Midweek Advent Worship December 18, 2024
“The Song of Elizabeth” Luke 1:39-45
Rev. John R. Larson Ascension Lutheran Church Littleton, Colorado
Christmas is a time for music. Last week it was Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father who was in song. Today it is his mother, Elizabeth, who wants to join the choir. She says to Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:42-43)We have a thought that there is only so much glory to go around. We have phrases like:
o “Don’t rain on my parade”o “Quit stealing her thunder”
We don’t believe in glory duets. You don’t start boasting about your own work-related accomplishments at another co-worker’s retirement party. We are not to upstage another at that moment.Think about Elizabeth and what she and her husband Zechariah had gone though and were experiencing. They had hoped to have a child but they hadn’t and maybe couldn’t. Of these two the Gospel of Luke says, “Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.” (Luke 1:6-7)
But then she became pregnant. Elizabeth is amazed. She says, “The Lord has done this for me. In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” (Luke 1:25) And they were told that he wasn’t just any ordinary child. “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth. He is going to go out in the spirit and power of Elijah. He was going to be a prophet of God turning the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous.” (See Luke 1:15-17)
But when Mary comes, she steals her thunder. I’m reading between the lines here – it says that Mary, who had just been told that she was going to have a baby – the Savior of the world – entered Zechariah’s house, she greeted Elizabeth. I think she told her about the angel Gabriel’s visit. I think Mary told Elizabeth that her son was going to be the Son of God. She had to tell her about her most important question, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” And the answer, “For nothing is impossible with God.”
I guess there are glory duets. Elizabeth steps aside, even as joyous as she was, even though her story was one to be told to everyone, because someone greater than her son was going to be born. With a loud voice, so everyone could hear, Elizabeth speaks her song:
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! And why am I so highly favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.
Elizabeth had a song, not of the worship of Mary, but of the child Mary would bear. Like Zechariah would say after John was born, “But you my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.” (Luke 1:76-77)This past Saturday, at our afternoon worship, Mike Zehnder sang the song, “Mary Did You Know?”
Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you’ve delivered will soon deliver you?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know your baby boy would calm a storm with his hand?Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little baby you’ve kissed the face of God.
The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again.The lame will leap, the dumb will speak the praises of the lamb.
Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation? Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?Did you know that your baby boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb? This sleeping child you’re holding is the great I AM.
Elizabeth knew that the glory of Jesus was also her glory. Her praise, her song would be about Jesus. In Mary’s song her glory is second to what God was going to do. So, also, with us! The glory of Jesus is also our song. It will be ours until the day we die and then we will sing it even louder and greater in heaven, forever. Amen.
