NATIVITY By Mike Herron

Chapter 9: MARY’S VISIT TO ELIZABETH - Lk 1:39-56 (December 22nd)

he meeting between these two female cousins of redemptive history is a musical exchange and their songs ‘are the first New Testament hymns...’ 1 . Mary’s ‘Magnificat’ is the most ‘revolutionary document in the world’ 2 and signals the upheaval of social orders where God will put down the proud and exalt the lowly. 39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Mary journeyed to the priestly city in the hill country of Judah and greeted the older Elizabeth with the customary loving embrace and words of respect. ‘Luke places great emphasis on Mary’s greeting, mentioning it three times…’ 3 The angel Gabriel had prophesied that John would be ‘filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.’ (Lk 1:15) This encounter was the fulfillment of that promise. At the same moment Elizabeth is also filled signaling the dawning age of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Elizabeth shouts out with joy the first 3 beatitudes (blessings) of the New Testament. The Old Testament ends with a curse while the New begins with a baby’s leap of joy and the promise of a ‘continual state of blessedness’ 4 for both mother