The Benedictus, to use the Latin name for Zechariah’s song (meaning “blessed,” taken from the first word of the song in the Vulgate version), is very God centered in its orientation. Zechariah praised the God of Israel, who entered human history in a purposeful way and came to redeem his people. This deliverance involved a divine act of intervention, namely, the sending of a redeemer, literally, a “horn of salvation.” (1:69)—AA Trites and William Larkin

The true enemies were not as most Jews thought foreign invaders, but spiritual foes, and it was to be the work of Zechariah’s son John ‘to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins’ (1:77). That is where the revolution has to begin. Before there can be a right relationship between man and man, there must be a right relationship between man and God, and the sin which spoils that must be repented of and removed. Thus in due course Luke will quote the apostles’ preaching that Jesus is the one whom God has made ‘Leader and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins’ (Acts 5:31).— Michael Wilcock