Elizabeth:The Woman Who Recognized Jesus In The Womb

A Woman Set Apart And Devoted Unto God

But the angel said to Him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” Luke 1:13

Luke is the only gospel to record Elizabeth’s story, and in this first mention of her Luke includes the mention of Zacharias’ prayers for Elizabeth to conceive, giving strong evidence of the long years he prayed and the long years he and Elizabeth endured together, childless. We can only imagine the depths of Elizabeth’s disappointment and long-suffering in waiting for a child that never came as her life was measured out month by month by month. But then comes this day of breakthrough, yet unknown to Elizabeth and peculiar in the use of language. For Gabriel doesn’t say, “your prayers ‘have been’ heard.” Rather, he speaks in the present tense – “your prayer is heard.” This may merely reflect the Hebrew language use of ongoing present tense, as later in the New Testament, translated from the Greek, it’s recorded/translated into English that an angel spoke to Ananias saying “your prayer has been heard, but it may also signify Zacharias’ faith to continue to pray and God’s ever-present work in our lives, as He is always doing a present work in our lives. At any rate we cannot possibly imagine the grief Elizabeth endured in the years of her ongoing barrenness.

And when Gabriel delivers the news to Zacharias, it’s while he’s performing his priestly duties, for Elizabeth’s long-awaited son would also be a priest, but a priest who would usher in a new order. And the news doesn’t end with the announcement that Elizabeth would bear a son, but continues with an all-encompassing prophetic word spoken over the life of this as-of-yet unconceived child, whom the Lord Himself names as John. For this is the child who would be born, this is the prophet who would prepare the way for the Lord. This prophet would not perform a single miracle, yet his very life would be the miracle. This angel’s prophecy spoke of this child’s entire life and mission on earth and includes the detail that John will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the time of his mother’s womb.

But Zacharias, though he had prayed fervently and faithfully, reverts back to human wisdom and understanding when he hears the glorious and heavenly news and reminds the angel of the “fact” – that he is an old man and his wife Elizabeth is advanced in years, instead of simply rejoicing in the good tidings the angel has brought to him. Zacharias also makes the mistake of asking the angel, “How shall I ‘know’ this?” - Also meaning “How shall I ‘understand’ this? This angers the angel, for some things, particularly the Word of the Lord, are not always to be understood, but rather to be received and acted upon. Accordingly, the angel now announces himself as Gabriel “who stands in the presence of God and who was sent to you to bring you these glad tidings.” Further highlighting the principle that God requires our obedience whether or not we have an understanding, and that obedience must come first. Gabriel now continues with a hard word:

But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time. Luke 1:20

Let this serve as a reminder of the importance of coming into agreement with the Lord of the Lord, rather than opposing or questioning it, as Zacharias has done. For just as Gabriel has spoken, Zacharias is made mute. He fulfills the number of days of his priestly service, all the while mute, then returns home, mute. But of course Zachariah is able to communicate

with the woman he’s spent the majority of his life with and Elizabeth is equally able to understand the communication of the man she’s known since her youth. And as Elizabeth receives this astounding news that she will conceive a child, it’s likely she thinks of another woman – Sara - who also received news from an angel that she would conceive and bear a son in her old age. And perhaps this is what kept Elizabeth’s and Zacharias’ hope alive all through their years together - knowing and believing that what God accomplished once He could do again. At any rate, Gabriel’s prophecy set certain things in motion in their marriage union. Their physical intimacy would now likely be invigorated with a new level of excitement, hope, and perhaps also vigor. For in the fulness of time, God’s perfect time, Elizabeth conceives. It’s a time of rejoicing, but the word of the Lord is just beginning to take form. There is more joy yet to come.

For in six month’s time, Mary comes to visit. And we aren’t told the means of Elizabeth’s knowing or the moment of her knowing, but she knows. Perhaps she knew by revelation, but we’re only told that that Elizabeth’s baby leaps in her womb upon Mary’s greeting, and that she is filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesies about Mary’s baby. In essence, Elizabeth recognizes who Jesus is in Mary’s womb, one of the few chosen few who have this privilege of knowing. Others would recognize Jesus is as a baby, but Elizabeth recognizes who He is while he’s yet unborn. And this speaks powerfully to the sanctity of life in a mother’s womb, as well as to identity, even in the womb.

And the two women spend three months together, marveling at the Lord’s hand upon them as Elizabeth is the only one who can fully understand Mary’s secret. As the elder with more life experience, we can only imagine the conversations these two had; the catching up on family affairs and the comfort and counsel Elizabeth provides for Mary. And in the fulness of time, after Mary returns home, Elizabeth brings forth her son and neighbors and relative rejoice with her. Oh what care and attention this long-awaited child must have received from the hands of Elizabeth. Paradoxically however, God would use the care and the doting John would receive from his mother Elizabeth to prepare him for a life in the wilderness that would not be filled with comfort. This is the way the Lord chose it to be.

Then came the eighth day – the time for Elizabeth’ baby to be circumcised. And here is yet another sign that this baby will be different. And that his life will not be one that follows custom. For according to custom Elizabeth’s baby will be named Zacharias, after his father, but Elizabeth gently but firmly responds, “No, he shall be called John.” She is the one who has the honor to announce the baby’s identity and name. Friends and family are bewildered, but when Elizabeth looks to Zacharias to confirm this break with tradition, John takes a tablet and settles the issue as he writes, “His name is John.” And now that Zacharias comes into public agreement with the word of the Lord spoken through the Angel Gabriel (he’s had ample time to come into private agreement), now is the moment his tongue is finally loosed. Now he too can openly rejoice with Elizabeth and others, and now at last he too is filled with the Holy Spirit.

It’s likely Elizabeth continued to celebrate, along with her husband, in the Lord’s goodness to remember her in her old age and to take away her reproach from among the people, as she herself mentions. It’s also likely she rejoiced as Sara had rejoiced - that nothing is too hard for the Lord. This is Elizabeth’s starting point as she raises the baby who will become the boy who will become the prophet who readies the people to make way for the Lord - the prophet who closes out an old chapter in Israel’s history and ushers in a new one. We can only imagine the wisdom with which Elizabeth, along with her husband, raised their long-awaited, long-hoped for, and long-prayed for son.

For Elizabeth was a woman of God’s choosing, a woman of priestly linage who lived a set apart life and who would model this set apart lifestyle for her son. A woman who had served faithfully in her own sphere as her husband served in his, to bear this fore-running child who would prepare the way for Her Lord. A woman who had nearly nine months to ponder the awesome hand of the Lord upon her life. A woman who would no doubt give testimony all of her days and impart the knowledge of the Lord to her son in his formative years. This is the woman God chose for such an unusual assignment.

We don’t know the number of Elizabeth’s days, as after this first chapter of Luke we don’t hear her name mentioned again. But we do know she was a woman devoted and consecrated to God. And it’s likely Elizabeth was spared the heart-ache of seeing her son’s latter days, and therefore rejoiced all the number of her days.

Scriptures For Reflection

For with God, nothing will be impossible. Luke 1:37

For I am the LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass. Ezekiel 12:25

Thank you for reading. Truth is my passion and writing is my Kingdom business.