Day 6 - Luke 1:39-45 [DIGITAL ADVENT CALENDAR]

December 6th

| Audrey Logan and Brooke Miller read Luke 1:39-45 | Anna Bolton sings Joy to the World | Ben shares a meditation on the joy of the Holy Spirit |

DAY 6

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” [Luke 1:39-45]

MEDITATION

Here we already have the joy of a promise kept. Gabriel had promised that Elizabeth's son John would be filled with the Holy Spirit before he was even born.

At the sound of his Lord's mother's voice, the unborn child leapt within Elizabeth's womb.

Here also is the joy of Elizabeth under the influence of the Holy Spirit herself. Mary had just walked in the door and greeted her. Her greeting would not have been "Elizabeth guess what, I'm pregnant with God's child." It would have been something more like, “Hi Elizabeth.”

Remember, the bible said this was only a few days after Gabriel's announcement. There was little to no evidence that she was pregnant yet. There was no baby bump. There was no late cycle. Elizabeth didn’t identify Mary’s condition through any human process.

I believe there was another who was experiencing joy.

Not from this passage specifically, but in the context of the entire bible and the constant evidence of God’s love and patience for us and His own desire that we be restored to Him. I believe the greatest joy in this encounter was that of the Holy Spirit himself and He filled Elizabeth and gave her the words to speak. It was the Holy Spirit who identified Mary as the Mother of Elizabeth's Lord and confirmed the testimony of her own unborn baby. She was in the presence of the mother of the Messiah.

PRAYER:

Holy Spirit fill us in powerful and clear ways similar to John and his mother Elizabeth. Give us the sense to recognize Your Presence in our lives and in the lives of others, as well as the sense to react accordingly.