Preparation of the Heart // Sermon #3

Introduction

Read Luke 1:57-66

Luke 1:57–66 ESV

Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

In the movie, Mary Poppins, the two children who are nannied by Mary Poppins ask her as she is tucking them into bed, “Will you promise not to leave us if we promise to be good?” Mary, as she finished tucking them in says, “That’s a pie crust promise. Easily made and easily broken.”

As fallen humans, we often see God’s promises the way we see our own promises. Easily made and easily broken. Zechariah thought lightly of the Lord’s promises, but after God shut his mouth for a season, his heart changed.

While we evaluate God’s ability to keep promises based upon our own abilities to keep promises, God is not like us.

We often fail to keep promises, but He never does.

When you see a promise of God in the Bible, you can know with all certainty that God is going to do it.

After Luke describes the Elizabeth and Mary’s meeting, he fast forwards to John the Baptist’s birth.

The child is born, and Zechariah’s mouth is opened. He tells all who are gathered that His son will be named John. He then prophecies about his son’s life.

Zechariah’s first words describe God’s trustworthiness and faithfulness.

He is a God makes promises with His people.

He is a God who keeps promises with His people.

2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”

Zechariah prophecies about three things.

God is sending the Messiah.

God has kept his promise.

God has ordained John to go before the Lord and tell of his coming.

CIT: Today is a day to resolve that God keeps his promises.

Explanation

Luke 1:68–71 ESV

“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;

Zechariah worships at the promise of the Messiah. He recognizes that God is at work.

Do you see how God prepared Zechariah’s heart? Earlier in this situation, Zechariah couldn’t conceive that God might use him in such a powerful way.

Now, he emphatically says the child’s name and prophecies about the Messiah who is coming. Do you see that God is changing his heart?

Jesus had not been born at this point, but Zechariah prophesies in faith.

What does he say about the Messiah?

God has visited and redeemed his people.

God has raised the horn of salvation for his people.

The horn of salvation refers to the horn of an animal that is held high at the end of a battle.

Psalm 148:14 “He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the Lord!”

God has spoken this truth through the prophets of old.

God’s anointed will save His people from the world.

Zechariah has not seen the Messiah, but he worships in faith.

J. C. Ryle // “He shows that his nine months’ dumbness had not been inflicted on him in vain. He is no longer faithless, but believing. Let us take heed that affliction does us good, as it did Zechariah. Sanctified afflictions are spiritual promotions. The sorrow that humbles us and drives us nearer to God, is a blessing, and a downright gain.”

Luke 1:72–75 ESV

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.

God remembers His covenant. The Abrahamic covenant is roughly 3500-4000 years old at this point.

How many of you can remember something that you said last week? Two weeks ago? A month?

God, the everlasting father remembers his covenants from of old. He never forgets a promise.

God will eliminate all that is evil in the world, and you will stand before him in holiness and righteousness.

Christ breaks sin in our hearts and brings to light the fruit of the spirit.

Christ will usher us before the throne of the father.

Luke 1:76–80 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 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

John the Baptist, son of Elizabeth and Zechariah, will prepare the hearts of the people for Jesus Christ who is soon to come.

How will he accomplish this task?

He will give knowledge of salvation to the people.

He will speak of salvation, forgiveness, and tender mercy.

Untimately, he will testify of Jesus.

Some of the Older english Bibles use the word, “Dayspring” instead of “rising sun.” They mean the same thing.

I think of O Come, O Come Emmanuel. O come, thou Dayspring, from on high, And cheer us by thy drawing nigh. Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and Death’s dark shadows put to flight.

That hymn is written from the reality of these verses.

Christ will come, delivering man from darkness and sin and bring peace to the earth.

Invitation

Resolve that God keeps his promises.

Give your life to Him.