Sermon - The Visitation 2023 - Luke 1:39-56

The Visitation, Karl von Blass, circa 1850

Jesus comes and exalts those of low estate

1. Context

1. Of Mary,

2. Of Zechariah and Elizabeth, 

3. Of shoot of the stump of Jesse

2. God came to exalt the lowly, not the mighty, by humbling Himself

3. Blessed are you who believe God’s promises, for you will be exalted.

A blessed feast of The Visitation to you dear friends in Christ. On this day we rejoice that Jesus comes and exalts those of low estate. The Visitation is a most joyful celebration of two of the most important people in history coming together before they were even born: John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ. To understand why this is such a joyful celebration, perhaps a bit of context is in order first.

The Gospel began: “In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.” You might remember that immediately preceding this Mary had been visited in her home of Nazareth, by the archangel Gabriel, who announced to her that she will give birth to Jesus, the Son of God, the Christ, and indeed she has already conceived the Christ in her womb! Though Mary is but a young virgin, betrothed to Joseph but not married, the Holy Spirit overshadowed her and the Son of God miraculously conceived within her. 

But what drove Mary to go with haste into the hill country to visit her cousin Elizabeth? Well something miraculous had also just happened to Elizabeth, as the angel had said: “And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Six months before Mary conceived Jesus in her womb, Zechariah, the husband of Elizabeth, had been visited by the angel and told that his wife would conceive a child in her womb.

Zechariah and Elizabeth were both old, beyond childbearing years, and besides Elizabeth was barren and unable to have children. One day when Zecharaiah was serving the temple, since he was a priest, the angel appeared to him and announced that his wife would have a son named John. John was to be the forerunner of the Messiah, and would be filled with the Holy Spirit even from within the womb. He would be like Elijah, calling people to repentance and preparing them for the Christ. Zechariah didn’t believe that this could happen, so as a sign God made him mute until John was born. This is why Elizabeth says: “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Because unlike Zechariah, Mary had believed the message of the angel.

Both Elizabeth’s and Mary’s stories should be heard within the context of the prophecy spoken by Isaiah, which we also heard today. “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.” Jesse is the father of king David in the Old Testament. Both David and his son Solomon were two of the greatest kings in Israel’s history. The Messiah was to be a descendent of that Davidic lineage. So you would think that being a descendent of king David would’ve been a pretty cool thing, it would’ve made you a somebody in society. But no, it did not.

Due to Israel’s idolatry and unfaithfulness to God, the Lord stripped the kingdom from them, the kingly lineage meant nothing, and so David’s throne was left bare. Thus, Jesse’s great family tree, filled with kings, died and was cut down, leaving nothing but a rotted stump. So the prophecy is miraculous! “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse!” A dead and rotten stump doesn’t produce new shoots, it would take a miracle for that rotten stump to send forth a shoot.

Thus, the first sign of this miracle was that Elizabeth, an old woman past child-bearing years, who was barren and could not have children, became pregnant. So to speak, a shoot came forth from a dead stump! To be clear, John was conceived in the normal way, and is fully human, nevertheless his birth was miraculous.

But then came the miracle itself: Mary, a virgin, conceived King Jesus in her womb! The kingly lineage was dead because David’s throne was no more. Yet, from the stump of Jesse, from Mary’s virgin womb, the Messiah burst forth! King Jesus was born in the lowest of places, humbling Himself, in order to exalt the lowly.

Remember, King David was the youngest and least impressive among all his brothers. Israel already had a king, Saul, who was a kingly beast of a man. Yet God chose lowly David to be king in place of Saul. Elizabeth was elderly and barren, and in those days barrenness was an embarrassment, it was considered like a punishment. Yet, God chose this frail old barren woman to give birth to the forerunner of Christ, the greatest of those born among women. Mary was a teenager, nothing special, she was betrothed to Joseph who was nothing more than a carpenter (not the kind that makes fancy furniture, more along the lines of a construction worker), not a bad job by any means, but nothing special, very ordinary. Yet, God chose her, just a normal girl, to dwell within her womb and be her Son.

Elizabeth could scarcely believe that God would come to dwell among her: “Why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Mary marveled at this fact as well: “For He has looked on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.” God chose the lowly and despised in this world in order to come among them and exalt them.

So Jesus, during His earthly ministry, came as a physician not for the healthy, but the sick. He came to eat among prostitutes, sinners, and tax collectors, not to approve their sins, but to call them to repentance and lead them on the Way that leads to life. He traveled the countryside, visiting the normal people, preaching and healing the ordinary and the nobodies. He was King, not just of the Jews, but of all the world, and yet His crown was made of thorns, His robe of tattered rags, and His throne a splintered cross upon which He was executed. Jesus came among the lowly, the nobodies, as a nobody, in order to die for everybody. Through His pitiful death our Lord seeks to exalt those of lowly sinful earthly birth, to be reborn from above, and ascend with Him to His kingdom in the heavens. 

He didn’t come for the rich and mighty, for those who think they have it all, but for nobodies. Like Mary sang: “His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.” Jesus came for those who believe that they are poor miserable sinners. He came for us. Let’s not kid ourselves, we are nobodies, sinners, just like Mary and Elizabeth were.

Because He came for us, and we fear Him, and we believe His promises like Mary and Elizabeth, His mercy is for us. He scatters our pride from our hearts, He brings down the mighty, He sends the rich away empty. But those of humble estate He exalts! Those who are hungry He fills with righteousness! He helps His servants! Although the world forgets us, He always remembers us with mercy!

Dear Christians, don’t fret over what the world thinks of you, simply believe God’s promises. Remember that He will exalt you unto heaven. He comes to you this day under the humble forms of bread and wine to lift you up with Him. You believe God’s promises and therefore you are blessed, like Mary and Elizabeth! Blessed are you who believe God’s promises.