“But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,” 46-47 “And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.”
The thing that unites Elizabeth and Mary is not only babies. It is Jesus that unites them. God unites them for they are sharing in spiritual things through His divine intervention. They share the great secret at this point. There is not a mother that doesn’t delight in talking about her children. For three months they remained together. I assume Mary probably left after John’s birth and returned home.
Note also that vs. 47 she calls God her Savior, compare that with the expression that “from now on all generations will call me blessed”.
There is a tendency to an extreme to make Mary almost goddess-like when people pray and worship her, to the other extreme where, in reaction against that theology, people will ignore and denounce her. Mary was a virgin visited by God that made her special. Moses, Paul, King David, as well as Sarah, Hannah and Elizabeth fall in the same categories as people especially blessed of God to carry out His will. They are honored.
Mary was Christ's mother and thereby representing all of mankind in His human form. God was His Father and that nature is reflected in His dual role of God/man. He became the mediator between heaven and earth.
Mary remained a virgin until after Jesus was born. The Bible also teaches that Jesus had brothers and sisters. Mary delivered other babies but not any like Jesus.
I will add the blessings also given to Zechariah also chosen by God. As the father to John the Baptist, he saw his son was to fulfill the prophet’s role as a Nazarite with vows from childhood.
These couples together were all given mercy and grace in their significant callings as parents.
Mary in her hymn praises God being her savior. Who needs a savior? All mankind needs a savior. Those who are spiritually dead are those who have sinned. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23) There would be no need for God to be her savior if she was sinless.
Why is she happy and blessed? Because God picked her, a sinner, poor, virtually unknown, young, and a lowly humble handmaiden. He raised her up to be the mother of our blessed Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
Application: Meditate on Gods timing in all of this.
Prayer: Lord, we thank you for Mary’s obedient heart and for saving her and all of us through your Mercy.
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