Hazrat Essa (A.S) is the precursor to Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U۔H). The era of Hazrat Essa (A.S) was under the darkness. People of that time were unable to feel the things which are not concrete but abstract, and were not accepting the things of true faith. Existence of Allah, angels, worship, morality, these all things are beyond tangibility that’s why the sight, wit and consciousness of people from that time were not accepting these facts. Until those people touch something or see the thing with their eyes, only then they were able to believe the existence of that particular thing. So, Allah started telling them the things by ways their minds accept. On the other hand Allah explained the truth, the right and the wrong  by the roles of personalities whom  Allah chosen as messengers. Hence, the birth of Hazrat Essa (A.S) is one of the miracles and Allah explained a lot of truths by such miracles.

Few verses explain this,

And (shall make him) a messenger to the Children of Isra’il (who will say to them): “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that is, I create for you from clay something in the shape of a bird, then I blow in it, and it becomes a living bird by the will of Allah; and I cure the born-blind and the leper, and I cause the dead to become alive by the will of Allah; and I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your homes. In this there is surely a sign for you, if you are (truly) believers.
(Surah al Imran, Verse: 49) 

And before that Hazrat Yahya (John the Baptist) continually tried to make them aware of the day of judgement. Because they were excessively concerned with physical comforts and material  possessions, rather than with spiritual, intellectual, or cultural values. They were indulged in adultery and crimes. They became this much cruel that when the son of Jewish king, Herod Antipas put his brother Philip’s wife into his incarceration and on this when Hazrat Yahya (John the Baptist) impeded them to do such acts, they not only sent Hazrat Yahya to prison but on the order of slut (prostitute) they beheaded Hazrat Yahya and present the head on a platter. This was the condition before Hazrat Essa (A.S).

Consideration and authority of Al-Aqsa Mosque vary according to the era. But in the era of Hazrat Essa (A.S) the authority was in the hand of Hazrat Zakriya A.S (father of Hazrat Yahya A.S) who was the King of Hazrat Haroon’s family.

Hazrat Marium (A.S) is the daughter of Hazrat Imran (Joachim) and belongs to the generation of Hazrat Dawood A.S (David).

Quran tell us the prayer of Hazrat Zakriya (A.S). As mentioned

He said, “My Lord, I am in a state that bones in my body have turned feeble, and the head has flared up grey with old age, and I never remained, My Lord, unanswered in my prayer to You. (4) I fear (my) kinsmen after me, and my wife is barren, so bless me with an heir, from Your own side, (5) 
(Surah  Marium, Verse: 4-5)

Quran also tells us the prayer of the wife of Hazrat Imran

Remember) when ‘Imran’s wife said: “O my Lord, I have vowed that what is in my womb will be devoted exclusively for You. So, accept (it) from me. You, certainly You, are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” (35) 
(Surah Al-Imran, Verse: 35)