Sermon for Advent 4, December 22, 2024
Luke 1:39-55 39In those days Mary got up and
hurried to the hill country, to a town of Judah. 40She entered the home of
Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41Just
as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth
was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42She
called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and
blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43But
why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44In fact, just now, as soon as
the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for
joy! 45Blessed is she who
believed, because the promises spoken to her from the Lord will be
fulfilled!” 46Then Mary said,
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, 47and my spirit has
rejoiced in God my Savior, 48because he has looked with favor on the
humble state of his servant. Surely,
from now on all generations will call me blessed, 49because the
Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50His mercy is for those who fear
him from generation to generation. 51He
has shown strength with his arm. He has
scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52He has brought down rulers from
their thrones. He has lifted up the
lowly. 53He has filled the
hungry with good things, but the rich he has sent away empty. 54He has come to the aid of his
servant Israel, remembering his mercy, 55as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and his offspring forever. (EHV)
The
humble exalted by the mercy of God.
Dear fellow redeemed,
The
prophet, Joel, foretold a time in which the sons and daughters of Israel would
prophesy. (Joel 2:28) We usually
associate Joel’s prophecy with Pentecost when the Lord poured out His Holy
Spirit upon Jesus’ apostles to enable their spreading of the Good News of all
Jesus has done for us. At the same time,
however, Joel’s prophecy is just as much in action in the events before
us. Filled with the Holy Spirit, both
Elizabeth and Mary prophesy of God’s work for mankind, and Gabriel’s prophecy
to Zechariah is fulfilled in the action of Zechariah’s still unborn son, the
baby John. Yet, the exciting part of
this outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the report for you and me of The
humble exalted by the mercy of God.
Immediately after the angel, Gabriel, visited Mary,
she responded to the news that her relative, Elizabeth, was being blessed with
the gift of an unexpected, long-desired child by rushing to Zechariah and
Elizabeth’s home to congratulate her and share with her fellow-blest relative
the news that Gabriel had brought to Mary.
Certainly, those two women would have much to talk about, and Mary could
be a help to her aging relative in her pregnancy, but there is no mention that
Mary told anyone else about Gabriel’s message before leaving to visit
Elizabeth.
Imagine, then, how unlikely the greeting
Elizabeth gave Mary when she arrived.
Before Mary had a chance to break the news, before the prophecy of the
birth of the Christ Child from Mary could reach her ears, the Holy Spirit
enlightened Elizabeth with the news, and her response was immediate. “Just as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She called out with a loud voice and said, ‘Blessed
are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!’” For you and me and all people, the Spirit of
God was confirming that God’s plan to save us was being implemented in these
two women. Of course, the world might
scoff and pretend that these two somehow imagined this news, or that a later
writer made it up, but there is no possible likelihood of either being the
case. The leaping baby confirms that the
Holy Spirit was active in their faith and in their lives.
Elizabeth continued, “But why am I so
favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? In fact, just now, as soon as the sound of
your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! Blessed is she who believed, because the
promises spoken to her from the Lord will be fulfilled!” One of the definitions of the word, blessed,
is to be a “privileged recipient of divine favor.” How perfectly that describes what God did for
Mary, for Elizabeth, and for you and me as well.
Elizabeth’s reaction is what one might expect
when a commoner is visited by royalty.
Such is the way we might feel if Jesus walked into our living room,
because He is the King of Kings in whose presence we could hardly expect to
stand, and indeed, in our humble state would have to fall in submission and
fear.
Yet, there is no fear in Elizabeth. Why?
Because the Holy Spirit has revealed to her that this Child of Mary
would bring her forgiveness, salvation, and everlasting peace. Elizabeth shouts that promise to Mary in the
blessing. Through the humble faith that
the Good News established in Mary, God made that virgin a “privileged recipient
of divine favor.” The same thing
happened to us in our baptisms when the Lord of all creation removed our sins
and implanted in us faith in the Son of God so that just as for Elizabeth and
Mary, we are made The humble exalted by the mercy of God.
Certainly, Elizabeth was correct to say that
God has blessed Mary by making her the mother of Jesus, but Mary had the
perfect response. She declared, “My
soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my
Savior, because he has looked with favor on the humble state of his
servant. Surely, from now on all
generations will call me blessed, because the Mighty One has done great things
for me, and holy is his name.” In
contrast to what many in the world have desired to do for Mary, she herself
gives all glory to God. Mary recognized
that the world will regard her as blessed, and she agrees in the correct
way. Mary admits that she is not the
holy one; she is an ordinary person stricken with the curse of sin that made
her a sinner also. God alone is without
sin or guilt. Mary did nothing to
deserve God choosing her to be the mother through whom the Savior of the world
would be born. Yet, God elevated Mary in
the mercy He shows to the world through her Son.
Mary’s words to Elizabeth have become known as
the Magnificat, a song of praise that the Church often sings still today
as in our evening Vespers services. By
her words, the lowly peasant girl recognizes her complete lack of merit to be
honored with such great service, even as she celebrates and praises God’s
divine mercy and grace, because He gives these precious treasures to the world
without a requirement of merit. Mary
sang, “His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.” As we are confronted with our guilt and total
lack of anything to offer to God to purchase our freedom from the devil’s
devices and schemes, as we tremble in fear of God’s judgment, He holds out His
grace to us in the form of His beloved Son who lovingly invites all people, “Come
to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew
11:28)
Again, Mary sang, “He has shown strength
with his arm. He has scattered those who
were proud in the thoughts of their hearts.” As she sings her song of praise to the Lord,
Mary alludes to numerous promises made through the prophets of how the Lord of
glory would win redemption and peace for those He calls to believe. The strength of God’s Son as our deliverer is
shown again and again in His meekness and submission to His Father’s will. Jesus didn’t enter this world to conquer our
enemies by force. He came, instead, to
defeat the devil’s lies with truth, the devil’s challenges with faithfulness,
and the devil’s accusations with the sacrifice of His own life as a ransom for
ours. At the same time, for those
arrogant, belligerent, rebels who reject God’s right to judge, God gave His Son
authority to condemn to the fires of hell all those sinners who refuse to
repent of their guilt.
Mary said, “He has brought down rulers from
their thrones. He has lifted up the
lowly. He has filled the hungry with
good things, but the rich he has sent away empty.” By His condemning Law, God shows all people
their lack of holiness and their need for this Savior. Those who rely on their own efforts or
goodness are stricken from eternal life, but by His powerful Gospel, the Holy
Spirit then leads repentant persons to believe in Jesus as the long-promised
Messiah, the Son of God delivered into this world as a human baby through this
humble virgin. It is to those who
believe in Him that the promises of an everlasting home in the heavenly glory
are made sure and certain. Though we may
be poor and lowly on earth, by God’s grace we will be rich in His heaven as The
humble exalted by the mercy of God.
Finally, Mary confirms her confidence in the
angel, Gabriel’s, revelation to her that what God had promised since mankind’s
fall into sin was now as good as accomplished.
“He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, remembering his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever.” Again
and again in her song of praise, Mary shows us true faith, not elevating
herself or putting any confidence in what she has done, but rather, by pointing
to the Lord of heaven and earth as the Giver of all the blessings that were
coming to her through this Child. This
amazing mercy is available to all people.
Out of love for our fallen race, God sent His beloved Son, Jesus, to be
our redemption, ransom price, and Savior.
God promised Abraham,
“All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you.” (Genesis 12:3)
And that blessing is now granted to you
and me by faith. This virgin-born Child,
whose birth we will celebrate again in just a few days has taken away all our
sins, our guilt, our rebellious deeds, and failures. By the shedding of His blood in His sacrifice
on the cross, Mary’s Son paid the penalty of death for all the sins ever
committed against God—yours and mine included.
In a dream, Abraham’s grandson, who became
known as Israel, saw the Lord God standing at the top of a stairway to heaven,
and the Lord promised him, “In you and in your seed all the families of the
earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 28:14)
Mary prophesies here that her Son, Jesus, has made Himself our entrance
way to the glories of everlasting joy and peace with God.
Dear friends, through the gift of His Son, God
has granted us forgiveness and everlasting peace. Through the hearing of the Gospel and the
washing of Baptism, the Holy Spirit has brought that gift of peace to you and
me who believe in Jesus as our Savior.
We look forward to the day when we see what Mary and Elizabeth now
enjoy, the peace and joy and glory of being forever united with our God and
Savior in heaven—to finally see perfectly in ourselves The humble exalted by
the mercy of God.
Amen.
Now to him who is able to strengthen you—according
to the gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, . . . to God, who alone is
wise, be glory forever through Jesus Christ. Amen.
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