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january, 2023
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Transcript of the Story
When Herod was King, there was a Jewish religious leader named Zachariah. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were seen as righteous in the eyes of God because they always tried to do what he asked of the. But they were old and they didn’t have any children because Elizabeth couldn’t become pregnant. The time had come for Zachariah to do his temple duties and one day, while doing so, an angel appeared to him.
He was struck with fear, but the angel said, “Do not be afraid for the Lord has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will have a son and you shall name him John. He will be great in the Lord and the Lord’s sight. He will be filled with God’s spirit and he will announce the promised savior and many men and women will turn back to God. Zachariah responded, “But my wife and I are old. How can this be?” The angel said to him, “It will be because God says it will be. But because you did not believe me, you will not be able to speak until the child is born.”
And sure enough, when Zachariah left the temple, he couldn’t speak. The people recognized that he had had a vision from the Lord and soon thereafter Elizabeth became pregnant and she praised God. She said, “Surely he has heard my prayers and removed the shame of not having any children.”