The Beginning:
After the angel Gabriel announces that Mary will conceive Jesus, she travels quickly to visit her relative Elizabeth, who is also miraculously pregnant. Mary enters the house of Zechariah and greets Elizabeth in the hill country of Judea.
The Middle:
At Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child (John) leaps in her womb, and Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit. She blesses Mary as “the mother of my Lord,” marveling that Mary has come to her and praising Mary’s faith in God’s promise. In response, Mary offers a hymn of praise—often called the Magnificat—exalting the Lord for His mercy, His faithfulness, and His pattern of lifting the humble while bringing down the proud. She connects God’s actions in her life with His covenant promises to Israel, recalling His help to Abraham and his descendants.
The End:
Mary stays with Elizabeth about three months, then returns home. The visit closes with both women bearing witness—through Spirit-guided speech and praise—to God’s unfolding plan of salvation.
This episode highlights God’s initiative in redemption: He fulfills His promises through unexpected people and miraculous births, showing mercy to the humble and faithful. Elizabeth’s Spirit-led confession identifies Jesus’ significance even before His birth, while Mary’s Magnificat interprets these events as covenant faithfulness—God remembering His mercy and advancing His purposes for Israel and, ultimately, the world. The story presents salvation not as human achievement but as God’s gracious action, overturning pride and establishing His righteous reign.
Luke’s description of travel from Galilee to the Judean hill country reflects the real social and geographic landscape of the period: journeys between these regions were common along established routes, and households often included extended family networks. Public blessings and hymnic praise echo Jewish Scripture-saturated speech patterns, closely resembling themes and language found in the Psalms and in Hannah’s prayer (1 Samuel 2:1–10).
“My soul magnifies the Lord.” — Luke 1:46
Answer the questions below. When you choose an option, you will see the result and an explanation.
1. When Mary arrived in the hill country of Judea, whose house did she enter and greet Elizabeth in?
2. What happened to Elizabeth’s child when Mary greeted her?