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The words that Elizabeth spoke to Mary when they met, show that Elizabeth knew that Mary had a very important baby growing inside her; and that her baby would also have something to do with Mary's baby. The words that Mary said in reply are known as the 'Magnificat' and are a 'thank you' and worship prayer to God. When Mary left Elizabeth and Zechariah and went home to Nazareth, Elizabeth would have been about nine months pregnant and Mary would have been about three months pregnant. Mary may have gone home then because she did not want to get involved with the publicity of John's birth.

So it would not have been long after this that Elizabeth did give birth to John. When it was time to name the baby, it was natural for the family to think that it would be called Zechariah after his father, as this was normally how baby boys were named. But Elizabeth knew that he had to be called John. The family would have doubted this, so they asked the still dumb Zechariah what he should be called. As soon as he wrote down John, as the angel had said, he could speak again.

The name John (Jehochanan or Jochanan) means 'The Lord is Gracious'. He was to be called this because God had been kind to Elizabeth and Zechariah, giving them a child. Gabriel's words to Zechariah meant that when John was a man, he would tell the people about Jesus.

May you have faith in the LORD today as Elizabeth and Zechariah did and as Mary did while carrying our LORD and Savior!!

Hugs Prayers and God bless
Izzy

Thank you for this reading today. I went straight to my bible and read the passages before and through the story of Elizabeth and Mary.

Rejoice in the Lord! For He is GREAT! The Christmas Story is always, always so intriguing. Often we forget about the story of Elizabeth and the birth of John the Baptist.

Thank You for pointing us to that passage today.

Have a great day!
Vel

Izzy This study is wonderful about our Saviors birth.All part of Gods great plan to save mankind.Thank God for faithful Women & Men who were willing to follow Gods call
Becca

It is indeed wonderful that the Lord knows the beginning from the end in His plan for us. That we chose to be part of this great plan for happiness. Just as we learn of those great women in the Bible, who walk by faith, we too can be great women and learn to walk by that great faith as well.