We live in a great time for those who enjoy music. When I became a believer back in the 1970s, there were not many
places where a person could listen to praise and worship music. Christian radio was OK, but for us younger people, it
lacked something – DRUMS and GUITARS. As I’ve gotten older, I have come to really appreciate the hymns of the
faith. There are great truths and extremely poetic settings of those truths that are powerful and valuable to all who follow
Jesus. That is one reason we always try to include a hymn in our celebration. Let me repeat that – we include at least one
hymn each week to help us reflect on God’s character and greatness utilizing the words of those great hymns. We don’t
include them to appease people who only like hymns. Worship is not about US – it is about JESUS. It is TO JESUS. It
is FOR JESUS. That’s important.
But, we also live in this time where the great availability of praise and worship music has given us the wrong impression of
what worship really is. Listen to these questions – Can music be worship? Can worship be music? Does worship HAVE
to be music? This is such a vital thing to realize and it is what we are going to see today in the Gospel of Luke as we
continue in our new series “A REAL Human Life.” I suggest to you that worship does not have to have anything to do with
music – so you don’t have to be a musician to be involved in worship. What do you have to be? We’ll talk about that as
we look at Mary and Zacharias this morning. Before we open God’s Word, let’s ask Him to help us. PRAY
This word “blessed” is not intended by Elizabeth or by God to elevate Mary to a position of godhood. Mary is a girl – a
young woman – who, as best she knows how, is trusting the Lord and doing what He says. Elizabeth is expressing what a
blessing it is to be involved in God’s eternal plan – Elizabeth is rejoicing with Mary at what an honor it is to be the woman
in all of history who carries the Savior into the world and then mothers Him. What a blessing. And what a blessing is this
Child you are carrying, Mary. Blessed is the fruit of your womb. The Child Mary carries not only experiences blessings,
but IS the blessing and Elizabeth herself is experiencing the magnitude of what GOD is doing during her lifetime. Elizabeth
calls herself blessed, too, in verse 45 – putting herself in the same category with Mary. I have believed God and now I am
blessed by the fulfillment of what He is doing – the Messiah, the Savior is on the way!
We talked last Sunday about how this may have been the moment that Mary realized that what Gabriel the angel told her
would happen HAD happened. And Mary responds with a proclamation of praise to God for the miraculous thing He has
done in her and for the blessings and goodness He has shown to her and to Israel through the ages. This expression of
praise flows out of a person who lives a life of worship. Worship IS life. Let’s look at Mary’s praise.
Luke 1:46-49. READ. If you had to identify the recipient of God’s blessings Mary is speaking about in these verses, who
is it? Mary. And this expression of praise is a response to Elizabeth who is standing right there with Mary. Oh WOW,
Elizabeth, it has happened. My soul magnifies, my soul declares, my soul exalts the Lord my Master. The soul is the center
of emotions – this is a deep emotional response to God’s work in Mary. And she refers to God as her Lord, her Master.
Remember that Mary is a young woman – perhaps even a teenager at this point. The next thing she says really sounds like
a young person. My spirit has rejoiced, my spirit rejoices. The Greek words here literally mean “my spirit jumps for joy”
in God my Savior. I can almost see Mary grabbing Elizabeth’s hands and jumping for joy. And look how she finishes that
sentence. My spirit jumps for joy in God my Savior. Her Master in verse 46 has now become her Savior in verse 47. My
Master is now my Savior and I jump for joy.
How excited are we – how excited am I – at the salvation God has provided to me through the life, death and resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ? Is it only a head thing – I know this? Or is it something that brings me to the point of jumping for
joy? I remember a couple of years ago Michelle Starkjohn was in a worship team from Wayne State college and they
came and lead music here. They had a song where we were encouraged to jump up and down, so I did. The college guy
who lead the worship team told Michelle later, “I was worried about the pastor – I was hoping he wouldn’t fall down and
break a hip or something.” You know, you don’t really see yourself like others see you. But we can break down our walls
of restraint a little bit when it comes to praising our Savior. If He had not come and lived and died and rose from the dead
– and if He had not made Himself known to you and given you the faith to believe Him, you would be bound for hell. But
you’re not. Can you get excited about that?
This young girl then remembers God’s blessings to all people. Verse 50, His mercy, His compassion is from generation to
generation – His mercy goes from one generation to the next of those who fear Him, who trust Him and do what He says.
As her thoughts go to those generations, she thinks about the things God has done and realizes that He is continuing to do
those things right now. Luke 1:51-55. READ.
God puts people in their place – God’s perspective on people is accurate. For those who think they are something God
scatters their pride – and His mighty arm has done it. Mary lays out some contrasts in God’s dealings with people. The
powerful – rulers and officers – God has lowered and removed from their high thrones while the lowly, those who are not
socially important God has raised up and elevated – James 4:10. Those who hunger, God has filled full with good things.
Those who live in abundance, God has sent away empty.
God has promised Israel help and now He delivers. God is exchanging His servant Israel for the kind of Israel His mercy
has anticipated (which includes US). Just as He spoke to our ancestors and especially to Abraham and Abraham’s
descendants forever (including US) – and now the one descendant God promised from the beginning is on the way.
Mary has not practiced this speech. She hasn’t been keeping notes of what she is going to say. She is coming to the
realization that what God promised to her has begun and she responds to Elizabeth – What an amazing, fantastic thing my
Master, my Savior has done. He has given me the honor of carrying and mothering the Promised One – the One spoken of
to Abraham and all through the history of our people. God my Master and Savior is worthy of my praise. He continues
His mercy now on us as He has BEEN merciful from the beginning to those who trust Him and do what He says. Down
through the generations of our people He has proven Himself. He has shown His power, He has shown His character, He
has proven His care and compassion. What an amazing Master! What an amazing Savior!
Take stock of God’s work in your life. Can you find anything to break into praise about? Jesus says in John 5 that the
Father has been working until now – and Jesus is working, too. God has been working out His plans for the world and for
His people and for each person from the beginning. I think we need to take some time often and express our praise for
who He is and what He is doing.
This all happened on the day Mary arrived at Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Zacharias’ house in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s
pregnancy. Mary stayed with Elizabeth and Zacharias until Elizabeth’s baby was born. And all this time the baby’s father
had been unable to speak because of his initial unbelief. I think Zacharias quickly overcame his unbelief, but the Lord did
not take away his silence. For 9 months, God used this silence to teach Zacharias – this old man who really did trust God
– the value of believing God when He shows up and speaks. Luke 1:59-64. READ.
Verse 62 makes me laugh. Have you ever been around a person from another country who spoke no English or very
little? Have you or others tried to speak broken English very loudly so that they understand you? It doesn’t really matter
how loudly we say things other people don’t understand, they still won’t understand us. I think it is hilarious that these
people make signs to Zacharias to try to get him to understand what they need to know. His problem is not that he can’t
hear – he can’t speak. They didn’t need to make signs – they needed to ASK him.
Verse 64 says that God finally released Zacharias’ tongue – and verse 64 is equal to verses 68 to 79. Zacharias spoke,
praising God – and what he spoke is what we have in verses 68-79. Zacharias wrote out his wishes regarding the name of
his son and God let loose of his tongue. Let’s look at what Zacharias had to say after 9 months of silence for unbelief.
Luke is laying out an orderly account of the life of Jesus the Savior and as he has started this account, he has opened with
another person – John the Baptist. Last Sunday we looked at the visit of Mary the mother of Jesus to her relative
Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. As we go on today, Mary is still at Elizabeth’s house – this is the same day as we
were in last Sunday. I want us to have an accurate opinion of who Mary is so we maintain and accurate opinion of who
Jesus is. Look at Luke 1:42-45. READ.
Mary continues to praise her Master and her Savior for His work on her behalf. He has regarded and looked at the low
estate – the humble rank – of His slave girl, and has lifted her up. Remember James 4:10 – Humble yourselves in the sight
of the Lord and He will lift you up. Mary is praising God for doing that with her. From now on all generations will talk
about how fortunate I am – and we do today. What a blessing for Mary to be chosen by God to have this vital role in the
life of the Lord Jesus and in the overall plan of God to save the world. All generations will call me blessed. She is not
elevating herself to a place of sinlessness, she is expressing the realization of the undeserved favor God. God in His grace
has allowed ME to be the one. The Mighty One has done me great things – holy is His name, worthy is He of praise.
68 – Blessed is the Lord God of Israel for He has visited and redeemed His people.
God is worthy of adoration because what He has promised, He has already accomplished by sending the Messiah. Mary
was probably still here with them and Zacharias and Elizabeth were letting people know what was going on. God has
redeemed His people. My baby John is important, but the Baby carried by this young woman is the One we are waiting
for.
69 – God has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David. The baby that this young woman is carrying is our
salvation. Zacharias worked in the temple – these people around him were Jews. None of them had ever seen the altar in
the Holy of Holies, but they knew what it looked like and what happened there once a year on the Day of Atonement.
God had instructed that the altar be built with horns on the corners – symbols of strength and power. The horn was used to
call soldiers to battle. The horn was also used to call non-soldiers to the place of safety. Zacharias testifies that God has
put a new altar in place, God has brought a new and effective place of refuge and safety and forgiveness and salvation.
This is what the Jews were waiting for when the Messiah, the Savior came. And, as promised, this Savior comes from the
family of David – the king God promised would rule Israel forever. This Savior, this baby carried by Mary is that forever
King. Both Mary and even her betrothed husband Joseph were descendants of King David.
Zacharias had 9 months to be quiet and listen and reflect on what God was doing. Verses 70,71 – READ. Zacharias had
spent this time reviewing all that God had promised through the ages by His prophets – from the beginning to Malachi – and
Zacharias found that God’s message was the message of salvation and mercy and protection and forgiveness and life.
Verses 72-74 – like Mary, Zacharias connects the coming of the Messiah with God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob and their descendants. The oath God promised Abraham (we won’t have time to look at it today, but it is in Genesis
15 and spoken of again in Hebrews 6) – the promise was deliverance from enemies, the ability to serve God without fear
and to serve in holiness of character and righteousness because of God’s salvation all the days of our lives.
Zacharias probably spent a lot of time looking at Jeremiah’s prophecy of the New Covenant. Go to Jeremiah 31:33,34.
READ. Over the months of silence, Zacharias came to understand that this is what God was sending his son John to
prepare the way for – the institution of the New Covenant where God Himself lived INSIDE of those who believed in Him
and their sins would be forgiven, not merely covered as it was under the Covenant of the Law of the Old Testament.
Zacharias praises God for His grace and mercy and work.
Then Zacharias prophesies about his newborn son John. We will look at these prophecies next week. As we close today,
our attention is on worship. What is worship? Is it singing? Yes, it is singing, but that’s not all it is. Is it making meaningful
speeches like Mary and Zacharias did here in Luke 1? It is definitely proclaiming God’s greatness – but that’s not all it is.
True worship is not merely what we DO. True worship results from WHO WE ARE and that translates INTO what we
DO. Jesus lived a life of worship and yet we rarely (only once) see Him sing. Lives of worship are lives that are yielded to
and totally dependent on the life of Jesus being demonstrated through our lives. Every moment of the life of Jesus was a
moment of worship of His Father. He lived for God’s glory. He lived to accomplish God’s plans. He lived to proclaim the
greatness of who God is and what He does.
What do YOU live for? We often live for our own comfort and our own glory and our own plans. If Jesus Christ is our
LORD – our MASTER – our lives should reflect and show HIM. A life that reflects and shows Jesus is a life of worship.
Our words will tell of Him. Our actions will reveal who He is. Our attitudes will come from a connection with Him. Is that
you? That was Mary. That was Zacharias. That was Paul and James and John. And they were just normal, regular
people like you and me who yielded themselves to God and allowed Him to do His God stuff through. What keeps you
and me from experiencing the same kind of life – a life of worship? Whatever it is, let’s deal with it and forsake it and live!