Zechariah's Song to The Jews

The Dead Sea Scrolls

V 80 Lived in the wilderness

Elizabeth and zechariah elderly

Elizabeth and Zechariah of Aaron V 5

Pharisees, Sadducee, and scribes, were the prominent ones in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus

These groups were apostate — turn away from the faith

They went so far as to Kill Jesus

Their Messiah came but was rejected

they were teaching their version of the Torah

Herod asked the scribes about the baby Jesus the King

and they had to search the scriptures to find out where He was to be born

I say all this to contrast them to the Essenes

a Remnant from the line of Zadoc the high priest at the time of David

They lived in Qumran In the wilderness

They had their own pure Jewish society

the dead sea scrolls were found in the caves above the town

They were looking for the Messiah

they knew that there would be an age of grace starting in AD 32

They studied and calculated the time of the Messiah being killed

they knew the prophesies concerning the Messiah

They knew that God incarnate would come

Immanuel/ God with us

they knew Jesus would come first as the Lamb

secondly as the king

His first Visitation as the forgiver of sins/ Redeemer

His second Visitation as the conqueror / Redeemer

Jerusalem saw 2 different Messiahs

I think that Zechariah was one of the priests that had learned from the Essenes

Josephus tells us that the Essenes were= known for taking in children

I think John the Baptist was one of these Children

one of the things found in the dead sea scrolls was how to prepare and eat Locusts

when John the Baptist was in prison he sent 2 of his disciples to inquire of Jesus

Matthew 11:2–6 (LSB)

Now when John in prison heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or shall we look for someone else?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. “And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”

the dead raised is only in the dead sea scrolls not the Old Testament

these are all the signs of the Messiah

These people were the outcasts pushed out into the wilderness

Zechariah has been trapped with his own thoughts for the last 9 months

He has been pondering the prophecies of old

the Incarnate Messiah has been in his home for 3 months

The Holy Spirit gives him a message to tell

about the Messiah and John the forerunner

Read Luke 1 67-80

Pray

For The Israelite

This teaching by Zechariah is a message to the Hebrews

V 68 Lord God of Israel the one and only time in the New Testament

Redemption for His People past tense In God’s eyes its already done

God has promised a seed to Eve

First visit promised redemption of our sins

forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Jesus

V 69 From the House of David not John from the house of Aaron

V 70 as told by the prophets

V 71 Deliverance from enemies and haters

not today but in the future

A promise at the second visitation by the Messiah

at the end of the Great Tribulation

Why? is it because they are so good?

Did Jesus come and rescue us because we were in trouble and we deserved it?

V 72 Were the Fathers all that great?

were they deserving of God’s covenant?

NO but the grace of God

God chose Abraham

God chose the Israelite people to give a covenant to

God chose the Israelite people to be His special people

73-75

To John The Baptist

V 76 John knew from birth he would be a prophet

just like Samson knew from birth

V 77-79 the people have been living in sin

living in darkness

against God, in total rebellion against God

So God is sending God the son to be the Lamb who takes away the sin

to show Mercy to show His great love

John the baptist is going to prepare the hearts of the people to receive Jesus

John is going to be a lot like the Holy Spirit

convict of sin

point to Jesus as the savior

Clears a path makes us want to see Jesus

V 79 brings us to the peace we are longing for

To the Israelite

the first Visitation

the apostate Jews rejected Jesus

Hung Him on the cross, condemned Him to die

The Essenes on the other hand were looking for Jesus

were looking for the messiah to come and save

Acts 9:1–2 LSB

Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

the writings if the Dead Sea Scrolls tells us that the Essenes were known as the WAY

they were ready and accepted Jesus as their Messiah/savior

they were ready and waiting for Jesus at His visitation

Luke 19:41–44 LSB

And as He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He cried over it, saying, “If you knew in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

Maybe you are Jewish and watching today

you have been warned not to read Daniel 9 and Isaiah 53.

you are still looking for your Messiah to come the first time

is the Holy Spirit opening up your heart to the good news of Jesus?

your ancestors disbelieved and payed a dear price

they rejected their messiah and the city and land was made desolate

Paul told the Philippian jailer believe

Acts 16:29–33 LSB

And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your house.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his household. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.

There is a heresy out there that the church is replacing Israel in Gods agenda

that is not what the Bible teaches

Zechariahs here teaches us that God promised David and

Abraham that the people would belong to God for an eternity

not necessarily individuals

we as gentiles were grafted into the Israelite tree

our peace our salvation is all due to the Jew

and the greatest Jew of all Jesus the Messiah