I. Introduction
The Westminster Shorter Catechism is arguably the finest document to emerge from the Protestant Reformation in England. Completed in 1647 and approved the following year, its primary purpose was to educate believers in Bible doctrine and the core beliefs of the Christian faith. Few documents outside of the Scriptures themselves are so rich in truth and beautifully stated as are the 107 tenets of the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

Each tenet is stated in the form of a question. It is then answered and each answer is supported by the appropriate verses and/or passages of Scripture. Tenet number one is the most well known and is foundational to the other 106. That is to say, it is the starting point from which the rest of the Catechism is based.
Q. – What is the chief end of man?
A. – Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

Among the scriptural passages upon which that answer stands are the following:
Romans 11:36
36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 6:20; 10:31
20 For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.
31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Revelation 4:11
11 Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed and were created.

With regard to enjoying God forever, here are just two of the supporting passages.
Isaiah 12:2
2 Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.

Philippians 4:4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

Glorifying God and enjoying Him forever! In this morning’s passage in Luke we will see three people glorifying God and rejoicing in Him. The first of the three is the yet to be born John the Baptist. The second is his mother Elizabeth. The third is the Virgin Mary herself. She does so in what has come to be known as “The Magnificat.”
II. Text
We pick up Luke’s narrative immediately after the Virgin Mary humbly submits herself and tells the angel Gabriel that she is willing to be used by God for His purposes.
*Luke 1:39-56 (Please stand with me in honor of reading God’s Word.)
39 Now at this time Mary arose and went with haste to the hill country, to a city of Judah,
40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41 And it came about that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 And she cried out with a loud voice, and said, “Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.
45 “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”
46 And Mary said: “My soul exalts in the Lord,
47 “And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name.
50 “And mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him.
51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.
53 “He has filled the hungry with good things; and has sent away the rich empty-handed.
54 “He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy,
55 as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever.”
56 And Mary stayed with (Elizabeth) about three months, and then returned to her home.

This morning’s text opens with Mary’s decision to go to Elizabeth. Gabriel’s news about Elizabeth’s pregnancy, while not the one-time miracle that Mary’s pregnancy is, is still incredible enough. It’s not surprising that Mary wanted to be with Elizabeth.
*Luke 1:39-40
39 Now at this time Mary arose and went with haste to the hill country, to a city of Judah,
40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
We need to understand that Mary believes God. There is no indication of any doubt in her at all. But we also need to understand that, just like you and me, our faith in God is strengthened when He confirms something He has said. So, to confirm her faith, Mary travels to see Elizabeth. She isn’t just going around the block or across town. This is a trip of at least seventy-five miles and it’s most likely made on foot. That would be like walking from here to downtown Chicago.

Remember, Mary is only twelve or thirteen years old. We are not told if she makes this journey alone or if someone else goes with her. We do know that such a journey would take at least three or four days. She really wants to go, doesn’t she?

When she finally arrives v. 40 says she “greeted Elizabeth.” That doesn’t translate to something like, “Hi there Lizzy, it’s good to see you!” A Middle Eastern greeting was a semi-formal affair that could literally last for hours. Mary would have told the older woman the details of her encounter with the angel Gabriel. That would help to explain Elizabeth’s and her baby’s response in the next few verses.
*Luke 1:41-42
41 And it came about that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 And she cried out with a loud voice, and said, “Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”

Every mother can relate to a baby’s gyrations in the womb, especially by the sixth month, but this was anything but a normal movement. Elizabeth, now enlightened by the Holy Spirit, understands this is something far more significant.

I am not about to try to explain fetal movements in physical or pathological terms. Any woman here who has had children could do that infinitely better than I could. But the physiology and pathology are not germane to Luke 1:41. Listen, there’s a miracle here.

Isn’t that baby in Elizabeth’s womb a prophet? In fact, isn’t he the greatest of all the prophets? That’s what Jesus later says in Luke’s gospel. After all, what was John’s primary task? Wasn’t he called to be the forerunner of the Messiah? Malachi tells us.
Malachi 3:1
1 “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me…”

Look again at Luke 1:41. Do you see what’s going on here? Elizabeth hears Mary’s incredible story, her baby leaps in her womb, and she is filled with the Holy Spirit of God. This is John’s first prophecy, albeit a silent one. John is confirming the Holy Spirit’s presence in Elizabeth. It is this confirmation that enables her to believe Mary’s story.

We’ve already been told that John was to be filled with the Spirit before he was born.
*Luke 1:15b
15b …he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother’s womb.

The filling prophesied in v. 15 is now completed here in v. 41. It appears that mother and son are filled with the Holy Spirit at the same moment! In this filling John glorifies God. In this he begins to fulfill the ends for which God is sending him into the world.

So what is the chief end or purpose of John? John’s chief end or purpose is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. He begins while still in his mother’s womb. He cannot speak but he can leap for joy and he does.

His mother, on the other hand, certainly can speak, and she does. She prophesies and loudly proclaims, “Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” In an instant she has become acutely aware and convinced of truths that she could never have known and been convinced of without the Holy Spirit’s presence in her life. She is filled with the Holy Spirit. As a result of this filling Elizabeth glorifies God.

So what is the chief end or purpose of Elizabeth? Elizabeth’s chief end or purpose is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. For her that begins the moment she is filled with the Holy Spirit.

Are you catching a pattern here? Is there an application here for you?
*Luke 1:43-45
43 “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.
45 “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

In v. 43 Elizabeth seems to reflect on the magnitude of the blessings God has poured out on her. First, she is blessed because, even in her old age, she will become a first-time mother and give birth to the last of the OT prophets, the forerunner of God’s Messiah. Second, Elizabeth is blessed because she has just been filled with the Holy Spirit and she knows it. Third, she is blessed because Mary, the mother of Elizabeth’s Lord, has chosen to come to her with the news.

Notice that Elizabeth refers to Mary as “the mother of my Lord.” The Bible never ever calls Mary “the mother of God.” God has no mother. He is from eternity past, having always existed, never conceived, and never born. In v. 44 Elizabeth confirms for Mary what you and I already know. Her baby, John the Baptist, is filled with the same Holy Spirit who has moved in them.

Then in v. 45 Elizabeth blesses Mary for the girl’s simple yet profound childlike faith in the revealed Word of God, and her immediate willingness to submit herself to it.
Might that be another application for us? Of course it is! Listen, Mary is glorifying God by believing Him, isn’t she? You don’t need to go on the mission field, or study for the pastorate, or do some great religious work, or become famous as some kind of “Christian Superstar.” You can glorify God where you are. You can do it every day.

Do you believe God will do what He says He will do? Yes? Then humble yourself before Him. Submit yourself to Him. Believe Him, act on that belief, and you will be blessed. In Luke 1:45 it says that Mary, “…believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord,” and she was blessed. And with that blessing she goes on to glorify God.

What follows has become known as “The Magnifcat.” There’s really nothing mysterious about that title. It’s simply the first word of Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s blessing. “My soul exalts the Lord,” in Latin is “Magnificat anima mea Dominum.”

“The Magnificat” is filled with OT references and concepts. At first, it may seem some-what strange that a girl like Mary would be capable of expressing herself in such eloquent biblical terms. But we need to remember that in Israel’s educational system the children were routinely taught the Scriptures. They knew God’s Word. It was part of their lives.
2 Timothy 3:15 (Paul to young Timothy)
15 …from childhood you have known the sacred writings (OT) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

So Mary’s knowledge and ability to expound on scriptural principles and to do so in scriptural terms and language may not be so remarkable after all.
*Luke 1:46-48a
46 And Mary said: “My soul exalts in the Lord,
47 “And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48a “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave…”

Mary praises God for what He has done and, immediately in v. 47, she acknowledges her need of a Savior. Only sinners need a Savior. It is obvious that Mary knows she is a sinner. In human terms she is just a girl from an average family in a small town. In human terms she is not exceptional at all. Yet God has chosen her for this singular privilege. She will give birth to God’s own Son. She will give birth to the Son of Man. She will literally bear her Savior. Thus she is amazed at what God had done.

Look once more at vv. 46-48a. Are you saved? Is Mary’s soon to be born baby boy your Lord and Savior? If so, could you not say those very words? “My soul exalts in the Lord…my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior…He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave.”

Notice that Mary is worshipping God with soul and spirit.
This is true God-honoring worship that wells up from the innermost being. There is nothing shallow or superficial about it. God has no use for such so-called worship.
Isaiah 29:13
13 “Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote.”

Mary’s worship is not like this at all. It is genuine, it is intense, and it comes from a heart that is truly humble. Which one of us, when we contemplate the salvation God has so graciously given us, doesn’t truly wonder, “Why did you choose me, Lord? I’m really not worthy to receive the gift of your salvation.” And it’s almost as if God answers and says to you, “I know, but I chose you anyway. Now what are you going to do about it?”

Then the Westminster Shorter Catechism comes to mind and asks, “What is the chief end of man?” It answers, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”

In these first few verses of “The Magnificat” we see Mary glorifying God, don’t we? Her soul exalts (magnifies) the Lord and her spirit rejoices in her Savior. We often sing a chorus, “O Magnify the Lord,” here at LIGHTHOUSE. It says that very same thing. Will you sing it with me? Most of you know it. It comes right out of Psalm 34.
O magnify, O magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together!
O magnify the Lord; O magnify the Lord;
And may His name be lifted up forever!

Good! That’s what Mary is doing here. It’s what we should be doing too.
*Luke 1:48b-50
48b “…for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name.
50 “And mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him.

In v. 48 the focus is not on Mary, the one being blessed. The focus is on God, the One doing the blessing. Please don’t miss that. The emphasis is not to be on her. The emphasis is to be on God. It must be so! Otherwise, someone may actually begin to venerate, or even worse, someone may actually begin to worship this girl.

But what does the Scripture say? The word “blessed” in v. 48 is “makarizō.” It means to be pronounced blessed, to be indwelt by God, and thus to be fully satisfied. This satis-faction is only possible because of Christ’s Spirit dwelling in the Christian. It is purely a work of God. No one else can confer such a blessing on anyone. Again, this blessing isn’t about the man or woman who receives it. It’s about the Mighty One who gives it.

Then in vv. 49-50 Mary acknowledges His strength, His holiness, and His mercy.
It’s interesting that God’s power and mercy are linked together by His holiness. It is only a holy God, a God lifted up, exalted, set apart, and infinitely higher than all of His creation, who could do what He is now doing in and through Mary.

Conversely, it is only a holy God who could exercise such mercy that He would take a sinner like Mary, one of Adam’s fallen race, and bring His own Son into the world to save all who would turn in faith to the child Mary would bear.

So God’s holiness is the obvious link between His power (the “Mighty One”) and His mercy. They are both in play here and Mary knows it very well. Isaiah expresses this apparent dichotomy between power and mercy in…
*Isaiah 57:15
15 For thus says the high and exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

It’s almost as if God is saying, “I am as high as it gets but I will come down to the lowest place to meet with and encourage you.” God will demonstrate His power and display His mercy to all who will fear Him down through the ages. That fear can be defined as pious awe or reverence.
*Luke 1:51-53
51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.
53 “He has filled the hungry with good things; and has sent away the rich empty-handed.

In these verses Mary speaks of concrete examples of God’s power and mercy. From a first century Jewish standpoint such “mighty deeds” against “those who were proud in …their heart” could certainly include Pharaoh’s arrogance and the destruction of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea and Nebuchadnezzar’s fall from power in Babylon when God brought him down. There’s no record that Pharaoh ever humbled himself before God, but it seems that Nebuchadnezzar did.
Daniel 4:37
37 “Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise, exalt, and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”

Regarding God’s mercy in v. 53, He feeds both the physically and the spiritually hungry, doesn’t He? The miracle of the loaves and the fish is certainly an example of the former, but I suspect the real issue here is the latter, the feeding of those who hunger spiritually.
Matthew 5:6
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

In Luke 1:51-53 there is comfort for the righteous but there is only condemnation for those who would reject God and His gracious offer of salvation. They are sobering words. They should get the attention of anyone who does not know the Lord. The proud who reject Him and His Word will be scattered. The rulers and authorities who reject Him and His Word will be brought down. The rich who reject Him and His Word will be made poor.

But then Mary finishes on a high note.
*Luke 1:54-56
54 “He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy,
55 as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever.”
56 And Mary stayed with (Elizabeth) about three months, and then returned to her home.

Throughout all of Israel’s history, despite their failures and their sins, they are God’s own people and His mercy has never failed. The original covenant promise to Abraham is about to be fulfilled.
Genesis 12:3c
12c “And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

The Child Mary will bear IS that blessing. And so she finishes with words of hope and cheer for all who know and love God and have received the gift of salvation in Christ.
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III. Conclusion
In all of this Mary glorifies God. She glorifies Him as does John the Baptist, leaping in his mother’s womb. She glorifies Him as does Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit and now prophesying. Mary pours out praise for who God is and what He does. So her words, spoken from the heart of a humble servant of God, are indicative of her chief end or purpose in this life. She will glorify God and she will enjoy Him forever.

Clearly, the human authors of The Westminster Shorter Catechism got it right, didn’t they? Glorifying God and enjoying Him forever is to be the chief end, or put another way, the ultimate purpose and goal of every Christian.
*Psalm 86:11-12
11 Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.
12 I will give You thanks, O my Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Your name forever.

~ Pray ~