Luke 1:46-48 – Mary’s Magnificate – 1st verse in which Mary rejoices in God her Saviour. What did she mean by that? Can we glorify God in the same way as Mary? What should we think about her? With parts 2, 3 and 4 from Bach’s Magnificate – by the Netherlands Bach Society…and Botticellis ‘Madonna of the Magnificate’…
This is also available as an audio only on the ASK podcast (if you subscribe to that I usually put it out earlier!)
Look with Luke 21 – The Magnificent Magnificate
Thank you so much David for this – the music is just wonderful. Only God could inspire such glorious music to be written about His word. I recently heard a woman who conducted ‘humanist’ services at funerals say – ‘Do I believe in a blue eyed, blonde haired Jesus? No’. Actually, neither do I! I believe in a real person, Jesus Christ our Saviour who came from heaven to save us from our sins and give us everlasting life in Him. That is the truth and Mary’s song of praise is so full of hope for us all.
There is something spiritually sobering about much of J S Bach’s music, so I am particularly pleased to hear the beautiful rendition of the Magnificate that you are using. Thank you.
Of course, it brings to mind the events leading up to the birth of our Lord and Saviour as recorded by Luke. David Steinmetz has written of the role of Mary: ‘Mary is a sign that God has really intervened in human history, really involved himself in our human clay, our suffering, our temptations. If there is reason to reject a theology that is interested in Mary in herself, there is no reason to reject one that makes affirmations about Mary as a signpost pointing away from her to God’s mysterious activity in Jesus Christ. Mary is humble. She stands at the periphery of the New Testament. And that is where she should be. She is a sign pointing to Jesus Christ… Mary is also a sign that God’s new act in Christ stands in historic continuity with his saving acts in the Old Testament. Truly biblical Mariology is only another term for Christology.’ (from an article: ‘Mary Reconsidered’ in Christianity Today, Dec.5, 1973.