Verse by verse, we dig into Luke 1:39-45… The Visitation!
Hear the full audio from Bible Class on December 23, 2018
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
PART ONE: THE VISITATION
A.) This passage records the events known in Church history as The Visitation. Before we jump in and start drawing conclusions, let’s get a basic grasp of the people and actions involved.
1.) One woman makes a journey. Who is she? (v.39) ____________________
2.) Another receives a visitor? Who did Mary visit? (v.40) _______________
3.) Who speaks first by giving a greeting? (v.41) _____________________
4.) Who responds to this greeting by leaping? (v.41)_____________________
5.) Who fills Elizabeth and inspired her to respond (v.41) ________________
6.) Who speaks this word of blessing, acknowledging the true presence of the Lord and His benefits for all involved? (v.42-45) ___________________
7.)__________________ (v.42) is declared “Blessed…among women.”
8.) The “fruit of your womb” is also blessed, namely_______________ (v.42)
9.) Elizabeth recognizes Mary is “the mother of my ________________.” (v.43)
10.) Mary “believed that there would be a ______________________ of what was spoken to her by the ________________.” (v.45)
PART TWO: THE LORD’S PRESENCE & PROXIMITY
B.) Holy Scripture makes mention of many interesting people, places and events–some very familiar to us and others quite unfamiliar. The Lord Himself remains the central focus and person of interest throughout the Bible. The Word of God is deeply concerned with God’s location and activity, always asking about Him and revealing our God in terms of “Where is the Lord now?” and “What is the Lord doing?”
1.) Where is the Lord in Luke 1:39-45?
2.) What is the Lord doing in Luke 1:39-45?
C.) Dr. Just in his recent Concordia Commentary on Luke 1:1-9:50 cites a book by J. McHugh entitled The Mother of Jesus. There he describes five interesting parallels between the events of 2 Samuel 6:2-12 and our passage in Luke 1:39-45. Read 2 Samuel 6:2-12. Remember, in the OT, the Lord God sits upon The Ark!
2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. 3 And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, 4 with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.
5 And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. 6 And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. 8 And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. 9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11 And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.
12 And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing.
1.) Compare 2 Samuel 6:2 with Luke 1:39 –a journey into Judah
2.) Compare 2 Sam. 6:12,15 with Luke 1:42,44 –greeted w shouts of joy
3.) Compare 2 Sam. 6:10-12 with Luke 1:41,43-44 —blessing the households
4.) Compare 2 Sam. 6:9 with Luke 1:43 –fear/awe at the Lord’s coming
5.) Compare 2 Sam. 6:11 with Luke 1:56 –the Lord remained @3 months
PART THREE: PRESENCE AND PROXIMITY TODAY
D.) Consider the following passage from The Augsburg Confession:
1] That we may obtain this faith, the Ministry of Teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. For through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, 2] the Holy Ghost is given, who works faith; where and when it pleases God, in them that hear 3] the Gospel, to wit, that God, not for our own merits, but for Christ’s sake, justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake.
1.) How was the Holy Spirit given to Elizabeth? (v.41) To us?
2.) Is Elizabeth able to recognize her proximity to Christ? (v.43) Are we?
3.) Does Elizabeth wonder at & confess God visits her by grace? (v.43) Do we?
4.) Read Rom. 10:14-17. How did this faith come to her? (Rom. 10:17) To us?
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