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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