Luke 1:68-75

New International Version (NIV)

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has come …
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him without fear
    in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

For Encouragement

He was a priest, and he knew the word of God very well, though doubt had assailed him for nine months (Luke 1:19-20). The word of God never fails. John the Baptist was born to Zechariah and Elizabeth in their old age. Now that he could talk, he could only praise the Lord (68). The old priest knew that Isaiah’s prophecy confirmed what angel Gabriel said about his son. The birth of John signaled the coming of the Messiah. He comes to rescue Israel from their enemies and ushers them into the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Jesus came. John identified Him as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The rescue was a worldwide operation, not for Israel alone. The sacrifice took place on Calvary two thousand plus years ago (19:30). We celebrate it as Good Friday.

Paul describes this rescue this way.

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). 

What do you have to lose but the life you cannot keep (Luke 17:33)?

Christ has worked salvation for the entire world, but everyone has to believe to be saved (John 3:16). Why then, are you still living in darkness, my friend? The call of God rings at your door to come to Christ for salvation today. Will you put your trust in Him and let Him save you (John 1:12-13; Romans 10:9-10, 13)? By His death, Christ has destroyed the one who holds the power of death and freed “those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14-15). Heaven’s door will open to you for life in eternity with Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).