Finally they were able to make some sense of his wordless story and determined he must have been given a vision. When he finally appeared, he had a look that seemed to combine fear, concern and elation! He wildly waved his arms in a futile attempt to communicate without words what he had just experienced. People began to worry that something was wrong. Zacharias was in the temple far longer than would normally have been needed to light the incense. Pause for thought: How would you communicate with others if you suddenly lost the ability to speak? Write a phrase on paper and ask your child to try to communicate it without using words. His doubt and request for a sign could be interpreted as limiting the great God.īut understanding human frailty, God patiently dealt with Zacharias in a way that would correct him for his lack of belief, as well as draw attention to the miraculous birth of John: Zacharias would become mute-unable to speak a word out loud until after the birth of the baby. Gabriel proclaimed that he was an angel who served at the very throne of God and was bringing this good news directly from God Himself. Zacharias would become mute-unable to speak a word out loud until after the birth of the baby. Zacharias explained that he and his wife were quite old-past childbearing age-so how could he be assured that it would happen as the angel said? He felt he needed more assurance that it was true. While Zacharias hoped what the angel stated would come to pass, he apparently doubted. The main focus of John’s responsibility would be “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Speechless John’s purpose would be to prepare the way for the Messiah. The meeting concluded with Gabriel telling Zacharias that the main focus of John’s responsibility would be “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” Zacharias was stunned by this encounter, which included prophecies about what John would do and how he would help turn many of his fellow countrymen back to the true God. The name John in Hebrew means “God is gracious” or “God is a gracious giver.” God would graciously give Zacharias and Elizabeth-and the world-a wonderful gift in sending John. Gabriel announced that Elizabeth would become pregnant and have a son, and they were to name this son John. The angel, later identified as Gabriel, explained that Zacharias’s and Elizabeth’s prayers had been heard by God, and He was going to act on them. But the angel tried to calm him by telling him not to be afraid. While he carried out this duty, a shocking surprise confronted him!Īn angel suddenly appeared to the right of the incense altar! This frightened Zacharias and greatly troubled him. When Zacharias’s turn to serve at the temple came up (probably during early June that year), he was selected by lot to be the one to burn incense in the holy place. All through their married lives, they had prayed fervently to God asking for children.Īll through their married lives, they had prayed fervently to God asking for children. Unfortunately they were unable to have children, and it appeared that this would always be the case. Zacharias and Elizabeth were very careful to be obedient to God and followed His law carefully. As a result, according to God’s law, any sons this couple would have would be born to become priests and, when of age, would be able to serve in the temple. John’s mother, Elizabeth, was also a Levite of the family of Aaron. John’s father, Zacharias, was a descendant of Aaron and therefore served as a priest on a rotating schedule at the temple. If television or the internet could have been used to announce the coming of the Messiah, what might the announcement say? How would you get this message out to people? Pause for thought: When a new product is released, an announcement is made to help people be aware of it. To announce and prepare for this monumental event, God sent a prophet by the name of John. He offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins and became our Savior. Also called “the Word,” Jesus Christ emptied Himself of His privileges as a spirit being and came “in the likeness of men” One of the most important events in the history of humanity was the coming of the Messiah in the flesh to live a perfect life and die as our Savior. To announce and prepare for this monumental event, God sent a prophet by the name of John. (You can read the story of John’s birth in Luke 1.) In this lesson we will discover what he accomplished, how he prepared the way for the Messiah, and what we can learn from his example. John was a preacher, a priest and a prophet. John’s responsibility was to prepare people for the coming of the Messiah. Matthew 11:11Īccording to Jesus Christ, John the Baptist stands as the greatest prophet in the Bible
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