Christmas Eve

It is easy to get caught up in the preparations for Christmas. Instead, take a moment to praise God for the great gift he will give the world: his son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Zechariah by Michelangelo

Gospel - Luke 1:67-79

Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

for he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hand of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Scriptural Analysis

Zechariah has just had his speech restored after obeying God and naming his son John as the Angel instructed him to. He is now the third member of his family to be filled with the Holy Spirit, just as John was “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:15) and as Elizabeth, “was filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Luke 1:41) Prior to this passage the neighbors and relatives who had gathered for the circumcision of John and witnessed Zechariah regaining is speech, wondered what might become of John. Zechariah is going to answer their question.

The Canticle of Zechariah is broken down into two parts. The first part discusses God’s salvation through the Messiah, and the second part discusses the role of John as the precursor. Zechariah opens with the phrase, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel.” This phrase is found as the closing line in several Psalms (41, 72, 106) and in several prayers dealing with the royal succession from David to Solomon. The Messiah represents another royal succession. The section opens by praising God and then explains the reason for that praise.

The first reason is that God has brought redemption to his people. God has come to his people to bring assistance just as he did at Sarah’s conception in Genesis or at the Exodus, “I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:17) To “set the people free” or redeemed the people in other translations means that God is freeing his people from captivity just as he did at the Exodus. This time, that freedom is from Sin through Jesus Christ: a new Exodus.

The second reason for Zechariah's praise is that God has, “raised up for us a mighty Savior.” In other translations, this is rendered as the “horn of salvation.” This recalls David’s song when David himself was delivered from his enemies, “He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me.” (Psalms 18:17) Horn is symbolic of the power of God, “God brings them out of Egypt; they have as it were the horns of the wild ox.” (Number 23:22) In Hannah’s canticle she refers to the power of the Messiah, “and exalt the power of his anointed.” (1 Samuel 2:10)

This “horn” comes from the house of David, which clearly indicates that Zechariah is speaking about Jesus and not John, who would be from the priestly line of Aaron. Zechariah is speaking like a prophet of old, announcing that Jesus will be God’s horn. He speaks of the mercy that God promised to their fathers and the covenant that was made with them. He speaks of the covenant that was made with Abraham that would extend to all nations (see Genesis 22:16-18) The name Zechariah means, “Yahweh has remembered,”Elizabeth means “my God,” and John means, “Yahweh is gracious.” We begin to see these meanings come to life through Zechariah’s prayer.

The purpose of this rescue is for the people to worship God, as in the Exodus: “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness” (Exodus 7:16). This deliverance is also supposed to be transformative, with the people becoming holy and righteous. Saint Paul picks up this theme in many of his letters.

Now, Zechariah’s prayer, his Canticle, turns to John. He describes him using the same imagery that Gabriel used in the announcement: John will “be called the prophet of the Most High.” John will prepare the way of the Lord. Many of the Old Testament prophets use this phrase as well (See Isaiah 40:3 or Malachi 3:1).

The Greek word that is used to describe the dawn breaking is anatole, which means “rising.” It is used in the Septuagint to translate a Hebrew word meaning branch. This recalls the prophet of Jeremiah, “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch.” (Jeremiah 23:5) The Messiah will shine on those in darkness, recalling the prophecy of Isaiah, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. “(Isaiah 9:2)

Zechariah closes his blessing with the phrases “shine” and “peace.” Recall that Zechariah is a priest, a descendant of Aaron. He is closing with the priestly blessing of Aaron, “The Lord bless you and keep you: The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

Daily Application

For centuries, the Church has recited this prayer or Zechariah's as part of the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours). This is done at the hour known as Lauds (Morning Prayer). She does this to continually remind us of the tremendous gift that God gave us in the birth of his son Jesus: in enacting his plan of salvation. There is no greater time to be reminded of that gift than Christmas Eve. As we prepare to celebrate with family and friends, it becomes very easy to forget why we celebrate. As you gather, consider taking a moment to pick up the Bible and read the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke. Remind yourself why this time is set aside as sacred.