{ "schemaVersion": 1, "kind": "event", "id": "johns-birth-predicted", "era": "life-of-jesus", "order": 296, "title": "John's birth predicted", "group": "birth-and-childhood", "date": { "kind": "relative", "label": "Birth and childhood", "note": "A guided comparison of Gospel accounts, not a measured calendar or a claim that every parallel follows the same sequence." }, "pin": [ 35.23494, 31.77744 ], "pinConfidence": "Identified site", "pinPlace": "jerusalem_636", "summary": "Luke introduces his account for Theophilus, then tells how Gabriel announces John’s birth while Zechariah serves in the temple. Zechariah cannot speak until the promise is fulfilled; Elizabeth conceives after his return home.", "context": "The introduction explains Luke’s purpose. Elizabeth and Zechariah are called righteous before their childlessness is mentioned; infertility is not presented as proof of wrongdoing. John will prepare people for the Lord.", "question": "How does Luke connect careful testimony with the promise to this family?", "locationNote": "Luke places Zechariah’s service in the temple at Jerusalem. The city marker does not reconstruct his position within the sanctuary.", "passages": [ { "reference": "Luke 1:1–25", "range": [ 42001001, 42001025 ], "translation": "bsb", "url": "https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%201%3A1%E2%80%9325&version=BSB", "availability": "bundled", "verses": [ { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 1, "text": "Many have undertaken to compose an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us," }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 2, "text": "just as they were handed down to us by the initial eyewitnesses and servants of the word." }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 3, "text": "Therefore, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus," }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 4, "text": "so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught." }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 5, "text": "In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and whose wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron." }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 6, "text": "Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord." }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 7, "text": "But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years." }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 8, "text": "One day while Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God," }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 9, "text": "he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense." }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 10, "text": "And at the hour of the incense offering, the whole congregation was praying outside." }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 11, "text": "Just then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, standing at the right side of the altar of incense." }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 12, "text": "When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear." }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 13, "text": "But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John." }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 14, "text": "He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice at his birth," }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 15, "text": "for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb." }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 16, "text": "Many of the sons of Israel he will turn back to the Lord their God." }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 17, "text": "And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”" }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 18, "text": "“How can I be sure of this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”" }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 19, "text": "“I am Gabriel,” replied the angel. “I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news." }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 20, "text": "And now you will be silent and unable to speak until the day this comes to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”" }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 21, "text": "Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he took so long in the temple." }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 22, "text": "When he came out and was unable to speak to them, they realized he had seen a vision in the temple. He kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak." }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 23, "text": "And when the days of his service were complete, he returned home." }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 24, "text": "After these days, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. She declared," }, { "book": "Luke", "chapter": 1, "verse": 25, "text": "“The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has shown me favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”" } ] } ], "related": [ { "range": [ 39004005, 39004006 ], "kind": "teaching", "note": "Gabriel’s description recalls the promise of restored relationships associated with Elijah.", "reference": "Malachi 4:5–6", "translation": "bsb", "url": "https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Malachi%204%3A5%E2%80%936&version=BSB" } ], "places": [ { "id": "jerusalem_636", "name": "Jerusalem", "coordinate": [ 35.23494, 31.77744 ], "kind": "City", "confidence": "Identified site", "confidenceSource": "rule", "sources": [ { "label": "Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire", "url": "http://dare.ht.lu.se/places/15896" } ] } ], "mapPeriod": "gospel-land", "further": [ { "label": "Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire", "url": "http://dare.ht.lu.se/places/15896" } ], "provenance": { "sources": [ { "name": "theographic", "ref": "248" }, { "name": "editorial" } ], "review": "draft" }, "eraName": "Life of Jesus", "interactiveUrl": "https://wilderness-scripture-atlas.pages.dev/?event=johns-birth-predicted", "attribution": [ "Events and places adapted from Theographic Bible Metadata (github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata), CC BY-SA 4.0. This adapted data is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.", "Place coordinates from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0.", "Teaching stops, summaries and regional extents are original editorial content of this atlas.", "Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain. https://berean.bible/licensing.htm" ], "translation": "bsb", "url": "https://wilderness-scripture-atlas.pages.dev/reference/events/johns-birth-predicted/", "markdownUrl": "https://wilderness-scripture-atlas.pages.dev/reference/events/johns-birth-predicted/index.md", "jsonUrl": "https://wilderness-scripture-atlas.pages.dev/reference/events/johns-birth-predicted/index.json", "cautions": "Narrative order is a reading arrangement, not a proven chronology. Dates retain their stated uncertainty. An identified locality does not establish the exact venue or prove an event. Region extents and routes are illustrative, not surveyed boundaries or ancient roads. Draft material has not completed editorial review.", "revision": "acae64b3556a9b83" }