Preached in Markham Baptist Church, December 10, 2006

Christmas comes with a lot of stuff these days – it comes with parties, concerts, lights, special television shows and advertisements.  One of the best radio commercials I’ve heard is done by Ikea – the man with the accent comes on and says, "For those celebrating Christmas we now have a wide variety of large Christmas trees for only $20.  For those who do not celebrate Christmas we have a wide variety of large room fresheners for only $20." Very clever!

All these things are now part of the package of Christmas in our day – and of course the most wonderful part of Christmas is the music.  And rightly so.  The miracle of the incarnation – of God stepping into our world in the person of Jesus Christ is something to sing about.  So we have a whole collection of hymns celebrating God’s birth and we have the grand and majestic music of Handel’s Messiah with its glorious Hallelujah Chorus.  But, none compare to the songs that were sung on that first Christmas that sing God’s praise for this great miracle. 

Luke records these songs for us in his gospel.  In chapter one there is Mary’s song and Zechariah’s song, the father of John the Baptist.  In Luke 2 we have the angel’s song – singing Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom His favour rests.  And we have Simeon’s song, a man full of the Holy Spirit who sings of the child Jesus as being the salvation sent from God, a light to the Gentiles and glory to the people of Israel.  All these people burst into song as they witnessed what God was doing.

Well, during our Christmas services I would like to focus our studies on some of these songs – trusting that the notes they strike will be echoed in our own lives.  For they are songs that grow out of a great awareness of God and draw us into his presence.  So with all that accompanies Christmas and with all that seeks to draw us away from God and the truth of God in Christ I pray that this will be time well spent as these songs draw us to the heart of God himself.

We begin with Mary’s song in Luke 1:46. 

This song is sung after Mary has received news from the angel that she will bear a child who will be called the Son of the Most High. And after she has gone to stay with her relative Elizabeth, Elizabeth has greeted Mary with the words, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear … Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.”

And Mary sings a most beautiful song that celebrates not herself – not “O how wonderful I am” - but sings a song celebrating God – O how wonderful God is! 

In some Christian circles this song is called the Magnificat because in the Latin translation Magnificat – to magnify – is the first word of the song. 

Our version reads: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”

What a wonderful way to begin a song. My soul glorifies the Lord.  That word “glory” has many meanings in Scripture. In this context it means to acknowledge true worth.  Mary is saying that, “My soul recognizes the true worth of the Lord.”  My soul magnifies the Lord - she is worshipping God in her song – for that is what worship is – to acknowledge God’s worth-ship.

“My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”  I recognize God’s true worth.

This is the focus of the best songs that we can sing.  Indeed is the content of the song of the angels in heaven – “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.” The elders of heaven are singing to the risen Lord, “You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals because you were slain and with your blood you purchased men for God.”

The multitudes are singing in Revelation 19, “let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!”  That is, let us ascribe worth to the Lamb.  It is the content of the songs of heaven.  It is the content of the best songs we can sing.  God is worthy. I recognize the true worth of God.  I glorify you. 

Can you sing those words yourself?  Of all the stuff that accompanies Christmas are you singing, “My soul glorifies the Lord?”  Do you recognize that God has done a great thing in coming in the person of Jesus Christ?  Do you see, as Mary did, that God is our Saviour? She may not have understood as fully as we do how God is our Saviour to be sure – but WE, are we not able to sing this song ourselves with a deeper meaning, a deeper sense of awe and thanksgiving and worship for we truly know the extent to which He is our Saviour? 

My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.  He is the Saviour who has come to save you from a life that is lifeless.  He has come to save you from sin and death and self.  It is true!  God has come in Christ to save us.  So let us glorify Him!  Ascribe worth to Him. 

There are many in the Church who deny the truth that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.  And it is true that it is a great mystery – God in the flesh – and like all mysteries we must approach with humility, awe and gratitude.

But the fact that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh while being a great mystery, is also a great truth and like all truths we are to take hold of them with both hands of faith and trust it.  Know it, and proclaim it.  The cry of confession of the early church was Jesus Christ is Lord. We often think that speaks of Jesus as being Master but it is much more than that – it is a cry that speaks of Christ’s divinity!  Jesus Christ is God in the flesh – the Saviour.

We read in Colossians 1:15-17, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities.  All things were created by him and for him.” 

My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour!  O the worth of God!  He has come in the flesh as our Saviour.    Think of the practical application of this. 

Sometimes our spirits get down at Christmas as we dwell on all that we don’t have.  We may not have much materially, we may not be able to give gifts like we think we should.  And we get down on ourselves. 

We may not have much relationally – we may be lonely - a loved one is not there who has always been there – this will be the first Christmas for me without my dad. 

And I know that grief is difficult and is not to rushed through, but I wonder if instead of focusing on what we don’t have we could focus on all that we do have in Christ.  All that is ours because God came in the flesh in Jesus Christ.  All the hope, peace, the joy, and the faith that is ours because of Christ.  Not to mention the fact that He has saved us and redeemed us and brought immortality to light.

My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.  All that is ours in Christ because of Christ.

Well, what is ours?  Why ascribe worth to God? The song continues (verse 48) “For he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.”

You think of who Mary was. She was a nobody in the world’s eyes.  A woman – low on the status scale of the day.  She was only a teenager – even lower on the scale – and she was pregnant but not married – can we go any lower?

But!  She says, “God has been mindful of me.”  “He has set his mind on me, even though I am but a servant – not royalty, not famous, rich or overly smart – but a humble servant.  God has set his mind on me!”

And she goes on to sing in the middle of verse 48 – “From now on all generations will call me blessed.”  WHY?  “For the mighty one has done great things for me! Holy is his name. “  Throughout history the church has often revered the one who was blessed over the one who gave the blessing.  Mary isn’t calling us to worship or revere her.  She is pointing us to God.  My soul glorifies God.  He is of immense worth! WHY?  Because He has remembered the lowly, the weak, the servant and He has done great things for me!

And that’s the way God operates.  Here is Abraham and Sarah well along in years.  Well past the child bearing years.  Yet soon, by God’s grace, Sarah is knitting baby booties!  Here is little Israel and God chooses to make it a great nation.  Here is little David and he is chosen to slay Goliath.  This is the way God operates.

I have often quoted 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 – “Brothers and sisters think of what you were when you were called.  Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential, not many were of noble birth.”  Paul is not putting them down – he is saying look at the miracle of all this!  This is good news.  “For God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong, he chose the lowly things of this world the despised things – and the things that are not to nullify the things that are, so that no one can boast before him.”

This is what Mary is saying.  God has been mindful of the humble state of His servant.  God is mindful of the weak things, the lowly things, of me of all people!

This is the way God operates.  For those of you who have not accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord – you need to know that God is mindful of you – even better He loves you!  You may not love Him, you may ignore Him, be indifferent toward Him - but you need to know even in the midst of your sin He loves you and longs for you to change your mind about yourself and your sin and His offer of forgiveness and about Him.  His mind is set on you so that He has given you a Saviour – so that through faith in Christ’s death and resurrection you may be forgiven of your sin and live life with Him.  God has you on His mind. 

And for each one of us this is good news.  We need to take it in.  God does not forget you. You are always on His mind, He is mindful of you.  Andy Warhol during the late 1960s said something that has become very popular – he said that “in the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.”  So now we have this cliché that everyone will have 15 minutes of fame in their life – and we’ve heard that quote over and over again as people in our pop culture have tried to get that 15 minutes of fame by subjecting themselves to the most outrageous activities on reality television and now U-Tube.

“I may have looked like a fool, but I got my 15 minutes of fame! I may have paraded all my fault and foibles for all the world to see – I may have demonstrated the hollowness of my marriage but I got my 15 minutes of fame!”

And we have to ask ourselves  - what is that to the great truth that the Mighty One is mindful of you?  That tells us that you are constantly on His mind.  Not just for 15 minutes but constantly.  Imagine, the Creator of the world thinks more of you than you think of yourself.      

And we think, how is that possible?  After all, I think about myself a great deal.  And the Psalmist tells us that even before you were created God had you on His mind.  “My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.” (Psalm 139:15).  He knew you even before you were born. 

You are constantly on His mind - so the Psalmist says with awe and wonder, “What is man that you are mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:4)

My soul glorifies the Lord.  Why?  Because even though I am nothing and don’t deserve His attention He is mindful of me. Do you know that God is mindful of you?  You are on His thoughts.  He sent His Son for you and He invites you to receive Him as Savour and Lord and walk with Him in joyful obedience.

He is mindful of you and whatever situation you find yourself in, whatever stress you face, whatever depression you are going through, whatever difficulties you face – God has not forgotten you – you are on His mind!

Mary’s song continues at verse 50 – not only is God mindful of you but He is merciful toward you.  “His mercy extends to those who fear him from generation to generation.” 

Mercy in this context means to give hope and to have compassion on someone who is afflicted.  God gives mercy to those who fear, or revere Him – that’s what fear means – to revere Him - God extends His help, His compassion. 

What is it that you need?  Do you need a fresh start in life?  Have you reached the end of your rope?  You are tired of living with your sin and in your sin.  You need to know that God extends His mercy to you, He wants to give you hope by cleansing you of your sin and making you new.  He can only do that as you allow Him, as you place your faith in Jesus Christ.

Perhaps it is some other kind of help that you need.  God is of supreme worth because He extends His help to you.  We can cast our anxieties on Him because He cares for us says Scripture (I Peter 5:7).

And we can never tire Him out.  Verse 50 continues - “From generation to generation,” says the song, God is willing to help you.

Mary says I will glorify the Lord – I ascribe worth to God – Why?  Because of His mercy.

Do you know His mercy, His desire to help you extends to you not just now but forever?!  We sometimes think we are out of God’s realm of care, that He has better things to do.  No, no.  His loving compassion toward you is constant.  John Donne said that one of the best symbols representing God is a circle, because a circle is endless; whom God loves, He loves to the end; and not only to their end, to their death, but to His end; and His end is that He might love them still.  

Samuel Rutherford has said something which has been a great comfort to me – he said that, “often I have taken the covenant I have made with God and torn it up.”  And I can relate to that.  I have done this – told God I quit.  I don’t want to be a Christian any more – I know Scripture tells us not to grow weary in doing good – but I do grow tired.  And I say,  I don’t want to do what you called me to do, I quit.  The work is hard and the rewards are sometimes scarce and the people are sometimes difficult.  I quit.

But Samuel Rutherford went on to say that “while I have often taken the covenant I have made with God and torn it up – I thank the Lord He keeps the original safe in heaven and He stands by it always”. 

So Paul writes that great word to Timothy – “If we are faithless he will remain faithful.”   His mercy – His desire to help, His compassion extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.  It goes on and on. 

Now understand, God will not force himself on people.  You must ask for His help – His mercy is for those who revere Him, who honour Him – and when you ask, know that you will receive. 

So, I  ascribe worth to God because He is mindful of His servant.  His mercy extends from generation to generation.  And then this at verse 51, He has performed mighty deeds with His arm.  It’s another way of saying He’s done great things.  What has He done?  He has scattered the proud, brought down rulers, and lifted up the humble and filled the hungry with good things but He has sent the rich away empty.

Having just studied the Sermon on the Mount we should not be surprised at this.  This is a picture of the kingdom of God where the poor in spirit belong to the Kingdom, not the proud and self-dependent.  It is those who hunger and thirst for righteousness who are filled, not those who say we are rich and have acquired wealth and don’t need a thing.  It is the way of the kingdom and the way God works.  The first will be last and the last first – why?  Because of God’s mighty arm. 

It is the way God works.  He lifts the humble and brings down the proud.  Notice that Mary speaks in the past tense here – but she hasn’t seen God act fully this way yet – how can she speak this way?  She is saying that with God it is as good as done.  With God to say it will happen is the same as saying it has happened.

And looking at history we can affirm that God has acted this way.  Kings and rulers of this age have been brought low and lowly servants of God have been exalted, celebrated if not in this world, we know it will be so in the next. 

But considering the context, don’t you think that Mary is describing Jesus here?   “Taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man He humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross.  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.” 

What is the practical application of these words?  My Soul glorifies the Lord – why?  Because God has not forgotten the lowly the humble, the poor, the hungry.  We can take those words literally as some do and realize the challenge for us as God’s representatives to be the means through which the humble are lifted and the hungry are fed.

Or we can take them figuratively and realize that this is how God works.  Those who are self-sufficient have no part of God’s Kingdom.

But whatever way you look at it, the thing to take in is that God does not look at people as the world looks at people.  It is not the wealthy the popular and the powerful who matter to God, but those who walk humbly with their God.

Micah 6:8 says, “He has shown you O man what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”

Isaiah 66:2 - “This is the one I esteem; he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.”

So the question for us is are we walking humbly with God?  Are we trusting Him in every aspect of our lives? That’s what it means.  And then He is able to lift you up.   And take note of how God responds to the humble.  He lifts them. 

Some of us face difficult times.  You have been brought low by life’s circumstances you’ve been humbled, some of you are like the Psalmist tears are your food night and day.  But listen to the Word of God this morning -  it won’t always be that way.  God has performed mighty deeds. He lifts the humble; He fills the hungry with good things. For it is in our humility in our lowliness that we look to Him and he lifts us up.  He brings His love to us and makes us strong. 

Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians partly to defend his right to preach the gospel as one sent from God – The Corinthian Christians didn’t think much of him, he didn’t have the credentials in their mind – so Paul defends himself and he says I could tell you of visions of the utmost heavens, paradise.  I heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.  But I won’t boast of those things, instead I will boast of my weaknesses.  Let me tell you about a thorn in my flesh.  Let me tell you how I was brought low, how I was kept humble, how I was made weak – through this thorn.

To be sure, I asked God to take it away but instead God said no, he said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  “Therefore,” says Paul, “I will boast of my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why for Christ’s sake I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships and persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak then I am strong.”

God’s mighty arm is able to work when we are brought low.  I’ve said it before, but God is able to do more with less when less is dependent on Him than He can with more when more is independent of Him.  

He is worthy – why? Because He is mindful of us, because He is merciful to generation to generation, because His mighty arm brings lifts the humble. 

And then this great truth in verse 54 and 55 - “He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.”  

This tells me that God is worthy because He keeps His promises.  The promises He made to Abraham and His descendants are kept fully and completely in Jesus Christ.  Through Him all the nations of the world are blessed.

God keeps His promises.  Don’t we serve a wonderful God?  He keeps His promises to you.  What do you need? 

Peace?  God has a promise for you, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.” (John 14:27)

Rest?  God has a promise for you - “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Forgiveness?  “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

God is a God who keeps His promises.  My soul glorifies the Lord – I recognize God’s worth.  Why? Because God has been mindful of me.  God has been merciful to me.  God’s mighty arm has done great things and lifted the humble. God has kept His promises.

There is much in this season that distracts and pulls away.  But may you, like Mary, understand with your head and your heart the supreme worth of God and may your soul glorify Him – now and forever. 

Copyright MBC and Tom Cullen - December 2006

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