The Journey To Bethlehem

The Fulfilled Promise Is In Sight

Luke 1:67–75

Luke 1:67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying…

Zacharias, at the birth of his son John the Baptist, speaks of the promises fulfilled. Zacharias, an Old Testament theologian, understood exactly what was going on with the arrival of the forerunner of the Messiah, as it related to the Old Testament.

Zacharias recognizes that God has come and visited and that this means redemption. He speaks in past tense, as if it’s happened, because of such assurance of its reality.

Redemption means rescue at a high cost.

In the mind of the Jews was the realization that there was coming a rescuer, a deliverer, who was none other than the Messiah.

From the Old Testament it was clear that the Messiah would be a Savior and a Redeemer on a massive level.

He would be mighty and powerful, to affect individuals, the nation, and the world.

Zacharias sees what is happening in his life as the unparalleled, unequalled event of all redemptive history, the arrival of Messiah in fulfillment of three great covenants.

The Davidic Covenant

Luke 1:69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David.

This promise was first given in 2 Samuel 7.

This promise was made to David, in the immediate future: David’s seed, Solomon, would construct the temple,

In the distant future, David’s Seed, Jesus Christ, would join His divine nature to David’s human ancestry and establish the earthly kingdom of God forever.

Zacharias knew what every Jew knew, that the Messiah would come from the royal line of King David.

The Abrahamic Covenant

Luke 1:73-75 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: 74 that He would grant unto us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

The Abrahamic Covenant comes first in Genesis 12, and it’s repeated eight times all the way to Genesis 35 and then referred to throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament, familiar covenants.

Zacharias sees in it the element of salvation for his people.

He sees it in a more personal way. He sees The Redeemer, the Savior, who will not only ‘rescue the Jews from the hand of our enemies, but will enable us to serve Him without fear of those coming against us in judgment.’

Throughout the Old Testament God used in His judgments on Israel for the most part, the nations around them to be the instrument of His wrath. Zacharias says they will ‘no longer have that to fear because in holiness and righteousness, we’ll live before Him all our days.’

The New Covenant

Luke 1:76-77 And thou, child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest; for thou shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins,

Zacharias jumps immediately to the New Covenant because he knows that’s the only entrance into these blessings. There is no way to produce a new heart. There’s no way to change the inner man. The Law has no power to regenerate, no power to transform, no power to forgive, no power over sin.

The Jews had decided the key for fulfilling the first two Covenants was another Covenant, the Mosaic Covenant. Many believed this  would enable them to please God, and then He would keep His promise. So they strapped up their sandals, tightened down their  headband, gritted their teeth and tried to keep the Law. It did not work then, and doesn’t work now.

In Deuteronomy 30:6 the New Covenant is given. It is the incredible promise by God that He will save sinners by forgiving their transgressions and by regenerating them from the inside to love Him and obey Him.