I’d say John the Baptist is 6 months older because Gabriel came to Mary and and told her she would be pregnant when Elizabeth was 6 months along, and the next thing we hear is about Mary is that she’s giving birth in chapter 2 not long after we read that Elizabeth gave birth.
Bill (via text) and Kelsey got it right. John the Baptist was 6 months older than Jesus. The timing of one of the most significant events in human history (the precise moment God determined for the Incarnation to occur) – God become Flesh – is given in the Gospel of Luke relative to the pregnancy of Elizabeth with John the Baptist. John was 6 months older than Jesus.
“After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying, ‘Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.’ In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.” Luke 1:24-27
“And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.” Luke 1:35, 36
“In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’ ” Luke 1:39-45
Although there is no explicit mention in Scripture of Mary being present for the birth of John the Baptist, it seems logical that she did see, and probably help with, the delivery John.
“And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.” Luke 1:56
It seems odd that Mary would stay right up to the final days of Elizabeth’s pregnancy and then leave before the birth.” Good job Kelsey and Bill.
Bonus Trivia: When someone says "Happy Holidays" because they are too sophisticated to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hannakah", you can thank them for maintaining the religious aspect of the season. They will give you a strange look. Then you can explain that the word "holidays" is derived from "Holy Days" which is what this season has been called long before folks became so politically correct. Perhaps this is why "Season's Greetings" came to be.
Kelsey's answer:
ReplyDeleteGood evening!
I’d say John the Baptist is 6 months older because Gabriel came to Mary and and told her she would be pregnant when Elizabeth was 6 months along, and the next thing we hear is about Mary is that she’s giving birth in chapter 2 not long after we read that Elizabeth gave birth.
Bill (via text) and Kelsey got it right. John the Baptist was 6 months older than Jesus.
ReplyDeleteThe timing of one of the most significant events in human history (the precise moment God determined for the Incarnation to occur) – God become Flesh – is given in the Gospel of Luke relative to the pregnancy of Elizabeth with John the Baptist. John was 6 months older than Jesus.
“After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying,
‘Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.’
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.” Luke 1:24-27
“And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.” Luke 1:35, 36
“In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry,
‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.
And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’ ” Luke 1:39-45
Although there is no explicit mention in Scripture of Mary being present for the birth of John the Baptist, it seems logical that she did see, and probably help with, the delivery John.
“And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.” Luke 1:56
It seems odd that Mary would stay right up to the final days of Elizabeth’s pregnancy and then leave before the birth.”
Good job Kelsey and Bill.
Bonus Trivia:
ReplyDeleteWhen someone says "Happy Holidays" because they are too sophisticated to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hannakah", you can thank them for maintaining the religious aspect of the season. They will give you a strange look. Then you can explain that the word "holidays" is derived from "Holy Days" which is what this season has been called long before folks became so politically correct.
Perhaps this is why "Season's Greetings" came to be.
Merry Christmas!!!