sign in sign up
<<
Home , Luke 1

FIRST BAPTIST CONCORD HOME FOR CHRISTMAS WHEN JOY COMES HOME (LUKE 1:39-55) DECEMBER 15, 2013

PREPARATION > SPEND THE WEEK STUDYING LUKE 1:39-55. Consult the commentary provided and any additional study tools (such as a concordance or dictionary) to enhance your preparation.

> DETERMINE which discussion points and questions will work best with your group.

> PRAY for Pastor John and the “Home for Christmas” sermon series, the upcoming group meeting, your teaching, your group members, and their receptivity to the lesson.

HIGHLIGHTS > BIBLICAL EMPHASIS: Luke 1:39-55 tells about Mary’s visit to Elizabeth after the visited Mary and told her about ’ coming birth. This passage also includes Mary’s song, in which she praises for what He was about to do and for the part she was privileged to play in His redemptive plan. > LIFE APPLICATION: The joy of God is made known in Jesus. Jesus’ coming brought Mary and Elizabeth great joy, and that joy was the basis of their relationship with each other. Even was joyful. Jesus’ coming brings great joy to us as well, even more so because of what He has done for us.

LESSON OUTLINE

1. Jesus’ birth is the source of joy (Luke 1:39-45).

2. We find joy in acknowledging who God is (Luke 1:46-50).

3. We find joy in how God works (Luke 1:51-53).

4. We find joy in the reliability of God (Luke 1:54-55).

1 WHEN JOY COMES HOME First Baptist Concord DEC. 15 INTRODUCTION As your group time begins, use this section to help get the conversation going. Spend a few minutes discussing what real joy looks like and why it should be a by-product of one’s relationship with Jesus.

How would you define authentic joy? How is it different than happiness?

Can you share about a time when you were joyful, even though you weren’t all that happy?

What are some of the things in life that steal our joy? Which of these do you fight against most often?

What are specific reasons Jesus is a source of joy for you?

Jesus’ identity as our Savior is the ultimate demonstration of God’s grace in the lives of His children. We did nothing to deserve a Savior, but through God’s Son, a way was made for us to experience redemption, the atonement for our sins and eternity with God. The truth of God’s grace should be a source of immeasurable joy for us, as it was for Mary. As we study Luke 1 this week, ask yourself: Is the joy you find in Christ evident to the people in your life?

UNDERSTANDING Unpack the biblical text to discover what Scripture says or means about a particular topic. Luke began his by telling how the angel had announced the coming birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah (1:5-25). Immediately after that, Luke told of Gabriel’s announcement to Mary of Jesus’ coming birth (1:26-38).

2 WHEN JOY COMES HOME First Baptist Concord DEC. 15 Shortly after Gabriel left, Mary traveled to Judah to check on her relative, Elizabeth, whom she had just learned (from the angel) was pregnant.

1. Jesus’ birth is the source of joy (Luke 1:39-45).

> HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ LUKE 1:39-45.

Describe the setting of Luke 1:39-56 and what you think this experience meant to both women.

How might Mary have felt when Elizabeth greeted her?

Why did John the Baptist leap in Elizabeth’s womb?

Upon Mary’s arrival, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth acknowledged the favor and grace God showed her by sending Mary, the mother of “my Lord” (v. 43) to her.

What is the significance of each statement in Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary (vv. 42-45)?

How is Mary “blessed” and encouraged?

How did Mary respond to her greeting?

Elizabeth named Mary as the most blessed of women, because of the unique nature of the Child that Mary would bear. Elizabeth also stated that Mary was blessed because of her faith that the angel’s promise would come true. This blessing is not to be interpreted as a call to praise/bless Mary, but as an affirmation that God bestowed His grace on Mary. Elizabeth interpreted what she felt as her baby’s leaping for joy as a sign that God’s message to Mary through Gabriel would be fulfilled. In response Mary burst out in a song of praise (1:46-55).

3 WHEN JOY COMES HOME First Baptist Concord DEC. 15 2. We find joy in acknowledging who God is (Luke 1:46-50).

> HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ LUKE 1:46-50.

For what does Mary praise God in the beginning of her song, verses 46-48?

Why did Mary rejoice over God’s actions toward her?

How did Mary view herself?

The first words of Mary’s song celebrate God’s greatness. She continually magnified or praised God with her total being (soul). Mary stressed God’s greatness expressed in His power to save. Note her recognition that God was her Savior as well as Savior of all who would respond in faith to the coming . Mary rejoiced that God came near to her and rescued her from her lowly state. He bestowed on her a unique privilege. She experienced the freedom to serve the One who showered His grace on her.

What reason did Mary give for her joy in Luke 1:48? What is the result according to the end of verse 48?

Mary acknowledged that God looked with favor on her. This divine act of kindness served as the basis for her praise. There is a beautiful balance in Mary’s of praise. She expressed humble recognition of the greatness and holy nature of God and His grace on His voluntary slave. As a result of God’s selection, Mary realized that coming generations would call her blessed. Believers in the future would acknowledge the mighty work God did in her. This served not for her praise but for God’s. Jesus’ birth took place because of God’s work. Similarly, Mary’s blessing came through what God did in her. He enabled her to serve Him in ways that called attention to His greatness. These truths led Mary to rejoice in the Lord.

4 WHEN JOY COMES HOME First Baptist Concord DEC. 15 In verses 49-50, Mary rejoiced in God’s attributes, His qualities. What specific attributes of God does Mary draw attention to in these two verses?

How does reflecting on God’s attributes affect the way you worship?

Mary glorified God for three specific attributes—His power, holiness, and . She also reflected on the “great things” God had done for her. As affirmed in Deuteronomy 10:21, God does “great things.” Whereas in Deuteronomy this refers to God’s having worked his wonders for Israel in leading them out of Egypt, here the “great things” refers to the virginal conception of Jesus, who in His ministry would bring about the events described in the second half of Mary’s song (vv. 51-55).

God’s holiness here refers not simply to His moral perfection but even more to His acts of righteousness and justice by which He fulfills His covenantal promises to the humble and lowly and brings judgment upon the unrighteous and haughty (see 1:51-52). God’s gracious mercy comes upon the humble devout (such as Mary) who “fear,” or reverently obey, Him.

Mary’s affirmation of God’s character recalls several passages. Take a minute to read aloud some of these verses: Zephaniah 3:17; Psalm 99:3; Isaiah 57:15; :17.

What great things has God done in your life?

Why did God choose to bless Mary? Why would God choose to bless you and me?

How surrendered do you think Mary was to God’s will for her life? How surrendered are you to God’s will for your life?

5 WHEN JOY COMES HOME First Baptist Concord DEC. 15 3. We find joy in how God works (Luke 1:51-53).

> HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ LUKE 1:51-53.

In her song, Mary moved from praising God for who He is and His blessing to describing the significance of His redemptive act for believing Israel. Following the prophets’ manner of speaking and writing, she sang of future events with certainty as though they already had occurred. Mary described God’s remarkable activity in bringing the Messiah to fulfill God’s kingdom.

What works of God does Mary mention in these verses?

Discuss how God exerts strength in the power of His arm over the world.

God’s providing the Savior would be a mighty deed—an awesome display of strength. In :13, the psalmist wrote of God: “You have a mighty arm; Your hand is powerful.” The writer of :1 praised God because “His right hand and holy arm” had gained Him victory.

How has God displayed His mighty power in your life recently?

What contrasts or role reversals does Mary make in this passage? How do these reflect her feelings about God? About herself?

Mary emphasized the great reversals that would occur as a result of God’s gift of the Messiah. Her words reveal that God works in amazing and surprising ways. The mighty who occupied thrones could have been literal rulers. More likely, Mary’s reference is broader and includes people in positions of power who oppress the lowly—the poor and downtrodden. Through His Messiah, God would bring down the powerful and exalt the dispossessed. Mary was a prime example of God’s lifting up a person of humble circumstances and was symbolic of what God would do for all people who would respond positively to His gift of grace. 6 WHEN JOY COMES HOME First Baptist Concord DEC. 15 A second sharp reversal God would work through the coming Messiah would be to satisfy the hungry with good things while He sent the rich away empty. The hungry indicated people in need, and good things could refer to physical and spiritual provisions. The rich were people who depended on their wealth and had no awareness of their need for God. In addition, they used their wealth to take advantage of the poor. These exploiters would experience emptiness, perhaps material want but most profoundly spiritual emptiness.

Why does God exalt the lowly according to 1 Corinthians 1:26-31?

Has God exalted you from a lowly position? If so, describe His work. If not, describe His work of exaltation in someone else.

With what good things has God satisfied your heart (v. 53)? How do these good things bring you joy?

Do you really believe God can accomplish His purposes through you? Why or why not?

4. We find joy in the reliability of God (Luke 1:54-55).

> HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ LUKE 1:54-55. In the final statements of Mary’s song of praise, she recalled God’s mercy to Israel and to herself. God helped His servant Israel, but not only in the past. Mary’s words applied to God’s creative act in causing her to conceive and to bear the Messiah. In sending Jesus to be born to Mary, God showed His mercy and to His children, in keeping with promises He had made centuries earlier to and his descendants.

Read Genesis 22:16-18. How was Jesus’ birth related to God’s promise to Abraham? Why would Mary consider this worthy of praise?

7 WHEN JOY COMES HOME First Baptist Concord DEC. 15 Mary stated that God was mindful of His mercy—literally, the Lord “called to mind” or “called to remembrance” His mercy. Mary may have meant that because God remembered His mercy, He was in the process of providing the Messiah. Despite what some may have believed, God had not forgotten His promise.

How has God caused you to wait upon Him? What lessons have you learned in God’s waiting room?

What good promises of God can you claim in your daily walk? What actions do you need to take to strengthen your faith?

How can you find joy in the reliability of God—despite your circumstances? How can you rely upon Him in the face of delay, defeat, or even death?

God’s helping His people by providing the promised Messiah was the crowning expression of His faithfulness to His . They repeatedly were unfaithful; He remained steadfast in His covenant love. The Messiah’s birth was the redemptive help Israel—and all other peoples—needed most. APPLICATION Help your group identify how the truths from the Scripture passage apply directly to their lives. What are specific reasons God is a source of joy for you?

How do you express this joy to God and to others?

Read Colossians 1:15-20. What do we learn about Jesus and His gospel through these verses?

How can the truths in Colossians 1 impact the way you live? How can they be a source of joy for you?

8 WHEN JOY COMES HOME First Baptist Concord DEC. 15 PRAY Close in prayer, giving your group members the opportunity to voice sentence prayers of thanksgiving and praise for the attributes of God we discussed today. Consider having different people in your group pray aloud the statements in Mary’s song. Pray that the joy of Christ would remain in us and be full this week. FOLLOW UP Midway through this week, send a follow-up email to your group with some or all of the following information:

❏ Questions to consider as they continue to reflect on what they learned this week:

Who needs to hear about the joy of a relationship with Jesus? How can you reach out to that person this week?

Everything we do at First Baptist Concord is motivated by our desire to share the joy and good news of Jesus with others. What is one way you can partner with us in our ministry efforts this week?

What would your song of praise to God include? Spend a few minutes this week writing a short expression of praise to God. Use Mary’s song as an example.

❏ A note of encouragement, following up on any specific prayer requests mentioned during your group gathering. ❏ The challenge to memorize Luke 1:49-50.

9 WHEN JOY COMES HOME First Baptist Concord DEC. 15 FIRST BAPTIST CONCORD HOME FOR CHRISTMAS WHEN JOY COMES HOME (LUKE 1:39-55) DECEMBER 15, 2013 COMMENTARY

LUKE 1:39-55

1:39. The time notice (literally In these days) serves primarily as a literary link tying what follows to the previous account (cf. 6:12; :15). The phrase “went with haste” (ESV) should not be interpreted as an attempt to prevent Mary’s neighbors in from knowing that she was pregnant. Rather Luke here described Mary as a model believer eagerly responding in obedience to the heavenly message of Luke 1:36. refers here to the Roman province in contrast to 1:5, where it refers to Palestine. The name of the city is not given.

1:41. Just as John the Baptist in his ministry was to be Jesus’ precursor and prepare his way (1:17, 76), so even here he prepared the way, i.e., he announced the Messiah’s presence by leaping in his mother’s womb. Compare Genesis 25:22 for an OT parallel. (For leaping for joy, see 2 Sam 6:16; Mal 4:2.) This prenatal cognition is meant to attest to the truth and fulfillment of Gabriel’s prophecy in Luke 1:31-33, 35. In 1:44 Elizabeth would explain the significance of her child’s action. What was promised to Zechariah (1:15) was now fulfilled. John and Elizabeth were filled with the Holy Spirit even before John’s birth. Thus they were the first persons to realize that Mary’s child is the Messiah. That the hymn that follows conveys a correct Christological understanding is evident from the character description of Elizabeth in 1:6 and from the fact that she was filled with the Holy Spirit as she spoke.

1:42. The expression “in a loud voice” (NIV) is frequently used to describe an inspired utterance (cf. :24; :15; 7:28, 37; Rom 8:15; 9:27; Gal 4:6). The first two lines of Elizabeth’s blessing found in this verse possess poetic parallelism, but the rest do not. Blessed are you among women. This is a Semitic way of saying “most blessed.” What God had done in Mary outshone even what God had done in Elizabeth. Mary was blessed here not because of her faith, as in Luke 1:45; rather her blessedness depended entirely on her son and his greatness. A similar beatitude is repeated in 11:27. Blessed

10 WHEN JOY COMES HOME First Baptist Concord DEC. 15 COMMENTARY

is the child you will bear. “The child you will bear”is literally the fruit of your womb (cf. Gen. 30:2; Lam. 2:20; cf. also Deut. 7:13; 28:4). The Lord had already been conceived. Although the two blessings stand essentially parallel, the first stands logically in subordination to the second. Mary’s blessedness was based on the blessedness of the child she would bear. This fits an OT pattern in which the second blessing gives the cause of the first (cf. Gen. 14:19-20; Deut. 7:14; Ruth 2:20).

1:43. My Lord indicates that the focus in this account is upon Mary’s child more than Mary herself. Here “Lord” is clearly a Christological title and refers to Jesus. The title is used in our account (and in Luke 1–2 in general) both for God (1:46) and Jesus (1:43; cf. Acts 2:36), and it reveals the greatness of Mary’s child already before His birth. Whereas the title “Lord” is used for Jesus only six times in Mark, it is used more than twenty times in Luke. To these can be added the nineteen times Jesus is addressed in the vocative as Lord. It is above all by the resurrection that Mary’s child is recognized as Lord (Acts 2:36), although this verse indicates that from His conception He was already Lord. The use of the title “Lord” indicates that Luke understood Jesus as standing on a different level from others. He, like God, is deserving of the title “Lord.”

1:44-45. This is a partial fulfillment of Luke 1:14. For a similar expression of joy on Mary’s part, cf. 1:47. Even as Elizabeth rejoiced in her subservient role to Mary, so later John would also rejoice in his subservient role in preparing for Jesus (John 3:29). Elizabeth’s praise both begins and now ends with a reference to Mary’s blessedness. The blessedness of Mary’s faith stands in contrast to Zechariah’s lack of faith in 1:20. Her blessedness is a present state (cf. 6:20-22). Again Mary serves as an example for the believer. Indeed Luke sought to maximize Mary’s role as a model believer. In Acts 1:14 he mentioned that Mary and her other children were among the inner core of disciples. Mary is “blessed” here for her faith but is “most blessed” in Luke 1:42 for the privilege of being the mother of God’s Son.

11 WHEN JOY COMES HOME First Baptist Concord DEC. 15 COMMENTARY

1:46. The which follows is named from the opening verb of the Latin Vulgate’s translation of Mary’s hymn in 1:46. As Hannah did in 1 Sam. 2:1-10, Mary praised God for what he was about to do and for the part she was privileged to play in his plan. My soul glorifies the Lord. Compare Ps. 69:30. The verb “glorifies” also appears in Luke 1:58; Acts 5:13; 10:46; 19:17. “Lord” refers here to as the parallelism with the next verse indicates.

1:47. My spirit. This is another synonym for “I” as shown by Gen. 6:3; Ps. 143:4. This verse stands in synonymous parallelism with Luke 1:46 and thus emphasizes the praiseworthiness of God by repetition. This verse anticipates the thought of Luke 1:69, 71, 77; 2:11, 30. The use of alternative names for God in parallel statements is common in the OT (cf. 1 Sam. 2:2; Ps. 62:11-12; 69:6; 70:1).

1:48. What follows for will be the grounds for Mary’s praise of God. God’s mindfulness of the humble state of his servant is the first ground for Mary’s praise and has as its background Hannah’s prayer and vow (1 Sam. 1:11). In the coming of God’s Son into the world, the poor and down trodden have been visited with . This humble state or lowliness is referred to again in 1:52. It need not refer to childlessness as in 1 Sam. 1:11 (or to a hypothetical vow of perpetual virginity and thus childlessness on Mary’s part). Rather it refers to such a low estate as described in Acts 8:33; Phil. 3:21; Jas. 1:10. In this verse it may refer to the low state or status in which Mary was held by the standards of this world. Her child would also share this low estate, being born in a manger and of poor, insignificant parents. Yet the salvation of which Mary rejoiced also looks beyond her to the nation of Israel, as Luke 1:50-55 makes clear. Mary’s self-designation as servant echoes 1:38. Mary would not be called blessed because of any intrinsic personal worth or holiness on her part but because of the child she was bearing. Compare Gen. 30:13 for an example of synonymous parallelism in which Leah’s blessedness was

12 WHEN JOY COMES HOME First Baptist Concord DEC. 15 COMMENTARY

due not to her own piety but to God’s goodness toward her in granting her a child.

1:49. God is described as “mighty” in Ps. 24:8; Zeph. 3:17, and Luke used this word to describe God’s mighty power (:27; 24:19). God’s holiness here refers not simply to his moral perfection but even more to his acts of righteousness and justice by which he fulfills his covenantal promises to the humble and lowly (Luke 1:48-50, 53-55) and brings judgment upon the unrighteous and haughty (1:51-52). In 11:2 the believer prayed that this holiness would soon be manifested, and in Matt 6:10 this is further clarified by the words “on earth as it is in heaven.” Luke’s statement probably is best taken with what follows rather than with what precedes.

1:50-53. The hymn now moves from Mary to believing Israel as the change of pronouns from the first person singular to the third person plural indicates. This statement of God’s positive behavior toward the humble stands roughly parallel to Luke 1:48. It parallels closely Ps. 103:17. God’s gracious mercy comes upon the humble devout (such as Mary) who “fear,” i.e., reverently obey, him. Whereas the first strophe of the Magnificat refers to the great things the Mighty one had done to Mary, the second strophe is a prophetic forward look at the results of the ministry of Mary’s child for believing Israel (Luke 1:54). For a hymn or psalm to begin with an individual’s situation and conclude with a reference to Israel’s situation is not unusual (cf. Ps. 25; 69; 128; 130; 131).

These verses recall the descriptions of God’s justice found throughout the (e.g., Ps. 100:5; 103:11). Those who fear Him is an OT expression that is equivalent to the NT idea of faith. Fear of God is faith in God. His arm is figurative for God’s power. God is a Spirit being (John 4:24) and does not have a physical body, but bodily metaphors are effective in communicating some of God’s attributes and actions. God is against the proud ... the mighty, and the rich, who imagine themselves self-sufficient. By contrast, He champions the

13 WHEN JOY COMES HOME First Baptist Concord DEC. 15 COMMENTARY

cause of the lowly and the hungry, for they acknowledge their need for Him.

1:55. By referring to Abraham, Luke emphasized the continuation of salvation history in Jesus’ coming rather than its disruption. In sending Jesus to be born to Mary, God mercifully helped... Israel, in keeping with promises He had made centuries earlier to Abraham and his descendants (see Gen. 12:1-3; 22:15-18).

14 WHEN JOY COMES HOME First Baptist Concord DEC. 15