Luke 1:39-56
Please open your Bible to Luke chapter one, verse thirty-nine. Our text today is found in verses 39 through 56.
Before we read this passage together a short review is in order. Luke begins his gospel assuring us he is writing that we might know the certainty of those things which are most surely believed among us. He proceeds to launch into the details surrounding the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist and then proceeds to document the details surrounding the announcement of the birth of the Son of God six months later.
I caution you to read this chapter with great reverence. Be careful lest you miss the grand importance of what transpired in those days. This inspired text confirms the birth of the forerunner of Messiah and the birth of the Messiah himself. My friends, the message here is crystal clear: God sent forth his son born of a woman; and he raised up the forerunner predicted by the prophet who would prepare the way of the Lord.
The powerful reality of what was happening gripped the heart of Mary. She now understood God chose her to bear the Son of God and she soon came to understand her cousin Elisabeth would give birth to a mighty preacher destined to be the prophesied forerunner of Messiah. With her heart filled with anticipation and the wonder of it all, Mary with haste travelled to talk with Elisabeth.
Now look with me at Luke 1:39 and follow along as I read through verse 56:
39And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
As we begin an examination of this text the first thing that jumps off the page is the extraordinary reaction of Elisabeth’s unborn child when Elisabeth first heard the voice of Mary. The Bible says the babe leaped in the womb of Elisabeth. Elisabeth adds that the baby leaped for joy in her womb when she heard the voice of Mary.
I must say, I have no clue how a mother senses communication from the movement of an unborn child in the womb. However, mothers pick up on things about their children before they are born and certainly after they are born. It is a discernment unique to motherhood and it will do no good to try to explain it scientifically. It is a God-given intuition woven into the fabric of what it means to be a mother.
Next, please take careful note of the unborn baby’s reaction to the voice of Mary. The Bible says the unborn child leaped for joy! We know today unborn babies can feel pain and thus the barbaric procedure of abortion brutalizes the most helpless human beings among us. But according to this passage it is possible for the unborn child to experience joy. This is an amazing insight into the capacity of an unborn child to have some comprehension of what is happening around it. Certainly the joy of Elisabeth’s heart touched the heart of her unborn child who immediately reacted in unison with mom!
Now look again at verse 43: “And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” We must immediately ask as to how Elisabeth knew Mary was to be the mother of the Messiah, who is the Lord from heaven. I would remind you Elisabeth knew the Scriptures. Furthermore, she knew her baby was to function as the forerunner of Messiah. Thus, logic led her to conclude the mother of the Messiah lived among them and would soon be revealed. It could be no other way.
Although it is reasonable to conclude Elisabeth, and Zachariah as well, knew Messiah would soon be born, they had no idea who the chosen vessel would be. Until, that is, Elisabeth was “filled with the Holy Ghost.” You see, the Spirit of God showed her whom the Lord had chosen—it was Mary. Now look again at verse 45. Elisabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, states what only God could reveal to her. She had no way of knowing how Mary took hold of the Word of God as Gabriel announced the birth of the Messiah. However, the Holy Spirit speaks through Elisabeth and confirms Mary’s faith.
Now look again at verses 46 and 47: “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” At this point Mary breaks forth in praise and worship. She is giving the Lord praise and glory for what he is working in her life. Please notice how Mary rejoiced in “God my Savior.”
My friends, Mary needed a Savior just like the rest of us. We should never exalt Mary to an inappropriate place in our thinking. While we acknowledge the great privilege granted to her and we call her blessed, she none-the-less needed to believe upon her Son and place faith in him as her own Savior. And this she did by her own testimony! She is rejoicing in God her Savior.
May I ask you a question? Is the Lord Jesus your Savior? Do you rejoice in him? My friends, the Bible says of the believer our “conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Indeed, we are looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ!”
My friends, we all need a Savior because we are all sinners. At our best state we far short of the glory of God. Our God is glorious in holiness, but we are fallen. In a word, we are not holy. All our righteousness is as filthy rags in the light of his glorious holiness. Thus, we need a Savior to deliver us from our unholy condition. We need a Savior who can make us holy, and we have one!
I am here to declare to you that those who believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Indeed, the Lord Jesus has loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Praise his name! We are now washed, we are now sanctified, and we are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God! Amen! Jesus died to make us holy and by faith in his shed blood we are fitted with the garment of salvation, a robe of perfect righteousness, even the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ!
May I say, the more you understand salvation the more you will rejoice like Mary in the God of your salvation!
Now let me call your attention to verse 54. Mary says, “He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy.”
God sent the world a Savior through Israel, but that Savior is Israel’s King. And the Lord will remember mercy. The day of Israel’s deliverance is coming, albeit through great trial. Yet, it is coming.
Do you know the Lord remembers mercy when you and I come to the foot of the cross? . . .
Please open your Bible to Luke chapter one, verse thirty-nine. Our text today is found in verses 39 through 56.
Before we read this passage together a short review is in order. Luke begins his gospel assuring us he is writing that we might know the certainty of those things which are most surely believed among us. He proceeds to launch into the details surrounding the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist and then proceeds to document the details surrounding the announcement of the birth of the Son of God six months later.
I caution you to read this chapter with great reverence. Be careful lest you miss the grand importance of what transpired in those days. This inspired text confirms the birth of the forerunner of Messiah and the birth of the Messiah himself. My friends, the message here is crystal clear: God sent forth his son born of a woman; and he raised up the forerunner predicted by the prophet who would prepare the way of the Lord.
The powerful reality of what was happening gripped the heart of Mary. She now understood God chose her to bear the Son of God and she soon came to understand her cousin Elisabeth would give birth to a mighty preacher destined to be the prophesied forerunner of Messiah. With her heart filled with anticipation and the wonder of it all, Mary with haste travelled to talk with Elisabeth.
Now look with me at Luke 1:39 and follow along as I read through verse 56:
39And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
As we begin an examination of this text the first thing that jumps off the page is the extraordinary reaction of Elisabeth’s unborn child when Elisabeth first heard the voice of Mary. The Bible says the babe leaped in the womb of Elisabeth. Elisabeth adds that the baby leaped for joy in her womb when she heard the voice of Mary.
I must say, I have no clue how a mother senses communication from the movement of an unborn child in the womb. However, mothers pick up on things about their children before they are born and certainly after they are born. It is a discernment unique to motherhood and it will do no good to try to explain it scientifically. It is a God-given intuition woven into the fabric of what it means to be a mother.
Next, please take careful note of the unborn baby’s reaction to the voice of Mary. The Bible says the unborn child leaped for joy! We know today unborn babies can feel pain and thus the barbaric procedure of abortion brutalizes the most helpless human beings among us. But according to this passage it is possible for the unborn child to experience joy. This is an amazing insight into the capacity of an unborn child to have some comprehension of what is happening around it. Certainly the joy of Elisabeth’s heart touched the heart of her unborn child who immediately reacted in unison with mom!
Now look again at verse 43: “And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” We must immediately ask as to how Elisabeth knew Mary was to be the mother of the Messiah, who is the Lord from heaven. I would remind you Elisabeth knew the Scriptures. Furthermore, she knew her baby was to function as the forerunner of Messiah. Thus, logic led her to conclude the mother of the Messiah lived among them and would soon be revealed. It could be no other way.
Although it is reasonable to conclude Elisabeth, and Zachariah as well, knew Messiah would soon be born, they had no idea who the chosen vessel would be. Until, that is, Elisabeth was “filled with the Holy Ghost.” You see, the Spirit of God showed her whom the Lord had chosen—it was Mary. Now look again at verse 45. Elisabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, states what only God could reveal to her. She had no way of knowing how Mary took hold of the Word of God as Gabriel announced the birth of the Messiah. However, the Holy Spirit speaks through Elisabeth and confirms Mary’s faith.
Now look again at verses 46 and 47: “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” At this point Mary breaks forth in praise and worship. She is giving the Lord praise and glory for what he is working in her life. Please notice how Mary rejoiced in “God my Savior.”
My friends, Mary needed a Savior just like the rest of us. We should never exalt Mary to an inappropriate place in our thinking. While we acknowledge the great privilege granted to her and we call her blessed, she none-the-less needed to believe upon her Son and place faith in him as her own Savior. And this she did by her own testimony! She is rejoicing in God her Savior.
May I ask you a question? Is the Lord Jesus your Savior? Do you rejoice in him? My friends, the Bible says of the believer our “conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Indeed, we are looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ!”
My friends, we all need a Savior because we are all sinners. At our best state we far short of the glory of God. Our God is glorious in holiness, but we are fallen. In a word, we are not holy. All our righteousness is as filthy rags in the light of his glorious holiness. Thus, we need a Savior to deliver us from our unholy condition. We need a Savior who can make us holy, and we have one!
I am here to declare to you that those who believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Indeed, the Lord Jesus has loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Praise his name! We are now washed, we are now sanctified, and we are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God! Amen! Jesus died to make us holy and by faith in his shed blood we are fitted with the garment of salvation, a robe of perfect righteousness, even the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ!
May I say, the more you understand salvation the more you will rejoice like Mary in the God of your salvation!
Now let me call your attention to verse 54. Mary says, “He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy.”
God sent the world a Savior through Israel, but that Savior is Israel’s King. And the Lord will remember mercy. The day of Israel’s deliverance is coming, albeit through great trial. Yet, it is coming.
Do you know the Lord remembers mercy when you and I come to the foot of the cross? . . .
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