This week we continue the season of Advent by focusing on peace.  Our 2009 Advent theme is “The Songs of Christmas,” and each week we’ll be looking at a song from the gospel of Luke surrounding the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Our song this week comes from Luke 1:67-79.  This is Zacharias’song, the father of John the Baptist:

⁶⁷ And John the Baptist’s father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

⁶⁸ “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,

⁶⁹ And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant—

⁷⁰ As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old—

⁷¹ Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us;

⁷² To show mercy toward our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant,

⁷³ The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,

⁷⁴ To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear,

⁷⁵ In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

⁷⁶ And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;

⁷⁷ To give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins,

⁷⁸ Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,

⁷⁹ To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

This week we focus on the peace of Christ.  This song that Zacharias sang came eight days after his son John was born, the day of John’s circumcision and official naming.  Even more, this song was the first words Zacharias had spoken in over nine months because Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, had stricken him mute due to his unbelief when Gabriel told him of John’s birth.  But now Zacharias was certainly a believer.  The long-awaited time was finally at hand.  The Messiah was soon to arrive and with Him would be salvation and mercy and rescue, and John would be the forerunner of the blessed Messiah.  John would point us to Jesus who shines light into darkness and brings everlasting peace.  Zacharias certainly had reason to sing.  May we enjoy and long for the peace in Jesus Christ!