We Should Praise God for His Plan Even before it is Completed

INTRODUCTION

The situation is that Elizabeth and Mary are both given a child in the womb. Both pregnancies are miraculous. Elizabeth because she is too old and she had always been barren. She becomes pregnant with John the Baptist, and Mary, because she is a virgin. But the Holy Spirit comes upon her, and she becomes pregnant with Jesus, the Son of God, who would one day die for our sins and rise again.

Verse 24: “After these days [Zechariah’s] wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden.” Then in verse 26, Luke says, “In the sixth month [that is, the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy] the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin.” So when Mary becomes pregnant Elizabeth is about 24 weeks along in her pregnancy.

Nothing Impossible with God

In verses 36–37, the angel says to Mary, to encourage her that her impossible pregnancy really can come true, “And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” So be encouraged, Mary, nothing is too hard for God.

When the angel had gone, and Mary knew what was happening to her, she made a beeline to Elizabeth. What a consultation this would be: two of the most important and impossible pregnancies in the world would meet.

These two women meet together and erupt with joy. They’re not just joyful because they’re both having babies. No. They know the Lord has shown them favor. They know the inside scoop on God’s plans for their children. Their joy is supernatural.

God has confounded the wise and made foolish the wisdom of the world. Two significant aspects of God’s plan to consider. First, God is using two women to bring his plan into focus. Second, the social and religious stature of women during the 1st century was not very high.

This would have been one of the most improbable way’s for God to reveal our salvation.

Luke 1:39–45 ESV

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

vs. 39 Mary went with haste:

Why would Mary go with haste to Elizabeth? Most likely in all of the excitement, anticipation, apprehension of the angels visit, Mary recalled the angels declaration that her relative Elizabeth in her old age had also conceived and would have a son.

Don’t forget the social aspect of being an unwed but engaged young Jewish girl. God chose to put Mary in a socially awkward situation and possibly life threatening situation in calling her to carry the Christ child.

We read that she enters the house of Zachariah but greeted Mary. Zachariah would not have been able to respond in his mute state, however, Elizabeth was waiting and ready to receive Mary.

1. God has a Plan We Need to Believe It

We hear it stated often that God has a plan. However, what do we mean when we say that God has a plan. It is one thing to proclaim that God has a plan it’s another thing to believe it.

Mary and Elizabeth did not only say God had a plan, they believed it, because it was taking up residence in their womb’s.

I wonder if most people truly believe that God has a plan as it rolls so easily off of our tongue. If we say that God has a plan, then we must be willing ready to follow it when it comes. The reality is that God had been preparing Mary long before the angel showed up at her door.

The reality is that God is already preparing you and your life for what He has planned. We just need to believe it.

*God’s Plan Brings a Shared Joy

Mary and Elizebeth were certainly kindred spirits not only were they first cousin’s but they shared in the great joy of being chosen by God for such a great blessing and privilege.

The Joy of the Greeting

Heard the Greeting: Just the voice being heard by Elizabeth cause a reaction within her womb. Could this be more verification of the life that is inside the womb before birth. The cognitive ability at 6 months into the pregnancy.

Baby Leaped: The reaction of John inside Elizabeth was even a greater verification of John’s calling to announce the arrival of Jesus Christ to the world.

Mary gives a greeting as she entered the house, at that very moment we see an amazing scene unfold as the baby inside Elizabeth literally leaped in her womb.

The shared joy not only came from Elizabeth’s excitement but also from the close proximity that the Christ child was to John the Baptist.

Biblical Relevance of Joy

In the Old Testament it is most closely related to ones victory over their enemies. We have the picture of David returning from victory over the philistines, people would line the streets singing and dancing with great joy.

We also, see joy expressed in the festivals, feasts and worship in scripture. We also see joy frequently used in the psalms.

In the N.T. we also see joy expressed in victory as the disciples return with the many victories they had on their mission that even the evil spirits obeyed their commands.

However, the greater focus we see expressed in the N.T. is of the victory we have in our salvation through Christ. The bridegroom gives us great reason for Joy. John 3:29

John 3:29 ESV

The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.

Now John being so close to the bridegroom elicited such a glorious response.

The picture that keeps running through my mind is of the triumphal entry as Christ the Lamb of God comes down from the mount of Olives and enters through the golden or beautiful gate. He enters to the overjoyed shouts of Hosanna in the Highest from the people as they lined the streets to proclaim the day of the Lords joy.

Cultural Note of Joy

The joy we share today over 2,000 years after the birth of Christ is also a shared joy. How does the spirit cause us to leap for joy just at the mention of His name.

Does your heart leap and jump inside of your chest when you hear someone speak the name of Jesus. Joy should be one of the most desired attribute of being a Christian. We do not see any true followers of Christ in scripture that do not exhibit the Joy of being in the presence of our Messiah.

Emotions in the Old Testament were generally connected to various body parts—the heart could have emotions and thoughts, while the gut or liver were also of importance for emotions.

“Israelites associated emotions with the internal organs where the emotions were perceived to be felt physically”. While anger is often associated with a burning of the nostrils, the heart is the center for joy.

However, joy does not remain in the heart, but is part of a movement towards appropriate action, explaining the relevance of joy in religious activities.

Cultural Relevance

Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit; it is expected of Christians because it is the natural result of having received salvation. The joy comes on account of what Christ has done, irrelevant of whatever other circumstances are happening in one’s life.

*God’s Plan Brings a Heartfelt Cry

Filled with the Holy Spirit: the immediate response by the visit of the Christ child was being filled with the Holy Spirit. We know that the Spirit brings power, but, the Spirit also brings revelation.

“Movements of the fetus are not, of course, uncommon. But Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and under his inspiration interpreted the movement as the expression of her unborn baby’s joy.”

Blessed are you among women: Notice that Elizebeth say’s among woman, not above woman. It would appear that Elizabeth is blessing Mary because of her calling to be the one who is going to carry the Messiah for 9 months and then give birth to our redeemer.

*God’s Plan Brings a Sense of Unworthiness

Why is this Granted to Me: Now Elizabeth expresses similar humility as that of Mary as to why God would bless her with a visit from the Messiah’s mother. Another underlying effect that may be at play here is being in the presence of Jesus makes us feel our unworthiness in His presence. (We should always see and feel our unworthiness in His presence.)

The use of the word my Lord shows that Elizabeth had received the revelation that the baby Mary is carrying would be the Messiah.

The expression Lord is used of God 25 times in the first 2 chapters of Lukes Gospel. Psalm 110:1

Psalm 110:1 ESV

The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

PEOPLE WHO FELT UNWORTHY IN HIS PRESENCE

Many people in the Bible felt unworthy, including:

Isaiah: Admitted to being a man of unclean lips and surrounded by unworthy people.

Simon Peter: Declared himself a sinful man after seeing Christ's power.

Moses: Felt weak and inadequate, but God knew he was the right person to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

Joshua: Needed constant encouragement to lead the Israelites.

The centurion: Said, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed".

John The Baptist: Finally, we remember that John speaks of the one who is coming that he is not even worthy to remove the saddles from His feet.

We should probably take her words to mean ‘Blessed is she who believed, for there will be …’ (the Greek is ambiguous, but ‘for’ seems better than ‘that’). Elizabeth is affirming that the fulfillment will certainly take place, not saying that Mary believed it would.

We should not miss the absence of all jealousy in Elizabeth’s attitude to Mary. The older woman, who had received such a signal blessing from the Lord, might well have tried to guard her position jealously.

But in genuine humility she recognized the greater blessing God had given to Mary. A further point of interest is that John the Baptist did not recognize Jesus as Messiah until the baptism (John 1:32f.). Apparently Elizabeth’s recognition that he is Lord was inspired, but personal. John had to find it out for himself.

2. God Has a Plan for the Unborn

The Baby in My womb Leaped For Joy: Is the reaction of the baby a response to the hearing of Mary’s voice or the close proximity to the Christ child in her womb? Again we must remember the call placed on John The Baptist from the moment of the announcement to the unborn child in Elizabeths womb is to announce the Good News of the coming of the Christ Child. Such an announcement should cause all of us to leap for Joy. What response does the coming of the Messiah elicits in your own life.

A GLIMPSE IN THE WOMB

We receive a clear picture of what is taking place in the womb from this text. Notice the word used here For the unborn is not a special given designation such as embryo or fetus. It is the word “baby,” or brefos in Greek.

Mary runs with haste to her cousin Elizabeths house and finds a baby in her womb just like the angel had said. On the night of Christ’s birth the shepherds ran to Bethlehem and found the baby in the manger just the way the angels had said.

What the Christian church has seen in this is that what the persons Jesus and John were outside the womb they were already inside the womb. Jesus was the God-man in Mary’s womb. When the Holy Spirit (according to Luke 1:35) caused Mary to be pregnant, she was not pregnant with anything less than the Son of God. The baby inside was the same as the baby outside.

Today Science has only made this easier to understand and believe with the advancement of ultrasound has given a stunning window on the womb that shows the unborn at eight weeks sucking his thumb, recoiling from pricking, responding to sound. All the organs are present, the brain is functioning, the heart is pumping, the liver is making blood cells, the kidneys are cleaning fluids, and there is a fingerprint. Yet virtually all abortions happen later in the pregnancy than this date.

The Holy Spirit Leaps for Joy: Remember that when the angel announced the birth of John The Baptist he indicated that the baby would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb.

Now we read that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit which caused her to share with Mary about the leaping baby in her womb.

So, the leap is not only a leap of Joy but a Holy Spirit Inspired Leap of Joy.

*Only Persons Are Filled with the Holy Spirit

What do we make of this? Never in the Bible is any animal said to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Never does the Bible say that a person’s arm or leg or kidney or skin is filled with the Spirit. Tissue is not filled with the Holy Spirit. Only persons; people are filled with the Spirit. The baby inside of Elizabeth and Mary are people not a fetus not an embryo.

Had Mary and Elizabeth lived under Roe v. Wade, the plan of God to save the world would have been in jeopardy from the angel’s announcement to her. She would have had a line of people ready to tell her to abort the baby.

We think our age is more advanced and scientific. Well, these “primitive people” recognized from the start something our culture works hard to deny: the fetus is a baby. If it’s a baby when you miscarry, it’s a baby when you abort.

Praise God Christ was not born in modern-day America. Praise God for pregnancy! Praise God our Savior was born!

What Luke is doing—and he is doing it as the spokesman of Christ—is treating this child in the womb as a person. He uses the word baby which he later uses for Jesus in the manger. He uses the word joy, which is what persons feel. He uses the phrase “filled with the Spirit” which is what God does to persons. He simply assumes he is dealing with a human person in the womb.

And therefore so should we.

We read all through scripture that we are known by God before conception as a person.

Psalm 139:16 ESV

Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Jeremiah 1:5 ESV

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

The phrase, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you,” reminds us that it is God speaking to us. God is omniscient: all-seeing, all-knowing. God is also the Alpha and Omega. He is the beginning and the end. Nothing exists outside of Him and nothing happens without His knowledge.

Mary and Elizabeth were praising God even before the completion of His plan. Even though they did not fully know how all of this would take place they in His plan for their unborn child.

I would submit to you that even though there may be some unplanned pregnancies according to our current culture, there is no pregnancies that God is not aware of ahead of time.

God knew you, before you were a person in your mothers womb, God knows you as you are being formed in your mothers womb, and God has a plan for you as you breath your first breath out of the womb.

From the moment that the baby leaped in Elizabeth’s womb to the manger in Bethlehem Mary could not have imagined all that God had planned for the 33 years of Jesus life here on earth. However, her hearts cry was, “Let it be done to me according to your will and plan.”

Luke 1:46–56 ESV

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

3. God Has a Plan for the Broken and Humble in Heart

MARY’S MAGNIFICAT

Soul Magnifies the Lord: Mary’s song of praise is intended to magnify the greatness of God.

The song is not intended to magnify her own greatness to be chosen for the task of carrying the Son of God. Would most people not want to make sure that everyone knew about this great privilege and honor that she had been given?

The is the most direct language we hear from Mary’s song of praise about her reaction to the call to carry and give birth to the son of God. I think it deserves our diligent attention.

I want you to consider if this is a normal reaction to such a great blessing that has been bestowed upon Mary. Notice that for Mary this is an exalted and extremely intense situation.

She Begins by praising God which is a normal opening response to any prayer. Then at once she moves into an overjoyed experience as she becomes intensely aware of the splendid thing that is happening to her.

Spirit Rejoices in God My Savior: Again we have a reference to the Spirit rejoicing inside of Mary in response to her God and Savior.

*God’s Plan is Exalted in His Action

We see Mary launch into a string of verbs in the aorist tense (see 1:51–53), which may leave the reader somewhat undecided as to whether she is describing God’s action in the past, God’s action in the future viewed prophetically as though already accomplished, or God’s habitual action. The aorist indicates a single completed action. This action is represented in the past; present; and future.

Mary’s Boast is in the Lord

Here a very striking thing meets us: never once in all the Magnificat does she mention the fact that she is going to be the mother of the Son of God.

Of course that is the reality which underlies her joy and praise; but the way she refers to this great fact shows us what, as she sees them, are the implications of it for her.

*God’s Plan is Boasting in His Worthiness and our Unworthiness

Humble estate of His servant: This is the second statement in the song that Mary makes about herself. We have a God who searches and knows our heart.

Mary declares that he looks on her in her humble estate. God knows Mary and Her situation with Joseph. He knows that this is going to be a difficult task for Mary to fulfill. However, he also knows Mary’s humility and desire to serve her Lord and Savior. “Let it be to me according to your word.”

Note: Ladies what would you be telling people if you had just found out that God chose you out all women to be the conduit through which the Savior of the world is going to bear born?

*God’s plan causes Mary see’s herself as someone who needs to be Saved

Notice that Mary rejoices in her unborn child as her Savior.

Her joy arises, she explains, because in acting as he is towards her, God is acting as her Savior (see 1:47). We note with more than interest that she still regards herself as someone who needs to be saved like the rest of mankind.

The nations do not call Mary Blessed because of anything she has done but because of the mighty things He has done for us to bring about our redemption.

All generations of creatures shall call her blessed; but she immediately takes her stand as a creature with all those other creatures: for Mary still ‘Holy is his name’ (1:49).

Call me blessed: (this is the last time we hear any attention drawn to Mary) Where does Mary get her blessed response that people will attribute to her. Mary’s blessed estate is one of humility and a servant heart. Mary was an open vessel available and ready to be used by God. Mary saw her blessing coming out of an unworthy response to being called to fulfill such a great task.

*God’s plan is for His Name to be Exalted above all Others

Holy is His Name: God's name is considered sacred and should be treated with reverence and respect, signifying his absolute purity, perfection, and separation from anything considered unholy or sinful.

We live in a culture today that flippantly uses the name of God or throws it out after winning a football game that players get millions of dollars to play is not necessarily honoring His name as Holy.

In fact the name of God is so Holy that it was reserved for only the most Holy of places and used only in only the most Holy of way’s.

The Holiness of God has fallen on deaf ears in our culture today. I think we fail to grasp the magnitude of honoring God’s name as Holy.

The Holiness of God provides a difficult dilemma for our mere mortal minds to consider. We are drawn to him as the one who has made us for Himself. However, as ultimately flawed creatures we also cower in the all revealing glory and majesty of God.

We see the Israelites at the bottom of mt. Sinai waiting to receive the commandments from God. Just as we see the people cowering before a Holy God we also see people being kept at arms length as Moses is the buffer between the people and the full weight of the Holiness and glory of God.

We read in revelation that to the redeemed of heaven the holiness of God is not longer a mystery.

Revelation 15 resonates with the citizens of heaven who cry out with one sanctifying voice. God is the author of mighty deeds; just and true in all His ways; king of all nations; deserving of all our reverential fear; only one to be glorified; alone one who is Hoy; will not be denied worldwide praise.

Philippians 2:9–10 ESV

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

God responds to Jesus’ humbling Himself by highly exalting Him. He gives Jesus a name so wonderful that it is above every other one. What does this mean practically?

Mary who would soon be giving birth in a smelly, stinky, animal stall now bows at the manger of the Christ Child.

That at the name of Jesus every knee would bow. Just for the record, “every” means every one, all of them, none are excluded. Paul “speaks slowly and uses small words” to spell out exactly how comprehensive this knee-bowing is.

It entails the three different realms of existence the audience would have known: the human, earthly inhabitants; the heavenly, divine inhabitants; and the inhabitants of the underworld. This elaboration makes clear that Paul is talking about far more than just the human race.

All creation will bow before Him one day—not just in His presence, but at the mention of His name! Imagine a name commanding that much honor and respect!

CONCLUSION

Anyone who would love and respect God will find mercy with God. “From generation to generation” (v. 50) means God’s mercy reaches down to our time and place, too.

Verses 51–53 give us the signs that God’s mercy is for all.

There are no more virgin births, and we’re unlikely to be in a Jewish temple when an angel visits; but we can see the work of God every day.

That’s what Mary celebrates. Don’t ask God for a sign his promise will be fulfilled. We are simply to look around to see fulfillment. There are signs posted everywhere for all us “nobodies.”

God scatters the proud (v. 51). God topples the mighty (v. 52). God sends the rich away empty (v. 53). But the Lord exalts the lowly—that’s the projects and the hoods (v. 52). He fills the hungry (v. 53). If we would know the riches of God’s mercy, we simply need to admit the poverty of our lives.

Mary has confidence that God fulfills his plans and keeps his promises (vv. 54–55).

From the very beginning God had a plan, and his plan was to save the world through the birth of a child. But not just any child, the child of the promise. Genesis 3:15

Genesis 3:15 ESV

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

The infinite God came into the world through the close spaces of a human womb, making the womb and all that’s in it sacred!

Joy to the world was written by Isaac Watts in 1719 based on Psalm 98. We traditionally sing this as a Christmas Carol but in reality it is about His second advent which is His second coming. The song is meant to remind people that Jesus' birth was the beginning of his mission to save the world, and that he will return to claim victory over evil.

 Joy to the World, the Lord! The Lord is come; let earth receive her king.