Light burst through the darkness when Jesus was born! He came not merely as a good teacher or do-good-er. He came as a Savior to bring new life to dead men. He came to set captives free from sin. He came to bring a power to change and a love that transforms far greater than anything the world had ever known. He came to bring life that is truly life. There is no fullness of life without the miraculous birth, sacrificial death, and overcoming resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is what the apostle Paul prayed would permeate every fiber of every Christian’s thinking, asking, and living.

This morning we’re reflecting on Mary’s prayer in Luke 1, a beautiful example of whole-self praise in response to God’s undeserved blessings. Her words invite us to marvel at God’s mercy, to remember His faithfulness to us, and to see how He lifts up the overlooked. As we sit with her prayer, may it lead us into deeper gratitude, wonder, and worship.

As the grand story of Scripture unfolds, that scarlet thread of redemption makes its way from the promises of the prophets to the miraculous births of two children. In Luke 1 we get to witness the heartfelt devotion of two parents rejoicing as the story is now passed to them. Like the rising of the sun, the tender mercies of God’s love are breaking through … and nothing will ever be the same!