Articles
He Who Is Mighty Has Done Great Things
Reading: Luke 1:39-80
After their respective encounters with Gabriel, both Zechariah and Mary have a moment of response recorded in the Scriptures as they see God’s plan begin to intersect with their lives.
Both Mary’s song (vv. 46-55) and Zechariah’s prophecy (vv. 68-79) extol God for His mercy, His salvation, and His faithfulness. Notice all the actions found in these verses: the Lord scattered, brought down, filled the hungry, helped, visited, redeemed, raised up a horn of salvation, and spoke by the mouth of the prophets. While Mary’s song reflects on God’s present providence as consistent with His past acts of compassion and justice (51-53), Zechariah’s inspired speech looks from the present into the near future when God’s people should be saved from their enemies (71) and might serve Him without fear (74).
We have the opportunity to recognize and respond to God’s hand at work in our lives (66). This requires looking back to see how God brought you to this moment through His care and help. And it requires looking ahead to see how God has you positioned in this moment to excel and grow for His purposes into the future. When we consider the mighty works of God in our past, it stirs and strengthens our faith to trust Him all the more as we take the next step forward.
