“Elizabeth gives us an awesome gift” Luke 1:39-58
• Joseph offers the gift of faithfulness despite wonder
• Elizabeth offers the gift of understanding despite the assumptions
• Mary offers the gift of the Christ
1. Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus
• He is the greatest gift given to all humanity
• He is Heavens ruler, authority, and Heavens best
• He is the God of heaven but nobody knew who he is who he was
2. The birth of Jesus was not celebrated the birth was more of fearfulness and burdensome
• Jesus’ birthday is a burden for Mary and Joseph, no doubt about it.
• The news of Mary’s pregnancy sets off a minor scandal.
• It nearly leads to a breakup of her relationship with Joseph
• Mary travels away from home for a while. Whether her parents arrange to have her sent away, or whether she undertakes the journey on her own, no one knows.
• It could very well be that everyone needs to get a little distance from each other to sort out stuff.
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3. No one seems to understand Mary’s situation except Elizabeth
• Mary is probably being talked about in Nazareth. “Maybe that is why she hurried to a own in the hill country of Judea”.
• Elizabeth does not talk about Mary. Note how Elizabeth, greets Mary its a warm welcome. “ In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!.”
• It’s not the sort of thing people typically say to an unmarried teenage mother. No, the people around such a young woman are more likely to say, “Cursed are you. Cursed are you, to have brought such a fate down upon yourself and upon this family.”
4. Elizabeth welcomes the unworthy, the outcast, the rejected one, the trashy one. The sinful one
• Most people avoided Mary because of her unfaithfulness
• Elizabeth does not avoid Mary. She welcomes Mary with open arms. She blesses her.
• More than that, Elizabeth treats Mary as one who is extremely special “And why has this happened to me that the mother of my Lord comes to me?”
5. Mary gave us the gift of The Christ Child. Elizabeth Gives us the gift of Christianity
• Christianity shows us how we should treat the unpopular
• They share how we should treat the unwanted
• Elizabeth and Mary share how we should deal with each other kindly,
• Elizabeth shows us a great gift we can share with all kindness, goodness, openness, understanding, non-judge-mental, acceptance to those who are shunned.
• Mary has a song that each of us should learn to sing
• "My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
• call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name.
• 50His mercy extends to those who fear him, 51He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
• he has lifted the humble, He has filled the hungry
