Let us turn again to God's word and turn into that portion of
scripture that we read in Luke chapter 1 and I'll read again
from verse 67 through to the end of the chapter
where we have what is normally referred to as the song of Zacharias
In the opening chapters of Luke, of course, where we have quite
a detailed account of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, we
do have a number of songs, and this is one of them, the song
of Zacharias. Let's read then again from verse
67 through to the end, and we're told, and his father, that is,
the one whom we know as John the Baptist, his father Zacharias,
was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed
be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed
his people, and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in
the house of his servant David, as he spake by the mouth of his
holy prophets, which have been since the world began. we should
be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate
us to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember
his holy covenants the oath which he swear to our father Abraham
that he would grant unto us that we, being delivered out of the
hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear in holiness
and righteousness before him all the days of our life. And thou child, referring to
the child just born, John the Baptist, 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. to give knowledge of
salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the Dayspring from
on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of
peace. That's the end of the song of
Zacharias and we read how the child grew and waxed strong in
spirit and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto
Israel. The song then of Zacharias, it's
often referred to as the Benedictus and of course that Latin word
comes from the opening words of the song really, there at
the beginning of verse 68, blessed. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he hath visited and redeemed his people. We have those other
songs previously, we read of the song of Mary, there at verse
46 following, and that's often spoken of as the Magnificat because
again of the opening words and Mary said my soul doth magnify
the Lord and so the song that follows is usually referred to
as the Magnificat and then also in the second chapter we have
the song of Simeon there in chapter 2 at verse 29 following and that's
often spoken of as the nunc dimittis from the opening words now let
us thou thy servant depart in peace as he holds the babe Jesus
in his arms, his eyes and seeing the salvation of the Lord we
have then these remarkable songs interwoven in the account of
the birth of John the Baptist and also the birth of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And I thought today we might
break off from what we've been considering of that prayer of
Paul at the end of Ephesians chapter 3. I would hope to preach at least
a couple more sermons from what we have in the remaining part
of that prayer of the Apostles. But I thought today we might
turn and consider something of this song. It's a great song of praise.
More than that, it's a word of prophecy concerning the Lord
Jesus. So let us turn to this portion
of Scripture that we've just read It runs from verse 67 right
through to verse 79. It's a long song but in many
ways concentrating on just the opening verse from which we have
the title of the song. The opening verse there at verse
68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
for he hath visited and redeemed his people. And first of all,
to consider just who these people are that are spoken of, that
God has visited. He has visited, it says, and
redeemed His people. Who are the people that are being
spoken of by Zacharias? Well, it is evident that he is
speaking of Israel, because he addresses the God of Israel,
blessed be the Lord God of Israel. This is God's ancient covenant
people. Those that we read of throughout
the Old Testament Scriptures, how favoured they were. God showeth
his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgements unto Israel.
He hath not done so with any nation, and as for his judgements
they have not known him. You only have I known, he says.
of all the families of the Earth. However, we have to remember
what we learn when we come to the New Testament Scriptures
and the teaching of the Apostles. And I think especially of the
teachings of Paul, who declares himself really to be an Apostle
not so much to the Jews but to the Gentiles. And he's the one
who reminds us here in Romans chapter 9, they are not all Israel,
they are of Israel. And the Israel that's being spoken
of here is something more than ethnic Israel, it's the true
Israel of God. He's not a Jew which is one outwardly,
neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh,
but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is
that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose
price is not of men, but of God. Now, Paul, of course, has to
do with that whole matter. The first Christian believers
were Jews. But then, as the Gospel goes
to the Gentiles, there are many amongst those Jews who feel that
these Gentiles need to receive the right of circumcision. They
must become Jews, as it were. They must become real Israelites. Paul says there's no need for
that. The true circumcision is a spiritual circumcision, not
a fleshly circumcision. And so the Israel that's being
spoken of, ultimately, is that spiritual Israel, the true children
of God. And what do we learn concerning
these people? Well, they are a a prepared people this is to be part and parcel
of the ministry of John the Baptist as we saw in the first part of
our reading there back in verse 16 the words of the angel to
Zacharias concerning this child many of the children of Israel
shall he turn to the Lord their God and he shall go before him
in the spirit and power of Elias or Elijah to turn the hearts
of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom
of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord this is
his ministry there is a people then a prepared people And that
will be such a significant part of John's ministry. How will
he prepare that people? By his preaching. And what is
the great subject matter of his preaching? He preaches repentance. The great call to repentance.
Repent and believe the gospel. Isn't that really the subsequent
ministry of the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ? repentance
toward God and faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ, the people
prepared. But of course, when we think
of the ministry of John the Baptist, he's not so much preparing the
people, he is preparing the way for him who is to be the saviour
of that people. He prepares the way for the Lord
Jesus Christ. And we see that here in the song. As the father turns to his son,
in verse 76, thou child shalt be called the prophet of the
highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare
his ways. He prepares the ways of the Lord
Jesus Christ, that is his principle ministry. And again, we see it
as that ministry is subsequently being exercised. In chapter 3, we read of John's preaching. In verse 3 of that chapter, he
came into all the country about Jordan preaching the baptism
of repentance. for the remission of sins as
it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet
saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare ye
the way of the Lord's make his paths straight every valley shall
be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low
and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough ways shall
be made smooth and all flesh shall see the salvation of God
Or there's that prophetic word that we have back in Isaiah chapter
40, and it's that, surely, that is being referred to in those
verses there in chapter 3. And part of that message that
John was to proclaim, Isaiah 40 verse 6, the voice said, Cry!
And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the
goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass
withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord
bloweth upon it, surely the people is grass. The grass withereth,
the flower fadeth, but the Word of our God shall stand forever. Oh, what is man? What is man
that God should ever be mindful of man? He's like the flower
of the field. He's like the grass that today
is and tomorrow is. He's burned in the oven. But
the Word of God, how that Word stands, this is the sort of ministry
that we see John exercising there. He's preparing the way for Christ.
He's preparing the people who will come to Christ and look
to Him for all their salvation and see that they have nothing
of themselves. They are but like the grass. that we tread under our feet.
But these people are also referred to as a peculiar people. Remember the language that Peter
uses in describing these people. There in the first epistle, in
the second chapter of that epistle, Verse 9, You are a chosen generation,
says Peter, a royal priesthood and holy nation, a peculiar people,
that you should show forth the praises of him who hath called
you out of darkness into his marvellous light, which in time
past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which
have not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. How
they are such a peculiar people! Oh, they were once those who
were so far from God, but now they're made very nigh to God.
They were the people who knew not God. They were those who
were dead in trespasses and sins, but now they're the Lord's people.
Because of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself
for us, says Paul, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and
purify to himself a peculiar people. The prepared people,
yes, the peculiar people. What is it that makes them such?
It's because they are the election of grace. They are the election
of grace. Remember, Israel, of course,
is really a typical people. They're a type. Ethnic Israel
is a type of God's true spiritual Israel. And what does the Lord
say concerning them there in Deuteronomy 7 verse 6 following,
Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God. The Lord thy
God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all
people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not
set his love upon you nor choose you because you were more in
number than any people for you were the fewest of all people
but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the
oath which he had sworn unto your fathers after the Lord brought
you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house
of bondmen from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt." Yes, it's historically
word spoken concerning ethnic Israel, those Hebrews who were
delivered by Moses as God's servant out of all the sufferings that
they were enduring in the land of Egypt but they are a typical
people and what we read there truly ultimately applies to God's
spiritual Israel they are the election of grace and how sovereign
is that election? we are reminded of it in the
familiar language of the ninth chapter of that epistle to the
Romans where Paul speaks so plainly concerning God's eternal purpose
of election. And he makes it so clear by referring
to those twin sons that were born to Rebekah, the wife of
Isaac, the children being not yet born, neither having done
any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said
unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written,
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Or they are an
elect people, these people of whom Zacharias is speaking and
amongst them of course the prophet Jeremiah to whom the Lord said
I have loved thee with an everlasting love and therefore with loving
kindness have I drawn thee for this is the people he hath visited
and redeemed his people, they're God's people they're a chosen
people, they're a prepared people, they're a peculiar people and
doesn't Zechariah speak somewhat of their privileges how privileged
these people are they have known a divine visitation they have
known a divine visitation we read of it in verse 78 through
the tender mercy of our God whereby the dayspring from on high hath
visited us all the Lord is mindful of them and the Lord visits them comes
to them the day dawns the day star arises in their hearts remember
the language of Malachi chapter 4 unto you that fear my name
shall the son of righteousness arise with healing in his wing
What a visitation it is that the Lord should be mindful
of these people and come and in his tender mercies draw near
to them and appear for them. It was necessary of course in
order that the Lord Jesus Christ might fulfill all his covenant
engagements. and this is the matter really
of the song as we see verse 72 to perform the mercy promise
to our fathers to remember his holy covenants the oath which
he sware to our father Abraham all what God had said in the
Old Testament scriptures and all in terms of the covenants
and the oath When God made promise to Abraham,
we are told, aren't we, that because he could swear by no
greater, he swore by himself. And what was it that God promised?
Blessing, I will bless them. But in Abraham's seed, why all
the nations of the earth would be blessed. There would be a
great multitude, the true children of Abraham, as the stars in the
heavens, as the sand upon the seashore, Oh, they were that
people then that God had purposed to save. They are necessary. That God
should fulfill His promise in the fullness of the time with
the coming of the Lord Jesus. There was that body that was
prepared. We have the language of the Psalmist there in the
40th Psalm. The Apostle, when writing to
the Hebrews, makes it plain there in chapter 10 of verse 5, following
that the 40th Psalm is prophetic, it's messianic, it speaks of
Christ, the body of self-prepared man. Or when the fullness of
the time was come, God does indeed send forth His Son. All of it
written in the book of the Covenant. The language of Paul then as
he's writing there in that 10th chapter of Hebrews when he cometh
into the world he says sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not
but a body hast thou prepared me in burnt offerings and sacrifices
for sin thou hast had no pleasure then said I know I come in the
volume of the book it is written of me or that is the book of
the covenant to do thy will, O God. He comes then to accomplish
that work that was spoken of by prophets of old, as Zacharias
says here in verse 72, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers,
and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He sware to our
father Abraham. And so Christ must come. Verily
He took not on Him the nature of the angels, He takes upon
Him the seed of Abraham. It's the fulfillment of the Abrahamic
Covenant. For as much as the children are
partakers of flesh and blood, He will likewise take part of
the same. He'll come as a real man. It
was necessary then that He should come to accomplish that great
work of redemption. and it was necessary that he
should come for that people. They could never save themselves. But they have no righteousness
of their own. He must come and he must accomplish
a righteousness for them. And not only that, he must make
the great sin atoning sacrifice on their account. The prophet
Hosea says, O Israel thou hast destroyed thyself but in me is thy help there's
no help in ourselves there's no help in any man have we not
destroyed ourselves by our disobedience and by our sins but there has
been such a gracious visitation from heaven and all in fulfillment
of God's covenant and God's promise when the fullness of the time
was gone I've said many a time, I do love that expression, that
double definite article, the fullness of the time, that that
was ordained from all eternity. God sends His Son, made of a
woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under the
law that they might receive the adoption of sons. Oh, there's
a divine visitation here there's a divine redemption to perform the mercy promised
to our fathers it says look back at verse 70 as he spake
by the mouth of his holy prophets which have been since the world
began Or we can go right back to the
beginning and God's promise. And where is that first promise
found? Well, it's there in the book
of Genesis. And it's in the very chapter
where we read of man's disobedience. The rebellion of our first parents,
Adam and Eve, they're in paradise, in the garden of God, where they
transgress. the commandment that God had
given, thou shalt not eat of the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil, God had said and yet under the temptation of the devil Eve partakes of
that forbidden fruit and she gives to her husband and he with
open eyes also partakes of the forbidden fruit and so we have
the curse that comes upon all creation and yet in that very
third chapter we also have the first promise of salvation Genesis
3 and verse 15 the word spoken to the serpent satan's instrument
I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy
seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head thou shalt bruise his
heel oh this is that ancient promise He spake by the mouth
of His holy prophets which have been since the world began. Even there in the garden. And
Christ comes. He is that one, the seed of the
woman, the seed of Abraham, the seed of David. And when He comes, of course,
to accomplish that great redemption, how dark the hour was. Darkness
over the whole earth. from the sixth hour, it says,
from high noon, the brightest hour of the day, there was darkness,
to the ninth hour, till 3 p.m., when the Lord Jesus makes that
great sin-atoning sacrifice. When He dies, the just for the
unjust to bring sinners to God, or the promise the promise is
fulfilled to perform to perform the mercy promised
to our fathers even since the world began the message the great
message of all the Old Testament prophets by the testimony of
Jesus that's the spirit of prophecy we read in Revelation 19 and
what does Christ tell us He's paid the ransom price that was
demanded by that Lord of God, that law which is holy, that
commandment holy and just and good. And what does the law say? The soul that sinneth it shall
die. The wages of sin is death. And Christ has paid that price.
As many as are of the works of the law, they're under the curse.
Curse is every one that continueth not in all things written in
the book of the law. To do all things, every detail
of that law must be perfectly obeyed. If we were obedient in
every point and yet failed in just one point, we're guilty.
The law demands such a full, complete and perfect obedience. And so we're under the curse,
we're condemned, but Christ has redeemed us from the curse of
the law being made a curse for us. For it is written, Cursed
is everyone that hangeth on a tree. What a work is this that the
Lord has done to deliver His people. from all their enemies. All the sins are now remitted. Sin is pardoned in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Here is that great salvation
then. And the privileges that belong
to those who have come to experience the blessings of the one that
Zacharias is celebrating really throughout his son. The prophecy
that we have here all points to the Lord Jesus Christ, the
one of whom Zacharias' son John the Baptist was the harbinger
and the forerunner, preparing the way for him. And so ultimately it is a great
anthem of praise as we see in the opening verse,
blessed, blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited
and redeemed his people. What do we read previously? Verse
64, his mouth was opened immediately. When the angel came to announce
the birth of this child that Elizabeth who had been barren
would yet bear a son? Why, Zacharias could scarce believe
it. How could this be possible? He
was an old man, his wife well stricken in years. How could
this burn? He was full of unbelief and so he was struck dumb. But when these things were accomplished,
immediately his mouth is opened, his tongue loose. And what does
it say there at the end of that 64th verse? He spake and praised
God. He spake and praised God. Oh,
what is upon his lips? It's the praises of God. And
who is this God? Why, this is the God of Israel,
the only living and true God. And who is that God of Israel?
Well, it is the great, the only living, the only true God. Father,
Son and Holy Spirits, the Triune God. How He is praising then the Father.
What has the Father done? Why when the fullness of the
time was come, God sends forth His Son. Unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given, says the Prophet Isaiah. The child
is born, yes, but the son isn't born. The son is given. This is that one who is the eternal
son of God. And what does the son say back
in the second Psalm? I will declare the decree. The
Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my son. This day have I begotten
thee. This day, not yesterday, not
tomorrow, but this day, the eternal day. that one who is ever begotten
of the Father the only begotten of the Father for the Father's
gift thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift this is what
God had promised and here Zacharias rejoices in the gift of the Father
but he also surely rejoices in the Son He makes specific mention
of Him there at the end of verse 78, "...whereby the Dayspring from
on high hath visited us." Who is that One that is spoken of
as the Dayspring? Well, it's one of the names given
to the Lord Jesus Christ. He's spoken of also similarly
in the last book of Old Testament Scripture in Malachi 4, the very
last chapter of the Old Testament. He is that Son of Righteousness
that arises with healing in His wings. And how He has come, you see,
God manifest in the flesh able, able to save His people from
their sins. Again, going back to the beginning
of the song, verse 68 and verse 69, Blessed be the Lord God of
Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath
raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant
David. The horn of salvation. Isn't
that the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world? Why
we read of Him there in Revelation Chapter 5 and verse 6, a lamb,
as it had been slain, having seven horns, says John. And you know the significance
of the language there in the book of the Revelation. How these things were all signified
unto John. How signs and symbols are used. And the number seven, the number
of perfection. And that lamb slain in the midst
of the throne, he has seven horns. The horn, of course, indicative
of the strength of the animal, really. But when we think of
seven horns, why, that's perfect strength. He is able to save. And he is able to save for the
uttermost all that come unto God by him. All the dayspring
from on high hath visited us. But when we think of that name
that belongs to Christ, He is the Dayspring. That's the spring
of the day, the beginning of the day. And what is it that
He opens up? Why, He opens up the whole day of grace. He said, I have heard thee in
a time accepted, in the day of salvation have I succored thee.
Behold now is the accepted time. Behold now is the day of salvation. What has been ushered in, oh
this great day of the Lord, the day of grace. Here we see Zacharias
and he praises the Father for that unspeakable gift. He praises
the Son, the One who has visited us. The One who in the fullness
of time has taken to Himself our human nature. And doesn't
He also praise God the Holy Ghost? And we must be the One who would
reveal these truths to us. Why the very words that we have,
they're not really the words of Zacharias. They are the words
of Zacharias, but they're more than that. They're the words
of Holy Scripture. And who is the one who is the
author of Scripture? Isn't that God the Holy Ghost? And He must come and visit us
and apply these blessed truths to our souls. And though the
Lord promised Him, O how necessary that it come, it is expedient,
says Christ, for you that I go away. For if I go not, the Comforter
will not come, but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And
now we need the Lord to send him to us and to apply this great
anthem, this great song of praise and prophecy of the father of
John the Baptist to our souls. That these words of the song
might have a glorious accomplishment in our own hearts. Blessed be
the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his
people. In many ways, as we close just
to remark, it's prophetic. It's speaking of things that
will yet have their accomplishment and yet it's the prophetic perfect
because it's spoken of as already done and accomplished. It's not
that he's going to visit, not the future tense, no. He hath
visited and redeemed His people. All the sureness thing, and the
certainty of God's words. God grant that we might rest
in that thing, and that one of whom all the Scripture speaks,
even our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Well, we're going to sing
our concluding praise. It's the hymn 1054, the tune Melodious Sonnet 647. Come, thou long-expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free. From our fears and sins release
us. Let us find our rest in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the saints thou art,
dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart. The Hymn 1054, the tune 647.