It’s that time of year where you hear Christmas carols and song just about everywhere you go. You hear them in the stores, you hear them on the radio. Even though all of the carols focus on the celebration of Christmas and the birth of Christ, they each have something unique about them.
In Luke 1:46 we read a special song that was sung in connection with this coming event – this blessed birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was sung by Mary, His mother. She had been visited by an angel who gave her the message that she had been chosen by God to be the mother of the Highest One – the Christ child, the Messiah who would come to save His people from their sins.
Mary was a Jew, so she was certainly familiar with the Old Testament prophecies of a Messiah. She knew that in Genesis a Savior was promised after the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. The Savior was promised by God to save His people from their sin. Another prophecy came in the seventh chapter of Isaiah where we read that God’s Son will be born to a virgin.
Mary had great joy knowing that these promises were to be fulfilled through her Son, the child that she would bear. She went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was experiencing her own miracle from God. I am sure there was a lot of joy between those cousins as Mary sang in Luke 1:46, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.”
Her song demonstrates that she believed in God’s promise to save His people through His Son. As we reach the Christmas season, I hope you take the time to reflect on the promises of God and how they impact your life.
I hope that as you reflect on the celebration of Christ, you will think of Him as the Promised One who has come to save you from your sin. Find in His Word in John 3 how having faith and trust in Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, you can have eternal life.
As you think of the promises, I hope you will respond as Mary did – with submission, joy and trust. And I hope it will cause your heart to say, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Happy Holidays! Happy rejoicing!
Ann Shorb is a counselor, writer, and speaker. She provides counseling services for a variety of issues including depression, AD/HD, marital issues, and much more. Her website also provides puppet skits that can be used at home or in church.
