Lesson 3 – Mary Visits Elizabeth
God remembers Mary, filling her womb with the world’s Savior. God remembers us and through His Word and Sacraments, fills us with Christ Jesus, granting us full salvation. Like Mary, we offer our humble praise.
Opening
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
This lesson will use the Bible, the Bible Discovery Guide and the Lesson 3 Leaflet from the Student Pack. The front cover shows how the artist sees Mary meeting Elizabeth. Also paper and colored pencils or crayons will be needed.
Prayer: Dear Lord, You know everything about us, including our joys and struggles. Bless us and our families. Bless our Sunday School class, and please help us learn more about You through Your Word today. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
God Speaks
Using the map on pages 8 and 9 of the Bible Discovery Guide, find Nazareth, where Mary was living, and the "hill country of Judea" [joo DEE uh], where Mary visits her relative Elizabeth.
This lesson has two parts. The Visitation and the Magnificant. The event we will study comes shortly after the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would have as her child the Son of God, Jesus.
Why did the Son of God have to come to earth? We are sinners in need of a Savior. Because of the condemnation of sin [being declared guilty because of sin and deserving punishment in hell], God sent His Son to be condemned for our sin so we can be pronounced innocent.
From the beginning, men and women rebelled against God. Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. All of their descendants, including us, inherited original sin. So, when the time was right, God sent His Son to the womb of Mary so that we who are sinners could be redeemed and forgiven. No one is righteous before God. God's Son, Jesus, is the Righteous One who became our righteousness.
The yoke of the Law crushes all people, from Old Testament times to modern times. No one can escape the burden of sin. We have all failed to keep the Law of God, and we are condemned. Mary and Elizabeth knew they were sinners. We, too, know we are sinners because of the Law. God gave His Law in the Ten Commandments. Not long after God's giving of the Law, He instructed the people to craft the ark of the covenant, in which were placed the two tablets of stone, Aaron's rod, and a bowl of manna. Just as the ark of the covenant traveled with the Israelites, this new and greater ark, Mary's womb, which held the New Covenant, was carried by Mary on her way to her relative Elizabeth.
The Visitation
Read Luke 1:39-45
Then answer the questions on the top of page 2 of the leaflet.
How did God visit Mary? Verse 35 God chose Mary to become the mother of Jesus, and she carried the true God in her womb.
How did God visit Elizabeth and her baby, John? Verses 41-42 Mary carried God in her womb to Elizabeth’s house. God's presence caused baby John to leap inside his mother. He was in the presence of his Savior from sin. The Savior would lift the crushing yoke of the Law and speak to us a new word, the Gospel.
How long did God visit with them? Verse 56 Mary, with Jesus, the Son of God, inside her womb, stayed three months.
How does God visit with us? God comes with the Good News of forgiveness, life, and salvation in His Holy Word, when it is read and proclaimed, and in the Sacraments. In the water of Baptism and in His body and blood, He removes the burden of sin.
How long does God visit with us? See Matthew 28:20. God is with us always.
The Magnificat
Read Luke 1:46-56
We sing Mary's song, the Magnificat, in Vespers and Evening Prayer worship services. Mary sang her own hymn of praise following Elizabeth's response to being in the presence of her Savior. Mary understood and realized that she was the virgin whom Isaiah prophesied about long ago (Isaiah 7:14). She knew this was a miracle and that she, also a sinner, was dependent on God's promise to send a Savior.
Read the Magnificat on page 3 of the leaflet and follow the directions.
Mark the text as follows:
- Yellow (what God has done) – Starting at "And His mercy” and ending at “his offspring forever”.
- Blue (Mary's response to God's actions) – Starting at "My soul magnifies” and ending at “holy is His name".
Mary's song tells how God helped His people and kept His promises through many generations.
Can you think of a Bible story in which God showed mercy to His people (verse 50)? God's promise to Adam and Eve to send a Savior; Israel's time in the wilderness; any of Jesus' miracles of compassion; stories of deliverance, healing, and forgiveness.
What about stories in which God brought down rulers from their thrones (verse 52)? Battles with the Philistines; David and Goliath; the flood: Sodom and Gomorrah.
When did God fill the hungry (verse 53)? Manna in the wilderness; feeding of the five thousand; the widow who befriended Elijah.
Why is it helpful to remember and sing about God's mighty deeds? God remembers us and, through His Word and Sacraments, fills us with Christ Jesus, granting us full salvation. Remembering and singing about them helps us trust in Him for our own needs. God has proven over and over that He can be trusted to help His people.
What was Mary's response to God's choosing her to be the mother of the Savior? She joyfully praised Him with song.
The hymn "My Soul Rejoices" is a version of the Magnificat – the song of Mary.
We, too, have been chosen by God's grace and unmerited favor. God chose to save us from sin, eternal death, and the power of the devil by sending His Son, Jesus, to suffer and die for us. He made us His by the power of the Holy Spirit in the water and Word of Holy Baptism.
Read 1 Peter 2:9. How do we respond? We humbly praise God. We share the Good News of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, with others in what we say and do.
Angels - God's Invisible Creatures
When God created the universe, He made some important invisible creatures called angels.
Read about angels on pages 4 and 5 in the Bible Discovery Guide.
It's important that we know what the Bible teaches; often, ideas about angels and similar things get changed over the years. Then people don't know what is true and what is not true. That is one reason why we study God's Word and the truths it teaches us about our Savior. An angel is a "spiritual being created by God to glorify Him and to be His servant and messenger."
To help us understand angels better, follow the directions on the bottom of pages 2 and 3 in the lesson leaflet.
Correct answers:
- Psalm 91:11 – c
- Revelation 4:8 – b
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16 – f
- 2 Kings 19:35 – a
- Daniel 6:22 – e
- Matthew 28:2 – d
We Live
Read the Second Article of the Apostles' Creed and its explanation.
Which words of the Second Article of the Apostles' Creed relate to this lesson? "And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit".
According to the explanation of this article of the Creed, what is Jesus' connection to God the Father? Luther's explanation says Jesus was "begotten of the Father from eternity”. This means that Jesus has been God's Son forever, without a beginning time or an end.
What has Jesus done for us? He "has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil."
Jesus took ourr sins to the cross and died so that we could spend eternity with Him. Through Baptism, through the hearing of God's Word, and through the Lord's Supper, God gives us His good gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. God remembered Mary, filling her womb with the world's Savior. God remembers us and, through His Word and Sacraments, fills us with Christ Jesus, granting us full salvation. Like Mary. we offer our humble praise.
At the end of this lesson is a picture that can be colored like it is a stained glass window.
What are some of the things shown in this picture? Bible, church, symbols of Jesus' resurrection, and others.
Like Mary and Elizabeth, we can confess that Jesus is our Lord and Savior from sin. We are made His children in Baptism and given faith to believe in Him. We are forgiven and redeemed because God fulfilled His promise and sent Jesus to be our Savior to take away our sins.
Closing
Read the Key Point, Bible Words and Faith Words on page 4 of the leaflet.
Prayer: Dear Lord, You humbled Yourself to become a baby in the womb of Mary. You died on the cross for us. You rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. You have promised that You will someday return for us. For this we laud and magnify Your glorious name. Help us always to place our trust in You and in the promises of Your Word. And help us to be mindful of Your grace and favor to us. In Your name we pray. Amen.
