Here begins the major section of the hymn of Zacharias. From the graciousness of the Lord, in the first section, Zacharias‘ thoughts turn particularly to his newborn son, John, who was to be the forerunner of the Messiah, the promised messenger of the Lord. Jesus is appropriately called the “Son of the Highest” (v. 32), and John, the “prophet of the Highest.” Christ testified that John was “more than a prophet” (Matt. 11:9); indeed, he was, in a sense, the greatest of all prophets (see on Luke 1:15, 17).
Before the face of the Lord.
The specific predictions of Isaiah (ch. 40:3) and of Malachi (ch. 3:1) were later claimed by John as applying to himself (see John 1:23; cf. Matt. 11:10; Luke 3:4). “The Lord” is evidently the Messiah, and Christ is therefore identified, in this instance at least, with Jehovah (Lord; see Vol. I, p. 172) of the OT (Isa. 40:3).
Prepare his ways.
This was the task of John the Baptist. He was to prepare the hearts and minds of the people for the Messiah, by fostering interest in the prophecies concerning Him, by affirming that the time had come for the fulfillment of these prophecies, and by calling for “repentance,” through which men might qualify for citizenship in the kingdom of the Messiah.