It is a meeting of the moms. Two expectant mothers – one old, one young. One is six months along; the other, newly pregnant. The fact that either of them is expecting is totally unexpected! Both are pregnant when neither one of them should be under normal circumstances. But these circumstances are anything but normal. Zechariah and Elizabeth are expecting a miracle child in their old age. Joseph and Mary are expecting a miracle child while Mary is a virgin.

This is also the first meeting of the two baby boys the moms are carrying inside them. The great Son of David – from Joseph and Mary - is in the house of Aaron's son – from Zechariah. Hidden within the wombs of the two women are the Christ and the forerunner of the Christ. These are two miraculous babies. John born to a woman well beyond childbearing. Jesus born to a virgin. Elizabeth is bearing the prophet to prepare the way for the Most High God. Mary is bearing the Most High God sent to redeem the world.

While she is there visiting her older cousin, Elizabeth, Mary breaks into song. It is a joyful canticle we call the "The Magnificat." This Advent, we'll be looking at three Bible songs of Christmas – The Magnificat, The Benedictus, and The Gloria in Excelsis. Their Latin titles show their long history of usage within the Christian Church.

Mary begins, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord" (Luke 1:46). In Latin its, "Magnificat anima mea Dominum." The first word – "Magnificat" – is where we get the title for this canticle. Canticles are sacred songs drawn from biblical texts. To "magnify" is to "make great." Think of a magnifying lens. It's not that a magnifying lens makes the thing you're looking at any larger than it actually is. When you magnify something, it occupies more of your vision. It's all you can see.

Mary sings that her soul magnifies the Lord. She couldn't make the Lord any greater than he already is. God's greatness occupies her vision. Mary serves as a good example for us. God's greatness should occupy our vision, not just during these winter holidays, but all the time. But we do have special Advent and Christmas services specifically so we can pause, meditate, and magnify what God has done for us in sending his Son in the flesh as the Son of Mary. Then we join with Mary in singing her song of praise.

"And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, because he has looked with favor on the humble state of his servant" (Luke 1:47-48). Mary is not without sin, like the Roman Catholic Church teaches. She's a sinner who calls her Son her "Savior." We also are not without sin. We rejoice that God our Savior came as the Seed of Eve and the Son of Mary.

"Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name" (Luke 1:48-49). Mary is newly pregnant, yet she realized that God had already done great things for her … and in her. Elizabeth had just said of her much younger cousin, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb" (Luke 1:42). All generations would call Mary blessed for she was granted the great privilege and the awesome honor of being the mother to the Son of God. Mary has rightly been called "Theotokos" – "Mother of God." At the same time, God was doing great things for everybody else who would benefit from the birth of this Child. That's us!

"His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation" (Luke 1:50). Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve. From generation to generation, sinful people deserve destruction, death, and damnation. Instead, God's mercies are new every morning from generation to generation, century after century (Lamentations 3:23). Even though we deserve hurt and harm, God instead helps us in our distress. Though we should be punished for our misdeeds, God grants us forgiveness. Though we should have God's eternal wrath poured out on us, we are daily bathed in the mercy of God. God provided the ultimate answer to all our woes in this little Child in Mary's womb. That's why Mary is singing. She sees this Child as the great fulfillment of God's mercy toward humanity.

"He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones. He has lifted up the lowly." (Luke 1:51-52). Mary is singing how God acts toward humanity with a twofold action. God brings down the proud and he lifts up the humble. God works through his Law and Gospel. To those who are proud in themselves – like the Pharisee boasting in the temple – God will scatter them to the winds. To those who feel like they are in control – rulers of their own destiny – God will cast them down from their thrones. To those who are rich in the pleasures of this life – like the rich man who ignored poor Lazarus – God will send them away empty. This is how God deals with all those who are secure in themselves, who feel they are good enough people, so they have no use for a Savior. God preaches the Law to them. They refuse to listen. So, he will bring those arrogant souls down.

The proud and the rich – these are the enemies of God. He will bring them low. The proud and rich – I hope that's not us. But at times, it certainly is.

"He has filled the hungry with good things, but the rich he has sent away empty" (Luke 1:53). The humble and hungry – these are the friends of God. I pray that this is us all the time. We have a lot to be humble about. The knowledge of our sinfulness should humble us. We have nothing to brag about before God. We know how full of sin we are. We know how often we accidentally stumble into sin. We also know how often we purposefully run headlong into sin.

But when we humble ourselves with God's Law, then God lifts us up as the lowly. God's mighty arm lifts up those who are too weak to save themselves – that's us.

We are also the hungry. We hunger for God's righteousness served on a platter. We can't make this meal on our own. God must prepare it for us. That's what Christmas is all about. God fills the hungry with good things. Those good things come in the form of this baby, God incarnate, the Lord in the flesh. He is God's gift of righteousness. Christ's righteousness covers over our sinfulness. His perfection replaces our imperfection. His holiness envelops our unholiness. We are filled up and satisfied with God's great Christmas present – the Lord almighty wrapped in cute little baby skin.

What Mary is singing about here is what is sometimes called the "Great Reversal." It is the great change in position that God will accomplish in the sending of his Son. The high and mighty will be brought low. The poor and lowly will be lifted up. Just the opposite of the way the world sees things. God brings this reversal in Mary's Son – the Christ Child.

Jesus Christ came in his own Great Reversal. God's Son came from the heights of heaven to be born the lowly child of Mary. He laid aside his glory. He humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. God's Son came in the flesh so he could be brought low and then be lifted up on the cross. Forty days after his glorious resurrection, God's Son was lifted up to his rightful place at God the Father's right hand upon his heavenly throne.

This is how Jesus Christ strikes down our high and mighty enemies – sin, death, and the devil. These proud rulers are brought low, scattered, and sent away empty – as empty as the tomb from which Christ arose. Now Christ reigns from his glorious throne with all his enemies under his feet. This is a promise of the Great Reversal for all of us who suffer from this unholy trinity of our enemies. Mary sings that this has already been accomplished by the Savior residing within her womb.

Mary concludes her Magnificat, "He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever" (Luke 1:54-55). Mary praises the Lord for being faithful to his promises, faithful to his covenant, faithful to his Word. God had promised Abraham, "In your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice" (Genesis 22:18). God continued his promise of the Seed from Eve, through Abraham, through and David, and now within Mary. Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of the promised Seed of the Woman.

By faith in the Word made flesh in her womb, Mary was able to grasp the inconceivable, the invisible, and the eternal things of the Lord. As we join with Mary in singing her Magnificat, may we also grasp the inconceivable, the invisible, and the eternal things of the Lord. In this Christ Child, the lowly are lifted up. In this Christ Child, God's mercy extends from generation to generation. In this Christ Child, God has come to the aid of his people. So let us sing, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior." Amen.

Let the name of the Lord be blessed, from now to eternity. From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised (Psalm 103:2-3). Amen.

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