Luke 1:39-40

‘And Mary arose in these days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah, and entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elisabeth.’

We are given no specific reason as to why Mary should arise and go to Elisabeth in such haste, but the speed of her reaction suggests that it was because she was in turmoil and saw Elisabeth as someone in whom she could confide. Thus we are left to infer that it was because of this extraordinary experience that she had had, which gained greater meaning from the extraordinary experience that Elisabeth was having. She probably felt that ‘aunt Elisabeth’ was the only one with whom at this time she could fully share it. And she may well have wanted the older woman’s advice. After all, who was there better to go to than an older kinswoman who had also been connected with unusual happenings?

We may assume here that Mary had previously sent a message to Elisabeth to tell her a little of what had happened and that she wanted to come and see her, for Elisabeth is clearly aware of something of her position. That makes the reaction of the baby within her even more significant.