Surprise! Your Wife is Going to Have a Baby.

 

God's Messenger the angel Gabriel suddenly appeared to Zechariah with the astounding words that his prayers had been answered.  “Wait a minute, hold up angel,” said a stunned Zechariah as he stood shaking and staring at the angel standing beside the altar of incense.  “What prayer,” he stammered?  “You know the one when you asked God for a child,” replied the angel. “I prayed that prayer for a child over 40 years ago,” countered Zechariah.  “I don’t know how it can be answered now, he continued.”  “I’m old and my wife Elizabeth is way past menopause,” he said.  “We gave up the dream of a child decades ago,” he softly mused.  “I, well I’m just not the young man I used to be either,” mumbled a bewildered, Zechariah

For decades Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth lived with the disappointment of not being able to have a child.  The aching arms and empty womb gave way to a plaintive resignation that parenthood would not be a part of their lives. The years of praying and pleading for a little one of their own had ended. Zechariah and Elizabeth adjusted to a childless home. They endured the nosy  questions about when was Elizabeth going to have a baby. Elizabeth tried to avoid the pitying looks of the other women as they cradled their newborns. Zechariah and her were well aware that like the old patriarch Job, their friends, whispered that they must have some secret sins and were being punished by not having a child. However Elizabeth knew that her husband was honest and ethical. Her own heart bore her witness that she was following all of God’s laws.  Long ago she decided to love Jehovah no matter what anyone said.

Meanwhile, over the years Zechariah took his turn in the temple offering sacrifices as prescribed in the law. Now in his senior years he had the less strenuous job given to older priests to keep the incense burning. Zechariah counted it a privilege to not let the light go out in the temple and the burning of the incense. He lived a righteous life and enjoyed being faithful in his service in the temple. Now here’s this angel at his workplace upsetting his retirement plans.

Gabriel introduced himself. “I came from heaven, right from God’s presence to bring you great news,” he continued.  “You know you’re the first priest God has spoken to on earth in four hundred years,” he explained.  “Since you wouldn’t accept the news that your wife is going to have the baby who’s going to announce the Messiah is coming, I tell you what, I’ll give you a time of silence,” he said with nary a touch of irritation in his voice.  “You are not going to be able to speak until this child is born,” he announced.  With that the Angel Gabriel left the astonished priest standing at the altar.

But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zechariah: for thy 

prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee 

a son, and thou shalt call his name John

Luke 1:13

That day Zechariah learned day that prayers prayed to God never expire. 

You can read the Rest of the Story in the Bible  Book Luke 

Chapter 1, but here is a little portion of the Scripture from 

Luke 1.

57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.

 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.