Zachariah’s prophecy brings in more light concerning the divine-human Person and the saving work of the Man-Savior than is found in the blessing of Elizabeth or the praise of Mary. If we compare Elizabeth’s blessing, Mary’s praise, and Zachariah’s prophecy, we shall see that Zachariah’s prophecy sheds more light concerning God’s move on earth than is shed by either Elizabeth’s blessing or Mary’s praise. In this prophecy we have a revelation of Christ in His divine-human Person and His saving work.
Luke 1:80 speaks concerning the youth of the Man-Savior’s forerunner: “And the young child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his presentation to Israel.” This verse mentions two things: that the forerunner became strong in spirit and that he was in the wilderness until the day he was presented to Israel.
The forerunner’s mother and father were both filled with the Holy Spirit (vv. 41, 67). Hence, it was easy for their child to grow and become strong in his spirit, with the result that he lived in the wilderness. For him to grow and become strong in spirit means that he was with God and for God. For him to live in the wilderness was to be away from man’s culture and religion so that God might have a free and clear way to use him as the forerunner of the Savior.
As one who was born a priest, John, like Samuel, should have spent much time in the temple. However, as a New Testament Nazarite, John lived in the wilderness, not in the temple. The wilderness is a place without culture, tradition, or religion. By living in the wilderness, John cut himself off from everything of his background. He was a Jew, but he did not live as a Jew. He was a priest, but he did not live as a priest. On the contrary, the Lord’s forerunner lived as an uncultured person.
We know from Matthew 3:3 that the forerunner of the Man-Savior began his ministry in the wilderness. This implies that God intended His New Testament economy to begin in an absolutely new way. Therefore, John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea (Matt. 3:1).
As the initiation of God’s New Testament economy, this preaching was not done in the holy temple within the holy city, where the religious and cultured ones worshipped God according to their scriptural ordinances. Rather, it began in the wilderness, in an uncultured way, not keeping any regulations of the old way. This indicates that the old way of the worship of God according to the Old Testament was repudiated, and a new way was about to be brought in.
The word “wilderness” in Luke 1:80 and Matthew 3:1 and 3 indicates that the new way of God’s New Testament economy is contrary to religion and culture. It also indicates that nothing old was left, and something new was about to be established.