No one is humming “Mary Did You Know” much these days. And yet I can’t stop thinking about Mary.
Mary wasn’t the winner of some cosmic game show. (“Angels, show her what she’s won . . .” ) God didn’t just throw a dart when He chose her to mother the Savior. She was chosen for this monumental purpose, on purpose.
But why?
Scripture doesn’t fill in every gap, so I won’t attempt to either, but we do get some colossal clues in Mary’s declaration of the angel’s news.
In Luke 1:46-55, Mary tells her cousin that she is pregnant with Jesus, the Savior. These verses are called “The Magnificat” (translation: my soul magnifies the Lord). This was Mary’s declaration. She was going to stand on the sacred ground of truth and live like God called her to at any cost. These verses are the battle cry of a kingdom warrior and the sweet song of a surrendered saint at the same time. But they weren’t just Mary’s words. She was plagiarizing from the Author and Perfecter of her faith.
A Girl of the Word
In these nine verses, Mary points to more than thirty Old Testament Scriptures. Yes, thirty! Let me show you. Here is the Magnificat interwoven with the Old Testament references Mary paraphrased.
Mary’s Words: “My soul magnifies the Lord.”
Old Testament References: 1 Samuel 2:1; Psalm 34:2-3, 103:1
Mary’s Words: “And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
Old Testament References: Psalm 18:46; Isaiah 61:10
Mary’s Words: “For he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.”
Old Testament Reference: 1 Samuel 1:11; Psalm 138:6
Mary’s Words: “For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.”
Old Testament Reference: Genesis 30:13
Mary’s Words: “For he who is mighty has done great things for me.”
Old Testament Reference: 1 Samuel 2:1; Psalm 71:19; Isaiah 61:10; Habakkuk 3:18
Mary’s Words: “And holy is his name.”
Old Testament Reference: 1 Samuel 2:2; Psalm 22:3, 71:22, 89:18, 99:3, 103:1
Mary’s Words: “And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.”
Old Testament Reference: Psalm 103:17
Mary’s Words: “He has shown strength with his arm.”
Old Testament Reference: Psalm 89:10
Mary’s Words: “He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.”
Old Testament Reference: 1 Samuel 2:3; 2 Samuel 22:28; Psalm 89:10
Mary’s Words: “He has brought down the mighty from their thrones”
Old Testament Reference: 1 Samuel 2:4; Psalm 75:7
Mary’s Words: “And exalted those of humble estate.”
Old Testament Reference: 1 Samuel 2:4, 8; Psalm 113:7-8
Mary’s Words: “He has filled the hungry with good things.”
Old Testament Reference: 1 Samuel 2:5; Psalm 103:5, 107:8-9
Mary’s Words: “And the rich he has sent away empty.”
Old Testament Reference: 1 Samuel 2:5
Mary’s Words: “He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy.”
Old Testament Reference: Isaiah 41:8-9
Mary’s Words: “As he spoke to our fathers,”
Old Testament Reference: Psalm 105:8-11, 147:19; Micah 7:20
Mary’s Words: “To Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
Old Testament Reference: Genesis 12:2-3
We don’t know everything about Mary, but we know she was a girl who loved and knew God’s Word. Quoting Scripture came as naturally as expressing her own thoughts. In this sermon about the Magnificat, John Piper made this observation:
It seems to me that Mary is so steeped in Scripture that when she breaks out in praise, the words that come naturally to her lips are the words of Scripture.
Mary knew God’s Word.
Mary believed God’s Word.
When life threw her a curveball, Mary clung to God’s Word.
And that, friends, is why I am still thinking about Mary.
This Is Your Year
I have dreams for you, you know? With every cell that God has created within me, I want the readers of this blog to reject lies and choose truth. I want you to rise up as a generation who declares the goodness of God. I want you to push back the darkness with light.
But none of that is possible without my paramount dream for you. It’s a dream I am confident your heavenly Father also desires for you in the year ahead.
I want you to be young women of the Word.
I want you to love God’s Word, read God’s Word, memorize God’s Word, and, like Mary, cling to God’s Word as the life raft that it is.
Most of Mary’s life was rather unremarkable. We know nothing about her beauty, her talents, or her friend circle. But we do know she loved God’s Word. She quoted it as easily as she breathed in and out.
When haters started to hate, she stood ready to declare it.
When the earth beneath her shifted, she stood firmly on God’s promises.
When the Word became flesh, she recognized Him because she’d been studying Him with passion and purpose.
Does your approach to God’s Word prepare you to take on kingdom-sized missions? Does God’s Word trump your own as you talk with others?
If not, this is your year. Open your Bible, and declare a magnificat of your own.
By Erin Davis
