[Zechariah] had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.
When Mary came to visit, Elizabeth said, “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.
When the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. (Luke 1:5, 24-25, 43-44, 57-58).
Elizabeth is a wonderful character in the cast of Advent. Her whole life had revolved around the worship of God. Not only did Elizabeth grow up in a priestly family, but she had married a priest, Zechariah. But God had always seemed so far away. Until this moment. Not only had the Lord taken notice of her childless situation, but He had come to her home! As soon as Mary said, “Hi!” both Elizabeth and her unborn child knew it was Him, the Savior, who would soon be born in Bethlehem.
God never just speaks a word from afar. He never simply sends a nice gift or fruit basket. God shows up. He shows up in our worship. He shows up in our homes. He shows up in our communities. God’s mercy was the headline of the day when Elizabeth gave birth to a son, giving her whole community, her family and friends the chance to celebrate!
Thank you, Lord, for the sometimes unexpected ways you show up in our lives, giving us and many others a reason to rejoice. Amen.
Waite for it... 