Elizabeth and Zechariah

Have you ever stopped to think about the role Elizabeth and Zechariah played in the birth narrative?  They were ancient, had long given up on having a baby...and yet, God fulfilled their hopes for a child, late as it was.  A former pastor shared with us in choir the other night that there were so many priests in that day and time that they would have only gone into the temple, into that sacred space, maybe once in their lifetime.  It just so happened, or maybe happened for such a time as this, that Zechariah went in and came out unable to speak at the news he received.  Because of his inability to even sputter, everyone knew that he had been in the presence of God.

God was making preparations...making sure that people knew that with God all things are possible.  And their son, John, was preparation himself.  Perhaps he inherited that from his parents, the ones preparing the way for the birth of the Christ.

Mary went to visit Elizabeth "and when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb.  And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy."  Luke 1:41-44

Elizabeth was ready...she heard what God was saying and felt what the Spirit was doing because she had made preparation in her very spirit.  And even as a baby, John recognized the significance of what was to come.

Am I that in tune with the Spirit?  Are we preparing the way for the coming of our Lord?  Yes, there will be a second coming and that way needs to be prepared, but I'm talking about a daily preparation...are we looking, eagerly anticipating how God will come and move among us?  

Watch for those leaps inside of you and rejoice!