Advent Reading for December 10, 2023 | “Leaping for Joy Because Jesus is Coming” from Luke 1:39-45

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.”

Luke 1:39-45

“Leaping for Joy Because Jesus is Coming”

Today’s passage is short, but it paints a beautifully vivid picture of life and worship.

Imagine what it would have been like. Mary had just received the news from the angel (Luke 1:26-38) and had headed out to visit with her cousin Elizabeth. She had no idea that God had similarly blessed Elizabeth until the moment they came into each other’s presence. John, still within Elizabeth’s womb, leapt for joy because the One – the Messiah, Jesus the Christ – he was born to proclaim and be the forerunner for had come near – even though Jesus was still in Mary’s womb, too! Some would say that this was just babies kicking or coincidence, but the Word of God says it was more. The Word says it was the Holy Spirit moving in baby John. The Word says it was joy. And so it was.

Around this time of year, the song “Mary Did You Know?” is very popular, and if you have not heard it yet, you will surely hear it soon. We spend a lot of time speculating what Mary did or did not know. One thing for sure, that young woman must have been scared wondering who in their right mind would ever believe a virgin had conceived a child. What would people say? But the reaction of Elizabeth and her unborn son must have been such a relief! All Mary had to do was give a simple, “Hello”, to prompt Elizabeth to be filled with God’s Spirit and worship.

Sometimes, I think it is easy to miss things in brief sections like this – couched between Mary getting the news about Jesus and Mary’s song of worship regarding the whole situation. But one thing for sure, the Spirit wanted to make sure that Elizabeth and John did not miss the significance – that they did not miss Jesus.

What about you? It is only December 10, but I am sure the hustle and bustle of the season are already upon you. There are plays and parties and presents galore. Schedules fill quicker that a Griswold’s eggnog glass. We casually talk about the reason for the season and how easy it is to lose focus. What if we asked God’s Spirit to move in us and ignite worship at the recognition of who Jesus is? What if we spent more time in the Word this Christmas than the Wal-Mart? What if we recognized that Jesus’s coming was imminent?

May God move in our hearts this Christmas and help us fix our eyes on Jesus!

Reflection Questions:

1. The passage shows Elizabeth and John’s joy that Jesus would be coming soon. In what ways can you cultivate a sense of anticipation of Jesus’s return during this Christmas season?
2. Today’s devotion ends with a prayer for God to move in our hearts and help us fix our eyes on Jesus. How does this prayer resonate with your own desires?

"Before the Throne of God Above" from Revelation 4 (The KING is Coming) – Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

📖 Revelation 4:1–11In this episode of The King is Coming, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison move beyond Jesus’s letters to the churches and into the next part of John’s vision. In Revelation 4, John is invited through an open door into heaven—and what he sees is the throne room of God.At the center of everything is a throne, and seated on it is the Lord in all His glory. From this point forward in Revelation, the throne becomes the focal point of the entire book.John describes the scene the best way he can: the brilliance of precious stones, a rainbow surrounding the throne, flashes of lightning and thunder, and a crystal-like sea before it. Surrounding the throne are twenty-four elders and four living creatures who never cease to worship the Lord.Together, Keith and Jamie discuss:✔️ Why Revelation 4 marks a shift from the letters to the churches to John’s heavenly vision✔️ What the throne room reveals about God’s authority and security over all things✔️ Why John uses comparisons (“like” and “as”) to describe the glory he sees✔️ The mystery of the twenty-four elders and what we can—and cannot—know✔️ The constant worship of the living creatures crying “Holy, holy, holy”✔️ Why heaven’s worship centers on God simply because He is worthyIn the throne room, everything points to one truth: God alone is worthy of worship.“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)🔗 If you would like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.

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