Another “song of Christmas” was voiced by the father of John the Baptist. Zacharias’ song, found in Luke 1:68–79, has become known as “The Benedictus” and is based on its first word in the Latin version. The background for his song was the birth of his son, John. Zacharias was performing his priestly temple duties when an angel announced that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would become parents. Being childless throughout their marriage the news sounded too good to be true. Being hardly able to absorb such news the aged priest asked for proof but was rewarded with a sentence of silence. God’s act had two parts: the promise of a son in his old age and a nine-month period of silence supernaturally imposed on him until the baby’s birth, at which time Zacharias was instructed to give his son the name of John.
When the infant was presented for the official naming ceremony everyone presumed the baby would be named after its father. In careful obedience to his prior instructions the new father asked for a writing tablet upon which he wrote emphatically that the baby’s name would be John. That act of obedience occasioned the lifting of the divinely imposed inability to speak. His last spoken words before the silence engulfed him had been those of doubt. Now at the lifting of the silence the first words out of Zacharias’ mouth were those of praise, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel” (Luke 1:68).
Divided in two parts
Zacharias’ song was in two parts. The first part was praise while the second part was prophecy. His praise was offered by the enablement of the Holy Spirit (1:67). Expressed in poetic language, the Spirit-inspired praise was laced with Old Testament quotations and allusions. It also was filled with figures of speech. Zacharias’ words of praise had to do with what God was about to do in sending the promised Messiah (Luke 1:68–75). He who was beset with doubts when the angel visited him was so sure that God’s promise would happen that he praised God in advance in the past tense, “For He has visited and redeemed His people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us” (1:68–69). Obviously the praise part of the song was about the coming Messiah, who would be a descendant of David.
Words about John and Jesus
The second part of the song was prophetic and directed toward his infant son, John (1:76–79). Zacharias’ prophetic utterance intertwined words about John and words about Jesus the Messiah. John would grow up to become the forerunner of the Messiah. As forerunner John would have a prophetic ministry, being called “the prophet of the Most High” (1:76). In the role of forerunner John’s mission was to prepare the way for the Messiah. That preparation involved announcing salvation through the forgiveness of sins. That salvation was to be because of the “tender mercy” of God. Zacharias’ prophetic utterance also referred to the coming Messiah as “the sunrise from on high” (1:77–78). Using the imagery of sunrise the prophetic portion of Zacharias’ song looked toward the coming of light to those who sat “in darkness and in the shadow of death.” The promised salvation would guide the people’s feet “into the way of peace” (1:79).
Grateful songs of praise often followed great acts of God. Such was the case with Mary’s song and then with Zacharias’ song. Will this holy season find us lifting songs of praise to God for His gracious and mighty work in our lives?
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