Read Luke 1:67 – 80

ZECHARIAH’S PROPHECY
The Jews were eagerly waiting for the Messiah, but they thought He would come to save them from the powerful Roman Empire. They were ready for a military savior, but not for a peaceful Messiah to conquer sin.
Zechariah had just recalled hundreds of years of God’s sovereign work in history, beginning with Abraham and going on into eternity. Then, in tender contrast, he personalized the story. His son had been chosen for a key role in the drama of the ages. Although God has unlimited power, He chooses to work through frail humans who begin as helpless babies. Don’t minimize what God can do through those who are faithful to Him.
Zechariah praised God with his first words after months of silence. In a song that is often called the Benedictus, after the first words in the Latin translation of this passage, Zechariah prophesied the coming of the Savior who would redeem His people, and he predicted that his son, John, would prepare the Messiah’s way. All the Old Testament prophesies were coming true. No wonder Zechariah praised God. The Messiah would come in Zechariah’s lifetime, and his son had been chosen to pave the way.
Why did John live out in the wilderness? Prophets used the isolation of the wilderness to enhance their spiritual growth and to focus their message on God. By being in the wilderness, John remained separate from the economic and political powers so that he could aim his message against them. He also remained separate from the hypocritical religious leaders of his day. His message was different from theirs, and his life proved it.