When an angel appears, you can bet that something amazing is going to happen!  The amazing certainly took place when the angel Gabriel told Zechariah that he would be having a son. For Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, that dream had died long ago. In fact, because of Zechariah’s unbelief, he was unable to speak a word until his son was born. Then, he broke out in a song of praise about the one who would prepare the way for Jesus.

Luke 1:76-79
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Let’s break down this song of praise and check out the rich truth Zechariah proclaimed.

• The prophet of the Most High. Even though his story is in the New Testament, John is the last of the Old Testament prophets, and his purpose was to be a spokesperson for God.
• A preparer of the way. Like a farmer prepares the soil for seed, so John prepared hearts for Jesus.
• Knowledge of salvation. Our desperate state of sin cries out in desperate need of a Savior.
• The downloading of guilt and shame. The uploading of cleansing.
• In his grace, God gives us what we do not deserve. In his mercy, he doesn’t give us what we do deserve.
• Sin produced a darkened life lived in the shadow of death. Jesus brings the light.
• Way of peace. We run after things that never satisfy us until Jesus shines his light, showing us the path of peace.

Father, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for his forgiveness, mercy, light, and peace. Thank you for the salvation we find only in him. Thank you for those who prepared the way for us to come to the knowledge of salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.