Song of Joy

KEY VERSE: “My soul doth magnify the LORD, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” —Luke 1:46,47

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: I Samuel 2:1-5; Luke 55

THESE ARE THE words of Mary, at the time she was still only the prospective mother of Jesus. Mary did not become the mother of God, but was the mother of the Son of God—the one who, in his prehuman state, was known as the Logos, or Word of God.—John 1:1

The transfer of the life of the Logos to the womb of Mary in order that he might be made flesh for the suffering of death was quite within the power of the Creator to accomplish. We cannot understand it, but neither can we understand how human beings—or even the lower animals, for that matter—are developed and born in what we call the natural way. The life principle and how it operates is a divine secret, and from our standpoint, is always miraculous.

The Prophet Isaiah wrote, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isa. 7:14) Mary was that virgin. While espoused to Joseph—she had not yet become his wife—the angel, Gabriel, announced to her that she was being offered the honor of becoming the mother of the great king of promise, the ruler who was to come through the line of David. Gabriel said to her, “Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.”—Luke 1:31,32

Thus Mary became the mother of the Son of God, and it was by this arrangement that the ‘Word’, or ‘Logos’, became flesh and dwelt on earth, becoming the man, Jesus. (John 1:14) At first Mary did not fully understand all that was involved, but she did rejoice in God’s providences and recognized that God would bring deliverance to Israel through her son. Thus, in our Key Verse, she refers to him as her Savior.

God is the great Author of the plan of salvation. (I Cor. 15:21,22) But God himself did not come to earth to die on the cross. It was his Son, Jesus, who was made flesh for the suffering of death. He was God’s representative on the earth. Therefore it was appropriate that the name Immanuel, meaning ‘God with us’, should be given to him.—Heb. 2:9

Not much is said in the Scriptures concerning Mary. Unquestionably she must have been a noble woman, appropriately fitted for the role which was hers in the divine plan. Every mention that is made of her indicates that she was a reverent woman, devoted to God, and ever solicitous for the welfare of her son, whom she was convinced was the great Messiah, and king of promise.

Later, after Jesus began his ministry, she and her family attempted to see Jesus. Her presence was announced to him, and her desire to speak to him conveyed. But Jesus, pointing to his disciples, said, “Behold my mother and my brethren!” Jesus explained that this applies to all who are dedicated to the doing of his Father’s will.—Matt. 12:46-50

The devoted Mary was near the cross when Jesus was crucified. We find her name last mentioned in Acts 1:14, where it is shown that she was among the disciples who waited in the Upper Room for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The fact that she was one of this faithful company of disciples indicates clearly that she not only loved Jesus as her son, but that she became one of his followers.

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