I faced the morning with the anticipation of a young girl. As I had expected, my husband had never come to bed. Surely he had stayed up all night reading. The long-awaited arrival had been delivered just after evening fell yesterday, a report from the physician, Luke. I can’t describe our joy when we read his opening words:
“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”
What an incredible gift! We had confessed faith in Jesus and became followers of the Way several years ago, although we remained relatively secretive about this fact. This secrecy had permitted us to maintain our position of influence, while supporting the growing church as well as the journies of Luke and his companions. Our group of believers was thoroughly dedicated to one another, and passionate about spreading the good news of Jesus. Yet, we often struggled with doubts and conflicts brought about by our lack of knowledge and understanding of how we should live in this new identity we shared. To now have in our possession such a wealth of information was a huge relief. My husband had spent the long hours of the night trying to take it all in at once. It was obvious that it contained extensive information which would take time to absorb. Theophilus was not the kind of man who accepted such limitations.
He smiled at me through sleep-deprived eyes when I approached him.
“I have no words!” he shook his head. “It is… overwhelming!”
“Did you read it all?” I already knew the answer.
“From the beginning to the end!” he exclaimed. “It is as if I walked with him all the way to the cross and then witnessed his ascension to Heaven.”
“And now you should sleep, at least for a little while.” I scolded him as few others would have the audacity to do.
“As always, you are right, my love!” he responded, drawing me into a warm embrace. “Yet, I doubt my mind will permit such a rest today. It is too full, and there is much to consider! I think I shall do little else for the next several days, perhaps for the rest of my life!”
“Do not diminish the value of a mind at rest. Sometimes that is when the voice of God speaks the most clearly,” I responded, placing a light kiss on his lips before pulling away from him. “Now, go! For the morning hours, these words are mine to devour!”
“As you wish. I admit that I am anxious for you to read this remarkable account! We will have so much to discuss this evening!”
“Do not expect that I will spend the whole day sitting at this table!” I protested.
“We shall see, dear one!” he laughed, “You may just do that!”
With those words, he left me alone with Luke’s narrative. I gathered my shawl around my shoulders and seated myself before the treasured document. It was obvious that the servants had been attentive to his needs during the long watch of the night. A fire was burning brightly, and on the table was a rather extravagant offering of bread, dried meats, nuts, and fruit, as well as pitchers of both water and wine. I poured myself some water and selected a sweet bread, noting that it was still warm. As the morning light crept over the land, I settled in and began to read.
Chapter 2: 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. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
The names were unfamiliar to me, but I felt an immediate kinship with the woman, Elizabeth. I took note of the descriptions of the two individuals: both descendants of Aaron, both righteous in the sight of God, both blameless, childless, and old. Yet there was one characteristic that was attributed to Elizabeth alone: “unable to conceive.” It was an accusation — a failure on her part, and I ached for her, just as I ached for myself. We were strangers separated by more than a generation, yet there is a sisterhood among all women who experience this pain.
I wondered how many times she thought that perhaps she was expecting, only to be disappointed again and again. How often did she examine her heart, looking for some hidden offense against God that had brought this curse on her? How often did she question Zechariah’s integrity before God or his continuing love for her in spite of her failure? How many tears did she shed over the years?
Barrenness was considered to be a sign of God’s disapproval, yet both she and her husband were described as blameless and upright before God. I paused to consider if these same thoughts had crossed the mind of my husband as he read them in the solitude of the previous night. I doubted that was true. He had probably rushed through his reading, looking for the great moments, not realizing that there was a great truth to be found there in the first few words he read. I was different in my approach; I would read the document slowly, lingering over the words, envisioning each encounter, and considering what was to be learned in every moment recorded. Only then would I fully appreciate and understand the events that followed. It would take me days to finish reading, and it would drive poor Theophilus mad! He would want to talk about things that I had not yet read. I smiled at the anticipated tension we would surely experience in the coming days. I loved my husband, and I knew that he loved me, even if he was thoroughly exasperated by our differences. He loved me even if I could not provide him a child.
My thoughts returned to Elizabeth and Zechariah. Did their love remain strong in spite of their disappointments? Perhaps Luke would answer the question. I returned to my reading.
Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
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. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
I was overcome by chills as I discovered the identity of this couple who’s story had gripped my heart. They were the parents of John the Baptist! With that single revelation came a whole new perspective not only on their story but also on my own! Elizabeth did not experience all of those years of grief because of her lack of worth, but because of her worth! She had been chosen for a greater honor! I was flooded with emotion as the sound of my sobbing mixed with the crackling of the fire. I was thrilled for her, and at peace with myself for the first time in a long time. I suspected that Elizabeth received this revelation with much the same joy and relief that I had. I wondered if she had allowed herself to believe it before she could actually feel the baby alive and growing within her. I was certain that if I were to receive the same news, even from my husband, I would be afraid to embrace hope before I held the child in my arms. I returned to my reading.
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.”
Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 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.
When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “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.”
This news came from Gabriel himself! And Zechariah’s response? Oh, how I wished that there were more details! It would be incredible to see Elizabeth’s expression when she learned of the angelic announcement! I could imagine her cautious wonder if the flutter she felt within her was a growing infant. And then her indescribable joy when those movements became the undeniable evidence of a promise fulfilled!
More than just the emotional kinship I was feeling, I was deeply impressed by her response. Her words revealed so much of her character.
“The Lord has done this for me. In these days he has shown his favor…”
“These days” for Elizabeth were a time when all rational hope for her circumstances has passed. “These days” were days of resignation and acceptance of what would never be. I had not yet reached that point, although I had been drawing close to it. In an effort to protect myself from cascading disappointments, I had tried not to allow myself such hope anymore. Yet, I could never completely quench it. It was a cycle of stubborn hope and bitter disappointment that tormented me, as well as Theophilus. “These days” were hard for us. I sometimes wondered what it would be like for us when every last glimmer of hope was gone. From Elizabeth, I learned that hope never dies. Wasn’t that the message of the cross after all?
“He has shown his favor.”
Her choice of words was significant. She had discovered that God’s favor had been upon her all along, but through this child it was revealed. All the doubts and self-condemnation had been unfounded! As I lingered over this concept of hidden favor, I also had a revelation about the mercy of God. I was reading this story with the hindsight of knowing about the life and death of John the Baptist. Elizabeth more than likely did not live to see her son leave home to follow his calling. By not giving her this child until her old age, God spared her the agony of seeing him imprisoned by an insecure king. She would not have had her heart torn out when he was eventually executed because of the schemes of vengeful women. God in his compassion and mercy intentionally waited until her old age to bless her with this child! Elizabeth could not see God’s purposes, but she had come to accept God’s favor as a truth in the story of her life.
“…and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Surely Elizabeth heard whispers about her “hidden sins” spoken by the same people who now sought her friendship. It was known that Zechariah had seen a vision, followed by Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy. She went from being an object of pity or scorn to being somewhat of a celebrity. I could not help but wonder what my response would be in the same situation. Would I be humble and gracious, as a recipient of such blessings and mercy should be? Would I be angry, and parade evidence of my vindication before those who had once been my critics? It seemed that she trusted God to remove her disgrace.
I returned to my reading, eager to learn more.
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
I had heard a few details about the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus, but I was still overcome with awe as I read. I envisioned the scene between the young woman and the mighty Gabriel. There was something incredibly powerful in Mary’s simple submission to the will of God. This was also the first time that I heard that Jesus and John the Baptist were kinsmen. The men were so different! Yet the two mothers, one nearing the end of her life, and the other just entering into adulthood, seemed to be remarkably similar in their character. I had heard it said that some of Jesus’ disciples were his kinsman also, but I was never sure if that was true. I wondered what other questions would be answered as I continued to read.
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Oh, how I would have loved to have been a guest in the home of Elizabeth on that day! To see the elderly woman, now round with child greeting the younger one, also with child but not yet obviously so. These women shared a bond no one else could begin to understand. Even their developing infants were united in spirit and purpose! Mary must have drawn great comfort from Elizabeth, who would not have doubted the truth of her unexpected circumstances. Elizabeth would have understood the suspicion that Mary was facing. Again, Elizabeth’s past pain was not without purpose; and once again, her words revealed much about her character.
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ”
There was no competition between the women. Elizabeth immediately elevates Mary and her unborn child to a position of respect. All of the years of being considered inferior to other women have not left her insecure, threatened, or zealously protecting her new status as the one favored by God. I could not help but wonder if she was the first person to ever refer to Jesus as “My Lord.” The words appeared to issue from her lips with no effort at all. Most of us struggle mightily before confessing Jesus as Lord, and yet she makes this confession before he is even born.
Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
These words seemed to echo the words that Mary spoke to Gabriel. I returned to this section, and re-read Mary’s response.
“I am the Lord’s servant; may your word to me be fulfilled.”
Luke wrote that Elizabeth was filled with the Spirit upon Mary’s arrival, and her words seemed to be evidence of that. She had no other way of knowing Mary’s response to Gabriel’s announcement.
Mary responded to Elizabeth’s words with the most beautiful song of praise. I did not linger over it, knowing that I would return to this passage for meditation later. For the moment, my mind was inclined toward Elizabeth, and I didn’t want to get distracted. I was practically overwhelmed by the things that I had already read, and I would soon need to lay the precious document aside. Looking ahead, I saw that the next section provided details of the birth of John the Baptist. Perhaps that would be a good place to stop this morning. Then I needed time for prayer and meditation on the things I had read.
When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
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.”
They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”
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. All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
My admiration for Elizabeth continued to grow. In this moment, she is assertive to the point of defiance. She will not allow cultural norms to interfere with their obedience to God’s instructions. To accomplish this, she must step outside of her culturally acceptable place as a woman, and boldly overrule the men surrounding her. Now that she held the desire of her heart in her arms, she could have forgotten God. She could have compromised the instructions, so as not to offend those around her. She could have surrendered to voices telling her that she was powerless. The “No” of Elizabeth is a challenge for all who are inclined to resign themselves to insignificance or allow their testimony to be silenced.
Reluctantly, I pushed the account aside. I knew that there was a treasury of stories and characters that would greatly enrich our understanding and appreciation of Jesus! I was not so foolish to think that this was merely a work of Luke that lay upon my table. What lay before me was a work of God himself, and I had just experienced the power of interacting with just a fragment of it. It was enlightening to have a better understanding of John the Baptist. I thought of the courage and uncompromising convictions that characterized him, and I could see that these qualities had probably been nurtured by his parents. I thought of the humility that Elizabeth had demonstrated in her relationship with Mary, and how that humility was evident in John’s commitment to always direct people to Jesus. If God ever did choose to bless me with children, I would remember this example. Until that day, I can rest a little more secure in who I am in the eyes of God. Elizabeth taught me that.
I allowed my fingers to trace her name. This woman was an important person in the history of our faith, and up until this morning, I had never heard of her. Women, as well as men, needed to learn who she was! Her story mattered! She was not just the wife of Zechariah, or the mother of John the Baptist, or the kinswoman of Mary. It is true that she was all of these things, but she was divinely created and gifted by the God of the Universe, and entrusted with these responsibilities. “In those days” she rose to her calling! In these days, she presents a challenge to women to follow her example. In these days, I will rise to my calling!
Featured Image by Cole Keister
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