Daily Bible Reading 15th March 2026 // Luke 1:46-56
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring for ever.”
56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
Although Mary saw her own exaltation from lowliness to greatness as typical of the new order which was to open out for the whole people of God through the coming of her Son, this is not to say that she was not personally involved in the divine activity: she too was to be blessed. And this she bears witness to in the words, 'God, my Saviour'. As Calvin very beautifully points out: 'It is with great propriety, in speaking of the joy of her heart, that she gives to God the appellation of Saviour. Till God has been recognized as a Saviour, the minds of men are not free to indulge in true and full joy, but will remain in doubt and anxiety. It is God's fatherly kindness alone, and the salvation flowing from it, that fill the soul with joy. In a word, the first thing necessary for believers is, to be able to rejoice that they have their salvation in God'.
This personal involvement of Mary in the divine purposes leads us to another consideration, which is this: her salvation was part of the great climactic fulfilment of the divine purposes in Christ and was included in it. She was caught up into these purposes. And so may we. This is the glorious possibility, for the message of grace is that in the gospel we are called to share this glorious outworking of the divine plan - we, the worms of the earth, are graced with the high dignity of being called to share His eternal glory! And, just as, before the fullness of the time, many things foreshadowed the great event (e.g. Hannah's experience), so also after it many things are reflections of it in our experience. Every 'call' of God 'repeats' it in some way, for blessing to the world. When God takes hold of a man and whispers His promises to him, it is that man's responsibility and privilege to lay hold on the promises, and in the stern disciplines of grace to enter into their fullness and fulfilment.