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Mary’s Christmas Song

Hymns of Christmas Series
Luke 1:46–56 
The Preacher’s Pen – Pastor Craig Hudgins

We’ve been preaching through The Hymns of Christmas, exploring the songs that rise out of the story of Christ’s birth. Today we look at a song that rarely gets sung in modern churches. It wasn’t rehearsed, orchestrated, or arranged by a choir director. It was sung “on the fly,” straight from the heart—but it was God-ordained and born out of Mary’s faith, humility, and gratitude.

This portion of Scripture is traditionally known as Mary’s Song or The Magnificat. The melody is lost to us. The moment, however, is unforgettable. It is a song that captures the very heart of Christmas.

How Mary Arrived at This Moment

Mary had been told of the virgin birth. She and Joseph must have been shocked—who wouldn’t be? Her cousin Elizabeth was also carrying a miracle child. Not virgin-born, of course, but born to a woman who had been barren all her life. That child—John the Baptist—would be the forerunner of Jesus, preparing the way for the Lord and someday proclaiming, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

Mary traveled to stay with Elizabeth and Zacharias, likely to escape the criticism and whispers in her hometown. When Mary entered the house and greeted Elizabeth, John leaped in Elizabeth’s womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. She began to shout:

“Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb!”

And after the excitement settled, Mary responded—not with debate, not with questions, not with fear—but with a song. A Spirit-filled, Scripture-soaked, overflowing song of praise.

1. True Worship Starts in the Soul

(Luke 1:46–47)

Mary had encountered God at the deepest level—not just audibly through the angel, not just physically through the baby, but spiritually in her soul. Something eternal had been awakened in her, and it overflowed as worship.

“My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”

Real worship isn’t about style, volume, lighting, or our preferences. It’s not surface-level. It begins where Mary began—in the soul.

If you want deeper worship, let it rise from what Jesus has done in your soul.
And if there is little joy there, pray:

“Lord, stir my spirit. Do an eternal work in me that will cause my soul to rejoice in You.”

Too many believers struggle to worship because we’ve made worship a matter of the visible and the audible, instead of the spiritual.

2. God Honors the Humble

(Luke 1:48–50)

Mary was astonished that God would “look on her low estate.” God could have chosen a princess, someone with servants, wealth, or status—especially since she would be caring for the Son of God.

But God chose the humble.

You don’t need wealth, popularity, talent, or influence to be used by God. He looks for:

  • the usable

  • the available

  • the faithful

  • the sacrificial

If Jesus would humble Himself, He needed earthly parents who understood humility—and Mary fit the calling.

Let me ask:
Are we humble enough for God to use?

3. God Changes the Order of the World

(Luke 1:51–53)

Mary sings that God scatters the proud, pulls down the mighty, lifts the lowly, fills the hungry, and sends the rich away empty.

The world values position—God values humility.
The world chases power—God honors surrender.
The world seeks wealth—God blesses the dependence that says, “You are my supply.”

Mary wasn’t suddenly wealthy—she was still poor.
She wasn’t suddenly popular—she was likely still ridiculed.
She wasn’t suddenly celebrated—her first year of marriage was likely complicated by judgment and misunderstanding.

But she had something the world could not give:
a peace inside her that changed everything around her.

If life feels upside down, it’s often because Jesus is near—and He turns things upside down not to destroy us, but to build something better.

4. God Keeps His Promises

(Luke 1:54–55)

Mary understood the Scriptures. She lived in the Word. And in this song, she echoes the words of Hannah, alludes to Psalm 34, and reflects themes from Psalm 35.

When she spoke of God helping Israel and remembering His promises to Abraham, she was saying:

“Everything God promised—He is fulfilling.”

The prophecies, the covenant, the Messiah—all of it was coming true before her eyes.

Conclusion

We can trust the promises of God.

  • The Babe in the manger proves God kept His word.

  • The Savior on the cross proves God kept His word.

  • The empty tomb proves God keeps His word.

Mary was strong not simply because she carried a baby—
she carried the Savior.

And I believe Mary understood—before He ever took His first steps—that He was born to die. She carried the knowledge that 33 years later, this Child would hang on a cross for the sins of the world.

Most of us couldn’t bear knowing the tragedies ahead of time. Many in our church have buried children, spouses, or loved ones. If they had known years earlier, the weight may have crushed them.

Yet Mary lived with that knowledge.
She was a strong young woman—strong in faith, strong in surrender, strong in trust.

And with all she knew, she still sang:

“My soul doth magnify the Lord,
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”

That is the heart of Christmas.
That is Mary’s Christmas song.