The Songs of Christmas
Sermon # 1
“Elizabeth’s Song”
Luke 1:39-45
This morning we very deliberately began to sing the songs of Christmas. For many it doesn’t seem like the Christmas season until we start to hear Christmas songs. We all have our favorites, both secular and those carols we love to sing in church. In every store you enter you will hear songs like, “Silent Night,” “Jingle Bells,” “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” It’s good in my opinion because music and Christmas go together. It has always been so, even from the very beginning.
The truth is that songs have been a part of the celebration of the birth of the Savior for a VERY long time. In fact the central characters in the Christmas story almost instantly responded to the events surrounding the birth of Jesus with songs. The great Bible teacher, G. Campbell Morgan, writes: “Luke, the artist, has gathered and collected, under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, the stories which reveal the fact that when Jesus came into the world poetry expressed itself and music was reborn.”
So as we sing the old and new Christmas songs we can gain a sense of joining hands and lifting our voices with people who have sung them down through the centuries.
Therefore for the weeks leading up till Christmas I would like for us to take a closer look at the very first songs of Christmas…in the hope that as we do we will feel the excitement and wonder that those first Christmas singers felt as they watched the events unfold. So here is our schedule….Today we examine “Elizabeth’s Song”….next week - December 6th -“Mary’s Song”….. ”….on December 13th- we’ll study “Zachariah’s Song” and on the Sunday before Christmas (December 20th) we will complete our series with –“The Angels Song”.
The Angel makes his announcement of the forth-coming birth of the Messiah to Mary (1:26). During this announcement he also announces that Elizabeth is also pregnant (1:36-37). “Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
(37) For with God nothing will be impossible."
Mary in her excitement wants to share that wonderful news with someone. The person to whom she chose to share it with was her cousin Elizabeth. Why she came to this decision we do not know. Perhaps the fact that both are to bear a child of miraculous conception.
Our story today concerns the personal relation-ship between these two women, between the elderly pregnant Elizabeth, and her young teenage cousin, Mary. Elizabeth at this point is in her sixth month of pregnancy, carrying her baby John, who is to be the forerunner of the Messiah. She meets her cousin Mary, who although she is still in every sense a virgin, is carrying Jesus, whose name means “Jehovah is salvation.” Elizabeth not only is a sympathetic listener, but through her words encouraged Mary with words of prophetic fulfillment.
In verse thirty nine we read, “Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, (40) and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. (41) And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. (42) Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! (43) But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? (44) For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. (45) Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."
First, The Preparation of Elizabeth
Elizabeth had spent her whole lifetime preparing to be John the Baptist’s Mom. Or more accurately, Elizabeth spent her whole lifetime being prepared by God to be John the Baptist’s mother – and she didn’t even know it.
For years, she and Zechariah had prayed that the Lord would give them a child. And for just as many years, their prayer went unanswered. And perhaps, like many of us, once they could no longer see any natural way that their prayers could be answered, -- i.e., when they got too old to have kids – and at some point they probably gave up praying for that blessing.
Elizabeth experienced a lifetime of struggling over her barrenness. In a culture where the only real purpose in a woman’s life was bearing and rearing children, what good was a woman like Elizabeth? She must have wondered, “What’s wrong with me? Why is God punishing me?”
But it’s humbling for those who experience it, because it means coming to the end of their own resources. Before we can experience God’s power, we often need to acknowledge that we are powerless.
All those years, Elizabeth may have felt God was punishing her; but He was punishing her He was preparing her. He used her weakness to demonstrate His power!
If she had given birth to John when she was in her twenties or even her thirties, people would have said, “Oh, Zechariah and Elizabeth are having a baby. Isn’t that nice?” But because everyone knew Elizabeth couldn’t have kids, her pregnancy was like a big sign to tell everybody that this was no every day birth – God was doing something and they’d better pay attention to it.
She knew that this baby had very little to do with her and her husband, and everything to do with the power of God. God was doing something way bigger than what one little old couple in the Judean hills could do. No angel had to tell Elizabeth what he had just told Mary, that “With God all things are possible.”
Second, The Arrival of Mary Luke 1:39-41
“Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, (40) and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. (41) And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”
It is difficult to get the time sequence in our minds. But one possible sequence is that, first the angel visits Zechariah and is told of the birth of long awaited son – the problem he and his wife are old – beyond the child bearing years (Lk. 1:11-20) and he falters in unbelief. About six months later the Angel visit’s Mary and delivers the news that she is to pregnant with the son of God - the problem is she is a virgin (Luke 1:26-38) (more about Mary next time).
Mary accepts what she hears as true, but who is she is going to tell? Joseph obviously in on her short list of those to tell, unfortunately according to Matthew, Joseph did not understand (Matt. 1:19). He loves her, but can he marry her. While she is making her visit to Elizabeth Joseph has a dream and makes decision (Matt 1:20-23).
Mary responded to Gabriel’s announcement with faith – yet God knew that there would probably come up with a million questions and doubts once she didn’t have an angel standing in front of her. Who, in all the world, could this young teenage girl go to? Who could understand? Who would believe her when she told them? But God already had this worked out. The angel also told Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was also with child. She would go to Elizabeth.
Mary rushed to make the eighty to one hundred mile journey into the Judean hill country, which surely would have been a three or four day journey. And as she journeyed she without doubt she rehearsed in her mind many times how she would tell Elizabeth what had happened?
The text would seem to indicate that Mary’s arrival at Zechariah and Elizabeth’s home is unexpect-ed. The verses seem to suggest that Mary has to go inside to find her cousin and that she initiates the greeting.
Yet when Mary arrived, Elizabeth knew what had happened to her without a word of explanation. Having seen the miraculous power of God in her own life, Elizabeth began to see everything through the eyes of a renewed faith. And because she had seen God’s work in her own life, Elizabeth was able to give affirmation of God’s work in Mary’s.
Third, The Response of Elizabeth Luke 1:42-45
“Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! (43) But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? (44) For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. (45) Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."
•The Baby Leaps for Joy (v. 44)
Elizabeth informs Mary that at the sound of her voice the child leaped within her womb. Perhaps only a mother can really relate to the sensation described here. But what is described is more than kick or a turn, the word means literally leaped with delight.
Something to think about. It is hard to miss the application to our world’s present view of prenatal life. With all the discussion today about when conscious life begins, we find here an incredible statement. At six months John would have been about nine inches long and weigh about one and a half pounds. Yet at only six months, John was an emotional being. Before the baby had seen the light of day, he experienced the emotion of joyous delight. What a jolt of joy Elizabeth must have experienced when she heard Mary’s voice and felt her unborn son leaping for joy!
Just as the child leaped in Elizabeth’s womb, our hearts should leap in our chest every time we consider that Jesus Christ came into this world to save our souls.
The same child that here leaps for joy at the presence of Jesus, would some thirty years later present him the world as the Messiah with the words, “Behold the lamb of God who that takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29).
•Elizabeth’s Shout of Praise
When the text declares that Elizabeth “spoke out with a loud voice’ (v. 42) it literally means “to shout.”
This begins the first song given to us, in fact we will find all of our songs of Christmas inn Luke’s gospel. This is the beginning of the first one and it comes from Elisabeth.
The words spoken by Elizabeth as she greeted Mary have been made into a prayer called the “Ave Maria” or “Hail Mary” by the Roman Catholic Church (It came into use in the 11th century and sanctioned by the Church in the 12th century.) What began as praise to person who would bear the Messiah was subverted into a prayer to Mary herself. They recite the phrase, “Hail, Mary, full of grace, blessed art thou, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”
The phrase “blessed are you among women” (KJV) has been misinterpreted and used to support unscriptural things about Mary. Among the erroneous thing taught concerning Mary are (1) You can pray to Mary – is the belief that Mary is a mediator between God and man (1 Tim 2:5) – you may have seen the bumper-sticker which reads “If you can’t reach Jesus, try his mother.” (2) Mary herself was conceived miraculously (The Immaculate Conception – speaks of Mary’s conception not Jesus’), (3) Mary’s perpetual virginity – the belief that Mary was a virgin all of her life – Scripture records the brothers and sisters of Jesus, the results of the union of Joseph and Mary and (4) Mary’ Assumption – the belief that Mary was taken bodily from the earth not passing through death.
We should also recognize that in a reaction to the veneration of Mary one can go the opposite extreme and practically ignore her. In reality it is her human-ness that makes her even more admirable.
There are two different words in this passage that are often translated “blessed.” In verse forty-two, Elizabeth tells Mary: “You are the most blessed of all women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” the word here is (eulogeo) – it is the word we get the English word eulogy from. For us, a eulogy is something usually reserved for funerals, but it is the time when we talk about the person’s life, from as positive a perspec-tive as possible. This isn’t the time to say, “And all of you know that he was an abusive alcoholic and womanizer!” It may be true, but that’s obviously not what you say in a eulogy!
But the word in Greek is not confined to just something you say at a funeral -- but it can mean to praise, or to speak well of, to honor. So Elizabeth is saying, “You and that baby are just going to be the most honored people on the planet.”
Mary as an unwed pregnant teenager was prob-ably not feeling “blessed” at that moment, especially after a 3 or 4 day journey through the hills of Judea. Perhaps today, you don’t feel very “blessed.” But event-ually Elizabeth’s words would come true, but they probably didn’t feel true for Mary at that moment.
The other word for “blessed” is used in verse forty-five, where Elizabeth says, “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” [NIV] This time Luke uses a different word (makaria not eulogeo). He uses a word that has less to do with the words and opinions of others and more to do with being favored by God, and having the heart and attitude of one who knows that favor.
The New Living Translation translates it: “You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” She praises Mary (and all those who like her) believe that God will do what he says. Eliza-beth is saying, “Mary, when you grab hold of God’s promises and believe them, there is a joy that is going to sustain you through this!” I think it indic-ates a persistent joy regardless of circumstances.
But Elizabeth was not just speaking abstractly, she was speaking on the basis of her own experience. She’s saying, “I think I know how you may feel and there most certainly will be hard times ahead. But when you trust Him, when you take God at His word, when you cast all your cares on Him, you are going to have JOY! I know this is fact because I have experienced it!”
All her life, God had prepared her, not only to be John’s mother, but to be the example of maturity and faithfulness that Mary needed for the enormous task ahead of her. Elizabeth acknowledged that God did not owe her such a central role in his plan when she says, “Why is this (privilege) granted to me.” (v. 43) She has the humility to understand that she does not deserve to be where she finds herself. She is awed to have any part in God’s plan. Every Christian likewise needs to stop from time to time and realize God owes us nothing, as Christians we owe Him everything and we should stand in awe that God will give us any part in His plan.
Notice what Elizabeth says about Mary’s unborn child. She calls him “my Lord.” As far as we know, Elizabeth is the only person to confess “Jesus is my Lord” while He was still unborn! What incredible spiritual insight she must shows in being able to recognize that this little boy would be her Lord and the Lord of everyone else. The Bible says “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, (11)
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10-11) Elizabeth proclaimed it first – but she won’t be the last!
Elizabeth extended love, acceptance, hospitality, hope and faith to a young girl in need of every bit she could offer.
Conclusion
In my mind this story is all about how God cared for Mary. Mary just a teenager at the time was surely overwhelmed with the responsibility that was given to her. Even if she accepted and understood what the Angel had told her about the birth of Jesus, she needed human support. God directed her to community of faith to godly Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah. Here she found people with a mutual faith, mutual hope and even a mutual experience. God took care of Mary. It seems obvious that God also directs us to community of people with a mutual belief – a church. Mary’s faith very likely would have faltered without the encourage-ment and support of Elizabeth and Zechariah. Like Mary we need to make a priority of placing ourselves in a community of those who believe God’s word.
In closing just let me say, the greatest way to begin the Christmas season is by submission to the person of Christ. Elizabeth recognized herself as a sinner who needed a savior, that Jesus was that Savior and so she submitted herself to Him. Have you submitted yourself to Him?
“Elizabeth’s Song”
Luke 1:42-56
First, The ______________________ of Elizabeth
Elizabeth had spent her whole lifetime preparing to be John the Baptist’s mother.
Second, The _________________ of Mary Luke 1:39-41
Possible sequence of events.
The Angel visits ______________ (Luke 1:11-20)
The Angel visit’s ___________ (Luke 1:26-38)
Mary tells _______________ (Matt 1:19)
Mary hurries to tell ___________________ (Luke 1:39-56)
Joseph dream & __________________ (Matt 1:20-23)
Third, The ________________ of Elizabeth Luke 1:42-45
•The Baby Leaps for ___________ v. 44)
•Elizabeth’s Shout of ________________
The words spoken by Elizabeth as she greeted Mary have been made into a prayer called the “Ave Maria” or “Hail Mary” and have been misinterpreted and used to support unscriptural things about Mary.
(1) You can __________ to Mary – (1 Tim 2:5)
(2) The Immaculate __________________
(3) Mary’s perpetual ___________________
(4) Mary’ ___________________________
