Zechariah had been shocked as he served in the temple at the message of the angel Gabriel that told him that their prayers would be answered, that his wife would conceive and bear a son, and he was to be named John.
Six months later the angel Gabriel travels to the north country and visited Nazareth into the home of Mary, a virgin woman. His announcement to Mary was even more earth shattering. She would be the mother of Jesus and the Isaiah-prophesied virgin that would that would bear Emmanuel, “God with us.” Her Son would sit on the throne of David and rule Jacob forever.
Mary gave God permission to do as he said. Now, she faced the consequences of that decision with fiancé Joseph. with mother and dad and the neighbors. She bids their leave and travels to talk with the one woman that would understand, her relative Elizabeth.
When Mary entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped and the Holy Spirit came on Elizabeth and she prophesied: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear.”
Two women that God is using to set the stage of a totally change world.