What does Luke 1:76 mean?
Zechariah is a priest (Luke 1:5) whose wife, Elizabeth, has just given birth to their son (Luke 1:57). This child was an unexpected miracle and an answer to prayer (Luke 1:11–17). Zechariah is celebrating these events (Luke 1:67–68), as well as the news that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, will soon be born (Luke 1:39–45).The child in question will one day be known as John the Baptist (Luke 3:2–3). He will fulfill a role established in Old Testament prophecy. Isaiah predicted there would be a "voice" calling out to prepare people for the arrival of God (Isaiah 40:3). The last prophet of the Old Testament, Malachi, also noted that someone would come to "prepare" the world for the arrival of the Messiah (Malachi 3:1; 4:6). This is the part which John, Zechariah's son, will play.
The "Most High" to be proclaimed is Jesus (Luke 1:31–33; Genesis 14:18–20; Hebrews 1:1–3). Jesus' immediate purpose will be to establish the means of salvation from sin (Luke 1:77; John 3:16–17). John's ministry of repentance and baptism (Matthew 3:1–5) will foreshadow the work of Christ (John 1:19–23).