based on the 2024 LGG Advent Study, Rejoice, a Celebration of Advent
Today’s Scripture God’s Road Map for Our Journey / Luke 1: 26-56 (46-47) and 1 Peter 1:3-12
And Mary said “My soul magnifies the Lord,
Luke 1:46-47. ESV
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
Has anyone ever said a blessing or a prayer over you and you didn’t know what to say – other than thank you? What we read today and will focus on throughout the week is Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s blessing over her.
Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s blessing is most often referred to as the Magnificat or Mary’s Song. According to gotquestions.org, the Magnificat is a poem of praise to God for His blessing to Mary and His faithfulness to Israel.
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Luke 1:30-34. ESV
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
As one can only imagine, the shock and awe of the Angel’s announcement to Mary that she would give birth to the long-awaited Messiah was still ‘fresh’ in her mind. However, here in today’s passage, we read the sweet reflection of her heart and mind and see a beautiful picture of God giving her peace – as we read, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior-.”
If we stop there, we are left to wonder how this young girl, a virgin, engaged to be married and given a message that she would miraculously become pregnant and give birth to the promised Messiah, could possibly be rejoicing. Luke’s detailed account of Mary’s song answers the question as she goes on to say, “Because God has looked upon the humble state of His servant.”1
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. Luke 1:46
Some may misconstrue Mary’s statement, “For from now on all generations will call me blessed,” to be about her, but instead, it is an acknowledgment that what God was doing through her was to be “an example of His grace for all generations.” Take a minute to reread her song; you will note that it is clearly a praise to God, a song that points people to Him – the only One worthy of our worship and able to hear/answer our prayers. 2
Today’s LGG journal entry explains Mary’s joyful praise in a beautiful way: “Mary’s heart was full of joyful praise because she looked to God, the One she knew would be with her and help her. Being full of faith, she was able to see beyond her immediate, challenging circumstances and meditate, instead, on the great deeds of God, past, present, and future. Her spirit was not filled with worries, fears, and the trifles of life. Her spirit soared above as she fixed her eyes on God, her Savior, and what He had done for her.”
Prayer of Response to the Journey
borrowed and shared from the Rejoice journal, p99
Lord, let our minds be increasingly filled with You, Your character, and Your deeds. Amen
Me From the Inside Out 