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Zacharias is promised a son

God promises Zechariah and Elizabeth a son.
Contributed by Marian van der Kruijt
Story also available on our translated websites: Spanish, Portuguese, German
1
During the time when Herod ruled Judea, there was a priest named Zecharias (also called Zechariah in some Bible translations). – Slide 1
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His wife Elizabeth came from the family of Aaron. Zecharias and Elizabeth lived near the big city of Jerusalem in Judea. – Slide 2
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Both of them were good people and pleased the Lord God by obeying all that He had commanded. But they did not have children. – Slide 3
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Elizabeth could not have any children and both Zecharias and Elizabeth were already old. – Slide 4
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One day Zecharias’s group of priests were on duty, and he was serving God in the temple at Jerusalem. He had been chosen to go into the Lord’s temple that day to burn incense, while the people stood outside praying. – Slide 5
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Suddenly, an angel from the Lord appeared to Zecharias at the right side of the altar. Zecharias was confused and afraid when he saw the angel. But the angel told him: – Slide 6
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‘Don’t be afraid, Zecharias! God has heard your prayers. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you must name him John. – Slide 7
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‘His birth will make you very happy, and many people will be glad. Your son will be a great servant of the Lord. He must never drink wine or beer, and the power of the Holy Spirit will be with him from the time he is born. John will lead many people in Israel to turn back to the Lord their God. He will go ahead of the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit and people who now disobey God will begin to love and obey Him. That is how John will get people ready for the Lord.’ – Slide 8
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Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How will I know this is going to happen? My wife and I are both very old.’ – Slide 9
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The angel answered, ‘I am Gabriel, God’s servant, and I was sent to tell you this good news. You have not believed what I have said. So you will not be able to say a thing until all this happens. But everything will take place when it is supposed to.’ – Slide 10
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The crowd outside was waiting for Zecharias and kept wondering why he was staying so long in the temple. – Slide 11
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When he did come out, he could not speak, and they knew he had seen a vision. He motioned to them with his hands, but did not say a thing. – Slide 12
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When Zecharias’s service in the temple was over, he went home. – Slide 13
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Soon after that, his wife Elizabeth found out she was expecting a baby, and for five months she did not leave the house. She said to herself, ‘What the Lord has done for me will keep people from looking down on me.’ – Slide 14
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Slide 15