The Angel in the Temple

“Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard.” — Luke 1:13

In the days when Herod was king of Judea, there lived an old priest called Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth. They both loved God and obeyed all His commandments. But they had no children. They had prayed and prayed for a baby, and now they were both very old.

Priests took turns to serve God in the temple in Jerusalem. One day it was Zechariah’s turn, and he was chosen to do a very special job: to go into the holy place in the temple and burn sweet-smelling incense to God. It was a great honour. Outside, a big crowd of people stood praying.

Zechariah went in, alone. And suddenly an angel of the Lord was standing there, right beside the altar! Zechariah was terrified.

“Do not be afraid, Zechariah,” said the angel, “because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you must call him John. He will bring you great joy, and many people will be glad that he was born. He will be great in God’s eyes. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. And he will go ahead of the Lord, in the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah, to turn people’s hearts back to God, and to get them ready for the Lord.”

But Zechariah could hardly believe it. “How can I be sure of this?” he asked. “I am an old man, and my wife is old too.”

“I am Gabriel,” said the angel. “I stand in the presence of God, and He sent me to tell you this good news. But because you did not believe my words, you will not be able to speak until the day this happens.”

Outside, the people were waiting for Zechariah, wondering why he was taking so long. When at last he came out, he couldn’t speak to them! He could only make signs with his hands. They realised he must have seen a vision in the temple.

When Zechariah’s time of serving in the temple was finished, he went home. And soon, just as the angel had said, Elizabeth was expecting a baby.

“The Lord has done this for me,” said Elizabeth joyfully. For years people had felt sorry for her because she had no children. Now God had been kind to her.

For hundreds of years, since the last of the prophets, God’s people had been waiting for Him to speak again. But now God was speaking again. Something wonderful was about to happen.

The promise kept: The very last words of the Old Testament promised that God would send “Elijah” to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, before the great day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5–6). Gabriel used those same words about John. John was the one who would get everyone ready for Jesus.

Read it in your Bible: Luke 1:5–25

Dear God, thank you that you hear our prayers, even prayers we have prayed for a very long time. Help me to believe what you say. Amen.