1. Was this the first written account of Jesus' ministry? (1) Was the author an eye witness? (2) How did the author come to know the events? (3) Why was it written? (4)
II. Zechariah's Life of Faith (5-13)
2. What do you know about Herod and his times?
3. Who were Zechariah and Elizabeth? What was the problem in their family? How do you think this problem affected them? (25) In what respects might they be called upright in the sight of God? (see Psalm 1)
4. What special opportunity came to Zechariah? What did it mean to burn incense at the altar while the people prayed outside? What should be his prayer topic at a time like this?
5. What happened? What was Zechariah's reaction? Why? What had evidently been his secret lifelong prayer topic? What can we learn from him about persistent prayer? About the importance of holding on to one prayer topic?
6. What can we learn here about the kind of people God calls and uses?
III. Great Before the Lord (14-17)
7. Why would this baby be a blessing to his family and to the world? Why was he great? What did the angel name him? Why? What would be special about his way of life? Why should God's servant live a pure life?
8. What would be his mission? How would he carry it out? How would he be like Elijah? (Mark 6:18) What does verse 17 tell us about the people of John's time? About the real focal point of John's holy mission?
IV. God Trains Zechariah (18-25)
9. How did Zechariah respond? Why did he find it so hard to believe the good news? How did the angel rebuke him? What special training did he receive?
10. Meanwhile, what was happening outside the temple? What did they come to learn? Why would Elizabeth remain in seclusion? Has people changed since then?
