Benedictus
December 19, 2021 Preacher: Caleb Bunch Series: What Child is This? The Original Christmas Hymns
Topic: Christmas Scripture: Luke 1:67-79
Zechariah blesses the Lord for visiting and redeeming His people.
- Zechariah was a temple priest, a Levite. He and his wife Elizabeth were old and childless.
- He prays for a son. God answers his prayer and Elizabeth gives birth to John the
Baptist.
1. Zechariah's song is not about his son John, but about Jesus. (vs 68-75).
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed his people and has
raised up a horn of salvation for us in thye house of his servant David."
2. God is faithful. (vs 70-75)
- God "has raised up a horn of salvation" ... "to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant" v72 (see Psalm 132:17)
- "the oath that he swore to our father Abraham' v73 (see Genesis 17:4-7)
- "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13)
3. Jesus came to make us righteous and holy. (v72-75)
- "...that we... might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him
all our days" V74-75)
4. John's life mission: Born to point others to Jesus. (v76-79)
- "to give knowledge of salvation to his people" v 77
- "to give light to those in darkness...to guide our feet in the way of peace." v79
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More in What Child is This? The Original Christmas Hymns
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GloriaDecember 12, 2021
Magnificat