Zechariah and Elizabeth, Aged Parents of John the Baptist

THERE are times when Jehovah seems to delay bestowing his blessings and rewards, but those who continue to serve him faithfully in spite of such seeming delay he richly rewards in his own due time. Such was the case with Zechariah the aged priest and his wife Elizabeth. “They were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” Yet, although Jehovah had promised that he would bless the children of Israel with offspring if they served him faithfully, and that children were his reward, these two faithful servants were childless and both now well along in years.—Luke 1:6, 7; Lev. 26:9; Ps. 127:3.

Then one day while Zechariah was serving as priest, upon entering the sanctuary to offer incense “Jehovah’s angel appeared, standing at the right side of the incense altar. But Zechariah became troubled at the sight, and fear fell upon him. However, the angel said to him: ‘Have no fear, Zechariah, because your supplication has had acceptance, and your wife Elizabeth will be the mother of a son to you, and you are to call his name John. And you will have joy and great gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth; for he will be great before Jehovah. . . . Also he will go before him with Elijah’s spirit and power, to turn back the hearts of fathers to children and the disobedient ones to the practical wisdom of righteous ones, to get ready for Jehovah a prepared people.’”—Luke 1:11-17, NW.

In reply to Zechariah’s question how such a thing could come to pass, since both he and his wife were aged, the angel replied: “I am Gabriel, who stands near before God, and I was sent forth to speak with you and declare the good news of these things to you. But, look! you will be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words.”—Luke 1:18-20, NW.

True to Jehovah’s promise, before long Elizabeth had reason to rejoice because her reproach of barrenness was being taken away. Three months before the birth of the child she was visited by her cousin Mary, who had just been advised by the angel Gabriel that she was to be the mother of the Son of God. Inspired by the holy spirit, Elizabeth said to her: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! So how is it that this privilege is mine, to have the mother of my Lord come to me? . . . Happy, too, is she that believed, because there will be a complete performance of those things spoken to her from Jehovah.”—Luke 1:24, 25, 39-45, NW.

In due time the child was born, and on the eighth day it was circumcised and named John. Then Zechariah’s tongue was loosed and he began to speak, blessing God. Filled with holy spirit he prophesied:

“Young child, you will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will pioneer before Jehovah to make his ways ready, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by forgiveness of their sins.”—Luke 1:76, 77, NW.

Yes, Zechariah and Elizabeth were amply rewarded for their obedience and patiently waiting upon the Lord. They had the privilege of being the parents of John the Baptist, concerning whom Jesus said that none born of women was greater than he; they had the privilege of bringing him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; and they both were privileged to utter prophecies relative to the purposes of Jehovah under the influence of the holy spirit; and all this in their old age.