Bethany Lutheran Church

The story of John the Baptist leaping in his mother Elizabeth’s womb at the presence of the in-utero Christ is a profound reminder of how we are called to respond to Jesus. John’s leap wasn’t merely a random movement; it was a joyful recognition of Christ’s presence and a foreshadowing of his life’s purpose—to prepare the way for the Messiah. This moment invites us to see that faith isn’t an irrational leap but a deeply rooted response to God’s truth, revealing that we, like John, are designed to point others to the awe and wonder of God’s love, especially as revealed in the story of Christmas. Isaiah 40:1-3 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,    and cry to herthat her warfare is ended,    that her iniquity is pardoned,that she has received from the Lord's hand    double for all her sins.A voice cries:“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.Luke 1:39-45In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill