Characters at the Cradle: Mary and Elizabeth, “Blessed are You”

by David Chadwick

Mary and Elizabeth had a very special relationship. They were cousins. They were pregnant at the same time, Elizabeth with John and Mary with Jesus. Both of their pregnancies were supernatural in nature. Both of them were very blessed. Today, we see how extra significant Elizabeth’s honor was for her cousin Mary.

Let’s take a look at Luke 1:42-44.

Mary travelled from Nazareth to the hill country of Judea to visit her cousin Elizabeth. If you remember yesterday, when she entered Elizabeth’s home, the baby John leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Then Elizabeth proclaimed to Mary, “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?”

Notice Elizabeth’s posture as a great woman of God. She took a position of humility. She didn’t start talking about her situation and what had happened to Zechariah in the temple. Nor how great it was for her personal prayers to have been answered.

No, she immediately humbled herself before her cousin, Mary. This scene is almost a preview to John 3:30 when Elizabeth’s child, John, would go on to say that he must decrease and Jesus must increase! John was raised by a good and godly mom who was humble before her God as well. Elizabeth knew her place in God's story and took the lower seat.

She referred to Mary not as her cousin or her friend, but as “the mother of my Lord.” Somehow, Elizabeth knew that this child in Mary’s womb was her Lord! The Savior of the world. Could it be that God shared very special things with Elizabeth during her quiet months of pregnancy? It’s certainly possible.

Elizabeth knew that Mary held a special place in God’s heart and that he chose her to carry his Son, our Savior, in her womb. He chose Mary to raise this child in the wisdom and admonition of the Lord. Before Jesus ever went to the cross or was raised from the dead, the power of the Gospel was so very real to both Mary and Elizabeth!

We will continue the story tomorrow!

Characters at the Cradle: Mary and Elizabeth, Supernatural Pregnancies

by David Chadwick

Mary and Elizabeth. Two women called by God, both of whom were carrying children with tremendous purpose.

Jesus, the perfect God-man, was conceived in Mary’s womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. The angel Gabriel delivered the news to her. In addition to this news of her supernatural pregnancy, Mary was also informed of her cousin Elizabeth’s miraculous conception in her later years. If we think family news spreads fast, imagine how quickly this news must have spread from family to family and from village to village.

The fulfillment of biblical prophecy was happening before people’s very eyes. I can only imagine the relief, the excitement, and the wonder that filled the hearts of all who heard.

Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth in the hill country of Judea. We don’t know exactly where Zechariah and Elizabeth lived, but one could suspect that it was relatively near Jerusalem because Zechariah had regular rounds of service in the temple.

Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John was 6 months ahead of Mary’s pregnancy with Jesus. I am sure that both of them could not wait to share their stories with one another. Especially with the angel Gabriel being at the center of both narratives! Let’s not forget the significance of Gabriel. He is the mighty angel who was always delivering news about the Messiah. He did so in the book of Daniel hundreds of years earlier and now was also the one to bring the news of Jesus’s birth.

Mary entered Elizabeth’s home. As she greeted her cousin, the baby John the Baptist leaped in Elizabeth’s womb, and at that moment, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

There are three significant takeaways that I want to give you when it comes to John’s leaping inside the womb. First, this leaping could very well have been prophetic, as John’s calling was to rise up as the forerunner of the Messiah, Jesus. Much like a leap displays energy and action, John’s fiery message called the world to attention.

Secondly, John’s leaping was a sign of worship, as John seemingly acknowledged, even from the womb, that Jesus was God’s chosen instrument to save the world, not himself.

Finally, this leap is an undeniable pro-life statement. The term “baby” used in this passage is also the term for a “child” that Jesus later used when he said, “Let the little children (child) come unto me.” Only a life can worship Jesus. And the Bible recognizes this baby as a child. To God, this is so very clearly a life both inside and outside the womb. Jesus came to give life and life abundantly, and this message held power even while he was in the womb!

Characters at the Cradle: Mary and Elizabeth, Called by God

by David Chadwick

This week, we will continue to look for glimpses of glory throughout the life of Mary, but specifically in the context of her very special relationship with Elizabeth. Both called by God to very high, very important tasks.

Let’s briefly recap where we are in the story.

Zechariah was visited by Gabriel and given the news that he was going to have a son named John. But because of his unbelief, he was made silent until the birth of his son.

Can you imagine for a moment how Zechariah communicated the news to his wife without the ability to speak? Did he write down what the angel Gabriel had said to him? Or maybe he used hand signals like a game to get her to guess that she would have a child in her old age? It’s fun to think about this!

Now, try to imagine what Elizabeth must have felt as she processed Gabriel’s visit to her husband. To know that she was called by God. After years of prayers and waiting, she would finally have a son! Per Gabriel’s specific instructions, she was to name the baby John, a name that means “God is gracious.” John sure lived up to his name! He was a demonstration of God’s grace to both Zechariah and Elizabeth, and his life’s mission was to pave the way for Jesus, the fullness of grace (John 1:16), to walk out his life on earth.

Afterwards, Gabriel appeared to a young virgin girl named Mary, who we began to study last week. Also called by God, Mary loved God and was a true example of Godly womanhood.

God chose Mary to bear the Son of God, Immanuel, which means “God with us.” Her child would be named Jesus. He would be the Savior of the world, forgiving humanity of its sin and restoring people to the heart of the Father. The Holy Spirit’s presence overshadowed Mary’s humanity and paved the way for the incarnation of Jesus, God in human form.

This week, as we look at Mary and Elizabeth’s very special relationship, remember that their closeness was deeper than being biological cousins or even being close friends. They carried similar callings. They were both called by God to extremely hard tasks for his kingdom.

I like to think that there is no greater closeness than the kind that is formed while living on a common mission for Jesus. There is no greater joy than to work alongside other believers to see the gospel message go forward. Mary and Elizabeth shared this kind of closeness and joy with one another!

I would encourage you, too, to prioritize relationships with others who are called by God to live on mission for Jesus and his kingdom!