Merciful to our ancestors
Zechariah said: “He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.” Luke 1:72-73
As Zechariah praised God upon the birth of his son John the Baptist, he was acutely aware of history. The coming of the Messiah was not a random historical event but was rooted in the long history of God’s dealings with his people. Zechariah pointed back to the prophets who had, long ago, promised that God would send a Saviour from the royal line of David. This reminds us particularly of the way in which Isaiah had specifically prophesied the coming of the Son of God. It was 700 years before the coming of Christ that he wrote: “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
Zechariah then pointed even further back as he referred to Abraham, the father of faith. In sending the Messiah, God was keeping his promise to the nation’s father long, long ago. The people of Israel had repeatedly gone their own way and lived in defiance to God. But God was faithful and hadn’t forgotten the promises he had made.
In our celebration of Christmas, it is important to realise that we are praising the God of history. Yes, we are remembering the fact of Jesus’ birth in the days of the Roman Empire. But we are reaching back much further to a God who has been faithful through the hundreds of turbulent years that preceded Jesus’ coming. We are reminding ourselves that God keeps his word and, despite all the disobedience and waywardness of his people, he stays true to his promises.
QUESTION
How do you respond to the faithfulness of God throughout history and to you personally?
PRAYER
Loving God, I thank you that you have been faithful to me throughout my life, and that I can trust you for time and eternity. Amen