This Christmas, we turn our hearts toward three quiet yet powerful witnesses to the coming of Christ: Elizabeth, John the Baptist, and some shepherds near Bethlehem. These are not figures of palaces or power, but people rooted in faithful lives.

Our reflection begins in Ein Kerem, in the hill country of Judea, a peaceful village just outside Jerusalem, traditionally identified as the home of Elizabeth and the place where John the Baptist was conceived. According to Christian tradition and centuries of pilgrimage, this village is believed to be where Elizabeth lived, waited, prayed, and finally encountered the fulfillment of God’s promises, giving birth to John, the forerunner of Christ.

We follow this journey to fields near Bethlehem, where shepherds first received the angelic announcement of Christ’s birth. Today, these fields remain a symbol of God’s revelation to the humble and faithful, reminding us that the good news is for all, especially those living simple, faithful lives. The story of the shepherds continues to inspire, inviting us to encounter God in the ordinary places of life, as well as in moments of quiet devotion.

Elizabeth: A Voice from Ein Kerem

Among the terraced hills of Ein Kerem, an ordinary meeting became a holy moment. Two women embraced, and history shifted. Scripture tells us that at Mary’s greeting, “Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:41). In that quiet Judean village, Elizabeth became one of the first witnesses to Christ, not through sermons or songs, but through Spirit-led recognition.

Luke introduces her as a woman of deep faith: “Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord” (Luke 1:6). Her life reminds us that holiness is often hidden, shaped in daily obedience long before it ever finds a public voice. Before angels sang over Bethlehem and before shepherds hastened to the manger, Elizabeth spoke words of blessing and truth: “Blessed are you among women… and blessed is she who believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises” (Luke 1:42, 45). She saw what others could not yet see, that the Savior had already drawn near, carried in the womb of a young village girl.

Elizabeth’s response reveals a beautiful, rare freedom of the heart: joy in God’s work in another without rivalry or comparison. Though God was acting powerfully in her own life, her gaze remained fixed on the greater redemption unfolding through Mary and through the coming Messiah. She teaches us that true spiritual maturity celebrates God’s purposes wherever they appear.

In a region still familiar with seasons of waiting, uncertainty, and hope, Elizabeth’s witness from Ein Kerem continues to speak. Her story invites us to believe that God often meets us not in grand events, but in tranquil encounters; that faith recognizes Christ even before signs become visible; and that blessing flows from discerning God’s movement in unexpected places. This Christmas, may we learn from Elizabeth to walk attentively with the Spirit, to rejoice in the grace at work around us, and to use our voices, like hers, to bless, affirm, and bear witness to Christ when He comes near in humble and surprising ways.

by Grace Al-Zoughbi

John: Pointing to Another Since the Womb

The Christmas story includes not one but two miracle babies – Jesus, who was the Word become flesh, God Incarnate…and John, son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, whose conception and birth actually caused more of a public stir at the time but who, according to scripture, lived his entire life pointing to Jesus.

He was born to a Jewish priest and his elderly wife. They had never before been able to have a child, but shortly after the priest spent an extended time in God’s presence and came out of the temple unable to speak, his wife became pregnant.

In utero, John met and connected with Jesus before either infant was born: When their pregnant mothers saw each other, John leapt in his mother’s womb and she – perhaps he, too? – was filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately, John’s mother began to prophesy a blessing (Luke 1:41-45) …about the other baby and his mother!

When John was born, “the neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, ‘What then is this child going to be?’ For the Lord’s hand was with him” (Luke 1:65-66).

Yet although his parents and community rightly delighted in him, John the Baptist himself was never the true focus of his extraordinary birth story. When his father, Zechariah, was released from 9 months of silence, he spent his first words praising God for a different baby soon to come (Jesus!) – before also blessing his own newborn son (Luke 1:64, 67-79).

Later, as a grown man with a thriving ministry, John maintained this same perspective on his calling: he continued to embrace his supportive role, always pointing to Jesus: “He must increase and I must decrease” (John 3:30).

by Sherri Ellington

The Shepherds: Honored to be Humble

How often do we feel insignificant? Like life’s monotony makes every day a weak copy of those gone before? Thankfully, Scripture provides a balm for our tired souls through one unlikely group: The Shepherds.

The shepherds appear in just one Gospel (Luke 2:8-20). We don’t know their number or names. Their simple task: sheep-guarding. And yet the Almighty honored them by involving them in one of history’s crucial moments, highlighted by an angelic visit. In scripture, angels normally appear to important figures in God’s salvation of his people, like Abraham, Jacob, and Elijah. Yet, an angel appears to these shepherds to announce the ultimate Savior, declaring “good news that will cause great joy for all people… a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (2:10-11). This eternity-shaping news is revealed, not to the elite, but to the common.

What is the shepherds’ role in this story? If we’re honest, very little. Yet they stand in the shadow of their Savior, honored through humility. In their humility, they understood the absolute importance of this baby, and they responded well. They were told to look, and they hurried (2:16)! After seeing him, they were compelled to “spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child” (2:17). And knowing this, they glorified and praised God’s perfect faithfulness to do everything “just as they had been told” (2:20).

The shepherds weren’t central characters; the center is the baby in a manger (2:12, 16). Let’s follow their example. Lowly, but lifted. Like them, God honors us, minor characters in his eternal story, by showing us the central radiance of our Savior. We can look beyond ourselves to the glorious light in the face of the incarnate Son of God. Look to your Savior, glorifying and praising God for calling you to take part in his story. The shepherds’ story wasn’t really theirs. Our story isn’t ultimately ours. It’s the King’s. It’s about the one to whom angels sing.

by Rick Warner

May Elizabeth’s attentive faith, John the Baptist’s humble pointing, and the shepherds’ joyful obedience remind us that God’s story often unfolds through ordinary lives. This Christmas, let us wait with expectant hearts, rejoice without reserve, and bear witness boldly to the Savior who draws near in grace and glory.