The Mother of John’s Day

Luke 1:57-80

Consider Elizabeth.

We know she was a great woman in the eyes of the Lord. She was blameless, and she walked in all the ordinances and commandments of the Lord. According to the words of the Holy Spirit authored by Luke, she was righteous. (Luke 1:6.)

Her character was of primary importance to God in His selection of Elizabeth to be the mother of the forerunner of His only begotten Son, Jesus, the Christ.

In a sense, as John was the forerunner of Jesus Christ, Elizabeth was the forerunner of Mary. An example to her. An encourager of her.

While we all understand the importance of the role of Mary in the history of the world, and even for our salvation – Elizabeth’s role is very significant as well.

She was an example to Mary of how to endure the quiet pain of life. (The pain of others thinking you are less than what you appear to be.) As a barren woman, Elizabeth had borne the pain of not only being childless – when the Bible tells us her and her husband’s prayer had been for a child – but also of the thoughts of others that there MUST be a reason God had cursed her with barrenness. What was that reason? Surely there was unrighteousness in her life.

Mary would have to endure the turbulence of what others thought of her as well. Only she would bear the pain of the quiet assertions and assumptions of unwed motherhood – which is the only form of motherhood looked down upon by society.

Elizabeth’s example shows us not only her fitness for motherhood, but her fitness to be an example of quietly maintaining relationship and right-standing with her Lord no matter whether others thought her cursed of God or not. She knew in her heart of her love for God and God’s love for her. It had to be enough for her for many long decades, with no thought of any change to her condition – or how people thought of her.

This is a woman admirable to God in the content of her character, and it made her fit for the monumentally important responsibility of raising the forerunner of Jesus Christ on behalf of the whole world. A world that shuns those considered righteous by God.

-Pastor Bill