Joy in the unborn messiah.
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Remember this is based on Luke’s research
With a few tense changes, it can be easily seen that this may have come directly from Mary’s testimony, or at the very least from one of her other children.
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.”
Mary visits Elizabeth.
Mary visits Elizabeth.
In our first two sections of Luke’s text the angel Gabriel has announced two births to mothers who should not have been expecting a baby (one too old, the other not yet married).
Before the births of John and Jesus are narrated, the two families are brought together, and we have in this scene an opportunity to reflect on the significance of these two special people.
The unborn John and his mother recognize the superior status of Mary’s son, and Mary speaks with delight and wonder of the incredible honor of being the mother of God’s Son.
This little section of scripture is more significant than two expectant mothers comparing notes.
There is a sense of Joy that flows forth out of this passage.
This is part of the fulfillment of what was told to Zechariah in that John would bring joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth.
The note of joy in the passage echoes a theme already sounded by the previous events.
The sense of privilege and favor at being used by God finds fresh expression here.
Elizabeth knows God does not owe her such a central role, yet she is amazed at God’s involvement with her.
In asking “Why am I so favored?” (v. 43), she understands that she is but a humble beneficiary of God’s grace.
Looking to Mary, she is already making strides outside of the norm.
She travels a great distance to visit Elizabeth.
These two had possibly never met before but at least knew of one another.
Perhaps Zechariah’s priestly duties took him to Nazareth, or perhaps they had met in a travel to Jerusalem for the passover.
All speculation, we don’t know.
Mary’s visit to her relative Elizabeth involved a long walk of some seventy miles from Nazareth to somewhere probably in the Jerusalem area;
the traditional site of the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth is Ain Karim, five miles west of Jerusalem.
This was no small trip.
For us 70 miles is nothing.
But 70 miles in Mary’s day was a significant distance.
And the road was not easy either.
We hop in the car and away we go.
Mary sets off on an amazing journey.
Mary would have had to worry about animals, robbers and countless other situations.
This is not something we would let our teenage daughter take off on this kind of journey today.
This journey was an undertaking for Mary, but an important one.
It was important because she had to go and see for herself, to receive confirmation that Elizabeth was in fact pregnant.
So as the text says, Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country.
A three- or four-day journey.
Her haste indicates eagerness.
She could not wait to get there.
In part for confirmation of what Gabriel said, but also because Elizabeth, with her miraculous pregnancy, may be one of the only people she could relate to.
When Mary arrives, she enters and greets Elizabeth.
However the greeting comes out.
Excitement and joy ensues.
Elizabeth responds with joy.
Mary is filled with joy.
Even the yet to be born John is filled with joy.
Verse 40 first mentions that the baby leaped in her womb.
Only a mother can relate to the sensation described here.
This leap was more than a prenatal kick or turn, it was a spring for joy, an upward vault.
The word translated “leaped” here is used to describe skipping or leaping, as of sheep in the field.
Why did Elizabeth’s baby react in this way?
The answer is twofold.
First, there was a prophet in her womb, and this was his first prophecy.
John the Baptist’s ministry was beginning three months before his birth.
John leaped for joy with the knowledge of the conception of God’s Son.
Leap for joy for the Messiah is coming!
Elizabeth expresses her joy.
Elizabeth expresses her joy.
Elizabeth is then filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaims with a loud cry a blessing upon Mary.
The Holy Spirit is already playing an important role in peoples lives here.
Luke will in fact emphasize this fact throughout His gospel account.
It is the Holy spirit that influences Elizabeth to shout out a blessing when Mary arrives.
The picture I get in my mind is when you see a couple of girls who have not seen each other for a while when they greet one another after that period away. (Teenage girls?)
Of course here, one is rather old, and the other very young, but you get the picture.
Plus they had pregnancy in common and that adds another factor into the mix.
These words of Elizabeth are not simply an enthusiastic family greeting; they are a prophecy.
Prophecy about Mary’s role and status in the story of salvation, as Elizabeth puts it “the mother of my Lord.”
Elizabeth’s blessings.
Elizabeth’s blessings.
Blessed are you among women.
Her loud cry (or ‘shout’) shows excitement. Her words are printed as prose in our Bibles, but actually they form a little poem.
She greets Mary as Blessed … among women (which reflects a Hebrew construction meaning ‘the most blessed of women’).
Through the Holy Spirits leading, Elizabeth is providing Mary with further confirmation of her role as mother of the Messiah.
Mary picks up on this and expands upon in in her song in verses 46-55
This blessing is one of joy.
You Mary, humble and lowly, shall become the most blessed of all women.
The ultimate, the finest blessing available to women!
How much amazement, how much joy comes with that statement.
The second part of Elizabeth’s statement involves Jesus.
Blessed is the fruit of your womb!
This statement helps us to identify Jesus humanity.
The importance of Jesus humanity cannot be overestimated.
Jesus humanity in fact pertains to our salvation.
A gap lies between ourselves and God.
The gap has to do do with the difference in our natures.
God is God, we are not.
God is far superior to humans, so much so that without His aid, we cannot even know Him.
God takes the initiative to make himself know to humanity.
There is also the spiritual and moral gap that lies between ourselves and God.
This gap is created by our sin.
Humans, cannot, by our own moral effort, counter our sin that we might elevate ourselves to the same level as God.
Adam and Eve walked in the garden with God.
That was broken through sin.
If there is to be fellowship between humans and God today, we must be united in another way.
God and humanity is united once again through Christ, Son of God, Son of Man.
What we refer to theologically as the hypostatic union - big word I know - it means Jesus is fully God, and fully man. No 50/50
If Jesus was not really one of us, then humanity has not been reunited with deity - with God - we cannot be saved.
For the validity of the work accomplished in Christ’s death, or at least how it applies to us as humans depends upon the reality of Jesus as fully man.
The degree to which it is accomplished, salvation that is, depends fully upon the genuineness of Jesus deity.
Both are important.
Furthermore, if Jesus was truly one of us, experiencing all of the human temptations and trial, then he is able to empathize with us in our struggles as humans.
If Jesus was not human, or incompletely human, he cannot really intercede as a priest must on behalf of those He represents.
So Blessed is the fruit of Mary’s womb!
Elizabeth then asks another question which likely brought joy to Mary.
And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
This verse shows Elizabeth’s recognition that Jesus was the Messiah.
This is under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The sense of Elizabeth’s inspired question is, “But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord (the Messiah) should come to me?”
This had to encourage and embolden Mary.
Here was one who without any explanation immediately understood her secret and celebrated it by pronouncing a double blessing and affirming that Mary indeed carried the Lord and Messiah in her womb!
Verse 44 helps Mary and us to see that she knew of Mary’s status because of the child she bore.
For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
The child within her, leapt in the presence of someone greater than himself.
Joy in the presence of someone greater.
Joy in the presence of someone greater.
John is to have an important role in God’s saving purpose, but it will be a subordinate one, and already the unborn John, filled with the Holy Spirit
for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
John, even from within the womb recognizes the presence of the Messiah, for whom he will prepare the way.
John will be a prophet.
Jesus will be king.
Elizabeth proclaims with her final blessing
And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
This again brings encouragement to Mary.
Elizabeth praises Mary’s obedience.
This of course is in contrast to the disobedience which she has been living with for the last six months.
We can picture Zechariah as a fly on the wall perhaps during this whole exchange.
The Holy Spirit celebrated Mary’s faith as she believed and submitted to God’s will and so become the mother of God’s Son.
As sort of an observation and an aside here -
This passage also helps us to see the importance of the sanctity of life.
This baby in the womb, still growing at 6 months, experiences joy!
More than that though.
In view of all this, I pose this question:
if young Mary had gotten an abortion, what would she have aborted—a potential human being or the person of the eternal Son of God?
Only one answer is possible.
I don’t ask this question to condemn.
I pray that the words flowing forth are ones of compassion.
People find themselves in difficult situations and some listening may have been in the position of having an abortion.
Perhaps it was in ignorance, before knowing the Scriptures and coming to Christ.
Or perhaps it was because of fear, or economic stress, or the pressures of a boyfriend or family.
Whatever the reason, if you turn to Christ, God’s grace is big enough to bring you forgiveness.
Even as a believer, you did not sin in ignorance, your sin we would consider more grievous.
All the more importantly, through your repentance, God’s grace is sufficient.
Whatever our pasts, we are now all under the light of God’s Word, and our responsibility to accept God’s love and grace and to protect unborn life is immense.
Framed in light,
Mary sings through the doorway.
Elizabeth’s six month joy
jumps, a palpable greeting,
a hidden first encounter
between son and Son.
And my heart turns over
when I meet Jesus
in you.
—LUCI SHAW
Human life is a gift.
Human life is important.
Do others find joy in us when the meet us?
Do those we come into contact with, see the joy we have because of the amazing work Christ has done for us?
Communion
Communion
Today in response to the joy that we have seen in our text, we will celebrate communion together as an act of remembrance for what Jesus has done for us.
The Lord’s Supper is not only a somber ritual though, but it also brings with it Joy.
If you think about it, meals, even those around funerals, contain joy.
We have so many reasons to have joy, especially in relationship to the Lord’s Supper and what Christ has done for us.
The Lord’s supper is based around the Passover meal.
The passover meal is a meal to remember what the Lord did to free the Israelites from slavery.
The joy of freedom!
We celebrate the Lord’s supper and remember what Jesus has done to free us from the slavery of sin and death.
A freedom even greater than that of the Israelites!
As we partake of the Lord’s supper today, especially with the current events surrounding us, we need joy.
We need hope!
Are you taking joy in the salvation that Jesus purchased for you?
Invite helpers
And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
Jesus desired to eat this meal with his fellow disciples.
Meals in Jesus day were as much if not more about fellowship than feeding yourselves.
Jesus desired this meal for a couple of reasons.
It would be his last opportunity of fellowship with His disciples.
It also marked the direct beginning of events leading to the cross. Where jesus knew what would be accomplished.
His kingdom would be inaugurated.
Pass the bread.
As the bread goes around, let us take joy in knowing that Jesus suffered and died for our sins.
And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Father we thank you for the joy we can have in you. Jesus we thank you that you gave yourself for us. We eat together now in remembrance of you.
Pass the cups
As we pass the cups, we can take joy in knowing that it is through Jesus blood which was shed, that we have been made clean, able to be in a relationship with God.
And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.