The Baby in the Manger

“[The Lord] has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.” —Luke 1:69

The horns on an animal are a symbol of power and strength. Far from being merely a design element, they are a deadly weapon. In Old Testament times the horns of wild animals were often used in battle, wielded by a warrior attacking his enemies.

So, when Zechariah prophesied about the “horn of salvation” that God had “raised up,” he was declaring what the little baby in the manger that first Christmas was coming into the world to do—to deal with and defeat our archenemy.

Jesus, the child that Zechariah knew would be born, is a powerful Savior and King. But “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” (Luke 1:68–69) against whom Satan and all his minions are no match and through whom all the corruption of our hearts can be utterly conquered. No one and nothing in this whole world can defeat Him—this tiny baby in the manger.