Who were Zechariah and Elizabeth?

Quick answer

Zechariah and Elizabeth were a righteous couple who had a son, John the Baptist, in their old age. The account of Zechariah and Elizabeth reveals that God’s plan in His timing is best.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Zechariah and Elizabeth, both descended from priestly lines and noted as being righteous before God, were childless until old age. During Zechariah's temple service, the angel Gabriel announced that Elizabeth would bear a son named John, who would prepare the way for the Messiah. Zechariah's initial disbelief left him mute. Elizabeth conceived as foretold, and during her pregnancy, she received a visit from Mary, the mother of Jesus, leading Elizabeth to recognize and proclaim the significance of Mary's child. Elizabeth gave birth to John, and during the naming ceremony, Zechariah confirmed the name "John" in obedience to Gabriel's message, therefore regaining his speech. Zechariah and Elizabeth’s son, John, grew up to be known as John the Baptist.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

Zechariah and Elizabeth are not mentioned in the Old Testament.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth can be found in Luke 1:5–80.

Zechariah was a priest in the temple during the Roman reign of King Herod. His wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron's priestly line. Both of them are described as "righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord" (Luke 1:6). Their righteous standing before God is noteworthy because they remained childless until they were well advanced in years. During that time, barrenness was seen as a consequence of personal unrighteousness. This verse confirms that Elizabeth's barrenness was not due to sin but according to God's plan.

During Zechariah's priestly rotation of duties in the temple, he was "chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense" (Luke 1:9). Each priestly division served in the temple only one week every six months, and the duties were assigned by lot. With this system, the opportunity to keep incense burning on the altar outside the Most Holy Place by placing fresh incense there before morning sacrifice and again after the evening sacrifice happened rarely, if at all, in a priest's lifetime. However, God had a plan for Zechariah, and as Proverbs 16:33 explains, "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD."

While Zechariah was placing the incense, Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, appeared with a message for him: his and Elizabeth's prayers for a child had been heard. Elizabeth would bear a son whom they were to name John. The child would be great in the sight of the Lord and be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth. John would turn many people's hearts to God in preparation for the Messiah in the spirit and power of Elijah.

Zechariah did not believe the angel, stating that it was impossible because "I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years" (Luke 1:18). Gabriel rebuked Zechariah for his unbelief and declared, "You will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place" (Luke 1:20). When Zechariah emerged from the Holy Place he was indeed unable to speak. Through signs and hand gestures, the people understood that he had seen a vision.

When his week of service concluded, Zechariah returned home to his wife to a town in the hill country of Judah. There, his wife conceived just as the angel had said. Elizabeth immediately recognized God's role in her pregnancy saying, "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people" (Luke 1:25). She kept herself in seclusion for five months.

In Elizabeth's six month of pregnancy, Mary (newly pregnant with the Messiah) came to visit. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, she was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord" (Luke 1:42–45). Mary stayed with Zechariah and Elizabeth for about three months, which would have been around the time Elizabeth gave birth and Mary's first trimester was complete.

Elizabeth gave birth to a son, just as Gabriel had promised, and her neighbors and relatives rejoiced with her. On the eighth day during the circumcision and naming ceremony, the people were going to name the baby Zechariah after his father, but Elizabeth prevented them saying, "No; he shall be called John" (Luke 1:60). Elizabeth believed what the angel had told Zechariah and she stood firm in obeying the command to name the baby John. When the people turned to Zechariah for his thoughts, he wrote on a tablet "His name is John" (Luke 1:63). As soon as wrote this response, "his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God" (Luke 1:64). Being filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah prophesied about the role John would play in preparing the way for the Messiah (Luke 1:67–79).

Zechariah and Elizabeth’s “child grew and became strong in spirit” (Luke 1:80), eventually being known as John the Baptist. Zechariah and Elizabeth are not mentioned again in the Bible.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Zechariah and Elizabeth’s story challenges us in the way we handle societal norms and expectations and encourages us to trust in God. Barrenness was a difficult life circumstance to handle as a couple. Society at that time assumed that couples were barren as a punishment for their sin. For a couple who longed to have children, the pain of not being able to have them would have been compounded by societal expectations. Although Zechariah and Elizabeth likely had personal pain both from not being able to have children as well as from the pressures and judgment put on them by those around them, they trusted in God's timing and plans, even when circumstances seemed impossible. Despite their advanced age and years of barrenness, they remained righteous and faithful to God's commandments. Yes, Zechariah was originally shocked and incredulous at the news from Gabriel; however, Zechariah and Elizabeth allowed the truth to shape them and trusted in God to fulfill His promise. When God's promise was finally revealed, Zechariah and Elizabeth could see that God's plans often unfold in ways that surpass human understanding. Trusting in God's plan, even when it seems delayed or improbable, is a powerful lesson we can learn from their story.

UNDERSTAND

Zechariah and Elizabeth were both righteous before God.

Despite their righteousness, Zechariah and Elizabeth were childless until old age.

During Zechariah's temple service, the angel Gabriel appeared to him, announcing that Elizabeth would bear a son named John, who would prepare the way for the Messiah.

REFLECT

How do I respond when my prayers seem unanswered or when God's timing does not align with my expectations?

In what ways can I maintain faith and righteousness despite facing challenges or societal judgments?

How can I better trust in God's plan for my life, even when it seems delayed or impossible?

ENGAGE

What are some societal norms and pressures where you live? How does the Bible shape your response to them?

How did Zechariah and Elizabeth’s faith grow from first hearing about their son to having God fulfill His promise to them?

In what ways does Zechariah's initial disbelief and subsequent obedience reflect common human reactions to God and His plans, and how can we apply this understanding in our own walk with God?