Luke 1:21-25, 57-66
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for
Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”57 When it was time for
Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak,
praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.
66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
Reflection
Multiple times we hear that God has shown Elizabeth great mercy. We need to focus on this phrase and not get caught up in the biology. Yes, a woman who was barren gives birth, but we need to see the bigger picture of the hopes and dreams that were lost by being barren. How do you think this mercy shown to Elizabeth mirrors what will happen through the grace of Jesus Christ?
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