Cousins

Todays’ message is titled “Cousins”.

• Do you have a cousin you are very close to in age?

o I do: Vince and Greg

• Jesus had a cousin He was close to in age. We know him as John the Baptist.

Depending on which translation you read you will see “cousins” or “relative” or “family” or of same “bloodline”. For today’s message, I’ll use “cousins”.

• A couple of key passages:

o Isaiah 40:3

o John 1:29-34

• Today, I’d like us to examine some similarities in Jesus and John as well as some differences, or dissimilarities, if you will.

• And, the importance of relationships.

• It is the time of year we spend time with family.

o Some we see often, others only occasionally.

o Some with love, others we tolerate.

• Whatever the situation, let us be reminded of the importance of relationships.

• The first is the similarities and dissimilarities in the occasion of the pregnancies.

o In the occasion of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, an angel informs Elizabeth’s husband Zechariah, that she will become pregnant.

o I probably would have handled the notification differently than Zechariah, something like “Lord, I know her biological situation.”

o Zechariah was like “Lord, she’s old!”

o Then the Lord said “Zechariah, shut your mouth!”

o In the occasion of Mary’s pregnancy an angel appears to Mary and informs her “the Holy Spirit will come upon her, and the Most Highest will overshadow her”, and she will become pregnant.

o Although Mary had questions, she chose to sing a song, recorded in Luke 1:46-55, which is found in 1 Samuel 1:11.

o At this time, Elizabeth was already 6 months pregnant.

• Anyone here have a cousin who was named after his father?

o It was Jewish tradition that the first-born son was named after his father.

o However, the angel told Zechariah to name his son John. Of course, by this time, Zechariah had learned to obey God, so when Zechariah was asked what his sons name would be, he wrote on a Big Chief Tablet “John” and immediately Zechariah regained his voice.

o As we know, Jesus’s earthly father was named Joseph, but the angel told Mary that her child would be named Jesus.

• Some of the similarities and dissimilarities of these pregnancies:

o Both Zechariah and Mary were informed by an angel that they were soon to be parents.

o Both were unlikely pregnancies

o Both were instructed what to name the child.

o Both doubted the angels’ message, with very similar responses, but one lost his voice for a bit.

o And of course, only one was a Virgin birth.

• Have you ever lived with a cousin, or relative who was not your parent or your child?

• Have you ever lived in a house with two pregnant women?

o Scripture tells us Mary lived with Elizabeth for a few months.

o We aren’t given any details of the living arrangement, but I’m sure it would have made interesting reality TV.

? Elizabeth: I became pregnant at 60

? Mary: condescendingly looks at her “that’s the best ya got?”

• Any of you have cousins that dress a little weird?

o I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s when fashion wear was colorful to say the least. It might even be described as “charismatic”

• John the Baptist dressed a little differently than the crowd. In fact, Jesus evens mentions that.

• What is the most bizarre food you witnessed a cousin eat?

o Thinking about that reminded me a scene in The Lion King when Pumba eats a bug and says “slimy but satisfying”.

o We are told that John the Baptist made meals of locusts and honey. Locusts are probably “crunchy but satisfying” and I sure the honey helped them go down!

• Jesus and John the Baptist grew up in the same era and area, but dressed and ate very differently!

• Did you have a cousin that you knew when you were really young, but didn’t see each other for several years because “life happens”?

o We aren’t told much about Jesus or John the Baptist childhood, but

o In Luke 1:41 we are told this: “and it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

o You see, John began stirring things up at a very early age!

• Both Jesus and John the Baptist were filled with the Holy Spirit.

• Although we aren’t told much about their childhood, John the Baptist makes a grand appearance in the gospels. Starting in Matthew 3:1

o In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”