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Jesus as the Horn of Our Salvation

This time we come to an image of Jesus which is quite foreign to our time, though it is relatively common in the Bible. Luke records Zechariah’s words when his speech was restored after the birth of his son John. He said: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us... (Luke 1:68-71) This is the only New Testament reference to Jesus as a “horn of salvation,” though the idea is found prophetically in the Old Testament. Two main pictures are presented as the source of the metaphor.

One possibility is that the “horn” refers to that of an animal. Horns are provided to some animals as a means of defence. The anatomy of these animals is such that when their bodies are positioned to fight, all of their strength is concentrated in the horn. The strength does not derive from the horn itself (as was sometimes thought in the past), it is a simple matter of physics. The tips of a bull’s horns, for example, are very small, thus when he charges, all of the momentum of his rush is focussed on a only a square inch or so. This greatly increases his effectiveness when he makes contact with the object of his wrath. The horn here speaks of strength.

The other possibility is that the “horn” refers to the horns of the altar. On the altar used for sacrifices in Old Testament times were small protuberances at the corners. These were called horns. Some of the blood of each sacrifice was wiped on these “horns of the altar” as part of the ritual which dealt with the sin of the offerer. The horn in this case speaks of atonement.

Though there are differences of opinion regarding the source of the metaphor, both applications are equally suitable and perhaps equally intended. Just as the horn of the bull focusses all of his power at a specific point, so Jesus was the focus of both God’s anger against sin and his mercy toward sinners. None other was ever so strong to save as was the Lord Jesus Christ when He died on the cross. That supreme act justifies the powerfully exclusive comments regarding Him as the only way by which we can approach God the Father.

At the same time, for Jesus to be presented as the horn of our salvation, rooted in symbolism tied to the altar is also fitting. He was both priest and offering. Just as the Old Testament priest would present the blood of the sacrifice to God, in part, by wiping it on the horns of the altar, so Jesus presented his own blood in atonement for the sin of humanity.

Both applications are helpful as we think of Jesus as the one who was strong to save by presenting Himself as the atoning sacrifice for our sin. We need never doubt our salvation when it has been secured by Jesus, the horn of our salvation.

Ron Hughes
© November 2007