Luke 1:39-56 Responding to His Coming
by Daniel Burton
With Elizabeth pregnant with a miracle onvichild as a blessing and gift from God, Mary went to see her relative and check on her pregnancy. After all, both of them had miraculous conceptions. If anyone would be able to understand Mary’s situation, it would be Elizabeth. So Mary traveled while pregnant (admittedly not the last time she would do that). As Mary approached, unborn John the Baptist lept for joy within the womb of Elizabeth. The Savior would be she mankind was near and coming soon! What other reaction would there be but utter and total excitement.
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 the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”” – Luke 1:39-45, NIV
To read through the whole encounter with Mary, Elizabeth, John, and Jesus, feel free to go to Luke 1:39-56. The encounter with the mere presence of God left Elizabeth and even John changed. In our day, we can view our coming together in church, our devotional times, and even hearing from God as a routine experience or one of inconvenience, seeing the parts in our lives that need to change.
Excitement Over Boredom
As Mary approached, carrying the Savior, John lept for joy in the womb of Elizabeth. Even unborn, there was a understanding that this child was The Savior. This Savior was coming to save mankind and redeem us all from our sins. This was a moment of freedom and joyousness of being graced by the Savior!
Yet, for us, in our daily lives, we can go into our encounters with Christ. Our routine dulls our senses. Through rote repetition, we treat our quiet times, our bible studies, our Sunday services as ornaments to our lives nothing more. This escapes the whole point of Jesus Christ as Immanuel, God with us. We have the honor and privilege of regularly approaching the throne room of God and with confidence! For a perfect God, we have open and full access! Our encounters with Jesus Christ are moments for celebration and joy!
Blessing Over Inconvenience
The coming of the Savior would not be an easy coming. It would be marked by an overthrow of the current system and even an overthrow of death itself. There would be moments of conviction, hurt, and pain. Mary and Elizabeth probably knew this in the back of their minds as they are both carrying children. Yet, despite all of the coming difficulties, the coming of Jesus was a blessing. For all the trouble to come, Jesus would save the world. Any encounter with the Living God, even one marked by conviction, is a blessing. Our God is with us. What more blessing do we need?
I prayed for God to bless me once, hoping, honestly for cash. Instead, over the next seven weeks, it felt as if the sermons preached on Sunday were aimed specifically at me. At the end of it, I was reminded of my prayer for blessing, only to understand that the blessing was the encounter with God. As difficult as the sermons were, I heard from God and God’s word impacted me greatly. This is nothing short of a blessing.
As the two women sat there, pondering the coming years, seeing the first signs of the coming world, the story was beginning to unfold. The new Savior would come to repair the universe and bring His people to himself. Jesus would repair the very core of the world. As the Savior comes to bring new life, the new life in the wombs of the mothers rejoiced.
