An Angel Appears to Zechariah

Title ideas:An Angel Appears to old Zechariah.How John the Baptizer was born.John prepares the way for Messiah.

After 70 years, Jewish captives began returning to Judah [from Babylon]. The prophet Malachi told them to be ready for the Lord’s messenger [to come], but no messenger came for 400 years!

Several foreign countries dominated [ruled over] Judah. These included Babylonia, Persia, Greece, Syria and Rome.

The Syrian king and his army tried to make the Jews adopt Greek language and customs, and to stop worshipping the Lord. They killed many Jews who remained faithful to the Lord.

The Jews kept reading the books that their prophets had written. This gave them hope that a great Jewish king would come make them free. They called him Messiah [the Anointed one]. Most Jews kept on worshipping the Lord at their temple in Jerusalem.

Whilst the Romans ruled over Judah, they appointed a local [Jewish] king named Herod. At that time, Tthere was a minor [low-rank]Jewish priest named Zechariah. He and his wife Elizabeth obeyed all of God’s laws.

But Zechariah and Elizabeth had no children, and they both were very old.

One day, it was Zechariah’s turn to go burn incense in the Holy Place inside Lord’s temple at Jerusalem. As he was doing so, an angel came from the Lord and appeared to him, standing beside the incense altar. This frightened Zechariah.

The angel said, “Zechariah, stop being afraid! The Lord has heard your prayers! Your wife Elizabeth will bear a son for you! You must name him John. He will become a great [important] man, and the Lord will favor [be very pleased with] him!

“Your son will help many Israelites to love one another, and many of them will stop disobeying the Lord and become wise! He will make the Israelites ready to receive the Lord, in the way that Elijah did long ago!”

Zechariah said to the angel, “My wife and I are very old! So, how can I believe that your words will become true for us?”

The angel replied, “I am Gabriel who stands near the Lord in heaven! It is he who sent me to tell you this good news [these good words]!

“My words to you will certainly come true [will happen]. But because you did not believe me, you will not be able to talk until the day your son has been born!”

Whilst Gabriel and Zechariah were talking, a crowd of worshippers was waiting outside for Zechariah to come out from the Holy Place. They were asking, ”Why is he staying inside for such a long whiletime?”

When Zechariah came out, he was unable to speak. So he made motions [gestures] with his hands to explain what he has seen. After a while, they understood that he has seen a vision inside the Holy Place.

After two weeks, Zechariah finished his priestly work and returned to his home village, to his wife Elizabeth.

As the angel had foretold, Elizabeth [became pregnant and] bore [gave birth] to a son.

Her family [relatives] and neighbors came and rejoiced with her, saying “The Lord has been [is so] kind to you!”

On the eighth day after the boy’s birth, folk gathered to circumcise him [to initiate / for a birth ritual], and to give him his name.

Their relatives [family] wanted to name the boy Zechariah after his father, but Elizabeth replied, “No. His name will be John!”

Everyone looked at Zechariah, asking him to make a sign about how to name the boy.

Zechariah made a motion to bring him a writing tablet [something to write on]. When they did so, he wrote on it, “His name is John!” At the same moment, Zechariah was able to speak again.

John grew up physically and spiritually strong, spending much time alone in wilderness. At about age 30 years, John began to go preach [speak] to the Israelites about God’s Kingdom. He would say, “Repent! Get ready to receive the Messiah!”