Word of Encouragement (12/22/2020)

Luke 1:68-79

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; 72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us 74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

This was a hymn Zechariah (the father of John the Baptist) sang. This hymn is divided into two sections.

In the first section (vv. 68-75), Zechariah blesses God for redeeming His people. This was according to what the prophets of old prophesied (v. 70) and what God promised in His covenants with David (v. 69) and Abraham (v. 73). This redemption is through “a horn of salvation” raised from the house of David. (A horn was a symbol of strength.) This redemption is from the enemies of Israel (v. 71). But the goal of this redemption was not merely for Israel’s political freedom; it was ultimately for Israel to serve their God in holiness and righteousness (vv. 74-75). We may think that the enemies Zechariah had in mind were the pagan nations that had invaded and occupied Israel over the years, the latest being Rome. But the description of the enemies was ambiguous enough that they didn’t have to be merely political and military enemies. The enemies were whoever and whatever prevented Israel from serving God in holiness and righteousness (v. 75). What hindered them from doing that more than sin and the Tempter?

In this first section, God is blessed for His faithfulness to His promises and covenants. God fulfills all His promises. God is incapable of breaking any of His promises. He cannot break His promise and still be God. He may seem to tarry but He is never late. Zechariah realized that the time of fulfillment had finally arrived. God was about to bring His promises to their glorious realization with the birth of the Son of Abraham and David!

In the second section (vv. 76-79), Zechariah addressed his son, John the Baptist. He recognized that his son was no ordinary child, given the extraordinary circumstances surrounding his birth. So, Zechariah blessed God for allowing his son to play an important role in redemptive history. He recognized that his son, John, would be a prophet of the Most High” (v. 76). He would go before the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to prepare His ways. John’s mission was “to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sin.” Here, too, you see the emphasis on God’s salvation from sin, not from foreign nations. Zechariah reinforces this emphasis by describing God’s tender mercy as “the sunrise... to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (vv. 78-79). This promise, too, was wonderfully fulfilled in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, David’s greater Son.

Clearly, certain individuals in redemptive history are given special privileges and roles. John the Baptist is just one example. But let us not be envious of John. He was indeed the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, especially because he was given the privilege to see Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of the prophetic announcements of old. But Jesus said, “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28). Why? He was martyred before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He did not know what we know because we live on the other side of the cross and empty tomb—the extent and intensity of Christ’s sacrificial love for our eternal salvation! Let us bless the Lord for His unfailing faithfulness to His promises and His marvelous love for us! Have a blessed day!