John had a lusty cry. Mary was concerned. “Do you think his crying will wake up the whole neighborhood?”
“He is born to be a prophet,” Elizabeth remarked dryly. “I’m sure he will be heard.”
June, 6 B.C.
The aches and pains of age troubled Zechariah, making it more difficult for him to carry out his duties as a Temple Priest. He and his wife Elizabeth had longed to have children, but she was barren. Never-the-less, they continued to live in the ways of the Lord and were still hopeful they could have at least one child.
One day, while Zechariah was burning incense in the Temple, as was his duty, he was startled and frightened by the sudden appearance of an angel.
“Be not afraid,” said the angel in a serene voice. “Your prayers have been answered. Elizabeth is with child, a boy, and the Lord asks you name him John. He will be your joy and delight. His birth is important to God. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit before the time of his birth. He will prepare the way for the Lord. He will instruct people to do what is right and bring all who seek salvation to the word of our God. You must therefore be sure he will be righteous, so that he will carry out his mission without blame.”
“But we are so old!” exclaimed Zechariah. “How can this be?”
The angel was upset with Zechariah’s response.
“My name is Gabriel, and I was sent by the Lord to tell you the good news of your coming child!”
“But we are forty and three years old. Isn’t it too late?”
Gabriel frowned, clearly annoyed by Zechariah’s lack of faith.
“Because you do not believe me,” Gabriel retorted “I will take away your ability to speak until you regain your faith in the Lord!”
Then, with a wave of his hand, Gabriel disappeared. Zechariah soon discovered Gabriel was telling the truth. He could not speak. Try as he might, he could not utter a single word. Not even a sound. Puzzled, he finished his duties at the Temple and went home.
When Zechariah reached his house, Elizabeth threw open the door and greeted him with tears of joy.
“The angel told me the news!” she exclaimed. “I am pregnant! We are going to have a baby boy!”
…………
(In 6 B.C., children who managed to reach the age of 10 had an average life expectancy of 47.5 years. Thus people age 43 were considered “old”.)
…………
Elizabeth had become pregnant six months before Joseph and Mary were married. In December, word went out to the family she was having trouble with her health. Joachim was Zechariah’s cousin. When word of Elizabeth’s illness reached him, he pondered what could he do. After much discussion, Mary volunteered to help Elizabeth until she gave birth. Although they had been married for only two weeks, Joseph reluctantly agreed. Arrangements were made. In mid-January Mary joined a caravan to make the long trip by foot to Hebron in the hills of Judea where Elizabeth and Zechariah lived.
Elizabeth was busy with the afternoon chores when she heard a commotion in the yard. She looked out the window and saw a young woman, a very tired young woman, toiling up the grade to her house. At first, Elizabeth was puzzled. Then inspired by a sudden realization, she exclaimed “Mary!” and walked as quickly as she could on her painfully tired legs to the door.
“Mary!” she called out to the woman. Mary, exhausted by the day’s long journey through the rain, managed a halfhearted smile.
“Elizabeth, I am really glad to see you because it marks the end of my long journey from Nazareth.”
Elizabeth threw open her arms and hugged Mary.
“Welcome to my humble home. Come in, come in and wash up.”
Then a very surprised Elizabeth stumbled back against the wall.
“What’s wrong?” asked Mary, thoroughly alarmed by the older woman’s distress.
“My baby,” Elizabeth responded, patting her swollen belly, “He gave such a kick. I do believe he is glad to see you.”
Mary helped Elizabeth to a chair, made her as comfortable as she could, and took a long look at her cousin. Elizabeth was obviously struggling with her pregnancy. The strain showed on her face and her legs were crisscrossed with ugly enlarged varicose veins.
“When are you due,” Mary asked.
“In three months, maybe sooner, God willing.”
“March,” Mary said absently. “And you said your baby is a boy. How do you know?”
Elizabeth scanned the face of the young woman before her. Even with the grime and stains of her long journey, Mary’s face conveyed a sense of sweet compassion.
“Zechariah and I have been praying to God to let us have a baby for many years. Now he has blessed us with a baby boy. I know this because an angel told me what was going to happen. The angel instructed us to call him John.”
Before Mary could respond, the door opened with a bang. It was Zechariah. Mary quickly crossed the room to give him a hug. The old man was genuinely glad to see her and returned her hug with some vigor.
“How are you?” she asked. “Have you just come from the Temple?”
Zechariah could only smile. Elizabeth came to his rescue.
“Zechariah cannot speak–he is being punished by the angel Gabriel because he refused to believe I was pregnant. He will not be able to speak until he finds his faith - when John is born.”
***
February, 5 B.C.
Mary was just finishing breakfast when she suddenly jumped up from the table and ran outside. Several minutes later she returned, looking very ill.
Elizabeth watched as Mary nervously crossed the room to take her seat at the table. The young woman’s condition was obvious.
“Mary,” she said with love in her heart “Mary you are pregnant!”
Mary sat down by the table, a slight crimson color on her cheeks. Self-consciously, she looked up.
“Yes, Joseph and I will be parents, sometime in the fall.”
“Mary, you are the lucky one. Your birthing years have started while you are young. Look at me; I suffer my pregnancy because I am old.”
Mary relaxed a little and managed a faint smile. But Elizabeth was not finished.
“I had a revelation last week. Micah came to see me in a dream. He told me all about Jesus.”
Mary sat upright, suddenly frightened by the Elizabeth’s words.
“You must not tell anyone. Please do not tell anyone,” she pleaded.
“Zechariah and I will keep it our little secret. Do not worry.... But there is more.”
Mary was astonished by Elizabeth’s words.
“Your baby Jesus and my baby John will become friends,” Elizabeth said with confidence. “You are going to be the mother of the Messiah, a man who will carry God’s message to everyone who will listen. And my John.... my John will announce his coming.”
Mary relaxed into her chair, her face radiant with a happy peaceful smile. The God she loved had a plan.
Uncertain what to say next, Elizabeth studied her young companion’s serene face. Who am I, she thought, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?
Then - inspired by a sudden rush of inspiration - she spoke with conviction. “Oh Mary.... Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. Your son will be the son of man and the perfection of God.”
***
Mid-March, 6 B.C.
The shriek of pain coming from the bedroom told Mary that John was coming into the world. She rushed to get hot water from the kitchen and then into the room to help with the birth. By the grace of God, it was an easy delivery. Mary cut and tied the umbilical cord, washed him, and rubbed him with oil. They wrapped the baby with soft fabrics and laid him in a cradle.
John had a lusty cry. Mary was concerned. “Do you think his crying will wake up the whole neighborhood?” she asked.
“He is born to be a prophet,” Elizabeth remarked dryly. “I’m sure he will be heard.”
By the time Zechariah returned from his Temple duties, the baby was asleep. Zechariah was surprised to find so many neighbors had dropped whatever they were doing to visit Elizabeth.
Zechariah was even more surprised by how many people came to John’s circumcision eight days later. When the circumcision was completed, his neighbors asked him what he was going to call his son. Most expected Zechariah would name his son after himself.
But instead, Elizabeth spoke up. “No! He is to be called John.”
There was a murmur in the room. It was unusual for a woman to speak up like she did. One neighbor asked Zechariah:
“And what name do you want?”
Zechariah took a tablet and to everyone’s astonishment wrote down the name - John. As soon as he finished showing the tablet to them, Zechariah immediately regained his ability to speak. He had done what the angel instructed him to do. A very relieved Zechariah began to chant: “Give praise to the Lord, the God of Israel. He has come to set his people free....”
………………
From my novel about the life of Jesus Christ “Am I Your Son”.
Ron