This article will look closely at this passage in Luke to determine why, and to whom, Christ came.
[Luke 1:67 KJV]"And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,"[Luke 1:68 KJV]"Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,"
The Lord Jesus Christ came to redeem only his people, Israel. Redemption means to have deliverance from the penalty of sin. [Hebrews 9:12 KJV] "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]."
[Luke 1:69 KJV]"And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;"
[Luke 1:70 KJV]"As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:"
The prophets spoke of a suffering Saviour.
[Luke 24:44 KJV] "And he said unto them, These [are] the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and [in] the prophets, and [in] the psalms, concerning me."
[Luke 1:71 KJV]"That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;"
Jesus came also to physically save his people. Believing Israel will also be physically saved in the tribulation.
[Luke 1:72 KJV]"To perform the mercy [promised] to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;"[Luke 1:73 KJV]"The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,"
The promise and his holy covenant was to make Israel a father of many nations, to be a God to his people, and give them a land for an everlasting possession.[Genesis 17:4 KJV] "As for me, behold, my covenant [is] with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations."[Genesis 17:5 KJV]"Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee."[Genesis 17:7 KJV]"And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee."[Genesis 17:8 KJV]"And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."[Genesis 17:9 KJV]"And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations."
God established Israel and made covenant only with them. God was only dealing with Israel in a covenant relationship.
God gave the Lord Jesus Christ to Israel as a covenant.[Isiah 42:6 KJV] "I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;"
[Luke 1:74 KJV] "That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,"[Luke 1:75 KJV]"In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life." God will deliver Israel from oppression to serve him. God has a purpose reserved and applicable to Israel only.[Luke 1:76 KJV]"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;"[Luke 1:77 KJV]"To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins," God forgave the sins of national Israel to become a blessing and to bring salvation to the world.
At this time, in this dispensation, God was only dealing with Israel in his covenant relationship. God was offering salvation to his people, not the Gentiles. In God's wisdom, and time, he would save the Gentiles. The salvation of the Gentiles would fully come thru Paul, in the dispensation of grace.
[Luke 1:67 KJV]"And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,"[Luke 1:68 KJV]"Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,"
The Lord Jesus Christ came to redeem only his people, Israel. Redemption means to have deliverance from the penalty of sin. [Hebrews 9:12 KJV] "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]."
[Luke 1:69 KJV]"And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;"
[Luke 1:70 KJV]"As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:"
The prophets spoke of a suffering Saviour.
[Luke 24:44 KJV] "And he said unto them, These [are] the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and [in] the prophets, and [in] the psalms, concerning me."
[Luke 1:71 KJV]"That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;"
Jesus came also to physically save his people. Believing Israel will also be physically saved in the tribulation.
[Luke 1:72 KJV]"To perform the mercy [promised] to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;"[Luke 1:73 KJV]"The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,"
The promise and his holy covenant was to make Israel a father of many nations, to be a God to his people, and give them a land for an everlasting possession.[Genesis 17:4 KJV] "As for me, behold, my covenant [is] with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations."[Genesis 17:5 KJV]"Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee."[Genesis 17:7 KJV]"And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee."[Genesis 17:8 KJV]"And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."[Genesis 17:9 KJV]"And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations."
God established Israel and made covenant only with them. God was only dealing with Israel in a covenant relationship.
God gave the Lord Jesus Christ to Israel as a covenant.[Isiah 42:6 KJV] "I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;"
[Luke 1:74 KJV] "That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,"[Luke 1:75 KJV]"In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life." God will deliver Israel from oppression to serve him. God has a purpose reserved and applicable to Israel only.[Luke 1:76 KJV]"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;"[Luke 1:77 KJV]"To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins," God forgave the sins of national Israel to become a blessing and to bring salvation to the world.
At this time, in this dispensation, God was only dealing with Israel in his covenant relationship. God was offering salvation to his people, not the Gentiles. In God's wisdom, and time, he would save the Gentiles. The salvation of the Gentiles would fully come thru Paul, in the dispensation of grace.
