Elizabeth and John

Elizabeth and John the Baptist

LUKE 1 COMMENTARY ◄
Luke 1:50-55 Generation to Generation

Luke 1:56-62 Elizabeth and John

LUKE 1:56 56 And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her house.

What did John the Baptist do inside Elizabeth's womb when Mary's voice was heard?
“When the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby leaped for joy in my womb” (Luke 1:44).

Who entered Mary's womb during her “three months” (Luke 1:56) at Elizabeth's house?
Jesus.

How do you think John reacted?
Elizabeth probably carried a bouncy baby in her womb during those three months.

Can someone not alive feel “joy” (Luke 1:44)?

What does that say about abortion?

LUKE 1:57-58 57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they were rejoicing with her.

How long after Mary left her did Elizabeth “give birth” (Luke 1:57) to John the Baptist?
Since Mary came to her house during the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy and stayed “about three months” (Luke 1:56), it was pretty soon after Mary left.

What “great mercy to” (Luke 1:58) Elizabeth from the Lord were they rejoicing over?
Granting an “impossible” (Luke 1:37) pregnancy and baby to a postmenopausal woman.

LUKE 1:59 59 And it came to pass, on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling him after the name of his father, Zacharias.

Why did they come to circumcise the child “on the eighth day” (Luke 1:59)?
See Circumcision of Jesus.

Why were they trying to “name” (Luke 1:59) the child?
Jewish boys weren't named until their circumcision.

Who were they to try to name someone else's child?
The “they” (Luke 1:59) included “relatives” (Luke 1:58), as well as neighbors.

Why were they trying to name him after “his father, Zacharias” (Luke 1:59)?
Jewish boys were typically named after a close male relative. Since Zacharias had become mute and was such an old father, they may have thought he would appreciate his son carrying on his name.

LUKE 1:60-62 60 But his mother answered and said, “No, he will be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they were motioning to his father as to what he would have him called.

Why did Elizabeth declare, “He shall be called John” (Luke 1:60)?
Either Zacharias wrote down for her that he had been instructed, “You shall call his name John” (Luke 1:13), or the Holy Spirit who “filled” (Luke 1:41) her had instructed her directly.

Why were they “motioning” (Luke 1:62) to Zacharias instead of just asking him?
Zacharias became mute nine months prior (see Angel Gabriel), and since muteness is often associated with deafness, they may have assumed he couldn't hear either.