Luke, Part 3: Mary Visits Elizabeth

Text: Luke 1:39-45

In the previous section of Luke, the angel came to Mary and told her she would bear the Messiah.  Although she did ask, “How can (literally “shall”) this be?” she – unlike Zacharias – had faith in the word that God had sent her and believed the angel, understanding that “nothing is impossible with God.”

In this section, Mary came to visit Elizabeth.  Mary wanted to get together with someone else who had experienced God.  This is natural – people who have experienced God want to be together.

In verse 40, we see that Mary entered the house and “greeted” Elizabeth.  What was this greeting?  It was probably more than just a “hello”.  Mary must have been telling Elizabeth about the news the angel had given her because, in verse 41, we see that the baby leaped in Elizabeth’s womb.

When the baby leaped, Elizabeth was “filled with the Holy Spirit”.  Much could be said about the filling of the Holy Spirit.  We remember that Elizabeth had “kept herself in seclusion” for five months.  She was thinking of the Lord and walking circumspectly.  Walking with the Lord allows us to be filled with the Spirit.  Ephesians 5:15-20 describes how we are to walk carefully and use our time wisely, and to give ourselves over to the Holy Spirit, in comparison to how one who is ruled by drink gives himself over to wine.

It is interesting to note that Elizabeth was already regenerate, what we today would call “a Christian” before this filling of the ?Holy Spirit occurred.

The filling of the Holy Spirit caused Elizabeth to “cry out”.  She is excited, emotionally engaged.  She had been told that her baby would grow up to be the forerunner of the Messiah, but she did not know when the Messiah would come, until this point.

In the following verses, Elizabeth encouraged Mary, showing great humility (v.43) even though she was older than Mary.  She encouraged Mary by telling her what God had done.

She proclaimed Mary to be blessed in v. 44.  Mary was blessed in the same way as we are – she was saved through the work of Christ.  She also had a special blessing, in the service she performed in carrying Jesus.  For her, as well as us, blessedness is obtained through service.