“Righteous Before God”

ZECHARIAH had a big day ahead of him. He was to enjoy a rare privilege, one that might come to him only once in his lifetime. He was one of a great number of priestly descendants of Aaron, and today Zechariah would take his turn to offer incense on the golden altar in the temple sanctuary. Surely both he and his beloved wife, Elizabeth, viewed this day as a momentous one.

Zechariah and Elizabeth had been married for many years and had enjoyed a variety of blessings​—but they yearned for one that remained out of reach. They wanted to have children. That mattered a great deal to God’s people back then. Zechariah and Elizabeth were older now, “well along in years.” But the Bible describes them as “righteous before God.” So they kept on praying to their God, confident that he would hear them even if their situation seemed beyond hope.

Zechariah entered the sanctuary as crowds of people prayed outside. There, in the stillness of that great chamber, a figure suddenly appeared before him, standing by the incense altar​—an angel of Jehovah! He told Zechariah that God had heard his prayers and would cause Elizabeth to bear him a son. The child was to be named John. He would grow up to have “Elijah’s spirit and power.” He would do a great work, preparing people to return to Jehovah.

Overcome with doubt, Zechariah asked for a sign to prove that these words were true. The angel corrected him with the words: “I am Gabriel, who stands near before God.” There was no reason to doubt this mighty servant of Jehovah. Gabriel went on to say that Zechariah would be unable to speak until God’s promises were fulfilled. So when Zechariah emerged from the sanctuary, he could only use signs to convey what had happened to him.

Somehow Zechariah found a way to explain to Elizabeth what had happened. And then, “some days later,” she became pregnant. She kept herself secluded for five months, but in the sixth, she received a visit from a relative​—Mary, the daughter of Heli, from Nazareth. The moment Mary entered the home, the infant in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy. Filled with holy spirit, Elizabeth was inspired to call Mary “the mother of my Lord.” She knew that Mary was pregnant with the child who would become the Messiah. Rather than being jealous, Elizabeth sought to strengthen the young woman for the assignment ahead of her.

When Elizabeth finally gave birth, her relatives and neighbors gathered around and tried to influence her to name the baby boy after his father. But Elizabeth knew what Gabriel had said to her husband: “You are to name him John.” She rejected the suggestion. “No!” she told them, “but he will be called John.” Unsatisfied, they turned to Zechariah. Still unable to speak, he wrote on a tablet: “John is his name.” Instantly, he regained his ability to speak.

Zechariah was then filled with holy spirit and enabled to prophesy. He was inspired to declare a message of hope, of deliverance, and of divine mercy. He foretold that his son, John, would “go ahead of Jehovah to prepare his ways.” And so it was. John the Baptist became the forerunner of the Messiah, preparing people to accept Jesus’ message about God’s Kingdom.

The coming of the Messiah would mean great changes in the way God’s people dealt with unbelievers and opposers. In earlier centuries, many of God’s servants had shown courage by wielding weapons of war against Jehovah’s enemies on earth. But a new era was dawning, and Jehovah would no longer ask his human servants to wage war of that kind. But they would still need courage. Those who accepted the Messiah would need to use their precious gift of speech, as Zechariah and Elizabeth did, to glorify Jehovah God and to share the good news about Jesus Christ.

Read the Bible account:

• Luke 1:5-25, 36-45, 57-80

For discussion:

In what ways did Zechariah and Elizabeth show courage?

Dig Deeper

1. 1. Although Zechariah and Elizabeth were imperfect, why does the Bible describe them as “walking blamelessly”? (Luke 1:6; it “Blamelessness” ¶2)

   Your answer

1. 3. Gabriel told Zechariah to name his son John. What does the name John mean? (it “John” ¶1)

   Your answer

2. 4. Did Zechariah become mute and deaf? (w08 3/15 30 ¶6)

   Your answer

Reflect on the Lessons

• Jewish rabbis in Zechariah’s day allowed a man to divorce his wife if she bore him no children. What can husbands learn from Zechariah about loyally sticking to one’s mate? B

  Your answer

  

• Elizabeth loyally supported her husband’s direction despite pressure from her neighbors and relatives. (Luke 1:58-61) What can wives learn from her?

  Your answer

• How might you imitate the courage of Zechariah and Elizabeth?

  Your answer

Meditate on the Bigger Picture

• What does this account teach me about Jehovah?

  Your answer

• How does the account tie in with Jehovah’s purposes?

  Your answer

• If Zechariah and Elizabeth receive an earthly resurrection, what would I like to ask them?a

  Your answer

Learn More

See Zechariah regain his speech and use that speech to praise God.

“John Is His Name” (6:59)

What does Mary’s visit to Elizabeth teach us about how to receive strength from Jehovah?

“‘He Will Make You Strong’​—How?” (w23.10 14-15 ¶10-14)