Jesus: The Dayspring from on High
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In Luke 1:76-80 we have a part of the prophecy of John the Baptist’s father Zacharias.
Who, after the birth of his son, had his speech miraculously restored so that he said:
Luke 1:76–80 (NASB95) “And you, child [speaking of his son John], will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS; 77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, 78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, 79 TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” 80 And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Verse 78 speaks of ...
The Message - God’s Sunrise will break in upon us
Both Jewish Bible translations (Tree of Life & Complete Jewish Bible) the Sunrise from on high (capital “s”)
A few other translations use Sunrise as a translation for this Greek word
KJV - the Dayspring from on high hath visited us
Whichever translation you look at seems to reference a Messianic prophecy in Malachi 4:2 (NASB95) “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in [His] [its] wings; …
Israel had long been awaiting the “Dayspring from on High” — Messiah.
Jesus was like the sunrise after a long night of intense darkness and agony.
He is the morning for which the watchman waited in the chorus we just sang.
When I was in the Army during the cold war (a brief interlude with no shooting war) I had guard duty a few times.
Most of the time I was the peon who walked the fence, or who sat outside the armory.
But after I was promoted to an E-5 I had duty as the Sergeant of the Guard — making sure the peons changed watches as assigned and didn’t fall asleep
But as one of the peons, I once had to guard a missile that I actually worked on.
I didn’t shoot the missiles, I worked on them, their launchers and their associated equipment — a lot of associated equipment!
Anyway I was guarding this missile because Jordanians were going to fire it, but they couldn’t guard it on U.S. soil.
So I am out the the New Mexico desert at McGregor Range guarding this missile.
Let me tell you something, it gets cold in the desert at night.
Nothing to stop the wind.
Even with my cold-weather gear it felt like the cold wind was cutting right through me.
I can tell you, I longed for the sun to rise.
I longed for the heat to overtake the cold.
I well understand for what the watchman is looking.
Those hours before dawn are the coldest.
In times of a shooting-war, they are the most dangerous — that’s when the enemy likes to attack.
So what a blessing to see the sun rise up, signaling the end of night.
Folks, that’s Jesus!
That’s who Zacharias was talking about!
Jesus Messiah!
Jesus, Sunrise from on High
He is the promised One.
He was the One for whom John the Baptist would prepare the way.
John began the message of repentance and forgiveness of sins.
But Jesus continued it …
Mark 1:14–15 (NASB95) Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Forgiveness of sins is available, but we must repent to receive it.
As a shepherd, King David had the experience waiting, of eagerly longing for a dawn that he knew would end the dangers of predators in the night — bears, lions, wolves, and such.
He wrote…
Psalm 130:6 (NASB95) My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.
When Zechariah, a priest in the Temple, realized that the hour had arrived for the appearing of the long promised Messiah… , he broke forth in these remarkable words,
“The dayspring from on high hath visited us!”
And we know, that the light of this memorable dawn does not come upon us
Because we are good people
Or educated people
Or rich people
Or people of social standing
NO!
But, as our text says:
because of the tender mercy of our God.
So we should readily and gratefully welcome and worship
the Sunrise of God
The Son of God
risen with healing in His wings
And even now our Lord still carries on the Sunrise of His deliverance…
He shines upon us not with the crushing energy of His splendor, but with the [brightness] of the message of salvation.
2 Corinthians 4:6 (NASB95) For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Charles Rolls says:
When we contemplate Christ as the Dayspring serving those who were stricken by suffering and stunned with sorrow we marvel at His meekness.
How tender the soft radiance of His gracious tolerance, how friendly His glorious forbearance and how merciful His wondrous magnificence, all of which He harnessed to help humanity.
This Visitor from above, Jesus, brought to earth the spiritual light of a new dawn with its tender mercy.
In His ministry we detect the charming fragrance of the Lily of the Valleys, we discern the moral excellence of the Beauty of Holiness, we discover the ceaseless effluence of the Fountain of Life, we distinguish the comely countenance of the Beloved of the Father, we decipher the infinite patience of the Rock of Ages and detect the heart essence of the Friend of Sinners.
Oh, to receive more of the sunbeams of sympathy from the Savior’s lustrous face!
Some people think that Christianity consists of a dim light flickering on a drab sarcophagus in a dingy sepulcher; instead it really is the radiant glow of a resplendent Dayspring from on high.
Tonight, let us seek the Dayspring who has arisen to shine His light in all the earth.
We have experienced Him.
Let’s pray for others to do so as well.