Luke 1: 68-79
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us — to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
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.”
A Thought
The angel Gabriel had appeared to Zechariah and told him that his wife, Elizabeth, would give birth in her old age to a son who would help make ready a people prepared for the Lord. When Zechariah questioned how this could be, the angel told him he would not be able to speak until his son was born. Zechariah is now filled with the Holy Spirit and is speaking about his son, John, that has now been born. Praise God who has sent John to be a prophet and a messenger of the Most High who will bring salvation through the forgiveness of sins.
Our Prayer
Father, just as Zechariah was rejoicing and praising you for sending salvation to your people with mercy and forgiveness, we now praise your holy name. John was your messenger to prepare the way for Jesus to come, help us to prepare the way for Jesus’ soon return by giving people that we meet the knowledge of salvation and hope through the forgiveness of sin. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
