The son of Elizabeth and Zechariah, who was sent by God to prepare the way for the Messiah, is John the Baptist. He is often recognized for his role in baptizing Jesus and calling people to repentance in anticipation of Jesus' ministry. John is considered a significant prophetic figure in the New Testament, embodying the spirit and mission of the earlier prophets.
When Gabriel visits Zechariah, he delivers the message that Zechariah's wife Elizabeth will have a son, who will be named John and will prepare the way for the Lord.
Gabriel told Zechariah that his son, John the Baptist, would be a great prophet and would prepare the way for the Lord. He would turn many of the children of Israel back to God and would also be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth. John was destined to play a crucial role in heralding the coming of the Messiah.
To prepare the way of the Messiah.
He preached repentance, and baptized people, and told them that the Messiah was coming, and they should prepare for Him.
Zechariah's story is told in Luke's Gospel. He was a priest "of the division of Abijah" (Luke 1:5) and the husband of Elizabeth, the Virgin Mary's cousin. One day "while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense" (Luke 1:8-9). While he was in the temple, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him that Elizabeth was going to have a son named John. Zechariah was told that John wouldn't be able to drink wine or other alcoholic drink and would be "filled with the Holy Spirit" (Luke 1:15). When he questioned this prophecy since Elizabeth was too old to bear children, Gabriel responded that because he had not believed he was to be mute until the time of the child's birth. Elizabeth did indeed conceive and bear a son. When John was presented in the temple to be circumcised the elders of the temple were going to name the child Zechariah, but Elizabeth told them to name him John. They didn't want to do this because the name John was not in their genealogy, so they asked Zechariah what to name the child. Zechariah wrote on a tablet, "His name is John [...] And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God" (Luke 2:63-64). Zechariah then prophesied that John would "be called the prophet of the Most High; for [he would] go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of sins" (Luke 2:76-77).
John the Baptist was the son of Elizabeth & Zacharias. John was the forerunner of Jesus Christ. He was to prepare the way of the Lord.
According to Islam:all the prophets of God are His messenger.MOHAMMED(PEACE BE UPON HIM )is the last MESSENGER of God.there is no Messenger after HIMA Christian point of view:In the Bible, prophets were also called messengers(2Chronicles 36:15,16)John the Baptizer was specifically called a messenger of God (Malachi 3:1/Matthew 11:10, 11)sent to prepare the Jewish nation for the coming of Messiah, who was, in turn, God's 'messenger of the covenant' with Abraham(Malachi 3:1). Also, the word "angel"(Hebrew: mal‧'akh′/Greek: ag′ge‧los) literally means 'messenger'. So the angels have served as God's messengers.(John 1:51)Another Muslim point of view:Not all prophets are messengers, in Islam. Messengers are the prophets who received a book. Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad are Messengers.Jesus (peace be upon him) is the Messiah. Muhammad is the Messsenger of the Covenant.
she stayed smart and made right choices for the future.
John the Baptist urged people to prepare for the Messiah by calling for repentance and a transformation of their hearts. He emphasized the importance of turning away from sin and living righteously, symbolized through the act of baptism. John also encouraged individuals to bear fruits of repentance, demonstrating their commitment to a changed life in anticipation of the coming Savior.
The period of silence before the birth of Jesus is often referred to as the intertestamental period. During this time, there were no prophets or recorded divine revelations. Some scholars believe that God's silence during this time was a way to prepare the world for the coming of Jesus, the Messiah, who would bring a new covenant and fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament.
The parents of John the Baptist, Elizabeth and Zechariah, played a significant role in the biblical narrative by being chosen by God to give birth to John, who would later prepare the way for Jesus Christ. They were faithful and obedient to God's plan, despite facing challenges and doubts. Their story highlights the importance of faith and trust in God's promises.
The baptism of John the Baptist was a baptism of repentance for Jews. John was preparing the way for Messiah. The Jews believed that Messiah was going to set up His kingdom on earth as written in the Old Testament. Messiah was the coming King, who would defeat Israel's enemies. John was calling the Jews to repent, meaning to renew their commitment to The Law and prepare for Messiah. This made John's baptism both personal and national in nature. To be baptized, one had to be a Jew, or prepared to convert to Judaism, to acknowledge the Law as the guiding principle for life and to submit to the coming Messiah.