Today’s passage is from Luke 1. I’ve called this devotional Jesus is Coming! And yeah, I know, the timing isn’t great because Christmas is just past. A season where we most celebrate the coming of our Lord into the world. Do we still have that excitement? Would we, if just a babe in the womb, leap for joy at the news? Jesus is coming!!!
Luke 1:39-45
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.”
Jesus is Coming!
So Mary is pregnant right? At least I would assume she was at this point because “she went with haste into the hill country“. Kinda sounds like a euphemism for something doesn’t it? It wasn’t done back in the day for young women to get pregnant without the benefit of marriage. People would talk. It would be a shame to the family. So here, let’s pack you off to spend time with distant family.
Who did she go visit? None other than Zechariah and Elizabeth!
And get this excitement level. Mary comes into the house and Elizabeth’s baby leaps for joy in her womb. I can just imagine the oomph from Elizabeth her baby’s antics. But her baby leapt for joy just from being in the presence of Jesus. All Mary did was walk in the door.
How many of us have lost that joy? That immediacy of deep satisfaction/love/inner peace when we are in God’s presence? Is going to church a joy? Is opening up your bible a joy? Do you long to just be with him? I know I struggle with this. Working actively to fix it, to notice that small things of God that make my heart smile. Also to make meaningful connections between God’s word and the world that I live. It isn’t always an easy road walking. But oh, seeing the joy that John had while YET IN THE WOMB of the close presence of his Lord and Saviour… that is so inspiring isn’t it?
But Elizabeth..
John leapt for joy but Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. When she saw Mary she cried out “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.”
Do you see it? Do you see how the Holy Spirit helped Elizabeth to understand what was going on with Mary? How she could see the blessing that was upon her (Mary)?!?! She knew that Mary was going to have God’s child. The knowledge was given to her that this child would be her Lord.
She added this though “blessed is she who believed“. Mary wasn’t forced to believe. She chose to believe. For her belief she is blessed. Believing that God will have a child through her. Her belief, it’s a great thing indeed. And Elizabeth saw it.
Think about it
Isn’t that neat? Like seriously, just think about it for a bit.
This young relative comes to you “in all haste” and you know that can’t be good. But when she arrives you just KNOW. The Holy Spirit abundantly lets you know who the child is that she is bearing. And it’s good. It’s beyond good. You know what a blessing this is. Her belief and the situation that Mary is in. It’s a good thing, not shameful or horrible, but good.
I’m betting that Mary had a good stay with Elizabeth and Zechariah. You see, the Holy Spirit let Elizabeth know what a good thing is was, how blessed Mary was for her believing. Isn’t it fantastic?
God worked it all out eh?
From choosing who would bear his child. The child who would foretell his boy when he grew up. That child recognizing who his Saviour was while yet a babe in the womb. The Holy Spirit moving in Elizabeth’s heart. God made it all work together perfectly.
All the little pieces of the puzzle fit together making it all work out for our good. A good working eh?
Follow along with Studies from Unexplainable Jesus
Come along with me as we continue to go through the study Unexplainable Jesus.
Leave a Reply