‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.’

Don’t you love it when God sets up the perfect situations? As I’ve been going through the gospels on these Mondays, here we come to Holy Week. I knew a couple of weeks ago we’d be in the midst of the early Luke passages around the birth of Christ. What I didn’t realize until today was that this particular verse would line up exactly on the day known as Annunciation on the Christian calendar.

What is Annunciation? Well, it’s traditionally celebrated as the day Mary learned she would give birth to the Savior. We recognize it today because today is exactly 9 months before Christmas day. And what is today’s passage, but the song Mary sings in thanks to God for this promise to be given through her.

Mary rejoices in God, her Savior. She calls God her Savior before Christ is born, only shortly after He is conceived. He hasn’t grown up, done miracles, died, or risen. Yet she knows that God is her Savior. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29b).

As we journey this week to the cross, let us remember that God’s plan of salvation began long before Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, surrounded by palms. And it continues far beyond the empty tomb. It is still being written in each of the lives touched by this, those who believe even though they have not seen. Whenever we tell it, the story grows, through one heart believing at a time.

I pray that my soul will always magnify the Lord.