Mary and Elizabeth Worship Rejoicing in God

12/18/11

Scripture:

Mary and her relative Elizabeth spent some time together while both of them were pregnant.  God had given each of them promises through the angel Gabriel about their sons to be born.  Did this old barren woman and this young virgin girl believe what they had been told?  Do you believe the Bible story?  We continue the Come and Worship sermon series this morning with a sermon entitled, “Mary and Elizabeth Worship Rejoicing in God,” and we’ll be reading from the Gospel of St. Luke, chapter 1.  I’ll be reading verses 5-19, the story about Elizabeth and verses 26-56, the story about Mary.  Hear this word of our Lord: 

Luke 1:5-19   ⁵ In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.  ⁶ Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly.  ⁷ But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.  ⁸ Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, ⁹ he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.  ¹⁰ And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.  ¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.  ¹² When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.  ¹³ But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.  ¹⁴ He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. ¹⁶ Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.  ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous-- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."  ¹⁸ Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."  ¹⁹ The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.

And going down to verse 26 if you’re following in your Bible:

Luke 1:26-56   ²⁶ In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,  ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.  ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."  ²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  ³⁰ But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  ³¹ You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."  ³⁴ "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"  ³⁵ The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.  ³⁶ Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.  ³⁷ For nothing is impossible with God."  ³⁸ "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.  ³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, ⁴⁰ where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.  ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  ⁴² In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  ⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"    

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.  ⁵⁷ When it was time for Elizabeth's baby to be born, she gave birth to a son.  

This ends our reading of God's word about Elizabeth and Mary.  May the Lord give us faith as we listen with spiritual ears, as we hear his word in our hearts, and as we apply it in faith to our lives.  

How did Elizabeth know immediately upon Mary’s arrival and greeting that Mary was to be the mother of the Messiah?  Elizabeth cried out, “Blessed is the child you will bear.  Why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”  And Elizabeth said, “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her would be accomplished.”  How did Elizabeth know that?  

Well, Luke tells us and kind of gives us an explanation for that when he says that, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting the baby leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”  It is the Holy Spirit who teaches.  It is the Holy Spirit who sometimes gives a special knowledge that we may call a word of wisdom or words of prophecy.  Elizabeth was used by God through speaking God's prophetic words to confirm to Mary the words that the angel Gabriel had spoken to her.  

What do you suppose that this young Jewish girl named Mary knew about God?  Realizing that she may have been 14-15 years old, how much would she know about God?  How much would she be expected to know of the scriptures?  Well, we’re not directly told that she knew the Old Testament Hebrew scriptures.  We’re not told that she knew the account in Genesis about God's promised covenant with Abraham.  We’re not directly told that she knew the Psalms.  But Mary responded to Elizabeth’s greeting with one of the most magnificent poems of praise ever recorded.  

From the Latin language of the first word it’s called the Magnificat and it reveals Mary’s humble attitude as well as the fact that she really did have an extensive knowledge of the Old Testament.  Perhaps Mary had recently been reading the Psalms as she quotes parts of Psalms 34, 138, 71, 103 and 98.  She also demonstrates her knowledge of Genesis when she says, “Abraham and his descendents forever even as the Lord said to our fathers.”  Mary glorified God for the promises of what God would do for the world through her.  She responded to God's promises with this heartfelt exclamation, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.  How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!”  

You see Mary had been immersed in scripture.  She knew the word.  She knew the words from Genesis.  She knew and obviously had memorized Psalms.  She knew God's word.  How important is that for us today?  And it’s evident that Mary believed all that God had spoken to her through the Angel Gabriel and had confirmed through the prophetic words of Elizabeth.  Are you also willing to believe in God?  Do you believe that Jesus was born of a young Jewish virgin girl through the power of the Holy Spirit?  Do you believe that God would come to earth in the form of a tiny baby?  

There was so much more for Mary to learn and to experience and there’s so much more for us to believe.  What did Mary know about the baby divinely conceived in her womb?  What did she imagine about the things he would do?  There’s a new Christmas hymn in our new worship hymnal.  It was written by Mark Lowry who sings with the Gaither vocal band, and I think it’s one of the most beautiful Christmas hymns ever written.  Like the Magnificat of Mary, it exalts the Lord.  We’re going to have a prayer together and then I want you to really listen to the words of “Mary Did You Know.”  Let us pray.

Father, your manner of coming into this world through a peasant girl who was a virgin astounds us and calls us to faith.  We are in awe of your grace and of the way you confront us with your simple and yet profound truth.  Lord, I thank you for Luke for his recording this lovely story of the humble family through which our Savior was born.  Lord, help us to believe all that you have done and will do through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. 

Mary, Did You Know, written by Mark Lowry

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water? 
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters? 
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new? 
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man? 
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand? 
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod? 
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again. 
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation? 
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations? 
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb? 
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am.