Episode Details

Praising While Waiting : Luke 1:39-80: Hearing Jesus for Kids

Have you ever been so excited about something that you just wanted to sing? Today Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth carrying the most extraordinary secret in the world, and what happens next teaches kids one of the most important lessons in the whole Bible: how to praise God before you can see the answer to what you are waiting for.

What happened when Mary visited Elizabeth?

Mary had just learned from the angel Gabriel that she was going to be the mother of Jesus, and the first thing she did was travel several days to see her cousin Elizabeth. The moment Mary walked in and called out to her, the baby inside Elizabeth, who would grow up to be John the Baptist, leaped for joy. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out that Mary was blessed among women. Nobody had told Elizabeth who Mary was carrying. She simply knew, the moment Mary walked through the door.

What did Mary sing about?

Mary sang a song about a God who sees ordinary people, even when they do not feel special. She sang about how He feeds the hungry and keeps His promises, and how He lifts up the people who feel overlooked and down. What makes this song so remarkable is when she sang it: before Jesus was even born. Mary praised God for what He was going to do before she could see any of it.

What happened when Elizabeth's baby was born?

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months before going home. When Elizabeth's baby was born, the neighbors and family gathered to celebrate, expecting the boy to be named Zechariah after his father. Elizabeth said no, his name is John. Everyone was confused and turned to Zechariah, who still could not speak. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, his name is John, and the moment he wrote it, his mouth opened for the first time in nine months. His first words were also a song, about how God had kept His promise and how his son John would prepare the way for Jesus.

Why could Mary praise God before she saw the outcome?

Mary had grown up learning about God and what He was like, and she knew Him well enough to trust Him even before she understood everything that was happening. It is a little like thanking someone for a gift before you even open it, not because you are pretending, but because you know the giver loves you and whatever is inside will be good. That is what Mary was doing. She trusted God so completely that she could praise Him in the middle of the waiting.

Talk about it as a family.

Is there something you are waiting on right now, something you are hoping for or something that feels uncertain? What would it look like to praise God in the middle of the waiting, before you can see how it turns out, because you trust Him?

A prayer to pray together.

God, You see the people who feel invisible. You keep Your promises even when it takes a long time. Thank You that You are the kind of God we can trust before we see the answer. Teach us to praise You while we are still waiting, the same way Mary did. Amen.

Coming up next. Next time on Hearing Jesus for Kids, a Roman man makes a special announcement that sets into motion the most important birthday in history.