(K)50His mercy extends to those who fear him,from generation to generation. (L)51He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;(M)he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. Regardless, these are some of the most beautiful words in all the word of God. Bridgeway Bible Commentary. While me cannot say that every miraculous life began with a miraculous birth, I think it is safe to say that every miraculous birth resulted in a miraculous life and ministry. Luke 1:39-56: Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. 78 because of the faithful love of our God in which the rising Sun has come from on high to visit us. Wonders of His . This principle may be stated in this way: A MIRACULOUS PERSON BEGINS WITH A MIRACULOUS BIRTH. The nativity and circumcision of John. ii. 67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: 68 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited his people, he has set them free. First, our text has much to teach us on the subject of women, their spirituality, and their worship. Gods compassion on her has revealed both His power and His holiness (Mighty One, holy is His name, v. 49). Neither, Elizabeth, Mary, nor Luke refer to the fetus in Marys womb, while we are specifically told that John leaped in his mothers womb when Elizabeth heard Marys greeting (Luke 1:41). How encouraging the greeting of Elizabeth must have been to Mary. They were not, however, the themes of the scribes and Pharisees. 56And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home. Mary, too, was a humble peasant girl. (7) Mary is a model disciple in that her praise was not only a personal expression of worship, but also was edifying to Elizabeth. Elizabeth was the wife of an obscure priest. I believe that Elizabeth knew from the Scriptures that Messiah would be both human and divine, and that He would be born of a virgin. Q. * [1:15] He will drink neither wine nor strong drink: like Samson (Jgs 13:45) and Samuel (1Sm 1:11 LXX and 4QSama), John is to be consecrated by Nazirite vow and set apart for the Lords service. 42cried out in a loud voice and said, Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.t 45Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!, My soul glorifies the Lord(F)47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,(G)48for he has been mindfulof the humble state of his servant. 25So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others.k. And the angel left her. [1:51] Ps 89:10; 118:15; Jer 32:17 (39:17 LXX). He stated that he had investigated "everything from the beginning" and was editing the material into . 27to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgins name was Mary.l Ps 18:46; Isa 17:10; 61:10; Hab 3:18; 1Ti 1:1; 2:3; 4:10, Ge 11:8; Ex 18:11; 2Sa 22:28; Jer 13:9; 49:16, NIV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NIV, Story of Jesus: Experience the Life of Jesus as One Seamless Story, NIV, The Story, Hardcover, Comfort Print: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NIV, Biblical Theology Study Bible, Comfort Print: Follow Gods Redemptive Plan as It Unfolds throughout Scripture, NIV, The Woman's Study Bible, Full-Color, Red Letter: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation. Perhaps a few women, blessed by financial prosperity and social standing, may have been able to enjoy some of the benefits of the male world. The degree to which women were degraded was that to which their husbands and their culture stooped. Our Lord was careful to show that being obedient to Gods will and His word were more important than being humanly related to Him: And a multitude was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You. And answering them, He said, Who are My mother and My brothers? And looking about on those who were sitting around Him, He said, Behold, My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother (Mark 3:31-35; cf. Probably he did this because Mary has already been presented in Lk 1:38 as the obedient handmaid of the Lord who fulfills the requirement for belonging to the . We cannot say for certain, but we can affirm at this moment that all that she said was divinely inspired. 36And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived* a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; Marys role as believer in the infancy narrative should be seen in connection with the explicit mention of her presence among those who believed after the resurrection at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:14). One cannot read the Magnificat of Mary without realizing that she has drawn deeply from the terminology and the theology of the Old Testament. She did not have any social standing due to her parentage or class, nor even the dignity of Elizabeth and Zacharias age. 23Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home. My opinion is that deliverances which are described have already been demonstrated in Israels history, to some degree, but that they will finally and fully be realized in the future, as a result of Messiahs coming. (2) Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and her words were a divinely inspired utterance. The particular focus of the announcement of the birth of Jesus is on his identity as Son of David (Lk 1:3233) and Son of God (Lk 1:32, 35). 39During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, In this parallelism, the ascendency of Jesus over John is stressed: John is prophet of the Most High (Lk 1:76); Jesus is Son of the Most High (Lk 1:32). 19And the angel said to him in reply, I am Gabriel,* who stand before God. The question which this raises is what is meant by the use of the a past tense. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. His self-righteousness is evident in the psalm of chapter 2, which dwells on his dilemma, his danger, and his deliverance, but not on God. This is not so. It is my opinion is that Mary became pregnant during the time she way staying with Elizabeth and Zachariah. * [1:4655] Although Mary is praised for being the mother of the Lord and because of her belief, she reacts as the servant in a psalm of praise, the Magnificat. John is great in the sight of the Lord (Lk 1:15); Jesus will be Great (a LXX attribute, used absolutely, of God) (Lk 1:32). When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb. * [1:20] You will be speechless and unable to talk: Zechariahs becoming mute is the sign given in response to his question in v. 18. (H)From now on all generations will call me blessed,(I)49for the Mighty One has done great things(J) for meholy is his name. p. [1:33] Dn 2:44; 7:14; Mi 4:7; Mt 28:18. t. [1:42] 11:2728; Jgs 5:24; Jdt 13:18; Dt 28:4. y. Both reach out in love and rejoice in the work of God in their live. 10Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. Marys response was an elegant expression of faith: Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word (Luke 1:38). I believe that the similarity of the Magnificat to Hannas praise has the effect of encouraging Elizabeth, whose personal praise focuses on Mary, and not on her own joy in having a son in her old age. In verse 48 her blessedness is viewed as the result of Gods grace. * [1:3637] The sign given to Mary in confirmation of the angels announcement to her is the pregnancy of her aged relative Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and . These were the themes of the Old Testament prophets. * [1:5766] The birth and circumcision of John above all emphasize Johns incorporation into the people of Israel by the sign of the covenant (Gn 17:112). Nevertheless she assumes throughout that He has indeed been promised her. 13:9). He would be the Son of the Most High, who would be given the throne of His father David, from which He would rule (vv. (3) In verse 50 Marys praise broadens, viewing Gods grace to her as a reflection of His gracious purposes for His chosen people, Israel. Marys praise was addressed to God, but in adoring God she also encouraged and edified Elizabeth, just as Elizabeths praise encouraged her. Thus, James has some very strong words on the subject of discriminating against the poor and showing partiality to the rich (cf. I am thus inclined to view this as Lukes way of informing us that some women may very well surpass men spiritually. Is Divorce And Remarriage After Abuse, Neglect, Financial, Or Emotional Issues Okay. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1,39-56. Mary thus presses from the specific to the general, from her personal benefits to the blessings which all of Gods people (those who fear Him) experience. Today, we humbly ask you to defend Catholic Online's independence. Mary has a good sense of history and a broad grasp of Gods purposes and promises. 44For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. Luke was a doctor and therefore a man of science and research, and this is reflected in his history of the life of Jesus. Mary seems immediately to respond to the praise of Elizabeth by offering her own praise to God. Elizabeth is a magnificent woman of God, in Lukes opinion. It is my opinion that the town in which Elizabeth and her husband lived was merely a village, too. When Gabriel announced the miraculous virgin birth of Messiah through Mary to this young16 peasant girl, he informed her of Elizabeths pregnancy, indicating that this was a sign of Gods ability to achieve the impossible (Luke 1:36-37). While bearing the Messiah was a distinct privilege for Mary, that for which she is most highly praised is her faith and her obedience. Virtually every commentator agrees that Marys praise is dripping with Old Testament allusions and references. The language of our praise should betray a continual soaking in the Scriptures and meditation on the terms and theology of the Bible. Get the app {{#signedIn}} . Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry (Luke 6:20-21a; 24-25). 41When Elizabeth heard Marys greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. These include the following: Whether or not Mary was yet pregnant. From now on all generations will call me blessed. How shallow our prayers and praise seem when compared with that of these two godly women. That which she speaks far surpasses what we are told Gabriel said to Zacharias. (4) Mary is a model disciple in grasp of the social implications of the gospel. 14:26a). 28 He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favor! If It Is During The Millennium How Will There Not Be Pain And Tears When The Devil Is Released To Deceive The Nations? We find the first instance of his highlighting of women in our text in the first chapter of Lukes gospel, where the spotlight is directed toward two godly women. The naming of the child John and Zechariahs recovery from his loss of speech should be understood as fulfilling the angels announcement to Zechariah in Lk 1:13, 20. 3I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, 44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Women may be limited so far as their public ministry is concerned, but not so far as their spirituality and intimacy with God is concerned. The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus day were largely legalists, who focused on the letter of the law, but missed Gods grace in it. 4 He approached the chief priests and the . 5 In the days of King Herod of Judaea there lived a priest called Zechariah who belonged to the Abijah section of the priesthood, and he had a wife, Elizabeth by name, who was a descendant of Aaron. 21 Charles H. Talbert, Reading Luke: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Third Gospel (New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1982), p. 22. The same principle applies on a different level. * [1:59] The practice of Palestinian Judaism at this time was to name the child at birth; moreover, though naming a male child after the father is not completely unknown, the usual practice was to name the child after the grandfather (see Lk 1:61). Luke's two-part narrative, his Gospel and his Acts of the Apostles, gives a somewhat different perspective on Jesus' final days from the narratives of Matthew, Mark, or John. To press the matter further, I doubt that Mary understood that the redemptive purpose of Christs first coming would be accomplished by His death on a cross, death at the hands of wicked men. Elizabeths words far surpass the revelation which we are told Gabriel gave to Zacharias. The very moment she entered the house and gave a customary greeting, Elizabeth blessed Mary as the mother of her Lord. 3 Then Satan entered into Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve. * [1:13] Do not be afraid: a stereotyped Old Testament phrase spoken to reassure the recipient of a heavenly vision (Gn 15:1; Jos 1:9; Dn 10:12, 19 and elsewhere in Lk 1:30; 2:10). Herod the Great, the son of the Idumean Antipater, was declared King of Judea by the Roman Senate in 40 B.C., but became the undisputed ruler of Palestine only in 37 B.C. 39. 36 And I tell you this too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month. The Conspiracy Against Jesus. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him. I believe that Elizabeth is a prototype of her son in this regard. The narrative of Johns circumcision also prepares the way for the subsequent description of the circumcision of Jesus in Lk 2:21. 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