Luke 1:39-42
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

The fact Mary “believed” is really quite remarkable.

Her pregnancy was unprecedented. Her pregnancy was controversial, not established by a long tradition in a particular supportive community. Her pregnancy needed to be a virtual secret; if she told everyone all that had actually occurred, they would have put her away as being crazy.

The fact she was asked to believe required very great trust, discernment, and patience. But as Gabriel told Mary, “The Lord is with you” (1:28). Mary believed those words and it made all the difference.

Mother of My Lord
The veneration of Mary has been characteristic of Roman Catholic worship since the seventh century and a major dividing line with Protestants, who regard such veneration as the same as to making Mary the Savior.

Many stereotypes and caricatures have created misunderstandings and made genuine discussion difficult.

Catholics are bewildered at Protestants’ cold shoulder to such a biblical character. Protestants see Jesus’ role threatened when Mary is idolized.

The Bible is clear here. Jesus is the Savior, and no one else!

Mary is the blessed mother of Jesus; she is not co-redeemer!

With Elizabeth, believers can rejoice for God’s work in Mary’s life.

With Elizabeth and Mary, believers can praise God for the salvation won by Jesus’ death and guaranteed by His resurrection.

Luke 1:39-42
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

Christians are urged to be filled with the Spirit as part of normal growth in the Lord, but the filling Elizabeth experienced was different, spontaneous, and entirely God-given. This filling captured her emotions with a God-centered joy and created an excited sense of God’s loving purpose in her life.

This filling makes you want to sing, pray, shout, and dance.

When God moves your heart this way, let it show.

Mary had not told Elizabeth anything of the events which had occurred in Nazareth. Elizabeth spoke words given to her by the Holy Spirit as she recognized Mary’s blessed condition. Mary had been chosen by God much as Elizabeth had.

As Mary had rushed off to visit her relative, she must have been wondering whether the events of the last few days were real. Elizabeth’s greeting would have strengthened her faith. Her pregnancy may have seemed impossible, but her older relative believed in the Lord’s faithfulness and rejoiced in Mary’s blessed condition.

The Spirit also showed Elizabeth the identity of Mary’s child, for she knew this child was blessed, God’s Son, the promised Messiah. Only the Holy Spirit could have revealed this to Elizabeth! Under inspiration of the Spirit, Elizabeth interpreted the movement in her womb as the child’s joy at hearing Mary’s greeting.

Even though she herself was pregnant with a long-awaited son, Elizabeth could have envied Mary, whose son would be even greater than her own. Instead she was filled with joy that the mother of her Lord would visit her. Elizabeth repeated that Mary was blessed because she believed what God had said to her would be accomplished.

Mary and Elizabeth were remarkable women, chosen and blessed by God!

They were both blessed by God and were able to rejoice together.

Luke 1:39-45
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

The fact Mary went to visit her relative Elizabeth shows these two had probably become acquainted at an earlier date. They may have been in each other’s company for a while in connection with one or more of the great religious festivals. Mary probably felt she needed to talk to someone who would understand.

So Mary left Nazareth and hurried to the hill country of Judea. The town where Zechariah and Elizabeth lived is not named by Luke, but the traditional birthplace of John is En Karim, about five miles west of Jerusalem. She was probably able to travel from Nazareth to Jerusalem with a group of people making the trip.

The visit from Mary no doubt came as a surprise, but the Holy Spirit made Elizabeth suddenly aware of both Mary’s pregnancy and the identity of Mary’s baby. The wonderful interaction of these two women, one very old, the other very young, before their children were born is a wonderful picture of God’s grace given to His servants.

They needed each other! Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months. They must have talked, wondering, over-joyed and surprised at what God was doing in their lives and what He was planning for their very special children.

We do need each other!

We educate, strengthen and encourage each other.

Luke 1:39-45
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

Mary is the type of woman who puts her faith into action. She not only says, “Lord, your will be done,” but she also “hurries” to see God at work in the life of her relative Elizabeth. The journey to Judea which Mary undertook was not a simple drive to the next town; it was a difficult journey which must have taken at least three days at that time.

Mary did not let that stop her from going to Elizabeth, rejoicing with her, and praising the Lord for fulfilling His promises. In his description of the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, Luke continued to highlight the superiority of Jesus over John.

Even in the womb, John leaped for joy, for he was already pointing to the Messiah, God’s Anointed One; to Jesus.

Elizabeth’s and Mary’s response to all of these amazing events was a song of praise for God’s mercy.

They were praising God for showing mercy to His people.

We can also thank God for the spiritual ancestors in our specific lives.

One of our readers wrote:
God’s faithful need those who get it- who get God’s faithfulness, miraculous abilities and challenges that come with trusting in God.
God gave Mary and Elizabeth to each other. They get God and they get each other.
What wonderful stories they can tell! What wonderful support they can offer to each other.
Rick Rooks

Luke 1:36-38
Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Mary did not ask for a sign! But Gabriel gave her one by explaining Mary’s relative Elizabeth was also pregnant as the result of God’s grace. Gabriel gave Mary a person to whom she could go for support during what could prove to be a difficult time for Mary as she fulfilled God’s will.

This also showed Mary nothing is impossible with God. God chose to use a barren woman who was past childbearing age and caused her to become pregnant. God selected a virgin and caused a child to grow in her womb. With God, nothing is impossible.

God’s proclamation of a child to be born was met with various responses throughout Scripture. Sarah, Abraham’s wife, laughed (Genesis 18:9-15). Zechariah doubted (1:18). By contrast, Mary presented herself, knowing she was merely the servant of the Lord. She believed the angel’s words and agreed to bear the child, even under humanly impossible circumstances. There would also be difficult social consequences.

A young unmarried girl who was pregnant exposed herself to many problems. Unless the father of the child agreed to marry her, she would probably remain unmarried for life. If her own father rejected her, she could be forced into begging or prostitution in order to earn her living. She risked losing Joseph, her family, and her reputation. And her story about being made pregnant by the Holy Spirit risked her being considered crazy as well.

Still Mary said, despite the risks, “Let it be with me according to your word.” When Mary said these words she didn’t know the opportunity she would have. She took the risk of faith; she didn’t consult with anyone; she didn’t take time to weigh the pros and cons. She only knew that God was asking her to serve Him, and she willingly obeyed.

We need Mary’s kind of trust and responsiveness.

God wants willing servants.

Luke 1:38
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Gabriel explained how Mary would become pregnant and yet remain a virgin. The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; these words picture the powerful presence of God. The same word is used in the Transfiguration accounts to describe the overshadowing cloud, (Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7).

This would be a special baby, for He will be holy. Jesus was born without the sin that had entered the world through Adam. He was born holy, just as Adam had been created sinless. We must be careful not to explain that Jesus was sinless simply because he did not have a human father. To do so would mean Mary would have been sinless, which she was not.

Jesus’ sinlessness rests not on His miraculous birth to a virgin girl but on the basis of His position with God. Through the birth of Jesus, God Himself entered the world in human form. This is the miracle! In 1:32, the angel said Jesus would be called “the Son of the Highest”; here he adds that he will be called the Son of God. This passage is important to the theology of who Jesus was.

The title “Son of God” shows He has a special role in God’s purpose and He is the true Son of David, the expected Messiah. The mention of the Holy Spirit gives the name greater significance, showing God, through the Spirit, has a special role in creating this child.

The connection of “Son of God” to Son of the Most High states Jesus’ divinity.

In contrast to Adam, who disobeyed God, Jesus would completely obey His Father, enabling him to face sin’s consequences in sinners’ place and make them, sinners, acceptable to God (Romans 5:14-19). This Son would be born totally because of God’s initiative and by His grace. Jesus came as a gift from God.

If Jesus Christ were not true God, how could He help us?

If He is not true man, how could He help us?

Luke 1:34 -38
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Of all the New Testament miracles the virgin birth of Jesus creates the most controversy. It is seen to be incredible by skeptics! At the beginning of the 20th century some scholars tried to find a way around it. They said the word virgin, could mean simply a young woman. They argued the Bible never intended to teach a virgin birth in the first place. It is true the word doesn’t always have to mean virgin, although that is its principal meaning. But even if the word virgin were not found in the text, how could we miss the concept, when Mary asks, “How can I have a baby? I have never been with a man.”

The angel understood what Mary was asking. He answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will over-shadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

This child was not to be born by the normal biological process. He would go through the process of birth, being carried for a full term of pregnancy. Yet He was to differ from all humanity in that He did not have a human father. His conception occurred by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This was a miracle in the strictest sense of all: it was an act only God could bring to pass. God alone can bring something out of nothing; life out of death; fertility from a barren woman; a virgin birth.

Mary responds in words of submission, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” There is no argument from Mary.

The second part of verse 38 has been given a special name in some theological circles. It is called ‘Mary’s fiat’. A fiat is a command. God created the world by divine fiat. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead by the sheer power of His fiat. So the word fiat is used to show Mary is giving a commandment to the angel. Those who exalt Mary to a degree of importance beyond what Protestant churches grant, believe Mary’s fiat was necessary for Jesus to have been born.

Nothing could be further from the tone of Mary’s words. Mary was not giving orders to the angel. She was saying, “If this is what God wants, then I will do it.”

You may think there could be nothing greater in the entire world than to have an angel make an announcement like this to you. But can you imagine the awesome responsibility that was placed on Mary? Do you realize the price this woman had to pay to become the mother of Christ?

Later, we shall see the promise that goes with the birth of the Messiah is that a sword would pierce her own soul. Yet Mary says to God, “If that is your will, then I’ll do it.”

The beginning of Jesus’ life is marked by a mother who submits to the will of God.

Whose will is being done in your life?

Adapted from – Sproul, R. C. (1999). A Walk with God: An Exposition of Luke (pp. 20-21). Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications

Luke 1:34
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

Christianity does not rest on the Virgin Birth; two of the four Gospels don’t even mention it. Faith rests on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, not on His virgin birth.

Paul explained, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” 1 Corinthians 15:14.

In Jesus, God began a “new creation,” for through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, sin’s power would be broken. In Jesus, people can come to God for a relationship and be freed from the power of sin.

Jesus was God’s Son before He was even conceived in Mary’s womb. He did not become God’s Son at a later time. He was not accepted as God’s Son because of good behavior or obedience.

He was not a man promoted to that position. God’s Son was born God’s Son. In the birth of Jesus, God Himself became human and entered the world; to save fallen human beings!

In that lies the miracle!

We are meant to believe it and worship God who made it happen.

Jesus was born of a woman, He was a human being; but as the Son of God, Jesus was born without any trace of human sin.

Jesus is both fully human and fully divine.

Because Jesus lived as a man, we know He fully understands our experiences and struggles (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Since He is God, He has the power and authority to deliver people from sin (Colossians 2:13-15).

We can tell Jesus all our thoughts, feelings, and needs.

He has been where we are, and He has the ability to help.