Luke 1:39-79
Both Mary and Zechariah responded to God’s work in their lives with songs of praise, glorifying God for His work in the world, specifically His saving grace, even though the Messiah’s coming wasn’t yet fully realized. The joy Mary knew at that moment came through her realization that God was her Savior. Mary rejoiced that God came near to her and rescued her from her lowly state. For Zechariah, what had been frozen through unbelief was now healed through faithful obedience, and it happened immediately. Months of pent-up silence brought forth a burst of praise stimulated by the Holy Spirit. Zechariah praised God for providing redemption in Jesus. He also prophesied that his son John would play a pivotal role in God’s plan of redemption.
- Think about a time when you were rescued from something. What were the circumstances? How did your feelings change once your rescuer arrived?
- How would you define “joy”? How is it different than happiness?
- What attributes of God did Mary include in her song? How does reflecting on God’s attributes affect the way you worship?
- One of the things Mary praised God for was His power. How does God exert strength in the power of His arm over the world?
- What recent experience has led you to praise God? Was anyone around you at the time, or was it just between you and God?
- Pause and prayerfully think through the interactions you’ve had this week at work, school, and home. What evidences of brokenness is the Spirit reminding you of in those interactions? How can you be a messenger of light this week to one of those people?
Other Scriptures to Engage with this week:
Psalm 118:1-18 • Isaiah 12 • Psalm 75 • Ephesians 5:15-6:12 • Psalm 113 • Micah 7:14-20.