John the Baptist: The prophecy of Zechariah

Luke 1:57–80; focused on 1:67–79

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David."

Reflect

As Luke continues to weave his narrative after Mary's song, The Magnificat, he takes us back to his first story: the foretelling of the birth of John the Baptist. Luke 1:5-25 gives the account of Zechariah and Elizabeth, an elderly, childless couple who are models of Jewish faithfulness. Zechariah is a Temple priest. He is told by an angel that Elizabeth is to have a son, who is to be named John—one who will turn the people to the Lord and prepare the way for the Messiah. (Christ).

Luke's readers are immediately reminded of Abraham and Sarah—another childless couple well beyond childbearing years who at first cannot believe the good news of a baby on the way. Because Zechariah doubts this is possible; therefore, he becomes mute until the child is born.

After Elizabeth delivers the baby boy, Zechariah is given back his voice and delivers a prophecy, beginning in Luke 1:67. Mary's song looks ahead to the future, and Zechariah's is a song of praise by a father overcome with joy by the birth of a son. It is also a song of hope by one who has been serving God for many years, experiencing the suffering of his people at the hand of wicked foreigners with hatred in their eyes and weapons in their hands.

N.T. Wright observes, "Zechariah comes across as someone who has pondered both the agony and the hope for many years, and who now finds the two bubbling out of him as he looks in awe and delight at his baby son. It's a poem about God acting at last, finally doing what He had promised many centuries ago, and doing it at a time when his people had had their fill of hatred and oppression."

Zechariah's song reminds us once again that our God, in control of our history, connects with the hopes and fears of ordinary people. In this season of Lent, may we give thanks to our powerful, loving God.

Let us pray

Lord, thank You for being the God who holds history and the hurts and cares of Your children in Your hands. Most of all, thank You for the cross and the resurrection of our Saviour and Lord. Give us the capacity to care for those we will never meet, just as for those closest to us. In Jesus' name. Amen.