| __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BIBLE PEOPLE - John the Baptist BIBLE WOMEN - Childbirth
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| BIBLE PEOPLE - THEIR STORIES | |||||
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ELIZABETH |
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HER TRUST IN GOD REWARDED |
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EXCEPT CHILDREN Socially, Elizabeth was well-placed. She came from a long line of priests, and was eminently respectable and well-connected. She had married sensibly too - her husband Zechariah was a member of the priestly order, and so they enjoyed a high social status. Despite all these advantages, she had one terrible misfortune in her life: she was barren. She had prayed for a child, but none had come. One day her husband Zechariah was taking his turn at offering sacrifice in the Temple at Jerusalem. It was a great event in his life - he had been chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary and offer incense as part of the daily worship at the Temple. This was something that happened only once or twice in a priest's life. THE
ANGEL COMES Despite the extraordinary circumstances, Zechariah discreetly implied that he was no longer capable of sexual intercourse, and that his wife had ceased menstruating. The angel responded by naming itself – ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God’. When
Zechariah came out of the Temple he had lost the power of speech. He tried
to explain by signing, but this had only limited success. He headed for
home, to find some comfort in the arms of his wife. TWO
PREGNANCIES
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'Elizabeth's extended family decided that the baby would be called Zechariah, but Elizabeth stepped forward and briskly contradicted them. Her son's name was to be 'John', she said. They argued, but Elizabeth stood her ground.' |
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_______________________________________ ELIZABETH
GIVES BIRTH Elizabeth had a son, and her friends and relatives were overjoyed. She seems to have recovered well from the birth, because eight days later she was up and around, ready to attend the circumcision of her son. NAMING
THE BOY Immediately, to everyone's amazement, he regained the power of speech. This unexpected event convinced onlookers that the hand of God was with Elizabeth's little baby, that he would be different and unique. Now the name 'John' seemed appropriate, since it gave him an identity that had nothing to do with the past. ZECHARIAH
SEES THE FUTURE OF THE BOY Elizabeth may not have lived to see her son grow to manhood - she was already old by the standards of the day. Scholars suggest that John may have been a member of the Essene sect at Qumran - a group that adopted young children if their parents were dead. Perhaps it is just as well if her mother's eyes did not see his future, for it was a difficult one, ending in cruel execution. She would have suffered if she had known that, even though he gave his life 'preparing the way of the Lord'. |
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BIBLE
REFERENCE
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| PEOPLE
IN THE STORY Elizabeth, a respectable Jewish woman from a priestly family, a kinswoman of Mary of Nazareth, Zechariah, her husband, a priest in the service of the Temple of Jerusalem Mary of Nazareth, kinswoman of Elizabeth
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QUOTES 'Elizabeth was barren......' Luke 1:7 'When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth exclaimed "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb".' 1:42 'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior........' 1:46ff
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INTERESTING WEBSITES - stories, pictures, reconstructions Elizabeth's
story in more detail Childbirth in ancient Palestine
The Temple and city in 1st century Jerusalem The
fearsome, remote fortress where her son died The
story of Elizabeth's controversial, inspired son John the Baptist _______________________________________________________________________________ (In this story) 'the actions
of Elizabeth and Mary are the focus of attention and supply the dominant
perspectives that readers are invited to share. Although readers are
certainly not encouraged to forget that their stories are also the stories
of John and Jesus, the forerunner and the Messiah, and that it is as the
beginning of Jesus' story that Elizabeth's and Mary's stories have their
place in the Gospel, it is till the case that, as the mothers of John and
Jesus, they are the responsible and acting subjects of the events related
in the five central sections of the structure of this passage. In the case
of Elizabeth, Zechariah's role in fathering the child is no doubt assumed,
but it is never mentioned: Elizabeth is the sole agent (other than God) in
the narrative of John/s conception and birth. Zechariah is involved only
when the neighbors cannot accept, without knowing his mind, such a
departure from normal custom as Elizabeth proposes in not giving a family
name to her son.' _____________________________________________________________________________________________
ACTIVITIES AND FOCUS QUESTIONS Focus Questions for the gospel passages
In
depth study of one person's story
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