Scripture: Luke 1:39-56
Sermon Series: Mary, He called her Mother – Sermon 02
Do you have a famous cousin? Google it and you’ll find that there are lots of famous cousins. Musicians Snoop Dog and Brandy (picture) are first cousins. So are George Clooney and Miguel Ferrer (picture). Glenn Close and Brooke Shields (picture) are second cousins. President Theodore Roosevelt and Lee Harvey Oswald (picture) were distant cousins.
Do you have great memories with your cousins? I do. Every Christmas we’d go to our cousins’ home, the Brewers. Their children were close to us in ages. Over the years I’ve remained close with two of my cousins, Rita Carson Guest and Cheryl Miller (picture). When we go south, we try to work it out to see them. They’ve been such a blessing to me.
This last part of Luke 1 is about cousins, two godly cousins. Elizabeth and Mary are Consecrated Cousins. They’re examples of what it means to be a person of faith, encouraging others to trust the Lord. They lived out, Cousins are the ones who know the story, but also helped you write it.
Luke begins his Gospel with the story of their conception miracles, both involving women who couldn’t naturally have children. Elizabeth was barren, probably in her sixties, and yet with her elderly husband, Zacharias, she conceived John the Baptist, the prophesied forerunner of the Messiah. Mary was a virgin of twelve or thirteen who became pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit and would give birth to Jesus, the incarnate Son of God.
Though there were differences in their ages and circumstances, both were chosen by God to be human instruments in the two most significant births in the Bible. The Holy Spirit providentially filled the two accounts with incredible similarities. They both begin with an introduction of the child’s parents, or parent. Both mention obstacles to childbearing—Elizabeth’s barrenness and Mary’s virginity. Gabriel made both announcements, each time to someone living in an out-of-the-way location. Elizabeth and Zacharias lived in the hill country south of Jerusalem; Mary lived in Nazareth, a small town north of Jerusalem. In both there was a fearful first reaction to Gabriel’s words and a statement of reassurance from him. There was a description of the coming son, and, in each case, an objection raised—by Zacharias, unbelief, by Mary, a lack of understanding. Finally, before Gabriel’s departure, he guaranteed his announcement would come to pass.
Luke reports two encounters of promises of miraculous births which neither woman knew the other had experienced. Both were living out God’s sovereign plan. Both faced judgement and criticism from others, completely unwarranted. Both loved the Lord and were faithful to Him. They influenced each other for godliness. They’re models for us.
As we make our way through this study, please ask yourself two questions: Who has had an influence on my life for Christ and eternal values? Who am I influencing for Christ and eternal values? If you’re taking notes…
1. When you really trust God, you’re excited to see Him work
What really excites you? Tell me what excites you and we probably know what your value system is. In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah (Luke 1:39).
As soon as Gabriel is on his return flight, Mary is out the door. She’s excited about what God is doing in her life and she’s excited to see what God is doing in her older cousin, Elizabeth’s life. Someone dubbed this, The maiden visits the matron.
There’s something very fulfilling about a teen excited about the things of God. They’re often used to light up other Christians. Let’s pray the Lord will touch young people in our church and ignite them for His glory.
Why did Mary go to visit Elizabeth? The angel didn’t tell her to. She believed God and went with haste to where Zacharias and Elizabeth lived.
Remember Mary is 12 or 13. Judea was a 3-4-day journey, a good 80-100 miles away. She probably joined some caravan. Mary and Elizabeth probably did not get together often. We can assume they probably saw each other during the great feasts in Jerusalem. It was a journey of faith.
Faith is much more than intellectual belief. Faith is active trust. Mary intellectually believed what Gabriel said. She believed that virgin conception was possible and would happen. She trusted, in spite of looming obstacles, her whole life to God’s promise. This trust produced submissiveness; she submitted to God – let it be to me according to your word (Luke 1:38). Out of that she immediately responds to God’s Word – and went with haste. True faith always has action. It results in a life of service.
When someone says, “I have faith,” but there’s no activity as we find with Mary, it can be an indication of a faith that’s stillborn. If you believe God, your life shows it. That’s saving faith. Mary had saving faith and hastily moved to see where God was working. Faith has a walk, not just a talk. When you really trust God, you’re excited to see Him work.
2. When you really trust God, you want to be around others who really trust Him
In his book, The Enormous Exception, Earl Palmer (picture) tells of a pre-med undergrad at Berkley, who became a Christian after a long journey through doubts and questions. A bout with the flu kept him out of classes for 10 days. During that critical absence from his organic chemistry class, a Christian classmate carefully collected all his missed lectures and assignments. The person took time from his own studies to help his friend catch up with the class.
Years later, the pre-med student, now a committed Christian, told Palmer, “You know that this just isn’t done, and I probably wouldn’t have done it, but he gave that help to me without any fanfare or complaints. I wanted to know what made this friend of mine act the way he did. I found myself asking him if I could go to church with him.” Palmer then wrote, “I think the best tribute I ever heard concerning a Christian was the tribute spoken of this student. ‘I felt more alive when I was around this friend.’”
Mary and Elizabeth felt more alive when they were around each other. Too many Christians have bought into a lie that we don’t need anyone. We don’t understand that God designed us to be relational.
Do you have Christian friends? I’m not talking about where you know their name and that’s about it. I’m talking about true Christian friends, kindred spirits. Do you have those? Real Christian friends encourage us to act like Jesus Christ. They’re not just Christian in name.
Being with a godly kindred spirit was so important to Mary that she walked 100 miles to get there. What sacrifices are you making to be in community? What are you willing to invest to be with Christian friends?
Mary wanted to be in community. Some of you’ve been coming to Grace for a while, but you’re not connected to other believers. You scoot out that door like there’s a fire. Why? You haven’t learned how vital community is for your spiritual health. Maybe you convince yourself that you’re too busy.
Spurgeon (picture) said, “Some Christians try to go to heaven alone, in solitude. But believers are not compared to bears or lions or other animals that wander alone. Those who belong to Christ are sheep in this respect, that they love to get together. Sheep go in flocks, and so do God’s people.”
Do you spend time with godly friends? If not, why not? Don’t miss out!
Their fellowship isn’t just family fellowship. This isn’t just cousins or pregnant women getting together. Mary and Elizabeth have deep communion in God’s providence. Luke emphasizes that these women believed God’s Word. Their communion in the gospel spanned all other differences that existed between them.
The Bible teaches community is vital. Do you believe that? Most women do, most men don’t. Men, your wife isn’t enough. You need godly men in your life. The very first recorded sentence God ever uttered about the man whom He created was, It is not good for the man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). Men, it’s imperative we develop godly friendships. Our wives and children need us to model this for their spiritual health.
Years ago, David W. Smith wrote The Friendless American Male (picture). His title has only grown more accurate. Men usually lack close biblical friendships. So, step away from your man cave. You can grow and you must. First, we must seek the face of God. Then, we must seek godly friends.
Obviously, Luke didn’t record this so we could preach sermons that are pro-life. While it’s here, it’s not the main point. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb (Luke 1:41). John the Baptist is the only child to sing the Hallelujah Chorus from the womb. Elizabeth’s womb is his first pulpit. Not yet born, already John prophesies, wrote Maximus of Turin, and while still in the enclosure of his mother’s womb, confesses the coming of Christ with movements of joy. Now he may have been known as John the Baptist but it’s obvious that he wasn’t a Baptist…everyone knows Baptists don’t dance.
Elizabeth’s baby was jumping for joy. What a jolt of joy Elizabeth must have experienced when she heard Mary’s voice and felt her unborn son leaping for joy! Elizabeth exclaimed with a loud voice she was so full of joy.
Galatians 5:22 tells us that joy is the second fruit of the Spirit. Joy is to be normal for a Christ-follower. Joy should be so much a part of our being that pagans almost wonder if we’re on drugs.
I think joy and enthusiasm are Siamese twins. Joy is what you experience personally, enthusiasm is how to express that joy to others. Our English word enthusiasm is from two Greek words “in God.” The more in God you are, the more enthusiastic you’ll be!
Satan is a thief. He knows he can’t rob you of your salvation, so he tries to rob you of the joy of your salvation. It’s why David prayed in Psalm 51:12, Restore unto me the joy of my salvation. Don’t let Satan steal your joy.
When a Christ-follower is filled with the Spirit, there will be a cognizance of spiritual truth. Elizabeth makes some amazing observations that wouldn’t have been possible apart from the Holy Spirit revealing them to her.
First, she knows by divine revelation that Mary is going to have a child; she acknowledges this before Mary can tell her about Gabriel’s visit. Second, she recognizes Mary’s child wouldn’t be just any child. Then, she asks the amazing question, And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? (Luke 1:43).
It’s a part of a mother’s instinct to be protective and proud of her own children. You’d have thought Elizabeth would have recited all the great things Gabriel had predicted about her own child, John. But there’s no jealousy or pride. Most parents brag about how great our own children are, not Elizabeth. The filling of the Spirit produces humility.
Notice what she says about Mary’s unborn child. She calls him my Lord. Elizabeth is the only person to confess “Jesus is my Lord” before He was born! What incredible spiritual insight she had to recognize the baby in Mary’s womb would be her Lord. The Bible says that one day every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11) Elizabeth proclaimed it first, but she won’t be the last!
3. When you really trust God, you’re passionate about encouraging others
Pagans are faultfinders. Christ-followers are encouragers! Currently, I’m reading the Gospel of John in my quiet time. Remember Peter denied Jesus three times. Tears started welling up in my eyes as I read John 21 and Jesus encouraging Peter. Do you want to be like Jesus? Be an encourager! Some of you have that gift. You’re such a blessing to so many!
Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy (picture), the real-life couple from the movie The Blindside share the following story in their book, In a Heartbeat. There’s a little-known congressional program that awards internships to young people who have aged out of the foster care system. These are kids who were never adopted and no longer eligible for state aid.
A senator employed one such young man as an intern. One morning the senator breezed in to discover his intern was already in the office, reorganizing the entire mailroom. The senator said to the intern, “This is amazing—the mailroom has never looked so clean. You did a great job.” A few minutes later the senator saw that this intern had tears streaming down his face. He asked, “Son, are you okay?” “Yes,” the intern answered quietly. “Did I say something to offend you?” “No, sir.” “Well, what’s wrong?” The young man said, “That’s the first time in my life anyone’s told me that I did something good.” Then, the Tuhoy’s comment, A little bit of attention and a kind word—that’s how little it takes to affect someone’s life for the better.
Do you have some of those folk in your life who are just a blessing to be around? Are you a blessing to be around? Elizabeth tells Mary that she’s “blessed” because she believes the Lord. Mary is an unmarried teen facing a pregnancy out of wedlock. She had to be confused, scared, and a little uncertain. What an encouragement it must have been to hear Elizabeth greet her, confirming what Gabriel had told her. Elizabeth was saying, “Mary, you are so blessed!” You are blessed among women! (Luke 1:42). Then Elizabeth observes that the child in Mary’s womb was blessed as well.
Hebrews 10:25 states that one of the reasons we are to gather together for worship is to encourage one another. When you’re filled with the Spirit, you won’t be focusing on “getting a blessing.” Life is not about ME. You’ll be focused primarily on being a blessing. Our responsibility is to encourage others, to make sure they’re’ being “built up” in the faith.
We’re commanded to be filled with the same Holy Spirit who filled Elizabeth 2,000 years ago. How can you tell when you are filled? You’ll be expressing joy and enthusiasm. You’ll have unusual spiritual insight into God’s truth, and you’ll be a supernatural encouragement to others!
In 2022 a small team (picture) from Nicaragua reached the Little League World Series. But most parents of the players were unable to attend due to immigration hurdles. Only one parent, Luis Bravo, was allowed to come.
Yet, across six states, the Nicaraguan American community rallied, traveling to the games and offering a chorus of support in place of absent parents. Dr. Rosa Castillo Krewson (picture), a Nicaraguan teacher at American University and a baseball fan, drove three hours from northern Virginia to see those kids play and also out of support for the Nicaraguan community that, as she describes it, is rather small and sometimes is only in contact with close friends and relatives. Castillo said, “I saw the reporter from ESPN…interviewing the only father that was able to come, and I said to my husband, ‘There is nobody in the stands. We have to go.” To her wonderful surprise at the stadium, she met others originally from Nicaragua who traveled for miles to support those kids.
This heartwarming display of solidarity captures what Elizabeth did for Mary. It’s what we’re to do for one another. Derick Bingham (picture) said, “The encourager, no matter how dark the day, always brings a message of hope. Those who encourage…are in effect only beggars telling other beggars where to find help.”
Elizabeth lives out Titus 2, mature Christian women discipling younger ones. Elizabeth is empowered by God. What an unbalanced world we live in where some women believe that referring to themselves as tough or mean empowers them. It doesn’t. God is the only one who can empower anyone.
4. When you really trust God, you love to praise Him!
We don’t have time to dig into Mary’s song in verses 46-55. The Magnificat is one of the most revolutionary documents ever written. E. Stanley Jones (picture), the great Methodist scholar said that The Magnificat was the most revolutionary document in the history of the world.
Mary had a great knowledge of the Bible, but she probably was illiterate. She only heard the Scriptures read at synagogue. But she retained it in her heart. That’s so important. Her song is broken into key categories.
Mary was passionately magnifying the Lord. How do we magnify the Lord? We live so God is seen in us. Then God is magnified in other people’s eyes. When we use a magnifying glass, it doesn’t make things bigger; it makes them look bigger. When we magnify God, we make God look bigger.
We magnify God with our minds. Like Mary, we fill our minds with Scripture. The truths of God’s Word result in doxology. When you learn Scripture, you’ll praise the Lord. Educate your mind with God’s Word. You can’t be a healthy Christian apart from a mind transformed by the Word.
We magnify God with our soul and spirit. Mary said, “My soul…”—which means my “inner person”—“magnifies the Lord.” It’s talking about the immaterial part, the real you. The real you is your soul, the inner you. It’s another way of saying, “all my heart.” We’d say, “I love God, I want to magnify God. I want to be genuine in the way that I live before Him.”
We magnify God with our lips or our voice. Mary opened her mouth to praise God. How can you be a Spirit-filled Christian and not tell somebody else about Him? How can you not sing praises? How can you keep silent?
We magnify God when we trust the Lord as our Savior. “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:47). “Savior” is one of Luke’s favorite titles for Jesus. Mary knew that she was a sinner in need of a Savior. She knew she was undeserving of God’s mercy. It’s why she praised her Savior. Mary was saved by the same grace that we all are saved by.
She talked about “God my Savior.” That indicates the deity of Christ. There are no good people but there’s a merciful God. And we must commit to purposefully magnifying the Lord as Mary did.
We magnify God because He is mighty. If one doesn’t run to God for mercy, ultimately they’ll face His might and judgment. “He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty” (Luke 1:51-53). It’s the great reversal.
One day God will judge the proud, those who don’t think they need Him. They’re proud in the thoughts of their heart. Pride is the attitude of self-sufficiency. The proud person thinks he/she doesn’t need God.
God judges the powerful. He has brought down the mighty from their thrones. These are arrogant rulers who use power for their own advancement with no regard for those they rule. One day God will be glorified in bringing judgment against selfish, self-centered leaders.
God will care for hungry yet will be glorified when He judges the rich. The rich he has sent away empty. These are the selfish rich, who live lavishly with no concern for the needy. It has a spiritual dimension – those who believe they’re spiritually rich because of their own righteousness, or self-righteousness, but in reality, are spiritually poor. If they don’t repent of their self-righteousness, they’ll ultimately face God’s judgment.
Friend, if you’re not living with every area of your life under the lordship of Christ and with a view toward the day when you’ll give an account, you need a reality check! God will be glorified – either on saving you by His mercy or ultimately, in judging you with His might. Please make sure it’s His mercy.
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), but there is the “terrifying expectation of judgment” (Hebrews 10:27) for those who blow off Christ’s lordship.
Conclusion
The word Manifest is the Cambridge Dictionary’s word of the year for 2024, after celebrities like pop star Dua Lipa (pictures) and gymnast Simone Biles spoke of manifesting their success. The term which has gained traction on TikTok was looked up almost 130,000 times on the Cambridge Dictionary website this year.
Mary and Elizabeth manifested godliness. They had an influence, a great influence on each other and others! They’re our example. Are we manifesting godliness? One of the greatest opportunities we have as Christians is to make an influential, profound difference in the lives of others. Each of us can impact someone’s life for good. Whether you’re at work, the store, driving in traffic, or at home…someone is watching. They notice what you say and do, and they are influenced by your lifestyle.
Influence is the power of producing an effect on someone without any apparent effort on our part. Whether we’re trying to influence someone or not, we have an impact on them just by being around them. The kind of influence we have as believers is vital because we represent God.
So, let me ask: Are you having a godly influence? Does your behavior make knowing God look appealing to those around you?
As believers, we must be concerned about whether we’re having a godly effect on people. So many people may never set foot inside of a church or read their Bible, but they see us. What they think about God has a lot to do with what they think about us.
God doesn’t want us to be spectators. He wants us to be people who love Him, love others and care enough to influence their lives to turn to Him. As we choose to be a blessing, they begin to see what God is like. It causes them to move toward Him.
Sharing the Gospel is a lot like playing “show and tell.” When we allow the love of Jesus to flow through us—through our words, actions, and attitudes—they become interested in what makes us different. They see our peace, joy, and good works, and want to know how they can have that, too. It opens the door for us to tell them about God. Acts 10:38 tells us that Jesus went around doing good. Like Jesus, you and I are called to do the same thing. We’re Jesus’ representatives, sent to show others what Jesus is like.
Each day, I encourage you to ask yourself, “Are people hungry for a relationship with God because of what they see in me?” Because you have influence, and you may be the greatest message they ever see.
Mary and Elizabeth lived out normal Christianity. They influenced and encouraged each other in godliness. How about us?
Let’s circle back to those two questions: Who has had an influence on your life for Christ and eternal values? Who are you influencing for Christ and eternal values?