Zechariah (Father of John the Baptist)
Zechariah, a Jewish priest, was told before anyone else that God was setting in motion his own visit to earth. Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, were known for their personal holiness. They were well suited to doing a special work for God. But they shared the pain of not having children, and in Jewish culture this was considered not having God’s blessing. Zechariah and Elizabeth were old, and they had stopped even asking for children.

One day while on duty at the Temple in Jerusalem, Zechariah received an unexpected blessing. He was chosen to be the priest who would enter the Holy Place to offer incense to God for the people. Suddenly, much to his surprise and terror, he found himself face to face with an angel. The angel’s message was too good to be true! But the news of the coming Savior was eclipsed by doubts about his own ability to father the child the angel promised him. His age spoke more loudly than God’s promise. As a result, God prevented Zechariah from speaking until the promise became a reality.

The record of the prayer in Luke 1 is our last glimpse of Zechariah. Like so many of God’s most faithful servants, he passed quietly from the scene once his part was done. He becomes our hero for those times when we doubt God and yet are willing to obey. We gain hope from Zechariah’s story that God can do great things through anyone who is available to him.

1- Strengths and accomplishments

- Known as a righteous man
- Was a priest of God
- One of the few people to be directly addressed by an angel
- Fathered John the Baptist

2- Weakness and mistake

- Momentarily doubted the angel’s promise of a son because of his own old age

3- Lessons from his life

- Physical limitations do not limit God
- God accomplishes his will, sometimes in unexpected ways

4- Vital statistics

- Occupation: Priest
- Relatives: Wife: Elizabeth. Son: John the Baptist

5- Key verses:

"Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was barren, and now they were both very old" (Luke 1:6, 7).

Zechariah’s story is told in Luke 1.

 

Zechariah (or Zecharias)

++ Father of John the Baptist {#Lu 1:5,13,21,62,67}

Zechariah (or Zecharias; common name in the Old Testament)

1. A chief man among the Reubenites. #1Ch 5:7.

2. Son of Meshelemiah, a Korhite. #1Ch 9:21 26:2,14.

3. Son of Jehiel, a Benjamite. #1Ch 9:37. Called ZACHER in #1Ch 8:31.

4. Levite engaged in the service of song. #1Ch 15:18,20 16:5.

5. One of the priests in the time of David. #1Ch 15:24.

6. Son of Isshiah, a Levite. #1Ch 24:25.

7. Son of Hosah, a Merarite, #1Ch 26:11.

8. Father of Iddo of the tribe of Manasseh. #1Ch 27:21.

9. One of the princes of Judah whom Jehoshaphat sent with priests and Levites to teach the people. #2Ch 17:7.

10. Levite, father of Jehaziel. #2Ch 20:14.

11. Son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. #2Ch 21:2.

12. Son of Jehoiada the priest: he rebuked the people for their idolatry, and by commandment of the king he was stoned by the people in the court of the temple. #2Ch 24:20. He is probably the ZACHARIAS spoken of in #Mt 23:35.

13. One who ‘had understanding in the visions of God.’ #2Ch 26:5.

14. Father of Abijah, wife of Ahaz king of Judah. #2Ch 29:1. Called ZACHARIAH in #2Ki 18:2.

15. Levite, descendant of Asaph. #2Ch 29:13.

16. Kohathite, one of the overseers at the repairing of the temple. #2Ch 34:12.

17. Prince of Judah, and one of the rulers of the house of God. #2Ch 35:8.

18. Son of Berechiah, and one of the ‘minor prophets.’ #Ezr 5:1 6:14 Zec 1:1,7 7:1,8.

19-21. Three who returned from exile. #Ezr 8:3,11,16 Ne 8:4.

22. One who had married a strange wife. #Ezr 10:26.

23, 24. Two ancestors of some who dwelt at Jerusalem on the return from exile. #Ne 11:4,5.

25. Priest, the son of Pashur. #Ne 11:12.

26. Priest, ‘of Iddo.’ #Ne 12:16.

27. Son of Jonathan, a priest: he assisted in the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem. #Ne 12:35,41.

28. Son of Jeberechiah, taken by Isaiah as a witness. #Isa 8:2.