Characters at the Cradle: Mary and Elizabeth, Pondering with Wonder

by David Chadwick

This week, we have looked at Mary and Elizabeth, two characters at the cradle who loved one another deeply and who both played a significant role in ushering in the birth of Jesus to this world.

These two women were full of faith and chose to play their part in God’s redeeming story with the utmost humility. They are both to be admired and respected. Especially Mary, as the mother of Jesus, the Savior of the world.

Today, I would like to wrap up our week by focusing on one more specific insight to Elizabeth and Mary’s relationship.

Imagine for a moment what it must have been like for Mary and Elizabeth to share their stories about the angelic visitation. Elizabeth waited for years, even decades, for the promise of a child to come true. She had been hoping for a child. But for Mary, she was a virgin, so her news was startling. It came out of nowhere. She had to fully hear and accept what had been said to her by Gabriel.

Knowing the role that Gabriel played in Old Testament prophecies to foreshadow the coming of the Messiah, it could be that Mary and Elizabeth were both pondering the significance and greatness of Gabriel’s appearance to each of them.

I bet they chatted back and forth with questions like, “Why me? Why us? Why cousins? What does the future hold? And for the nation of Israel?” Neither one of them knew all the answers, but both women gladly accepted what God had chosen to do. They embodied lives of full surrender.

And don’t forget Zechariah. Surely, he was there as the two cousins chatted. While unable to speak up, I am sure he listened to Mary’s story with his own sense of wonder. With a heart of worship. With utter fascination. Full of humility. Fascinated once again by grace and more aware than ever of the salvation that was about to come through this child soon to be born.

With every passing word, Zechariah probably thought about the first words he would speak when his son and Mary’s child were eventually born. It would now only be a few more months.

May we, too, ponder with wonder of our awesome God! May we cherish the power of the gospel once again. Oh, how great is our God!

Characters at the Cradle: Mary and Elizabeth, God’s Promises are True

by David Chadwick

Elizabeth’s next words to Mary are amazing. Follow along with me as we look at Luke 1:45.

Elizabeth said, “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Did you catch what Elizabeth blessed in this verse? She blessed Mary’s faith. Mary heard from the mighty angel Gabriel and she believed that every word that he had said to her was true.

We all need examples of faith. It doesn’t matter if we are old or young, we all need the gift of faith. We must fight to believe that all of God’s promises are true. We must train our minds to believe that faith can cause mountains, the seemingly impossible situations of life, to move from here to there (Matthew 17:20). We must believe that what God has promised to us is received even when we can’t see it (Hebrews 11:1).

We can find many examples of people who modeled this kind of faith both in the Bible and throughout history.

Historically, consider missionaries like Hudson Taylor who went to China with little resources to claim it for God’s glory. Or Jim Elliott who endured tremendous hardship to reach the unreached in Ecuador, ultimately losing his life. How about David Livingston? He spent decades evangelizing in Africa. There are countless more examples.

Or biblically speaking, take a look at Abraham. He waited 25 years for Isaac, the child God had promised him. Or what about Joshua? Even though the Promised Land was within reach, he had to wait 40 years before entering it. Or King David, who was faithful in the pasture before he was ever entrusted with the palace. How about Paul? He spent years in prison for the sake of the Gospel where he had to wait on the Lord. Yet in prison was where he wrote most of the New Testament.

Then, there’s Mary. Perhaps she should be at the top of the list! As a virgin, she believed the child in her womb truly was the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. That this Jesus whom she bore was the Savior of the world. And that all of God’s promises really are true!

This is the kind of faith we must seek to emulate!

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!