Luke 1:67-79

Luke 1:67-79 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us — to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

This prophetic message, given by the Holy Spirit through Zechariah's lips, is a song expounding how the Lord God is fulfilling his Word to the patriarchs. In this song, Israel and the world's deliverance from their enemies by God is foretold. Zechariah and Elizabeth's baby, John, is mentioned as the prophet of the Most High who will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him. The Lord's mission will be to REDEEM HIS PEOPLE, to shine on ALL PEOPLE who are living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our (their) feet into the path of peace. Some of the song seemingly relates to the political deliverance of the Israelites. However, beginning in 70 AD and continuing to 135 AD, the Romans dispersed the Jews to many nations. So, this song refers to something far deeper than just a political solution to the Roman occupation. Zechariah prophesied that God has come and HAS REDEEMED his people. God's intervention at this time initiates his plan of salvation.

With the birth of John and the subsequent birth of Jesus, God implements his promise to Abraham that his seed would redeem and bless all nations. I am sure the Jewish people who heard this prophesy immediately thought God was going to deliver them from the oppressive hand of the Romans, but that physical deliverance didn't occur. As happens so often with the divine Word, God words have greater depth than what we first perceive them to mean. Many times, we too readily interpret them only as they pertain to the context of our finite lives. The Jewish people undoubtedly did this when they heard Zechariah's prophesy. But God's plan has always been an eternal one. Abraham never set foot in the Promised Land, neither did Moses. However, both of them experienced THE PROMISED LAND, which the Levites (the priests) were promised as their inheritance, and that is God himself, for in the context of their lives, both were priests of the Most High because they walked with God in an intimate relationship.

Christians also are priests of the Most High. We are the inheritors of Zechariah's prophesy, for we are the ones who have been blessed by Abraham's seed, Jesus Christ. He came to forgive all people of their sins, to guide our (their) feet into the path of peace. However, Christians, because of their reliance on Jesus' words and deeds, because of their faith and trust in him, have been the ones essentially rescued from their enemies and who are now serving him without fear in holiness and righteousness. We who once were living in darkness and in the shadow of death, desperately lost, have the rising sun, the light of God, in our hearts through the wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist prepared the way for this light of heaven by telling the Jewish people they must repent, for the kingdom of God was at hand. Jesus brought the kingdom of God to Earth because He alone had been with God. He stated emphatically that He is the gate to this heavenly kingdom. All other philosophies, all other redemptive plans are frauds and lies, for under no other name can we be saved or in essence enter into the kingdom of heaven both now and for eternity.

The gospel of Christ is simple, but the gate is narrow, and sadly few will enter in, for the flesh of every man and woman boldly stands in the way of submission to Christ. The flesh is strong (everyone has gone his or her own way) and impedes the way to God's heart. But John said, "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand." The message remains the same: repent and enter through the narrow way. There, in his kingdom, you will find peace with God. There, you will relax. There, you will know your purpose in life. There, you will be at home. Come to Jesus: He is the way, the truth, and the life.