“For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”
Luke 1:44-45 CSB
The joy of our salvation begins in the womb! How amazing that John the Baptist leaped for joy at the sound of Mary’s voice…while still within his mother Elizabeth. How remarkable to think that something as subtle as Mary’s voice would be heard and then answered to in this way!
And, if John the Baptist could be this responsive prior to his birth, maybe this can teach us about the significance of Jesus’ time in the womb as well. Something very significant is taking place within Mary, precisely because it is Jesus who is within her.
And so, when Mary conceives Jesus by the Holy Spirit, maybe this is more than just the miracle of a virgin conceiving without the help of a man. In fact, the virgin conception and birth of Jesus are part of how He is simultaneously perfectly divine and perfectly human.
And so heaven is joined to earth and the spiritual is united to the physical. In Jesus’ very body. In this way, Jesus also perfectly represents God and humanity and He can answer concerns on behalf of both parties, so to speak. In a very real and lasting way, Jesus’ atoning work begins in utero! And if we so choose, just like John, we can leap for joy!
Photo credit: Zoe Lim