Luke 1:56 tells us that Mary stayed there with Elizabeth for about three months and then went home. It doesn’t tell us if she stayed for the birth of John or left before he was born. Since she arrived when Elizabeth was six months pregnant and was there with her for three months, you would assume she stayed until the baby was born. Was this a preparation time for her own pregnancy and delivery?
“When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her. When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, ‘No, his name is John!’ ‘What,’ they exclaimed. ‘There is no one in all your family by that name.’ So, they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise, he wrote, ‘His name is John.’ Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.” Luke 1:59-64 (NLT)
Elizabeth had a boy, just as God had promised she would. All the neighbors and relatives rejoiced with them; just what Gabriel told them would happen. Now came the naming of the child. Since Zechariah was unable to speak, the crowd assumed they knew what he would want this boy to be named, Zechariah, of course. Elizabeth is quick and adamant that his name is John. They acted like she was crazy and then asked Zechariah what he wanted to name him. You can’t really blame them for not understanding why Elizabeth would name the child some name that wasn’t attached to their family. In any other instance, Zechariah would have wanted this boy he had waited for all these years to have his name.
It’s puzzling to me why they would use gestures to ask Zechariah since he was not deaf but merely mute. Since he communicated with gestures, it may have seemed natural to talk to him using gestures as well. But this may indicate that he and Elizabeth had both cloistered themselves away, not sharing this coming miracle with anyone else until it actually came to pass. We might even think that Zechariah was still harboring some light doubt, but the way he quickly let them know his son’s name was John without any hesitation is telling. This was an act of faith and obedience for Zechariah. He may have doubted the initial announcement, but it is clear here that he no longer doubted the promise God had given him. God was faithful to return his voice, and the first thing he did was praise the God who keeps His promises. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied about God’s goodness, power to save, mercy, and much more. You can read his whole prophecy in Luke 1:68-79.
Awe struck everyone, they spread the news through the Judean hills, and those who heard the story wondered what this special child would turn out to be. It was evident to everyone that God had his hand on this boy.
The last verse in this chapter tells us that “John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry in Israel.” Luke 1:80 (NLT) He fulfilled everything the angel said about him during his life.
Today’s truth is that if God says it is going to happen, it does. When we look at the Word of God, we see prophecies that are spoken centuries before they come to pass, but they come to pass. We see others spoken, and in a short time, it happens. If story after story shows us evidence that God is faithful to what He says He will do, we can be sure that every promise in His Word that hasn’t been fulfilled yet, is on its way.
Debbie's Perspective 
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