As Mary and Elizabeth meet together, we see in their speech their beautiful godly qualities.
[powerpoint]
2 Beautiful Godly Mothers
Luke 1:39-56
Please turn in your Bibles to Luke 1:39-56 this morning. All the way through the first two chapters we see Luke contrasting John and Jesus. In our verse-by-verse expositional study of the Gospel of Luke thus far, we have seen the angel Gabriel visiting Zacharias and announcing the birth of John the Baptist. The next scene in this drama is that same angel Gabriel visiting Mary and announcing the birth of Jesus Christ. Later, we will see Luke describing the birth of John, and then he will describe the birth of Jesus. But, here, smack dab in the middle of the contrasts between these two unborn babies who will change the history of the world, meet. The mothers of John and Jesus come together, and in so doing, the babies in their wombs come together.
Luke 1:39-41 read, “Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb.”
Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah: At what time? After the meeting of Gabriel and Mary in verses 26-38 where Gabriel announced that she would bear a son, and that her relative Elizabeth has conceived a son in her old age. When Mary learned that Elizabeth was pregnant, she couldn’t wait to go visit her and share in her joy with her, and share with her what the angel had told her.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb: Later, in verse 44, Elizabeth tells Mary, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, that the baby had leaped in her womb for joy. In other words, John, who was only conceived 6 months earlier, somehow sensed that Jesus had entered the room. And what was the response? Joy! He leaped for joy! And this became the pattern of John throughout his life. The presence of Jesus filled him with joy. Later, when his disciples were standing beside him, and he saw Jesus Christ, he told his disciples, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Later John said, “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:29). The angel told Zacharias that his son would make ready a people prepared for the Lord. But the angel told Mary that her son would be the Lord God who would reign forever! Yes, John was great in the sight of the Lord, but Jesus was infinitely greater. Thus, it was only fitting that Jesus should increase, but John should decrease.
However, this morning I want to turn your attention to something else here in our text. Luke 1:39-56 records the account of the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, two godly expecting mothers. As they meet, first Elizabeth, and then Mary, speak forth. As we look at their speech, we learn much of their godly character. What kind of a woman was Elizabeth? From this text we learn that she was a Spirit-Controlled, Prophetically-Gifted, Others-Oriented, Christ-Enamored woman. What kind of a woman was Mary? We will see that she was a God-Intoxicated, Joy-Filled, Self-Abased, and Bible-Saturated woman. These two women show forth beautiful lives of godly character. I trust that as we study their lives this morning, the Holy Spirit will cause you to earnestly desire that the same godly traits we find in their lives, will be manifest in yours as well, whether you happen to be a man or a woman.
1. Elizabeth’s Godly Life (Luke 1:39-45)
Spirit-Controlled
The end of verse 41 says, “and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Interestingly, in Luke 1 it is recorded that every member of John’s family is filled with the Holy Spirit. John, himself, was filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb (1:15). Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit when Mary greeted her (1:41). And Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit after John was born, so that he could utter that remarkable prophecy in Luke 1:68-79. Elsewhere, we read that the early church was filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4). Peter is filled with the Spirit when he is brought before the religious leaders of Israel (Acts 4:8). The early Christians are filled with the Spirit when Peter and John are released and come to them, and they lift up their voices in prayer, so that the building they are meeting in is shaken (Acts 4:31). Later, after Jesus reveals Himself to Saul, He sends Ananias to him to lay hands on him so that he would regain his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:18). And in Eph. 5:18, all Christians are commanded to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.
Now, what do we mean when we say that someone is filled with the Holy Spirit? Well, Paul contrasts being filled with the Holy Spirit to being drunk with wine. “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” There is a deliberate parallel made between being drunk with wine and being filled with the Spirit. We still refer to alcoholic beverages as “spirits”, don’t we? What is taking place when someone is drunk? Basically, that person is coming under the influence and control of the alcohol, so that the alcohol is changing him into another person. We speak of “driving under the influence.” Or we say, “I was drunk. That wasn’t really me you saw the other night. That’s not the way I usually am.” So, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, is to be so influenced and controlled by the Holy Spirit, that we do not act like we normally would. Instead, we act like Jesus. We are lifted above our natural, fleshly life, and live life on a whole different plane. It would be like our cat all of a sudden started to bark, chase after cars, and bury bones in the back yard. We might scratch our heads and say, “What in the world has gotten into that cat?” The answer is that a dog spirit has gotten into that cat. A spirit of a dog has invaded that cat, and changed the cat to act like a dog. That’s exactly what happens when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit so fills a person, that He causes that person to act like Jesus, and not like he ordinarily would if he were living in the flesh.
Bridge, this is your only hope of living a sanctified, holy, godly, victorious Christian life. You’ll never do it by lifting yourself up by your bootstraps, and just trying harder. Not only do you need an alien righteousness to justify you, but you need an alien power to sanctify you. The Christian life is a supernatural life. It is life lived in the power of Almighty God who indwells us through the Holy Spirit. To the extent that He controls and influences your life, to that extent you are filled with the Spirit. Friends, yield yourself to the Spirit. Stop fighting Him. Let Him have full control in your life. At any given moment, you should ask yourself, “Who is on the throne of my life right now?” If the answer is “Me”, you’re in trouble! If you are filled with the Spirit, Jesus will be on the throne of your life.
Prophetically-Gifted
Notice what Elizabeth did as soon as she was filled with the Holy Spirit. She cried out with a loud voice and spoke. She not only spoke, but she spoke loudly, passionately, and earnestly. Notice, that her speech was not ordinary human speech. There was an element of the supernatural in her speech. All of a sudden Elizabeth knows some things that she could never have known apart from the Spirit.
- She knows that Mary is pregnant (1:42)
- She knows that Mary is blessed among women (1:42)
- She knows that the fruit of Mary’s womb is blessed (1:42)
- She knows that Mary will become the mother of her Lord (1:43)
- She knows that her baby leaped for joy because his Lord had entered the room (1:44)
- She knew that the Lord had spoken to Mary (1:45)
- She knows that Mary had believed what the Lord had spoken to her (1:45)
Now, how did Elizabeth know all of that? You say, Mary had told her all about it. No, I don’t think so. As you read the narrative, the text really doesn’t allow for that. It says, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said…” The text gives the impression that Elizabeth’s Spirit-prompted speech came forth when Mary greeted her. Mary didn’t have any time to tell her the amazing story of the angel’s visit to her. So, I conclude that what we are seeing here is an instance of prophecy. Elizabeth was a prophetically-gifted woman, at least on this occasion. We never read in the Scriptures that she prophesied again. This may well have been the one and only time in her life that she uttered a prophecy. But she did prophesy on this occasion.
Folks, I want to encourage you to be open, ready, and available to the Lord to manifest the Spirit in spiritual gifts, when He wants to use you in them. You say, “But Brian, we don’t need to be open, ready, and available to be used in supernatural gifts. If He wants to use us, He will cause His spiritual gifts to flow through us whether we are open, ready, and available or not.” Well, I believe there is a kernel of truth in that statement. After all, the Spirit is sovereign, and He blows where He wishes. However, I do believe that ordinarily the more open, ready, and available we are to the Spirit, the more often He will work through us in supernatural ways. Let me show you some New Testament commands that will throw light on our responsibility to make ourselves available to the Spirit.
In 1 Cor. 14:1, Paul commands us, “Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” Now, if the Lord is going to cause us to walk in supernatural gifts of the Spirit regardless of whether we are willing or not, why does Paul command us to earnestly desire them? And notice, that he tells the Corinthians that of all the spiritual gifts, he wants them to earnestly desire prophecy.
In 1 Cor. 14:13 Paul says, “Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.” In other words, if you were to give an utterance in tongues in a church meeting, you should pray that the Lord would give you the interpretation. But why would you pray for the interpretation of tongues if the Lord is going to cause these gifts to be manifested regardless of your cooperation?
Notice also 1 Cor. 14:39, “Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues.” If a church today forbids people to speak in tongues in their meetings, they have violated Paul’s clear command here. Instead of forbidding to speak in tongues and despising prophetic utterances, Paul’s direction is the exact opposite.
Finally look at 1 Thess. 5:19-22, in which Paul says, “Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” Here we are given another command – “Do not quench the Spirit.” Well, how might we do that? The next verse tells us – “do not despise prophetic utterances.” That’s a command as well. Evidently, there were some so-called prophecies given in the church at Thessalonica that were not from God, and the brethren there were in danger of despising prophetic utterances altogether. Paul says “Don’t do that!” Instead, you need to examine everything carefully, and hold fast to that which is good. Don’t throw it all out because some people claim to be speaking for God but aren’t. Instead, examine every word to see if it has come from God.
So, let me list again those New Testament commands regarding spiritual gifts:
“Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.”
“Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues.”
“Let one who speaks in a tongue, pray that he may interpret.”
“Do not quench the Spirit”
“Do not despise prophetic utterances.”
If we are going to take those commands seriously, then I believe we need to be open, ready, and available to the Spirit to manifest any of the gifts that He wants to manifest through us.
Others-Oriented
As soon as Elizabeth is filled with the Spirit, what does she focus on? She focuses on how blessed Mary is, and how blessed Jesus is. She appears amazed that Mary, who is the mother of her Lord, would condescend to come to visit her. She lifts Mary up as one who believed the word of the Lord. All the way through this prophecy, Elizabeth is lifting up Mary and Jesus, while she has forgotten about herself entirely.
Now, Elizabeth could have felt jealous and bitter. She could have reasoned, “Why should this young teenager have the privilege of bringing the Messiah into the world, and all I get to do is bring His forerunner into the world. That’s not fair. I have walking faithfully with the Lord all these years. I have been walking blamelessly in all His commandments and requirements. It’s only right that I should be honored by giving birth to the Messiah. Here Mary is only 15 years old, and I’m 75. Honor should go to the elderly. And what’s more I’m a priest’s wife, and she is just a young peasant girl!” However, when she was filled with the Spirit, she didn’t think of herself at all! She was thinking of Christ and others.
Folks, we are all fallen, and as a result we are cursed with being self-centered. We constantly think of ourselves first. How can we ever be delivered from this? Only be being filled with the Spirit. We might get the impression by looking at the big name charismatic pastors and evangelists on TV that when someone is “filled with the Spirit” they go about promoting themselves, pushing themselves forward, seeking a name for themselves, staying in $15,000 a night hotel suites, buying themselves a personal jet, and staying at outlandishly expensive resorts. No, nothing could be further from the truth! Being filled with the Spirit will cause you to forget about yourself, and be consumed with Christ and putting others before yourself. Folks, considering others as more important than yourself is a mark of a godly man or woman. Phil. 2:3 says, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, regard one another as more important than yourself.” May the Lord cause this to take place in our hearts and lives!
Christ-Enamored
The thing that Elizabeth is most consumed by is that Mary is the mother of her Lord. Think of it. Somehow Elizabeth recognizes that the baby, just conceived in Mary’s womb, is her Lord! Now, what did Elizabeth mean by calling the unborn Jesus, “Lord”? Well, if you go back and read chapter 1 again, looking for every reference to “Lord” you’ll discover that it means “God.” The Spirit revealed to Elizabeth that this unborn baby was none other than God the Creator! And knowing this, caused her to be enamored with Him, and captivated by Him. Elizabeth felt so humbled in the presence of Mary, not because of Mary, but because of the One whom she bore in her womb. Elizabeth was enamored with Jesus Christ.
Folks, are you enamored with Christ? Do you love Him beyond all others? Is He your life? Or, have you become bored with Jesus? Has He become ho-hum (“Oh yeah, I’ve been a Christian for 20 years, and I know all about Jesus”). My encouragement to you is to ask the Spirit of God to open your eyes to His beauty and wonder and glory. You do know that is what He loves to do, don’t you? Jesus said in John 15:16, “He (the Spirit) will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.” If you are feeling dry in your spiritual life, ask God to glorify Jesus by taking the things of Christ and disclosing them to you. Truly, if anyone has had their eyes opened to see His glory, they would never give Him up for Mohammad or Confucius or Buddha or anything else. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2Cor.3:18). There are two important truths in that verse. 1) It is the Spirit who enables believers to behold the glory of the Lord; 2) It is this beholding of the Lord that causes believers to be transformed into His image. Oh, seek the influence of the Spirit to see Jesus’ glory as Elizabeth did!
2. Mary’s Godly Life
God-Intoxicated
Mary was a God-intoxicated woman, and not only she, but all of the great men and women in Scripture and in church history have been God-intoxicated people. What do I mean? Mary is consumed with God. He is her universe.
And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.
50 “AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.
51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble.
53 “HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away the rich empty-handed.
54 “He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his offspring forever.”
Do you see Mary’s heart in this outpouring of praise and worship? She is completely taken up with God. God has saved her. He has regarded her humble state. He has done great things for her. And not only that, but He has placed His mercy upon all men, generation after generation of those who fear Him. He has scattered the proud, ungodly rulers and kings, and has exalted the humble, the hungry. Further, He has given help to Israel, by sending them their Messiah who will be their Savior. He has been faithful to His word which He spoke to Abraham and the patriarchs.
Oh, folks, I want you to be a God-intoxicated person! I want all of us to be enthralled with our God, so that His greatness fills our minds and hearts. Notice the attributes of God that Mary mentions. His power – (the Mighty One); His holiness (holy is His name); His mercy (1:50); faithfulness (1:54-55). Oh, I encourage you folks, to meditate much upon the attributes of God as a spur to worship. Go into your prayer closet, and think of who it is you are talking to. Recall His holiness and majesty, and power, and faithfulness, and mercy. And let your love pour forth to the Greatest of all Beings!
Joy-Filled
Verse 47 says, “My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Joy is a dominant emotion in this meeting between Elizabeth and Mary. Elizabeth says that her baby leaped for joy when she heard Mary’s greetings. It seems impossible to read of Elizabeth’s prophecy without knowing that she was filled with joy as she uttered it. And Mary expressly states that her spirit has rejoiced in God her Savior.
Gang, joy is the outcome of the Spirit of God working in our hearts, and should be our constant possession. We are told that the fruit of the Spirit is love, then joy. If God’s Spirit is working in your life, joy will be the result. Now, I didn’t say that you will always be happy. The person who has enough money to go out and buy that new car experiences happiness, while the man who is poor is bitter and upset. However the Christian who finds His life in God experiences joy whether he has a new car, or is eating beans for the third night in a row because he has lost his job. True joy depends on the presence and fellowship of the Lord in your life, not your circumstances. That’s why the Psalmist says, “In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”
Folks, don’t seek external, temporary, always-changing happiness. Seek that which is infinitely better. Seek Jesus, who brings permanent abiding joy with Him!
Self-Abased
Mary says in verse 47, “my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Mary humbly acknowledges her need for a Savior in this verse. In order to need a Savior, a person needs to be a sinner under God’s wrath and condemnation. I’m not sure how the Roman Catholic church ever came up with the doctrines concerning Mary that they have. The Catholic church officially teaches that Mary was conceived without original sin transferred to her, and that she never sinned throughout her entire life. It also teaches that she was a perpetual virgin throughout her life. Further, it teaches that at her death her body ascended to heaven, like Christ did. Of course, there is not a whisper of any of this in the Word of God. I think Mary, herself, would be terribly embarrassed at how religious people have venerated her, and prayed to her through the years. Mary knew that she was a sinner, but in spite of that, was incredibly favored by God to be the one through whom He would bring His Son into the world. I see in Mary’s response, a humble girl who knows the truth about herself.
Folks, I wonder if we know the truth about ourselves, and marvel at God’s grace in spite of our sin. Paul says in Romans 12:3 that we are not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think but we are to think so as to have sound judgment.” In other words, humility is not thinking we are worse than we are. Humility is just thinking rightly about who we are. The truth is that we are fallen creatures. Our entire person has been radically pervaded by sin. Our thoughts, emotions, and choices are all tainted by sin. Even as Christians, we still fight sin every day of our lives, and will until the day we die. And anyone who tells you that they don’t sin any more does not understand his own heart. “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer.17:9).
Charles Simeon, the pastor of Trinity Church in Cambridge, England for 54 years in the 18th and 19th centuries, once made this statement, “There are but two objects that I have ever desired for these forty years to behold; the one is my own vileness; and the other is, the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ: and I have always thought that they should be viewed together; just as Aaron confessed all the sins of all Israel whilst he put them on the head of the scapegoat…Repentance is in every view so desirable, so necessary, so suited to honor God, that I seek that above all. The tender heart, the broken and contrite spirit, are to me far above all the joys that I could ever hope for in this vale of tears. I long to be in my proper place, my hand on my mouth, and my mouth in the dust. . . . I feel this to be safe ground. Here I cannot err. . . . I am sure that whatever God may despise . . . He will not despise the broken and contrite heart.”
Humility is found in a person who not only knows His own ugliness, but also the Lord’s beautiful grace. In spite of our selfishness and rebellion and nastiness, the Lord in sovereign grace has become our Savior! If you find yourself feeling proud and arrogant about yourself and your accomplishments, meditate on who you really are in Scripture. Remember the pit from which you have been delivered. Marvel again at God’s sovereign grace which would stoop to cleanse, save, and exalt you to sit with Him on His throne! Confess your sin, and gratefully thank Him for becoming your Savior.
Bible-Saturated
Mary was, in all likelihood, only a young teenager. Yet this utterance of praise shows how her young mind was saturated with the Word of God. In fact, there are many striking parallels with Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving after she gave birth to Samuel, for whom she had prayed fervently for many years. Let’s look at some of them:
“My heart exults in the Lord… I rejoice in Your salvation” – 1Sam.2:1
“My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” – Lk.1:46-47
“There is no one holy like the Lord” – 1Sam.2:2
“Holy is His name” – Lk.1:49
“The bows of the mighty are shattered, but the feeble gird on strength” – 1Sam.2:4
“He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble” – Lk.1:52
“Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry cease to hunger” – 1Sam.2:5
“He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed.” – Lk.1:53
It appears that ever since Gabriel had announced to her that she was to have a miraculously born child, she had been meditating on Hannah’s song of thanksgiving when she was also give a miraculously born child. In addition to that she quotes directly from Ps. 103:17 and 107:9. We can see from all of this, that Mary was an unusual girl. She loved the Lord and loved His Word, and spent much time meditating on its precious truths.
Oh, folks, is it true of us that we are Bible-saturated people? When Jonathan Edwards was 20 years old and courting 13 year old Sarah, he wrote this beautiful description of her:
“They say there is a young lady in New Haven who is beloved of that almighty Being, who made and rules the world, and that there are certain seasons in which this great Being, in some way or other invisible, comes to her and fills her mind with exceeding sweet delight, and that she hardly cares for anything, except to meditate on Him – that she expects after a while to be received up where He is, to be raised up out of the world and caught up into heaven; being assured that He loves her too well to let her remain at a distance from Him always. There she is to dwell with Him, and to be ravished with His love and delight forever…She is of a wonderful sweetness, calmness and universal benevolence of mind; especially after those seasons in which this great God has manifested Himself to her mind. She will sometimes go about from place to place, singing sweetly; and seems to be always of joy and pleasure; and no one knows for what. She loves to be alone, and to wander in the fields and on the mountains, and seems to have someone invisible always conversing with her.”
Oh, may we find our delight in meditating on God’s Word day and night! This would be a good test for all of us. What do you find your greatest delight in? Is it something in God’s Word, or that new toy you purchased, or that delicious treat you bought for yourself? May the Spirit of God give us spiritual taste buds that delight to feed on Christ in His Word.
Life Application
What does a godly man or woman look like? From Elizabeth and Mary’s description, he/she looks like a Spirit-Controlled, Spiritually-Gifted, Other-Oriented, Christ-Enamored, God-Intoxicated, Joy-Filled, Self-Abased, Bible-Saturated person. Will you be that person? Let’s pray.
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