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The Time Came

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Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.  (Luke 1:57-58) The thing about pregnancy is, it comes to an end. Nobody ever stayed pregnant forever (though it feels like it sometimes). I remember when I first found out I was pregnant. Suddenly my world turned into a relentless countdown to birth. There was no way out—it was a one-way ride that would end sometime in May. I was overjoyed, but also terrified. I wonder if Elizabeth felt like that, facing childbirth? I wonder if you feel like that, facing something that has a predestined end, either good or bad. The days before you start a new job. The senior year of a son or daughter. The final days of a loved one. Waiting is rarely easy, and God knows it. Maybe that’s why He has given us so many good things to get us through—His promises, His Word, the Lord’s Supper, each other. Best of all, He has given us Hi
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Among the Unnoticed

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And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.  (Luke 1:56) Have you ever thought what it must have been like, in that house where Mary was staying? There were probably only the three of them there—Mary, Elizabeth, and her husband Zechariah. Actually there were five, if we count the two unborn babies. But none of the males in the family could talk at that point. I suspect it turned into a very feminine world for three months—a world full of the concerns of women of that culture. What did they talk about? Surely about the chores of daily life— who would get the water, what to buy at the market, offers to teach Mary a new recipe. They would have discussed pregnancy and childbirth. Both of them would have thought about the future—what it meant to raise a child in old age, and whether Joseph would go through with the wedding. And of course they prayed and talked about the Lord and what He was doing, like the faith-filled women they were. In that day, even more than
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Seeing

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And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name.”  (Luke 1:46-49) Do you see me? That is a question a lot of people would like to ask God. We know that we are so little, so lowly, in a vast universe filled with terrible, wonderful, glorious things—why should God be concerned with us? Some people feel this so strongly that they refuse to believe in Jesus—they can’t get over the idea that God would actually see them, would actually care. But Mary knows the truth. Humble as she is, she knows that God has done the unthinkable—He has taken notice of her, even her! And He has chosen her. And so, like Hagar before her (Genesis 16), she says, “God has seen me. God has looked on me, and seen my situation. I matter to the living God.” You matter to the living God. Though He
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Joy

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In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.”  (Luke 1:39-44) Sometimes you’ve just got to be happy. On a few rare days in your life, everything comes together, and you rejoice. You may know that harder days are coming, but today is lovely. We can see Mary and Elizabeth doing that in today’s reading. Both of them are just so excited and happy—to see each other, to see what God has done for them, to know that Jesus is right there in Mary’s womb. We, too, can have that joy when we think about
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Caring For Our Needs

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And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the Child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.  (Luke 1:35-38) It’s interesting how Gabriel just volunteers that information about Mary’s cousin and her miracle pregnancy. Mary didn’t ask God for a sign—but she got one, nevertheless. She got more than that—she got a pretty strong hint on what her next steps should be. Elizabeth is pregnant? Why, what a great time to visit! As a strong young woman, Mary would be able to help Elizabeth around the house during the difficult last months of pregnancy. She herself would have a safe place to stay as she adj
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