Luke 1:46-56
Mary's response to the greeting of Elizabeth was to give praise and honor and glory to God. From her innermost being she gave praise to God and rejoiced in the Lord. She acknowledged it was the Lord who chose her and that she had done nothing to commend herself to God. It was the Lord who singled her out for the blessing of being the mother of the Messiah. She realized that all generations would remember her and consider her blessed by the Lord. This realization was her agreement with the truth stated by the angel Gabriel and her agreement with the words of Elizabeth. She did not lift herself up as someone to be praised but rather she acknowledged the truth about her participation in eternal history.
Mary taught us something about the character and nature of God in her song of praise. She said that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. This is a revelation of God which goes through the entire Bible and it is the character of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus always opposed the proud and gave grace to the humble.
Mary remembered the promise given to Abraham and his seed forever. Mary understood the promise of the Messiah which was the seed of the woman. This was revealed in Genesis when God promised the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent. This prophecy was fulfilled at Calvary when the Lord Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all earth below! Hallelujah, for the Lord God Almighty reigns.
Luke 1:57-66
Elizabeth gave birth to John. Her relatives wanted to give him another name but she insisted on calling him John. Everyone was confused by this because usually a child was named after a close relative and there was no one in that family named John. The relatives turned to Zacharias to see what he wanted to name John. He asked for something to write on and he wrote the boy's name was John like the angel Gabriel told him. When Zacharias did this he was released from his dumbness and was able to speak again. The first thing he said was praise to God.
We can learn a lot from the account of Elizabeth, Zacharias, and John. One thing I've learned is that when we obey God it sets us free. When Zacharias obeyed the Lord he was set free and able to speak again. Instead of unbelief he was filled with faith and praise to God.
Another thought is that when God does something in our life it is never for just us alone. Everyone in that entire area was touched by what happened to Elizabeth, Zacharias, and John. Everyone was in awe and wonder at what God did and they all knew God had special plans for John. Everyone remembered what happened. They laid it up in their hearts which was the same phrase used to describe how Mary remembered everything which happened to her.
I know in my life when God touched me I remember it. I had a few times in my life when God spoke to me or touched me and I never forgot. I stored up the works of God in my heart so I can remember in the future that God is real, and he loves me, and he has a plan for my life.
Jesus Christ is God the Son and he is the Son of God. He died on the cross for our sins, he was buried, and he rose again on the third day. Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
Luke 1:67-80
When Gabriel's word was fulfilled Zacharias got his voice back. He wrote down the name of his son was John and at that moment got his voice back.
The first thing he did was give honor, glory, and praise to the Lord Jesus.
I've noticed there is a pattern in this chapter. The angel Gabriel spoke to Zacharias and Mary and told them they would have sons, one a prophet, and the other the Messiah. These two accounts are tied together by the angel Gabriel. Also, in both cases, the fulfillment of the prophecy brought further prophecy out of the mouth of Mary and Zacharias. There is a multiplication of praise, worship, and proclaiming God's word. There is multiplied revelation of who God is and what God does in our lives.
We see this continues even to this day. God's word stands before us. We receive God's word, we believe God's word, and as a result, our lives bring honor, glory, and praise to God. We open our mouth and we speak and the Lord speaks through us to others. The word of God is not bound by time, or space, or distance. The word of God is not bound, but continues to multiply, and spread, and touch the lives of those who hear, receive, and believe. We become a vessel of God's word to reach the next generation of those who hear, receive, and believe.
Zacharias knew the plan of God for the life of his son John. He said that John was a prophet and would go before the Lord to prepare the way for him.
Verse 80, "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel."
There's a lot packed in that verse. We grow stronger spiritually when we are hid with God in the desert. It is through suffering that we learn obedience. It is on the backside of the desert that we learn how weak and helpless we are. It is in that place we are humbled and so we learn that we do not live by bread alone but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of the Lord do we live.
