Luke: Part 5 – The Prophecy of Redemption
When John the Baptist was born, his parents, Elizabeth and Zechariah, knew full well who their son was and what he was destined to do. Zechariah prophesies over his son John and says, “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” And of course we know that the arrival of John into the world is a fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy where God speaks to Israel 400 years earlier: “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers.” The arrival of John is the signal that the Kingdom of God is at hand. This was Israel’s greatest desire. And it has now begun.