Luke 1:39

Luke 1:39 says, And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;  After the angel told Mary about Elisabeth, she got up and went in haste to where Elisabeth lived.  There was no instant communication in those days, but Mary wanted to see if what the angel said was true.  We should always do our best to make sure that what people tell us, even if it is an angel unaware, is  the truth.  Verse forty adds, And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.  Mary went to Zacharias' house and met Elisabeth.  Since the angel had told her about Elisabeth, Mary went to see for herself if what the angel said was true.  As just discussed, we need to make sure that what people tell us is from God checks out with the facts and especially with what God's word tells us.  What the angel Gabriel told Mary was consistent with God's word in Isaiah.  Verse forty-one declares, 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:  When the baby, not the fetus, heard Mary's voice, he leaped in the womb.  As followers of Christ, we can never come to the conclusion that a baby in the womb is less than a human life.  Verse forty-two adds, And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.  Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, said that Mary was blessed among women and that the fruit of her womb would be blessed.  Mary was not blessed because of her own inability to sin, but because she was chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus.  Verse forty-three continues, And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  Elisabeth then said Mary was to be the mother of her LORD, and asked Mary why she had come to see Elizabeth.  Verse forty-four states, For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Elisabeth did not say that as soon as the baby heard Mary's voice he moved, but that he leaped for joy.  You might ask how Elisabeth knew this, but I believe that the Holy Spirit let her know, just as He will let us know the truth today.  Verse forty-five adds, And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.  Elisabeth said Mery was blessed because she believed that the things the angel told her were going to come to pass.  We today are blessed as Christians when we believe the truth of God's word.