Read: Luke 1:67–80
“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.”
Luke 1:76
Okay, we can admit this together. During the Christmas season (or any other time of year), I daresay that most of us have rarely, if ever, read Zechariah’s prophetic praise after John is born. Mary’s song of praise is much better known, due especially, perhaps, to the Catholic community’s great reverence for her.
Zechariah’s words in this passage are often called the Benedictus because this is the first word of the prophecy in Latin. “Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel,” translated, is “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel.” This phrase can also be found in the Old Testament (see Psalm 41:13 and 2 Chronicles 6:4 for examples).
The first half of Zechariah’s prophecy is praise directed at God for the approaching arrival of Jesus and the salvation He will bring. You can read this portion out loud in praise to God as if reading a Psalm. As deliverance was coming to Israel, salvation now has come to the whole world. Praise the Lord!
This blessing was promised centuries earlier to Abraham and would now finally be fulfilled. As we will study tomorrow, Abraham and David are both mentioned in this passage and in the genealogies that reinforce Jesus’ lineage. God’s “holy prophets” are also invoked as a reminder of the many prophecies about to be fulfilled.
In the latter half of his prophecy, Zechariah spells out the role John will play in relation to Jesus. How humbling and awe-inspiring it must be for Zechariah and Elizabeth. They now know fully and without any doubt that John will indeed be “the voice of one crying in the wilderness” foretold by Isaiah (40:3). Their son will preach God’s salvation, forgiveness, and mercy, and will pave the way for Christos.
What Zechariah is declaring here is truly momentous. The Jewish people had been waiting centuries for the prophecies of old to come to fruition. Imagine the joy and celebration among friends and family who join Zechariah and Elizabeth in faith. The time has finally come for another “Elijah” in the person of their son, John. Yeshua HaMashiach (Hebrew), Jesus the Messiah, will also soon come into the world! And of all families, it is theirs, which includes their beloved relative, Mary, that has been blessed with being parents to these special, prophesied sons.
The last we hear of young John in the Gospel of Luke is that he grows up in the desert and becomes strong in body and spirit. Presumably, he loses his older parents prior to his public ministry. He re-emerges in Scripture as an adult, preaching and teaching and “preparing the way of the Lord.”
We, too, should view our role on this earth like John. We are here to live for Christ, to share about Him, and to prepare the way for His Second Coming. After that, there will be no more second chances for people to believe. This should be our great motivation for witnessing. We must prepare the way!