Gospels Part 072
The timing of the birth of John the Baptizer helps us better understand the timing of the birth of Jesus the Messiah.
Next in our story in the Gospels, we come to the announcing of the birth of John the Baptizer to the priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. This might sound like a dry subject, but the story contains important lessons for us!
We’ll begin the story on page 3 of A Harmony of the Gospels: The Life, Ministry and Teachings of Jesus Christ.
Luke 1:5 (New English Translation [NET]):
“During the reign of Herod king of Judea,”
This takes place in the time of Herod the Great, the same Herod who was a great builder and constructed the Jerusalem temple and many other magnificent projects. He was also a ruler known for his paranoia and brutality, as we’ll see.
“. . . there lived a priest named Zechariah (NET)”
The Bible doesn’t tell us anything about the parents of Zechariah. It is interesting that they chose to name their son Zechariah. Jewish parents in those times gave their children names that were intended to convey the child’s destiny.
When Zechariah’s parents chose that name, it hearkened back almost 500 years to the great prophet and priest by the name of Zechariah, who wrote the prophetic book of the Bible that bears his name. And that book talks about the coming of the Messiah and His reign of peace and prosperity and a proper priesthood and the defeat of Israel’s enemies.
Did Zechariah’s parents name their son Zechariah because this is what they wished and hoped for? Considering the circumstances of that time, quite possibly so.
What does the name Zechariah mean? In Hebrew, it means “Remembered by God.” Did they bestow that name on their son in the hope that God would remember the plight of His people and intervene to send the promised Messiah? That’s quite possible. At the very least, this Zechariah would be reminded of the great priest and prophet Zechariah, who was his namesake.
“. . . of the division of Abijah.”
What is this talking about? In 1 Chronicles 24:3-19, we read, near the end of King David’s life, he is making preparations for the temple that his son Solomon will build after David’s death. Because there are far too many priests to serve in the temple at once, David divides them up into 24 groups called “divisions” or “courses,” and the priests would take turns serving.
Each of these priestly courses served in the temple for one week, one course after another in order, and when the 24 weeks ended, the cycle started over again, with each course serving two rotations per year. The cycle started immediately after the Feast of Tabernacles. For Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and for Pentecost, and for the Feast of Tabernacles, all the priests came and served during those weeks.
The schedule started immediately after the Feast of Tabernacles with the first course, followed by the second course, and so on. At the time Luke describes here, the course of Abijah served during the equivalent of early December and mid-June on our calendar. This gives us the starting point for beginning the countdown to Christ’s birth around 15 months after this event, in the autumn of the year, rather than on December 25.
So, the timing we have based on this biblical data is this:
• Zechariah served in his course during early December and mid-June (The Companion Bible, appendix 179).
• Elizabeth likely conceived in late June (Luke 1:23-24), after Zechariah returned after finishing his course.
• Her nine-month pregnancy brings us to late March for John’s birth.
• Six months after this (Luke 1:35-36) leads us to late September for Jesus Christ’s birth.
This is the first of several time markers in the Gospels that help us understand the most likely timing if Jesus’ birth. We’ll explain other time markers shortly.
© 2026 Scott Ashley. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
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Scott Ashley
Scott Ashley was managing editor of Beyond Today magazine, United Church of God booklets and its printed Bible Study Course until his retirement in 2023. He also pastored three congregations in Colorado for 10 years from 2011-2021. He and his wife, Connie, live near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Ashley attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, graduating in 1976 with a theology major and minors in journalism and speech. It was there that he first became interested in publishing, an industry in which he worked for 50 years.
During his career, he has worked for several publishing companies in various capacities. He was employed by the United Church of God from 1995-2023, overseeing the planning, writing, editing, reviewing and production of Beyond Today magazine, several dozen booklets/study guides and a Bible study course covering major biblical teachings. His special interests are the Bible, archaeology, biblical culture, history and the Middle East.
