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Luke 1 - Devotion · The Five Minute Bible Podcast

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  Welcome to Five Minute Bible in our journey through the New
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  Testament. In each episode, we take just a
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  few minutes to focus on one chapter of the New Testament,
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  exploring the truths God is teaching us through His Word and
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  expanding our view of who He is. Before you listen, make sure
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  you've gone straight to the source, either by reading
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  today's chapter of the Bible yourself or listening to today's
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  read along episode in this podcast feed.
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  If you haven't done that yet, feel free to pause and do that
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  now. When you're ready, let's dive
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  into God's Word. Together
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  today we begin Luke's Gospel. This is the first of two New
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  Testament books written by Luke, the second of which is Acts,
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  both written as letters to a man named Theophilus.
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  Whereas Matthew began his Gospel account with a genealogy and
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  Mark began his with the beginning of Jesus ministry,
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  Luke, under the authority of the Holy Spirit, begins with the
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  account of the birth of John the Baptist.
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  John is the forerunner to Jesus born to Elizabeth and Zacharias
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  just a few months before Jesus was born.
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  The story of John's birth is a miraculous one, and one that
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  mirrors Jesus birth in several ways.
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  It too involves a visit from Gabriel, a medically miraculous
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  pregnancy, and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
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  What I want us to focus in on though, is the prophecy that God
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  speaks through Zacharias after the birth of John.
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  Zacharias spent the better part of Elizabeth's pregnancy unable
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  to speak after he was made mute as a result of doubting the word
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  spoken to him by the Angel Gabriel.
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  After John was born and named on the 8th day, Zacharias regained
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  his ability to speak, listen to the prophetic word God speaks
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  through him, speaking not primarily about this new baby
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  John, but about the One whom John would later refer to as one
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  coming who is mightier than I. Here is Zacharias prophecy.
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  Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us
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  and accomplished redemption for His people, and has raised up a
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  horn of salvation for us in the House of David His servant, as
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  He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from from of old
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  salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate
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  us. To show mercy toward our fathers
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  and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He
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  swore to Abraham our Father, to grant us that we, being rescued
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  from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear in
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  holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
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  And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
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  for you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways, to
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  give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness
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  of their sins. Because of the tender mercy of
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  God, with which the sunrise from on high will visit us to shine
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  upon those who sit in darkness in the shadow of death, to guide
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  our feet into the way of peace. Here, through Zacharias, God is
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  laying out the plan that has been in place from the very
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  beginning. Redemption of God's people.
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  God's salvation plan for His people is unfolding before their
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  very eyes. God is fulfilling the promises
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  He made back to Abraham and the patriarchs.
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  And look at the language of verses 78 and 79.
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  Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the sunrise
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  from on high will visit us to shine upon those who sit in
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  darkness and the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way
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  of peace. Jesus is coming, the sunrise
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  from on high. This is Isaiah 9 language where
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  we read. The people who walk in darkness
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  will see a great light. Those who live in a dark land,
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  the light will shine on them. The world is dark and full of
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  sin and evil. The hearts of men are selfish
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  and ingrown and have forgotten peace and light.
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  But Jesus, the sunrise from on high is coming and everything is
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  going to change.