“God Confirms His Plan” Luke 1:39-45

Confirmations are a nice thing to have. When we make hotel reservations, they give us a confirmation number. I’ve discovered when I use the confirmation number, things go better.

These days, we can make appointments with doctors and others and they send us an email or text confirming our appointment. It’s nice to have.

Sometimes, though, we need confirmations for things that aren’t so concrete. We decide to go out on our own and begin a new career. It’s nice when something happens or someone says something that confirms it was the right choice.

I’ve shared before years ago when I was still in college. I had surrendered to full-time ministry. A friend of mine told me that her sister always knew I was going to be a minister. The reason that sticks with me is that I don’t ever remember meeting that sister, yet she seemed to know that about me.

There are times when God calls us to do something. Usually, the something He calls us to do takes us out of our comfort zone, leads us down a path we never would have considered otherwise. As we seek to follow in obedience, we have to wonder if we’re doing the right thing. It’s when we’re not certain that God usually sends us a confirmation we’re where He wants us to be.

Background

When Zechariah returned home after his encounter with Gabriel, Elizabeth became pregnant with the child that would be John the Baptist. As we learned a couple of weeks ago, Elizabeth kept her pregnancy a secret for five months. Meanwhile, as per Gabriel’s words, Zechariah was unable to speak while he and Elizabeth awaited the birth of their child.

Sometime after Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, the angel appeared to Mary and told her she was to give birth to Jesus. Mary had questions, but she never really showed a lack of faith. Most of her questions were along the lines of how was this going to happen. It wasn’t a question of God’s ability as it was a question of seeking understanding.

After Gabriel left Mary, she determined to visit with Elizabeth. We have no idea why Mary decided to do this. The Bible they were related to one another, but it doesn’t say how often they visited with one another or any indication of how close Mary and Elizabeth were. We know that Mary lived in Nazareth, but we only know Elizabeth lived in the hill country of Judea.

For whatever reason, Mary decided she would go see Elizabeth. Knowing that Elizabeth was also experiencing a miracle pregnancy may have been Mary’s reason for wanting to see her. All we know is that Mary went to see Elizabeth, and the passage we’re looking at is the start of this visit. As we look into the greeting between these two women, we learn that God uses the opportunity to let both women know that His plans were coming to pass.

Central Truth: God always confirms His plans.

Mary Visits Elizabeth (39-41)

Vacation time for my family when I was growing up was going to see family. Most of the time, we were off to see Mom’s parents and younger sister in Marshall or, when we moved to East Texas, travelling back to El Paso to see Mom’s other sister and family friends. Sometimes, we’d veer off the path to see my dad’s sister and her family or, less frequently, dad’s brother and his family. While these vacations didn’t allow us time to go different places and see different things, it was always good to see family and reacquaint ourselves with those who lived in different places. I remember the greetings were always filled with smiles, hugs and joyful sounds.

Again, we have no idea if Mary and Elizabeth had ever visited before or how often they visited one another. But after Gabriel had left Mary, she seemed to have an urgent need to see her relative. The Bible says that Mary hurried to Elizabeth’s home. When Mary entered the house is when the story gets interesting.

Three things happened almost simultaneously. Mary greeted Elizabeth. Elizabeth heard the greeting, and her baby leapt within her womb. And Elizabeth was suddenly filled with the Holy Spirit.

This must have been interesting times in the two households. Both Mary and Elizabeth and Zechariah were experiencing things that were very rare. There are only two other times something similar had happened in the Bible—when God told Abraham and Sarah they were to have a son, and when Samuel was born. No one over the centuries since Samuel’s birth has such a thing happened. It’s quite possible that all three people (as well as Joseph back in Nazareth) were more open to God’s leading in their lives at this time. Mary walks in the door, and Elizabeth immediately becomes filled with the Holy Spirit. What follows are words of blessing and confirmation.

Elizabeth Blesses Mary (42)

It hadn’t been a long time since Mary had been visited by Gabriel. It would be understandable if Mary was still trying to come to grips with what was going to happen to her. As I read this passage, I’m not sure Mary was expecting yet. She had merely yielded herself to God’s will, but there seems to be no indication that she was pregnant when she met with Elizabeth. Still, God’s Spirit led Elizabeth to give reassurance to Mary by blessing her.

Elizabeth’s words reaffirm Mary in that Elizabeth calls Mary blessed among women. The idea is that Mary had been set apart and was different from any other woman before or since. She was and is the only mother of God’s Son. What some would consider a curse—being an unwed mother was not an acceptable thing in those days—Elizabeth confirmed was a blessing.

The blessing was not only to Mary, but to the child Mary would give birth to. The blessing was not to make her child blessed, but a reaffirmation that Jesus would be blessing to all and that Jesus was in fact the Son of God.

That’s quite a greeting to receive from someone as you walk in the door. If Mary had any doubts, if she had had any second guesses about what was to happen to her, Elizabeth’s words erased them. No doubt Mary was swept with a peace that comes only from God, the assurance that she was where God wanted her to be.

But Elizabeth had more to say to Mary, more that would confirm God was working in her to do a miraculous thing.

Elizabeth Confirms Jesus (43-45)

Going back over the events of the preceding months, Zechariah was told he and his wife would have a son, and that this son was to be the herald of the coming Messiah. Somehow, probably through writing, Zechariah had made this known to Elizabeth. Mary was told she would give birth to the Son of God. Joseph was informed by an angel in the dream what was happening with Mary. These four people were in a very unusual place, experiencing things that we can only imagine. Elizabeth’s next words must have been a comfort and inspiration to Mary as she listened to them.

Elizabeth first confirms that the child Mary will give birth to is the Lord sent from God. “But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Remember, the Spirit was inspiring Elizabeth’s words, and the Spirit used Elizabeth to be the first human being to say that Jesus is Lord.

But not only was Elizabeth experiencing this elation; so was her baby. “As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.” Already, John was fulfilling his ministry. The response of the unborn child within Elizabeth’s womb was telling the world of the coming Messiah.

Finally, Elizabeth returns to the blessing of Mary. It’s interesting that Elizabeth blesses Mary here not for what she is about to do but for what she has done. “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.” Mary was blessed because she had the faith to believe that God, who can do all things, was going to fulfill His promise given through Gabriel.

Conclusion

Looking over this passage of Scripture, it presents a wonderful experience that is so out of the ordinary for you and me. Of course, what was happening with these two women is beyond what any of us have experienced.

While you and I may not have visit from angels telling us exactly what God is doing in our lives and where He is leading us, He does speak to us through His Holy Spirit. He opens our hearts and minds to His leadership, and guides us to do His will.

There are times we may not be sure where He is leading or how He is working. It’s at those times that He will confirm what He is doing. Again, it may not be as dramatic as Elizabeth’s words, but God is not a God of confusion. He is a God of peace and understanding. He will not leave us in the dark, but will light the path before us as far as we need to see.

The key to it all is to be open to God’s prompting and God’s direction. Are we listening? Are we watching?