67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, 69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; 77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. 80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel. (Luke 1:67-80 KJV)
The Song of Zachariah
We have here the song with which Zechariah praised God when his mouth was opened. In it, he is said to prophesy (Luke 1:67), and he truly did, for he foretold things to come concerning the kingdom of the Messiah, to which all the prophets bear witness.
He was filled with the Holy Spirit—divinely inspired and endowed with an extraordinary measure of it for this purpose. God not only forgave his earlier unbelief and distrust, as shown by removing the punishment of it, but also, as a display of abundant grace, filled him with the Spirit and honored him by using him for His glory.
The focus of Zechariah’s song is not on personal or family concerns, nor on the honor of having a child in old age. Rather, he is entirely taken up with the coming of the Messiah’s kingdom and the blessings it brings. He would have found little joy in his family’s fruitfulness if it were not connected to the good of Jerusalem, peace on Israel, and blessings from Zion (Psalm 128:3, 5-6).
The Old Testament often expressed prophecy in songs of praise, and so the New Testament begins with one: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel.” Though He is the God of the whole earth, Zechariah calls Him the God of Israel because to Israel were given the promises and first offers of redemption. Israel represented the elect of God from all nations, so He is rightly called the Lord God of Israel.
Zechariah blesses God for the salvation to be accomplished by the Messiah Himself (Luke 1:68-75). This is what fills him when filled with the Spirit—and what fills all who have the Spirit of Christ.
In sending the Messiah, God graciously visited His people, whom for many ages He had seemed to neglect. He took notice of their condition. God is said to have visited His people in bondage when He delivered them (Exodus 3:16; 4:31), and during famine when He gave them bread (Ruth 1:6). Though He had spoken through the prophets, now He visits them personally.
He has accomplished redemption for His people. This was Christ’s purpose—to redeem those under the power of sin. Even God’s own people, His Israel, need redemption. Christ redeems by paying the price to satisfy God’s justice and by using His power to free them from Satan’s grip, just as Israel was freed from Egypt.
He has fulfilled the royal covenant made with David. Glorious things had been said of David’s house—that his horn would be exalted, and his seed preserved (Psalm 89:19-20, 24, 29). That family had long been in disgrace (Psalm 89:38), but now the horn of David is again made to bud (Psalm 132:17), for God has raised up a horn of salvation for us in David’s house (Luke 1:69), just as promised.
David is called God’s servant as one who ruled for God and served Israel’s salvation. Christ is the author of eternal redemption. This salvation is a horn of salvation because it is honorable—glorifying both Redeemer and redeemed; plentiful—a storehouse of spiritual blessings; and powerful—bringing down spiritual enemies and defending us from them.
God has also fulfilled the promises made through the most revered Old Testament prophets (Luke 1:70): “As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets.” The doctrine of salvation through the Messiah is confirmed and magnified by the testimony of the prophets.
These prophecies were sacred—the prophets were holy men, speaking for a holy God to promote holiness. They were ancient, from the beginning. The promise began when God said the Seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head. The line of promise continued with names full of hope: Adam named Eve “Life,” Eve named Cain, and Seth was appointed. Noah was called “rest.” The promise extended to Abraham: in his Seed all nations would be blessed.
There was unity among the prophets—one voice speaking God’s consistent message, “by the mouth” of the prophets, not “mouths.”
This salvation is, first, a rescue from our enemies—from sin, Satan, inner corruption, and external temptations (Luke 1:71). Though the Jews looked for freedom from Roman rule, the real redemption was from sin (Matthew 1:21).
Second, it is a restoration to God’s favor (Luke 1:72-73), as promised to the patriarchs, especially to Abraham. The promise is entirely rooted in mercy. God remembered His covenant: “I will be your God and the God of your descendants.” Though it seemed forgotten due to sin, God now shows He remembers. All His acts of mercy are grounded in that covenant (Leviticus 26:42).
Third, this salvation is a call and qualification for serving God (Luke 1:74-75). Just as deliverance from Egypt was to fulfill God’s covenant with Abraham (Exodus 3:6-8, 12), so the gospel doesn’t free us from serving God, but binds us more fully to it. Christianity is meant to make us truly committed. We are freed from sin’s chains to willingly wear Christ’s gentle yoke. The very bonds He loosed now bind us closer (Psalm 116:16).
To serve God without fear—we are made secure so we may serve Him in peace, with reverence and the confidence of adopted children. To serve Him in holiness and righteousness—fulfilling our duties to God and others. The gospel renews in us the image of God in true holiness and righteousness (Ephesians 4:24). To serve Him before Him, living in awareness of His presence. And to serve Him all our days—called to persevere in love because Christ’s love endures.
Zechariah also blesses God for John the Baptist’s preparatory work (Luke 1:76): “And you, child,” though only eight days old, “will be called the prophet of the Highest.” Jesus Christ is the Highest—God over all (Romans 9:5). John was His prophet, like Aaron was to Moses (Exodus 7:1)—a mouthpiece and forerunner. Prophecy had long been silent, but revived in John, just as it had in Samuel, who was also born to an aged mother.
John’s work was to prepare people for salvation by preaching repentance (Isaiah 40:3-4), calling people to remove whatever hindered Christ’s coming. He was also to give people a general understanding of salvation—that they might know what to expect and how to respond. He preached that the kingdom of heaven was near.
It brings forgiveness of sins (Luke 1:77). Though we were in misery, it wasn’t hopeless. Pardon was possible through God’s mercy. It also gives direction. The gospel assures us of forgiveness and provides light to guide us. The Dayspring has visited us from on high (Luke 1:78). Christ is the sunrise (Malachi 4:2). The gospel replaces shadows with light. With John, it began to rise and continued brighter toward the perfect day.
The gospel is revealing—it gives light to those in darkness, showing the glory of God in Christ. It is life-giving—bringing hope to those in death’s shadow, announcing pardon and freedom (Isaiah 61:1). It is guiding—it leads our feet into the way of peace (Psalm 119:105; Romans 3:17), reconciling us to God.
The last verse gives a glimpse of John the Baptist’s early years. Though a priest’s son, he did not grow up ministering in the temple like Samuel because he was preparing the way for a greater priesthood.
He was remarkable inwardly—he grew mentally and spiritually, becoming strong in spirit. This showed he was filled with the Holy Spirit, for those strong in the Lord are strong in spirit.
He lived in obscurity. He was in the deserts—not as a hermit cut off from society, for he likely attended feasts in Jerusalem and the synagogue on the Sabbath. But his regular home was in scattered houses in the wilderness of Zuph or Maon, known from David’s story. There he spent most of his time in contemplation and devotion, without formal schooling or rabbinical teaching.
Many people are equipped for great usefulness but seem buried; some remain hidden because they are being prepared for even greater usefulness later, like John, who remained in the desert until the day he was revealed to Israel, at age thirty. There is a fixed time for the revealing of blessings reserved for God’s people; the vision is for an appointed time, and in the end it will speak and not lie.