This passage in Luke describes the first prophetic announcement since the days of Malachi, a period of over 400 years. The angel appears to Zechariah and tells him of the birth of a son, to him and his wife,
Elizabeth. Through this passage, we hear of the coming of the promised and long-awaited Messiah. John is the one who will bring that announcement and in this passage we can see three things of wonderful significance: 1. an irruption of grace (that is, an 'inbreaking' of grace; 2. a culture of grace; 3. pictures of grace. It is grace that distinguishes Christianity from all other religous and phiosophical systems and it is grace that we encounter, no matter where we go in the Bible