There is a song unending—
an offering brought before the Lord.
The King, exalted above everything,
generations proclaiming the worthiness of God.

…

Mary, likely no more than a teenager, was chosen to bear God in her womb. She carried in her body the One who holds the stars in place. She bore the One who would bear our sins, nursing the One through whom the universe was made. The Savior of the world played in her lap, and tottered along in her shadows as they walked along beaten paths.

After the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, declaring she’d bear a son, she visited a friend. While she was with Elizabeth, Mary began to sing – spontaneous praises overflowing from her lips to the feet of the One who is mighty to save.

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.”

—Luke 1:46–49

From the beginning, God promised redemption. He told Adam and Eve that a seed would crush the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15). He promised Abraham that through his seed, blessing would come to the nations (Gen. 12). Now Mary confesses with awe: the promise has finally come. 

God has done exactly what He said He would do.

Mary’s Song, known as the Magnificat, has marked the church’s praises for centuries. It is not sentimental poetry, but is a faithful heart’s expression of love and wonder rooted in history, promise, and fulfillment. The arrival of Jesus is truly magnificent, and ushers us to worship with a unified heart and mind. Here, in Mary’s Song, intellect and emotion coincide.

The Magnificat is a song of exaltation and praise, adoration and awe, for the King who stepped off his throne into our sin and blunder. It’s a psalm of thanksgiving, laid at the altar of God who is full of splendor. As Mary did faithfully, let us too worship the Lord wholeheartedly.

To us, it is a reminder of all the ways God has been faithful, and the reason he came at all. He is God – our Savior. His mercies arrive on our doorstep unexpectedly, undeservingly, and quietly. But his love comes lavishly – without regard for scarcity. His is a grace independent of our meritocracy, rewriting every story because he has done great things.

The arrival of Jesus is good news for all who receive it, whose hearts begin to join the song of the saints who, too, have received him with joy. And even more, in the verses that follow, Mary sings about lifting up the humble, and God filling the hungry with good things (v52-53).

In the lines of the Magnificat, there is a recognition of man’s lowly status – not in a desperate, self-pitiful manner, but in a way that acknowledges the majesty of God – stating belief in Jesus’ divinity as much as his mysterious humanity. It’s a song declaring God’s affections towards those this world has left behind or forgotten. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised (54-55).

Just as He promised…

Who is man that you’re mindful of them?—the Psalms say, with awestruck wonder that God would have His sights set on us at all. How is it that the Lord of Lords, the Everlasting God, the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, who hangs the moon and places the stars, is mindful of us?

After all that running, how is it that He’s still chasing after us?

Because He is kind. He is a Father who fiercely loves His children, and is faithful to the promise He’s given us since the beginning.

Why do we sing songs of thanksgiving?

Because He is worthy, and singing His praises is how we tell Him. If you are in Christ, Mary’s song is your song. Her praises are your praises. The promises fulfilled through her womb are for you. Jesus came for you.

Mary’s soul magnifies,
her spirit rejoices,
her heart worships,

because the Lord has been good.

What moved Mary to sing was not merely the physical reality of a baby in her womb, but the spiritual reality of a Savior who looked upon her with mercy and grace, drawing close for her rescue. We, too, have received that same mercy. Her song belongs to all of us.

Magnify Him

In Ephesians 5, we see a connection between being filled with the Spirit and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. When God draws near and we encounter His faithfulness, praise overflows. Sometimes, we won’t feel like it, but hopefully we’ll still consider His worthiness of it.

If lifting your voice with thanksgiving feels hard today, remember that worship is more than singing. Becoming aware of His presence, with us wherever we go, amidst our daily musings can be a space we find Him, too. All things, done with our gazes fixed upon the king, can be a song lifted – exalting Christ’s holy name.

Our early waking,

Our small and humble beginnings,

Our yes when it’s not convenient,

Our welcome of holy interruptions –

Our hidden obedience,

And quiet faithfulness,

Our thankless tasks –

they can all be worship unto Him.

A Spirit-filled life seeks God—and expects to find Him everywhere—so that God can receive the glory He deserves.

Today, let us magnify the Lord.

Lord, when we ask if your promises are sure – would you show us?

Lord, when our souls struggle to magnify you – would you help us?

When our Spirits are downcast, struggling to worship – would you fill us?

From the need to be independent, or self-sufficient, or needless – would you deliver us?

Thank you for sending your son, God. For showing us your mercies and your holy justice.