Mary Visits Elizabeth

Play video bumper of John 1:39-45

The last 18-24 months have seen an uptick in the amount of media portraying evangelicals as misogynists. The charge is that if women are prohibited from being Pastors or Elders then women are perceived as 2nd class Christians.

The problem with this is that it creates a false platform. I know several 1st class Christians who are not Pastors or Elders in their local churches. Being called to this role does NOT move a person to a higher rank of discipleship. And being outside of this role does not inherently attribute lower value to one’s service for Christ. God’s kingdom does not separate into classes of officers and enlisted, neither are their ranks within the body.

Christ and his disciples routinely elevated women above the role that society attempted to limit them. In today’s text we will see 2 examples of women who are blessed and exalted for their contribution to the Kingdom of God through their roles as mothers. God uses women to make a contribution to the kingdom that NO man could ever make.

As a sidenote: Just as Elder does not automatically elevate one’s value in the family of God, being a mother does not intrinsically increase a woman’s worth. In honoring these two women today, I do not wish to communicate in any way that childless adults who are listening right now are in ANY way loved or honored less by our God and His Church.

Transition: Today’s Gospel reading divides into 3 sections based upon the characters who are the subjects of the sentences.

The first section involves 5 characters: 2 women, their preborn sons and the Holy Spirit. The next section is a short portion that emphasizes only 1 character, Mary. The final, and longest section concentrates on the Lord. A short outline of the sermon is We, She, and He.

WE Confess the Work of the Lord (Luke 1:39-45)

These words were read for us in the video a moment ago.

God’s work happens in Community (vv.39-45)

1. God’s work in Zechariah and Elizabeth is told to Mary (v.36) so that they could share the glory of God at work.

2. Mary hurries to share fellowship with Elizabeth.

3. When Mary appeared in Judea the Holy Spirit confirms through John and gave Elizabeth words that affirmed what God was doing.

4. Mary didn’t have to “toot her own horn” to Elizabeth. Even though Elizabeth tried to suppress what was happening to her, the Angel spread the word to another God-fearing person.

5. If God is prompting you to do something, He will confirm that through others in His Body.

Medical Opinions of 1st Century (v.41)

1. While Mary & Elizabeth would not have had stethoscopes to monitor fetal heartbeats. And the idea of peering into the womb via sonogram or ultrasound would have blown their imaginations. They did have one advantage over modern science—They considered preborn life to be more than a “blob of cells”.

2. They considered pre-born babies to be able to comprehend and communicate truth.

3. Just hearing Mary’s voice caused John to respond within Elizabeth’s womb (1:41)

4. This is reminiscent of Rebekah in Gen 25. Who notices excessive activity in her womb and discerned that God was communicating through her pregnancy.

Elizabeth – Middle Age or Elderly? (Luke 1:18)

1. Zechariah describes himself as “old” and Elizabeth as “advanced in years”.

2. Zechariah would have been no older than 49 years old (Numbers 8:24-25).

3. We can fairly estimate that Elizabeth would have been within 5 years either way of Zechariah, leaving her somewhere between 45-55.

4. If marrying age was around 14, and Elizabeth was at least 45, that means 30 years of opportunity for her to get pregnant with no results until John was conceived.

Elizabeth Introduces Trinitarian Truth (Luke 1:43, 45)

1. Notice the two ways Elizabeth uses “Lord” in these verses.

a. In v.43 she speaks of the baby in Mary’s Womb as “the Lord”

b. In v.45 she says the one who made the promise was “the Lord”

c. Is the baby the Lord or is the one who made the promise the Lord? They are both the Lord as we are introduced to the idea that the God in Heaven and the God in Mary can both be the one God of Israel, yet be distinct persons.

In a male-dominated culture, God is choosing to first communicate Christ’s mission through women and pre-born babies.

Transition: Even though you may not be privileged or powerful, God can use you significantly and do a significant work within you.

SHE was changed in her deepest heart (Luke 1:46-48)

Luke 1:46–48 ESV:2016

46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

Soul/Spirit Change

1. Now that Mary has had to time to contemplate the news she received from Gabriel she has concluded that some things are changing in her life.

2. The Gospel is more than a change of rules, or a new set of religious practices. The change is not only in Mary’s behavior or in her thinking, but her relationship with God is changing at the deepest part of her being.

3. When we are genuinely born-again, we become a new creation and we gain a whole new way of viewing the world, and God’s activity within our realm.

Some of us are overflowing with Christmas spirit. Others are still having trouble in the Yuletide joy area. Some of us hear and sing carols and some deep feelings are stirred. We hear, “I’ll have a blue Christmas without you” or “And may all your Christmases be White”.

Other Christmas songs are not primarily about our feelings, but they tell the facts of a story. Carols like O Little Town of Bethlehem, or Away in a Manger have a plot.

Yet other Carols are structured for teaching. The Twelve Days of Christmas is meant to teach there is only 1 Savior, 2 Testaments, 3 Persons in the Trinity, 4 Gospels, 5 books in the Pentateuch, and so forth.

4. Mary’s Song is a teaching song. The first few lines teach us a little about her, and the majority of the song teach us about God.

Correcting our view of Mary

1. If you grew up Protestant, like me, we can learn that Mary is a unique lady and worthy of our respect. “from now on all generations will call me blessed” (v.48b)

2. If you grew up Orthodox or Roman Catholic, as I know several of you did, it can be helpful to remember v. 47 “my spirit rejoices in God my Savior”. Mary refers to God as her Savior. Only sinners need a Savior, so Mary, herself is admitting her need.

Transition: Since this is a song or poetry it is difficult to breakdown the lines in a coherent, logical argument. But there are some themes that we can identify in Mary’s words. Two major categories of her comments are 1)Who God is and 2)What God does.

HE is celebrated (Luke 1:49-55)

Luke 1:49–55 ESV:2016

49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Who God Is

1. He is Mighty (v.49a)

a) The God who many think about at this time of year is the weak, crying baby in a manger. The God who is unable to ask anything of them or unable to do anything for them. The God who is dependent upon others to provide everything He needs.

b) Mary is celebrating a mighty God who has caused her to conceive without the participation of a man. A God who caused her fetus to communicate with Jon. A God who prompted Elizabeth to call this poor teenager from obscure Nazareth the blessed mother of her Lord.

2. He is Holy (v.49b)

· A man I know, Tim Mackie, has combined words and pictures to help us understand what Mary means when she says “holy is his name.”

Play video of Holiness.

3. He is Merciful (v.50)

· Just as the video showed that Jesus is opposite to sickness & death, in His mercy He offers to extend His holiness to any who will accept it.

What God Does

1. He acts on behalf of His people (v.51a)

a) Remember Mary is singing this before Christ was born so this would not be referring to Jesus’s miracles. This would speak of all the Hebrew Scriptures that told of Noah, Samson, The victories under Joshua, David & Goliath, Daniel and his 3 friends.

b) These were all stories that spoke of God’s ability to act on behalf of His people that points to the greatest act for humanity that would be the cross of Jesus.

2. He extends mercy to the poor (vv.51b-53)

a. When we admit our need, He satisfies our longing.

b. When we are proud and act as if we are privileged or entitled, God sends us away.

3. He remembers His promises. (vv.54-55)

a. For 400 years the Israelites had been silently waiting for one who would deliver them from human kingdoms of Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron mentioned in Daniel 2.

b. For 2000 years the descendants of Abraham had been waiting for the fulfillment of a promised deliverer who would re-establish the kingdom promised to Abraham in Gen 15.

c. Before that, in Genesis 3, God promised a seed of woman who would crush the work of the Evil One.

Transition: This sermon began with Elizabeth telling Mary, “blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment.” Then Mary speaks eloquently of the God who is and the God who acts. The song concludes with God’s mercy in v.54, We will pick up that theme next week in v. 58.

Conclusion:

What I pray that you take from this message is that the God of Might, Holiness and Mercy acts on behalf of you. Whatever you are facing this week, God is able to change your obstacles into opportunities for you to praise Him for His goodness to you.