Mary’s Song: The Song of the Blessed Woman Who Believed That What the Lord Had Spoken Would Be Fulfilled

Mary’s Song: The Song of the Blessed Woman Who Believed

That What the Lord Had Spoken Would Be Fulfilled

“Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked upon the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is His name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as He promised our ancestors’” (Luke 1:46–55).

As I meditate on this passage, I want to receive the grace God gives through it.

(1) As I read through these words, for a moment I regretted: “Why did I not include Mary’s song of praise in my manuscript, ‘O My Soul, Praise the Lord!’?”

(a) This manuscript, “O My Soul, Praise the Lord!”, was written in February 2020. It was centered on the Word of God and contained reflections on various biblical songs: “The Song of Moses” (Exod. 15:1–8; Deut. 32:1–43), “The Song of Moses, the Song of the Lamb” (Rev. 15:2–4), “The Song of Balaam” (Num. 23:7–10; 23:18–24; 24:1–9, 10–19), “The Song of Deborah and Barak” (Judg. 5:1–31), “The Song of David” (2 Sam. 1:17–27), “The Song of the Women” (1 Sam. 18:1–9), “The Song of Habakkuk” (Hab. 3:2, 16–19), “The Song of the Angels” (Luke 2:8–20), and my personal “Song of James” (Ps. 63:3).

(i) My personal “Song of James: A Hymn Sung in the Wilderness” is a reflection based on Psalm 63:3, written around my testimony connected with the English gospel hymn My Savior’s Love.

I cannot forget this hymn because the indwelling Holy Spirit compelled me to sing it. I still remember vividly: after our first baby, Jooyoung, died in my arms, my wife and I scattered the ashes in the water and were returning to shore in a small boat. Suddenly, my beloved wife, sitting in front of the boat, turned back with tears and said, “Titanic.” At that moment, without realizing it, the Holy Spirit dwelling in me opened my heart and lips, and I began to sing loudly before God: “I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene…” Later, I came to understand that God had fulfilled Psalm 63:3 for me: “Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.”

(b) The reason we cannot help but praise God is because of His great steadfast love and His eternal faithfulness (Ps. 117). That love and faithfulness were proven when “Christ died for us while we were still sinners” (Rom. 5:8). “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Therefore, those who have received “the free gift of God, which is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23) cannot but “praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 1:3).

(2) Today’s text, Luke 1:46–55, is Mary’s song. Mary sang this hymn of praise when she visited her relative Elizabeth (v. 40). Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her!” (vv. 42–45). At this, Mary lifted her voice in song (v. 46).

(a) Meditating on this passage, I was drawn to why Mary’s soul could not help but praise the Lord (v. 46), and why her spirit could not help but rejoice in God her Savior (v. 47). I would like to think about three reasons based on today’s text:

(i) First reason:

Because her Savior God looked upon her humble state (v. 48a).

The word “humble state” (Greek tapeinosis) resonates with the Hebrew concept anawah (humility/lowliness, e.g., Ps. 34:2). The Septuagint uses tapeinosis in Isa. 53:8 to describe the Servant’s humiliation, later quoted in Acts 8:33. This shows the unity of biblical testimony: God lifts up the lowly, opposes the proud, and brings salvation through apparent weakness.
This humility reaches its climax in Jesus Christ, who “humbled Himself” (Phil. 2:8), fulfilling the Servant Song of Isaiah (Acts 8:33). His way becomes both pattern and promise: the cross before the crown, humiliation before exaltation.

Mary recognized that “the Most High” (Luke 1:32) had looked upon her, a lowly servant (v. 48), and made her “blessed among women” (v. 42). That is why her soul praised the Lord and her spirit rejoiced in God her Savior (vv. 46–47).

Likewise, we rejoice and praise our Savior God because He has chosen what is lowly and despised in the world (1 Cor. 1:28) and entrusted us with the great mission: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15).

(ii) Second reason:

Because the Mighty One did great things for her (v. 49a).

“The Mighty One” refers to El Shaddai, the all-powerful Lord of creation. As Gabriel said, “Nothing is impossible with God” (v. 37).
The Almighty carried out His plan: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son” (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23). Gabriel was sent to Mary, a virgin betrothed to Joseph, and announced: “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call Him Jesus” (Luke 1:31). Mary believed this word would be fulfilled (v. 45) and thus declared, “The Mighty One has done great things for me” (v. 49).
Likewise, we too must believe that El Shaddai, the Almighty, has already done and will continue to do great things for us according to His promises.

(iii) Third reason:

Because of God’s mercy and justice (vv. 50–55).

God’s mercy “extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation” (v. 50). It lifts up the lowly (v. 52), fills the hungry with good things (v. 53), and remembers His covenant with Abraham and his descendants forever (vv. 54–55).
Mary’s praise recalls Hannah’s prayer: “The LORD brings death and makes alive… He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; He seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor” (1 Sam. 2:1, 7–8).
At the same time, Mary praised the Lord for His justice: scattering the proud, dethroning rulers, and sending the rich away empty (vv. 51–53). In other words, God overturns oppressive power and establishes His righteous order.

(3) I would like to conclude this meditation as the conclusion to my manuscript O My Soul, Praise the Lord!

“Our God is worthy of praise because He is the Most High (Ps. 47:2, 9), the One who loves us greatly (v. 4), and the King who reigns over us (v. 8). We must sing songs of salvation and victory to Him [Song of Moses (Exod. 15:1–18)]. We must praise God for who He is, for what He has done, and for what He will yet do. We must sing songs we should never forget [Song of Moses (Deut. 32:1–43)].

Even though we sin against God, we praise His greatness, His choosing of us, His guidance and protection in this wilderness-like world. We must sing of His almighty power, His kingship, and His holiness [Song of Moses, Song of the Lamb (Rev. 15:2–4)]. Because the covenant God has blessed us, we must bless Him [Song of Balaam (Num. 23:7–10)].

Through Christ who hung on the tree, He has turned our curse into blessing, set us apart from the world, and multiplied us as the dust of the earth. Therefore, we must praise Him for His faithfulness and unchanging nature [Song of Balaam (Num. 23:18–24)].

We must sing of our happiness and prosperity [Song of Balaam (Num. 24:1–9)]. We must sing of Christ, the “Star” and “the Root and Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star” (Rev. 22:16) [Song of Balaam (Num. 24:10–19)].

We must love the Lord, consecrate ourselves joyfully, rely on His saving power, and act in obedience. Then He will cause us to shine with the light of victory and salvation in this dark and sinful world [Song of Deborah and Barak (Judg. 5:1–31)].

We must live victorious lives, becoming warriors of Christ, fighting the spiritual battle even unto death [Song of David (2 Sam. 1:17–27)]. We must exalt Jesus, King of kings, above all earthly rulers. When exalted by men, we must humble ourselves ever more, overcoming sinful jealousy [Song of the Women (1 Sam. 18:1–9)].

We must cry out in song: “LORD, renew Your work in our day… In wrath remember mercy” [Song of Habakkuk (Hab. 3:2)]. We must rejoice in God our Savior and strength [Song of Habakkuk (Hab. 3:16–19)].

We must praise God with the angels, for the good news of Christ’s birth, His cross, and His resurrection, the glory of God and peace for mankind [Song of the Angels (Luke 2:8–20)]. We must sing because God’s steadfast love is better than life [Song of James (Ps. 63:3)].

We must sing to acknowledge and testify that the LORD is God, boast in Him, exalt Him, and proclaim His authority and power. We must engage in a ministry of praise that inspires trust in God [“Bless the LORD” (Ps. 134)].

We must praise the true God who has chosen us as His treasured possession, who bestows both common grace and saving grace through Jesus Christ [“Praise the LORD!” (Ps. 135)].

‘Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Hallelujah!’ (Ps. 150:6).”