A miraculous kinship: Luke 1:39-45

Intro

Have you ever heard it said that life is a team sport

We often wil say that about christianity as well

Community is so important

Its interesting to watch how poeple respond in hard situations

we look for people to go through them with

When youre in line at the store and someone is taking forever to check out have you ever made eye contact with someone else in line and a conversation starts

First day at college what did you do

Found others on their first day they became your lifelong friends

When Elise and I met

If you have ever been laid off with a group of people whats one of the first messages you get

A message from the other people who got laid off

In a scary situation as a kid what did you want? Mom and Dad right

Vaction walking with the kids at night

We have been created for community for other to experience life with us

Especially people in a similar life circumstance as us.

Thats what we will see today

A unity that is created between Mary and Elizabeth as they both share in their respective miraculous pregnancies

Last week we heard of Mary’s faithful response to the angel Gabriel

Verse 38 reminds us of that response Luke 1:38 “38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”

So the angel leaves and Mary is there considering what next

And watch what she does

She responds not by hiding or running to Joseph or her parents

She goes to see her relative

believing what gabriel had told her she goes to seek out the only other person in the world that could understand her experience

So lets look at our passage today

Read Luke 1:39-45

Luke 1:39–45 ESV

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

This is a small section of the story we are all probably familiar with

we often go quickly through this but today we are going to slow down and really examine this interaction between mary and elizabeth

This interaction between these two women who are joined together by these miraculous events

We will see

Mary’s faith in action

Elizabeth’s spirit filled proclaimation

Faith fulfilment

Mary’s faith in action

Read Luke 1:39-40

Luke 1:39–40 ESV

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

We touched on this briefly already

Luke is going to continue to show us more of Mary’s character of her faith

In those days Mary arose and went with haste

Mary hears the message from Gabriel and her next action that we have here is her acting on Gabriels words

She gets her things together and travels to see Elizabeth the only other person in the world who knows what she is going through

She takes a 4 day journey seemingly by herself because the angel told her of her cousin elizabeths pregnancy

She acted in faith

Not only does Mary affirm her obedience to the Lord in verse 38 but she also steps out in faith in verse 39

Believing this miraculous thing has happened to her she then goes to see what God has done for Elizabeth

She embarks on this journey no doubt pondering all that she had heard

Trying to make sense of everything

hoping that when she arrives at Elizabeths house she will be able to talk to the only person who will understand everything that has happened to her.

When she arrives and greets Elizabeth I think of the comfort she would have found

Stepping out in faith taking this journey

Eagerly yearning to be with Elizabeth

Thinking of how God has brought their stories together

Thinking of this miraculous kinship that they share

Then Seeing God faithful her heart lifts as she is now with that person who understands

Seeing her faith rewarded it was exactly as the angle had said Elizabeth is well along in her pregnancy

Mary greets Elizabeth with Joy in her heart eagerly wanting to share all that has happened to her as she is now sure Elizabeth has experienced the same thing

Mary’s faith is rewarded with confirmation that all she has been told is true

Her an elizabeth are now co conspirators in this unfolding revelation of God’s plan for salvation

The prophets had ceased God had been silent, but now in that moment of greeting Mary and Elizabeth are joined together in God’s miraculous plan to save his people.

The world is changing around them and God has given them a front row seat

These two women both carrying the keys to the next phase in the salvation narrative enternally bound together

And Mary’s faith will be rewarded even more by the proclaimations of Elizabeth

Elizabeth Spirit Filled Proclamation

Read Luke 1:41-44

Luke 1:41–44 ESV

41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

Mary’s greeting is met with a holy spirit directed proclamation

This isnt just a simple I’m so glad to see you exclamtion

Elizabeth is moved by the Spirit at the greeting of Mary

The baby leaps in the womb

Mary is called the most blessed among women

Elizabeth declares Jesus as her Lord her messiah

First the baby leaps in the womb

Elizabeth is 6 months along she has felt the baby kick by this point in the pregnancy

There is a boy who will later in his life live in the wilderness eating locus growin in her womb

And its probably safe to say that this boy was bit restless in the womb

But what happens this time is so different

The baby leaps in her womb

Babies dont really leap

But this one did

Right into her diaphram pushing the air out of her

Probably causing a very audible gasp from elizabeth

This is a supernatural leap that could only be enabled by a spirit living in the boy that was promised by the angle gabriel

Lets remind ourselves about what we read at the end of verse 15 that he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mothers womb

John recognizes the messiah even from his mothers womb and can only leap for joy

Mary probably hasnt even begun to have morning sickness but John can recognize the messiah

Lets also not neglect this statement the next time someone wants to try to convince you that a fetus in the womb doesnt feel anything clearly here is a baby in the womb who experiences such joy he leaps

we can go even further and notice that this joy is elicited by the presence of a baby all of three or four days in the womb

clearly these are babies, people, who even in the womb share a connection with each other. A connection that causes so much joy in the older one that he leaps in the womb

This elicits more than just a audible gasp from Elizabeth

She is also filled with the spirit in that moment

Verse 41 and 42 “… And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry,”

Through the inspiration of the Holy spirit Elizabeth will proclaim Mary blessed among women

Elizabeth will also confirm what the angle had told Mary

that the fruit of her womb is blessed

That she has fruit in her womb

Luke doesnt record Mary telling Elizabeth about her experience

But he does record Elizabeth acknowledging the fruit of her womb and calling him Blessed

Elizabeths proclamation here must have been such an encouragement for Mary

Her proclamation echoing the the words of the Angel Gabriel

Luke 1:28–31 ESV

28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

These words now coming from her cousin confirming all that the angel had said

The Holy Spirit through Elizabeth confirming all that Mary had heard

The Holy Spirt will lead Elizabeth to declare more than just a confirmation of what Mary had heard

She will do exactly what the Baby in her womb will be born to do

Declare the coming Lord

Look what she says here in verse 43

Luke 1:43 “43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

The Mother of My Lord

Elizabeth recognizes the baby in Mary’s is carrying as her Lord

Her Messiah

Elizabeth empowered by the Holy spirit declares Jesus to be the coming savior

Elizabeth and Mary share this moment as what R. Kent Hughes would describe as “innocent co-conspirators int he divine plot to save the lost”

They have both no doubt heard the prophecies and now they have heard the words of the Angel Gabriel

They share this moment together being forever tied together in God’s divine plot to save the lost

Elizabeth filled with the Spirit, showing deference to Mary’s greater miracle and recognizing what the God has done for Mary.

And Mary as we will see next week being so encouraged by the words of her cousin

Elizabeth will make a final proclamation about Mary’s faith

Faith’s fulfillment

Luke 1:45 ESV

45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Elizabeth again through the spirit praises Mary’s faith

Mary in believed

and as Keith pointed out last week Mary’s belief juxtaposed with Zechariah disbelief

I can only imagine Zechariah standing at his wife side stunned seeing the Lord unviel his redemptive plan through the two women standing in front of him

We should not miss what is happening here two things we see

Elizabeths humility

and her broadening of the blessing of belief

Elizabeths humility as she uplift and sings such high praises of Mary’s blessing

She is older

She had a similar miracle happen to her

She had believed what the angle told her

Yet she is staring at her much younger cousin carrying not the fore runner to Jesus

But Jesus himself

yet there is no hint of Jealousy in her rather she praises her cousin and encourages her

and acknowledges her faith as well as the faith of all those who believe

Elizabeth broadens out her statement by adding the third person she

Blessed is she who believed

Blessed will be all who believe in the fruit of Mary’s womb

Blessed will be all who believe the God will fulfill His promises

There is encouragement to be found by all those who would believe

Faith’s fulfillment comes to those who believe that God will do exactly as he said he would

Application

So what do we do with a story like this

I doubt anyone in here has conceived as a virgin

I doubt anyone has had an angel stand in front of them and tell them everything you thought was going to happen in your life will be radically changed

So what do we do with this passage every day normal people trying to understand and apply God’s word

First we believe

Just as Elizabeth announced in verse 45

Luke 1:45 “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.””

Blessed is she who has believed

Blessed will be those who believe God will fulfill his promises

As you encounter the various trials of living in this broken and fallen world believe that God will fulfill what he has spoken to us through his world

Believe that God will work all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purposes

Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Believe 1 Corinthians 10:13 “13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Hebrew we have a great high priest tempted in every way

faith in action

church fellowship

Small groups

Dig deeper questions

Think of a time where the Lord had called you to do something difficult. How did that go for you? Did you do it? What made it possible for you to do that thing? Or what held you back?

Thinking about the encouragement that Elizabeth must have been to Mary how do we play a similar role in the life of our fellow believers? What role does the church play in the encouragement of believers?

What hope can we draw from the miraculous kinship between Elizabeth and Mary? How can you be encouraged by seeing God’s plan for salvation unfolding

Bible Passage: Luke 1:39–45

Summary: In Luke 1:39-45, we witness the remarkable encounter between Mary and Elizabeth, highlighting the joy and confirmation that arises when we acknowledge God's working in our lives. This passage showcases the significance of humility, faith, and the fulfillment of God's promises.

Application: This message can encourage believers to recognize and celebrate the moments when God works in their lives and the lives of others. In times of uncertainty or doubt, reflecting on God's faithfulness through such encounters can provide hope and reassurance.

Teaching: The sermon communicates the importance of community and support among believers, emphasizing how sharing our experiences of God's truth and grace can strengthen faith and stimulate joy among us.

How this passage could point to Christ: Christ is the central figure in this passage, as Mary carries the Incarnate God within her. This highlights God's initiative in salvation history and how each individual encounter with Christ carries transformative power, a theme that resonates throughout Scripture.

Big Idea: Encounters with Christ bring joy and affirmation of faith, leading us to rejoice in God's promises.

Recommended Study: As you prepare this sermon, consider exploring the historical context of Mary's visit to Elizabeth, particularly the cultural implications of their interactions. Utilizing your Logos library to examine commentaries on Luke 1 can reveal theological insights and assist in understanding the significance behind Elizabeth's blessing and Mary's humility. Additionally, engage with linguistic studies that could illuminate the original text's nuances, particularly in understanding the joy expressed in their exchange.

1. Mary's Movement: A Joyful Journey

Luke 1:39-41

You could emphasize how Mary's journey to visit Elizabeth demonstrates the power of community and connection. Her response to God's calling is met with an affirmation through Elizabeth's Spirit-filled reaction. This point underscores the idea that joyful encounters often occur when we step out in faith and unite with fellow believers, relying on the Holy Spirit to guide us and celebrate God's work in our lives.

2. Elizabeth's Exclamation: Blessed Belief

Luke 1:42-44

Perhaps focus on Elizabeth's blessing over Mary, highlighting the humbling and affirming nature of such encounters. In recognizing Mary's blessed state, Elizabeth displays faith and reverence, reminding us that acknowledging where God is at work can uplift our spirits and confirm His promises. This encounter teaches us the value of proclaiming blessings over others as a means of sharing joy and reinforcing our faith.

3. Faith's Fulfillment: Joyful Assurance

Luke 1:45

Maybe stress the significance of belief in God's promises as a catalyst for joy and fulfillment. Elizabeth declares Mary blessed because of her faith in the words God had spoken. This final section can encourage believers to trust in God's promises, knowing that faith is both rewarded and joy-giving. Christ's presence in our lives is a testament to hope and the assurance of God's faithfulness, inspiring us to rejoice.