“And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:43-45 ESV)
All throughout Scripture we learn that there is an inherit blessing between hearing, knowing, and believing the promises of God. Sadly, many fall short of Biblical faith and so they fail to experience the incredibly rich blessings of God. As the prophetic silence in Israel was shattered, a flurry of glorious, joyous proclamations are coming from the throne of God.
Certainly we are blessed by the truth of Christmas today, but we aren’t alone. Church history is full of countless men, women, and children who have had their lives radically transformed because of the incarnation of Christ. If Jesus didn’t step into creation in Bethlehem, He could never have become the substitutionary, atoning sacrifice at Calvary. Christmas and Easter are forever, inextricably connected.
After Mary heard the incredible promise of God through His messenger Gabriel concerning her own miraculous conception, this young virgin went quickly to see her relative Elizabeth because of the joyous news the angel had revealed. Don’t miss the beauty of what God did in this moment, Mary would not have to try and absorb and understand all this by herself. God graciously gave her Zechariah and Elizabeth to rejoice with her, to no doubt point out promises in the Scripture, and to pray for and encourage her.
The Scripture tells us that Mary “went with haste” to visit her relatives. When you get news this good, you don’t wait around! I wonder if the incredibly good news of Christmas still gets you excited to proclaim it to others. This season is one worth not only celebrating personally and with our family and friends, but one worth sharing!
As Mary entered the home of Zechariah (who was still mute at this point because of his previous failure to believe God’s promise) and Elizabeth (who was roughly six months pregnant in her old age), the unborn child John “leaped in her womb.” I want to pause for a moment and point out an important truth: Life begins at conception. These two unborn children didn’t become children at their birth, they were already children in the wombs of their mother. I imagine John was already celebrating and rejoicing at the presence of Jesus even as they were both still in the womb!
Something special begins to happen as Mary stands in the presence of Elizabeth. This very pregnant woman who was “advanced in years,” filled with the Holy Spirit, honored Mary and called her blessed. The greatest blessing Mary experienced was because she “believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Mary, just like us and even Abraham before her (see Genesis 15:6), experience the blessings of God when we respond to God’s promises in faith.
As you read this devotion, I hope you’ll meditate and answer this question: Do you really believe the Biblical account of Christmas? If you do believe these things, are you living like you believe them? Are you sharing the truth of Christmas with those you love and those people in your sphere of influence? Are you rejoicing and continuing to be awe struck by God’s incredible promises and the hope of Christmas? If not, it may be time to prayerfully and carefully sit in God’s presence and ask Him to fill you with awe and wonder at His incredible promises.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the truth that it isn’t good works, religious works, or our own accolades that pleases You, but Biblical faith. Lord, help us have a faith like Mary, a faith like Abraham, a faith that burns brightly and fills every thought, word, and action. Thank You for Your tender mercies and bringing other Christians into our lives so we don’t have to walk alone. Today, help us proclaim the truth and hope of the Biblical Christmas. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
