Zechariah's Good News; Luke 1:68

Delivered during the Christmas Eve Service, 12/24/2023. In this Christmas Eve meditation we will revisit the prophetic song of Zechariah when his son John the Baptist was born. In it he offers a benediction to the God of Israel, and then foresees the mystery of His Incarnation. We will look first at his benediction to God, including the significance of the names he uses to address Him. And then we will focus on the three words he uses to foretell the Gospel, albeit in a very compact form. Finally, we will personalize Zechariah's words and consider what it means to be included in "His people"-- and conversely what it means to be excluded. Ultimately we will discover that Zechariah's Good News is our Good News-- for it is the heart of the Gospel, and the focus of our worship on this Christmas Eve.