We see the joy of the unborn as Mary greets Elizabeth. Luke 1:41 At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. [1] Elizabeth was carrying John the Baptist, who would be the forerunner of Jesus. Mary was pregnant with Jesus. She knew about Elizabeth’s pregnancy from the angel. Luke 1: 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month.[2]
Here, John is a 6-month-old fetus but is called a child. The Greek word for John’s movement means to leap for joy.[3] So, we can see that the unborn can experience the human emotion of joy. This is no disposable lump of cells but a human being that God filled with the Holy Spirit.
God Has a Purpose for Everyone
God had a purpose for this unborn baby, which He told the father, Zechariah. Luke 1:15b He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” [4]
King David knew God had a purpose for him: Psalm 139: 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb…16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. [5]
God told Jeremiah that He had a purpose for him even before birth. Jeremiah 1: 5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” [6]
Application for Today
Our society today would tell us that a fetus is not a human being. Therefore, if the pregnancy is unplanned or inconvenient, the mother has a right to terminate it. The above verses paint a different story. God is the author of life who has a plan for each unborn child. We play God when we decide which child lives and which dies. That is not our right.
Abortion leaves one dead and one wounded. If you have been pressured or deceived into having an abortion, God can forgive and heal. 1 John 1: 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. [7] Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our sin. When we repent and confess our sins, Jesus removes them and restores our relationship with Him. This can give us the joy of the unborn that John the Baptist experienced. To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/god-speaks-in-worship
[1,2,5-7] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Lk 1:40–41). Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] G4640, Strong, J. (1995). In Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.