Key Points

• God in His mercy promised to send John to prepare sinful people for the coming of the Lord.
• Law: God in His Word calls us to repentance, declaring us righteous because of Jesus. Law/Gospel Points Zechariah and Elizabeth were ordinary people, sinful just as I am. I need to repent and return to the Lord.
• Gospel: I, like them, stand righteous before God in spite of my sin, being justified by Christ, the Righteous One. God forgives me for Jesus’ sake, drawing me to Him through His Word and Sacraments.

Discussion Questions

1. Today we begin the season of Advent. The word advent means “a coming to” or “an arrival.” Today’s lesson tells of the promise that John the Baptist would come to prepare the way for Jesus’ own coming. In Advent, we focus on the advents (plural) of Jesus. Give three examples of advents of Jesus, and discuss how each one is important to our lives as Christians.
2. Today’s lesson is set in and around the temple in Jerusalem. Though the inner workings of the temple, and the tabernacle before it, are unfamiliar to most of us, basic knowledge of them helps us understand many events and ideas in the New Testament. God’s presence dwelled in the temple, and priests offered sacrifices to Him there, as He had instructed them to do. One of the rites of the temple was the burning of incense. Exodus 30:1–10 describes the institution of this rite. Zechariah was a priest, and he had been chosen to serve at the altar of incense, which was just outside the Holy of Holies (Luke 1:8–9). This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a high honor. While the priest offered incense, believers would offer prayers at the temple (Luke 1:10). What does incense symbolize? See Psalm 141:1–2. Why might God have instituted the use of incense for Old Testament worship?
3. God spoke to Zechariah through the angel Gabriel, the messenger whom He had sent. Angels were often sent by God to be His messengers. Whom did Jesus later send out into the world as His messengers to speak on His behalf? Who are Jesus’ messengers to the world today? How can we tell whether someone is a true or false messenger of God?
4. Luke 1:6 says that both Zechariah and Elizabeth were “righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.” Why can this verse not mean that Zechariah and Elizabeth were saved by perfect obedience to the commandments? See Romans 3:23–24. What does it mean that they were “righteous before God”? What does it mean that they were “walking blamelessly” in God’s commandments and statutes?
5. What Old Testament couple is brought to mind by the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth? See Genesis 17:15–19. What similarities do you see between the stories? Why is it important to read that the saints in the Bible sometimes fell into unbelief?
6. Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament and was written around 430 BC. Read Malachi 4:5–6 and Luke 1:16–17. What key phrases in these verses indicate that Malachi’s prophecy was fulfilled in the person of John? What event does Malachi say will happen after Elijah comes?
7. Read Luke 3:3. What was John’s basic message? According to Luke 1:16, what would be one outcome of John’s preaching? If Luke 1:16 refers to the repentance of some of the Jews, to whom might Luke 1:17 be referring?
8. Luke 1:15 says that John “must not drink wine or strong drink.” This is one of the requirements for someone who would take a Nazirite vow. Read Numbers 6:1–3. What is the purpose of the Nazirite vow? What kind of tone does this set for John’s ministry? According to Psalm 104:15, what does wine symbolize? In Luke 7:33–34, Jesus contrasts His own ministry with John’s, saying that John drinks no wine but that He does. What could this difference in their ministries indicate?
9. God made Zechariah mute because he did not believe the promise given through Gabriel. Zechariah would have known the story of Abraham and Sarah, among other similar stories, of God opening closed wombs. He should have known better than to doubt God. Instead, he asked for a sign to prove that the prophecy would come true. God muted Zechariah in order to chastise him for his unbelief but also, ironically, to provide the sign for which he had asked. When misfortunes occur in our lives, should we interpret them as God’s punishments? Why or why not? What are the only signs of God’s love for which we should look? Read Mark 16:16 and Romans 8:28. What are some examples of signs that people today seek in order to confirm that God loves them?
10. Luke 1:15 says that John would “be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” Read Luke 1:39–45. Who alone can give faith? What could these passages tell us about the possibility of unborn babies having faith? Can we be certain that God gives faith to infants who are baptized? What impression do these passages give to us concerning the value Elizabeth and Mary placed on their unborn babies?