The Blessed Virgin Mary - Sermon 192

• Isaiah 61: 10- end
• Galatians 4: 4-7
• Luke 1: 46 - 55

Prayer to start

May the words of my lips and the thoughts of our hearts be graciously received for the Glory and Honour of our Lord Jesus Christ
AMEN

Introduction

Celebration

What would make you celebrate wildly and jump for joy? -

Winning the jackpot or coming into lots of money?

Being told that we are going on that once in a lifetime holiday we've always dreamed about?

Falling in Love? - or proposing to someone – and they've said 'yes'
Getting that job or business that you've always wanted?

Or receiving news that someone close has miraculously recovered from a life threatening illness?

All good reasons for wanting to - let go of our inhibitions and shout out our good news to the whole world!

  
Point 1      Mary's Song

For Mary that moment of celebration was the joy of knowing that she was to give birth to a child – that would be the Saviour of mankind – and she let it out to the world in a song-

And if like her we'd lived in a culture where rhythm and beat mattered – it would be the sort of song we could dance to or clap our hands to -

And it might be one that we'd make up as we went along – with snatches of poems and psalms that we already knew-

Our Granddaughter Emily sings her own new songs all the time – mixtures of nursery rhymes - and her own words - they can be a joy to listen to

But Mary's audience was unlikely to be as receptive

After all she was a fourteen year old pregnant teenager – expecting a child out of wedlock -

There would be many condemning and disgusted voices not least from her immediate family - wanting her to keep things quiet.

But it was a song worth singing – she'd received an unexpected gift - and undeserved present – from God Himself – and her joy was overwhelming -

A young mother was expecting her second child -
and she did all she could to prepare her three year old son for the arrival of the new sibling.

The new baby was going to be a girl – and night after night- day after day - her son Michael would sing to the new baby in his mummy's tummy.

In time the labour pains came - and she went into hospital to have her child. After a long struggle - Michael's little sister was born – but she was in very serious condition -

She was rushed off to the intensive care unit – and the pediatrician had to tell her and her husband – that there was very little hope and to be prepared for the worst-

The little girl grew worst - and the mother started to make preparations for her funeral – rather than her arrival home -

Micheal however – kept on begging his parents to let him see his little sister - 'I want to sing to her ' he said. But she knew that children weren't allowed in to the Intensive care unit -

Eventually the mother made up her mind to take Michael - and to smuggle him in -

Micheal was spotted – but despite the objections from the nursing staff - she brought him to his sister's bedside - and he started to sing – in the pure hearted voice of a 3 year old – ['You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey ....' ]

Instantly the girl seems to respond – and her pulse rate began to calm. And the mother with tears in her eyes – encouraged him to keep on singing – and she joined in

The next day the little girl was well enough to go home – the papers called it 'the miracle of a Brother's song' – the nursing staff just called it a miracle – the mother called it a miracle of God's love

Like Mary's song - the boy' song was - one that needed to be heard –

 

Point 2        Song of God and His Works

Mary composed and sang what has become one of the most famous songs in Christianity – the Magnificat – named because that is the first word in Latin

its been whispered in Monasteries - chanted in Cathedrals – recited and sung in Churches – and set to music with kettledrums and trumpets – by Johan Sebastian Bach -

Its the Gospel before the Gospel -

A bright shout of triumph thirty weeks before Bethlehem – and thirty years before Calvary and Easter -

Mary composed her song after visiting her relative - Elizabeth who was also expecting a child - and through her song - they shared their dream – that one day all - that the prophets had said - would come true –

that one day Israel's God would do what He had said – to Israel's earliest ancestors – that all nations would be blessed through Abraham's family -

that the powers that had kept the world in slavery would eventually be toppled – that God would win a victory over the bullies - the power brokers – and the forces of evil -

Like so many Jews of their time Mary and Elizabeth soaked themselves in the psalms and scriptures which spoke of mercy – hope - fulfillment – and rescue -

Almost every word is a biblical quotation that they would have heard or known since childhood -

Much of it echoes the song of Hannah in the book of Samuel - and all that God was going to do through him.

Now Mary and Elizabeth celebrate together what God is going to do through their two sons John and Jesus -

 

Point 3     Our response to God's gifts

God has taken the initiative and put in motion events that will transform the world forever –

Through Mary- an unknown Jewish girl – from a small village – God will share the life of the world as a human being – as her Son - and God will be seen in a new light -

As Jesus - God's love will be demonstrated through action and word – He will fulfill all the promises made in the Scriptures - and His Spirit will reach into the hearts of everyone -

Jesus will buy freedom for all – and through the spilling of His blood on the cross – defeat evil forever –

Like Mary – we too - are called to respond – to God's presence within us – to rejoice at God's victory and undeserved gift to us – to celebrate our God given freedom and new inheritance in God's Kingdom -

Ending 

Listen to these words from Hilary Faith Jones:

Amazing how the news spread-
her friends giggled and whispered and were drawn away from her by their mothers
The boys made rude gestures - people muttered about teenage pregnancies -
but unmarried – pregnant and just past her fourteenth birthday – she stood in front of those condemning people and held her head high-

She sang from the depths of her soul a most exquisite song of God -

Some laughed and walked away
some were shocked and disgusted
some stayed and reveled in the gossip
and some just sat – and wondered
but one or two were transfixed –

for it seemed a glorious moment – as if she was showing them something 'so free and magnificent' -
that their worn down souls were set on fire.

Have you been set on fire by Jesus' presence in you today?

Have you got a song worth singing about God?  

Prayer to finish

In the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit

AMEN