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 the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
After the angel also told Mary that her cousin, Elizabeth was also with child, Mary rushed to make the 80 to 100-mile journey into the Judean hill country. Without doubt she rehearsed in her mind many times how she would tell Elizabeth what had happened?
Mary’s arrival at Zechariah and Elizabeth’s home was unexpected. When Mary arrived, Elizabeth knew what had happened to her without a word of explanation. At the sound of her voice the child leaped within her womb. What is described is more than kick or a turn, the word means literally leaped with delight. This certainly shows from the Bible that life begins at conception and even activity, spiritual activity, is one fetus recognizing the specialness of the Son of God within the womb. Babies are planned and allowed to conceive by the choice of God.
I believe that Elizabeth was able to see what God was doing in Mary because she also had seen God’s working in her own life. The Holy Spirit chose to praise Jesus yet unborn through the mouth of this godly, older woman who was especially blessed of God herself.
When the text declares that Elizabeth “spoke out with a loud voice’ (v. 42) it literally means “to shout.” The phrase “blessed are you among women” has been misinterpreted and used to support extra Biblical things about Mary. Mary was indeed blessed to be chosen by God to deliver the Messiah. Can you imagine being the mother of Jesus?
Interestingly, when Jesus was greeted the same way in Luke 11:27-28 “As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you." He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
The angel sent Mary to Elizabeth who could completely understand and affirm her as a young virgin. All her life, God had prepared her, not only to be John’s mother, but to be the example of maturity and faithfulness that Mary needed for the enormous task ahead.
Notice what Elizabeth says about Mary’s unborn child. She calls him “my Lord.” As far as we know, Elizabeth is the only person to confess “Jesus is my Lord” while He was still unborn!
Elizabeth understood the joy of life, much more than a developing fetus, but lives planned by God within their wombs
Application: Begin this Christmas season by your submission to the person of Christ as Lord.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the miracle of birth. Thank you that you so clearly show in Your Holy Word that the baby in the womb is a life. Our world so needs that truth! Protect all the unborn.
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