Luke 1:49 “For He who is mighty has done to me great things.”
General Introduction to the series
Today we are beginning our study of the women of the Bible. But our main purpose is not just to learn about these women, but through them to know the Lord more. The entire Bible, every passage, no matter what it’s about, is above all written so we can know Him. Therefore, we will totally waste our time together if we study a passage without even looking for Him.
One of my favorite teachers, John Piper, told his congregation,
Wherever you look in Scripture, look to Jesus. Make it your aim in all your use of the Scriptures to see and savor more of Christ.
Maybe you don’t use the word ‘savor’ much, but it just means to enjoy or to delight in something. Think of how you eat your first bite of watermelon in the summer, when you haven’t eaten watermelon all winter. That is savoring! Anyway, as we start this series on women in the Bible, let’s be ready to look for and savor God.
I. God Magnifies His Grace to Mary
Now since it’s almost Christmas, I thought it’d be appropriate for us to study Mary, the mother of Jesus. A lot of people have dangerous misconceptions about Mary, because they have put what tradition teaches above what the Bible teaches. But that doesn’t mean we should ignore her. To worship Mary is wicked, but to learn from her is wise.
As we study Mary’s reactions to a startling message from God, we’re going to see a young woman of great spiritual beauty. She’s humble. She’s full of faith. Her thinking is saturated with God’s Word. And she’s eager to obey Him. But is Mary the only woman able to have this beauty? Is Mary in a separate category from all the rest of us? Was her nature different than ours? Do we have to sit here and be sad that we can never be like her? Or is Mary’s beauty a work of God’s grace that He wants to work in us as well? Let’s find out!
We’ll start by reading what happened when the angel Gabriel came to Mary to tell her that she had been chosen to give birth to Jesus. But let’s pay attention to God through these verses as well. Turn to Luke 1:26:
26And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,…(KJV)
We’ll stop right there because in this one verse there is already a lot to see. For example, why does Luke say “in the sixth month”? Well, because we sort of jumped into an ongoing story. Luke has already explained how God sent Gabriel to the temple in Jerusalem to see a priest named Zacharias. Zacharias was told that his barren wife, Elizabeth, would give birth to a son. God promised that this son would be used in a special way to prepare peoples’ hearts for the messiah. Elisabeth is now six months pregnant with this very child. So, by saying “in the sixth month”, Luke reminds us that God is already powerfully at work unfolding His plan.
Next, the verse says, “the angel Gabriel was sent from God.”The phrase, “sent from God” shows us something. It shows us that Gabriel did not initiate this plan. Mary did not think it up. God did. He alone is the initiator of our redemption. He alone deserves the glory.
Luke 1:26 also tells us where God sent Gabriel: to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth. That was where Mary lived, but it was not a place where the Jews would expect an angel to go. To Jerusalem maybe. After all, Jerusalem was the city where God had set His name, the city that was to proclaim His glory. But Nazareth was not Jerusalem. It would be like an angel choosing to go to Petrosani here in Romania instead of to Bucuresti. Remember what Nathanael said when Philip told him he had found the Messiah and that he was Jesus of Nazareth? “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
But why was Nazareth so unlikely? First of all, Nazareth was located in the region of Galilee that was on the edge of Palestine, close to lands where pagans lived. Jews believed that even the dust from pagan lands was unclean and would contaminate them. Nazareth also had a bad reputation for a more specific reason. It was a town built on a hill, on the edge of a cliff. Below the cliff there was the main road that connected Jerusalem and the big cities on the seacoast. Many merchants and Roman soldiers traveled that road and would stop for the night at Nazareth. And because of that, a lot of wicked behavior went on there.
But we see that where Mary lived was not a limitation to God. It didn’t disqualify Mary in God’s eyes and it only magnifies God’s power and mercy more. It shows us that God delights in using the lowly and the obscure. Things that are obstacles to man are not necessarily obstacles to God.
Let’s go on and read verse 27 to see how Luke describes Mary. He says the angel came
27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. (KJV)
Actually, Mary is described very simply, but the important things are brought out. First, Luke says she was a virgin. She was a chaste young woman. She honored God’s laws regarding sexual purity. Second, she was betrothed to Joseph, a simple carpenter, so we know her family was not rich or of high position. Third, the verse indicates that either she or Joseph was of the house of David, that is, a descendant of David. Although the grammar doesn’t make it completely clear who is spoken about here, we know from other scriptures that both of them were from David’s line, which is important, because the Messiah had to descend from David, both legally and physically.
One other thing to notice is that Mary and Joseph did not consider their being engaged as an excuse to be sexually intimate. This was true even though in Jewish culture betrothal was a much stronger commitment than engagement is for us today. In Jewish culture, when a girl got betrothed to a man it was a big deal. She received a present, there might be a feast, and an actual contract was drawn up by the authorities. This contract was taken very seriously. It covered important financial arrangements, like the amount of the dowry that the bride would contribute.
So let’s say you got betrothed to someone. You couldn’t just give the ring back if you changed your mind. A betrothal could only be broken by regular divorce. Furthermore, if there was evidence that you had been unfaithful during the one-year wait for the wedding, you could be punished by being stoned to death.
But even though the betrothal was taken this seriously, there was still no sex before the wedding. Only a year later, after a further contract had been made would the bridegroom come get you and take you to his house, where the wedding feast would take place and only then did you live as man and wife.
So we know that Mary was definitely a virgin. But so far we don’t see anything unusual about her. She seems to be just an ordinary girl, from an ordinary family, from an undesirable town.
But, in verse 28-29, something happens that will test and reveal Mary’s character
28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
So Mary is alone in the house, probably just doing normal simple things, maybe peeling potatoes, maybe sewing, maybe praying. And suddenly God blesses her by sending the Angel Gabriel to her door.
God delights to work this way. Wasn’t David up in the hills faithfully tending his father’s sheep when God sent Samuel to anoint him King of Israel? And what was Moses doing when God spoke to him in the burning bush?
Do you want to do more for God? Then ask yourself, “What has God already given me to do?” Do that faithfully and God will know where to find you if He wants to give you a special assignment.
Back to Mary. We know that whatever Mary was doing when the Angel came in the room, she had no cause to react in shame, but she was completely bewildered. I love that. I love that Mary wasn’t all puffed up. She wasn’t thinking, “Wow, wait till I tell the girls down at the well that an angel came to me and not to them!” She wasn’t pretending to be humble. She was truly baffled that an angel would visit her.
And it wasn’t just the fact that an angel was talking to her. It was what he was saying! “Highly favored!” “Blessed among women!” What did that have to do with her? Like Mary, we too must understand exactly what the angel was saying with these words, because his words have been twisted into some pretty strange doctrines, believed by a great many people.
We need to understand that in these words God is magnifying Himself, not His vessel. First of all, Gabriel says, “Hail!” which in the original language is just a normal greeting like here in Romania we say “peace” or “salut”. But then he calls her “highly favored one,” which means “endowed with grace”” or “enriched with grace”. He says this because Mary, of all women, has been chosen to be the mother of His Son. This is an outpouring of God’s grace TO Mary.
Unfortunately, the Latin Vulgate Translation says, “Hail Mary full of grace”, which has led to the teaching that Mary is a source of grace, instead of a vessel into which God poured His grace. If Mary is a source of grace, who gets the glory? Mary! Is this right? Hasn’t God said, “I will not give my glory unto another?”(Isaiah 48:11).
Next, Gabriel says, “The Lord is with you.” This is a further promise of God’s grace to Mary. God is preparing her for her unique role by promising her His presence, His comfort and protection. He is not expecting her to be sufficient for these things on her own. He gives her His promise of grace for the future. All she has to do is respond in faith. Mary is truly blessed among women to be in the position to experience so much grace from God.
But Mary is still trying to figure out why God would bless HER this way, and she is a little afraid of this blessing, so in verse 30 we see,
30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
Now Gabriel calls her by name. He says, “Fear not, Mary!” It’s like he’s saying, “There’s no mistake, Mary. God knows who you are. He didn’t send me through the wrong door. He knows you’re afraid and He’s saying, “Don’t be.” God is not punishing you, He’s blessing you. It’s a time for joy, not fear!”
Do you ever react the wrong way when God blesses you with the privilege of serving Him? Do you get scared instead of joyful? I think that’s because at first we forget how much grace is available to us. We forget that all God’s commands are new ways for Him to express His grace to us. His hard assignments are His gifts to us, because they are His way of putting us in a place where we can do nothing but depend on His power. Fear not! God’s grace is sufficient for you!
Back in verse 31, Gabriel begins to tell Mary the startling news he came to deliver. This news is all about God’s glorious Son. Gabriel says,
31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Now Mary hears for the first time how God wants to bless her, and I’m sure she’s stunned. Mary is a woman of God’s Word. She’s familiar with the Old Testament scriptures and she recognizes what the angel is saying. She suddenly understands that she has been chosen to give birth to the long-awaited Messiah. God’s promise is going to be fulfilled through her!
It’s significant that she does not ask for a sign or express disbelief. But she does humbly ask how?
34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Gabriel tells Mary that the Spirit of God will overshadow her. What will happen will be full of mystery and the glory of God. He doesn’t give details, but I’m sure as she listened, Mary’s heart was filled with worship.
In addition, Gabriel tells Mary about Elisabeth.
36And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
Why does Gabriel tell Mary this? It’s not because Mary needs proof that God can do what he says. She already believes, which we know from Luke 1:45. But God, in the tenderness of His love for Mary, knows Mary’s human need to have deep fellowship with someone after the angel leaves. No one else in Nazareth would understand what she has experienced, and although Joseph would find out in a dream, it was not appropriate right then for them to be spending time together. She needs the strength that comes from talking to someone else who has experienced the majesty of God. God gives her this gift.
He also gives her one last promise for her faith to lay hold of.
37For with God nothing shall be impossible.
That’s a verse you should memorize!
II. God magnifies His grace in Mary
The angel has stopped talking now. He has nothing left to say. It is Mary’s turn to respond. What will she say? Verse 38 tells us,
38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.
Mary’s response is so precious. I love her words, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord.”Where did this reaction come from? Mary wasn’t stupid. She knew that this wonderful privilege could also bring pain into her life.
For example: What would Joseph say and do when he found out she was pregnant? Would he believe her? Would he accuse her of adultery before the rabbis? Would they try to stone her to death? Will she have to live with gossip and with false accusation all her life? Mary didn’t know the answer. Yet these things seemed insignificant to Mary in view of the fact that God was calling her.
Mary calls herself the Lord’s bondslave. Mary knew what a bondslave was. In her world, a bondslave was someone else’s property. A bondslave had no rights, no will of his own. That’s how Mary saw herself. She was a willing slave, completely submitted, ready to do her master’s will.
How do you respond when you know God is calling you to do something hard? When you know that to obey him will automatically bring suffering? Are you unwilling? Do you argue that God would never expect you to obey him when it hurts? Or do you submit, but grudgingly, feeling that God has asked too much?
Mary’s response was not grudging. She said, “Be it unto me according to thy word.”This is not mere resignation. She’s not just saying, “Well, okay, what else can I do? I can’t resist God.” Rather she is accepting gladly His will. Her words express joy and longing.
How did Mary get this kind of spiritual beauty? She couldn’t have said these words if they weren’t in her heart. The revelation came too suddenly. As Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
It’s like if you have 2 glasses sitting on the table. One is filled with rusty water from my radiator and the other with pure. If you bump the rusty one, what’s going to come out? Right! There’s no way pure water will come out. The bump only reveals what was in the glass beforehand. Your mouth is the same way. When something jars you suddenly, your mouth can only say what is already filling your heart.
III. God is magnified in Mary’s song
At the beginning of our study we asked some questions about Mary’s spiritual beauty. We asked, “Is Mary the only one able to have this beauty? Is Mary in a separate category from us? Was her nature different than ours? Do we have to sit here and be sad that we can never be like her? Or is Mary’s beauty a work of God’s grace that He is also willing to do in us?”
I think if we finish the story we’ll see the answer. Look down to Luke 1:46. After the angel left, Mary couldn’t wait to visit Elisabeth and have deep fellowship with her. So she is now at Elisabeth’s house. As soon as Mary sees that the Holy Spirit has revealed everything to Elisabeth, she opens her mouth and sings a song of praise.
This song reveals much about her inner life. It shows us how she viewed God and herself. This song is full of echoes of the Old Testament scriptures and through it we can see that Mary treasured and memorized God’s Word. Listen to her song:
46And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
First, in verses 46-49, we see Mary praising God for who He is and what He has done for her personally. She says, “My soul magnifies the Lord!” When John Piper taught his congregation these verses he asked them, “How exactly does a soul magnify the Lord? A mouth magnifies the Lord when it says, “God is magnificent!” But how does a soul magnify the Lord? The answer is, that a soul magnifies the Lord when it overflows with feelings of joy in who God is. And that’s exactly what Mary’s next words express. She says, “My soul rejoices in God my Savior. This makes it clear that Mary saw herself as a sinner, just like us, who needed a Savior. And she had found God to be that Savior for her personally.
In verse 48 she says,
48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Mary knew that God knew her intimately. He was not a distant God. She knew she was not invisible to Him in Nazareth, even surrounded by all that wickedness. He found her there and extended His favor to her.
In verses 49-50 Mary adores God for three of His attributes.
49For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He is the Mighty One to her, and not just in theory either. She has experienced personally His mighty power. She is pregnant with His Son!
Mary is also in awe of the holiness of God. His favor to her has not diminished the reverence and awe she feels in His presence. She knows that He would be just to destroy all of us and yet she knows by experience His great mercy to those that fear Him.
In v. 51-52 we see that Mary has studied diligently the history of God’s dealings with her people and the surrounding nations and she has understood something of God’s heart that greatly encourages her. She sees that God likes to scatter the proud and bring down arrogant rulers. He likes to lift up the humble and because He is sovereign He can do so any time He pleases.
I love what she says in verse 53.
53He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
That is such a great picture of God’s compassion. And I can imagine a great comfort to Mary, as she still doesn’t know what her future will hold.
Finally, in verses 54-55, we see that Mary sees God as a covenant-keeping God.
54He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
He is a God who keeps His promises. This is a God she can trust with her life. She can follow this God anywhere.
This song is the key to Mary’s response, “Behold the bondslave of the Lord.” Mary is not in a separate category from us. She doesn’t have a different nature than ours. If you are ready to sing Mary’s song with her, then you too will be prepared to say, “Behold the bondslave of the Lord, be it unto me according to your word.”
Like this .greatinsight.when.we make ourselves available God will empty his grace on us.