Luke 1:58

New International Version

Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

For Encouragement

The story of Jesus is the beginning of the manifestation of God’s redemption plan on earth. Christ’s condescension in our human experience is good news and joy for everyone—good news for the old, the young, and children. The story of Jesus’s birth is infectious, and no one can contain it. It’s the love of God manifested in the flesh; grace poured over unlovable humanity to redeem and restore. That is why we must share it!

The joy first filled the house of an old couple who endured years of unanswered prayers for a child, unrealized dreams, disgrace, and shame. Imagine Elizabeth’s joy the day her old priest husband, Zechariah, returned home with the good news from the angel Gabriel that she would carry a son. Like Sarah, Elizabeth may have chuckled, but how could she explain her husband’s inability to speak if there wasn’t a supernatural manifestation in the air?

One day, Elizabeth woke up nauseated. Morning sickness? That was the reality for young wives, not for her. But something funny was happening in her tummy.

“It is real,” she may have said to Zechariah. “I am really pregnant!”

Have you had some good news you couldn’t share before? I remember the day I returned home with my high school results. I was bursting with excitement, but I couldn’t tell my sister, who misread my somber demeanor and took it as my failure. How could I shout out the joyful news when my best friend and classmate, who had seriously flunked, came home with me? I couldn’t be that cruel. So, I prayed for self-control until he left. Sprinting across the football field in front of my sister’s house, I screamed, “I didn’t fail. I passed”.

Elizabeth might have experienced my dilemma during the first six months of her pregnancy. How could she scream about it? What would people think about her claim? “Don’t mind Elizabeth. She should get rid of that fibroid and stop deceiving herself and everybody.”

Has it happened to you before?

The perception of people concerning our situation could restrain our freedom and steal our joy. If what God has done for you calls for joy, rejoice!

Thankfully, God knows our intimate needs, hidden cares, burdens, anxieties, and fears. The working of His grace settles our hearts and encourages us when we fall into such uncomfortable situations. He sent the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth for mutual encouragement as part of His grand plan to reconcile the world to himself. His plan was new, extraordinary, and beyond human ability and imagination. The manifestation of this plan surprised everybody—Elizabeth and Zechariah, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb, the Virgin Mary, and the Son she carried, the blessing to humanity!

Every day is a celebration of that joy, the birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer King. It’s a joyful celebration for all who have turned the reigns of their lives to Him, and a necessary attraction to those who desire an everlasting life in Him.

So don’t let anybody of circumstance muffle you. Rejoice and share the joy of the Good News of God’s kingdom, now open to all who believe in Christ (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18).

Prayer:

Our dear heavenly Father, I rejoice that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. Lord Jesus, please destroy the wisdom of the wise and frustrate the intelligence of the intelligent of this world so that they may receive wisdom from you for the salvation of their souls. With the victory of the cross as our tailwind, please lead us into the weekend to worship you with our lives in everything we do, in the matchless