And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

I’ve always had a thing for glass elevators. I think it started during my family’s annual stay at Embassy Suites when I was a kid. Levitating higher and higher above the hotel lobby and breakfast buffet made me feel like I was in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. In recent years though, one particular glass elevator has become my favorite–the elevator at the Terminal A baggage claim in the Sacramento airport.

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When we visit my parents in California, we always meet them at the base of that elevator. I love standing back as we descend and witnessing my kids’ reactions as we get closer and closer to Grammy and Pop Pop. Once the doors open, I smile and wait my turn to say hello while the kids loudly fling themselves into my parents’ arms. We see in today’s passage that Elizabeth greeted her cousin Mary with a loud cry as well. But there is something really unique about the language used to describe Elizabeth’s greeting.

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This specific phrase is used in one other book of the Bible. We find it in Chronicles describing the worship that took place when King David brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. While it’s true that God is omnipresent, to protect sinful people from his holy presence, he localized his presence to the tabernacle, and specifically to the ark. This is why David and all of Israel were overjoyed by the arrival of the ark. They were celebrating the presence of God in their midst, just as Elizabeth celebrated when Jesus, still in Mary’s womb, came into her home.

As Christians, we no longer look to the ark but to Jesus to bring us into the presence of God. Hebrews 9:4 tells us the ark contained an urn of manna, Aaron’s priestly staff, and the tablets of the covenant inside it. But in Jesus, these symbols of God’s faithfulness are perfected. He is the bread of life; whoever comes to him shall not hunger, and whoever believes in him shall never thirst (John 6:35). Jesus is our great high priest who secured for us eternal redemption through the spilling of his blood (Hebrews 9:12). And, Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15).

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David danced “with all his might” before the ark, and Elizabeth loudly exclaimed in celebration and praise when Jesus in the womb entered her home. How do you respond to God’s presence? Jesus told his disciples it was better for him to leave them because it meant God’s Holy Spirit would come and reside in them. Once we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, his presence is literally IN us! Praise God! What a reason to rejoice today.

Jesus, thank you for coming to Earth and accomplishing what the law could never accomplish. Thank you for making a way for me to enter into God’s presence, both now and forever. I rejoice because the God of the universe has drawn near. Amen!