God My Savior

Elizabeth and Mary

(Luke 1:39-56, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, December 16, 2018)

[39] In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, [40] and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. [41] And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, [42] and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! [43] And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? [44] For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. [45] And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

[46] And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

[47] and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

[48] for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

[49] for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

[50] And his mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

[51] He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

[52] he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate;

[53] he has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

[54] He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

[55] as he spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

[56] And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

Elizabeth and Mary

It is always an amazing miracle for a woman to carry within her body a new life (Psalm 139:13-16). This was certainly the case for Elizabeth who was beyond the age of childbearing. How much more Mary who had never known a man.

We would only expect those who are of age to be impressed with these matters. It shocks us to learn that John the Baptist has a reaction to this visit even though he is himself in the womb of Elizabeth.

We are told that “Mary arose and went with haste” to visit Elizabeth. In traditional cultures, a visitor's voice calling out from the gate was the only doorbell that anyone would expect. Elizabeth and her son both react to Mary's arrival. “The baby leaped in her womb,” and the elderly mother spoke an inspired message by the Holy Spirit.

Why such a stir? The young visitor was greatly blessed “among women” by God. How so? Many may carry little ones, but the “fruit” of Mary's virgin womb is the saving Lord of expectant worshipers like Mary, Elizabeth and her little son, John. The visit of Mary (and her baby?) was a great honor that was “granted” to the elderly, pregnant Elizabeth. She adds to her son's dance of joy a word of encouragement acknowledging that Mary “believed” what the Lord spoke to her. Elizabeth is greatly pleased to extend hospitality to young Mary (and her baby, the I-AM in the flesh, who may be within His mother).

Mary and Elizabeth

Mary does not return the compliment in kind. It is easy to miss this point. She could have said. “Oh no, it is a privilege for me to be in your house. God has blessed you and your little baby. I have so much to learn form you, and there is no place that I would rather been than with you.” All true, but not Mary's passion at this moment.

Mary has a higher focus: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Mary's own “estate” as a servant of the Almighty is extraordinarily humble. When she and Joseph go to make the sacrifice for a baby boy as commanded in Leviticus 12, they have to choose the poor people option. Joseph is not a king in Jerusalem. He is a laborer from Nazareth who works with his hands.

Yet “all generations” will call Mary “blessed.” Why? Because she is smart, beautiful, pious, or has other commendable quality like humility? No, though if we were to choose one attribute to extol, we would do well to agree with Elizabeth. Faith. Mary “believed” the Word of God.

Yet Mary herself focuses on God and not herself. He is “mighty.” He is “holy.” He has “mercy” for all who call upon His Name with reverence in every generation. He defeats all proud adversaries. He feeds “the hungry,” and “the rich He has sent away empty.”

With words that remind us of the inspired songs of David or the oracle of the Old Testament surprise mother, Hannah (1 Samuel 2), Mary remembers the character and promises of the God of Israel. The Lord spoke “to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” He has now remembered His own ancient hymns.

By the time that Mary was visiting Elizabeth, those songs of old had been sung for about a thousand years. In the intervening centuries there was much disobedience and the horror of two massive empires who first destroyed northern Israel and then took the best and the brightest in Judah and Jerusalem and brought them far away to Babylon. Even though God led some back to the Promised Land to start up the old patterns of worship again, their was no prophetic Word in town for centuries, and there was very little hope for this despised people group under the subjugation of mighty Rome.

Where was Yahweh now? He was in the womb of a virgin just as he had promised in Isaiah 7:14. Jehovah, the One who is entirely “other,” was now “Immanuel,” God with us in a way that was frankly shocking. He came to a place where He was not expected at a time when most had given up. 1000 year old songs sung by Hannah and David, and promises spoken much earlier to Abraham were now alive and as close as was humanly possible. Mary stayed there three months with a spiritual mother and then went home.

God My Savior

Elizabeth (and the baby, John) rejoiced in the Lord, and Mary gave all the glory to the Almighty, who she called “God my Savior.” The words of these two women, inspired by the Holy Spirit, teach us that the best kind of spiritual friendship moves us toward the fruitfulness of honest worship offered up to our mighty and merciful God.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 88 – The God of My Salvation and the Day of Darkness