Knowing The Word in Luke 1:67-75

Zechariah's Prophecy (The Benedictus)

1:67 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.

Comments

This passage, spoken by Zechariah, is known as the Benedictus, which is Latin for “blessed be.” He is the fourth person filled with the Holy Spirit after Mary, Elizabeth, and John. All this Holy Spirit activity after some 400 years of inactivity initiated and emphasized a new era for the people of God. Zechariah’s Spirit-filled prophecy expresses God’s revelation of what he was doing. There would be a Messiah, a strong savior who would redeem his people at a cost. This was promised and prophesied in God’s word. God was working out his purposes that began with the call of Abram, ran through David and his descendants, and found fulfilment in Mary’s son. His words that the Messiah will come from the house of David show that Mary is most likely from the house of David because Zechariah would not have known Joseph at this point. When we add in the genealogy from Matthew, it seems most likely that both Mary and Joseph descended from the line of David.

That mercy was promised to “our fathers” indicates that the Messiah is not only for the living but for those under the old covenant as well. That God made an oath, a covenant, with Father Abraham meant he would not go back on it. God keeps his promises. All these promises would find their fulfilment in Jesus.

Application

Have you kept every promise you have every made? Do you know people who do not keep their promises? It is hard to trust people who do not keep promises. God, however, always keeps his promises. That is why we can trust God. Write down on paper the promises you know of that God has kept with you.

Prayer

Blessed are you Lord, for you are a promise keeper. Your word is always good, trustworthy, and true. Grant us the fulness of your Spirit that we may keep our promises to you and to one another, that we may be people of integrity, used for your good purposes in the world. For Jesus’ sake we pray.