Getting Ready: Advent Reflections, Luke 1:57-66

‘When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

‘On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

‘They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

‘Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. All the neighbours were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.’

Luke 1:57-66


We are coming to the end of Advent and the arrival of Christmas. In today’s passage we see the fulfilment of the promise to Zechariah and Elizabeth: their prayer has been heard, and after their period of waiting, their son is born.

But what should they name him? And who should decide? Their neighbours and relatives take a vote and decide to name him Zechariah Jr., but Zechariah and Elizabeth know that God has already given this boy a different name. Elizabeth says ‘No!’ to the crowd’s idea, but they persist and ask Zechariah, who confirms in writing that the boy’s name is John. In this way they support each other: Elizabeth supports the message Zechariah received from Gabriel, and Zechariah supports Elizabeth’s standing up to the crowd.

We too need support from other people in living faithfully as Christ’s disciples. This support may look like keeping each other accountable in our actions and habits. It may look like standing up for each other when people doubt us.

Who are the people who support you in your discipleship, who encourage you and nurture the life of Christ in you, who are able to say ‘No!’ like Elizabeth does to things contrary to God, and say 'Yes' to God's movements? Let's thank God for such people in our lives.

Who could use our own support in following God's ways? Let's pray for them and think of how we can stand with them against pressures they may face to do otherwise.