Years ago Elton John sang, “When all hope is gone, sad songs say so much.” But songs of praise say so much more, especially when composed on the very pages of Holy Scripture!
Such is the case with the Magnificat - Mary’s song of praise in Luke 1:46-55. It consists of four stanzas. We looked at the first stanza in yesterday’s post. In these opening lines, Mary expresses her gratitude to God for his grace.
As Mary continues to ponder God’s greatness, her perspective widens. This is evident in the second stanza.
Stanza Two:
Enlarged Perspective
In verses 49-50, Mary testifies,
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.
The first part of this stanza reinforces the theme of the first stanza, that God has shown favor to Mary. He who is mighty has done great things for her! In his commentary, R. C. H. Lenski points out, “God’s might is never merely quiescent, like that of a mighty king who is sitting and doing nothing; his might is ceaselessly active.” Yes, God’s power is always at work!
God is not only mighty, but he is also holy. Mary readily asserts, “And holy is his name.” In ancient times, a person’s name was reflective of his character and reputation. Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches….” Why? Because it is more precious, powerful and enduring. Mary uses the word “and” to connect God’s might to his holiness.
The psalmist testified,
Your righteousness, O God,
reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?
- Psalm 71:19 -
The answer is: nobody. God alone is perfectly righteous in every way.
But there is one more character quality of God that Mary highlights. In verse 50 she declares, “And his mercy is for those who fear him.” The word “mercy” emphasizes human misery and the impulse to relieve it, which results in gracious action.
That’s the heart and soul of Christmas. On account of our sin, we all deserve God’s judgment. In our natural state, we are guilty, condemned, and unable to rescue ourselves.
But God, being rich in mercy,
because of the great love
with which he loved us,
even when we were dead
in our trespasses,
made us alive together with Christ –
by grace you have been saved.
- Ephesians 2:4,5 -
In her song of praise, Mary connects God’s mercy to his holiness, and his holiness to his might. It’s amazing to see how all three of these attributes came together in the virgin birth. God revealed his might through the miracle of the virgin birth, and God retained his holiness through the manner of it. Earlier in this same chapter, the angel told Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy – the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). God in his holiness separates the conception from sin, yet God in his mercy provides the conception for sinners!
That’s what makes the doctrine of the Virgin Birth so critical to the Christian faith. Do we serve an awesome God, or what? He is “holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!”
“And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation” (v. 50). God’s mercy is available to all, but it is applied only to those who revere him for the mighty, holy, and merciful God that he has revealed himself to be in Scripture. When Jesus was born, a multitude of the heavenly host praised God and said,
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those
with whom he is pleased!
- Luke 2:14 -
With whom is God pleased? Those who take him at his word and worship him accordingly. “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Heb. 11:6).
God said, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:11). God did great things for Mary, and the good news is that God will do great things for you! Go to him in faith, believing all that he has revealed himself to be. “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:39).
Everything we have read to this point in Mary’s song of praise should cause us to believe God’s Word, bow in reverence before him, and be filled with gratitude for all the great things he has done for us.
But God’s mercy becomes all the more apparent when it is contrasted with his judgment on those who do not fear him. We will look at this contrast in the third stanza of Mary’s song tomorrow.