Elizabeth’s Encouraging Christmas
Our God is really awesome. We’ve already seen how God moved in the lives of Zacharias and Elizabeth to conceive John the Baptist. John the Baptist is going to prepare the way for Jesus’ public ministry. God uses a relative of Mary, Elizabeth, to bring John into the world. How cool is this? Imagine Mary, having just heard this incredible announcement from the angel. She has to be excited, confused and scared, all in the same moment, plus having to deal with hormonal changes!!! Let’s read Luke 1:39-45
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
Outside of Joseph, where can Mary go for encouragement and comfort? God makes a way so she can go to Elizabeth, her relative, who has also experienced a supernatural miracle of her own. Elizabeth was barren but an angel spoke to her husband Zacharias and Elizabeth conceived. She has her own amazing story to share. And in sharing that story, she helps confirm what Mary has experienced. She is able to testify of her baby leaping in her womb when Mary greets her. Elizabeth is able to confirm through the prophecy that the angel told her husband, that Mary is indeed carrying God’s child. God didn’t have to do this. But He did it. He did it because He loves Mary. He wants to confirm for Mary, through someone Mary trusts, what He has already told her.
God still does that. No, you might not hear an angel’s voice but you can hear the voice of others, encouraging you to follow through on what God has told you. You can “hear” the voice of God’s word each day, sometimes teaching, sometimes rebuking, sometimes correcting and sometimes instructing us as we go through our day. Just as God did not leave Mary “on an island”, He has not left us on an island. Receive encouragement from others, or perhaps be an encourager today. It could be your part of giving someone an encouraging Christmas.
Merry “Encouraging” Christmas