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Luke 1:5–66

INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called Famous Mothers in the Bible. For Mother’s Day each year we have been working our way through the Bible looking at various mothers and seeing what we can learn from them. Last year we finished with the mothers in the Old Testament, and now we begin with a new set of mothers from the New Testament. Our first famous mother in the New Testament is Elizabeth. Elizabeth was the mother of John the Baptist, and she is a good example of an upright mother. (Read Luke 1:5–7 and pray.)

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Matthew and Luke are the two gospels that share the Christmas story with us. Matthew begins his gospel with the genealogy leading up to Jesus and then jumps right into Mary and Joseph’s story. However, Luke in his gospel doesn’t start with Mary and Joseph, but rather with Elizabeth and Zechariah.

In some ways you could say Mary is the first mother in the New Testament, because the gospel of Matthew comes before Luke. But chronologically, Elizabeth comes first, and so it makes sense to begin with her, as she is preparatory to Mary even as her son, John, is preparatory to Jesus.

When Luke introduces Elizabeth to us in his gospel, the first word that comes to his mind is “upright.” Another word for upright is simply “righteous.” (The word translated “upright” in verse 6 is the same word translated “righteous” elsewhere in Scripture.) We sometimes think of people who are upright as being uptight, but that’s not the way the Bible sees it. According to God’s word the upright person is happy and blessed.

We read in Psalm 119: “Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart” (Ps. 119:1–2). The upright person is a happy person. The upright person is a blessed person. The upright person is a blessing to others and brings God glory through their life.

Elizabeth had a reputation for righteousness, which tells us she was happy and blessed. That doesn’t mean she didn’t have any struggles or challenges in life as we will see, but she walked in God’s ways and displayed the fruit of righteousness in her life.

What is your reputation? Do you have a reputation for righteousness? Do the people around you consider you happy and blessed? If not, what changes might you need to make in your life to gain the reputation of an upright mother, or an upright father, daughter, or son?

That’s what we will be looking at today as we learn from Elizabeth. Here in this first chapter of the gospel, Luke shares with us four characteristics of an upright person. The upright person is faithful in hard times, thankful for God’s blessings, humble in heart, and faithful in the good times as well.

I. Faithful in hard times (5–7)

So, let’s get started. The first characteristic we will look at is faithfulness. The upright person is faithful in hard times. Look at verses 5–7 with me now:

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years. (Luke 1:5–7)

   A. Upright before God (5–6)
      – Ecclesiastes 12:13

Luke begins his narrative by introducing Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah was a priest who served in the temple, and his wife Elizabeth was also descended from Aaron.

Notice how Luke describes both Elizabeth and Zechariah as upright before God. It’s one thing to be upright before others, but when you are upright before God, that shows you are authentic and sincere. They were not only from a priestly line, but they were living it out in their lives. They were upright in character and faithful in their actions.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 tells us: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl. 12:13). That’s Zechariah and Elizabeth. They feared God and kept his commandments. They were upright before God.

   B. Long period of unanswered prayer (7)
      – Luke 18:1; 1 Peter 4:19

They were also dealing with a long period of unanswered prayer. As the narrative unfolds, we learn that they had been praying for a child for some time, but God had not answered. They were also both getting along in age, and the possibility of children seemed to be slipping away with each passing year.

Sometimes it’s easy to follow God when everything is going well. (Sometimes not, as we will discuss toward the end of the message.) But it’s not always easy to be faithful when things are not going well. It’s not easy to keep praying and trusting when your prayers go unanswered. The upright person is faithful in hard times. They continue to follow God and his word even when their prayers go unanswered.

Unanswered prayers do not necessarily mean you are not upright before God. In fact, how you respond during a long period of unanswered prayer says a lot about whether you are living an upright life before God or not. Do you continue to trust him? Do you continue to keep his commandments? Do you continue to pray?

Luke tells us later in his gospel how “Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). This is the parable of the persistent widow who kept crying out to the judge for justice and was granted her request. According to Jesus, unanswered prayer is not a reason for you to stop praying but rather a reason to keep praying.

It is also an opportunity to continue to trust God even when things are not going your way. 1 Peter 4:19 tells us: “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”

That’s our first characteristic of an upright person. The upright person is faithful in hard times. Even when they suffer, they commit themselves to God and continue to do good.

II. Thankful for God’s blessings (23–25)

The next characteristic of an upright person is they are thankful for God’s blessings. Look at verses 23–25 next:

When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” (Luke 1:23–25)

We will look at this passage in a moment, but first we need to rewind, because a lot happens between verses 7 and 23. Zechariah goes into the temple, where he meets an angel who gives him the good news that God has heard his prayer. Elizabeth will give birth to a son, and he is to give him the name John. The angel goes on to tell him how John will be great in the sight of the Lord, that he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth, and he will prepare God’s people for the coming of the Lord.

Zechariah has trouble believing this because of his and Elizabeth’s age, but the angel reveals that he is Gabriel, who stands in God’s presence. He was sent to bring Zechariah this good news, and now, because Zechariah did not believe this word from God, he will be silent and not able to speak until the word from Gabriel is fulfilled. Sure enough, he comes out of the temple and is unable to speak, just as Gabriel said.

   A. Answered prayer (23–24)
      – Psalm 30:5; Matthew 7:7–8

Zechariah returns home, and Elizabeth becomes pregnant. This is the answer to the prayers they had prayed for so long. God does not always answer right away. He does not always answer the way that we want him to. God has his reasons, and we need to trust him, and we need to trust his timing. All we know is that when the time is right, God will answer in his way, and his answer will be good.

Psalm 30:5 tells us about God: “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Jesus said: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matt. 7:7–8).

It’s hard when your prayers go unanswered, but God in his word encourages us to keep praying anyway. You can’t have answered prayer without first having prayer, so keep praying, keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.

   B. Give God all the glory (25)
      – Luke 17:17–18

And then when the answer does come, be sure to give God all the glory. That’s what Elizabeth did when God answered her prayer. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. Can you say that? Do you say that when God answers prayer and brings good things into your life? It’s a simple testimony, but so important. When God answers prayer in your life, be sure to tell others, “The Lord has done this for me.” Be sure to give God the glory for what he has done.

Later in his gospel Luke will share the story of the ten lepers who were cleansed, but only one came back to give glory to God. When the one leper returned, Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:17–18).

That’s the second characteristic of an upright person. The upright person is thankful for God’s blessings. They continue in prayer, and when God answers, they are careful to give God all the glory.

III. Humble in heart (39–45)

Thirdly, the upright person is humble in heart. Look at verses 39–45 with me next:

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” (Luke 1:39–45)

   A. Filled with the Holy Spirit (39–41)
      – Ephesians 5:18

How do we know Elizabeth was humble in heart? First of all, she was filled with the Holy Spirit. When she heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and she was filled with the Spirit.

The proud person is full of themselves, but the humble person is full of the Spirit. The upright person is not proud of their righteousness, but rather grateful for the work God is doing in them. They know that any righteousness they have in their life comes from the Holy Spirit, and so they seek to be filled with him every day.

This was a special filling of the Spirit for Elizabeth as God prepared her to prophesy about Mary, but as Christians, we should be filled with the Spirit every day. Ephesians 5:18 tells us: “Do not get drunk on wine…. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” The tense of the verb in this verse means to be continually filled with the Spirit at all times. Sometimes God may give you a special filling of the Spirit for a special task. But as Christians we should be filled with the Spirit every day. Being filled with the Spirit shouldn’t be a special occasion for you as a believer; it should be our default mode as Christians.

But you can’t be filled with the Spirit without first emptying yourself of pride. What’s the first step in filling a cup? You have to make sure it’s empty. Part of being upright is being humble. And in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit, you must first be humble in heart.

   B. Happy for others (42)
      – Romans 12:10

The humble person is also happy for others. The proud person glories in his or herself, but the humble person is happy for others. Mary had the greater role than Elizabeth. Elizabeth was giving birth to John the Baptist, but Mary was giving birth to Jesus. Mary had the greater role, but Elizabeth didn’t show any jealousy or envy. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she spoke words of blessing over Mary: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” (Luke 1:42). She affirmed that Mary was blessed among all women, and she was happy for her.

Romans 12:10 tells us: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Are you happy for others when they do better than you? Are you happy for others when they get the attention instead of you? The upright person is humble in heart, and honors others before themselves.

   C. Amazed at God’s favor (43–45)
      – 2 Samuel 7:18

The humble person is also amazed at God’s favor. When Mary visited her, Elizabeth spoke humbly of herself, asking, “Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43).

Even though she was bearing the forerunner to the Messiah, she didn’t feel entitled or think that she deserved any special favor. Instead she was amazed that God would grant such a blessing that she would be visited by the one carrying her Lord. Even John the Baptist got in on the action. He leaped for joy in her womb at the sound of the greeting.

King David in the Old Testament showed this same humility of heart. When God revealed to him that one of his descendants would be the Messiah, he cried out in prayer: “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?” (2 Sam. 7:18). David was amazed at God’s favor in his life. He certainly didn’t view himself as worthy of God’s blessings.

That’s the third characteristic of an upright person. The upright person is humble in heart. They are filled with the Holy Spirit. They are happy for others. They are amazed at God’s grace and favor in their life.

IV. Faithful in good times (57–66)

Finally, the upright person is faithful in good times. We’ve already seen they are faithful in bad times, but they are faithful in good times too.

   A. Continued obedience (57–64)
      – Deuteronomy 8:10–11

We see this in Elizabeth’s continued obedience after the baby was born. Look at verses 57–64 with me now:

When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors 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 was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. (Luke 1:57–64)

When the baby was born, to everyone’s amazement, Elizabeth and Zechariah named him John in obedience to God’s word to them through the angel.

You would think it would be easy to be faithful during the good times, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Too often we cry out to God in the bad times, and then we forget the Lord when things are going well. The upright person is faithful at all times, whether good or bad. They practice continued obedience no matter what their circumstances.

God warned the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land: “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day” (Deut. 8:10–11).

God always comes through on his promises, but we don’t always come through with our faithfulness. God answers, and we forget. We forget he answered, or even worse, we forget him and go back to our old ways. Elizabeth showed she was an upright mother by her continued obedience after the baby was born.

   B. A positive testimony to others (65–66)
      – Matthew 5:14–16

And that continued obedience resulted in a positive testimony to others. Look at verses 65–66:

The neighbors were all 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 1:65–66)

Zechariah went months without speaking. But as soon as he wrote thosee words, “His name is John,” his tongue was loosed, and the first thing he did was begin praising God. The neighbors were filled with awe, and news about this spread through all the area.

Jesus said: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:14–16).

The upright person is faithful in the good times as well as the bad. They practice continued obedience to the Lord and present a positive testimony to those around them.

CONCLUSION: When Luke introduced Elizabeth to us in his gospel, the first word that came to his mind was “upright.” The upright person looks to God in all things and receives from God all things pertaining to righteousness. They are poor in spirit, knowing they have no righteousness of their own, but filled with the Spirit, allowing God to work the righteousness of Christ in them.

Elizabeth is a good example of what the prophet Micah said in the Old Testament: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Mic. 6:8). That’s a great description of what it means to live an upright life.

Of course, none of us can be righteous apart from Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us: “God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus was the perfect sinless lamb of God. He took our sins upon himself, and he took the punishment for those sins for us. He died on the cross not only so we could be forgiven for our sins, but so we might be given and then grow in the righteousness of Christ.

Elizabeth had a reputation. She had a reputation for righteousness. We need more people in our churches and communities with a reputation for righteousness. I pray as a result of this message, you will ask God to help you grow in righteousness. I pray you will be thankful for God’s blessings, remain humble in heart, and seek to be faithful in the good times as well as the bad. May we each come to be known as upright mothers, fathers, daughters and sons.

© Ray Fowler

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