Lesson 101 begins our journey into the new testament by telling the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. The scripture will be Luke 1:5-25 and 57-80. It is a story of God’s faithfulness and
sovereignty, as He puts an end to a 400 year “dry spell” of silence through yet another miraculous
birth.

The memory verse will be from Zecharia’s prophesy over his son John:

You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Luke 1:77.

Narrative:

From the time God promised Abraham to make a nation that would bless the whole world, to the time the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity, God communicated with His people. Whether it was by sending angels, or by giving His word to prophets, God spoke to Hs people to provide guidance and reassurance. However after the return of the exiles, there was a period of 400 years of silence, in which God did not send any prophets to His people.

But even in His silence, God remained faithful to His people. He did not forget about them, and was about to prove it by raising up a new prophet who would bring very good news to His people.

It began with a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was not a perfect man, but he and his wife Elizabeth were devout; they were faithful to God and his ways. Yet, they had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.

One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. Zechariah was very frightened when he saw him. But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”
Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary. When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant just as Gabriel had said would happen.
When Elizabeth gave birth to her son, her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her. When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”

“What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God. Everyone realized that John was special.

Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and he prophesied abut God’s promise being fulfilled. And he looked at his son John and said, “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.