“The Joy of John, the Spirit of Elizabeth and the Faith of Mary”
Original sermon given on December 22, 2024, written and delivered by Pastor Jeff Leininger at First Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church.
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“The Joy of John, the Spirit of Elizabeth and the Faith of Mary”
Luke 1.39-44
Luke 1.39-45
In the name of the Living God and his risen Christ. Amen.
It’s “blessed baby time” in Luke’s gospel account. Elizabeth and Zachariah, the priest, though old and barren, have conceived and are blessed with a child — John. The Angel Gabriel has appeared also to Mary — a young virgin — and announced to her that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit, and would give birth to the Son of the Most High.
This morning, we enter the gospel story at a time of energy and excitement. It’s a little bit like when a new, young mother can’t wait to tell her friends and relatives about the joy of being with child — only in this case, the energy and excitement must be focused and contained. Not everyone is ready yet to hear Mary’s news — nor will they be willing to believe her story: “Really. You’re pregnant, but not with Joseph? It’s a miracle of the Holy Spirit? ... Right.”
This is why Mary makes haste down away from Galilee, entering the hill country of Judea to visit her relative, Elizabeth. She’s got to share this with someone! Elizabeth’s miraculous news will be met with Mary’s — and they can marvel and rejoice and wonder together. If misery loves company, maybe miraculous motherhood can love company too. Who else can Mary talk to about this?
This account in Luke’s gospel is called “The Visitation” because it’s the episode when the newly pregnant Mary visitsElizabeth, who is now six months along. The Visitation has common elements with anyone who’s conceived and carried a child can relate to: the wonder of the creation of new life, feeling the baby’s jumps and kicks in the womb, shared joy, anticipation, perhaps some anxiety, too: "How is this all going to work out? Will we be ready? Got the baby’s bedroom painted yet?”
But the main message here is the miraculous nature of both these blessed babies—John and Jesus. That’s why these particular families’ stories are recorded here for us. God was at work in human history, bringing salvation to us and the whole world, through the wombs of Elizabeth and Mary.
It’s their reactions to God’s miraculous saving work which I want you to take note of here. The three supporting characters in this account — baby John, Elizabeth, and Mary — model Advent attitudes for the Christian. Although we certainly won’t experience the same miracles as they (barren birth or virgin birth) we too can respond to the Christ child as they did: John’s Joy, Elizabeth’s Spirit, and Mary’s Faith
John’s Joy: John will become John the Baptist (the same guy we met last week calling people to repentance along the Jordan). This John is but a babe still in Elizabeth’s womb, when Mary enters their house. Mary gives a formal greeting to her relative, Elizabeth, and no sooner has it entered Elizabeth’s ears than, whoop, John leaps for joy. Isn’t this amazing? Even before this prophet speaks a word, he’s already pointing us to Jesus. And it’s a big “jumping for joy” here. This isn’t a “barely feel it”, “did he kick a little?”, “maybe you notice it a bit” type of movement. No, the baby John jumps with extreme joy and gladness at the presence of Christ in Mary.
Perhaps we could think about it in this way: John’s work would be to prepare the way of Jesus, the Messiah, and he’s so excited about it that he’s leaping for his Lord before he’s even born. (He’s leaping for his Lord, not a Lords-a-Leaping, like in the song!) The work of this Jesus would be so world-changing, that John jumps for joy, ready to get started with it.
Oh, that we also, might have such joy this Advent, as we share with others the news of Christ the Savior’s birth! God would be at work in the womb of the virgin, in order to bring us back to Him. John can’t wait to proclaim it. The way I think about it, if he can have this joy before he’s even born, maybe I can have joy in my life now, knowing fully how much God has done for me. So, that’s the first Advent response: John’s joy.
Secondly, Elizabeth’s Spirit. The scripture says that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. When she heard Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth recognizes Christ in the flesh of the virgin Mary and cries out with a loud voice. “Blessed are you, Mary, and blessed is the one in your womb!” Elizabeth, by the Holy Spirit, recognizes that Christ has come in the flesh. Elizabeth acknowledges her own unworthiness to be in the presence of Christ, but nevertheless by the Spirit recognizes the truth and power of what’s unfolding before her: the Almighty God, Holy and “Other”, All Powerful and All Knowing and Ever-Present, now is before her in flesh and blood.
May we also be filled with the Holy Spirit, like Elizabeth, and recognize God come to us in the flesh, in the person and work of Christ. Even this morning too, may the Holy Spirit fill us like Elizabeth to see that, just as Christ was in the womb of the Virgin, he is present also in this holy sacrament. Here he is again for us, forgiving us, filling us, gracing us with his real presence. Blessed indeed is the mother who carried him. Blessed indeed are those who receive him, today.
So, our Advent response is first the Joy of John, second, the Spirit of Elizabeth, and thirdly, the Faith of Mary.
Note well, my friends, why Elizabeth calls Mary “blessed”. “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.” (Luke 1.45) Mary is called blessed because of the privilege of carrying the Christ Child, but most importantly because of her faith. Remember, the Angel Gabriel comes to her and tells her that she will conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that she will give birth to the savior, Jesus, and that he will be son of the Most High, King of Kings, forever? (Luke 1.31-33) (Wow, that’s a lot, right?) And how does she respond? How would you respond?
Perhaps you might respond like Zachariah, Elizabeth’s husband. You might recall that when the angel Gabriel comes to him and promises the old couple they would conceive and have John, Zachariah basically says, “Yeah, right, prove it. Give me a sign, and I’ll maybe trust you.” (Luke 1.18)
Gabriel kind of lost his patience with Zach there. (Maybe Gabe had a long day flying around, and his wings were tired, and got a little cranky: “I’m so done with these people.”) Zachariah responds with “Prove it,” but Mary responds in faith, “May it be so to me as you have said.” (Luke 1.38) And this is what Elizabeth describes as “blessed” — to believe the God of the impossible.
May we also have the faith of Mary. To believe, yes, the great salvation story that God didn’t abandon us, wouldn’t stay separated from us, refused to leave us to our own devices but came among us in Jesus, was crucified, died, buried, and rose again. May we have Mary’s faith in this.
But may we also have Mary’s faith for the daily, difficult journey of the Christian life. When we don’t know the future. When our sin and guilt weigh too heavy upon us. When the darkness seems too deep, or the flood waters run too high, when nothing seems to be making sense right now, when we can’t see the path forward, and even when our last hour comes. May we also have the blessed faith of Mary: “You got this God, even when I don’t… even when it’s bigger than me… even when I can’t fully understand it. Your word is all I need.”
That’s the Visitation — the Joy of John, leaping with gladness to point the way to Jesus and get on with his work. The Spirit of Elizabeth — filled with the Holy Spirit to acknowledge and recognize the presence of Christ come among us. And the Faith of Mary — trusting in the God of the impossible, no matter what comes.
May God grant us these gifts to us this Advent.
Come soon Lord Jesus. Amen.