67 His father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,

68 “Blessed be the Lord, the 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 who have been from of old),

71 salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us;

72 to show mercy towards our fathers,

to remember his holy covenant,

73 the oath which he spoke to Abraham, our father,

74 to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.

76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High,

for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,

77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins,

78 because of the tender mercy of our God,

whereby the dawn from on high will visit us,

79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death;

to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

80 The child was growing, and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Luke 1:57-66 - World English Bible

In this passage from Luke, the healed Zechariah declared the Benedictus, a prayer of blessing on the Lord. We can divide the Benedictus into two parts, focusing on the two characters foretold in the passage: Jesus and John.

First, Zechariah proclaimed the presence and redemption of the Lord in Jesus. God raised up his "horn of salvation." This phrase has puzzled scholars over the years. Did it refer to a shofar, the rams horn Temple officials used to blow a tune and announce various holy days? Did it refer to bull's horn, the blunt instrument the animal used in fighting? Did it refer to a vessel for pouring oil (an ivory tusk)? While the meaning cannot be clearly ascertained, clearly the horn of salvation was a prophetic sign of Davidic linage that would free the people from persecution and would be a marker of the Lord's mercy. 1:70-72 and 1:73-75 form a thematic parallel: 1) prophecy (1::70) then salvation/mercy (1:71-72) and 2) promise to Abraham (1:73) then deliverance/service (1:74-75). In this construction, Luke emphasized the roots of Jesus in the Hebrew scriptures; he was the Lord's presence and redemption on earth.

In 1:76-79, Zechariah turned to his own son, John. The child would grow to become a prophet, preceding Jesus ("the face of the Lord") to prepare the people with a message of repentance, leading to forgiveness. The Lord sent John as only part of his mercy; the Baptist would point to the Christ, the dawn who would enlighten those in darkness and at death's door and who would lead to a life of peace ("guide our feet into the way of peace").

The Spirit that silenced Zechariah now filled him to prophesy, so his road to faith was complete. He saw that fulfillment in his own son.

How do you see God's will in your life? Does that experience lead you to praise the Lord?

Christmas Eve Studies