Luke 1:39-56

39 A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town 40 where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. 43 Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? 44 When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

46 Mary responded,

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.

47     How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,

    and from now on all generations will call me blessed.

49 For the Mighty One is holy,

    and he has done great things for me.

50 He shows mercy from generation to generation

    to all who fear him.

51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!

    He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.

52 He has brought down princes from their thrones

    and exalted the humble.

53 He has filled the hungry with good things

    and sent the rich away with empty hands.

54 He has helped his servant Israel

    and remembered to be merciful.

55 For he made this promise to our ancestors,

    to Abraham and his children forever.”

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.

This was obviously an incredible moment. There was a bond between these two pregnant women but there was more than that happening. They experienced the presence of God.

1. Elizabeth's baby leapt within her.

2. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

3. She gave a loud cry. There was a surge of something within her.

4. She recognised immediately that Mary was pregnant and that this was a blessing from God - the greatest blessing that any woman had ever received.

5. She recognised that Mary's baby was blessed.

6. She felt immediately unworthy of the honour she was being given. The mother of her "Lord" was visiting her.

7. She recognised that the blessing Mary had received was the result of her faith. Mary had believed God.

Mary responded with exalted rejoicing and praise of God, bursting into spontaneous song. She was only a lowly servant girls but God, in His mercy and power, had blessed her in a way that would be acknowledged by all generations.

God had been gracious to her but He is gracious to all who fear Him. Mary stressed that God resists the proud and powerful. He brings down the mighty but lifts up the humble. He provides for the hungry but sends the rich away with nothing. God turns things on their head. Those the world honours, God shows no honour to. Those the world forgets, God remembers.

Not only is He merciful; He is faithful. God had promised Mary's ancestors that He would send a deliverer. We have seen that time and again as we have travelled this journey. Many centuries had passed but God was keeping that promise. All of history was coming to a turning point. God was acting.

For Reflection

1. On the humble-proud spectrum, where would you place yourself? What are the implications of that?

2. Do you ever feel that God has let you down - that He has failed to keep a promise or has failed to be true to His word? What do you want to say to Him about that?

Volunteer at a community Christmas dinner or invite someone who would otherwise miss out, to join with your family on Christmas Day.

Father, may we walk closely with You, being obedient to You and may we experience Your presence just as Mary and Elizabeth did.

In Jesus' name, amen.