THE BENEDICTUS

Luke 1:67-79

We are at the end of our Advent journey, Christmas is around the corner. Few days ego we read the gospel passage about how John the Baptist was conceived. Our gospel this morning is a very well know passage as we sing it every day during our morning prayer. This is the canticle of Zechariah or the Benedictus. Like the Virgin Mary at the visitation, Zechariah sings about a miraculous birth, what the Lord God had accomplished. We were told that Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were “advanced in years” and that Elizabeth was barren. At the birth of this child in their old years, Zechariah expresses his gratitude to God.

But notice what Zechariah says, how his song of praise begins: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people and has raised up for us a mighty savior, born of the house of His servant David.” This prayer and praise is not first for his baby boy. Instead, Zechariah worships the Lord God for providing a Savior. Who is this mighty Savior from the house of His servant David?” It isn’t Zechariah’s son. John’s lineage is like his mother’s and father’s: from the house of Aaron and the house of Levi, the priestly line of Israel. John is not born into the royal house of David.

In the mind of Zechariah, the Christ who “saves us from our enemies” and “shows the mercy promised to our fathers” is the main subject of his song, not the birth of his son. And like Zechariah, we Christians also should have the Savior as the focus of our worship. As we end this season of preparation, let us focus on that great truth. Let us know that our salvation is in the forgiveness of sins that our God provides us through the birth of his son. That is what Zechariah has made known to us by testifying about the Lord God. Let us “serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life.”

Today we can now join Zechariah in singing his song of salvation, the blessed Benedictus. Oh yes. You don’t have to have a son named John to do that. You just have to know the one whose way John prepared, namely, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In him, through faith in Christ, we can and we do sing, with great joy: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people.”