Zechariah and Elizabeth were a godly couple who longed to have children. But they were well along in years. That dream had died years ago. Then, one day, an angel suddenly appeared to a startled Zechariah and told him that Elizabeth would have a son. They were to call his name John. John the Baptist would be the one who prepared the way for Jesus.

When John was born, Zechariah broke out in a song of praise. He proclaimed,

Luke 1:68-69
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.”

In his song, it is interesting that Zechariah calls Jesus, the coming Messiah born in the line of David, a “horn of salvation.” What does that title mean?

The word “horn” refers to the horn of an animal and indicates great strength. Deuteronomy 33:17 describes the strong horns of a wild ox. In Psalm 22:21, David acknowledges that God has rescued him from the “horns of the wild oxen.” In Micah, the prophet describes power as “horns of iron” (4:13 NIV). Jesus is the horn of salvation. Jesus—fully God and fully man—is the only one who died on the cross for our sins. He is the only one who conquered death so we can follow him in resurrected life. Jesus is the only one who has the power to save. He is the horn of salvation.

Lord Jesus,
Thank you for being my horn of salvation. Thank you for humbling yourself and dying for me on the cross. Thank you for the power of God that raised you from the dead. You are my power for salvation.
In your name, I pray. Amen.