“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  And she cried out with a loud voice and said, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.’  And Mary said:  ‘My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.  For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.  For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name.  And His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him.  He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.  He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.  He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed.  He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.’”  Luke 1:41-5

As one might guess, the title for these two posts carries a double meaning.  The words exchanged above are between pregnant women but they also carry much weight.  That weight comes in the character of the women as discussed in part one as well as the content, which is belief, God, and the acts of God.

Elizabeth blesses Mary for her belief.  In our culture, belief can be a tricky concept.  I’ve seen slogans around the holidays that say “Believe” but don’t provide any explanation.  While in some cases it may carry the undisclosed message of faith in God, more often than not, it is an ambiguous term that allows the reader to believe in Santa Clause, “the magic of Christmas” or whatever one desires.  In that sense, there is no substance for belief.  While gatherings with friends and family may bring a fair amount of happiness, they lack the sustaining faith in God which provides joy, hope or peace.  What Elizabeth is commending is Mary’s faith in God, in His promises and in His ability to fulfill His promises.  A synonym for believe or belief is trust.  It is our trust in God that carries us through the stressful and supremely difficult times.  It is precisely that trust that allows us to experience true joy and peace…especially in the tougher moments of life.  Like Mary, are we not truly blessed when we believe in God, His promises and His ability to accomplish what He wills.

Having her belief established, Mary offers praise to our Lord by disclosing five things about God:  He is the source of Joy, He has regard for His children, He is mighty, He is Holy and He is merciful.  “In the beginning God”…before all things, God existed and the Trinity is the joyful relationship from which all things flow…including our joy.  All of those things that bring us pleasure are from the hand of God; the only relationship that can provide pure joy is with God; and the ultimate sacrifice which provides our ultimate joy in salvation and union with God is again from God.  No matter where you start, when you trace the root of your joy, it will ultimately take you back to God because He is the source of all joy…joy in its purest form.  God certainly had regard for Mary and elevated her from her relatively unknown state, but she is not alone.  God has regard for each of us who trust in Him.  In case you doubt that fact, consider:  as Psalm 139 tells us, He plans our life before there is even one day; each of us is fashioned by God for specific use as described (Isaiah 64:8, 2 Corinthians 5:5, etc.); our death is precious to Him (Psalm 116:15); and a place has been provided for us so that we can abide with God for eternity (John 14:2-3).  From before time and through eternity, God has regard for us…each of us is precious in His sight.   As the Lord and Creator of the universe, God’s might is irrefutable.  A source of God’s joy is that He does what He pleases (Psalm 115:3 and 165:6).  None other can claim that much might; for all others there are limitations.  God’s holiness is disclosed throughout scripture as is our sinfulness.  It is that contrast which provides the greatest example of His mercy:  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”(John 3:16)   Sinless God provided the means for sinful men and women to be reconciled to Him.  In the end this is a bit of a circular reference in that it all comes down to the birth of Christ.  Mary states this fact as she rejoices in God her savior.  When we consider these in reverse i.e. that the mercy extended to us by Holy and Almighty God because of His love for us provides us with the opportunity for unending joy, we should not only be filled joy, but also immense peace and hope.

Mary starts her description of God’s mighty acts with His kindness toward her in elevating her to a place that compels all generations to call her blessed.  Then she alludes to God’s love in sending the Son of God to earth in the form of the child that she carries who will bear our sins as He sacrifices His life so that we may bear His righteousness.  In that regard, the blessing extends to generation after generation of those who love God.  We then see the heart of God that in His might He brings down the arrogant and haughty but sustains and provides for the humble who trust in Him.  Further, God has aided the nation of Israel.  While there are plenty of examples that show God in His might protecting it, His greatest act comes back to the Child that Mary carries.  Christ is not only our means of salvation, but He is also the Messiah and the King of Glory who’s kingdom will be without end.  In that, God’s ultimate promise to Abraham and His descendants is fulfilled or as Simeon put it, Jesus is the “salvation, which (God has) prepared in the sight of all nations:  a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”  In Christ, God has indeed accomplished what He promised and honored the people of Israel for eternity.

As we celebrate Christmas, let us follow Mary’s example.  Believe God…in God’s joy, might, holiness, mercy and regard for us.  Recognize how He has worked in our lives, the lives of others, the nations and the fulfillment of His greatest promises.  Acknowledge and accept His greatest gift of Salvation which came through Christ and His sacrifice.  Allow His joy, peace and hope to flood into our lives.  And then, let us exalt the Lord and rejoice in God our Savior…let us magnify his name together.

May the joy, peace and hope of our Lord and Savior be yours now and always,

Will