Encounter 1 – Zacharias

Luke 1:5-25

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abiah, and his wife was one of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the Lord’s commandments and ordinances. And they had no child, inasmuch as Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in their days. But it happened in his priestly service before God in the order of his routine, according to the custom of the priestly office, (that) his lot was to enter into the Temple of the Lord and burn incense. And all the multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. There appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And seeing him, Zacharias was disturbed, and fear fell on him. But the angel said to him, “Fear not, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear a son to you, and you will call his name John. And for you there will be joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great before the Lord, and he will not drink wine and strong drink, and he will be filled of the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will come first, in the sight of Him, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn hearts of fathers back to children, and stubborn ones to the insight of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” And Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this, for I am old, and my wife is advanced in her days?” And answering, the angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I have been standing in the sight of God, and I was sent to speak to you, and to proclaim good news to you. And behold, you will be silent, and will not be able to speak until the day that these things will come to pass, because you did not believe My words, that will be fulfilled in their time.” And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and they wondered about his delaying in the Temple. But coming out, he was not able to speak to them, and they knew that he had seen a vision in the Temple. And he was motioning to them, and remained silent. And it came to pass, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he went to his home. And after these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and hid herself for five months, saying, “Thus the Lord has done to me in the days in which He looked upon me, to take away my reproach among men.”

While not directly involved with Jesus, this encounter was because of the fact that John the Baptist would be the fore-runner of Christ. God sent the angel Gabriel so in that way Zacharias was blessed because of the coming birth of Jesus.

Elizabeth had a role here, but not to the point of an encounter. She will have her own encounter after Mary.

Number of Fish: 1

Total Fish: 1