LUKE 1: 39-45
MARY’S VISIT TO ELIZABETH
We have before us the joyful encounter between two expectant mothers, Elisabeth and Mary. The angel Gabriel initiated it by relaying to Mary the grace God bestowed on her cousin Elisabeth (v. 36), in her old age. So Mary goes to visit Elizabeth to assist her in the final months of her pregnancy. There the two miraculously conceived babies encounter each other.
This section where Mary visits Elizabeth complements and builds upon the two previous events. Given the immense social pressures and stigma that Mary was about to endure as an unwed mother, she sought and found solace with Elizabeth, who would believe the divine nature of her conception and understand its significance (CIT).
I. THE UP-BUILDING VISIT, 1:39–41.
II. THE INSPIRED SPEECH OF ELIZABETH, 1: 42–44.
III. THE POWER OF FAITH, 1:45.
After learning from the angel Gabriel of the miraculous virgin concept of Son of God within her, Mary pulls things together and searches out a wise understanding friend, counselor, and family member. Verse 39 links this event or visit with the previous angelic message of the Messiah’s conception. “Mary arose in those days and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah,”
Luke puts the divine angelic encounter and the very human one it elicited by placing one right after the other. Mary had just had the most earth-shaking experience in the world. Nothing will ever surpass it. And what did she do? She immediately ran off to tell someone, in this case her cousin Elizabeth. She couldn’t wait to share what had happened to her with someone of like faith and devotion, with whom she shared kindred spirit.
So, almost immediately after receiving Gabriel’s message, Mary went to visit Elizabeth with care, diligence, and expedition (meta spoudes). “The hill country” in Judaean territory [a Roman providence] is a mountainous tract that runs along the middle of Israel from north to south. The unnamed city is probably Hebron (Jos 20:7; 21:11) or Shiloh and would be sixty or more miles south of Nazareth. Mary would remained there about three months (v. 56).
In verse 40 we find the meeting between Mary and Elizabeth. “and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.”
Mary “entered into the house of Zacharias;” but he, being temporarily unable to speak as well as deaf probable kept to himself and saw no company. In her excitement, like one of the family Mary entered the home and called out a greeting (probably shalom).
The two women, not only kin but drawn by a common experience, are now reunited. The one woman is old and her son will end the old era; the other is young and virgin and her son will usher in the new covenant [Mays, J. L. (Ed.). (1988). Harper’s Bible commentary (p. 1016). San Francisco: Harper & Row].
How much we need other human beings to share the watershed moments of our lives. To be a Christian is to believe in a God who is the God of the impossible and to belong to a family of brothers and sisters of differing ages who are there when you need them most. Because you belong to this family of faith, you have someone to go to who will listen to you when great joy or sorrow overwhelm you. [Larson, B., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1983). Luke (Vol. 26, p. 36). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.]
Verse 41 states that when Elisabeth heard Mary she was suddenly filled with the Holy Spirit. “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.”
The greeting brought encouraging confirmation in two ways. First John leaps in Elizabeth’s womb at the sound of Mary’s voice because Mary is pregnant with Jesus. From Luke 1:44 it is plain that this maternal sensation was something extraordinary—a sympathetic emotion (“leaped with joy”) of the unborn babe at the presence of the mother of his Lord. John the Baptist’s prenatal cognition attests to the truth of Gabriel’s prophecy in Luke 1:31-35.
The second confirmation is what Elizabeth spoke after she was filled with the Holy Spirit in the following verses. These fillings are the first of many others Luke will record (e.g. Lk. 1:67; 2:25; Acts 2:4;4:8; 13:9). When John is filled with the Spirit in the womb the promised made to the father Zechariah (1:15) is fulfilled, then the promise expands to include his wife Elizabeth. John’s enthusiastic reaction to the presence of the Messiah anticipates the roll he will fill as the precursor and forerunner of Jesus.
When someone is “filled” with something they are controlled by it, as is easily seen when filled is used as a negative expression. To be filled with anger, rage, jealouy or fear is to be controlled by it (pimplemi; Lk. 4:28; 5:26; 6:11; Acts 5:17; 13:45) [ ].
II. THE INSPIRED SPEECH OF ELIZABETH, 1: 42–44.
Elizabeth’s words in verses 42–45 indicate that the Spirit gave her prophetic knowledge of Mary’s condition and filled her lips with the fruit of praise to Almighty God. Verse 42 seems to be a direct revelation of God’s Spirit to Elizabeth. “Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”
With amazement Elizabeth expresses the truth to Mary, “Blessed are you among women.” “Blessed” carries the idea that Mary is the most honored (eulogemene, lit., “well spoken of”) of all women for unique grace has been granted her. [“Blessed are you among women” is an Aramaic and Hebrew manner of expressing the superlative. The meaning therefore is, “Mary, among all women on earth, you are the most blessed one!” [Hendrickson, . NT Commentary. Grand Rapids. P. 96.] Mary is blessed because she has the privilege of giving birth to the Messiah, the Savior of the world. This unique holy child placed Mary in the position of blessing. Mary’s blessedness here was based on the blessedness of the child she would bear.
[“In a loud voice” is frequently used to express an inspired utterance (Mk. 9:24; Jn. 1:15; 7:28, 37; Rom. 8:15; 9:27; Gal. 4:6). “Blessed is the fruit of your womb” also indicates the child has already been conceived.]
In verse 43 Elizabeth with humble amazement expresses her gratitude for being included in the plan of God. “But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Just to stand in the unborn presence awed Elizabeth. She calls the unborn Jesus her “Lord,” recognizing Him as Messiah and perhaps also as Yahweh. Even before His birth, even before His resurrection (Acts 2: 36), He like His Father is deserving of the rank, respect, and stature of the title Lord (kyrios).
If Elizabeth so described Jesus when He was a human baby still in His mother’s womb, how much more should we glorify the Christ who died for us to redeem us from sin and the law and who lives to intercede for us (Heb. 7:25).
Elizabeth herself explains the significance of her child’s reaction to the gracious presence of Mary’s child in verse 44. “For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.”
After Mary, John and his mother Elizabeth were the first persons to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus gave “joy” [agalliasis] to the yet unborn John as He has and still does to so many others who recognize Him for who He is. [It would seem that the movement of the Spirit empowered John to recognize and experience the presence of the Christ.] This joy is part of the fulfillment of the promised joy in Luke 1:14-15 [which also indicates that the Holy Spirit is actively present in the soul of Zachariah and Elizabeth’s natal infant]. There is joy in the Spirit for those who grasp the true identity of Mary’s baby.
[Just about the time Americans have finished off the last Thanksgiving turkey leftovers, frowning TV newscasters tell us that it “looks like a bad Christmas this year. What they mean is that sales in retail outlets may be down during the upcoming shopping season. And that makes for a “bad” Christmas.
We understand why this is news. Many companies need a year-end consumer spending frenzy to stay afloat financially. Yet there’s something in me that doesn’t like people talking about a “bad” Christmas, even when it refers to poor retail sales. How can the celebration of the birth of the Messiah, the Savior of the world, ever be bad?
Let’s once again recapture the joy of the season. Rather than focusing the celebrating, let’s focus on the event we’re celebrating. It’s Jesus birth we are honoring, and that always makes for a good Christmas.] As we focus our attention on Jesus we too can recapture the joy of the Christmas season.
III. THE POWER OF FAITH, 1:45.
Elizabeth continues to affirm Mary’s experience and encourages her still more in verse 45. “Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
Here Mary herself is called blessed and we learn why Mary can be so blessed. “Blessed is she who believed” in contrast to Elizabeth’s husband Zechariah who did not believe. Mary believed Gabriel’s words (compare v. 20). Mary believed that what God had said would come true. So inspired by the Holy Spirit Elizabeth commends Mary’s faith, encourages her faith and blesses her faith. Blessed is she that believed. Faith brings blessing. Believing souls are blessed souls.
Mary believed that what had never happened before, conception a apart from a human father, would happen to her. She believed that within her virgin womb lived the Messiah. She believed that the Hope of all the ages would be realized in her child. We see her manifest her faith by complete surrender to God’s will. She believed that God keeps His promises.
Elizabeth said Mary was blessed (makaria, “happy”) because she believed what God had told her. We too have the power to affirm and bless each other just as Elizabeth did. Find someone who has surrendered to the will of God and living their life according to His word and then affirm and bless them too.
In CLOSING
Mary responded to the angelic message by going to stay with Elizabeth until just before the birth of her child. Mary’s visit provided further confirmation of the message in that she was greeted by Elizabeth apparently spontaneously with a blessing. She realized that Mary was to be the mother of the Messiah, and she was overjoyed that she should visit her. She would then praise and bless Mary for believing the angel’s word [Marshall, I. H. (1994). Luke. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 983). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press].
Elizabeth’s praise both began and ended with an insightful reference to Mary’s blessedness. Those that have experienced the fulfilment of God’s promises themselves should encourage others to hope that He will be as good as His word to them also [Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1824). Peabody: Hendrickson].
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the joy that entered the world when Jesus was born. Thank you for becoming God with us. Lord, sometimes it’s difficult to live joyfully, especially in difficult or busy seasons.
Please purify our hearts this week and remind us that You’re in control. Help us to consider it joy when we experience trials of any kind because we know You’re creating something beautiful and eternal. As we fix our eyes and hearts on You, fill our souls with renewed strength, courage, and hope.
Lord, you are always worthy of being praised – and we want to worship You!
Amen
BENEDICTION:
Be people of joy.
Let joy live in your heart and share the joy of Christ with all you meet.
Share joy by seeing the good in each other.
Share joy by remembering good times and hoping for good times to come.
Share joy by praying for our world.
In this Advent season, we need to see, feel, and share joy.
As you go out into the wonder of God’s creations, share joy, peace, and hope with those you meet. Amen.
