Yesterday, we observed that Elizabeth blessed Mary for “believing every word” that the angel told her and noted that our challenge is to do the same.

But we don’t believe in spite of evidence against what we’re believing but because of the evidence. Luke introduces his Gospel as an account based on evidence:

I am writing for you, mighty lover of God, an orderly account of what Jesus, the Anointed One, accomplished and fulfilled among us. Several eyewitness biographies have already been written, using as their source material the good news preached among us by his early disciples, who became loving servants of the Living Expression. But now I am passing on to you this accurate compilation of my own meticulous investigation based on numerous eyewitness interviews and thorough research of the story of his life. It is appropriate for me to write this, for he also appeared to me so that I would reassure you beyond any shadow of a doubt the reliability of all you have been taught of him. (Luke 1.1 – 4, Passion Translation)

I was struck by Luke’s detail on Mary’s meeting with Elizabeth:

Afterward, Mary arose and hurried off to the hill country of Judea, to the village where Zechariah and Elizabeth lived. Arriving at their home, Mary entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the moment she heard Mary’s voice, the baby within Elizabeth’s womb jumped and kicked. And suddenly, Elizabeth was filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit! With a loud voice she prophesied with power:

“Mary! You are a woman given the highest favor and privilege above all others…The moment you came in the door and greeted me, my baby danced inside me with ecstatic joy!…” (Luke 1.39 – 44, Passion Translation)

How would this information have come down to us? Elizabeth, who was old to start with, would have been dead before John and Jesus grew up. But the text is clear that Elizabeth told Mary that her child leaped in the womb. It’s not just that he leaped (verse 41), but that Elizabeth told Mary that he leaped (verse 44).

Mary must then have told the disciples as they were trying to piece everything together, perhaps in the upper room for those 10 days after the ascension.

The disciples left the Mount of Olives and returned to Jerusalem, less than a mile away. Arriving there, they went into a large second-floor room to pray. Those present were Peter, John, Jacob, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, Jacob (the son of Alpheus), Simon (the zealot), Judas (the son of Jacob), and a number of women, including Mary, Jesus’ mother. His brothers were there as well. (Acts 1.12 – 14, Passion Translation)

Soon we’ll have to put our faith in a COVID vaccine–that it’s both safe and effective! Hopefully, there will be evidence…