DAYSPRING FROM ON HIGH

This is one of the titles given by Zacharias the priest to the Lord Jesus on the occasion of the circumcision of his son John. John was to be the ‘prophet of the Highest’ and to ‘go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways’.

Zacharias exclaimed that this was all happening’through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us’. The root word for ‘the dayspring’ is translated differently in other scriptures. Sometimes the translation is the rising of ‘the sun’ or ‘sprung up’. It is translated other times as ‘the east’. All these expressions would conjure in our minds the idea of the rapid rise of the eastern sun, the warmth of the morning sun and the brightness of a new day.

When Christ came a new day had begun, the day of grace was fast approaching, the warmth of the blessings of salvation were on the horizon. The source of this warmth and this new day was ‘on high’ not on earth. It is a heavenly source and therefore brings with it blessings and warmth that are heavenly in character.

Zacharias says ‘the dayspring from on high hath visited us’. He came with the blessing of God to the Jew first.

The effect of the rising sun on earth is to remove the darkness and the shadows of the night, and to allow people to continue the journeys that had been forced to stop at twilight the night before, especially in a world before electricity.

The coming of Christ brought light into the world, spiritual light to those who sat in spiritual darkness - the gospel is ‘the light of the glorious gospel of Christ’, 2 Cor. 4.4. We should be the means by which that light reaches those who sit in darkness.

The coming of Christ brought spiritual life to those who sat in the shadow of death. Again, the gospel message is the means by which the light of Christ can dawn on those who are ‘dead in trespasses and sins’, Eph. 2.1.

The message of salvation through the light of Christ guides men’s ‘feet into the way of peace’. They start the journey on the narrow way that leads to life.

Praise God, ‘The dayspring from on high hath visited us’.