By Marcia Rossiter

Malachi 3:1 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. (NIV) (400 BC)

Luke 1:5-25 “… Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. … for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. … He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. …” (NLT)

Before Jesus could come as the long awaited one, His messenger had to arrive. The prophecy and birth story of John the Baptist is recorded for us in Luke 1:5-25. And later in verse 76 his father’s song is recorded where Zechariah sings that John will be called a prophet of the Most High and that he will prepare the way for the Messiah.

But let’s go back a little to Luke 1:26-30. We read the story of Gabriel’s visit to Mary and after telling Mary she will be the mother of the Most High, he lets Mary in on a little secret. Her cousin Elizabeth is in the sixth month of her own pregnancy.

After hearing all this, Mary rushed to visit Elizabeth. As soon as her greeting reached her cousin’s ears, John leaped in his mother’s womb. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” (Luke 1:42 NIV)

Can you picture these two women joyfully congratulating each other? I picture them laughing together in the courtyard or embracing in Elizabeth’s kitchen near a warm fire. I imagine many nights of sitting together, talking, planning, wondering what the future would hold for their little boys.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth and Zechariah for 3 months. More than likely helping her cousin through the delivery of John. What a special time to share.

Food For Thought: What do you do when you receive good news? Do you keep it to yourself or share it with someone who might just understand exactly what you’re going through?Cousin John