Gospels Part 076
Zechariah received the surprise of his life when he was told that he and his elderly wife would become parents to a son when they were long past the age of childbearing. But now Zechariah receives an even greater shock when the angel reveals their son’s divine mission!
Last time we covered the first part of the angel’s shocking message to the elderly priest Zechariah:
“The angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you will name him John’” (New English Translation [NET]).
This was no doubt stunning to Zechariah. But the angel continues with further shocking pronouncements in Luke 1:14-17:
“Joy and gladness will come to you, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth” (NET).
The angel tells Zechariah that this promised son, John, would have a special mission. He would be great in God’s sight, and he would possess God’s Holy Spirit from birth. This is not saying John would be conceived in the same way as Jesus, but it would be a miraculous birth due to their advanced age. Their son would have God’s Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb.
But that’s not all:
“He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go as forerunner before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him” (NET).
In other words, this son to be born was going to be a witness for Jesus Christ as the prophesied one who would come before Him and turn many to Him. Here we see the amazing continuity between the books of what is commonly called the Old Testament and what is known as the New Testament. What is the last book of the Hebrew Scriptures? It’s Malachi. What do we see in this last book? Notice Malachi 3:1:
“Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts.
And notice also Malachi 4:5-6:
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
So John the Baptist was the one who came “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,” and further, “he will go as forerunner before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him” (NET).
John would prepare the way for “the coming of the Lord”—Jesus the Messiah—by telling people that One greater than he was going to come and urge them to repent and be ready.
Continuing in Luke 1:18:
“Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well’” (NET).
Zechariah understandably blurts out the first thing that comes to his mind—he and his wife are well past the time for childbearing, so how is it possible for them to have a son?
Continuing in Luke 1:19:
“The angel answered him, ‘I am Gabriel [meaning “warrior of God” or “man of God”], who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news’” (NET).
This certainly would have gotten Zechariah’s attention. He knew who the angel Gabriel was. Three archangels were mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures—Gabriel, Michael and Hillel, better known to Bible readers as Lucifer. What was the role of Gabriel? He is the archangel who is the message bringer. He’s the one who reveals God’s word about the future, as we see from the book of Daniel.
The Bible clearly reveals the existence of a spirit world, another dimension we might say, and sometimes these beings known as angels cross over from that world into ours. Zechariah experienced this firsthand. We’ll continue with this remarkable experience next time!
© 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.
