“And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:76-79
In these prophetic words, Zacharias the priest, being filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke of the ministry of his son, John the Baptist. He would be the prophet of the Highest, going before the Lord Jesus Christ, Jehovah God Himself in human flesh, to prepare His ways.
And how was John to prepare the people for the coming of their Lord? He was to give them knowledge of salvation “by the remission of their sins.” He was to teach them of God’s mercy and forgiveness for the sake of the innocent sufferings and death of God’s Son, the Dayspring from on high who would visit them. By calling on people to repent of their sins and trust in Messiah Jesus, he would give light to those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death and guide their feet into the way of peace with the Lord their God.
It is much like the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:15: “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” It is the same message pastors are commanded to preach today: “It behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations…” (Luke 24:46,47).
People today are still sitting in spiritual darkness and the shadow of death. They do not know the LORD God and His mercy in Christ Jesus and are headed for an eternity of suffering and punishment apart from Him and His lovingkindness.
Thus, the ministry of God’s people today, as we prepare for the second coming of the Lord Jesus from heaven, is to give to those around us knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins through faith in Christ Jesus. The church is to call people to repentance and faith in the Messiah and Savior Jesus, God’s own dear Son come into this world to redeem us by suffering and dying upon the cross for all sins and rising again on the third day.
We are to proclaim the law of God that people might see their sinfulness and the error of their ways, and we are to make known the good news of God’s mercy and forgiveness in Christ Jesus that people might trust in Him alone for eternal salvation.
In this way, we too give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, and we guide their feet into the way of peace.
O gracious and merciful God, bring us to repent of all our sinful and erring ways and grant to us mercy and forgiveness for the sake of the Son, Jesus Christ, that Dayspring from on High who has come to visit and redeem us. And, dear Lord Jesus, move us to give to others, sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins through faith in You and Your innocent sufferings and death in our stead. Amen.
[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]