Rejoice: Celebrating the Season of AdventSample

The Horn of Salvation

Read: Luke 1:68-75; Psalm 92:9-10; Colossians 1:11

SOAP: Luke 1:69

“For he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,”

Into the Text

For centuries, the nation of Israel had been oppressed by foreign powers. The Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and Greeks had ruled over them. Now, they were under the heavy hand of Rome with its governors, laws, and high taxes. The Jewish people were longing for the Messiah to finally come and redeem them from these powerful intruders. He would have to be strong and mighty in order to accomplish that.

As Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, he prophesied about the salvation the Messiah would bring. He knew the words of the prophets that God would send a deliverer from the house of David. Zechariah called Him the “Horn of Salvation.”

In different places in the Old Testament, “horn” refers to the deadly weapon of the wild ox. If you have ever seen a full-grown ox with its massive horns, you will understand how in ancient times the horn was a sign of great strength and victory over the enemies. Zechariah understood that the Messiah who was about to come was strong and powerful and would secure victory for His people.

Sadly, Jesus was rejected by most of the people in Israel. He was not the earthly powerful king they had envisaged Messiah to be. Many people today still reject Jesus as weak and pathetic, someone who didn’t fight back but instead was killed by His enemies. Yet, as Christians, we know that Jesus is strong. He was the only one able to live a life of victory over sin and the devil. He was strong enough to endure God’s wrath on the cross. In His strength, He lifted every heavy bolder of our sins on Himself and walked through death where he was then raised to life in great power.

With the arrival of Jesus, God’s power has broken into our world. He is the risen Lord. He lives. He is here. He is with us, and He is our strength. In faith, we can connect our weak lives to His mighty power, counting on His help and experiencing Jesus as the Horn of our Salvation.

Prayer

Lord, I am weak but you are strong. Please strengthen me according to your glorious power so that I can overcome sin and do what you want me to do. Amen