Luke 1:76

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; Here are the dying echoes of this song: and very beautiful are these closing notes-like the setting sun, shorn indeed of its noon-tide radiance, but skirting the horizon with a wavy and quivering light, as of molten gold-on which the eye delights to gaze, until it disappears from the view. The song passes not here from Christ to John, but only from Christ direct, to Christ as heralded by his Forerunner. Verse 76. AND THOU, CHILD - not, 'thou, my son,' for this child's relation to himself was lost in his relation to a Greater than either; SHALT BE CALLED THE PROPHET OF THE HIGHEST: FOR THOU SHALT GO BEFORE THE FACE OF THE LORD - that is, "before the face of the Most High." Since this epithet is in Scripture applied to the supreme God, it is inconceivable tha...

76._And thou, child _Zacharias again returns to commend the grace of Christ, but does this, as it were, in the person of his son, by describing briefly the office to which he had been appointed as an instructor. Though in a little infant eight days old he does not yet observe prophetical endowments, yet turning his eyes to the purpose of God, he speaks of it as a thing already known. _To be called _means here to be _considered and openly acknowledged _as the prophet of God. A secret calling of God had already taken place. It only remained that the nature of that calling should be manifested to men. But as the name _Prophet _is general, Zacharias, following the revelation brought to him by the angel, affirms that he would be the usher (80) or herald of Christ. He says, _thou shalt go before the face of the Lord: _that is, thou shalt discharge the office of turning men by thy preaching to...

67-80 Zacharias uttered a prophecy concerning the kingdom and salvation of the Messiah. The gospel brings light with it; in it the day dawns. In John the Baptist it began to break, and increased apace to the perfect day. The gospel is discovering; it shows that about which we were utterly in the dark; it is to give light to those that sit in darkness, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It is reviving; it brings light to those that sit in the shadow of death, as condemned prisoners in the dungeon. It is directing; it is to guide our feet in the way of peace, into that way which will bring us to peace at last, Romans 3:17. John gave proofs of strong faith, vigorous and holy affections, and of being above the fear and love of the world. Thus he ripened for usefulness; but he lived a retired life, till he came forward openly as the forerunner of the...

Verse Luke 1:76. _AND THOU, CHILD_, c.] Zacharias proclaims the dignity, employment, doctrine, and success of his son and the ruin and recovery of the Jews and the Gentiles. 1. His _dignity_. _Thou shalt be called_ (constituted) _a prophet of_ _the Most High_. _Prophet_ has two acceptations:- 1st. A person who _foretells future events_; and; 2dly. A _teacher_ of men in the things of God, 1Co 14:3. John was a prophet in _both_ senses: he proclaimed the mercy which _should_ be communicated; announced the baptism of the Holy Spirit; and _taught_ men how to leave their sins, and how to find the salvation of God. See Luke 3:5. His very name, _Jehochanan_, the _grace_ or _mercy of Jehovah_, (see...

AND THOU, CHILD ... - Zechariah predicts in this and the following verses the dignity, the employment, and the success of John. He declares what would be the subject of his preaching, and what his success. PROPHET OF THE HIGHEST - Prophet of God; a prophet “appointed by God” to declare his will, and to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. THE FACE OF THE LORD - The Lord Jesus, the Messiah, that was about to appear. To go before “the face of one” is the same as to go immediately before one, or to be immediately followed by another. TO PREPARE HIS WAYS - This is taken from Isaiah 40:3. See the Matthew 3:3 niote, and...

EXPOSITION THE origin of the Gospels—the four histories which relate in detail the circumstances of the foundation of Christianity—will ever be an interesting study. Here we shall never know the exact truth of the compilation of these writings, the foundation-stones of all our hopes and fears; a reverent, scholarly speculation is all that can be offered to the student of the Divine memoirs. The speculation, however, probably in this case comes very near the truth. After the Ascension and the events of the first Pentecost, which quickly followed their Master's return to heaven, the twelve and a few others who had walked in the company which followed Jesus during the years of his public ministry no doubt often met together and talked over the teaching and the acts of their risen and now glorified Master. As time passed on, a certain number of these acts, a certain number of the public and...

AND THOU, CHILD, SHALT BE CALLED THE PROPHET OF THE HIGHEST,.... Here Zacharias turns himself to his son John, though an infant, and incapable of knowing what was said to him; and for the sake of those that were present, describes his office and work; and says, that he should be "called", that is, that he should "be", and be accounted a "prophet": for he was not only a preacher of Christ and his Gospel, but he also foretold the coming of the Messiah; and the vengeance that should fall on the Jewish nation, for their unfruitfulness, impenitence, and unbelief: and the Prophet "of the Highest"; that is, of God; as the Persic version renders it, of the most high God; and by whom is meant, the Lord Jesus Christ, whose prophet, harbinger, and forerunner John was; and so is a proof of Christ being the supreme, or most high God: FOR THOU SHALT GO BEFORE THE FACE OF THE LORD, TO PREPARE HIS WAYS...

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE Analysis and Annotations I. The Birth and Childhood -- Chapter 1-2:52 CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The Introduction. (Luke 1:1)_ 2. Zacharias and Elizabeth; the Vision. (Luke 1:5) 3. John the Baptist, his birth and ministry announced. (Luke 1:13) 4. Zacharias' Unbelief and Punishment. (Luke 1:18) 5. The Angel's Announcement to the Virgin Mary. (Luke 1:27) 6. Mary's Question and the Answer. (Luke 1:34) 7. Mary Visits Elizabeth ...

THE BIRTH OF JOHN. THE BENEDICTAS. In due course Elisabeth bore her son and received the congratulations of her friends. When the babe has been circumcised and named, his mother rejects the proposal to call him Zacharias and insists on John. The deaf and dumb father confirms his wife's wish, and his power of speech is restored. The whole incident made a great impression in the district, and people recognised that some great future was before the lad, for as he grew up (the last clause of Luke 1:66 is anti cipatory) he was seen to be Divinely guided and protected. Meanwhile Zacharias is inspired and utters a song-prophecy. Luke 1:68, in thoroughly Jewish tone, predicts the deliverance of Israel from the oppressor by a scion of the house of David, and the restoration of the theocracy. In...

AN HISTORIAN'S INTRODUCTION (Luke 1:1-4)...