Luke 1:76,77

2 d. Luke 1:76-77.

From the height to which he has just attained, Zacharias allows his glance to fall upon the little child at rest before him, and he assigns him his part in the work which has begun. Luke 1:76 refers to him personally, Luke 1:77 to his mission.

Vers. 76 and 77. “ And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins. ”

The reading καὶ σύ, and thou, connects, by an easy transition, the forerunner with the work of the Messiah. The Alex. reading καὶ σὺ δέ, but thou, brings out more strongly, too strongly, doubtless, this secondary personality; it has against it not only the sixteen other Mjj., but further, the Peschito, the Italic, Irenaeus, and Origen, and must therefore be rejected. The title of prophet of the Highest simply places John the Baptist in that choir of the prophets of whom Zacharias speaks in Luke 1:70; later on, Jesus will assign him a higher place.

In saying the Lord, Zacharias can only be thinking of the Messiah. This is proved by the πρό, before Him, in προπορεύσῃ, and the αὐτοῦ, His ways. But he could not designate Him by this name, unless, with Malachi, he recognised in His coming the appearing of Jehovah (comp. Luke 1:17; Luke 1:43; Luke 2:11). The second proposition is a combination of the two propositions, Isaiah 40:3 (ἑτοιμάσαι) and Malachi 3:1 (προπορεύσῃ), prophecies which are also found combined in Mark 1:2-3. The article τοῦ before δοῦναι, to give, indicates a purpose. This word, in fact, throws a vivid light on the aim of John the Baptist's ministry. Why was the ministry of the Messiah preceded by that of another divine messenger? Because the very notion of salvation was falsified in Israel, and had to be corrected before salvation could be realized. A carnal and malignant patriotism had taken possession of the people and their rulers, and the idea of a political deliverance had been substituted for that of a moral salvation. If the notion of salvation had not been restored to its scriptural purity before being realized by the Messiah, not only would He have had to employ a large part of the time assigned to Him in accomplishing this indispensable task; but further, He would certainly have been accused of inventing a theory of salvation to suit His impotence to effect any other. There was needed, then, another person, divinely authorized, to remind the people that perdition consisted not in subjection to the Romans, but in divine condemnation; and that salvation, therefore, was not temporal emancipation, but the forgiveness of sins. To implant once more in the hearts of the people this notion of salvation, was indeed to prepare the way for Jesus, who was to accomplish this salvation, and no other. The last words, by the remission of their sins, depend directly on the word σωτηρίας, salvation: salvation by, that is to say, consisting in. The article τῆς is omitted before ἐν ἀφέσει, as is the case when the definitive forms, with the word on which it depends, merely one and the same notion.

The pronoun αὐτῶν refers to all the individuals comprehended under the collective idea of people. The authorities which read ἡμῶν are insufficient.

The words to His people show that Israel, although the people of God, were blind to the way of salvation. John the Baptist was to show to this people, who believed that all they needed was political restoration, that they were not less guilty than the heathen, and that they needed just as much divine pardon. This was precisely the meaning of the baptism to which he invited the Jews.