Luke 1:39-45--Mary Visits Elizabeth

Luke 1:39-45
English Standard Version
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Mary Visits Elizabeth
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.”

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As soon as Mary heard the word from the angel Gabriel that her relative Elizabeth who had been barren was pregnant and now in her sixth month of pregnancy, Mary left everything to go see her.  The text even says that she went with haste, probably knowing that the angel told her this information because the angel wanted Mary to go to Elizabeth to rejoice with her, comfort her, and help her and Zachariah as they prepared for their baby boy to come.

As soon as she entered the house of Zachariah and Elizabeth (seemingly uninvited), the baby in Elizabeth's womb, that is John the Baptist, who was already full of the Holy Spirit, leaped in Elizabeth's womb as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's voice calling to her.  Elizabeth was then filled with the Holy Spirit and greeted Mary with, "“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?"

This must have been a strange greeting and Mary might have wondered how Elizabeth knew when Mary had just figured out herself and had seen or told no one from what we know--the text seems to indicate that Mary got up quickly and immediately went to Elizabeth, so how could Elizabeth know?  She answers that in the next part of her greeting to Mary, "44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy."  The LORD had arranged for John the Baptist and Jesus to meet each other before they were even born so that both of their mothers could be encouraged and know that the prophecies about the roles that their sons would play were true.  Already John the Baptist was identifying and pointing people to Jesus even while he was still in his mother's womb.

And the last thing that Elizabeth says is a blessing to her, but is probably indicative of the Holy Spirit telling her that Zachariah and Mary responded differently to the messages that Gabriel brought to each of them.  "45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”  We mentioned last time that Mary's question that she had was not out of doubt, but out of obedience to ask what she was supposed to do.  Zachariah on the other hand knew exactly what he was supposed to do and questioned if God could make it work.  The Holy Spirit praises Mary through Elizabeth for her faith in believing that what the LORD promised would come to pass even if she did not fully understand it.