Scripture: “And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:” – Luke 1:41
Observation: When Mary arrives at her cousin Elisabeth’s home, the Scriptures record a beautiful happening… the yet-to-be-born baby developing within Elisabeth (who will be John the Baptist) leaped for joy!
Application: It is amazing to realize that the first person to recognize the as-of-yet unborn Son of God was another child in utero! There is no record that Mary announced to Elisabeth that she was carrying the Messiah, yet unborn John knew! That is so awesome to me!
Every life that God creates begins in His mind. He told the prophet that in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Imagine that! God thought about you and me even before we were physically conceived! We were mentally conceived in the mind of God before our conception ever occurred! The Lord decided that we were so important to Him, so loved by Him, that He planned our births so we could be cherished by Him forever! Wow! He loves us with an everlasting love! (Jeremiah 31:3).
When John leaped for joy in the womb of Elisabeth, it was in recognition of the promised Messiah, the sinless Son of God, developing within Mary. May our hearts and souls leap for joy this Christmas season as we recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as the sinless Son of God who came to live among us, paying the price for our sins and becoming the Saviour of the world!
Prayer: Dearest Lord Jesus, You are the Prince of Peace, the Blessed Redeemer, the Living Word! Thank You for saving my soul and loving me with an everlasting love! I am overwhelmed by Your goodness, Your mercy, Your grace, and Your love! Thank You for giving me a reason to celebrate throughout this season especially! I love You! In Your precious name, I pray! Amen!
O come, O come, Immanuel,
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel.
(from “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” by J. M. Neale)
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“For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” – Luke 1:44