From sources outside the Bible, we know that Luke was the writer of this research report into Jesus. We also know that he, a non-Jew, was from Antioch and a physician. He wrote it for “Theophilus”, a name which means “Lover of God”.
In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, going blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no offspring, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
Luke provides details regarding King Herod, the priesthood of Jerusalem Temple, and the Jewish ancestry of both Zechariah and Elizabeth. In later chronology the year would have been nine months prior to AD 0.
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Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And an angel of the Lord was seen by him standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
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The rigid Temple Duty Rota as well as the casting of unpredictable lots brought Zechariah alone into this sacred area, immediately outside the holy of holies in the Temple, on this particular day. To “burn incense” was, in fact, to pray. And “a whole multitude… were praying outside” at the moment when “the angel” appeared. A fearful sight when no one except Zechariah should have entered there. But prayer was going up.
But 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, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the presence of the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn around many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he himself will come on in his presence him [the Lord their God] in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn around the hearts of fathers to offspring, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready.”
There is nothing to fear. The geriatric couple, having pleaded, are to have a son. They are to name him “John” – which means “YHWH [the LORD God] is a gracious giver”.
And this given son, John, will give them both “joy and gladness”. Others also will “rejoice” because John’s greatness will be “in the presence of the Lord” and John will be “filled with the Holy Spirit” even from before his birth. This “Holy Spirit” was (and is) the holy inner life-force of the Lord God.
Moreover, John “will turn around many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God”. This “turn around” would be towards reality and away from religion.
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But Zechariah must have been deeply moved when “the angel” said that this son, as yet unconceived let alone born, would “come on in his presence in the spirit and power of Elijah … to prepare for the Lord a people made ready.” About 400 years earlier, the prophets in Israel, in prophesying about their coming Messiah, had indicated that “Elijah” would precede that Messiah. John would prepare the Lord’s way.
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