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John’s Birth Was PredictedDear Parents,
This week in The Gospel Project® for Kids, our journey takes us to the beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry, specifically his birth. John is called the forerunner of the Savior. The term refers to someone who would literally run before a king, heralding his coming. At the end of the Old Testament, God spoke these words to His people: “Look, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome Day of the Lord comes” (Mal. 4:5). Then a period of silence began. For 400 years, God did not speak to the Jewish people as He had done through the prophets. Luke described Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, as descendants of Aaron. They both loved God and lived in obedience of His commandments. But they were childless. Elizabeth was barren, and by that time, they were both old. Zechariah the priest was serving in the temple during the reign of Herod the Great when Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, appeared. Gabriel said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.” The name John means “the Lord is gracious.” He certainly is. The foretelling of John’s birth by the angel Gabriel marked the coming of the end of God’s silence. Compare Malachi 4:5-6 to Luke 1:16-17. God had big plans for the baby who wasn’t even born yet. God sent John to be the last prophet who would tell people about the coming Savior. John’s job was to remind the people what God had said in the past and to get the people ready to meet Jesus. |
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John’s Birth Was Predicted
Luke 1:5-25
Zechariah (zek uh RIGH uh) the priest lived in the days when Herod was king of Judea. Zechariah’s wife was Elizabeth. Zechariah and Elizabeth both loved God, and they obeyed His laws. But Zechariah and Elizabeth were getting old, and they did not have any children.
Zechariah took turns with the other priests serving in God’s temple. When it was Zechariah’s turn to serve, he went to the temple. Zechariah was chosen to go into the sanctuary and burn incense as an offering to God. Zechariah went inside the sanctuary, and a crowd of people stood outside and prayed.
Suddenly Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, appeared to Zechariah. Zechariah was surprised and afraid! But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah, because God has heard your prayer. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you will name him John.”
The angel told Zechariah that many people would be happy about John’s birth. He said that God’s Spirit would be with John, and God would do great things in John’s lifetime. John would get people ready for the Lord’s coming and turn them back to God. He would lead people who disobey God to change how they were living.
“How can I know that you are telling the truth?” Zechariah asked.
“I am an old man, and my wife is getting old too.” Was it even possible for Elizabeth to have a baby?
The angel answered, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. God sent me to tell you this good news. Now listen! You will not be able to talk until the day these things happen because you did not believe me. Everything I said will really happen.”
The crowd that had been praying outside started to wonder what was taking Zechariah so long. When Zechariah finally came out of the sanctuary, he could not speak. The people realized Zechariah had seen a vision. The only way Zechariah could communicate with the people was by motioning with his hands. When Zechariah finished serving at the temple, he went back home.
After this happened, Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth found out she was going to have a baby. She stayed in her house for ve months. Elizabeth said, “God has done this for me. He has helped me and has given me a baby.”
Christ Connection: God sent John to be the last prophet before Jesus. John would tell people about the coming Savior. John’s job was to remind the people what God had said in the past and to get the people ready to meet Jesus.
Luke 1:5-25
Zechariah (zek uh RIGH uh) the priest lived in the days when Herod was king of Judea. Zechariah’s wife was Elizabeth. Zechariah and Elizabeth both loved God, and they obeyed His laws. But Zechariah and Elizabeth were getting old, and they did not have any children.
Zechariah took turns with the other priests serving in God’s temple. When it was Zechariah’s turn to serve, he went to the temple. Zechariah was chosen to go into the sanctuary and burn incense as an offering to God. Zechariah went inside the sanctuary, and a crowd of people stood outside and prayed.
Suddenly Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, appeared to Zechariah. Zechariah was surprised and afraid! But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah, because God has heard your prayer. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you will name him John.”
The angel told Zechariah that many people would be happy about John’s birth. He said that God’s Spirit would be with John, and God would do great things in John’s lifetime. John would get people ready for the Lord’s coming and turn them back to God. He would lead people who disobey God to change how they were living.
“How can I know that you are telling the truth?” Zechariah asked.
“I am an old man, and my wife is getting old too.” Was it even possible for Elizabeth to have a baby?
The angel answered, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. God sent me to tell you this good news. Now listen! You will not be able to talk until the day these things happen because you did not believe me. Everything I said will really happen.”
The crowd that had been praying outside started to wonder what was taking Zechariah so long. When Zechariah finally came out of the sanctuary, he could not speak. The people realized Zechariah had seen a vision. The only way Zechariah could communicate with the people was by motioning with his hands. When Zechariah finished serving at the temple, he went back home.
After this happened, Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth found out she was going to have a baby. She stayed in her house for ve months. Elizabeth said, “God has done this for me. He has helped me and has given me a baby.”
Christ Connection: God sent John to be the last prophet before Jesus. John would tell people about the coming Savior. John’s job was to remind the people what God had said in the past and to get the people ready to meet Jesus.