Mary's Song

Living Hope Presbyterian Church

~ Luke 1:46-55 The sermon uses Mary’s song as a metaphorical reflection of God’s character and work, emphasizing humility, compassion, strength, holiness, mercy, and covenant faithfulness. Mary’s experiences with Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection serve as real-life illustrations of these attributes.

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Luke 1:46-55 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 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; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

ESV: The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ©2011 Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Sermon Summary: The sermon goes into Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel’s announcement of her bearing a son, Jesus, who would be the Son of the Most High. Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth, the encounter with John the Baptist in the womb, and Mary’s subsequent song of praise are explored. The sermon emphasizes themes of humility, compassion, strength, holiness, mercy, and covenant faithfulness in God’s character and work as reflected in Mary’s song. The importance of repentance, faith, growing in knowledge of the Lord, and trusting in Him are highlighted as practical responses to God’s attributes.

Key Points:

• Reflection on Advent and the anticipation of Christ’s coming.
• Mary’s response to the angel’s message and her visit to Elizabeth.
• Analysis of Mary’s song praising God’s character and work.
• Emphasis on humility, compassion, strength, holiness, mercy, and covenant faithfulness in God’s nature.
• Encouragement for personal repentance, faith, growth in knowledge of God, and trust in Him.

Bible Verses Mentioned:

• Luke 1:46-55

Humor and Anecdotes:

• No specific humor or anecdotes were shared in the sermon.

Key Quotes:

• “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
• “He has looked on the humble estate of his servant.”
• “He who is mighty has done great things for me.”

Themes:

• Humility and compassion in God’s character.
• Strength and holiness as attributes of God.
• Mercy and covenant faithfulness towards His people.
• The exaltation of the humble and the scattering of the proud by God.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does Mary’s response to the angel’s message reflect humility and trust in God? How can we emulate such faith in our own lives?
2. In what ways can we grow in our knowledge of God’s character and work as exemplified by Mary’s song? How does this knowledge impact our daily lives?
3. Reflect on the themes of mercy and covenant faithfulness highlighted in the sermon. How do these aspects of God’s nature influence our understanding of salvation and relationship with Him?

Metaphors and Stories:

• The sermon uses Mary’s song as a metaphorical reflection of God’s character and work, emphasizing humility, compassion, strength, holiness, mercy, and covenant faithfulness. Mary’s experiences with Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection serve as real-life illustrations of these attributes.