ELIZABETH’S JOY
OBSERVATION: THE ENTIRE ENCOUNTER BETWEEN THE VIRGIN MARY AND ELIZABETH SPEAKS TO AN ETERNAL WORK OF HUMAN REDEMPTION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
INTERPRETATION: READ LUKE 1: 39-41. LUKE 1:41 (NKJV) 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. LUKE 1:41 (THE BOOK) AT THE SOUND OF MARY’S GREETING, ELIZABETH’S CHILD LEAPED WITHIN HER, AND ELIZABETH WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.
LUKE LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST IN LUKE 1: 5-25. THE ANGEL GABRIEL INFORMED ZACHARIAS, A PRIEST, THAT HIS WIFE, ELIZABETH WOULD BIRTH JOHN THE BAPTIST. THIS APPEARED HUMANLY IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE OF HER AGE.
MARY APPARENTLY LEFT NAZARETH SHORTLY AFTER GABRIEL’S ANNOUNCEMENT TO HER. SHE JOURNEYED ABOUT 50-70 MILES SOUTH TO THE HILLS COUNTRY OF JUDEA AND PROBABLY TRAVELED ABOUT FOUR DAYS. LUKE 1: 56 INDICATES SHE STAYED ABOUT THREE MONTHS AND RETURNED HOME.
ELIZABETH’S BABY, JOHN THE BAPTIST, JUMPED WITH JOY INSIDE HER WOMB AT MARY’S GREETING. THIS COULD BE NO OTHER THAN THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT UPON JOHN THE BAPTIST EVEN BEFORE HIS BIRTH AND MINISTRY. HIS MINISTRY WAS A TO PAVE THE WAY FOR CHRIST’S BIRTH AND MINISTRY. EVEN MORE MIRACULOUS WAS THE HOLY SPIRIT FILLING ELIZABETH!
APPLICATION: ELIZABETH’S INSPIRED WORD SPEAKS TO THE SUPERIORITY OF THE CHRIST CHILD TO HER OWN CHILD, JOHN THE BAPTIST. JOHN 1: 29-30 (NASB) THE NEXT DAY HE SAW JESUS COMING TO HIM AND SAID, BEHOLD, THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD! THIS IS HE ON BEHALF OF WHOM I SAID, AFTER ME COMES A MAN WHO HAS A HIGHER RANK THAN I, FOR HE EXISTED BEFORE ME.
