Musick-al note # 117
What was the significance of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth after she learned that she was to have a baby as announced by Gabriel? The only account of this visit is found in the gospel of Luke Chapter 1, versus 39-45 which states that Mary went to Elizabeth’s home very soon after accepting the angel’s announcement that she would give birth to Jesus.
It is not directly revealed why Mary went to visit Elizabeth but that she did. We could surmise many things but still would not know, however we do know that Elizabeth said her baby (John) leaped in Elizabeth’s womb as soon as Mary spoke. Inspired by the Holy Spirit,
Elizabeth declared in a loud voice that Mary was carrying Jesus, the Son of God. Mary also acknowledged that God had done this great thing. Other than this, no conjecture is valid as to why Mary went to visit Elizabeth.
One great truth revealed in these few verses of Scripture is that both Elizabeth and Mary were carrying children in their wombs. It is evident that God recognizes that when the ovum of a woman is fertilized to begin the development of a new individual it is called a child. While many in our society do refer to a pregnant woman as being ‘with child’. These words have been forgotten, overlooked, discounted, discredited and repudiated by many in our society today. Even our dictionary does not attribute the term ‘child’ to a new pregnancy but merely an incipient organism until the beginning of the third month and then call it a fetus (a human organism) until birth. A large segment of our population has the idea that pregnancy is only an incipient organism that can be aborted at any time without censure and is a practical procedure for any young unmarried girl whose intended husband who thought of separating from her would have been advised and urged to have it done.
Gordon Musick
Musick-al Notes 