Extraordinary Cousins:  Mary & Elizabeth and Jesus & John the Baptist

This past week I was thinking about Jesus and John the Baptist.  I knew they were related through their mothers - Mary and Elizabeth were cousins - but never thought much beyond that. Taking a closer look at these two families I found some interesting parallels.  For example, both families were the subject matter of ancient prophecy, and both had angelic “birth” announcements.  In the births of these two extraordinary baby boys I found many similarities, with few differences; yet those differences taught me a lesson.  

Two Angelic Announcements (Two Different Responses). 

Between the two, John’s birth announcement came first.  Zacharias, the husband of Elizabeth, was a priest in the temple at Jerusalem.  They were an elderly couple who had served the Lord faithfully, but in the many years of marriage they were unable to have children.  A cultural stigma in those days.

One day the angel Gabriel came to Zacharias as he was working in the Temple.  The initial site of the angel terrified him, but Gabriel just ignored the fear and began to convey his heavenly message: Good News!  Your prayers have been answered and you are going to have a baby boy! After that Gabriel followed up with lots of facts, like his name would be “John” and he would be a second Elijah with “spirit and power to turn the hearts of fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, [and] to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”  How much of what Gabriel said, however, seemed to be lost on Zacharias who was still stuck on the first proclamation, “Elizabeth shall bear you a son.”

Zacharias’ immediate response was underwhelming (a bit like Abraham and Sarah’s in Genesis), only Zacharias didn’t chuckle to himself, but scoffed at the message. Apparently, after many years of prayer, Zacharias’ age and reason had decreased his belief in miracles.  He basically tells the angel, “This is impossible! I and my wife are both old!”  (Not the smartest reply to an angel of the Lord).  I can almost imagine the look on Gabriel’s face as he responded to Zacharias’ unbelief by putting the man on “mute” for the next nine months!   Zacharias was literally speechless until the baby was born AND had been named “John” as God commanded.  

The second angelic birth announcement came to Mary several months later.  Mary, like Zacharias, was in a somewhat similar situation when Gabriel arrived.  While of child-bearing age, she was still a single (albeit engaged) virgin, and in her mind a baby came with a husband. So she asked the simple question, “How can this be?”  Mary’s question, was in the same natural context as Zacharias, but the emphasis was different.  Mary wanted to know the process, while Zacharias mocked the very thought!  Both may have been reasonably perplexed, but Mary had the open mind.     

After Gabriel gently explained to Mary what would occur, what was her immediate reply?  Did she laugh like Sarah or sneer like Zacharias?  Nope.  Her immediate response was “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to your word.”  Mary and Zacharias show us that wisdom does not come naturally with age!

Two Miracles and Two Prophecies Fulfilled.

Two cousins, two angelic birth announcements; what could possibly be added to that! For the third link in the familial chain we must travel back in time some 750 years, when the Prophet Isaiah foretold the children of Israel that “One day…” 

One of the most beautiful pieces of music is Handel’s 1741 oratorio Messiah which is still performed around the world at Christmas time.  What is interesting about this work is how much scripture Handel used in his composition.  Inspired by the Book of Isaiah, Handel weaved together the prophecy of Sacred Scripture with music almost divinely inspired.        

Comfort ye, Comfort ye my people, saith your God…

In Isaiah Chapter 40 the prophet speaks of John (though not by name) as follows: 

The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

In addition to Isaiah, we read in Malachi the prophecy that a “second Elijah” will come before the day of the Lord and will “turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers.”  This verse is repeated almost verbatim by Luke who refers to John the Baptist as this “second Elijah.”  In Luke 1:17 we read, “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”  (Quick fact: both John and Jesus were often confused as being the prophesied “Elijah” because the Jews were well acquainted with the prophetic books!) 

As for our Lord Jesus, there are several prophecies that foretold his birth and life. Like John the Baptist, Isaiah mentions the coming of our Lord (Chapter 7) where we read, “Hear ye now, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”  Isaiah not only foretold the birth of Christ, but he also spoke of him as both a reigning Messiah (Chapter 11) as well as a suffering Messiah (Chapter 53).  In Isaiah 53 we find the prophecy of a suffering Jesus Christ; “He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief…wounded for our transgressions…brought as a lamb to the slaughter.” 

Two cousins, barely six months apart, born miraculously and prophesied over 700 years earlier. Amazing!

Two Sons (Obedient, even unto Death)

Both John and Jesus lived obedient and sacrificial lives.  There can be no doubt that they were deeply loved by their parents, yet, in the case of John, he probably lost both parents in his youth.  (Of the four parents, only Mary appears to be alive at the time of both their ministries).  Like Jesus, John was about 30 years of age when his ministry began.  Up to that point, we know little of John except that he wore a camelhair garment (sounds uncomfortable) and lived on honey and wild locust.  Now, I don’t know about you, but if I were young and my parents were no longer alive, I might attempt to live a normal life!  Yet the life John continued to live, dedicated to the Lord, does not appear to have been in question.  From the git-go (i.e. the womb) there was something wholly different about John that kept him in the Lord’s care throughout his short life.  No wine, women and song for that young man!  He faithfully executed his calling until he was executed in prison.   

Jesus eulogizes his cousin John in a way he does no other human. In Matthew we read where Jesus calls his cousin “more than a prophet” and says, “Truly I say unto you, among them that are born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist.” 

As for the life of Christ, we are well acquainted.  We know Jesus humanly suffered.  He was despised, rejected, betrayed, physically assaulted and crucified.  We also know that he rose again on the third day in fulfillment of God’s promise.  Both of these sons, one fully human and born a sinner, and one fully human and born God, were obedient even unto death.  What an example!

There are manifold lessons to be learned from the lives of these two cousins and their families, but my greatest takeaways are these.  1) Miracles do happen; how we respond is up to us. 2) Even though we are not God (like Jesus), John shows us that a life of dedication and obedience is possible.  3) Prophecy is real; God says what he means and means what he says!