Luke 1:65-66 – Neighbours wonder at the birth of John the Baptist

Fear came over all their neighbours, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. All who heard them pondered them and said, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.

To ponder means to think deeply about something or even to meditate, and so in this passage Luke is encouraging us to recognize the momentous nature of the birth of John the Baptist. This was not just a baby born unexpectedly, but rather the birth is clearly identified as the work of God, evoking awe and even fear. Luke uses the word “ponder” three times in his gospel, and all of them occur in his retelling of the nativity. In doing so, Luke is emphasizing the immensity of the story he is sharing with us. It’s a welcome reminder, because there’s a risk that due to our familiarity with these events, we lose sight of the magnitude of God’s love that is abundantly given for each one of us.