Daily Devotional Friday 29th December 2023
by William Moody
Luke 1:67–80
Zechariah’s Prophecy
67 And 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
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 us1 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.”
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Footnotes
[1] 1:78
Or when the sunrise shall dawn upon us; some manuscripts since the sunrise has visited us (ESV)
In this beautiful prophesy Zechariah’s focus is on redemption which comes through His horn of salvation from the house of David (v68-69). God’s plan of salvation now being implemented in Zechariah’s day was prophesied in the Old Testament (v70-71) and promised to the patriarchs (v72-73). Zechariah is rejoicing in seeing God’s promises being fulfilled.
The purpose of God’s deliverance is to enable His people to serve without fear from their enemies (v74). This service is to be characterised by holiness and righteousness (v75). The blood of Jesus is the double cure to cleanse us from both sin’s guilt and its power. We’re saved to be holy and righteous.
Zechariah now turns to John and his role to prepare the way for the coming Saviour (v76). Here we see the purpose of prophets and their writings in scripture, to enable Christ to come to us in saving grace. We show we value the presence of Christ in our lives as we value the scriptures.
Zechariah’s song ends with some wonderful truths about salvation. Salvation brings the forgiveness of sin through the tender mercy of God (v77-78). Salvation brings light into people’s spiritual darkness and moves them from the shadow of death to the way of peace (v79).
Zechariah didn’t have the light of the full New Testament as we have, but already he sees salvation as something that is truly wonderful and to rejoice in. Do you rejoice daily in the wonder of God’s salvation?
copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.