Great Faith, Great Joy

Luke 1:39–45 NIV84

39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

Introduction

We’ve been considering together these wonderful occurrences of God beginning to move in order to bring to fulfillment the wonderful promises that He had made through the course of history up until that time.

We must keep in mind that in the OT, everything that was unfolding was ultimately pointing forward to the coming of a Saviour. Sin’s entry into the world through Adam set in motion the unfolding of God’s salvation plan for mankind. God, before the foundations of the earth, had in mind to make a people for Himself. And everything that unfolded in history in the Old Testament pointed forward to the Saviour.

The prophets of the Old Testament spoke about the coming Saviour. Even the very chosen people of God, the ones who had received God’s gracious promises, would not be able to live in obedience to the covenant stipulations. They needed a Saviour.

And so even their need for a Saviour looked forward to a great Messiah coming into the world. This is what Israel as a nation was looking forward to. The second Adam; the Ruler for God’s people; the promise of a deliverer - all of this was focused upon Jesus Christ. This is what a sin-cursed desperately needed - a great Saviour!

And here, in this book of Scripture, Luke is recording these magnificent events that unfolded as God was bringing these promises to fulfillment.

We’ve considered the Angel Gabriel appearing to Zechariah, telling Zechariah that Elizabeth would give birth to a great child - who would be the forerunner, the one preparing the way for the Messiah.

And we’ve considered together from Luke’s account the announcment of the Angel Gabriel to Mary, that she would be the one who in God’s gracious providence, would carry this Messiah, and bring Him into this world.

As we look at today’s text, we will find this account of a visit that takes place between Mary and Elizabeth. What we will see through this passage is Great Faith, and Great Joy. These two are not mutually exclusive. They belong together. And in this passage, we will find them in this encounter between relatives.

These are two things that are fundamental to our lives as Christians. Faith and Joy.

As we consider this brief text, we will see that this section contains a song that was sung by Elizabeth. This is the first of five songs that are recorded for us in Luke 1-2. It is not immediately apparent to us as we read it that there is a song involved here. But the format in the original is clearly outlined as a song.

As we look at this passage then, Notice firstly with me from this passage...

1. The Occassion for Great Joy (vv.39-40)

Luke 1:39–40 NIV84

39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.

You will recall from our service last week, that the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, and told her that she would be with child, even though she was a virgin. As part of that discussion, Gabriel had said to Mary that her relative Elizabeth was also pregnant, and was in her sixth month.

This served almost as a prompt for Mary to go and see these things for herself. She hears the message of the Angel, she believes what the Angel has told her, but she also wants to go and visit Elizabeth her relative in order to see with her own eyes what the Angel has told her concerning Elizabeth, a woman who was barren, being pregnant.

Verse 39 begins with the words, “at that time.” It was right at this time, just after the Angel appeared to her, that Mary prepared her things in order to go and visit Elizabeth. It would have been a time of great anticipation and excitement.

But we must keep in mind that this was no mere trip to the other side of town in order to check on what had been said. Rather, this was an extensive journey, probably on foot, that had to be taken in order to visit Elizabeth.

We read in these verses that “Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea.”

You will recall that Mary stayed in the town called Nazareth in Galilee. Elizabeth, however, stayed in a town in the hill country of Judea.

The hill country of Judea was a good distance to the South of Galilee. It was a region with towns and cities such as Hebron, Jerusalem and other places around that region. It was a hilly area, thus the name “hill country.” We’re not told exactly which city Elizabeth lived in, but the distance to get to this general region would have required Mary to travel about 100-150km.

As mentioned, this would most likely have been traveled on foot. The journey would have taken anything from 4-7 days one way. We’re also told later on in this chapter that Mary will stay with Elizabeth for around 3 months - it was going to be a lengthy stay there.

This was an extensive journey. It was to be an extended stay. But Mary packs her things and gets on the move.

We may ask, what drives a young teenager to travel all that distance to a much older relative, to stay with her for so long? I would suggest that it was much to do with the great faith that she had in the promises of God through the angel Gabriel. She truly believed all the words, and not only that, but she had an eager anticipation about her.

Just think of the excitement that Mary had to know that she would be the one to carry and give birth to the Messiah!! But as she prepares for this journey, she knows also that if she arrives at Elizabeth and sees her pregnant, she has therein a great confirmation for her faith. It would certainly bolster her faith.

Recall that Elizabeth being pregnant actually stood as a sign to Mary… look back at v.36-37...

And so the anticipation and eagerness in Mary leads her to immediate action. So great was her faith in what the angel had told her, that she did not waiver or hesitate.

Some ancient versions record that she left the very same day of Gabriel’s appearance. This is very similar to the account of the shepherds that were out in the fields when Christ was born. An angel appeared to them while they were out in the fields, tending their sheep. And this angel came to them and brought them good news of great joy about the Saviour being born.

Luke 2:13–16 NIV84

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

There was a sense of urgency to go and behold this great miracle that had occurred.

It’s the same with Mary. She’s heard this news about her own life being blessed of God, and that she will be pregnant. She’s heard also about her barren relative Elizabeth who is pregnant. And in the great anticipation of it all, she packs her things and travels the many miles to see her relative and behold this work of God.

Verse 40 tells us that having traveled this long journey to the hill country, Mary “...entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.”

The typical greeting of that day involved an embrace, and a few short words of greeting to the person being visited. That is probably what happened with Mary and Elizabeth. In light of what is going to follow, some have suggested that this greeting involved Mary recounting all that had happened to her regarding Gabriel’s appearance etc. We don’t know this for sure - and it is speculative.

What we do know is that this greeting, in whatever form, was accompanied by a mighty working of God in their midst.

And so, notice secondly with me...

2. The Power Behind Great Joy (v.41)

We read in verse 41...

Luke 1:41 NIV84

41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

As this greeting from Mary reaches the ears of Elizabeth, immediately the Spirit of God moves in that place and does two things.

2.1. The Baby Leaps

Firstly, the moving of the Spirit of God caused the baby in the womb of Elizabeth to leap.

We must recall that Elizabeth is about six months pregnant at this stage. The baby in her womb would have been at a size where movement in the womb was normal. Evidently, from the way in which this is conveyed, this was no ordinary movement of the baby John in the womb.

To Elizabeth’s motherly instinct, knowing her own child in the womb already, she sees this as a unique event where the child in her womb is leaping for joy (those are her own words as recorded in v.44).

Recall that the Angel Gabriel had told Zechariah in v.15 that this child would be filled with the Holy Spirit “while yet in his mother’s womb” (NASB).

By the working of the Holy Spirit of God, Elizabeth comes to the clear understanding that her child is leaping for joy at the presence of His own Lord, even from within the womb.

Philip Ryken writes in regard to this account...

“By the inward witness of the Spirit, the child recognized the presence of Christ. Jesus was not yet viable—invisible in his mother’s womb. Yet John knew him to be the Son of God. Later, when Jesus began his public ministry, John would testify that his joy was complete (John 3:29). But his joy began while he was still in his mother’s womb.” (Ryken, R.E.C. p. )

But we see further that the Spirit not only works to move in this young life in the womb, but He also moves within Elizabeth.

2.2 Elizabeth is filled

Luke goes on to write, “...and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”

This is the second thing that happens as Mary comes in and greets Elizabeth. Elizabeth being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Let us be sure that this filling of the Holy Spirit was not so much a result of the presence and greeting of Mary herself, but rather the presence of the Saviour within her. This Saviour of the world, the one who according to Colossians 1:16 had created all things, who had created even the woman with the ability to bear children, and had created the process by which birth would take place, now entered into that creation in the form of a baby in this womb. But even His presence within the womb is felt as the Spirit of God moves.

Luke records for us this great working of the Holy Spirit in Elizabeth’s life.

What I do want us to notice in this text is the kind of response that comes from Elizabeth as she is filled with the Spirit. Particularly, we will see that all of her responses show forth the fruit of the Spirit that is at work. The fruit of knowledge, humility, gratitude, love, kindness etc.

With this in mind, consider the third point this morning...

3. The Response of Great Joy (vv.42-45)

With all of this in mind, we must see the response that flows out from Elizabeth as the power of the Holy Spirit fills her.

Verse 42 tells us that she makes this great exclamation that is produced out of a heart that is overflowing with joy and eager anticipation. And what flows out of her mouth is in essence a song. The words that she proclaims are typical of a lyrical, metered song of that day (although the song is quite a bit shorter than Mary’s son that is to follow).

Her song begins with a blessing of Mary. She says to Mary, “Blessed are you among women…”

Now we must see the impact of this in light of the fact that Elizabeth herself was six months pregnant with a child that she had long wanted, but could never have. She was barren her whole life, and was now beyond child bearing age. But by God’s grace, in her old age, she was now 6 months pregnant.

If she thought any woman was blessed, surely it would have been herself - and this is not a criticism, but a reality. She would have worshiped God and praised God for her own child.

But as she talks to Mary here, she calls Mary blessed. Remember that Mary is yet a virgin. Her time for having children hasn’t even arrived yet, in terms of human reasoning. But Elizabeth delights with her in this great pregnancy.

But not only that, Elizabeth doesn’t just call her blessed, but says that she is “blessed...among women.” This phrase in essence says that among all the women of the world you are the most blessed of them all. There is none in the world so blessed as you.

I want to point out some important truths in this regard. Importantly, being blessed means far more than being happy. Mary is not going to be “happier” than any other mother. A blessed person is a person upon whom the great favour and grace of God is resting. Mary is blessed because God’s favour is upon her in a rich way.

But further to this, we must be careful not to downplay how blessed Mary was as a mother, particularly in light of wrong teaching on the glorification of Mary. Mary was not holy, without sin. We considered last week that she was not favoured because of something intrinsic within her. So when the Catholic church exalts Mary, and prays to her etc. we must not follow in that way.

But we do affirm the Scriptural teaching that she was indeed a richly blessed woman. Indeed, far more than all other women. She was blessed among women, because she had the great honour and privilege of carrying the Saviour of the world.

But notice that Elizabeth doesn’t end there. She goes on in her song to say, “...and blessed is the child you will bear!” Not only is Mary blessed, but the child that she will bear is blessed.

Now we may ask what this means, that this child will be blessed.

Firstly, we need to recall the meaning of blessing - not that he is happy in some way, but rather that God’s favour rests upon this child.

And this is indeed what was true for Jesus as the Son of God.

We find the words of God concerning His Son at the Baptist of Jesus, just before He enters into his ministry.

Luke 3:21–22 NIV84

21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

God’s favour rested upon Jesus. Jesus was a Son with whom God was well-pleased. Let me just add, God’s favour didn’t merely rest upon Jesus in the way that His favour rested upon Mary, or in the way it rests upon any of us. God’s favour was upon Jesus in a unique way, because He was indeed perfect.

We also have the account of God speaking about Jesus as He ascended the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James and John.

Mark 9:2–7 NIV84

2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) 7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

Jesus was greatly blessed, the favour of God was upon Him as a Son. His perfections would become evident to all around Him in days to come. As He would walk around and minister, people would stand in awe at His words of authority; at His wisdom in answering challenging questions; at His authority over the elements. This would indeed be a child that would be blessed!!

Elizabeth goes on in her song to demonstrate just how much clarity the Holy Spirit had brought to her as He filled her at this time.

Luke 1:43 NIV84

43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

This is one of the most striking sentences in this passage. Elizabeth, as an older woman who by God’s grace was pregnant, considers herself richly blessed, she considers herself favored by God - through a very humble expression of amazement - because the mother of her Lord should come to me.

Again, the fact that Mary was a mere teenager, with Elizabeth being a woman who was older - at least beyond child-bearing age - makes this sentence stand out. Honour is always given to an older person. Alternatively, honour is given to someone who is in authority, or someone who is socially in a position that is worthy of respect.

Mary is neither of these to Elizabeth. She is a young lady, of humble status. She is not someone that you would ascribe honour to, or someone that you would feel honoured to have in your presence. She was just ordinary young Mary.

But Elizabeth recognises under the guiding of the Holy Spirit that here before her stands the mother of her Lord. And she is honoured.

But that phrase, “Mother of my Lord,” demonstrates where the true honour was being directed.

Elizabeth was calling an unborn child in the womb her Lord. The one that she would worship.

This title was a title of the Messiah.

Psalm 110:1 NIV84

1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

When Jesus confronted the Pharisees in Matthew 22, he posed the question to them...

Matthew 22:42–46 NIV84

42 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied. 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, 44 “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” ’ 45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

They realised the point that Jesus made. David spoke of this Saviour as Lord - a title of high honour. The title of the Messiah. That’s why the Pharisees couldn’t answer Jesus. If this was a Son of David, as they had correctly asserted, how then could he be Lord?

Because He was not merely the Son of David, but the Son of God.

Elizabeth knew that within Mary was the Messiah of the world, the one that was worthy of all respect and honour. The one that deserved the title, Lord.

We would do well to consider the high honour and respect due to Jesus our Lord!!!

As one commentator has written...

“If Elizabeth so described Jesus when (according to his human nature) he was still a babe in Mary’s womb, how much more should we not glorify the Christ who died for us and who lives evermore to intercede for us!” (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker)

As Elizabeth goes on, she gives Mary the reason and explanation of why she, under the power of the Holy Spirit believes that Mary and her child are greatly blessed.

Verse 44...

Luke 1:44 NIV84

44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

Now, there has been some debate and uncertainty about precisely what caused the baby in her womb to leap. Based on the evaluation of Elizabeth herself, the words of her song, the way that Luke has portrayed this scene, it would seem that this truly was the occassion where John was filled with the Spirit within the presence of the Lord of all the earth.

And under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth recognises this, and thus rejoices.

Finally, in verse 45, we see this final word of blessing that Elizabeth gives to Mary. She says...

Luke 1:45 NIV84

45 Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

Elizabeth here honours Mary because she believed what the Angel Gabriel had told her. Recall that Zechariah had not believed Gabriel. And the consequences were that he could speak. I’m certain that the message had been conveyed by Zechariah to Elizabeth by this time. And so here stands a stark contrast between one who believed, and one who didn’t believe.

I won’t read more into this than is necessary, but at least Elizabeth gives honour to Mary as a result of this belief, this great faith that she had in God, that what He had said would come to pass, indeed would be accomplished.

Now, we must recognise that the faith that Mary had even in what may have seemed impossible, even when things were unseen, is a similar faith that we are called to in that which is unseen.

John 20:29 NIV84

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

It is this faith in the Almighty God that saves us. It is faith in the Almighty God that is the mark of the true disciple of Jesus Christ.

Romans 4:3 NIV84

3 What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Galatians 3:6 NIV84

6 Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

James 2:23 NIV84

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

Application and Conclusion

By way of application to our own lives today, I want to pick up on those two main themes. Great Faith, and Great Joy.

A.1. Great Faith

A.2. Great joy

“The coming of Christ is a thing that makes a person leap for joy. This was true for John, and also for anyone who comes to faith in Christ. By the inward witness of the Holy Spirit we recognize that Jesus is the Son of God and our Savior from sin. When we recognize him, we rejoice in him, leaping for the joy of our salvation.” (Ryken)