Luke 1:51-63

51His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.

52He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.

53He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands.

54He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful.

55For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.”

56Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.

57When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son.

58And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.

59When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father.

60But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”

61“What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.”

62So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him.

63He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.”