Luke 1 His Name is John
The time for circumcision has arrived at the home of Elizabeth and Zechariah. Zechariah writes “His name is John” when asked about the baby’s name.
This portion of the story makes me laugh. It also frustrates me, as a woman. The neighbors make assumptions, probably the men, about the name of Elizabeth and Zechariah’s son. When Elizabeth corrects them, they won’t listen to her. ‘She is just a woman.’ THEN they ‘make sighs’ to Zechariah asking about the name. The man is MUTE not DEAF. This makes me wonder how they have been treating him for the past nine months.
In our story today, we will also get to deal with Mary’s absence when John is circumcised. But, is she really absent, or is her voice quiet because she is a woman; and a young one at that. I suppose I will have to let the Holy Spirit evolve this story. Let’s rejoin Elizabeth and Zechariah as they enjoy being parents for the first time.
Holy Spirit, guide this journey today. Show me Your story. Let me see the jewels You have hidden in it. Help me find treasure for my own life too.
♥ ♦ ♥
Elizabeth and Zechariah are enthralled with their son. They can’t take their eyes off him. They waited so long for this moment. They had given up hope, but the Lord hadn’t. Mary watches with delight.
The midwife clears her throat and gets Mary’s attention.
“Is there anything YOU need? Anything I can do for you?”
Mary wonders at her question. “Thank you for asking. I think all is good here now. Would you like me to walk you home?” Mary stops in her tracks. “I forgot!” She rushes to the kitchen and retrieves a jar. Inside is the payment for the midwife. She turns with it in her hands and the midwife is right behind her. She nearly jumps in fright and puts her hand protectively on her stomach.
The midwife smiles. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” Then her eyes drift to Mary’s hand.
Mary sees the direction of her eyes and quickly removes her hand. It isn’t time yet for anyone to know. She puts her hand toward the midwife and with a smile says; “Here is your payment for services. Elizabeth had set this aside for you.”
The midwife takes it with a nod and another look at Mary’s stomach. Mary straightens her robe to make sure her small bump isn’t showing.
“Are you sure there is nothing I can do for you” the midwife asks one more time.
Mary knows exactly what she is asking now. She quickly shakes her head. She doesn’t trust her voice at this moment.
The midwife bows her head ever so slightly and turns to go. Mary breathes a sigh of relief once she is on the other side of the door.
The midwife is not fooled. She has seen enough to be relatively certain that this young woman is indeed pregnant. “Her groom must learn of this” she says to herself.
Mary rejoins Elizabeth, Zechariah, and their son. She wants to bask in their joy but she is nervous about the midwife. She begins fidgeting. Elizabeth notices right away.
“Mary. Is something wrong” she asks with genuine concern.
“I’m not certain, but I think the midwife knows…” She doesn’t need to say anymore.
Elizabeth’s eyes go wide. “Are you sure?”
“No. But the way she looked at me, and the questions she asked are telling.”
Elizabeth and Mary hadn’t directly told Zechariah yet, but he had figured it out on his own. And his heart had not condemned Mary. The Lord had given him peace. While the two women are anxious, he puts his hand on Mary’s hand and gives it a gentle pat. Mary looks up and their eyes lock. Zechariah communicates all the assurance he can without words, and Mary receives it.
Nothing more is said in the household of Zechariah about the matter. But the midwife, the very next morning, sends word through a trusted companion to the town of Nazareth.
“Don’t tell Joseph directly, just in case I’m wrong. But make sure he hears that there is a rumor floating about.”
The friend sets off does exactly as she is told. It takes her three days, by caravan, to arrive and another two days to set the rumor circulating. It reaches Joseph’s ears through his ima.
This secret cannot keep. Joseph’s ima goes to the house that he is working on for his own. “Joseph, I need to speak with you.” She looks around and sees two men working nearby. She whispers; “Privately” with an urgency Joseph hasn’t heard in a long time.
Joseph sets his tools aside and leads his ima away from nearby ears. When they stop, his ima glances around again, to make certain they are alone. This makes Joseph even more concerned.
“What is the matter Ima?”
“I have heard a rumor that I must share with you. Mind you it is not a certainty, but it is important enough to be taken seriously.”
His ima has never been one to spread rumors. She usually stops them in their tracks and scolds those passing them on. So, Joseph is certain this must be important. He waits patiently for her to speak.
Joseph’s ima looks around once more before speaking. “I have heard from a reliable source that there is a question concerning Mary’s virginity.”
Joseph’s eyebrows come together and his eyes squint in a look of anger and doubt. “What are you talking about? We both know Mary’s character.”
“I know. But she has been gone for some time now and a midwife attending Elizabeth voiced her suspicions.”
Joseph’s eyes widen. “This is serious. I will have to think on the matter.” After a moment he tells his ima; “Do not let this rumor go any farther. No matter what happens, I want to protect Mary. She deserves discretion and a chance to explain.”
“I agree. That is why I wanted to be sure we were not overheard.”
Joseph embraces his ima and gives her a kiss on the cheek. The two go their separate ways; Joseph back to work and his ima back to the family home.
Joseph thinks about this rumor the rest of the day. “IF this is true, I will divorce Mary privately. I will NOT shame her publicly or allow her to be stoned” he finally resolves.
Joseph looks at the house he has built for his family. He just finished putting the final touches on it this morning. Before his ima came, he was excited to be ready to retrieve his bride for their wedding. Now… Joseph shakes his head and walks away.
At dinner, Joseph barely touches his meal. His ima understands why. Joseph’s abba is preoccupied with his day in the fields and doesn’t notice anything. He also knows nothing of the rumor.
Joseph excuses himself from the table and goes to his room for the night. After tossing and turning for a few hours, he finally drifts off to sleep. He begins dreaming right away. In his dream he is standing in a field and an angel of the Lord stands before him. Joseph falls down on his face before the angel. The angel touches him and causes him to rise up again. As Joseph stands before the angel, the angel starts speaking.
“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).
Joseph accepts this without argument, but the angel knows he needs a little more. An explanation.
“This is so that the prophecy might be fulfilled. ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (Matthew 1:23).”
Joseph feels a sense of peace settle on him. He will do this right away.
Rather than having Joseph jump up in the middle of the night, the angel touches him and his dream changes. He sees himself and Mary holding their child and playing with him.
Morning comes and the sun’s rays wake Joseph from his peaceful sleep. He decides that he needs to go get Mary for their wedding NOW, before any more rumors can circulate. He knows that God will protect her from harm because of the life growing within her, but he wants to protect her character, as well as his own.
At breakfast, Joseph makes an announcement. “Abba, Ima, I am going to bring Mary home. Our home is ready and it’s time for our marriage. This way, she won’t have to travel back by caravan and we can have the wedding as soon as we arrive.”
His ima smiles, knowing that Joseph has settled this in his heart. “I can begin baking today.”
“How long will your trip take? I need to know so I can invite the guests and arrange for the wine” his Abba adds.
“We should arrive home in no more than five days. That gives me two days to reach Mary and three to bring her home.”
The plans are set and Joseph starts out that very day for Ein Karem.
While all this is taking place in Nazareth, Elizabeth and Zechariah are preparing for their son’s circumcision and naming ceremony. Mary does the baking so Elizabeth can rest.
“I always heard that children can tire you out” remarks Elizabeth. “But I’m too excited to be tired. I’ve waited so long for this time. And to think, God chose ME to bring the forerunner to our Lord into the world!”
The morning of the eighth day arrives. Everyone in Zechariah’s household, including Mary, are excited. Zechariah presents Elizabeth with a gift. It is something he has had stored away since the early years of their marriage. It is the gown he wore at his own circumcision. His ima passed it down to him just before passing away.
Elizabeth holds the carefully tied bundle with curiosity. Zechariah motions for her to open it. She pulls the end of the cord. The cord falls away but the skin has been in place so long it doesn’t move. Carefully, Elizabeth pulls back the edges sides of the skins to reveal the gown inside. She covers her mouth with both hands and starts to cry. She remembers this gown from when her mother-in-law first showed it to her. She remembers her words clearly.
“I want my first grandson to wear this gown at his circumcision; just as his abba did.”
Elizabeth looks up at Zechariah and nods her head. “This is perfect! Now, he will have his grandparents with him in a small way.”
Zechariah smiles and nods too. Elizabeth carefully changes their son into the special gown. It fits him perfectly. As she looks with love on her son, she realizes that she will, more than likely, not see his son wearing it. By the time he is old enough to have children, she will be gone from this earth. And, with the mission he has received before his birth, will he even have children.
Elizabeth shakes her head to dislodge these thoughts. It’s time to go to the synagogue. It is the very same synagogue that her husband served in for so many years. He had to step down when his voice was taken from him.
As Zechariah, Elizabeth, the baby, and Mary make their way to the synagogue, Joseph rides into town. He sees Mary from across the way and his heart skips a beat. She is radiant!
Joseph hurries over to the small group. Mary sees him just as they are about to step into the synagogue. She turns and waits for him. Elizabeth and Zechariah are swept up in the wave of their neighbors arriving for the ceremony.
“I will catch up with you in a moment” Mary tells Elizabeth as they are pulled apart by their different appointments.
Elizabeth nods and is gone in a moment. Joseph now has Mary’s undivided attention.
“Joseph! I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Mary, we need to talk, privately.”
The seriousness in Joseph’s voice startles Mary. She looks back over her shoulder at the synagogue. “The circumcision ceremony for Elizabeth’s baby is about to start. Can it wait.”
Joseph wants to say no, but the look on Mary’s face melts his heart. He can see her longing to be with her cousin. Joseph nods and the two of them slip inside the building. The ceremony has already started so Mary doesn’t feel right about moving forward to stand beside Elizabeth. The two women’s eyes meet though across the room. Elizabeth smiles and nods. All is good.
The actual circumcision proceeds without incident. Now, it is time to proclaim the child’s name. The priest holds up the baby. “I invite you to join in celebration with Elizabeth and Zechariah and they welcome little Zechariah…”
Elizabeth immediately interrupts. “His name is John.”
The priest stops and looks at her. “But, there is no one in your family with this name.”
“That is the name we have chosen for our son.”
Zechariah has been standing beside Elizabeth the whole time. His head nods with her pronouncement of their son’s name. But the people in attendance are not satisfied.
Zechariah’s closest friend goes to stand before him. He begins making hand gestures. He points and Zechariah and Elizabeth, then he points to the baby. Then he mimes holding the baby before the congregation for his name. With exaggerated slowness in his speech he asks; “What do YOU want to name the baby?”
Zechariah almost laughs as this display is comical. He is not deaf or stupid. His tongue is simply held fast by the Lord. Instead of responding with signs of his own, for naming his son, he pretends like he is writing something.
The friend understands immediately and calls for a quill and something to write upon. They are quickly brought and given to Zechariah.
Zechariah carefully writes his response; “His name is John.” Zechariah then turns the writing around so the whole congregation can see it. In that instant, Zechariah feels the bonds on his tongue melt away. Immediately, Zechariah begins to prophecy over his son.
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:68-79).
There is stunned silence around the room. The people KNOW they have just witnessed a miracle. Zechariah takes his son from the hands of the priest and gives him a kiss on the forehead before handing him to Elizabeth to comfort.
The crowd breaks out in shouts of praise to the Lord before finally breaking up. Zechariah calls out an invitation to join them at their house to celebrate this day.
Being at the back of the room, Mary and Joseph are among the first to exit. They wait to the sided while the rest of the congregation files out. Finally, Zechariah and Elizabeth emerge with John. Joseph steps forward to congratulate them.
“The Lord has truly blessed you both. But, I’m afraid I have to take Mary back to Nazareth right away. Our wedding awaits.”
Elizabeth quickly embraces Mary and they bid one another goodbye. “I’m sorry I can’t attend.”
“I completely understand. I will see you later.”
“Joseph, I have to go to Elizabeth’s home to gather my belongings.”
“I forgot about that. Let’s do it quickly though. We need to be on our way.”
Mary doesn’t understand the urgency, but she will do as her husband-to-be commands. Mary quickly gathers her dresses, including the basket with her completed wedding dress in it. Mary gives Elizabeth one final hug before leaving.
Joseph and Mary are on the road within the hour. When they are far enough away from people, Joseph shares with her about the rumors and his dream.
Mary listens to every word before responding. Tears fill her eyes. “I didn’t know how to tell you about the baby. I suppose I should start at the beginning.”
“That would be a good place to start” Joseph says with a smile.
Mary tells him every detail of the angel, Gabriel, visiting her. How she felt when the Spirit covered her. Why she decided to visit Elizabeth. And the welcome she received when she arrived. “I knew at that moment that these two sons are going to be very important to one another.
“That is an amazing story. We will have to make time for them to visit with one another over the years” Joseph replies.
Mary’s cheeks color as she thinks about the rumors. “I had a feeling something was going to start talking. The midwife was asking if she could be of help to ME after Elizabeth’s delivery.”
“My ima hinted at this being the source of the rumors.”
Mary’s eyes go wide with fright. “Your IMA knows!”
“She is the one who brought the news to me. She is on board with a wedding as soon as we get home to Nazareth. She trust me in this matter. My abba knows nothing about the rumors.”
Joseph drops Mary off at her home before going home to change into his wedding clothes. When everything is ready, Joseph goes with his procession to Mary’s house. She is waiting with her closest friends.
The procession is joyous and the ceremony is perfect. Joseph shared Mary’s story and his dream with his ima, so she makes certain to be the one at the door of the bridal tent to receive the ‘proof of virginity’. She prays that God will forgive her for this small lie to protect Mary.
After the bridal week, where Mary and Joseph simply enjoyed one another’s company, they move into the home Joseph built for them. Mary is in awe of the detail Joseph has included in his design. Little carvings here and there speak of the craftsmanship of her own special carpenter. This includes a small cradle Joseph made for their first child. When he made it, he didn’t expect to be filling it so soon.
Joseph maintains Mary’s purity, just as the angel told him to do. There will be time for them to truly be husband and wife later on.
(to be continued)
I decided that Mary had to stay long enough to witness the miracle and hear the prophecy. She needed it as much as the rest of the people listening in. God spoke of John and Jesus’ futures that day. Of their intertwining lives and purpose.
I wonder what happened to all the rumors. Did they evaporate? Did they die down? Did the people watch Mary closely and speculate on how far along she was? God protected her life, I’m sure He could protect her name as well. I’m thinking that them being in Bethlehem for Jesus’ birth got them out from under the scrutiny. Then staying in Bethlehem and then going on to Egypt made Jesus’ exact age harder to pin down by outsiders. I imagine they had to ‘move’ his birthday too, for those who ‘did the math’.
God brought Joseph into Mary’s life before assigning her the greatest task ever. He KNEW that Joseph loved the Lord and would take care of Mary AND His Son. He still brings people into our lives for a purpose, a time, or a season. Sometimes we don’t even know the reason until after they are gone. I want to praise Him for each person He brought in my life; including those who comment or ‘like’ my posts on social media. They let me know that God is using these stories to touch lives.
Father God, thank You for EVERY PERSON You have brought into my life. For those who have long since left my life, to those still to come. Each are precious and unique. I should say that, the ones YOU brought are precious and unique. Some of the people who have passed through my life are NOT precious in man’s sense of the word. But the fact that they are there has impacted me and built me into a better person. Sometimes just from scraping shields with them and getting mine polished in the encounter. Thank You Lord, even for the ones who are hard to like, let alone love!
