1
Gabriel Visits Zechariah
and Mary Luke
A
1:5-55
A short time before Jesus was born, a
priest by the name of Zechariah and his wife,
Elizabeth, lived near Jerusalem. Both of them
loved God and waited for the day when he
would send the Savior.
But one thing made Zechariah and
Elizabeth very sad. They had no children,
and now they were too old to have a baby.
One day it was Zechariah’s turn to serve
God in the temple. He was about to burn incense
on the altar when an angel suddenly appeared!
Zechariah was frightened when he saw the angel.
The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah.
God has heard your prayer for a child. Your wife,
Elizabeth, will soon have a son. You are to name
him John. Your son will serve God in a special
way. God will use him to get people ready for
the promised Savior.”
Zechariah listened carefully, but he didn’t
believe the angel. “How can I be sure that what
you are telling me is true?” he asked. “Elizabeth
and I are too old to have a baby.”
The angel answered, “I am the angel
Gabriel. God sent me to tell you this good
news. But now since
you won’t believe
me, you won’t be
able to talk until
God’s promise
comes true and
your son is born.”
Then Gabriel
was gone. Zechariah
tried to talk, but he
couldn’t say a word.
When
Zechariah’s days
of serving God in
the temple were
over, he went home.
It wasn’t long before
Elizabeth knew that she was going to have
a baby.
Six months later God sent Gabriel to a
little town called Nazareth. This time he had
some wonderful news for a young woman
named Mary. Mary had promised to become
the wife of a man named Joseph. But they were
not married yet.
Gabriel said to Mary, “Peace be with
you.The Lord is with you and has greatly
blessed you!”
Mary was troubled and wondered what
the angel’s words meant. Then the angel said
to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary. God is going
to bless you with a miracle. You are going to
have a son, and you are to name him Jesus.
He will be a very special baby, because he
will be the Son of God and the Savior of
the world.”
Mary asked the angel, “How can this be?
I’m not married yet!”
Gabriel answered, “The Holy Spirit will
bless you in a special way. The power of God will
make you the mother of God’s own Son.”
Mary said, “I am willing to do what God
wants me to do. May the Lord do to me as you
have said.”
Mary was so happy that she couldn’t keep
this wonderful news to herself! So she went to
tell one of her relatives—Elizabeth. But as soon
as she got there, Elizabeth told Mary, “You are
the most blessed of all women. And blessed is the
child you will have.”
Mary then praised God and said, “I praise
the Lord. For even though I am not rich or
powerful, God has chosen me to be the mother
of his Son. And because of this, people from now
on will call me blessed.”
Zechariah and Mary
received special
messages from God
about the Savior.
God has recorded
that same message—the good news about Jesus’
life and death for our salvation—in the Bible
so that we can read and reread the promises of
God. What a blessing!
Dear Father, thank you for sending your Son to
earth to be our Savior. Thank you also for telling
us all about him in the Bible. Fill our hearts with
joy as we study your Word to learn more about
our Savior. In his name we pray. Amen.
1. In the Bible lesson, use a highlighter or pencil
to mark the name of the angel that God used to
share a special message about the coming Savior.
2. Have a family member complete the picture
below to show what God uses to share the
good news about our Savior Jesus with people
today. Then read about the birth of the Savior
in Luke 2:1-20.
* John 3:16
* A portion of the Second Article
of the Apostles’ Creed
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son,
our Lord, who was conceived by the
Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary.
GRADES 1-2 | NT | SET 1 | 1A
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