TO PREPARE THE WAY

Passage: Luke 1:76-80

Key verse: 76

NIV

76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet(A) of the Most High;(B)
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,(C)
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,(D)
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun(E) will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,(F)
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”(G)

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit[a];(H) and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

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Footnotes
  1. Luke 1:80 Or in the Spirit
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

76 And you, child, will be called (A)the prophet of (B)the Most High;
    for (C)you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
    (D)in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the (E)tender mercy of our God,
    whereby (F)the sunrise shall (G)visit us[a] (H)from on high
79 to (I)give light to (J)those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into (K)the way of (L)peace.”

80 (M)And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was (N)in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

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Footnotes
  1. Luke 1:78 Or when the sunrise shall dawn upon us; some manuscripts since the sunrise has visited us
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. To give knowledge of salvation (76-78a)

Zechariah's son was not the Christ. He was John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah. He was sent by God to prepare the way for Christ's coming. How does one prepare for the coming of the Lord? John's ministry called people to repentance. He proclaimed forgiveness of sin. Our great human problem is sin. Jesus came to solve this problem by dying for our sins and rising from death. John made people aware of sin and he heralded Jesus the Savior.

2. The rising Sun (78b-80)

At the time of Jesus' coming, the world was clothed in the dark night of sin. My life was also dark and meaningless before Jesus came to me. Jesus' coming is like the rising sun. He shines his light of salvation and life on those living in the darkness of sin and fear, under the shadow of death.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be a herald of Jesus. Help me to prepare a way for him to come into the dark lives of the people of my time.

One Word: Jesus turns darkness into light