Zechariah said his son John Would Guide Toward Peace

When John the Baptist was born, the Holy Spirit filled his father Zechariah. He first praised not his own son, but the child Mary would bear. He said God “has raised up a mighty savior for us in his servant David’s house. He has brought salvation; he has shown mercy.” Then Zechariah showed not just fatherly pride but divine revelation. He said his son would declare, “The dawn from heaven will break upon us, to give light to those who are sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide us on the path of peace.”

• Zechariah packed so much hoping, praying, and trusting into one phrase: “just as he said through the mouths of his holy prophets long ago.” God’s covenant with Abraham, God’s pledge to David, God’s promise of a deliverer to make our broken world new—it was all going to happen after all! How can the Advent stories of John’s and Jesus’ birth help to nourish and sustain your trust in God’s big promises?
• Zechariah lived in Roman-occupied Judea. But scholar N. T. Wright said the “enemies” in verse 71 were not just Roman soldiers: “Zechariah’s vision goes beyond simply a realigning of political powers. God’s mercy, the forgiveness of sins, the rescue from death itself; all of this points to a deeper and wider meaning of ‘salvation’.” * How has Jesus brought peace and light into your life, freeing you from internal struggles even more than external enemies?