God's Masterpiece Part 5 – The Mother of God

Mary was pregnant. She had conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. The journey to the hills of Judah may have been difficult but she pondered in her heart about her son and how He was the Creator God who had formed her, but was now being formed in her in His human vesture. She thought of what it meant that the Holy Spirit of God had overshadowed her, and claimed her for Himself. She gave thanks to God and wondered how her son would free Israel and save her people. She again praised God for His humility that He would wait on her assent to His Word. She felt humbled, realising her own lowliness compared to the One she was carrying in her womb. The journey to Zachariah’s house seemed to pass her by quickly as she thought about who God was and who she was to Him.

When Mary entered Elizabeth’s house, she greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting the baby boy inside her womb leapt with joy, and Elizabeth herself was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth exclaimed with a loud cry – “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

Mary wondered at hearing these words. She remembered what her ancestor King David had said when he encountered the Ark of the Covenant on the hills of Judah. David had leapt for joy, being filled with the Spirit and had exclaimed – “Who am I, that the Ark of the Lord should come to me?” The house of Obed-Edom with whom the Ark of the Covenant remained for three months was blessed by the Lord. She remembered that the Ark was lost after being hidden by Jeremiah the prophet. The rabbis in Jerusalem believed and taught that the Ark was taken up into the heavens.

Elizabeth continued speaking to Mary. Inspired by the Spirit of the Lord she said – “When the voice of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Mary and Elizabeth both thought about the Ark of the Covenant. Elizabeth knew the scriptures well as she was the wife of a priest of the family of Aaron. The Ark carried the representation of the covenant – the Word of God, the High Priesthood and the Bread from Heaven. They pondered on what Mary carried in her womb or rather who Mary carried in her womb. This was the fulfillment of all the covenants, the new covenant that prophet Jeremiah had prophesied. Mary’s boy child was the Word of God made flesh who would dwell among His people. He was the prophesied eternal king of Israel, the Son of Man. King David had prophesied in the psalms – “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek”. Mary’s son was the true High Priest, the fulfillment of the priesthood of Aaron. They wondered about the Bread from Heaven. How would Mary’s son feed their people? Would He rain manna down from heaven to satisfy the hungry, like He did during the time of Moses?

Mary overwhelmed by all of this, then remembered Hannah’s song of thanksgiving and praised God along with Elizabeth –

'My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm,
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,
he has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.'

Mary, like the Ark of the Covenant, stayed for three months in the hill country of Judah, in the house of Elizabeth and Zachariah. She helped Elizabeth through her pregnancy and the household of Zachariah was blessed by her presence. She returned home after three months.