Luke 1:8-13

This year we are covering the four Gospel Accounts together in chronological order.

In the previous post, we covered Luke 1:1-7. Here was the conclusion:

Around 4 BC, a priest and his wife (Zacharias and Elizabeth) were both righteous before God, childless, and well beyond the years when they could expect to have children.

In today's post, we will continue this portion of the narrative...


Luke 1
"8 Now it came to pass, while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
9 according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense."

(Zacharias' job was to burn incense in the temple.)

"10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the hour of incense."

(While Zacharias did this job, everyone was praying...)

"11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of altar of incense.
12 And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him."

(Zacharias was in fear because an angel appeared to him.)

"13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: because thy supplication is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John."

(Zacharias and Elisabeth had been asking God for a son. The angel said Elisabeth would bear a son and Zacharias should name him John.)

(We have covered this in the post titled, "Who Caused You To Be Born?". The angel did not cause Elisabeth to become pregnant against her will. First, Zacharias and Elisabeth were in agreement when they asked for Elisabeth to become pregnant. Second, God can prevent people from being born (by closing the womb of the woman or preventing sperm from reaching the egg). God was only responsible for one Person being born (and we will cover this at the end of this month). So, God could prevent all of the sperm that would result in a girl from reaching Elisabeth's egg. Finally, the cause of this son being born would still depend on Zacharias and Elisabeth...which we will see next week.)


CONCLUSION
An angel told Zacharias their supplications had been heard: Elisabeth would bear a son and Zacharias should name him John.

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