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ADVENT SERIES
Whispers of Mystery: Elizabeth’s Patience Rewarded by Unexpected News
The intersection of waiting, mystery, and faith
Elizabeth was told she would have a baby. She was an older woman. There is no actual age, but let’s put her in 21st century times and suppose that she is in her 50s, or even 60s, since it says she was “quite old” (Luke 1:7, TPT). You can imagine how unexpected this news is.
I know … to all the women out there trying to preserve their dignity as they age, don’t you just want to throw a tomato at Luke? The nerve….referring to her as “quite old.”
Most women in their 50s would not be thinking about having a child. They might be mourning the fact that they haven’t been able to give birth if that is something they desire(d), but most women know when they enter a certain season that their childbearing years are gone. This is where Elizabeth is. This is where Zechariah is. They both have carried the shame of a childless marriage for years. Baby making was not in their cards … or was it?
That was a big deal back then. And, in some circles now, it is still a heavy burden of shame for men and women to carry.
And yet God wasn’t done with Elizabeth or Zechariah.
Just like God is…
