This Week
Livestream
Midweek Advent 1
3:30 PM
Second Sunday in Advent
8:00 AM
Bible Songs of Christmas: The Song of Mary
​​​
When the Bible was translated into Latin, Magnificat was the first word of the song that the Virgin Mary sang when she was telling Elizabeth about being chosen to be the mother of Jesus. The “Song of Mary” beautifully reflects key themes of God’s grace, mercy, and the reversal of worldly power. Mary begins by glorifying God for choosing her, a humble servant, to bear the Savior, a sign of God’s gracious action toward the lowly. This is a picture of how God works, not through the proud or powerful, but through the humble and weak.
Mary praises God’s faithfulness to his promises, especially the covenant made with Abraham and his descendants. God has an unchanging commitment to his people and to the fulfillment of his promises through Christ.
Martin Luther emphasized that the Magnificat is not about Mary’s greatness, but about God’s action through her. It’s a confession of faith in God’s grace alone. Mary trusts God’s Word and rejoices in his mercy, an admirable response to the gospel.
Imminent Arrival: Imminent Arrival of the Judge
​​​​
The judge is an important person. You stand when he enters the courtroom. What he says must be obeyed. If you are the one on trial, his judgments make a big difference in how your life will continue.
You might be quite nervous when the judge is about to arrive. The people awaiting the Christ were apprehensive about his arrival. John the Baptist invited people to turn their nervousness to repentance. He says that the arrival of the Judge is imminent, and the kingdom of heaven is near.
Listen to John! Repent and believe the good news of the coming Savior.
