Elizabeth and Zechariah: Parents of John the Baptist
- Ken Kalis
- Nov 5
- 4 min read
Liturgical Colors: White or Gold
“For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.” — Luke 1:15
What a promise from the angel, a powerful fulfillment of His Word.
These old people thought their fruit-bearing years were done.
Not so, says the Psalmist, in words they likely had heard,
"They shall still bring forth fruit in old age;" and God gave them a son.
This promise is for you! Take it today as you read.
The Story of Elizabeth and Zechariah
In the hill country of Judea, an elderly priest and his wife quietly served the Lord. Zechariah, of the division of Abijah, ministered in the temple; Elizabeth, a descendant of Aaron, was righteous before God, “walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”
Yet they had no child, and their prayers for one had long since faded into habit.
Then came the day when Zechariah’s lot fell to burn incense in the temple. As the people prayed outside, the angel Gabriel appeared beside the altar and announced the impossible:
“Thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.”
It was too much to believe, and Zechariah was struck speechless for his doubt. But God’s word did not fail. Elizabeth conceived, and in the quiet months of her waiting, she felt the miracle within her. When her cousin Mary came to visit, carrying the unborn Jesus, “the babe leaped in her womb,” and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out,
“Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb!”
Even before his birth, John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost. Before he could speak, he was already responding to the presence of the Savior.
Reflection
John’s life began in the atmosphere of faith and holiness — two parents who kept believing even when their hopes seemed barren. His calling was foretold before conception, his character shaped by prophecy, and his heart touched by the Spirit before birth.
There is something profoundly tender here for every generation. The Holy Spirit’s work is not confined by time, age, or circumstance. God’s grace can move in the hidden places — in a mother’s womb, in a silent father’s heart, in the prayers whispered by grandparents for a child yet unborn.
My own prayer for your first grandchild echoes Zechariah’s song:
“And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways.” — Luke 1:76
May that same Spirit that filled John fill my grandchild from the very beginning — not only with gifts, but with the presence of Jesus.
Application
The story of Elizabeth and Zechariah invites us to believe again in the God who answers long prayers. The delay of hope does not mean denial. In God’s time, promises ripen; in His mercy, even silence speaks.
Let us pray for the next generation — that our children and grandchildren might be “filled with the Holy Ghost” early, shaped not by the noise of the world but by the nearness of Christ. A praying parent or grandparent can change the course of history.
Closing Prayer
Almighty God,We thank You for Elizabeth and Zechariah — for their faith, their patience, and their obedience.You filled their son John with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb;fill our children and grandchildren likewise with Your Spirit and purpose.Let their hearts leap with joy at the sound of Your name. Teach us, like Zechariah, to trust even when we cannot speak,and like Elizabeth, to rejoice when promise becomes life. In the name of Jesus, the Lord whom John proclaimed,Amen.
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Elizabeth named her child John the day he was born,
But everyone received the name with great scorn,
Insisting the name Zechariah was the right one,
But his father wrote clearly: “His name shall be John.”
It was in that moment of faith, when Zechariah obeyed,
When he showed he believed all the angel had said,
God reached down and touched the lips of the man,
Releasing his tongue to speak once again.
And when his voice first spoke after being dead for so long,
It rang out clearly in the words of this song:
Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has come to save
And redeem his people – a horn of salvation he will raise
And he will come from the house of David, his servant,
The one who the prophets said would be sent,
Bringing salvation from our enemies and great mercy
To our fathers before and to all who now see
The promise of Abraham fulfilled in our days.
We are free now to serve with no fear in the way
To walk in righteousness before the rising sun,
And in holiness from this blessed day on.
Posted by Andy Sabaka-- https://www.graceinlouisville.org/zechariah-an-advent-poem/
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