This week we celebrate the birth of one of our greatest sons. John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Lord, who could rightly be called the last of the Old Testament prophets, was outstanding in so many ways. He was a prophet. He was a preacher. He was a disciple. He was a martyr.
As in the case of his Lord and Master, the details of the events surrounding John the Baptist’s conception and birth are provided by Luke, the Bible’s master storyteller, and he makes Zechariah’s canticle of praise a key part of his narrative. The canticle, which we call the Benedictus, like Mary’s Magnificat, weaves traditional Hebrew quotations and themes into a hymn of praise. His hymn is described as prophecy under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Prophecy in this biblical sense does not mean primarily foretelling of the future, as we might understand it, but a divinely enlightened proclamation of the meaning of the events unfolding before the prophet’s very eyes. Zechariah saw in the birth of his son God’s remembrance of his covenant promise to David and the salvation of God’s people. It is as if there are two parts to the canticle. The first part has a sense that the longed-for salvation is political and earthly, involving the overthrowing of national enemies, while the second part speaks of salvation in the broader sense of freedom from sin and reconciliation with God.
We share today Zechariah’s delight and praise of God for the birth of John the Baptist. The prophet’s message of repentance and of turning away from sin is as relevant and meaningful today as it was then. In fact, his word is increasingly relevant in a world that has lost a sense of sin.