"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them,...
thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remember his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham....
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace." Luke 1
The one thing that stands out for me in these words of Zechariah is the faithfulness of God. God has stood behind the covenant made to Abraham and others. Can you imagine what would happen if God had a change of mind and broke covenant? Israel would not end up being a blessing to the nations of the Earth. Maybe no Messiah would have come. However, we have these powerful words that God "has remembered the holy covenant."
The promise of a Messiah would mean that a light would come to those who sit in darkness. Think of those who are in darkness in our world today and need the light of Christ. I would invite you to reflect on these words of Zechariah and you may want to read the entire text in Luke 1:68-79 in preparation for your worship this Sunday. Blessings on your worship this Sunday.
Pastor Marty