“Through the tender mercy of our God – whereby the dayspring from on high visited us – (79) to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death – to guide our feet into the Way of peace.” [Lk.1:78-79]
As we continue to examine the Holy Spirit inspired statement of old priest Zacharias concerning his newborn son, John the Baptist – we see that it is all about the yet to be born (which is only a few short months from happening) – the birth of the eternal Son of God incarnated into being the eternal Savior/God, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is He that is being referred to as: “the Dayspring”.
The “Dayspring” is descriptive of the precise moment that the light of the beginning of a brand new new day brilliantly bursts forth into existence and springs into view — completely dispelling the prevailing and all encompassing darkness of the night. And, the Lord Jesus Christ is being referred to here as the “Dayspring – from on High”! Our Savior – the incarnated, holy and beloved eternal Son of God, was already conceived by the Holy Spirit of God — in the womb of Mary. Jesus – who was to be born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth — was being made ready to make His appointed and promised-by-God appearance in our history – and in the likeness of our sinful flesh (see Ro.8:3) — when old Zacharias was making this Holy Spirit inspired utterance! The event described in Gal.4:3-5 – which text says: “…we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: (4) but when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (5) to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” – the description of this text — was just months away from becoming a gospel reality in the midst of our fallen world! Praise the Name of God!
The sudden appearance of the glorious light of the “Dayspring from on high” marks the glorious visitation of our great, holy and sovereign Savior/Redeemer into fallen-in-sin humanity! This is the “light of the truth of the gospel of the glory, only, of the Lord Jesus Christ” that suddenly and gloriously showed up and cured, or healed, poor old Zacharias of all his unbelief in God.
This whole event around the birth of John the Baptist – the prophet/messenger and forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ – was foretold — four hundred years earlier through Malachi. Mal.3:1 says: “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me – and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple – even the Messenger of the Covenant – whom ye delight in. Behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts!” This prophecy was Holy Spirit inspired and recorded by Malachi 400 years before its fulfillment which we are presently looking at in Luke one! And, take careful note of this additional fact – just as Luke 1 narrates the announcement of the event of the first coming of Jesus in the flesh – the prophecy of Malachi declares the event of the second coming of Jesus in the flesh. It says: “For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts…But, unto you that fear my Name – shall the ‘Sun of righteousness’ arise with healing in His wings…” [Mal.4:1-2] The Lord Jesus is the “Dayspring” of Lk.1:78 – and He is the “Messenger of the Covenant” and the “Sun of righteousness” of Mal.3:1 and 4:2. And, just as Zacharias’s unbelief was healed with the actual birth of his son, John the Baptist, even so will all of God’s eternal covenanted loved and saved ones be rescued with the rising of the Sun of righteousness – the Lord Jesus Christ. He comes with the eternal rescue of redemption in His wings! But wait, there is yet still more wonderful blessings to be focused on here. . .
For Christ’s Glory Only! – John Carpenter
