The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Luke 1:39-45, “Now at this time Mary arose and went with haste to the hill country, to a city of Judah,

40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

41 And it came about that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was

filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 And she cried out with a loud voice, and said, “Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your

womb!

43 “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.

45 “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

What do you do when you have some good news? You want to share it, don’t you? Even things we have bought, things of our own doing, we want to share with others. So it was with Mary. Having seen the LORD’s angel and having heard his message that she was to have a Son directly from God, what could she do but share it with her relative Elizabeth, who was also about to deliver a child?

Distance is not a problem when we have good news to share. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the unborn child in Elizabeth’s womb responded with significant movement. At that same moment, the Holy Spirit of God entered into the life of Elizabeth! Subsequently, but not in this passage, we will learn that Elizabeth’s child is John the Baptist. And it is John who will introduce Jesus to the world and then himself fade from the scene. Jesus then will undertake the work His Heavenly Father has given Him to do – all the way to the Cross.

The final verse above (v. 45) should encourage us to believe that everything the LORD speaks will be fulfilled! We are “prisoners,” as it were, of the world in which we live. Circumstances that we don’t understand prevail and we lose sight of God who controls all circumstances. Those who are truly born-from-above believers, should focus on the LORD, despite the gloom that momentarily surrounds us. As He delivered on His promises to Mary and Elizabeth, so He will deliver on His promises to us. We must simply believe; the LORD delivers on all His promises.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom