LESSON 3 DECEMBER 15, 2024
SCRIPTURE LESSON TEXT
LUKE 1:39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
God’s Plan Is Affirmed
Lesson Text: Luke 1:39-56
Related Scriptures: I Samuel 2:1-10; Psalm 103:1-18; Luke 1:5-38
TIME: 7 or 6 B.C. PLACE: hill country of Judea
GOLDEN TEXT—“Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour” (Luke 1:46-47).
Introduction
Mary was a remarkable woman. She was a sinner like all of us, and God’s choice of her to bear His Son was an act of grace. However, the young woman God chose for this crucial role also possessed great faith, and she humbly and faithfully followed the Lord.
This is all the more impressive when we realize two things. First, Mary was probably a mere teenager when the angel Gabriel visited her and told her she would bear Jesus, the Messiah.
Second, to become pregnant during the betrothal period was shameful and, in any other case, sinful. It was grounds for ending the marriage agreement (cf. Matt. 1:18-19). The shame and accompanying ridicule would follow her. To publicly claim that she had conceived by the Holy Spirit would have marked her as mad, if not blasphemous.
Mary surely knew what she would face in the years ahead, but she was more concerned about pleasing God than people. Mary was a remarkable woman who knew and followed a remarkable God.
LESSON OUTLINE
MARY’S VISIT—Luke 1:39-40
ELISABETH’S BLESSING—Luke 1:41-45
MARY’S PRAISE—Luke 1:46-55 MARY’S RETURN—Luke 1:56
Exposition: Verse by Verse
MARY’S VISIT
LUKE 1:39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
Mary responded to the divine message delivered by the angel Gabriel by fully submitting to God’s plan for her (vs. 38).
After the departure of the angel, Mary hurried off “into the hill country … into a city of Juda” (vs. 39). “Juda” refers to Judea, the Roman province to the south, which included Jerusalem and the hill country surrounding it. The specific village is not named, but it was the home of Zacharias and Elisabeth.
{As a confirming sign of God’s promise to her, Gabriel had told Mary about Elisabeth’s pregnancy (vss. 1:36-37). Whether or not Mary took this as an implied command to visit her relative Elisabeth, she seemed anxious to do so. Not only would it be an encouragement to her, but the news she would bring Elisabeth would encourage her older relative as well. There is no suggestion in the Bible that Mary left her hometown to hide her pregnancy.}Q1
When Mary arrived at the home, she greeted Elisabeth, who no doubt was overjoyed to see her.
ELISABETH’S BLESSING
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
For Mary and her son (Luke 1:41-42). Mary’s arrival at Elisabeth’s home was not just a reunion of the two relatives. It also represented the first meeting between Jesus and John the Baptist. “At this point the two miraculously conceived children encounter each other” (Stein, Luke, B&H).
It was the presence of the two children still in the womb that brought about Elisabeth’s words of blessing. Upon hearing Mary’s voice, the child within Elisabeth jumped, and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. {Mary had not yet said anything about her encounter with the angel, but Elisabeth’s experience of the Holy Spirit and the movement of her child communicated to her that the Messiah was present.}Q2
The filling of the Spirit and His communication to Elisabeth explains why she was able to speak with understanding about Mary and her son without any prior knowledge of Mary’s conception. She proceeded to bless both Mary and her son (vs. 42). In declaring Mary blessed “among women,” she was saying that Mary was blessed by God beyond any other woman. The child she carried also was blessed. Following an Old Testament pattern, the first blessing of Mary “stands logically in subordination to the second. {Mary’s blessedness was based on the blessedness of the child she would bear” (Stein).}Q3
For Mary’s presence (Luke 1:43-44). Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, Elisabeth also recognized how honored she was to be visited by the mother of her Lord. While the term “Lord” often refers to God, and Jesus was certainly God, Elisabeth was probably expressing her recognition here that Mary’s child was the Messiah.
This was a joyous affirmation to Mary, who still had not spoken a word beyond her greeting. The promise of God was affirmed by one who herself had experienced God’s gracious and miraculous work in her life.
Elisabeth went on to explain that when she heard Mary’s voice, the child inside her (John the Baptist) had leaped for joy. The movement inside Elisabeth somehow conveyed her child’s joy at the presence of Mary’s child and revealed to Elisabeth His identity.
For Mary’s faith (Luke 1:45). Elisabeth’s affirmation, “Blessed is she that believed,” emphasized the happiness Mary experienced because of her faith in God that He would indeed bring about what He had promised.
{Elisabeth’s words were important, both for Mary and for us. They not only encouraged Mary, but they also offered unsolicited testimony that the Messiah’s birth was imminent and that He would be born to a virgin girl.}Q4
MARY’S PRAISE 46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. 51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. 54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; 55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
For her Savior (Luke 1:46-47). Mary’s wonderful words of praise in verses 46-55 form what has come to be called the Magnificat, after the first word in the Latin translation. {Upon hearing Elisabeth’s inspired words concerning her son, Mary began to praise God. Her words revealed great depth in biblical understanding.}Q5 Although she was still very young, she clearly had a thorough knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures. Indeed, her words reflected the form of Old Testament poetry, and almost every part of her song of praise quoted or alluded to the Jewish Scriptures.
She began by exalting the Lord and rejoicing in the Savior. Verses 46-47 are parallel, with verse 47 repeating the thought of the previous verse. Thus, her “soul” and “spirit” speak of her entire inner being. It was all her being that magnified, or declared, God’s greatness, and she rejoiced in “God [her] Saviour.” {“Lord” in verse 46 is parallel to “God” in verse 47. That Elisabeth had just referred to Mary’s child as “Lord” (vs. 43) points to the deity of Jesus Christ. The One who is Lord is also God and Savior.}Q6
{By referring to God as her Savior, Mary was confessing her personal need of salvation. Although she had a special role in bringing the Messiah into the world, she was still a sinner and in need of His saving work.}Q7 While Mary is worthy of honor as a woman of great faith, she must not be elevated to a place of worship as some have done. It was, in fact, her humble attitude before God in recognizing her sinful condition that opened the door for God to use her in such a significant way.
For God’s grace (Luke 1:48-49a). Mary could rejoice in the Lord because of the grace He had bestowed on her. She was of “low estate,” or humble position in society, but God had lifted up His servant to the point that “all generations” would call her blessed (vs. 48). As the mother of the Messiah, she would forever be counted as blessed (cf. vs. 42).
Mary declared that the Lord in His might had done great things for her. She was undoubtedly speaking of the miraculous conception of the Messiah, which ultimately elevated her beyond anything she possibly could have imagined. By God’s grace she was given more than she or anyone else deserved.
We too should often pause to thank God for His grace in our lives. Every good thing we have and enjoy is by His grace, for there is nothing in us that merits His blessing.
For God’s holiness (Luke 1:49b). “Name” refers to one’s reputation or character. In saying “holy is his name,” Mary was affirming that God is morally perfect, both in His character and in all His actions. In His goodness toward Mary, He revealed His holiness.
For God’s mercy (Luke 1:50). Mary saw God’s mercy revealed in His sending the Messiah Jesus into the world. Mercy is kindness or compassion toward those who do not deserve it. Mary understood that in every generation those who fear God receive His mercy.
Christ’s coming was the ultimate expression of God’s mercy. Through His substitutionary death, poor, helpless sinners are freed from the misery of sin and eternal death. God’s grace works together with His mercy to meet our great spiritual need.
For God’s power (Luke1:51). While the verbs here and in the following verses appear to describe past events, they may actually be describing “the future work of God’s Son with the certainty of a past event” (Stein). Mary praised God for the strength shown in scattering the proud. God’s “arm” symbolizes His great strength (cf. Ps. 89:10).
{God demonstrates His strength by humbling the proud.}Q8 Those who are proud in their hearts will in the end be brought low—scattered like a defeated and fleeing army—while those who humbly put their trust in the Lord will, like Mary, be exalted (cf. Matt. 23:12). This is an inviolable principle guaranteed by God’s very character.
For God’s justice (Luke 1:52-53). {God’s power assures us that in His eternal plan, His justice will be rendered. He puts down “the mighty from their seats” of power and exalts those “of low degree” (vs. 52). The “mighty” here are people who reject God and seek power and acclaim for themselves at the expense of others. Such people will not escape the justice of God. He will see to it that they are brought low and that the lowly, humble followers of the Lord are lifted up.}Q9
The following verse presents a similar thought. God fills the hungry and brings the rich to emptiness. This is not a condemnation of all the rich or a commendation of all who are poor. Rather, this is a recognition that God in His justice can reverse the human situation, and He will do so in order to satisfy His own justice.
It is possible that Mary was thinking of specific events in the past that demonstrated these principles; but the character of God is unchanging, and wrongs done in the past still demand ultimate justice. We may not see justice in our world today. In fact, we often see the very opposite. But the character of God guarantees that our humble faith and obedience will be rewarded in God’s time, and the judgment of the wicked will come through Christ (cf. John 5:21-29).
For God’s faithfulness (Luke 1:54-55). Mary also praised God for His faithfulness to Israel. The birth of her son would bring very real and tangible help to her people in particular. It is clear that Mary believed the angel’s assurance that Jesus would be Israel’s promised Messiah.
{Mary saw what so many of the Jewish people would fail to see in the days ahead. Her son was the fulfillment of the promises given to Abraham and his descendants forever. Jesus would be the proof that God had in fact remembered His covenant with Israel and was acting in mercy toward them in sending them the Promised One.
Centuries earlier, God had promised Abraham that his descendants through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob would have a land of their own. They would be a great nation blessed by God, and they would be a blessing to all the nations of the world (Gen. 12:1-3; 26:2-5; 28:13-15). The birth of Mary’s son Jesus would prove the faithfulness of God to His promises to Israel. In Christ, the promised blessing for Israel and the world would come.}Q10
Mary’s words of praise reveal the heart of a woman who not only knew about God but also knew Him. Are we, like Mary, quick to praise Him for His holiness, grace, and mercy? Do we thank Him for His faithfulness, mercy, and strength? How often are our thoughts, words, and even prayers focused on ourselves rather than on the One who deserves all praise and glory? Only when we understand that we are lowly servants who deserve none of God’s goodness will we give Him the honor due Him.
MARY’S RETURN 56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house. While Mary remained with Elisabeth for about three months, nothing more is said about their interactions. We can assume, however, that their time together was mutually encouraging and prepared them for what lay ahead.
It appears that Mary returned home to Nazareth just a short time before or after Elisabeth gave birth to John. She returned knowing that one person understood her situation fully. This would help sustain her in the months ahead when her pregnancy would become known and her faith would be tested. She returned home not knowing how Joseph would respond or whether she would have to bear her son alone in a hostile world.
However, Mary would also return home with her unwavering faith in God. In His grace, God had chosen her to bear the Son of God. She knew God’s plan, and she knew something of what that meant for her, and it would not be easy. But her faith would sustain her through whatever came. —Jarl K. Waggoner
Union Gospel Press, Union Gospel Press. Bible Expositor and Illuminator (pp. 67-77). Union Gospel Press. Kindle Edition.
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