In Luke 1:46-56, Mary is singing a divine song of joy as
she shares with Elizabeth the wonderful news that she is miraculously pregnant with
the Messiah! Elizabeth is rejoicing, John is “leaping for joy” in Elizabeth’s
womb (v. 44), and Mary joins them with her praise to the Lord! Mary is
experiencing spiritual joy because her “spirit was rejoicing”. She
had joy “in God” (v. 47). She had salvation joy because
she acknowledged “God as her Savior (v. 47). She has praiseful joy
and “magnify the Lord” (v. 46). In verse 48, Mary expresses her grateful
joy, because she recognized it was God who “regarded the lowly state of
His maidservant.”
Today in verse 48, we will be looking at Mary’s hopeful
joy. “For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.” Mary
was blessed indeed, and blessed down through the generations, all because she
believed the message of the angel and submitted to the will of God! Remember
her response in verse 38, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it
be to me according to your word."
What a tremendous lesson for us today. Mary left a message
of hopeful joy for generations to come because of her faith and humility in submitting
her heart, body, and soul to the Lord! Think about it! We called her “blessed”
today because she bore in her body the very person of God in the baby Jesus! My
friend, when we believed and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and
Savior, the Bible teaches that our bodies became the and dwelling place of God
on earth. “… Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27)
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us: “Or do you not know that
your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from
God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore
glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.” 2
Corinthians 4:6-7 reminds us that we have the precious treasure of Jesus Christ
in our bodies of clay: “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of
darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of
clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”
This passage goes on to encourage us that Jesus Christ can
be now seen and experienced by those around us as they watch our hopeful and
godly response as we go through very difficult situations in our lives. “We
are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to
despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always
carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be
manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death
for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal
flesh.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-11)
Remember what was said about the Proverbs 31 woman who
lived her life for God and others! “Her children rise up and call her
blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done
excellently, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” (Proverbs 31:28-30)
Psalm 78:3-7 reminds us of our responsibility to leave our
hope and faith in God to the future generations! The psalmist said that they
would speak of the “things that we have heard and known, that our fathers
have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming
generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that
he has done…that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope
in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments”
Are you leaving hopeful joy to your children and
grandchildren for generations to come?
God bless!
