Posted by Chester Morton / Tuesday, 28 March 2017 / No comments
The birth of John the Baptist
There was a man known as Zechariah with his wife, Elizabeth.
The two obeyed the commandments of the Lord and walked blamelessly before the Lord
but there was a problem. They did not have any child and they were both
advanced in age.
One day, as Zechariah was serving as a priest, at the time
his division was on duty, the lot fell upon him to burn incense in the Temple.
As he was doing so, an angel appeared to him near the side of the altar of
incense. Zechariah was frightened but the angel told him not to. The angel
informed Zechariah that his prayers had been heard by God. The angel told him
that Elizabeth, his wife was going to give birth to a child. The child shall be
called John.
Since he was an old man and the wife was also old and passed
the age of giving birth, Zechariah doubted what the angel was prophesying. He
reasoned that it was not possible. For doubting what the Lord had planned to
execute, the angel pronounced him dumb until the prophesy had come to pass.
There were people waiting outside for Zechariah to return but
the encounter with the angel delayed him. The people outside were wondering
what might have kept him for that long in the temple of the Lord.
When Zechariah finally came out, it was realized that he could
not speak and the people concluded that he must have seen a vision in the
Temple. Zechariah could only speak to them in sign language. When his time to
serve had come to an end, Zechariah went back home. Three after that, his wife
became pregnant and for five months, she hid herself. She was happy that the
Lord had counted her worthy to take away her reproach among men.
When Elizabeth was due, she gave birth to a son. The kinsmen
were happy for her and they wanted to name the child after his father but
Elizabeth said the child should be called John. The kinsmen said there was no
such name in the lineage of the father’s family. The people decided to ask the
father what he wanted the child to be called. In a sign language, Zechariah
asked for a slate on which he could write the name. They gave it to him and he
wrote that the child should be named John.
Everybody there was surprised that Zechariah also wanted the
child to be called John. Immediately after this, Zechariah’s tongue loosened
and he could speak again.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. a. Describe the circumstances surrounding the birth of
John the Baptist.
b. What two lessons are in this account for
childless couples of today?
2. Give a vivid account of the birth of John the Baptist.
