The Morning Light From Heaven

“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,” Luke 1:76-78

During Zechariah’s service as priest, at the highest point of his career, God promised a son to Zechariah and Elizabeth. Their son, John, would be the forerunner of the Messiah. Seeing that Zechariah and Elizabeth had been unable to conceive and now were beyond the age of child-bearing, Zechariah doubted God’s promise. Because of his doubt, Zechariah was unable to speak a customary blessing over the people waiting outside the sanctuary. His speech did not return until John the Baptist was 8 days old.

Not only did Zechariah speak that day, but God broke 400 years of silence when Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy.  “Because of God’s tender mercy,” he said, “the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us.” The fulfillment of over 300 Old Testament prophecies was soon to be born in an unsuspecting Judean village. Hope was about to take on human form. The light was coming. 

Looking back, you have to wonder how much Zechariah, Elizabeth, and the others understood that day. The dawning of the greatest event in all of human history had just been announced to them. The Messiah would come bringing salvation and forgiveness. The tiny eight-day-old baby in Elizabeth’s arms would prepare the way for Him. And the course of their lives would soon be forever changed. 

John the Baptist announced the coming of the Savior, but every person who heard the good news had to ask himself the same questions that I propose to you: Has Jesus, the morning light of heaven, broken upon you? Have you allowed His love to fill your heart and His salvation and forgiveness to change the course of your life?