Superhero Sidekicks: Biblical Characters Who Did Big and Small Things for GodSample

Zechariah and Elizabeth

John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin, and he’s the one who told people that Jesus was coming. He’s also the one who baptized Jesus. (You can read Luke 3:1-22 for that story.) 

Two people that we sometimes forget about are John's parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth. Have you ever wondered what your parents' lives were like before you were born? Zechariah was a priest and Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin (Mary was Jesus’ mom). Zechariah and Elizabeth were getting old and they still didn’t have kids. 

But God had a plan. He sent the angel Gabriel to tell Zechariah a special message:  

“Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord” (Luke 1:13b-15a).

What great news! But Zechariah didn’t believe Gabriel, so Gabriel told Zechariah that he wouldn't be able to talk until the baby was born. After Zechariah could talk again, he declared: 

“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace” (Luke 1:76-79).

That’s all the Bible tells us about Zechariah and Elizabeth, but we know that John was super important to the start of Jesus’ ministry here on earth. For John to be prepared for what he was going to do for Jesus, he needed good parents to tell him about God and the coming Savior. It might be hard to think of a dad and mom as more than “just” parents. But God gives them important work to do too, including helping you to grow up to love God and follow Jesus! You might even think of your parents as Jesus’ sidekicks and your superheroes!

Family focus:

• Have you ever doubted something that God has said? Maybe it’s something He’s said in the Bible that you had a hard time believing because it didn’t match up with your understanding?
• How can you choose to believe and obey God even when it’s hard?