That thou mightiest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed. Luke 1:4
During the days of Herod, the king of Judaea there was a priest named Zacharias. Zacharias was married to Elisabeth, one of the daughters of Aaron. Zacharias and Elisabeth walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Zacharias and Elisabeth did not have a child because Elisabeth was barren. They were getting well advanced in years.
Now while Zacharias executed the priest's office, his duty was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. The angel stood on the right side of the alter of incense. When Zacharias saw the angel he was afraid.
The angel said to Zacharias,"Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shalt rejoice at his birth. for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God."
It was prophesied, And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Malachi 4:5
Zacharias said to the angel,"Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years." The angel answering Zacharias said,"I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God and am sent to speak unto thee and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season." Luke 1:5-20
Written by Lisa Clewis 7-1-15
