There is a story that is a bit tucked away at the beginning of Luke’s gospel which has always fascinated me. There is nothing that is perhaps distinctly theological about it. It doesn’t really move the story along too much. It’s purpose seems primarily to be as an introduction to one of the greatest poems in Scripture outside of the Psalms. It is found in Luke 1:39-45 and it is the story of Mary visiting her relative Elizabeth.

After Gabriel had visited Zacharias (some translations use the name Zechariah instead of Zacharias), the father of John the Baptist, Elizabeth got pregnant the old-fashioned way. Well, old-fashioned except that Zacharias and Elizabeth were at least in their 60’s and could well have been their 80’s and her pregnancy was wholly a miracle. She hid herself for five months after becoming pregnant so that she wouldn’t be seen as a crazy old lady who went around telling people she was pregnant. In her sixth month she would have been showing and about that time she came out of seclusion.

Also in that sixth month was when Gabriel made his appearance to Mary. We know that the purpose of that appearance was to let her know that she would, as a virgin, conceive through the power of The Holy Spirit the Son of God who was to come into the world. She submitted to God with the phrase “Let it be to me according to your word”. By the way, that would be a great prayer to start a day with…”Let it be to me according to Your word.”

So after this Mary went to visit Elizabeth at her house in the hill country. Why did she go to see Elizabeth? Two reasons, I think. First, the sight of seeing Elizabeth pregnant (again she would have been in her sixth month and showing) would be for her a confirmation of what Gabriel had said. I don’t think Mary needed this as any type of external sign, but I find it interesting that Gabriel had told her that Elizabeth was pregnant. For Mary, seeing a pregnant Elizabeth would not be a confirmation but perhaps more of an encouragement, along the lines of letting Mary see that what was happening was part of something much larger that God was doing.

The other reason I think that she went to see Elizabeth is because she was the only other person on the planet who could understand what Mary had experienced. There had not been word from God in 400 years, and yet here are two angelic appearances in just a few months. No one in the world could understand Mary’s situation other than Elizabeth.

And then comes the moment. When Mary walked into Elizabeth’s house and greeted her, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leapt for joy. The unborn John the Baptist somehow recognized in Mary the mother of the Messiah. This was not just the normal movement of a fetus kicking but Luke tells us specifically and then quotes Elizabeth on it. The baby leapt for joy in the womb. Just think about that for a minute. An unborn baby who would turn out to be the last prophet of Israel would somehow, while still in the womb, recognize the one who would give birth to the Messiah. How is that even possible? Mysterious are the ways of God.

But here’s the question. How do you respond to Jesus? New believers often have this leaping for joy feeling when they know their sins have been forgiven for the first time. But what about you if you have been a believer for maybe decades? What does the presence of the Messiah in your life do to you? Do you still leap for joy?

But here’s the question. How do you respond to Jesus? New believers often have this leaping for joy feeling when they know their sins have been forgiven for the first time. But what about you if you have been a believer for maybe decades? What does the presence of the Messiah in your life do to you? Do you still leap for joy?

Blessings,
Jeff Miller