If having children was considered a sign of blessing, then the natural explanation for God to close the womb would be a well-deserved punishment. Imagine the gossips and side glances between neighbors, the pretense of cordial interaction, and the ostracism so poorly disguised. Imagine the shame that Zechariah and Elizabeth have to endure decade after decade. Without children there will be no one to support them in their old age or bury them at death. Yet the two continue to carry themselves before God in dignity and faithful service. Unless God intervenes, theirs is a socially lonely and economically precarious existence.
For readers familiar with the OT, Zechariah and Elizabeth are in good company. Rachel, Hannah, and Manoah’s wife were all once barren, but God opened their wombs and they gave birth to Joseph, Samuel, and Samson.26 A wisp of hope hovers in the background. As we read on, it is the story of Abraham and Sarah—another righteous and barren couple whose advanced age makes conception a biological impossibility—that emerges as the type after which Luke patterns the announcement of John’s birth. In Genesis, the birth of Isaac involved an angelic visitation (Gen 17:1), a promise of a son named by God (Gen 17:16, 19), a response of incredulity from the barren couple (Gen 15:8; 17:17; 18:11–13), a confirmation of the conception (Gen 21:2), and a vindication from shame (Gen 21:5). Similar elements are found in John’s birth narrative.
The stage is set for a theophany. According to Jewish customs, daily sacrifices at the Jerusalem temple were made in the morning and in the evening, accompanied by the offering of incense in the sanctuary. Temple duties were distributed among the twenty-four orders on a rotational basis, a week at a time, twice a year for each order. Given the large number of priests, the responsibility of offering incense at the altar was assigned by lot. For Zechariah, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have the lot fall on him. By God’s choosing, what is in store for Zechariah and Israel will far exceed the honor of the ritualistic task.
During the evening service, while the worshipers are praying outside, Zechariah goes alone into the sanctuary, puts the incense on the altar, and prostrates himself in prayer.27 Given that the altar is situated immediately in front of the curtain behind which is the holy of holies, Zechariah is standing at the most sacred location inside the temple that a priest of his rank will ever find himself (Exod 30:1–6). This is holy and dangerous ground.
A visit from an angel is terrifying. Zechariah is in the midst of performing a very sacred task in the second most holy part of the temple, so any misstep may result in God sending an angel to destroy him. The angel, though, appears on the right side of the altar, which is both the authoritative and the favorable side.28 Still, Luke thrice emphasizes Zechariah’s fear: “he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him” (1:12). Without introducing himself, the angel opens with an assurance that he comes not with judgment but with favor: “Do not be afraid” (1:13a).29
At first glance, the angel’s message seems to affect only Zechariah’s and Elizabeth’s private lives. He declares that Zechariah’s prayer has been heard and that Elizabeth will bear him a son to whom the name John, which means “God has been gracious,” will be given (1:13b). Yet John’s life will have an effect stretching far beyond his immediate family to the people of God. The joy he brings will be of national proportion, for beginning with his mission God will set in motion God’s salvation promised through the prophets of old (1:14–17). John’s greatness will reside in his divine commission and the high esteem in which he will be held (7:24–28).
Specific instructions are given as to how John will conduct himself and what his life’s work will entail. First, set apart to be God’s servant, John will be filled with the Holy Spirit even in his mother’s womb and must never drink wine or any alcoholic beverage (1:15). According to the OT, priests also did not drink alcohol when serving at the temple (Lev 10:9). It is not necessary to label John as a Nazirite (Num 6:1–8), but asceticism is indicative of a life dedicated to God’s service (Mark 1:6).
Second, John will be endowed with the spirit and power of Elijah (1:16–17). This promise recalls the words of Malachi: at the end of the age God will send a messenger to prepare the way before his coming (Mal 3:1). Malachi subsequently identifies this messenger as Elijah, who will “turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that [God] will not come and strike the land with a curse” (Mal 4:5–6; cf. Sir 48:10). Although the wording in Luke 1:16–17 is not identical to that in Malachi, common to both are the themes of repentance and familial reconciliation, so that Israel will be prepared for the return of YHWH. John is to assume the role of this eschatological Elijah, calling Israel to repentance in advance of the arrival of the Lord, who, as we shall see, will come in the person of Jesus the Messiah.30
Is the angel referring to Zechariah’s personal prayer for a child or the prayer he prays on behalf of Israel as their priest? If the former, given the couple’s old age and the hopelessness of their conceiving a child, the prayer that God has heard may have been a distant memory by now. If the latter, what Zechariah prays for inside the sanctuary concurs with those of the people outside, petitioning God to bring about the restoration of Israel (cf. 2:25, 37–38).
Zechariah’s response fixes on the first part of the message, rather than on John’s role in God’s plan. His question, “How will I know that this is so?” (1:18), asks for a sign to assure him that the angel is telling the truth. Had he and Elizabeth still been praying for a son far into their advanced years, one would expect Zechariah to burst out in excitement: “This is unbelievable! Thank you, Lord, for answering our prayer for a son, the prayer that we pray every day, all the time!” Instead, Zechariah is doubtful that a prayer uttered long ago is still in effect. Unbelief sets in. It is not the first time that God opened the womb of a barren woman, so why should he doubt? His lapse of judgment earns him a divine reprimand.
The angel identifies himself and asserts his authority (1:19). In Jewish literature, Gabriel (“man of God”) is highly regarded as God’s personal servant and emissary.31 Zechariah’s unbelief is no small offense. He will indeed receive a sign, says the angel, and a punishment to boot (1:20). Zechariah is immediately struck mute until after the birth of the child. Since he is unable to speak, the good news that will bring joy to all Israel will remain an untold secret until the appropriate time of disclosure.
With Zechariah’s delay inside the sanctuary, the people outside wonder if something has gone awry. When he finally emerges they conclude from his gestures that he must have seen some vision rendering him unable to speak (1:21–22). If Zechariah cannot even pronounce the benediction at the end of the Tamid service (Num 6:24–26), he may as well return home and wait out the months of silence until the birth of his son (1:23).
This section closes with the confirmation that Elizabeth becomes pregnant soon after (1:24). Her words express gratitude to God for showering favor upon her and vindicating her from the shame she has experienced (1:25). In spite of Zechariah’s moment of distrust, Elizabeth joins him in preserving this secret until the baby’s development becomes apparent to all. The five months of solitude may also explain Mary’s ignorance of Elizabeth’s change of circumstances until Elizabeth is in her sixth month (1:36).
Two final notes are worth mentioning. First, the strong allusion to the story of Abraham and Sarah reminds the reader of God’s overarching plan of salvation. God declared that the nations would be blessed through Abraham’s offspring (Gen 12:1–2). The miraculous birth of Isaac was a gift after all human means had been exhausted. The same God who did the impossible for Abraham and Sarah is now doing the impossible for Zechariah and Elizabeth as part of the blessing for Israel and the nations. Second, as God responds to the yearning of Israel for deliverance, he weaves into that grand solution an answer to the personal need of righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth. The God of the big picture does not miss the fine details. In this regard, Zechariah’s name fittingly