“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago)…” Luke 1:68-70
“Come … and redeemed…” is a pair of verbs describing some of God’s mightiest acts of salvation.
“Redeemed” means to “ransom, deliver, or buy back from slavery”. In the Old Testament, the Lord redeemed Israel by rescuing them from slavery. In the New Testament, “redeem” describes Jesus’ work in restoring believers.
“Horn of salvation” is an image of power. Animals with horns are bold; in Israelite thought, a horned animal with its head held high symbolized strength and triumph.
“David” indicates Jesus’ royal ancestry lineage, which is tied to God’s promises from the Old Testament.
The theme of this entire chapter 1 is fulfillment. God faithfully keeps His promises by sending “one like Elijah” (John the Baptist) to prepare His people, and then by announcing the advent of the Son of God and Savior of all mankind. Nothing is impossible with God. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we can hope for an even more wonderful fulfillment of divine promises, including our glorification.
God’s blessings on your day…