Elizabeth Submitted to God (Luke 1)

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him. (Luke 1:57–66, ESV)

This week, we have seen how Elizabeth committed to God when it didn’t make sense and how she was a faith-filled friend. In the final episode in which she speaks, we’ll see how she also submitted to God. It came eight days after John's birth. That was the day Jewish boys were circumcised, and at that ceremony, the parents would name the baby. Something fascinating happened when it came time to name Elizabeth and Zechariah’s miracle baby. Because Zechariah couldn't speak, the friends and family assumed they could name the baby (and you think you've got presumptuous relatives!). And even though it wasn't common to do such a thing in that culture, they decided to name the baby after Zechariah. Maybe they thought this baby would be a new Zechariah, serving in the temple instead of his disabled dad. But Elizabeth spoke up and said, "No, he shall be called John," revealing that she and Zechariah had somehow communicated about what the angel had told him in the temple nine months earlier (60). She might've been wiped out from labor and a week of sleepless nights, but she was ready to put her foot down. No! He's not a Zechariah. His name is John! When Elizabeth said this, she was submitting to God. And she was submitting to more than the name God picked for her child, but the calling God chose for her child. She was an elderly mother, and this baby satisfied a longing of many years. But she knew she could not keep him. He had to live a life in the Spirit, a life often driven into the wilderness. It had been years since Israel had a prophet. And Elizabeth knew what they did to prophets, but she resisted all urges to keep the baby for herself. She submitted to God's plan. God had prepared this woman for this level of submission. Her theology of pain was fully developed at this point. She was not expecting an easy life. She knew the light would eventually break through, but she was willing to embrace the hardship required to get to that point. The Psalms say, "Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth" (Psalm 127:4). Elizabeth was willing to see John this way—a weapon in God's hands! I think she might have realized the wisdom of God in not allowing her a child in her "youth," but only in her older age. Because they were in their latter years, Zechariah and Elizabeth were likely long dead by the time John's public ministry was in full steam. They were probably spared from the news of his arrest, imprisonment, and gruesome death at the hands of Herod—things no parent should have to witness. How about us? Are we willing to submit to God? When other voices collude to try to get us to do something in disobedience to him, do we put our foot down? Do we use the magic word Elizabeth used?—No! We should because we cannot say yes to God unless we say no to many things that will come our way. Elizabeth was a woman after God's own heart who lived in fear of the Lord, and through her body, the dawn of the gospel began to break. Her steadfast hope in God, her prophetic counsel as a messenger for God, and her determined obedience to God all paved the way for the Son of God. Let's emulate Elizabeth by walking righteously even while still in the dark. This Christmas season, as we consider the beauty of the first advent, we still look forward to the second. All is not as it should be. And all is not as it will be once Christ returns. When he does, he will lift our reproach from us. Brokenness will not remain. Our Lord will redeem us. One of the most celebrated facets of this time of year is the warmth and joy of friendships and family. Movies and music often portray, amid the darkness and cold, glowing lights and relational warmth. But it is getting harder and harder to believe the hype. We cannot forget the animosity, despair, and brokenness of our time. Nor can we forget our own disappointments, times when life is anything but what Hallmark portrays. But rather than be disgusted by the hype, realize it is the guttural cry of humanity for something we cannot attain on our own. We want peace on earth. We want goodwill toward man. We want goodness and joy to permeate all things. And so does Christ. One day, he will return and banish sin, pain, brokenness, and injustice for his people. The sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and he will reign forever (Malachi 4:2). So let's be like Elizabeth, faithfully walking with God while hoping in God, using this Christmas season as another signpost to a more glorious age to come.