Skip to content

Commentaries
English
Luke
  
76And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,77to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins,78through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;79to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."80So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.


The old priest was about to forget his son in his praise to God, for the insight of the history of the love of God and its designs refreshed his spirit. Then he turned to his son John, the symbol of the Lord’s grace, and foretold his essence, job, strength, and fruits.
John was not the Son of the Highest, but his prophet, created of dust, and filled with the Holy Spirit as the other prophets before him. His distinction was that he came at a time when Jesus Christ was about to come; and therefore the Baptist became the forerunner of the Lord who prepared his way, administered baptism to him, and witnessed his glory.
Zacharias realized through the Holy Spirit in all revelations that Mary’s child was the Lord himself. The introductory of the angel and the motives of the Holy Spirit illuminated him into this testimony which was dangerous to declare among the Jews: that the Lord should visit the earth and walk among people, and that John should prepare his way. That was the great revolution in creation, for the Creator comes now to his creatures to examine, save, and finish. Are you prepared to receive him? How is your relation with God? Are you worthy of meeting him? Get ready to his presence soon.
Zacharias knew that no man was worthy of meeting God or in fact to worship to Christ in the manger, for we are all sinners. The most important thing in the Baptist’s ministry was leading people to true and faithful repentance, so that they might realize that they could only obtain salvation by remission of sins. Are your sins forgiven, dear brother? Have you become holy, pure, and acceptable? Examine yourself in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and confess your lies, thefts, laziness, and all kinds of injustice and disgrace. Your knowledge of yourself and your confession openly of your sins is the only way in which you prepare the way of God into your heart. Come and bow down before your Creator and do not cheat yourself, for you are unsuccessful. Confess your sins and ask your Lord’s forgiveness.
Then, you will know the miracle of God’s love, for the Son came from his heaven to our impure darkness, and the foretokens of his righteousness shone as the glorious sun in our dark night. Open your mind and your subconscious completely to the mercy of God apparent in Christ, so that you may wake up, get up, and praise God in the morning and in the evening.
In Christ alone, the disagreement between you and God ends in your heart, divine peace begins, and you live in complete harmony with the will of your Lord. Then, you would not run like a wild ass motivated by your careless lusts, nor would you quarrel with every man because of your excessive sensitivity, but abandon your rights, forgive your enemies openly, and bear patiently those that are difficult to bear, for Christ’s redemption gives you the ability to do that which is impossible, so that you may die to yourself and God may live in you.
John grew older in years, bodily and spiritually. He isolated himself from the superficial world, with its bitter temptations and shallowness, and prepared himself praying to God. He might have joined the Essenes in Qumran, so that he might be ready to answer the voice of the Highest when he calls him to bear witness to his people. Similarly, we wish you advancement in spirit and in body, in our God’s Sun of righteousness, so that you may become witness of Christ’s power, and guide your surroundings to the Savior of the world.

Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for you supported John as your servant, and sent him to prepare the way of your Son. Please cleanse us from our sins and renew our minds so that we may prepare his way in our surroundings and get ready to his imminent advent.
Question
What did Zacharias tell more that the angel told him about his son?