Advent 2025 #1 – Study Questions
Mary’s Song
Advent 2025 – The Songs of Advent (CGS#1) – Luke 1:46-55
INTRODUCTION: Advent is a season where we take time to both remember the birth of Jesus and look forward to his second coming. In this, it is a season of paradoxical postures. To look back only treats God’s intervention with a sense of nostalgia. As if he had once worked on man’s behalf, and we are to simply plug on through this broken existence forever. On the other side, to only look forward is to treat the second coming of Jesus with a naive hope. Why? Because when we look forward without remembering all of the ways God has fulfilled his promises, it begs us to trust God blindly. Yet, that is not the invitation of the Scriptures. Instead, we are to look forward with a confident hope that is rooted in raemembering God’s fulfilled promises. In other words, if we don’t look back, our forward hope is nothing more than a wish without substance. In the OT, we hear promises of God sending the Messiah. One of those promises was made to King Ahaz. We meet Ahaz in Isa. 7, when he was in a serious bind, and God offers to save him. Yet, Ahaz rejects God in favor of his own plan. So, God still makes a promise to save and send a sign. Then in Luke, we read about the fulfillment of that promise made to Ahaz some 700 years earlier. Ahaz’s decision would plunge his people and future generations into darkness. But when Jesus would come, he would bring a light that the darkness could not and cannot overcome. No matter how grim life seems, with God, we never lack for hope.
Hope, joy, praise, and fulfillment are all key concepts in the Magnificat (Mary’s song) in Luke’s Gospel. Mary is humble in every meaning of the word. She comes from a family of humble estate and means. She is sensitive to the Lord’s leading. And she is others-focused in this overwhelming invitation from God. Mary’s first words in her song are, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Praise like this only comes from a person who has a humble heart. Mary has experienced God’s faithfulness in the past, and this moment (even as big as it is) is just another confirmation of God’s faithfulness. See, we have to understand two important things about Maru and her situation. First, she (and Joseph) is part of a faithful remnant of Jews who were waiting on God to send the Messiah. They were eager, looking, and watching for this moment. Second, this moment ends a 400-year period of silence where God had not spoken directly with his people. That means Mary and the generations before her had been waiting for 400 years since the last prophetic voices of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Just keep that in mind, for 400 years God’s people were waiting on him, and in this moment, Mary recognizes the Lord’s plan, and she trusts him because of his past faithfulness. How amazing!
You’ve heard us define faith this way, faith is never blind; it is a forward-looking trust that is rooted in God’s past provision. Mary’s song and her example emphasize this very reality. Her faith is significant, profound, and remarkable in every way possible. But it isn’t blind. Yes, she faced an impossibly difficult situation (betrothed and now pregnant), who was really going to believe she was carrying the Messiah?? … Joseph did. In the face of this moment, Mary doesn’t summon her inner strength and soldier on via her own strength. Instead, she relies on the Lord, praises him for his past faithfulness, marvels at his plan, and trusts him for all of the uncertainty ahead. Some seven hundred years before Mary, God had promised to deliver the Messiah. Now he is making good on that promise. And Mary finds herself right in the middle of God’s plan. Here is what we learn from Mary’s experience and song, because God has been faithful in the past, I can trust him for the future.
GETTING STARTED – As you begin your group time, take time to answer this question together: What was a promise that you made that was hard to keep? How did it go, and what did you learn?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage. It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday-Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
Note: Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following questions about the article of faith we are studying that week.
- What did you hear God’s Spirit say to you through the passage this week? How does it encourage you? How does it sharpen you?
- How have you seen God at work in your life this week? Have you enjoyed him? Have you heard his voice and the leading of his Spirit? Big ways or small ways.
- Over this Advent season, what have you been reminded of regarding the character and nature of God? How has this shown up in your life?
- If remembering is a discipline, what patterns or practices of remembering are present in your life? How frequently do you engage in those things?
- Consider the three practical steps of remembering: recite, connect, and demonstrate.
- Recite – Talk about what God has done in the past.
- Connect – With others to be reminded that you are not alone in this journey of faith.
- Demonstrate – Engage in regular rhythms of remembering (journaling, sharing, prayer).
- Which of these is most natural for you? Which is the hardest for you? What is your next intentional step in being purposeful in your remembering?