The announcement of the arrival of Jesus as Messiah calls us to respond in worship...

This week we are looking at an event from history that is recorded for us in an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Luke. Wednesday, we looked on as a teenage girl named Mary traveled to visit her relative Elizabeth, who experienced a similar connection as a result of experiencing God's miraculous activity in their lives.

We looked on as Elizabeth responded to Mary's arrival by worshipping the Lord as her unborn son announced to her that she was in the presence of the Messiah. Now I want us to take a minute and imagine ourselves in this event from history as Mary. I want us to place ourselves in her shoes. You travel four days to see your relative, after an angel tells you that, in spite of the fact that she was incapable of bearing children and was at a place in her life where children were beyond a possibility, she has become pregnant.

Then, as you greet her, and before you can even tell her why you have traveled so far to see her, she breaks out in worship of the Lord after telling you that you are pregnant with the Messiah before you could even tell her that you were pregnant with the Messiah. Can you imagine what that must have been like? You are Mary. What would you be thinking? What would you be feeling? How would you respond? We seem Mary’s response in verse 46:

  And Mary said: "My soul exalts the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior."For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. "For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. "AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. ⁵¹ "He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. "He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. "HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away the rich empty-handed. "He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever."

Luke tells us that Mary responded to Elizabeth’s response of worship by worshipping the Lord. And in these verses that we see five aspects of the Lord’s character and conduct that Mary exalts, or makes much of, in worship. First, in verses 46-49, Mary expressed, from the center of her feelings and emotions, her exceeding joy in worship over the Lord’s activity in her life.

Mary made much of the fact that the Lord looked with concern over her despite the fact that she was just a teenage girl from a small backwater town. Mary made much of the fact that the Lord responded to her humble circumstances by choosing to extend grace to her in such a way that all humanity would now view her as being especially favored by God as being the mother of the Messiah. Mary made much of the fact that the all powerful Creator and ruler of the world, who is set apart in His character and conduct, would choose her to do such a great thing in her and through her for the world.

Second, in verse 50, Mary expressed, from the center of her feelings and emotions, her exceeding joy in worship over the Lord’s faithful devotion to His people. Mary made much of the Lord by quoting from a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Old Testament of our Bibles called the book of Psalms. In Psalm 103:7, King David worshipped the Lord as he proclaimed the Lord’s covenant promise to demonstrate His faithful devotion to His people when they lived their lives in submission and obedience to Him.

And here we see Mary quote King David’s words as evidence that the Lord was fulfilling the promise of His faithful devotion to His people in the fullest way possible as a result of her response of submission and obedience to the announcement of the arrival of the Messiah that the Angel Gabriel made to her. 

Third, in verse 51, Mary expressed, from the center of her feelings and emotions, her exceeding joy in worship over the Lord’s activity in history when it came to the Lord’s power over the proud. Mary made much of the fact that the Lord scatters from Him those who arrogantly believe that they do not need Him.

Fourth, in verses 52-53, Mary expressed, from the center of her feelings and emotions, her exceeding joy in worship over the Lord’s activity in history when it came to the Lord’s ability to reverse the fortunes of people based on their response to Him. Mary made much of the fact that the Lord dealt with those who were in a position of leadership and authority and who arrogantly oppressed others while denying God by removing them from power. Mary made much of the fact that the Lord dealt with those who were of humble circumstances and low class but who placed their confident trust in God by elevating their circumstances.

Mary made much of the Lord by quoting from another section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Old Testament of our Bibles called the book of Psalms. In Psalm 107:9, the psalmist worshipped the Lord as he proclaimed the Lord’s provision to those who trust in Him. And here we see Mary quote the psalmist’s words as evidence that the Lord was large and in charge over the provision of resources to people. Mary made much of the fact those who are humble and hungry will have their needs met by God while those who are arrogantly wealthy will lose the very things that they had placed their confident trust in instead of God. 

And fifth, in verses 54-55, Mary expressed, from the center of her feelings and emotions, her exceeding joy in worship over the Lord’s activity in history in light of the promises that He had made to the Jewish people. By echoing sections of letters in the Old Testament of our Bible including Isaiah 41:8-9, Psalm 98:3, and Micah 7:20 Mary made much of the fact that the Lord remembered His promises that had been made to Abraham, Jacob, and the Jewish people by demonstrating His faithful devotion to keep those promises by His activity in her relative Elizabeth and her life.

You see, as Mary reflected on the evidence of the Lord’s activity in her life and the life of her relative Elizabeth, she was moved to respond to that activity by worshipping the Lord in a way that made much of the Lord. Mary was driven to respond to the Lord by making much of the Lord’s activity in her life. Mary was driven to respond to the Lord by making much of the Lord’s faithful devotion to His people.

Mary was driven to respond to the Lord by making much of the Lord’s power over the proud. Mary was driven to respond to the Lord by making much of the Lord’s ability to reverse the fortunes of people based on their response to Him. And Mary was driven to respond to the Lord by making much of the Lord’s faithful devotion to fulfill the promises that He had made to the Jewish people. Luke then concludes this section of his account of Jesus life in verse 56:

And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

Luke explains that after spending three months connecting with her relative who shared the similar connection of experiencing God’s miraculous activity in their lives, Mary made the four day, 80-100 miles trip back home. At this point, Elizabeth, who was now in her ninth month of pregnancy, was preparing for the arrival of the messenger who would announce to the Jewish people the arrival of their Messiah. And Mary, who was now three months pregnant, needed to make the trip back home before the pregnancy would make that trip much more difficult.

Next week, we will look together at the birth of John the Baptizer. In the meantime, it is here, in this event in history, that we see the Lord reveal for us a timeless truth as we approach Christmas in that the announcement of the arrival of Jesus as Messiah calls us to respond in worship. Just as it was for Elizabeth and Mary, just as it has been for humanity throughout history, the announcement of the arrival of Jesus as Messiah calls us to respond in worship.

Just like Mary, the announcement of the arrival of Jesus as Messiah should move us to respond to that arrival by worshipping the Lord in a way that makes much of the Lord. Just like Mary, the announcement of the arrival of Jesus as Messiah should move us to respond to that arrival in a way that makes much of the Lord’s activity in our life. Just like Mary, the announcement of the arrival of Jesus as Messiah should move us to respond to that arrival in a way that makes much of the Lord’s faithful devotion to His people.

Just like Mary, the announcement of the arrival of Jesus as Messiah should move us to respond to that arrival in a way that makes much of the Lord’s power over the proud. Just like Mary, the announcement of the arrival of Jesus as Messiah should move us to respond to that arrival in a way that makes much of the Lord’s ability to reverse the fortunes of people based on their response to Him. And Just like Mary, the announcement of the arrival of Jesus as Messiah should move us to respond to that arrival in a way that makes much of the Lord’s faithful devotion to fulfill the promises that He had made to His people.

So here is a question to consider: How are you responding to the announcement of the arrival of Jesus as the rescuer, deliverer, and Messiah? Are you responding to the announcement of the arrival of Jesus by worshipping the Lord in a way that makes much of the Lord? Are you responding to the announcement of the arrival of Jesus by making much of the Lord’s character and conduct? Or are you responding to the announcement of the arrival of Jesus by refusing to worship and rejecting the arrival of Jesus as rescuer, deliverer, and Messiah?