A Spirit-filled Christian Praises God

and Enjoys the Peace He Gives

“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel” (Luke 1:76–80).

Meditating on this passage, I desire to receive grace from God:

(1)    On Luke 1:76–80: “This child” and “the child” - In verse 76, the opening line says “And you, my child,” and in verse 80, the closing line says “The child.”  Here, “the child” refers to “John,” whom God gave to the priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth in answer to their prayer (v.13).

(a)    This “John” is the one we know as John the Baptist (not the apostle John).  He was called “the Baptist” because he came preaching repentance and baptizing with water.

(i)                 Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied that John would be “called a prophet of the Most High” and would “go before the Lord to prepare the way for him” (v.76, cf. v.67).  Indeed, John was born six months before Jesus (v.36) and carried the great responsibility of preparing the way for the Lord.

·         When I meditate on the phrase “prophet of the Most High” (v.76), I am reminded of Gabriel’s words to Mary: “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High … The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (vv.31–32, 35).  Twice the title “Most High” appears, clearly referring to God Himself.  Thus, “Son of the Most High” (v.32) is the same as “Son of God” (v.35).  Gabriel told Mary that by the power of the Holy Spirit she would conceive and give birth to Jesus.

-          Therefore, John the Baptist would indeed be called “a prophet of God” (v.76).

·         Furthermore, when I meditate on the phrase “go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him” (v.76), I see that Zechariah was prophesying that his son, given in answer to prayer, would be a prophet of God.  John would come before the Lord to prepare His way by giving God’s people “the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins” (v.77).

-          This also recalls Gabriel’s earlier prophecy to Zechariah in verses 16–17: “He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.  And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

n  John, filled with the Spirit from birth, was given a unique mission to prepare the way for the Messiah.  Like Elijah, he carried out a ministry of repentance, calling Israel back to God.  That is why he cried out in the Judean wilderness: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!” (Mt. 3:1–2).  John’s mission was to turn many of Israel back to God and to prepare the way for the Christ who was coming after him.

(2)    On Luke 1:78–79: The mercy of God and the “rising sun” - Zechariah concluded his prophecy: “Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace” (vv.78–79).

(a)    This “mercy of God” is the same mercy by which God remembered His holy covenant, the oath He swore to Abraham (vv.72–73).  Its ultimate purpose was to rescue His people from their enemies (v.71), which points beyond political salvation to spiritual deliverance—from sin, death, and the power of the devil.

(i)                 To fulfill this salvation, “the rising sun will come to us from heaven” (v.78).  The “rising sun” imagery recalls Malachi 4:2: “The sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays,” as well as Isaiah 9:2 and 60:1, and Numbers 24:17 (“a star will come out of Jacob”).  All of these are messianic prophecies pointing to the One who brings light, righteousness, and healing.

·         Thus, the Messiah, Jesus Christ—the “sunrise,” the “light,” the “star”—came from heaven to “shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace” (v.79).  The phrase “those living in darkness and in the shadow of death” (v.79) echoes Isaiah 9:2, quoted in Matthew 4:16: “The people living in darkness have seen a great light.”

-          The prophecy that Christ would “guide our feet into the path of peace” (v.79) points to Him as the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6). Though He is the King of Peace, He became the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:10; 2:2), shedding His blood on the cross (Rom 3:25) to redeem us (Col 1:14) and reconcile us to God (Rom 5:10). He gives us a peace the world cannot give (John 14:27).

(3)    On Luke 1:68-79: From “praise” to “peace” - Zechariah’s prophecy in Luke 1:68–79 begins with praise (v.68) and ends with peace (v.79).  This teaches us that Spirit-filled Christians, when they praise God, receive His peace in return.

(a)    This reminds me of the hymn “It Is Well with My Soul.” My late father-in-law, Elder Richard Oh, often sang it: “When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul.”  The author, Horatio Spafford (1828–1888), wrote this hymn after losing his four daughters in a shipwreck while traveling to Europe.  Passing over the waters where the tragedy occurred, he wrote these words of trust and peace in the Lord.

(i)                 I am reminded again of Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”  My father-in-law, though suffering from Parkinson’s disease, still sang “It is well with my soul,” experiencing divine peace that the world cannot give.  Outwardly, his “quality of life” may have seemed low, but inwardly he had the “beauty of life,” for he enjoyed the peace of Christ even in affliction.  For such a believer, there is always hope and a future.

·         Therefore, I too want to follow his example.  Even if the storms of life rage and the ship of my family seems to sink, I want to hold fast to the faith of Immanuel (God with us, Mt. 1:23) and sing: “Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul.”  So that I may find rest in the Lord.