Tag Archives: Elizabeth

LUKE’S GOSPEL…SPEECHLESS – 2

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“In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron…But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old…Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John…Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news…And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” …When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son…On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” …Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬, ‭7‬, ‭11‬-‭13‬, ‭18‬-‭20‬, ‭57‬, ‭59‬-‭60‬, ‭62‬-‭64‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Luke wove the birth stories of John and Jesus together in interesting parallels of comparison and contrast. These two babies’ lives were interconnected by both family ties and divine purpose.  

Both parents were childless. Zachariah and Elizabeth had no children because of age and natural infertility although, as often happened when God wanted a child for a special purpose as with, for example, Isaac, Samuel, Samson, and, of course, John the Baptist, He intervened supernaturally. Mary was a teenage girl, betrothed but not yet married. 

The angel Gabriel visited both Zechariah and Mary to announce the supernatural birth of their sons…but their responses were vastly different. Zechariah received the message with skepticism, Mary with faith and submission. 

They both responded to the announcement of the impending pregnancies with similar questions…

“Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭34‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…but note the subtle difference. 

Zechariah questioned the truthfulness of Gabriel’s words. “How can I be sure of this?” The Greek words seem to imply that Zechariah saw the impossibility of this happening because natural circumstances made it impossible. 

Mary’s question relates to her lack of a husband. This could happen but not without a husband since she was a chaste young woman who was still a virgin. 

The angel brushed aside both unfavourable situations. God could override both old age and virginity. 

However, because Zechariah had verbalised his unbelief, he would be dumb until the child was born, giving him no more opportunity to speak words contradictory to God’s word.

“The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

By contrast, Mary gladly accepted the angel’s prophetic word, submitting to God’s power and God’s will in her situation. 

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭38‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There are lessons to be learned from the responses of these two people. We can, like Adam or like Zechariah, disqualify ourselves from God’s favour by doubting the truth of God’s word. Adam lost everything. Zechariah lost the power to speak for the nine months of Elizabeth’s pregnancy and, with it, he lost the joy of sharing the anticipation of John’s birth with her. 

Mary’s compliance is especially moving since she would be well aware of what the consequences of a pregnancy for a betrothed but not-yet-married woman would be. She could forfeit her betrothal to Joseph. She would carry the stigma of an “illegitimate pregnancy” both for herself and her son…disgrace, ostracism, shame on herself and her family and even worse, the scorn of her neighbours and family for covering her sin by the excuse of a virgin birth or  blasphemy by blaming it on God. 

She brushed aside all these considerations by her expression of confidence in the will of God. 

The angel  reassured  her…

“For no word from God will ever fail.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭37‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…

Glued By The Holy Spirit

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GLUED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

“Mary didn’t waste a minute. She got up and travelled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah’s house, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit and sang out exuberantly.

‘You’re so blessed among women,
and the babe in your womb, also blessed!
And why am I so blessed that
the mother of my Lord visits me?
The moment the sound of your
greeting entered my ears,
The babe in my womb
skipped like a lamb for sheer joy.
Blessed woman, who believed what God said,
believed every word would come true.'” Luke 1:39-45 (The Message).

What a beautiful exchange between these two country women! Family they were, but now they were bound together by something much deeper than family ties. Just as John and Jesus were joined by a mission from God that prompted the unborn prophet to respond to the embryonic Messiah, so their mothers were tied together in worship of the One who had chosen them to bear their sons.

In Mary’s excitement to share her story with Elizabeth and to share Elizabeth’s joy that she no longer bore the stigma of barrenness, she dropped everything and travelled across Galilee and Samaria on foot to the little Judean town where Elizabeth lived. Newly pregnant with all the discomfort that a fresh pregnancy brings, her joy carried her across the miles on winged feet.

It was a dangerous journey and she travelled it alone. It may have taken her many days. Where did she sleep? What did she eat? Did she find shelter in the homes of friendly countrymen? What of her journey through Samaria where she would have found only hostile stares and an unfriendly reception.

None of these things seemed to bother her. Luke’s story tells only of her arrival at Elizabeth’s house. It’s almost as though Elizabeth were expecting her. What unseen bond tied the older and younger women together? The moment Elizabeth laid eyes on Mary, something extraordinary happened. For a new mother-to-be, who feels only the unfamiliar flutters of her growing child, Elizabeth felt movement so strong that she said the baby danced!

At that moment both Elizabeth and Mary, and John and Jesus, were glued together by the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth burst out with an exclamation of acceptance and affirmation. Out of her mouth poured words that were powered by the Holy Spirit. She knew nothing of the chequered life story of Mary’s boy yet to be lived, but in her heart she already knew and accepted Him as her Lord.

What an extraordinary woman she was! Five months in seclusion, alone with God to savour and enjoy the unusual favour of God who not only miraculously rescued her from the unbearable state of barrenness but had also chose her to be the mother of the greatest of all the prophets and the forerunner of Messiah.

How often we miss true greatness in the glare of fame and bright lights! It is not always the ones who occupy the stages and platforms of the world who are the true greats. God’s opinion of greatness is simple; childlike obedience to His will. Elizabeth spoke blessing over Mary because she believed and accepted God’s word to her, whatever the cost.

“After removing Saul, He made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David, son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'” Acts 13:22(NIV)

The Solitude Of Ecstasy

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THE SOLITUDE OF ECSTASY

“Meanwhile, the congregation waiting for Zachariah was getting restless, wondering what was keeping him so long in the sanctuary. When he came out and couldn’t speak, they knew he had seen a vision. He continued speechless and had to use sign language with the people.

“When the course of his priestly assignment was completed, he went back home. It was not long before his wife, Elizabeth, conceived. She went off by herself for five months, relishing her pregnancy. ‘So, this is how God acts to remedy my unfortunate condition!’ she said.” Luke 1:21-25 (The Message).

True to the angel’s prediction, Zachariah was struck dumb from the moment the angel had spoken. The waiting worshippers realised that something out-of-the-ordinary had happened to him behind the curtain of the sanctuary. His unskilled use of sign language left them curious and mystified.

Zachariah completed his duties in the temple and returned home to Elizabeth. One wonders how he explained to Elizabeth what had happened to him in the sanctuary and what the angel had said to him! Perhaps he had to leave the details of the story until after John’s birth. The most important fact was that Elizabeth conceived a child to her amazement and delight. Unlike some of the reactions of elderly mothers-to-be, she saw in this event the grace of God and the removal of the stigma of childlessness.

Not only was the fact that she was at last to have a child precious to her, but also the realisation that God had not forgotten her. All the years of waiting, the cycle of disappointment and the belief that she was not one of God’s favoured daughters, fell away with the slowly dawning reality that she was pregnant; she, barren Elizabeth, was no longer barren.

She went into solitude, not to hide in shame or embarrassment, but to savour and enjoy this new-found realisation that God had a purpose for her too. She wanted to be alone with her God to worship Him and to voice her ceaseless praise to Him without interruption from any other human being, not even her husband, Zachariah.

Was it this season of solitude with God part of the foundation laid for John’s life and destiny? Elizabeth may not have lived to see the outcome of this boy that she was privileged to bring into the world, but she would surely go to her rest knowing that he was safely in the hands of the God who had destined him for greatness.

She worshipped and prayed into her unborn son the great heritage of her people, perhaps using the song-book of the Psalms to instil into him a love for God and His Word that carried him through testing, incarceration and an untimely and violent death.

Jesus classified John as the greatest of the Old Covenant prophets, even though his ministry lasted a paltry six months. It was not the length of his ministry that constituted his greatness but the nature of his calling and the diligence and faithfulness with which he carried it out. His was the honour, as the forerunner of Messiah, to herald the king’s arrival even though Jesus did not come with the pomp and ceremony of an earthly king.

True to His role as the rightful ruler of creation and all mankind, Jesus came in humility and simplicity and John announced His coming as befitted Him. It was not their apparel or their bearing that made them great but the authority of their office, Jesus as the king and John His herald, given to them by the great God Himself.

Elizabeth was the wife of a country priest but she fulfilled her maternal role with dignity and excellence, preparing her son from the moment of his conception to be the greatest prophet who ever lived.