Elisabeth and Zacharias

Zacharias and his wife, Elisabeth, were Jews who lived near Jerusalem. They obeyed God’s commandments. They were old and had no children. They prayed for a baby. Luke 1:5–7, 13

Zacharias was a priest in the temple. One day an angel named Gabriel came to him and said that God would bless Zacharias and his wife. God would answer their prayers—Elisabeth would have a baby, whom they should name John. Luke 1:8–13, 19

God had work for John to do: he was to tell people about Jesus Christ. John would be a righteous prophet of God. Luke 1:15–17

Zacharias did not believe the angel and said that Elisabeth was too old to have a baby. Gabriel said that she would have a child and that because Zacharias did not believe it, he would not be able to talk until John was born. Luke 1:18–20

Illustrated by Paul Mann