Lk.1:46-49 – And Mary sang this song:
“My soul is ecstatic, overflowing with praises to God!
My spirit bursts with joy over my life-giving God!
For he set his tender gaze upon me, his lowly servant girl.
And from here on, everyone will know
that I have been favored and blessed.
The Mighty One has worked a mighty miracle for me;
holy is his name!
Sometimes waiting can be quite depressing, it seems that the long awaited moment may never come. That’s the way it had been in Israel, until a certain day came unexpectedly. It was in a remote part of a remote country, in Nazareth somewhere in Galilee, in Israel of all places. What changed that day? Gabriel came to visit Mary of Nazareth, he came from the presence of God. His message of the birth of the Son of God was quite shocking but what happened next was even more shocking. The Holy Spirit fell on Mary and she conceived the Holy Spirit in her womb. The anointing was on her from that time on, she sang and prophesied her Magnificent, her song of joy. When she visited her Aunt Elizabeth, she was also filled with the Spirit as well as the Prophet John whom she carried in her womb. The joyful expectancy had begun, the Savior was soon to be born. Here is how Matthew Henry describes this joy.
“Her spirit rejoiced in the LORD, because of the kind things he had done for her.…“From now on all generations will call me blessed.” Elizabeth had twice called her blessed. “But that is not all,” Mary said; “all generations of Gentiles as well as Jews will also call me that.” Her soul glorified the LORD: He that is mighty hath done to me great things. It was truly something great that a Virgin should conceive. It was truly something great that the Messiah should now eventually be born. It was the power of the Highest that appeared in this. She added, “and holy is his name. He that is mighty, whose name is holy, has done great things for me.” Glorious things may be expected from the One who is both mighty and holy, from the One who can do everything, and will do everything well and for the best.”
So we are waiting for Christmas like we do every year. Christmas will come like it always does but what exactly are we waiting for? We are waiting on the celebration of His first coming. The unsaid promise is all part of Christmas, He is surely coming again. Like Mary, we are waiting, singing, and prophesying in joyful anticipation for His coming.
