Zechariah’s Benediction

Our second character this advent season is Zechariah. If you remember Zechariah was chosen by lot to burn the incense before the lord and the Angel Gabriel appeared before him and told him his prayers had been heard and he would have a son and to name him John. That he would be filled with the Holy Spirit and would be the forerunner to Christ but Zechariah doubted Gabriel and so Gabriel caused him to go mute until the birth of John had come to pass. For Nine months Zechariah could not speak but now the moment had come. John was born and the family wanted to know what the child's name was. When Zechariah wrote his name is John Immediately his tongue was loosened and he began to praise God. Look with me at Luke 1:67-79 at Zechariah’s Prophecy.

Luke 1:67–79 ESV

And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, “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 in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Salvation has come

Luke 1:67–75 ESV

And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, “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 in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

Salvation is an interesting topic of scripture and one often poorly understood in modern culture.

we hear salvation think from hell to heaven

notice Zechariah says from our enemies unto God from evil to righteousness the contrast for Zechariah is not about escaping punishment but rather about changing our character to become like God’s

The problem - we cant do it we are too weak

The solution - God’s horn of salvation - speaks of an oxen’s horn a symbol of military strength description of mighty warrior

Messiah will have this strength he will do that which we cannot and overcome our sin

Thus God will show his mercy according to the covenant of Abraham that we might walk with and serve God in holiness and righteousness without fear

holiness and righteousness describe us living according to God’s morals

without fear because we are holy and righteous we have no fear of God’s punishment

Thus Salvation to Zechariah is a restoration from our sinful disobedience to a holy and righteous life in the presence of God

Two main character’s are going to make this possible

John - the Prophet

Luke 1:76–78 ESV

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high

The prophet of the most High - all prophets come from the most High and yet John is given this title

Why?

I believe it is because John was the prophet who would prepare the way for the Most High

He is not simply the prophet from the most High but the prophet of the most High.

It is a title of his position in relation to Christ.

Thus it is John’s role to prepare the way for Christ.

He does this in three ways

first he causes the people to recognize their sinful ways People are often blind to their own sins and many times others must firmly and lovingly show them their sins

Second he calls them to repentance that they might have forgiveness. One must repent to change their ways to stop doing the sin and begin to do what is right in order for their to be forgiveness. Imagine a man who murders someone, then goes to the cops and says I killed him, im sorry please I beg mercy and forgiveness, the court grants him leniency and then he goes and kills again repeats the same cycle over and over and over again killing more than 50 people each time the court lets him go because he says he is sorry and begs mercy and forgiveness. This sounds ridiculous to our ears and we would even be angry that such injustice could happen yet that is what we often expect God to do is simply forgive us that we can go and sin again. Yet without repentance there can be no forgiveness.

Third to proclaim the mercy of God

We do not deserve forgiveness rather it is mercy on the part of God.

Jesus The Light

Luke 1:78–79 ESV

because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Zechariah here refers to Jesus as the Sunrise

For in the same way that the Sun brings revealation of our world and because of its light we can see and understand the world around us so Jesus is going to reveal to us God and by his light we will see and understand spiritual truths

His purposes in coming is to give light or understanding to those who sit in darkness and are walking the path of death. Man pre-Jesus is lost and without hope of finding their way out of the darkness, but Jesus comes as the light and shows us the way out.

He shows us the path of peace the path back to fellowship with God.

It is Jesus who will enable us to walk and talk with God again as did Adam back before the first sin.

Invitation

Will you place your trust in the light and repent of your sins today. Will you trust Jesus and make him Lord of your life. You too can have forgiveness and need not be afraid of God, if only you will admit your sins and need of Jesus to guide you into the path of righteousness and peace.

For those that are Christians I challenge you are you doing as John did and preparing the way for the Lord. Are you calling people to admit their sins and to repent to turn away from them and to experience the mercy of God for themselves. Point them to Jesus and pray for the Spirit to draw them in that they to might be saved. Will you Join me in reaching another for Jesus.