Luke 1:39-45: Proof for the Promise

June 12, 2026

The Ten Signposts of the Bible
CAMDE—400—CALY
Creation. Abraham. Moses. David. Elijah. 400. Christ. Apostles. Letters. Yet-to-Come.

"For nothing will be impossible with God." That is what Gabriel told Mary when she asked how she could have a baby even though she had never been intimate with a man. Gabriel explained that the Holy Spirit would "overshadow" her and bring about the conception, because "nothing will be impossible with God." 

When we read that nothing is impossible with God, it takes us all the way back to Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." God, the eternal and all-powerful Elohim created everything from nothing (ex nihilo). He simply spoke the world into existence. So it really shouldn't surprise us that the God who created everything could also create life in the womb of a virgin. After all, nothing is impossible with him.^[1]

Another aspect of God that I find so amazing is that, although nothing is impossible for him, when he calls us to something, he often gives us a tangible sign to help us trust him. He knows that trust can be difficult for us in our human limitations, so time and again, after calling us, he reassures us by showing himself faithful. That is exactly what he did with Mary. 

After telling Mary that she, though a virgin, would conceive and give birth to a holy child, the angel revealed another miracle. He told Mary that her relative Elizabeth—who had been unable to have children and was far beyond childbearing age— was also pregnant with a son. Elizabeth conceived through her relationship with her husband, Zechariah, but it was still nothing short of a miracle. 

After Gabriel left, Mary quickly made her way ("went with haste") to see Elizabeth, who lived in the hill country of Judah.^[2] The moment the two of them saw each other, three incredible things happened. 

First, Mary saw for herself that Gabriel's words about Elizabeth were true. Her relative, who had been barren, was now pregnant in her old age. Second, "when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb" (Lk. 1:41). Of course, babies move in the womb, but what made this moment significant was the timing. Mary was carrying Jesus, and even his presence in her womb stirred a response from John. Third, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, which led her to speak a blessing over Mary and her child: "She exclaimed with a loud cry,^[3] 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!'" (Lk. 1:42). This was clearly from God. On her own, Elizabeth would not have known or expected that Mary was pregnant, much less understood that she was carrying the long-awaited Messiah. 

Elizabeth continued to show that the Holy Spirit was guiding her words. She proclaimed, "And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy." (Lk. 1:44). 

The description of Mary as "mother of my Lord" is rich with meaning. The Holy Spirit clearly revealed to Elizabeth that Mary was carrying her "Lord"^[4] and that title seems to have a double meaning here. For one thing, Luke's audience was largely Gentile ("non-Jewish"), which means they were not people who had been actively waiting for the Messiah. At the same time, the Septuagint—the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament—often used the word "Lord" (kyrios) to translate Yahweh. 

Finally, Elizabeth said—once again under the guidance of the Holy Spirit—"And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord" (Lk. 1:45). Through Elizabeth's words, God reminded Mary of the beauty of her faith. She had believed everything the Lord had spoken to her through Gabriel. 

When God calls us to something big, he doesn't just leave us there wondering. He proves himself. Faith is not blind; it's a response to a God who shows himself trustworthy. We can move forward with confidence, trusting that God will confirm his work in our lives and give us what we need, to do what he is calling us to do. That is one of the amazing things about God and his grace: he knows exactly who he's working with. He calls us to trust him, and then he shows us that he truly can be trusted. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read and reflect on Luke 1:39-45. Where is God asking you to trust him right now, and what evidence of his faithfulness has he already provided to strengthen your faith?

Talking to God: Ask God to help you see how he is proving himself to you. 

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