Read Chapter 1:39-56...then come back
The angel Gabriel had also told Mary that her Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Zacharias had conceived a son too. Which would make John the Baptist her cousin. Making John a second cousin to Jesus.
Mary either went to escape the ridicule she received because of her unwed pregnancy or simply compelled by the Holy Spirit to visit her aunt and uncle where she stayed for 3 months. When she got there John leaped around in Elizabeth's womb. Other gospels say that John was filled with the Holy Spirit even in his mothers womb. So he was already in there preaching the gospel :) excited about his role in bringing attention to the Messiah who would soon come into the world.
John and Jesus were already connected spiritually via the Holy Spirit. They had to have been on some level aware of each other even before they were born. Isn't that cool?
And both Mary and Elizabeth must have been connected spiritually as well, because when Mary approached and spoke Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied to her and said (v42)"Blessed is the fruit of your womb" It would seem that some really wonderful and miraculous things were happening here...more than meets the eye...
(v45) "Blessed is she who believed, for there will be fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord" I wonder if Elizabeth was used by the Holy Spirit to comfort Mary? Maybe Mary was still a little confused and needed further confirmation of this strange thing that was happening to her?
If so, it worked because she broke out in a wonderful diatribe of praises to the Lord in what is called the "Song of Mary" her heart was full of faith, thanksgiving and praise.
What did you learn from the story of Mary and Elizabeth?
The angel Gabriel had also told Mary that her Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Zacharias had conceived a son too. Which would make John the Baptist her cousin. Making John a second cousin to Jesus.
Mary either went to escape the ridicule she received because of her unwed pregnancy or simply compelled by the Holy Spirit to visit her aunt and uncle where she stayed for 3 months. When she got there John leaped around in Elizabeth's womb. Other gospels say that John was filled with the Holy Spirit even in his mothers womb. So he was already in there preaching the gospel :) excited about his role in bringing attention to the Messiah who would soon come into the world.
John and Jesus were already connected spiritually via the Holy Spirit. They had to have been on some level aware of each other even before they were born. Isn't that cool?
And both Mary and Elizabeth must have been connected spiritually as well, because when Mary approached and spoke Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied to her and said (v42)"Blessed is the fruit of your womb" It would seem that some really wonderful and miraculous things were happening here...more than meets the eye...
(v45) "Blessed is she who believed, for there will be fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord" I wonder if Elizabeth was used by the Holy Spirit to comfort Mary? Maybe Mary was still a little confused and needed further confirmation of this strange thing that was happening to her?
If so, it worked because she broke out in a wonderful diatribe of praises to the Lord in what is called the "Song of Mary" her heart was full of faith, thanksgiving and praise.
What did you learn from the story of Mary and Elizabeth?
No comments:
Post a Comment