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Luke 1:39-56 (Mary visits Elizabeth)

INTRODUCTION: It’s the middle of December! We are “Preparing for Christmas,” and my prayer is that this series of messages from the gospel of Luke will be helpful to all of us as we prepare our hearts to celebrate Christmas this year.

Two weeks ago, we looked at God’s announcement to Zechariah and Elizabeth. They would give birth to a son, John the Baptist, who would prepare God’s people for the Messiah. Last week we looked at God’s announcement to Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah himself.

In today’s passage, Luke draws the two stories together as Mary and Elizabeth meet together in Elizabeth’s hometown in Judea. I like the way one person puts it: “One is old and has no children; the other is young and has no husband. But both are pregnant.” (R.T. France) And now these two mothers-to-be come together, mothers bearing children who will change the world as we know it forever. (Read Luke 1:39-42 and pray)

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One of the things we learn from Scripture is that God views things very differently than we do. We tend to be attracted to the strong and the powerful in this world, while we often overlook the helpless and the weak. In our own culture we seem to be obsessed with celebrities. You can’t even go shopping nowadays without reading the latest gossip about this or that celebrity and what they ate or what they wore or who they were with last week.

But judging from Scripture, I doubt God spends much time reading the celebrity columns. Our God is a mighty God who does mighty things for ordinary people. And although you find this truth throughout the pages of Scripture, one of the most prominent places is right here in this passage. Mary bursts out in a song of praise to the Lord who has done great things for her – a simple, common young woman who simply trusted in the Lord.

I. Mary visits Elizabeth (39-45)

   A. Mary greets Elizabeth (39-41)

We begin with Mary visiting her relative Elizabeth. Look at verses 39-40: “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.” (Luke 1:39-40)

“At that time” refers to the time of the angel’s visit to her, which was the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. As we saw last week, God sent the angel Gabriel to tell Mary that she would become pregnant and give birth to the Messiah. Mary wondered how this would be since she was a virgin. And the angel explained to her that she would be with child through the power of the Holy Spirit, without any involvement of a man. Mary accepted God’s plan for her, and now she carried the developing child Jesus within her womb. The angel also told her that her relative Elizabeth was going to have a child in her old age, and so Mary very naturally goes off to visit Elizabeth in Judea.

Judea was about a 3-4-day journey south, a good 80-100 miles away, so Mary and Elizabeth probably did not get together often. We can assume they probably saw each other along with other relatives during the times of the great feasts in Jerusalem. But Mary wastes no time. She gets herself ready and hurriedly makes the trip to see Elizabeth. God has been at work in both of their lives, and they will have much to share.

When Mary arrives and greets Elizabeth, something unusual happens. John the Baptist leaps within Elizabeth’s womb. Look at verse 41: “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Luke 1:41)

Now John would have been six months old in the womb at this time, certainly old enough to be moving around in the womb, perhaps kicking from time to time. But whatever movements Elizabeth may have felt before, this was different. Not only that, but this particular movement coincided with the sound of Mary’s greeting as she entered the house.

Luke tells us something else also happened at the sound of Mary’s greeting. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. This means that the words Elizabeth spoke next came from God. Elizabeth’s words were prophecy as she spoke forth a word from God by the Holy Spirit.

Elizabeth’s words also contain features of Hebrew poetry, which was very common in Old Testament prophecy. In fact, her words here actually form the first of five songs that we find in the opening chapters of Luke, all relating to the birth of Christ. We have:

   1) Elizabeth’s song at Mary’s greeting (1:42-45)
   2) Mary’s song at Elizabeth’s blessing (1:46-55)
   3) Zechariah’s song at John’s birth (1:68-79)
   4) The angels’ song at Jesus’ birth (2:14)
   5) Simeon’s song at the presentation of Jesus in the temple (2:29-32)

We will be looking at all five of these songs in the coming weeks, but today we will look at the first two: Elizabeth’s and Mary’s songs. Let’s look at Elizabeth’s song of blessing first.

   B. Elizabeth blesses Mary (42-45)

First, Elizabeth blesses both Mary and the baby. Verse 42: “In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!’” (Luke 1:42)

The word “blessing” used here in verse 42 is a little different from the word that we will see later on in verse 45. Here in verse 42 the word means “to praise, or to celebrate with praises.” In verse 45 the word means more along the lines of “happy, or knowing God’s favor.”

So here in verse 42 Elizabeth is celebrating Mary and her baby. She speaks well of them. Mary has a special place among all the women who have ever lived in that she is the one whom God has chosen to bear the Messiah. The child she bears is also blessed, for he is the promised one from God. Notice Elizabeth’s humility. There is no jealousy here that Mary’s child will be greater than her own, that Mary has received a greater blessing than even Elizabeth has. There is just pure joy and celebration over the blessing that God has given to Mary.

Her humility continues in verse 43: “But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43) Elizabeth can hardly believe that Mary would come to visit her! She does not view herself as worthy or deserving of such a special visit.

Notice how Elizabeth describes Mary as “the mother of my Lord.” Elizabeth is the first person on record to confess Jesus Christ as Lord. Many thousands have confessed him as Lord since, and one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, but Elizabeth was first. What an honor! What humility before God and Christ!

And she not only calls him Lord, but “my Lord.” This simply confirms what we learned about Zechariah and Elizabeth at the beginning of the chapter: that they were a godly and upright couple who loved the Lord and lived lives that were pleasing to him.

Now you might wonder, how did Elizabeth know all these things? How did she even know that Mary was pregnant, much less that she was carrying the Messiah? Was it simply because John leaped in her womb? No, that would not have been enough. It was because she was filled with the Holy Spirit, and God himself was speaking through her.

An event by itself is meaningless until God interprets it for us. For example, we read about Rebekah in the Old Testament who had two babies in her womb that jostled each other within her. She said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:22-23) Rebekah did not know the meaning of the jostling until God told her the meaning.

The Holy Spirit inspired the prophets and all of Scripture not only to record events but also to interpret events for us. History can tell us what happened, but we need Scripture to tell us why things happened. For example, it is not enough to know that Jesus died on the cross, but we must know why Jesus died on the cross. He died on the cross for our sins so that we could be forgiven. Scripture not only records the event but tells us what it means. And so, the Holy Spirit gave Elizabeth this supernatural knowledge of Mary and her baby.

The Holy Spirit also helped Elizabeth interpret the leaping of her baby within her womb. By the Holy Spirit she knew that this was not just a natural movement, but the baby was actually leaping for joy at the sound of Mary’s voice. Look at verse 44: “As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.” (Luke 1:44)

Now you might wonder, how in the world could a six-month-old baby in the womb not only recognize Mary’s voice, but then leap for joy at the sound of her greeting? And the answer is, the same way that Elizabeth could prophecy about things that she did not know. John also was filled with the Holy Spirit. The angel Gabriel had told Zechariah that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. This was not John leaping for joy of his own accord. This was the Holy Spirit leaping for joy through John at the greeting of Jesus’ mother. John came as a witness to Christ, and he gave his very first witness to the Messiah while both of them were still in the womb.

Finally, Elizabeth pronounces a blessing on Mary for her faith. Look at verse 45: “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” (Luke 1:45) This is the word “blessed” meaning “happy, or knowing God’s favor.” And why is Mary blessed or favored by God here? Because she believed what God told her. She believed that what God said to her will be accomplished. She will give birth to the Messiah.

II. Mary praises the Lord in song (46-55)
      – “The Magnificat”

Elizabeth’s song prompts a song also from Mary. Mary’s song is better known than Elizabeth’s and also better fits the form of a song. Mary’s song is often called “The Magnificat.” This is from the Latin translation of the first words in the song where Mary says, “My soul glorifies the Lord.” “Magnificat” is Latin for the word “glorifies.”

Mary’s song in many ways reflects Hannah’s song from the Old Testament in 1 Samuel 2, where Hannah praised God for allowing her to give birth to Samuel after she had been barren for many years. Mary’s whole song is saturated with Scripture, mostly from the Psalms but from other Scriptures as well. She especially draws from Psalm 103, but also from Psalms 89 and 98. Mary knew her Bible, and because she knew her Bible, she also knew her God. And now in a moment of great joy, the Scriptures burst forth from her tongue in praise to her great God.

   A. Mary praises God for what he has done for her (46-49)

Mary’s song has three parts to it. First, Mary praises God for what he has done for her. Look at verses 46-49: And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is his name.” (Luke 1:46-49)

Mary glorifies the Lord. She rejoices in God her Savior because of what he has done for her. He has remembered her humble state. She was not anyone powerful or important. She was not a celebrity. She was just a common, ordinary young woman in a small town pledged to be married to a common man. And yet God did not overlook her in her lowliness.

God is the Mighty One. He is far above all kings and powers, and yet he reaches out to the lowly, the needy, the humble, and the poor. Mary was nobody, but now not just Elizabeth, but all generations will remember her and call her blessed. And so, Mary’s heart fills up and overflows with praise for her God.

And why will all generations call her blessed? Not because of anything she has done, but because of what God has done for her. In her own words: “For the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is his name.” Mary’s life and place in history had changed forever! We should not worship Mary, but neither should we downplay the importance of her role in giving birth to Jesus the Messiah.

   B. Mary praises God for what he has done for all who fear him (50-53)

So first, Mary praises God for what he has done for her. Next, Mary praises God for what he has done for all who fear him. She praises him for three things here. First, she praises God for his mercy. Look at verse 50: “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.” (Luke 1:50) This is almost a direct quote from Psalm 103:17. God shows mercy and kindness to all people, even to his enemies. He gives them life and breath and family and many good gifts every day. But he extends his mercy in a special way to those who fear and reverence him. To those who trust and follow him he gives the mercy of forgiveness and the blessing of his presence and favor. From generation to generation God has given special mercy to those who fear him.

Secondly, she praises God for his mighty power. Look at verse 51: “He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.” (Luke 1:51) Throughout all of history there have been those who have taken their stand against God and felt strong and secure in their own power. Lucifer himself grew proud in his heart and tried to take God’s rightful place. Mary knows that there is no one who can successfully challenge God’s power. No one can match God’s mighty deeds. God scatters those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

And then, thirdly, she praises God for his sovereign grace. Look at verses 52-53: “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” (Luke 1:52-53) Once again, this is right out of the Psalms and right out of Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2. God is sovereign. He sets up rulers and removes them. He exalts a man or brings him low. But God is not only sovereign. He is also full of grace. He reverses the injustices that often exist in this life. He lifts up the humble. He fills the hungry with good things but sends the rich away empty.

   C. Mary praises God for what he has done for Israel (54-55)

And then, finally, Mary praises God for what he has done for Israel. Look at verses 54-55: “He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.” (Luke 1:54-55)

Here Mary praises God for two things in particular that he has done for Israel. He has remembered mercy, and he has kept his promises. Israel had a long history of rejecting God and God’s word through the prophets. But through it all, God remembered mercy and even in judgment he always preserved a remnant. Now he had kept his word and sent the Messiah to help his people as promised.

Earlier, Elizabeth pronounced Mary blessed because of her faith. Mary’s song is full of faith and full of a deep understanding of God’s plan through the ages as found in the Old Testament Scriptures pointing forward to Christ.

III. Mary returns home (56)

Finally, in verse 56 we read that, “Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.” (Luke 1:56) Remember, Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy when Mary came to visit her, so three months later would have been just about the time of John’s birth.

And so, the question is often asked, “Did Mary stay until right after John was born, or did she leave right before he was born?” A good case could be made either way.

It would only seem natural for her to stay until after the baby was born. I mean, who wouldn’t want to see a newborn baby, especially one related to you, especially when this baby was the forerunner of the Messiah? So, it would make good sense if Mary stayed the three months in order to see John born before she went home.

But, on the other hand, Luke makes no mention of Mary being present at John’s birth. Plus, by now Mary would have been in her third month of pregnancy, and she would still have to travel the 80-100 miles back home. She may not have been able to wait until John was born. So, we don’t really know. We just know that she went back to her home after about three months.

Which means that Mary was three-months pregnant when she returned home. Which means she was very likely beginning to show. And so, these would have been very difficult months for Mary. The rumors and gossip must have flown about the small town of Nazareth. Her own family may have rejected her. Even Joseph, when he learned she was pregnant, we read that he considered divorcing her.

But God continued to provide for her during this time. Surely, she was encouraged when God appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that “what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20). Surely, she was comforted when Joseph took her home as his wife in obedience to the angel’s command.

Yes, there was a difficult road ahead for her. But Mary’s faith rested securely in the mighty God who does mighty things for ordinary people.

CONCLUSION: If you are a believer this morning, then you too can sing Mary’s song, for you too share Mary’s testimony.

No, God did not appear to you through an angel and tell you that you would give birth to the Messiah. But God has come to you offering salvation through Christ. Not because you were anybody special or important in this life, but simply because he loves you.

And so, with Mary we too can humble ourselves before the Lord and trust him to do his good work in our lives. With Mary we too can sing: “The Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is his name!”

© Ray Fowler

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