The story begins . . .

The Christmas story starts in Luke 1:5-7. There is a godly old priestly couple named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. Zachariah served as one of the 24 priests who took turns in the temple, burning incense and offering prayers on behalf of the people. They performed their service with reverence and hope. They hoped for the consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25). One hope this couple had let fade was to see children taking part in their faith. No babies laughed on their knees and the time passed for them to experience that particular joy.

Until one day when it was Zechariah’s turn to attend to the altar at the temple. On that day, he tied the rope around his ankle—to pull his body back out of the holiest of holy places in case he died. It’s happened before (Leviticus 10:1,2). He had tied the string of bells to his garment, because priests don’t approach the God of heaven unannounced. Everything was set. And then he saw the angel.

Zechariah panicked and froze, as people do whenever they encounter one of God’s angels. The angel reassured the priest and informed him of the good news he carried for him. This good news would involve Zechariah and Elizabeth rummaging through the storeroom for the baby crib.

Incredulous, Zechariah couldn’t believe it. That was a mistake, as the angel struck him mute. For the rest of his life, Zechariah would warn everyone who would listen. “Never doubt the Lord.” In time, Elizabeth delivered a baby boy named John who reminded everyone of Elijah, the prophet. They called him John the Baptist, and he preached mightily in preparing the way for the coming Savior. Tyrants feared him, as they had Elijah. As the characters came together, the story continued.