Intro: Zechariah’s Prophecy | The Benedictus

*A. Do you ever feel that way when you sing? That nobody wants to hear your voice? *

When you sing, you aren’t singing for others. We sing for God! And God always wants to hear you sing.

Mary’s song in Luke “The Magnificat” Luke 1:46-55 is one of the verses in this musical introduction to Luke’s Gospel. Another verse in this musical masterpiece is the song of Zechariah. It is found in Luke 1:67-79. It is the second verse.

B. The song of Zechariah’s is the second verse of this song, and it picks up where Mary left off.

It’s the same song, second verse, with the same theme, similar ideas, and related words.

Both verses focus on the greatest theme ever found. Both focus on Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world.

C. Luke 1:67-79 is called the Benedictus.

Zechariah’s song has been called the Benedictus. That title, too, is Latin; it means blessed. It is taken from first word of the song in the Latin Vulgate.

This song is packed with Old Testament allusions and events that are foundational to the people of Israel.

Only the Spirit could lead him to express these prophetic words. The presence of the Holy Spirit also indicates that the prophecy Zechariah spoke was as good as done. Jesus came to redeem all of humanity, and the world has never been the same.

I. Background

A. Zechariah the father of John the Baptist.

Zechariah and Elizabeth had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive.

It was Zechariah’s turn to burn incense in the temple because his team of priests were on duty and a Angel of the Lord appeared.

He told Zechariah they had a Elizabeth would bear him a son and he was to name him John. He will be great in the sight of the Lord he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in the mothers womb.

He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedience to the understanding of righteousness to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.

B. He was struck mute.

The first thing out of Zechariah’s mouth was doubt. He told the Angel his wife was too old.

The Angel said I am Gabriel who stands in the presence of God and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news.

Gabriel seemed to be a little ticked off. And he told Zechariah, you will be silent until these things take place because you didn’t believe me.

C. What would you say after a year when you could finally speak?

“The Benedictus” was, no doubt, formed in the heart of Zechariah during the long months of enforced silence.

After nine months of seeing his son grow in his wife it came streaming out like a torrential river.

It bursts forth like the first rays of the sun over the mountains.

He praises God for two things first for the salvation that is to come through Jesus the Messiah. And second the praise for his newborn son who will be the prophet that prepares a way for the Messiah.

The main principle is that Jesus Christ came to save us. Jesus is Salvation. “Yahweh saves” is the meaning of the name of Jesus.

II. Praise to God for Salvation

A. The Author of Salvation

Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and provided redemption for his people. —Luke 1:68

We often underestimate the magnificence of the plan of salvation that originated in the mind of God.

We are to close to it. To used to it to be awed by its power and its completeness. Our God’s salvation is awesome.

The plan of salvation which the Bible teaches is completely unlike any other plan of salvation we find among the man made world religions. And only a God like ours could have thought it up and brought it to pass.

Salvation is “the masterpiece of eternity! There were so many difficulties to be overcome! There were such infinite consequences to be considered! There were such gulfs to bridge, and such heights to scale, and such immensities to compass! If God had been less than omnipotent, He would not have been strong enough; of less than omniscient, I do not think He would have been wise enough; or less loving, would have been sympathetic enough. There might have been a God strong enough to create a universe, and yet too weak to do this. To create the worlds, only a word was necessary; to do this work required more than a word. It required more than ordinary effort of a God. It required the dying anguish of an Only Son.” —Dr. Talmage

The first words out of his mouth are praise to God for what He has done and will do. He is about to redeem Israel, ransom captive Israel. Deliver them from their bondage. This is the purpose of salvation.

B. The King of Salvation

He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. —Luke 1:69

Zechariahs knows that Mary and Joseph were of royal decent. That the son Mary carries will be of the house of David.

The horn in Scripture signifies glory and dignity, strength and power. In some instances it is translated king. The King of salvation

C. The History of Salvation

just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets in ancient times; Who have been since the world began… —Luke 1:70

Zechariah got this truth about salvation from the Word of God.

David prayed, “Father, let me see the Horn of Salvation of which I sang so well.”

Job, in the midst of his pain and suffering, begged, “Father, let me see my living Redeemer. Oh, that there might be someone to intercede for me before God.”

We read in Hebrews 11 that “they were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise” (Heb. 11:37-38).

We should be grateful to live after the time of Christ rather than before. We have received the promise. We have seen the fullness of God’s grace, mercy and love, poured out upon us in Jesus Christ. The Old Testament is not just a bunch of stories and hard to understand writings. It is the cries of those who came before us to see what we have seen, to hear what we have heard, to know what we have known. The Old Testament is an account of people longing to see Jesus.

D. The Purpose

Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of those who hate us. —Luke 1:71

Who is it that hates us most? Satan. He hates us because we belong to God, and Satan hates everything that belongs to God.

The world hates us also. Jesus said that the world will hate us because it hated Him first.

Our flesh also hates us. We are somewhat schizophrenic. We have a new nature which strives to be like Christ, and we have an old, dead nature, called our flesh, which seeks to drag us back into our old way of living.

He has dealt mercifully with our ancestors and remembered his holy covenant—the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant that we, having been rescued from the hand of our enemies, would serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness in his presence all our days. —Luke 1:72-75

This salvation from our enemies was a promise, a covenant, an oath to the people of the Old Testament, but by the mercy of God, the fulfillment of these promises has been poured out upon those who follow Jesus Christ.

Paul tells us that we are Abraham’s spiritual seed (Rom. 9:7). Now, in Luke 1:74-75,

People in the Old Testament lived in constant fear of God. He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love and acceptance. Romans 8:15 says that He has not given us a spirit that makes us a slave again to fear, but he has given us a spirit of sonship, and by Him, we cry, Abba, Father.

From here Zechariah moves on to talk about his son, John, and the part he will play in the plan of God. He praises John for being the one to prepare the way for the Messiah.

III. Praise to God for his son, John

A. John will also fulfill prophecies out of Isaiah and elsewhere to prepare the way for the Lord.

And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways… —Luke 1:76

Zechariah recognizes these prophecies here and emphasizes them – especially this aspect about John preparing the way for the Messiah

Did you realize that you too can prepare the way for the Messiah? You can prepare the way for others to meet the Messiah.

• First, by preparing yourself. Things in our lives are stumbling blocks to people who would come to Christ.
• Secondly, You can also prepare the way for the Messiah to return to earth by supporting the mission of this church.

Right now we are living in what the Bible calls “The Time of the Gentiles.” It is the time when God has temporarily set aside Israel as His chosen vessel to reach the world for Jesus Christ, and is now using the church. The Bible tells us when the full number of gentiles has come in (Rom. 11:25), then the rapture of the church will happen and we will forever more be with the Lord.

B. When the way is prepared what happens?

1) He brings Knowledge

to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. Because of our God’s merciful compassion, the dawn from on high will visit us… —Luke 1:77-78

The tender mercy of God is one of the most intimate truths in Scripture.

He is the God who heals. He is the God who mends. We have bruised and feeble souls, and He washes and cleanses our wounds with gentle hands. God is not harsh toward you, but is full of tender mercy.

Dawn “Sunrise” is translated to Day-spring in some bibles. Day-spring is the part of the sunrise that is before the sun actually rises. The dawn begins with a glow above the eastern horizon. As the sunrise progresses, the glow gets brighter and brighter until right before the sun peaks over the eastern mountains, rays of light burst upward into the sky. This is the dayspring. It is the few minutes or even seconds of the dawn right before the sun appears. This is what Zechariah is talking about. It’s been a long night. The day is almost here. The sun has almost risen. He has not come yet. But it is the dayspring. In a few moments, the sun will come, and the day will begin. This is the second thing the Messiah brings. The world was in a dark night, black with sin, but Jesus was the sunrise, bringing light.

2) He brings Light

to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death… —Luke 1:79a

Have you ever been lost in the dark?. If you are trying to get somewhere, you have no idea if the direction you are headed is the right direction or not. The best thing to do in such situations, is just sit down and wait for daylight.

This is what Zechariah says the world has done. They have been lost in the darkness, they just sit there, in the darkness, waiting for either death or light. Those are your only two options when you’re lost. To die, or receive light.

Believing in Jesus Christ for eternal life is the only way this light shines into our lives. We only receive the light when we place our faith in Jesus Christ.

Do you ever feel that though you have seen the dawning of a great light, darkness still clings to your soul? You feel deadness in prayer, deadness in reading the Word, deadness in hearing the truth, deadness in desires after the Lord, deadness to everything holy, spiritual, heavenly and divine? Do you ever feel a numbness, a worldliness that seems to freeze up every Godly desire of your soul? I do. Which is why I was so thankful and joyful to read Zechariah’ final words at the end of Luke 1:79. Jesus brings knowledge, light, and finally, peace.

3) He brings Peace

To guide our feet into the way of peace. —Luke 1:79b

That’s what we all want. Peace. We don’t want the way of worry. We don’t want the way of anxiety and fear.

The heart that is at peace is full of joy and contentment.

The life of peace is the life of light and joy.

How do we find Peace? We don’t find it. Jesus leads us to it. This is what these last words tell us. Jesus has come to guide our feet into the way of peace.

You let him guide you. He knows the way. He is not going to force peace upon you. He will not make you be at peace. But if you want to follow him there, He will gladly lead.

Summary

Zechariah could have never said another word in his life except for this song, and it would have been some of the best words every spoken. They are full of tender truths and precious promises about Jesus Christ. Jesus, King of salvation brought us knowledge, light and Peace. He is the Day-spring! The light of the world. We don’t follow the darkness we follow the light. We chase the shadows of Joy and peace and contentment. We need to chase the light and those shadows will follow us all the days of our live.