Luke 1:46-55 Study Guide1 Luke 1:46-55, a hymn, a song, or ...

Luke 1:46-55 ? Study Guide1

Luke 1:46-55, a hymn, a song, or a psalm.

It would be a reasonable question to ask why I have included a selection from Luke in a concentrated study of the Psalms? The reason is that I am persuaded that Mary's song is a New Testament equivalent to a Hebrew Psalm that would have comfortably found company among the other canonized Psalms that are songs and prayers of praise, thanksgiving, redemption, grief, joy, and almost everything else that fits on the scope of emotion and theology while submitting to a right view of God and his truth. So if Mary's song has a place in this concentrated study then where better to give it attention than in this special season that we give particular attention to the incarnation of the Son of God!

Including Mary's song in our study also finds support among Commentators and Bible Teachers.

Regarded as "Mary's hymn of praise" this passage is stated to follow the common form of Psalms of Thanksgiving ? thanking God and then articulating this thankfulness.2

In his commentary on Luke, H.A. Ironside, states, "When at last Mary opened her mouth, it was to praise the Lord in a beautiful psalm which compares favorably with any of those written by divine inspiration by David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel."3

In his commentary on Luke, Robert Stein, addresses some of the grammatical elements of the Mary passage and makes the statement that some of the structures present in this passage are consistent with other hymns or psalms, namely to transition from the individual to the corporate/Israel as appears to occur here in Luke 1:50.4 Stein 93

Background

Background of Promise and how to understand how it informs Mary's hymn/psalm of praise.

Luke 1:5ff the narrative begins with a righteous priest, Zechariah, and his righteous wife, Elizabeth. She is barren and they have no children, but receive an angelic visit from Gabriel that will soon transition them to the joy of parenthood.

Zechariah and Elizabeth will have a son and his name will be John, "And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared." (Luke 1:14-17)

Zechariah was made mute for an extended time on account of his lack of believing that which Gabriel told him and Elizabeth became pregnant with their child as promised. In Elizabeth's sixth month of pregnancy Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth where he brought Mary, a virgin who was bound in promise of marriage to Joseph of the house of David by engagement, unparalleled news regarding her own upcoming conception.

Gabriel greeted Mary, "O favored one, the Lord is with you!" (Luke 1:28) This troubled Mary who did not understand what was happening. Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God and who was dispatched by God, affirms more

1 Prepared by David Crowe for Pray's Mill Baptist Church Adult Sunday School ALL Scripture Quotations are from the ESV Bible unless the Scripture reference is in a quote from another author ? their original translation was kept.

2 English Standard Version Study Bible. Crossway, 2008. Pg.1945 3 H.A. Ironside; Addresses on the Gospel of Luke. Loizeaux Brothers, 1982 (Hereafter: Ironside), Pg.43 4 Robert H. Stein; The New American Commentary, Volume 24 ? Luke. Broadman Press, 1992. (Hereafter: Stein), Pg.93

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precisely that she has found favor with God. He then delivers his message, "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." (Luke 1:31-33)

Mary addressed the promise of her giving birth to the Messiah (God's Anointed) and that she was a virgin (no relations with a man means no conception). Gabriel explained that Mary's conception would be a supernatural work of God, "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)

Mary is then made aware of another miraculous conception. Her barren relative Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy. "For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37) Note this word choice and its context: a child is promised to a barren woman and she will give birth to one of no small consequence to God's Redemptive Plan and the implausibility of her conception is framed with "...nothing is impossible with God." This should reasonably draw our attention back to Sarah. See Genesis 18:14.

Mary responded with belief: "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." (Luke1:38)

Mary then went and joined her formerly barren relative, now with child by the possible work of God, Elizabeth in Judah. Upon entering Zechariah and Elizabeth's house Elizabeth's baby leaped in her womb and Elizabeth herself was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" (Luke 1:42) She continued, "And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." (Luke 1:43-45)

Mary's child, according to Elizabeth who was full of the Holy Spirit, was Elizabeth's Lord and Mary's greeting caused John to leap for joy within her. Elizabeth described Mary as blessed and a woman who believed the sure word from the Lord.

General Structure

Mary rejoices in God (46-47) Soul magnifying the Lord (46) Spirit rejoicing in God her Savior (47)

Why Mary rejoices (48-49) From humble estate to blessed (48) The Lord has done great things for her (49)

Expansion of praise to the working of God and keeping of promise (50-55)

Mercy for those who fear the Lord (50) A strong arm and a humbling of the proud (51) The mighty made low and the humble exalted (52) The hungry filled and the rich empty (53) Help to his servant Israel ? remembrance of mercy (54) Covenant faithfulness (55)

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Persons Descriptions and Highlights

Mary Described 1:28 Favored one. 1:30 One who has found favor with God. 1:42 Blessed among women! 1:43 The mother of the Lord. 1:45 Blessed. 1:45 Believing the sure word from the Lord.

Message to Mary 1:30 She has found favor with God. 1:31 She will conceive in her womb and bear a son. 1:31 Her son's name would be Jesus. 1:32 Her son would be great. 1:32 Her son would be called the Son of the Most High. 1:32 Her son will receive the throne of his father David. 1:33 Her son would rule over Israel forever. 1:33 Her son's kingdom will have no end. 1:35 Her virginity will not impede the supernatural conception applied to her by the Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High. 1:35 Her child will be called holy-the Son of God. 1:37 She is exhorted that her barren relative's conception is not beyond the possible with God. 1:42 She is blessed among women. 1:42 Her child is blessed.

The Trinity At Work: Father/Lord 1:15 John was going to be great before the Lord. 1:16 John was going to restore many of the children of Israel to the Lord. 1:17 John was going to prepare the people for the Lord. 1:19 Gabriel was dispatched by God in whose presence he stands. 1:25 The Lord gave Elizabeth a child. 1:26-27 The Lord sent Gabriel to Nazareth to deliver a message to Mary. 1:28 The Lord is stated to be with Mary, who is favored. 1:30 God extended favor to Mary. 1:32 Referenced to as the Most High. 1:32 Jesus will be called God's Son. 1:32 He will give to Jesus the throne of his father David.

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1:35 Referenced to as the Most High. 1:35 God will come upon Mary, along with the Holy Spirit, to effectuate her miraculous conception - overshadowing her. 1:37 Nothing will be impossible with God. 1:38 Mary identifies herself as the Lord's servant. 1:45 Mary believed what was spoken to her by the Lord (through Gabriel). 1:46 Mary declares that her soul magnifies the Lord 1:46 Mary stated that her spirit rejoices in God. 1:47 God is identified as Mary's savior. 1:48 God has looked on Mary's humble estate and esteemed her. 1:49 God is referenced as he who is mighty. 1:49 God has done great things for Mary. 1:49 God's name is holy. 1:50 God's mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 1:51 God has shown strength with his arm. 1:51 God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 1:52 God has brought down the mighty from their thrones. 1:52 God has exalted those of humble estate. 1:53 God has filled the hungry with good things. 1:53 God has sent the rich away empty. 1:54 God has helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy 1:55 God had spoken to the Patriarchs who are his offspring forever.

The Trinity At Work: The Son 1:31 Mary is promised to conceive a son and his name was to be Jesus. 1:32 The Son will be great. 1:32 He will be the Son of the Most High. 1:32 The Son be given the throne of his father David by the Lord God. 1:33 The Son will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will have no end. 1:35 The Son will be called holy. 1:35 He will be called the Son of God. 1:43 The Son was identified as Elizabeth's Lord.

The Trinity At Work: The Holy Spirit 1:15 John was going to be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb. 1:35 The Holy Spirit will come upon Mary, along with the Most High, to effectuate her miraculous conception. 1:41 Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit when she heard the greeting of Mary.

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Note that while the Holy Spirit appears to have a seemingly smaller role he is nevertheless an acting agent of the impossible and wonderful works of God and the member that fills believers and provokes proclamations of praise.

Individual Verse Aids

1:46 Term

Magnifies:

To make much of something or someone. Great, Esteem, Extoll, Enlarge, Honored It is this term in the Latin Text that gives us the commonly attributed title to this passage: Mary's Magnificat

Blessed Are You

Elizabeth to Mary: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." (Luke 1:42-45)

Contextual Note: I am operating under the assumption that Mary is pregnant at this time as Elizabeth states, "blessed is the fruit of your womb" (1:42)

In this introduction to our passage we see that Elizabeth twice esteemed Mary as blessed in 1:42 and 1:45; first on account of Mary carrying the Lord as his natural mother and second for Mary holding confidently to the promise made to her in 1:30-37. Mary then responded to Elizabeth's Holy Spirit produced proclamation that she and her child who she is pregnant with are blessed. Mary's response comes in the form of the song/psalm that we have recorded here in our passage.

Note the last sentence from Elizabeth in the preceding passage as it appears to directly address that Mary believed what was spoken to her and that these elements form the nucleus of what Mary is stating. She is reciting both what was said to her and all that is included in this wondrous promise.

What Exactly Was Stated To Mary: 1:28 Mary is favored and the Lord is with her.

1:30 Mary has found favor with God. 1:31 Mary will have a son and he will be called Jesus. 1:32 Mary's son, Jesus, will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

1:32-33 The Lord will give her son the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will have no end.

1:35 Mary is promised a supernatural conception - made effective by the Lord himself and her son will be holy, the Son of God.

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