My Stories

ZECHARIAH

Luke 1

 

     I am going to tell you a story today about an old man named Zechariah.  He was a priest, and he was married to a lovely old lady named Elizabeth.  Well, Zechariah, this one beautiful morning, had gone to the big, big city of Jerusalem, and he went to the BIG temple--the temple of God.  And at this temple...the light would shine on the gold dome of the temple and this was the biggest building in the city of Jerusalem. 

 

    This morning, Zechariah was so excited. He was dressed in his white, shiny priestly robes, and he was ready to offer a sacrifice to the Lord.  He had been chosen the one and only priest who got to go inside and make a very, very special offering to God.  All the other people and all the other priests had to wait outside in this other court.  Well, Zechariah went inside, and he came into a large room with walls of gold, where there were seven golden lamps burning, and the light from the lamps shone on the walls, and it was very, very quiet.  Zechariah was all alone in this special part of the temple.  Now standing in the golden room with the seven lamps was a golden bowl with little coals of fire in it.  Zechariah sprinkled little grains of incense on top of the burning coals, and this gave a very sweet smell, and went up to God as an incense offering. 

 

    As Zechariah was busy with the ceremony of preparing the offering, he was praying silently for all the people outside.  Suddenly, he stopped praying!  He was startled, because he was no longer alone.  Beside him stood a man in shining white robes!  More brilliant and more shining than what Zechariah had on.  Oh, this man wasn't a priest--he was the angel Gabriel.  He had come to tell Zechariah a very important message.  Zechariah was very afraid and he trembled.  He had never seen an angel before. Angel Gabriel said, "Don't be afraid, I have come to bring you good news.  Your wife, Elizabeth, will have a little son, and you will name him John." 

 

     Well, Zechariah just kind of shook his head and wondered about this.  He was an old man and Elizabeth was an old woman.  They had been praying for a long time.  They wanted a baby, but now Elizabeth was too old, and he couldn't believe it. 

 

      Angel Gabriel said, "Zechariah, you don't believe me!  I am sent from God, from heaven.  You are going to have a son this time next year.  But because you didn't believe me...because you don't believe...you will not be able to speak until your son John is born."  From that time on Zechariah could not speak.  When he went outside he had to write down what had happened, and the people thought, "Oh, Zechariah has seen a vision!" 

 

       And you know what, his wife Elizabeth did have a son, and they did name him John, and after he was born, and after Zechariah wrote, "His name is John." Then Zechariah was able to speak again.