A Horn of Salvation

Luke 1:67-80

Key Verse: 1:69

“He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.”

Today’s passage is Zechariah’s song. It reveals the work of Jesus and the work of his son, John the Baptist. Since Zechariah was a Levite for his whole life, his song moved by the Spirit reveals deep things of God especially for the redemption work through Jesus. 

Read verse 67-68. Who is Zechariah and how is he filled with the Holy Spirit? (57-66) Why does he praise God? What does “he has come and has redeemed his people” mean?

Read verse 67-68. 

⁶⁷ His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: ⁶⁸ “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.

Who is Zechariah and how is he filled with the Holy Spirit? (57-66) 

Zechariah is the father of John the Baptist. He was able to speak after he believed the word of God delivered by the angel. It happened when he wrote ‘His name is John’ on the writing tablet. He received 10 months of silent training when he did not believe what the angel told him - that his wife would have a child. Although he must have prayed for a child for a long time he could not believe and uttered words of unbelief when the angel came to him and said he would receive the answer for his prayer. 

To believe what the God said through angels is so crucial for our life of faith. The whole bible is written by the revelation of God. So we must believe it as it is.

During his silent training time he must have repented his unbelief deeply. Then he was able to speak profound things of God when he was freed to speak. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied. So although it was Zechariah who sang a song, in fact it was the Holy Spirit who spoke through him.

2 Peter 1:20-21.

^“Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. ²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Why does he praise God? 

Because God revealed deep things of God’s salvation work through Jesus (during the time of his silent training). He was marveled at God’s way of redeeming his people.

What does “he has come and has redeemed his people” mean?

A) The first revelation about God’s work through Jesus is ‘He has come (to his people)’. God did not stay where he was and asked his people to come to him. But rather he came to his people. This is called ‘incarnation of Jesus’. God’s way of redemption is very personal for us because God visits us. 

In our practical life God visits each one of us through his people (who can be compared to angels). We all have someone who come to our place and our understanding and our situation and invite us. This is how God saves his people and redeem his people. God’s grace for each of us is amazing because he comes to us. Jesus came to us by becoming like us (men) and using our own language and eating same food.

b) The second revelation is about God’s salvation is ‘he redeemed his people.’ Redemption means ‘buying back’. The word ‘redemption’ implies 1) one is not free but a slave; 2) there is some other person; 3) The some other person should pay the price. That is why redemption happens.

We (men) are born to be slaves to our sin. Then Jesus came and paid the full price for us and redeemed us. It happened when he said on the cross “It is finished” (which means ‘Paid in full’). God’s salvation works comes through redemption.

Now the word ‘redemption’ means ‘we belong to our new master.” God saves us through redemption. Because Jesus paid the price and redeemed us, the salvation for us means we belong to our new master (Lord) Jesus. The minute we are saved from our sin we belong to new master, our Lord Jesus who bought (redeemed) us.

So the word ‘redeemed’ shows the character of our salvation. We are saved through ‘redemption.’ We are saved by being purchased by Jesus. Therefore being saved and belonging to new master happens at the same time. It means Jesus becomes our Savior and Lord at the same time because he saves us through redemption.

So if someone says “Jesus is my Lord” but I have trouble to accept Jesus as my “Lord” he does not know the character of salvation. Jesus saves us through redemption. Therefore he saves us by becoming our (new) Lord.  

2. Read verse 69-74a. What does “horn” imply? (2 Sa 22:3; Rev 12:3, 9) Why does he call Jesus “the horn of salvation”? Why does God raise a horn of salvation up in the house of David? (70, 72, 73, Genesis 22:18, 2 Samuel 7:11-16) From what does the horn of salvation save us? (71, 74a)

2-1) Read verse 69-74a.

⁶⁹ He has raised up a horn^{[ HYPERLINK "http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%201:67-80&version=NIV" \l "fen-NIV-24963a" \o "See footnote a" a]} of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David
⁷⁰ (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
⁷¹ salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us—
⁷² to show mercy to our ancestors
    and to remember his holy covenant,
⁷³     the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
⁷⁴ to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,

 

2-2) What does “horn” imply? (2 Sa 22:3; Rev 12:3, 9) 

“Horn’ may refer to ‘power’ or ‘strength’. In the context of ‘in the house of David’ ‘the horn’ could refer to ‘strong king’ who can save his people.

2-3) Why does he call Jesus “the horn of salvation”? 

Because Jesus has power to save people. Jesus can attack our enemy Satan, the power of sin and death and save us. 

The word ‘horn of salvation’ shows that Jesus has actual power to save. No one can save others without proper power. Jesus has power to save sinners and his power comes from paying the full price of man’s sin on the cross. He satisfies God’s justice through his death.

2-4) Why does God raise a horn of salvation up in the house of David? (70, 72, 73, Genesis 22:18, 2 Samuel 7:11-16) 

Because the coming of Messiah was promised. The promised Messiah (King) who will save people from their sins has been prophesied and promised to David. So the coming of Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise given to David. Jesus came as the son (descendant) of David. He came as the King because he is David’s descendant.

2-5) From what does the horn of salvation save us? (71, 74a)

From the hands of our enemies. We have enemies, which is Satan, the power of sin and death. We do not want to have our enemies but we do have our enemies. We have been slaves of our enemies and salvation is the salvation from our hands of our enemies.

The enemies are also those who hate us. 

‘The oath’ refers to God’s oath to Abraham in Genesis 22:16-18. God’s salvation work did not come out of blue but it is the fulfillment of God’s promise given to men for a long time. The promise was given before it happens so that people may believe.

3. Read verses 74b -75. What is God’s purpose in rescuing us? What does it mean to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days?

3-1) Read verses 74b -75.

    and to enable us to serve him without fear
⁷⁵     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

 

3-2) What is God’s purpose in rescuing us? 

It is to enable us to serve God without fear. Our salvation has a clear purpose. It is to serve God without fear. God enables us to serve God without fear.

3-3) What does it mean to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days?

“Fear’ may refer to the fear of God’s judgment. When Jesus died for our sins by paying the full price of our sin we do not need to be afraid of God’s judgment. Before God’s eyes we are blameless and spotless through the work of Jesus.

Jesus’ redemption work (salvation work) enables us to serve God without fear even in holiness and righteousness all our days. 

4. Read verses 76-80. What was the mission of Zechariah’s son? (76-78a) What does it mean that Jesus is the Rising Sun? (78b-79) What happens to the child as he grows up? (80)

                           

4-1) Read verses 76-80. 

⁷⁶ And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
⁷⁷ to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,
⁷⁸ because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
⁷⁹ to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

⁸⁰ And the child grew and became strong in spirit^{[ HYPERLINK "http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%201:67-80&version=NIV" \l "fen-NIV-24974b" \o "See footnote b" b]}; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

4-2) What was the mission of Zechariah’s son? (76-78a) 

Finally Zechariah is talking about his son – his mission. It is to “go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins”

John the Baptist would prepare the way for Jesus by giving the knowledge of salvation. He did it by witnessing Jesus and introducing the work of Jesus.

4-3) What does it mean that Jesus is the Rising Sun? (78b-79)

It symbolizes Jesus’ power over the darkness. The Satan, Sin, death all can be compared to darkness. But before rising sun no darkness can be strong. All darkness will be defeated and disappear. 

The rising sun does 2 things. “shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace”

1) to shine in those who live in darkness (shadow of death), and therefore removing darkness

2) to guide their feet into the path of peace.

4-4) What happens to the child as he grows up? (80)

^“80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit^{[ HYPERLINK "http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%201:67-80&version=NIV" \l "fen-NIV-24974b" \o "See footnote b" b]}; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.”

This is what happened to John the Baptist. 

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