm
doing and the
time goes by.
1.30 comes,
Graham knocks on
the door.
Have you had
lunch?
Didn't even
think I was
hungry.
The minute he
says have you
had lunch?
I am starving.
I don't think I'm
even going to be
able to make it
to Greg's for a
nutritious and
delicious lunch.
I didn't even
realize I was
hungry.
Then I go to
look for
sustenance.
We read the
Bible and all
of a sudden we
read a forgiveness
in Jesus Christ
and we've
never really
thought about
being guilty
but now it's
on our mind.
We read of the
peace that Jesus
brings and it is
then we see how
restless and chaotic
everything in our
life is.
We read the
Bible and we
read about life
in all its
fullness and it's
then that we
realize how
drab and
mediocre and
soulless our
existence is.
God fills the
hungry but
those who are
self-satisfied,
self-reliant and
seemingly self-sufficient
will get to the
end of their
lives and realize
that they are in
fact impoverished
without the Lord
Jesus.
We can only sing
Mary's song if
we're trusting
Mary's saviour.
And then
lastly before we
finish.
God keeps his
covenant but
extends his
parameters.
Look at these
last two verses.
He has helped
his servant Israel
remembering to be
merciful to
Abraham and his
descendants forever
just as he promised
our ancestors.
Mary now brings us
to the Old
Testament characters
of Israel and
Abraham.
The figureheads of
all that it means
to be God's chosen
people.
Abraham the pagan
moon worshipper
who is met by God
and transformed into
the progenitor of
a great nation.
And Jacob the
twisted wrestler who
wrestles God and
is given a new name
and great blessing.
The people on whom
God has set his
affection when he
related to them
through covenant and
promised blessing if
they obey and
cursing if they
disobey.
Yet we know the
story.
You especially know
the story if you
were here yesterday.
Think I could make
that clearer.
Despite prophets,
priests, kings,
miracles, battles,
signs, symbols,
oracles, parables and
patience, Israel
categorically failed to
keep the covenant and
fell short of its
requirements.
God's chosen people
had categorically come
under God's curse on
account of their
unfaithfulness.
Yet see these verses,
God remembers mercy.
And see how it
overflows out of
Abraham's descendants
forever.
Now, how much Mary
knew of this, of what
she is singing about,
but inspired by the
Holy Spirit, she
alludes to the truth
that in Jesus, the
true and better
Israel, there is
absolute covenant
faithfulness leading
to the availability of
unqualified covenant
blessing.
Israel messed up and
they should have been
cursed.
And yet Jesus came as
the new and better
Israel.
He came and kept the
covenant.
He came and did all
that God required.
He was the only
person who loved the
Lord his God with all
his soul.
So, heart, soul, mind
and strength for all of
his life.
And yet he dies on a
cross and he does that
for us that we might get
all the blessing through
him that Old Testament
Israel was promised.
Christ.
It is this Jesus that God's
people are now found in.
It's not about covenant
blessing being ethnically
Jewish.
It's not about speaking
Hebrew.
It's not about living in
Israel.
It's about being found in
Jesus Christ and having
life and forgiveness, joy,
peace, eternal blessing
offered unconditionally
through faith in Jesus
Christ.
We can only tune our
hearts to sing Mary's
song if we're trusting
Mary's saviour.
She gets kingdom worship.
She understands kingdom
dynamics and sings again
and again about the gospel.
And so must we.
We must be those who
worship God.
Informally.
Intensely.
Indefinitely.
Internally.
We must sing of the gospel.
Throughout all of our lives
when the world squeezes in.
Sing the gospel louder
and prouder.
Not quieter
in the closet.
We can only sing
Mary's song
if we've trusted
Mary's saviour.
Let me pray.
Father God,
we want to worship you
as humble worshippers.
We want to worship you
in the way
modeled to us
by your servant Mary.
We want to sing
informed,
internal,
intense and
indefinite worship
back to you
because you have been
so good to us.
We want to sing of your
grace to us in the gospel.
The gospel that will
turn this world upside down
and has turned our lives
upside down.
Father God,
thank you for Jesus
our saviour.
and we pray that we
might sing Mary's song
as those who have
trusted
and are trusting
and will
always
trust
Mary's saviour,
Jesus Christ
our Lord.
Amen.