Prophecy


Luke 1:67-79
67[After John’s birth] his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
68“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people
69and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
70as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;
72to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
73the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,
75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,
78because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

After Zechariah writes “His name is John” the voice that was taken from him because of his doubt is restored. Our passage for today is the first words he speaks after nine months as he holds this miracle baby in his arms. Would that my words would always first be in praise of the Living God.

With these words, Zechariah declares that the Old Testament prophecies about a coming Messiah are about to be realized. With biblical eloquence he brings the story of God’s people into focus with the birth of the coming Messiah. Then he recognizes that his son, John, will be a part of that story as well. These words of prophecy lay out the direction of John’s life. But only one verse of this passage speaks of John. The rest of the verses refer to the fact that salvation is at hand. These are brilliant times. In this speech, the past, the present, and the future come together in the person of Jesus Christ. Since Mary stayed with Elizabeth and Zechariah for three months you can be certain he was fully aware of the eminent arrival of the Messiah. It is obviously his honor and his joy to declare these truths. The whole of Scripture coalesces in this moment as he witnesses to the power of God and his small part in God’s plan. You can almost hear his awe at being allowed to father the one who would announce the arrival of God’s Kingdom in the person of Jesus Christ.

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