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And when his [Zechariah’s] time of service was ended, he went to his home. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” (Luke 1:23-25)
I wonder why Elizabeth kept herself hidden for five months. Was it only that she wanted to be sure there would be no miscarriage? Somehow that doesn’t quite fit to me. Elizabeth shows no signs of doubting God’s promise to give them a son.
Maybe she just didn’t want to deal with the reactions her neighbors would give her when they heard of the pregnancy. Because people have all sorts of opinions, and they offer them freely, often too freely.
But I suspect that for Elizabeth, this has a lot more to do with seeking God—with thinking over what He has given her, and thanking Him, and making plans for the future. Certainly being John’s mother was going to be a major task. This baby would prepare the way for Jesus Himself! She must have spent many hours thinking about that—both what John would do, and what Jesus was coming to do.
Because it’s right there in the Scripture—that God Himself was coming into our human race, to make Himself one of us, and to rescue us from sin and death. And He would do it the hard way—not through acts of royal power, but through His own shameful death on a cross, and then rising to life again. Did Elizabeth realize this, as she thought and prayed?
Maybe someday we’ll get to ask.
WE PRAY: Dear God, thank You for coming Yourself to be our Savior. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- What do you do before you start a major life task?
- How will John’s work help Jesus’ ministry?
- Why do you think God came Himself instead of sending an angel or other creature?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
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