Source: http://www.malankaraworld.com/Library/Sermons/Sermons_Mary-visits-Elizabeth-Carr.htm
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 02:48:50+00:00

Document:
Intro: The months between the announcement of Christ's birth and the actual moment of His arrival were months of hard decisions and anxious waiting on the part of Mary and Joseph. However, as difficult a time as it surely was, it is still a pleasure to watch Mary and see how she conducted herself. In this passage, she has made the journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who is also expecting a very special baby, John The Baptist. When Mary arrives at her cousins house and speaks to Elizabeth, the baby in Elizabeth's womb leaps for joy, reminding us that an unborn child is more than a mere blob of flesh. Elizabeth responds by telling Mary that she is blessed because she has believed the Lord and that God will do all that He has said He will do to and through her life. Hearing this, Mary, even though she is young, unmarried and pregnant, begins to lift her voice in praise to the Lord. In doing so, she reveals a heart that is in love with the Lord and also a mind that has been saturated with the Old Testament Scriptures. She teaches us that we can praise the Lord in spite of our circumstances at the moment and that God's grace is sufficient even in the most troubled of times. Mary's great song of praise has come to be known as the Magnificat. This is the Latin translation of the first few words which Mary speaks and it literally means, "My soul celebrates the Lord." This doxology is a hymn of praise unto the Lord. It reminds us today that the birth of Jesus is about far more than gifts, trees, myths like Santa Claus, Rudolph, Frosty, and my personal favorite, the Grinch. The Christmas season is about our relationship with the Lord and about learning to celebrate His glory and His goodness. Therefore, this morning, let's spend a few minutes looking at this great anthem of praise and join Mary in her celebration of the Lord, as I preach for a while on the subject, Celebrate The Lord.
A. V. 46-47 She Has Been Redeemed - The first object for which she lifts her voice in praise is for salvation. Like the rest of us, Mary was born in sin and stood in need of a Savior. In verse 47, she declares her dependence upon God in Heaven for salvation. She is simply praising the Lord for the salvation she possesses.
B. V. 48a She Has Been Regarded - (Ill. Regard = "to turn the eyes upon.") Mary is telling Elizabeth that she is a nobody, but she has experienced the grace of God first hand. Mary knows that she does not deserve wonderful favor of the Lord that has been extended to her. Yet, the Lord did it anyway.
C. V. 48b-49 She Has Been Rewarded - Mary realizes that God is doing something pretty wonderful through her life. After all, she is to be the means by which the God of eternity enters human history. While many in her day ridiculed her and talked about her, she knew that in days to come, others would look back on her obedience and know that she had been blessed by the Lord. Her reward was in the fact that God was to be glorified and that others would be blessed by her actions.
A. V. 50 The Permanence Of His Grace - Mary knows that she isn't the only one who has received grace from God, nor is her generation that can expect the hand of God to move. His grace is to be revealed to every generation, until the return of Christ to this earth.
B. V. 51-52 The Performance Of His Grace - Mary praises the Lord because He did not come to reach out to the proud and the mighty. In fact, God chose to reveal Himself to those who were poor and humble. In His working of this great miracle, God has demonstrated His power and has put to shame all those who thought they had Him figured out, 1 Cor. 1:27. In one great act, God has reversed the order of society. Those who are considered great by men will be brought low, while those who trust in the Lord, though they may be poor and humble, will be exalted by their faith in the Lord.
C. V. 53 The Promise Of His Grace - Mary reminds us that those who realize their lack can come to the Lord and be filled, while those who think they have need of nothing can expect exactly that from God.
Conc: We are indebted to Mary this morning. We owe her a debt of gratitude for reminding us that whether it is for personal grace, favors for others, or for those times when the Lord proves Himself faithful in the lives of His children, we have a God who is worthy of faith, love, praise and worship. With that in mind, I ask you this morning, do you have the same heart that dwelled in Mary? Are you in a personal relationship with Almighty God today? Are you in such a position in your walk with the Lord whereby you can truly celebrate Him this Christmas? Is there a need for you to come to Him and meet Him on a personal basis? Is there a need for you to come to Him and make some things right with Him today? Is there a need in your heart to just come and bow before Him and worship Him today? Whatever your need may be, please come to Him and let Him have His way in your life.

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