Who is Elizabeth?

• A. A blind woman who encountered Jesus.
• B. Mary's cousin and the mother of John the Baptist.
• C. A Philistine warrior who opposed Israel.
• D. A Roman official who arrested Jesus.

Answer: (B)

Elizabeth is introduced in Luke as Mary’s cousin and the mother of John the Baptist. She is the wife of Zechariah the priest and belongs to the priestly lineage of Aaron, and though she and Zechariah are advanced in age, she conceives John by God’s intervening grace. John’s birth is tied to the coming of Jesus, and when Mary visits Elizabeth, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaps and Elizabeth blesses Mary, affirming the special relationship between Elizabeth’s son and the Messiah-to-come. This is why the correct answer identifies Elizabeth as Mary’s cousin and the mother of John the Baptist. The other descriptions point to different biblical figures and don’t fit Elizabeth’s identity.