Luke 1:56-66 Meaning: Going Home Before the Miracle
56Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house.
57Now the time that Elizabeth should give birth was fulfilled, and she gave birth to a son.
58Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.
59On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60His mother answered, “Not so; but he will be called John.”
61They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”
62They made signs to his father, what he would have him called.
63He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” They all marveled.
64His mouth was opened immediately and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing God.
65Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea.
66All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” The hand of the Lord was with him.
56And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
57Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
58And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
59And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
61And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
62And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
63And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
64And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
65And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea.
66And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
56And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned unto her house.
57Now Elisabeth’s time was fulfilled that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
58And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her; and they rejoiced with her.
59And it came to pass on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
61And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
62And they made signs to his father, what he would have him called.
63And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
64And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, blessing God.
65And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judæa.
66And all that heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then shall this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him.
56And Mary remained with her about three months, and turned back to her house.
57And to Elisabeth was the time fulfilled for her bringing forth, and she bare a son,
58and the neighbours and her kindred heard that the Lord was making His kindness great with her, and they were rejoicing with her.
59And it came to pass, on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling him by the name of his father, Zacharias,
60and his mother answering said, `No, but he shall be called John.'
61And they said unto her--`There is none among thy kindred who is called by this name,'
62and they were making signs to his father, what he would wish him to be called,
63and having asked for a tablet, he wrote, saying, `John is his name;' and they did all wonder;
64and his mouth was opened presently, and his tongue, and he was speaking, praising God.
65And fear came upon all those dwelling around them, and in all the hill-country of Judea were all these sayings spoken of,
66and all who heard did lay them up in their hearts, saying, `What then shall this child be?' and the hand of the Lord was with him.
56And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her house.
57But the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth that she should bring forth, and she gave birth to a son.
58And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that [the] Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her.
59And it came to pass on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called it after the name of his father, Zacharias.
60And his mother answering said, No; but he shall be called John.
61And they said to her, There is no one among thy kinsfolk who is called by this name.
62And they made signs to his father as to what he might wish it to be called.
63And having asked for a writing-table, he wrote saying, John is his name. And they all wondered.
64And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he spake, blessing God.
65And fear came upon all who dwelt round about them; and in the whole hill-country of Judaea all these things were the subject of conversation.
66And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then will this child be? And [the] Lord's hand was with him.
Meaning in one sentence
Why did Mary leave Elizabeth before John was born?
Context
Luke closes his first chapter with a series of arrivals and partings. Mary has just received the news that she will bear the Messiah, and she has hurried to the hill country of Judea to see her relative Elizabeth, who is herself six months pregnant with a promised son. They spend three months together, two women carrying miracle children, one the forerunner and one the Lord himself. Then Mary returns to Nazareth. Luke does not explain why the timing falls this way. What follows is the birth of John, a naming dispute that divides family from mother, a silent father writing on a tablet, and a community that finds itself asking what God is doing. The passage closes with a question that hangs in the air and an anchor: the hand of the Lord was with the child.
Key Words
Three Greek words help us see what is happening beneath the surface. First, in verse 58, the neighbors hear that the Lord had magnified his mercy toward Elizabeth. The verb here, emegalunen, shares a root with Mary’s own song: “My soul magnifies the Lord.” But in this case, God is the one doing the magnifying. He makes his kindness toward Elizabeth large and visible, something her whole community can see and celebrate.
Second, in verse 66, the people who hear these events laid them up in their hearts. The Greek verb ethento comes from tithēmi, meaning to place or set down with intention. This is not casual listening. They made space for what they could not yet understand, storing the strangeness of God’s work where it could grow.
Third, the same verse tells us that the hand of the Lord was with John. Cheir is a physical word, but in the Old Testament it carries the force of God’s active power at work through someone. It means God was present, guiding, and strengthening the child for what lay ahead.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have found different treasures in this passage. Catholic readers often meditate on the Visitation itself, seeing Mary’s presence as the first bringing of Christ to another household. The moment when Elizabeth’s child leaps in her womb is remembered as John’s first recognition of his Lord. Eastern Orthodox tradition honors the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth as a feast, and notes that John’s birth is surrounded by signs pointing to a new age. Protestant commentators tend to focus on the faithfulness of Zechariah and Elizabeth in carrying out the angel’s command despite family pressure, and on Zechariah’s restored speech as a sign that God’s word never fails. All traditions agree: the community’s wonder and the question “What then will this child be?” point forward to the role John will play in preparing the way for Jesus.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers assume that Elizabeth and Zechariah chose the name John on their own, perhaps because they simply liked it. In fact, the angel Gabriel had commanded this name nine months earlier. Both parents, separately, held to God’s instruction despite the family’s insistence on tradition. Their refusal to follow custom was not personal preference but deliberate obedience. The name John, which means “Yahweh is gracious”, was not a family name but a divine announcement that something new was beginning.
Living This Out
Mary went home before she saw the full story. She carried her own miracle, her own uncertainty, her own path back to Nazareth. She did not get to watch Elizabeth hold her son or see Zechariah’s mouth open. The text does not say she struggled with this, but it does not hide it either. Sometimes you have to trust what God has spoken and go home before the confirmation arrives. This week, you might be in that exact place: you have received a promise, or a calling, or a word from the Lord, but the visible fulfillment has not yet come. You may have to walk away before the curtain falls. The passage invites you to notice that God’s hand does not depend on your presence. It was with John whether Mary saw it or not. And it is with you, too, even when you cannot see the next scene.
Main takeaway: God keeps His promises even when we have to leave before the full picture appears, and we are invited to treasure His work in our hearts as we wait.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Mary and Elizabeth were cousins, and both were having special babies that God promised. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for a long time, then she went home. She trusted God even though she did not get to see baby John born.
For ages 9, 12
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months, encouraging her and sharing the joy of their impossible pregnancies. Then she returned to Nazareth before John was born. She went home carrying the Son of God, facing an uncertain future. She did not need to see every miracle to believe. Meanwhile, when John was born, everyone wanted to name him after his father, but Elizabeth insisted on John. Zechariah, still unable to speak, wrote the same name on a tablet. At that moment, his mouth opened. The whole neighborhood wondered what this child would become, and they stored the strangeness of it in their hearts. Sometimes faith means going home before the miracle, trusting that God is still working.
Questions People Ask
Why did Mary leave Elizabeth before John was born?
Luke does not give a specific reason, but the timing shows that Mary returned to Nazareth before Elizabeth gave birth. She likely needed to return to her own life and community, carrying her own pregnancy with Jesus. The text does not present this as a disappointment but as a natural transition. Mary had received all she needed from her time with Elizabeth, and she went home to trust God with what was ahead.
Why did the relatives want to name the baby Zechariah instead of John?
It was a strong family custom to name a son after his father or another relative. The name Zechariah carried the family line forward. But God had already given a different name through the angel. The relatives did not know about the angel's command, so their insistence was normal and well-meaning. The surprise is that both parents refused to follow custom and held to God's instruction.
Was Zechariah deaf as well as unable to speak?
The text says the relatives 'made signs' to Zechariah, which strongly suggests he could not hear them. The angel had told him he would be silent and unable to speak until the child was born. Many commentators have noted that making signs to him indicates deafness as well, since speaking louder would have helped if he could hear. Luke's careful choice of words points to a full loss of communication.
What does 'the hand of the Lord was with him' mean in verse 66?
This Old Testament phrase describes God's active, empowering presence for a specific purpose. It means God was guiding John, protecting him, and preparing him for his future role. It is the same kind of language used for prophets like Elijah and Elisha when God's power worked through them. The phrase points forward to John's ministry as the one who would prepare the way for the Lord.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study