67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: 68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel because he has come to his people and redeemed them. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—72 to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76 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, 77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” 80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel. ~ Luke 1:67-80
The theme of today's text is found in v.68 and v.78 with the twice-used word “come.” The opening and closing verses, of our text, speak of the God who has come to save His people. This Greek word is used only one other time in the New Testament. We get our English word “episcopal,” from this word meaning oversight, or government. The episcopacy of God that expresses itself in redemption through the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Zachariah, in this song of praise, is linking the Davidic covenant to the Abrahamic covenant, and then to the New Covenant. These covenants all have to do with our salvation. The Davidic Covenant is universal, it describes the universal and eternal rule of Jesus Christ. The Abrahamic Covenant is national, it deals primarily with promises made by God to the nation of Israel. And the New Covenant is personal, it deals with how God delivers forgiveness of sin in the life of an individual who chooses to believe. Most of Zechariah's song focuses on the salvation the Messiah would bring.
Nine months earlier Zechariah could not believe his wife would have a child. Now, filled with the Holy Spirit, he is so confident of God's redeeming work in the coming Messiah that he puts his words in the past tense. For the mind of faith, a promised act of God is as good as done. Zechariah has learned to take God at His word and as a result, speaks with an attractive confidence. Zechariah reminds us that for centuries the Jewish people of faith were awaiting the coming of the promised Messiah. Now, the long awaited visitation of God is about to happen.
In v.69 he tells us how this visitation and redemption will happen. God "has raised up a horn of salvation." This horn is none other than the Lord Jesus. This "horn" in the Old Testament described the deadly weapon made from the horn of the wild ox. It is used metaphorically to describe the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the only place in the New Testament where the Lord Jesus is called the "horn" which is a description of the strength and the means of His victory over our sin and death.
According to v.70 the coming of this "horn of salvation" was prophesied in Psalm 132:17, where God says, "There I will make a horn to sprout for David. I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame."The only two instances of the phrase "horn of salvation" in the Old Testament are references to God. The Messiah is God the Son.
The Lord Jesus is the horn of salvation and He is, according to v.71, the One God the Father uses to save His people from their enemies and all who hate them. According to v.74-75 the goal of God's redemption in raising up the Messiah is to "to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days." The goal is not merely to liberate an oppressed people, but to create a holy and righteous people who live in no fear because they trust Him.
In v.76-77, Zechariah turns his attention away from the Messiah to his baby son, John the Baptist. He reviews the promises of the angel Gabriel, and summarizes the identity and mission of John as “the forerunner” to the Messiah. John’s ministry, as a prophet, would be to prepare the nation of Israel for the coming of the Lord Jesus. This would include making them aware of their sinfulness and to arouse their hearts with the need for forgiveness of sin.
In v.78-79, Zechariah answers two questions: why would God come to us?, and how God would come to us? In v.79, we are told that God will do this because of His “tender mercy,” meaning “bowels.” Have you ever been so affected by something that your insides churned or rejoiced? That captures the description of God’s compassionate response to lost humanity. God could not allow humanity to continue in our destructive lifestyles to which we are captive. This is why He came to us.
In v.79, a picture is painted of an ancient Near Eastern caravan traveling through the desert. This caravan of humanity of which we’re all a part, is lost in the desert. The black night descends. There is no moon or stars. We huddle together for warmth, fearing for our safety. Thoughts of death from exposure, wild animals, starvation, enter our minds and conversation. We wait through a seeming eternity of darkness for the coming of God's horn.
But just when things seemed most desperate, suddenly a bright star appears and lights up the desert. Filled with new courage and hope, we arise. The brilliance of the star helps us discover a road that will take us back to life itself.
The Lord Jesus is the “rising sun,” the life-giving star, the light that was promised centuries earlier. In Isaiah 60:1, we read, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” He offers light in the place of darkness; life in the face of death; peace in the midst of chaos and confusion. Think of it, without darkness, death, chaos and confusion, would we cry out to God? I think not. The Lord Jesus settles our alienation from God, and our fear of death itself. His saving light introduces us to a personal relationship with God Himself.
