As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
Mary's song of rejoicing and praise celebrates that in sending Christ and helping Israel God remembered mercy and fulfilled what He spoke to the fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. That remembered holy covenant and oath grants deliverance from enemies so His people may serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness all their days. The promise to Abraham and his seed forever is the gospel itself, the everlasting covenant of righteousness by faith in Jesus in force since the fall, by which a person is justified not by works of law but by faith, sealed by Christ's blood and tied to God's enduring law. The seed forever is Christ and all who are of faith counted as Abraham's children and heirs, and the inheritance promised is the whole earth everlasting, begun to be fulfilled in Christ's birth and to be fulfilled fully at His coming and the resurrection, enduring through all generations forever.
Setting and Wording
Luke 1 as a whole is the account of the forerunner of Christ, and this line belongs within it to the visit of Mary to Elizabeth in connection with the birth of John the Baptist, about B.C. 5. The same chapter brings Rome into view through the decree of Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be taxed. That decree shows Augustus ruling a universal empire, identified with the iron legs of Daniel's image as the fourth and final universal kingdom.
The line is part of Mary's outburst of rejoicing and praise to God. It belongs to her song of rejoicing, which shows that she accepted the honor of bearing the promised Saviour. As the song of the Virgin Mary it continues to triumph in the Christmas story. The Christmas stories are real, planned and told by God, and their meaning can be understood even by a child.
The song is the Magnificat, a beautiful holy hymn sung in evening worship to hallow the daily work of labor and care for the sick and poor. It is to be sung on continually from the heart even when voices grow harsh, broken, and out of tune. Only music of the heart ascends to heaven, while beautiful singing without heart does not reach there. In the promise to Abraham and his descendants, the phrase for ever expresses the duration of the age or ages.
Covenant Mercy Fulfilled
What God did in sending Christ and helping Israel in remembrance of mercy fulfills what He spoke to the fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. That remembrance is remembrance of His holy covenant, the oath He swore to Abraham. The promise to Abraham and his descendants endures forever.
The remembered covenant grants deliverance out of the hand of enemies, so that His people may serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all their days. That promise to Abraham and his seed forever is identical with the gospel, the everlasting covenant of righteousness by faith in Jesus. It has been in force since the fall of Adam and the promise of the Saviour, by which a person is justified not by works of law but by the faith of Jesus Christ, and the blood of Christ is the blood of that everlasting covenant. It is tied to God's enduring law and righteousness, and it is lasting, extending through all generations.
The seed forever means Christ and His followers, for those who are of faith are counted for the seed of Abraham and are the children of Abraham to whom the promise was made. The promise to Abraham and his descendants was the promise of the whole earth as an everlasting inheritance of righteousness, which is the gospel. Christ's birth began its fulfillment because Christ is the promised Seed, but it will be fulfilled fully at His coming and the resurrection. The hope of this fulfillment was the hope of Paul and the true Israelites, and those who belong to Christ are heirs of Abraham's promise. God's oath to Abraham assures them it will be fulfilled, so that through faith in Christ they may grasp it as certain.
The account of Jesus' birth to which the verse belongs marks the fulfillment of the gospel promises made in the Old Testament. The chapter illustrates reciprocal relationship, as Zacharias being Elizabeth's husband means Elizabeth was his wife, showing how God's claim to be the God of the patriarchs identifies them as His people. That husband-wife relation is dissolved by death, so by contrast God's continuing claim to be the patriarchs' God implies their future resurrection.
Mary's song of rejoicing and praise celebrates that in sending Christ and helping Israel God remembered mercy and fulfilled what He spoke to the fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. That remembered holy covenant and oath grants deliverance from enemies so His people may serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness all their days. The promise to Abraham and his seed forever is the gospel itself, the everlasting covenant of righteousness by faith in Jesus in force since the fall, by which a person is justified not by works of law but by faith, sealed by Christ's blood and tied to God's enduring law. The seed forever is Christ and all who are of faith counted as Abraham's children and heirs, and the inheritance promised is the whole earth everlasting, begun to be fulfilled in Christ's birth and to be fulfilled fully at His coming and the resurrection, enduring through all generations forever.
Setting and Wording
Luke 1 as a whole is the account of the forerunner of Christ, and this line belongs within it to the visit of Mary to Elizabeth in connection with the birth of John the Baptist, about B.C. 5. The same chapter brings Rome into view through the decree of Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be taxed. That decree shows Augustus ruling a universal empire, identified with the iron legs of Daniel's image as the fourth and final universal kingdom.
The line is part of Mary's outburst of rejoicing and praise to God. It belongs to her song of rejoicing, which shows that she accepted the honor of bearing the promised Saviour. As the song of the Virgin Mary it continues to triumph in the Christmas story. The Christmas stories are real, planned and told by God, and their meaning can be understood even by a child.
The song is the Magnificat, a beautiful holy hymn sung in evening worship to hallow the daily work of labor and care for the sick and poor. It is to be sung on continually from the heart even when voices grow harsh, broken, and out of tune. Only music of the heart ascends to heaven, while beautiful singing without heart does not reach there. In the promise to Abraham and his descendants, the phrase for ever expresses the duration of the age or ages.
Covenant Mercy Fulfilled
What God did in sending Christ and helping Israel in remembrance of mercy fulfills what He spoke to the fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. That remembrance is remembrance of His holy covenant, the oath He swore to Abraham. The promise to Abraham and his descendants endures forever.
The remembered covenant grants deliverance out of the hand of enemies, so that His people may serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all their days. That promise to Abraham and his seed forever is identical with the gospel, the everlasting covenant of righteousness by faith in Jesus. It has been in force since the fall of Adam and the promise of the Saviour, by which a person is justified not by works of law but by the faith of Jesus Christ, and the blood of Christ is the blood of that everlasting covenant. It is tied to God's enduring law and righteousness, and it is lasting, extending through all generations.
The seed forever means Christ and His followers, for those who are of faith are counted for the seed of Abraham and are the children of Abraham to whom the promise was made. The promise to Abraham and his descendants was the promise of the whole earth as an everlasting inheritance of righteousness, which is the gospel. Christ's birth began its fulfillment because Christ is the promised Seed, but it will be fulfilled fully at His coming and the resurrection. The hope of this fulfillment was the hope of Paul and the true Israelites, and those who belong to Christ are heirs of Abraham's promise. God's oath to Abraham assures them it will be fulfilled, so that through faith in Christ they may grasp it as certain.
The account of Jesus' birth to which the verse belongs marks the fulfillment of the gospel promises made in the Old Testament. The chapter illustrates reciprocal relationship, as Zacharias being Elizabeth's husband means Elizabeth was his wife, showing how God's claim to be the God of the patriarchs identifies them as His people. That husband-wife relation is dissolved by death, so by contrast God's continuing claim to be the patriarchs' God implies their future resurrection.