Luke 1:58-80

Zacharias Prophesies by The Holy Spirit Concerning the Coming of the Messiah, and His Own Son’s Part in Preparing the Way for the Messiah. (1:58-80).

We are not told when the following prophecy took place. It may have been immediately when his tongue was loosed and he blessed God (Luke 1:64). Or it may have been much later. But meanwhile all the people were asking themselves questions about John and wondering about what he was going to turn out to be. Judaea was a very religious country, where everything was seen in the light of their religion, and thus this question would be asked from a religious point of view. Their thought was that he was going to be someone special for God.

We may analyse this passage as follows:

a And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, “What then shall this child be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him (Luke 1:66).

b And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and wrought redemption for his people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us, in the house of his servant David” (Luke 1:67-69).

c As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been from of old, ‘Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us’ (Luke 1:70-71).

d To show mercy towards, our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he spoke to Abraham our father, to grant to us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days (Luke 1:70-75).

c Yes and you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the face of the Lord to make ready his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the remission of their sins (Luke 1:76-77).

b Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day-spring from on high will visit us, to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:78-79).

a And the child grew, and waxed strong in the Spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing to Israel (Luke 1:80).

In ‘a’ we have the question as to what the child John will become, and the promise that the Lord will be with him, and in the parallel we learn what he is becoming, because the Spirit is at work in him. In ‘b’ we have the assurance that God has visited His people, raising up the one by Whose power they will be delivered, and in the parallel the Day-spring from on high has visited them, raised up in order to deliver. In ‘c’ the prophets spoke promising salvation, and in the parallel John is the prophet who will give the knowledge of salvation. And in ‘d’ we have the focus placed on the fulfilment of God’s covenant with Abraham which would result in deliverance and righteous living, (which is the whole point of the incarnation).