Christmas Quiz

Dear Friends and Readers,

I wish to share this question which I started thinking about as I completed my morning devotion on 24^th December. 

It is this: Why did Angel Gabriel speak to Zechariah and the Virgin Mary instead of Elizabeth and the Virgin Mary?

In other words, why did the angel speak to Zechariah and not Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, as the Virgin Mary, the mother of the Lord, was spoken to? Please, share your answers on this platform. Thank you.

I wish to thank all who sent me their answers to the question which I posted on December 24th. It was why did the Angel Gabriel speak to Zechariah and not to Elizabeth as the Virgin Mary was spoken to.

The question arises because I am convinced that the Lord has a reason for whatever He does.

In 1 Corinthians 14: 26- 40, there is an exhortation that everything should be done in order unto edification.

Reading through Luke chapter 1, the first time that the name John appears was when Angel Gabriel spoke to Zechariah. After which, he, the father of John the Baptist, became dumb.

The next time was when Elizabeth stated that the name of her son should be John, this was as they wanted to name him, during the circumcision but she was overruled. Actually, I am still wondering about how she got the name since her husband had been dumb after the encounter with the angel.

They had to ask her husband, Zechariah. As he wrote the name John, he pronounced it, and regained his ability to talk. The matter was settled and the name was accepted, moreover, backed up by the miracle.

Further, the views of women those days were not taken seriously. If Elizabeth was given the message by the angel, it was still possible that there might have been an argument if Zechariah was not informed and she might have been overruled.

What is in a name? Certainly, much more than meets the eye.

With respect to the angel speaking to the Virgin Mary, I find it instructive that the Lord, our Creator, had to seek the consent of the lady, the Virgin Mary, one of her creatures, to use her body as the vessel through which to bring in His Son into the world. This, she readily granted.

We also need to remember that in those days, views of women were not really sought or reckoned with. Yet, the Lord had respect for Mary by seeking her consent.

We thank the Lord for His love and care so well demonstrated in these two cases.

These are my suggestions.