Do you have a special relationship with someone who is much older or younger than you are? The Gospel of Luke tells us about two women, Elizabeth and Mary, who had such a relationship. They were cousins. And each of them found out, in a most unusual way, that she was going to have a baby. Let’s see how it happened.

Elizabeth had no children, and she was already considered much too old to have a child. Elizabeth’s husband, Zechariah, was a priest. One day, when he was in the temple in Jerusalem, the angel Gabriel appeared to him. The angel told him his wife would have an extraordinary son. Zechariah didn’t believe the angel. Then the angel told him that because he didn’t believe he wouldn’t be able to speak until the child was born. 

Elizabeth did believe and she became pregnant. She was overjoyed and said, “This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace” (Luke 1:25). In those days, people thought having no child was a disgrace and only God could take it away.

About six months later, the angel Gabriel also appeared to Mary. She was a young teenager living in Nazareth in Galilee. Mary was engaged to Joseph. At that time an engagement was as serious as marriage. The couple could live together, though not as husband and wife. The agreement to marry, to be faithful to each other, was more important than the actual marriage ceremony. Imagine Mary’s surprise when the angel Gabriel said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28)*. What did this mean?

The angel told Mary not to be afraid, that God was pleased with her. She would have a son. His name would be Jesus. He would be “the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:32). Mary was indeed puzzled and said, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34). The angel assured her the Holy Spirit would come to her. Everything would happen through the power of God. The angel told her that her cousin Elizabeth would also have a son, because nothing was impossible to God.

Did Mary want to do this? She said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord, let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

Mary’s words are gracious and obedient. Nevertheless, she immediately went to see her cousin. Elizabeth lived in Ein Karem near Jerusalem—about 70 miles from Nazareth. Did Mary walk, ride on a donkey, go alone? We don’t know. The Bible doesn’t tell us. And the reason she went is more important than how she got there. The angel had assured Mary that all would be well. But how was she to explain to others how she became pregnant? Knowing that Elizabeth had been visited by the Holy Spirit, too, Mary perhaps felt Elizabeth would understand.

When Mary greeted Elizabeth with her news, Elizabeth’s child “leaped” in her womb. She took this as a sign that Mary’s child would be the “Lord” (see Luke 1:41–45)—that is, the earthly representative of the Christ. Elizabeth told Mary she was blessed. Elizabeth was the first one to recognize that Mary’s son was the Christ, or Messiah, people were expecting. It must have been comforting to Mary when Elizabeth told Mary she was blessed because she believed the angel message.

Mary stayed with her cousin three months—probably until Elizabeth’s son was born. Eight days later the baby was taken to the temple to be circumcised and named. When Elizabeth named him John, people were surprised. They thought he should be called Zechariah after his father. Zechariah took a pad and wrote, “His name is John” (Luke 1:63). This meant that he now believed the angel message. Then he could speak, and he praised God.

Several months later Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem to register for a tax all people had to pay the Roman rulers. Because the inn was small and already full, Mary and Joseph took shelter in the caves out in the fields where the animals were kept. This is where Mary’s son Jesus was born. She laid the baby in a manger that had straw and hay in it.

Jesus and John were two very special sons. When John grew up he began to preach to the people about the Messiah. He taught them to be good like God. And he became known as John the Baptist. John prepared the way for Jesus’ healing ministry.

Jesus showed people God’s love for them by healing them. He taught everyone the way to God, to Truth and Life, through the Christ.

Elizabeth and Mary were two very special mothers because they believed and then trusted the angel message that God would do what He said. They are a great example for us!

All Bible quotes are taken from the New Revised Standard Version.