Mary
stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house. Now the time that Elizabeth should give birth was fulfilled, and she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her, and they rejoiced with her. On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of the father. His mother answered, “Not so; but he will be called John.” They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” They made signs to his father, what he would have him called. He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” They all marveled. His mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing God. Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea. All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” The hand of the Lord was with him. His father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
Luke 1:56-67
Luke 1 [50.] His mercy is for generations of generations on those who fear him.
He has shown strength with his arm.
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down princes from their thrones.
And has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things.
He has sent the rich away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy,
As he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and his offspring forever.”
Luke 1 [56.] Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house. Now the time that Elizabeth should give birth was fulfilled, and she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her, and they rejoiced with her. On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of the father. His mother answered, “Not so; but he will be called John.”
Luke 1 [61.] They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” They made signs to his father, what he would have him called.
Luke 1 [63.] He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.”
They all marveled. His mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing God. Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea. All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” The hand of the Lord was with him. His father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
Luke 1 [68.] “Blessed be the Lord, the 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 who have been from of old),
salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us;
to show mercy towards our fathers,
to remember his holy covenant,
the oath which he spoke to Abraham, our father,
to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies,
should serve him without fear,
Meaning:
These verses complete the story that began when the angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias in the temple (Luke 1:5-25). The angel had promised a son and told Zacharias, “you shall call his name John,” but because he did not believe, he was made unable to speak “until the day that these things will happen.” Now the promise is fulfilled, the name is given, and Zacharias’ mouth is opened.
- “Mary stayed with her about three months”
Mary arrived when Elizabeth was six months pregnant, so she probably stayed until about the time of John’s birth. Some see an echo of the ark of the covenant, which stayed “three months” in a house in the hill country and brought blessing to it (2 Samuel 6:11).
- “Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her”
In that culture childlessness was a deep sorrow and often a source of shame. Elizabeth had said, “Thus has the Lord done to me... to take away my reproach among men” (Luke 1:25). Now the whole community saw God’s mercy and rejoiced with her.
- “On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child”
God had commanded Abraham, “He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations” (Genesis 17:12). John’s parents were “walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord” (Luke 1:6), and they kept this command. Jesus too would be circumcised on the eighth day (Luke 2:21).
- “they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of the father”
But Elizabeth said, “Not so; but he will be called John.” They objected that no one in the family had that name, and turned to Zacharias, who was apparently deaf as well as unable to speak, since they “made signs” to him. The name John means “Yahweh is gracious.” It was God’s choice, describing the grace that God was beginning to show his people.
- “He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, ‘His name is John.’”
Zacharias wrote firmly, “His name is John”, not “will be,” as if the matter were already settled by God. His months of silence had turned doubt into obedience. At once his mouth was opened, and the first words he spoke were praise to God. Then, filled with the Holy Spirit, he prophesied in the song that follows (Luke 1:68-72).
- “What then will this child be?”
Fear, in the sense of awe, came on the whole neighbourhood, and the news spread through the hill country of Judea. Luke adds, “The hand of the Lord was with him,” a phrase he also uses of the early believers in Antioch (Acts 11:21). The answer to the people’s question came years later, when Jesus said, “among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer” (Matthew 11:11).
The Significance of Luke 1:56-67
- Obedience restores
Zacharias’ unbelief cost him months of silence, but when he obeyed God’s word, his voice was restored in praise. God’s discipline is meant to bring his people back to trust and obedience.
- Following God rather than custom
Elizabeth and Zacharias broke with family custom to obey God. When God’s word and social expectations differ, faithfulness means choosing God’s way, even if others do not understand.
Cross-References:
Luke 1:13: "you shall call his name John." The angel’s instruction to Zacharias.
Genesis 17:12: "He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you," the covenant sign given to Abraham.
Matthew 11:11: "among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer;" Jesus’ verdict on John.
Conclusion: Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and returned home. Elizabeth gave birth to a son, and her neighbours rejoiced at God’s mercy. On the eighth day the child was circumcised, and against family custom Elizabeth and then Zacharias insisted that his name was John. At once Zacharias could speak again, and he praised God and prophesied.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible