Luke 1:67-80·~1 min

Zechariah’s Song

Zechariah blesses God for raising salvation from David’s line and for remembering the prophets, Abraham, mercy, and deliverance from hostile hands. He then speaks over John’s role in giving God’s people the knowledge of salvation, before the chapter ends with the child growing strong in the wilderness.

T⁶⁷hen his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: ⁶⁸“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, ⁶⁹He has raised up a horn of salvation for us ⁷⁰as He spoke through His holy prophets, ⁷¹salvation from our enemies ⁷²to show mercy to our fathers ⁷³the oath He swore to our father Abraham, ⁷⁴to grant us deliverance from hostile hands, ⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness before Him ⁷⁶And you, child, will be called ⁷⁷to give to His people the knowledge of salvation ⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God, ⁷⁹to shine on those who live in darkness ⁸⁰And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until the time of his public appearance to Israel.

Section summaryFilled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah prophesies over the Lord’s rescue of Israel. He blesses the God of Israel for raising a horn of salvation, remembering the holy prophets, and keeping the oath to Abraham. Then he turns to the child, John, who will prepare the Lord’s people by giving knowledge of salvation through God’s mercy. The chapter closes with John growing strong in the wilderness until his public appearing.

Role in the chapterThis final song gathers promise, mercy, deliverance, and the child’s appointed work into a closing prophetic map for the rest of Luke 1 and the story that follows.