Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

I believe that it’s important for you to understand how this paper came about.

It actually started here, in the Tuesday Morning Men’s Bible Study.

Since I’ve been consistently attending, we’ve been studying the book of Acts.

As we’ve study it together, I’ve become more and more convinced that it might be best titled the Acts of the Holy Spirit.

The one passage that really stood out to me in light of this was Acts 16 and Paul and Silas in the Philippian prison.

The only way that they could have sung praise to God at midnight would be if the Holy Spirit were producing joy in their heart.

You might be thinking, “Ok, what’s the connection to Luke’s Gospel?” Luke is most consistently credited with authoring Acts.

In fact, it’s widely believed that Luke’s Gospel and Acts are to be read together.

In the Fall, I was taking a class on the Gospels in the midst of our study in Acts.

I had the opportunity to pick a topic of my own.

Given how the Lord was teaching me about His Spirit in Acts, I wondered to what extent Luke’s Gospel discussed the Holy Spirit like in Acts.

My research, therefore, was limited to Luke’s Gospel and researching specific references to the Holy Spirit.

Thus, while there may be implicit references to the Holy Spirit, I have not considered them in this study unless there was a specific verbal tie that I found.

In what I’m going to share with you tonight, there’s going to be a level of continuity between the passages that I want for us to see.

Therefore, while I’ll be asking similar questions, they will be related to different people.

This effort will be to demonstrate the consistent work of the Holy Spirit in each of the individuals.

His work anticipates how He will consistently work in each individual believers following Pentecost.

Additionally, we’re going to be nearly all over Luke’s Gospel.

So, let’s turn to Luke 1:41-45 and consider the family of Zacharias.

Zacharias’ Family: Filled with the Holy Spirit

Elizabeth

Luke 1:41-45 “41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.

45 “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.””

As a point of clarification, I’m beginning with Elizabeth first on account of the fact that I want to address each individual’s relation to the Spirit in total.

Hence, I’m not necessarily undertaking this study entirely chronologically.

I’m taking it more from an individual character perspective.

The effect of this emphasizes the personal nature of the Holy Spirit’s work in each individual.

This same work is then anticipated in each believer following Pentecost.

Who is it that we’re immediately introduced to in this passage?

Elizabeth.

Who is she?

Cousin to Mary, wife of Zacharias, and mother of John the Baptist.

What is significant about Elizabeth being pregnant at the time of Mary’s visit?

Elizabeth was barren.

However, being advanced in age, she has now conceived.

Thus, the Lord has accomplished another miraculous conception that recalls another famous couple in the Scripture: Abraham and Sarah concerning Isaac’s birth.

In Luke 1:41, how is Elizabeth is described?

As being filled with the Holy Spirit.

After being told that Elizabeth was “filled with the Holy Spirit,” what happens?

She speaks!

(Luke 1:42)

What does she exclaim?

About Mary’s blessedness.

What is it that makes Mary blessed?

She’s the mother of Elizabeth’s Lord?

Who is Elizabeth’s Lord?

Jesus.

Even developing in the womb, Jesus is Lord.

Jesus as Lord demonstrates that He possesses authority.

This authority that He possesses He will do so as the One Who will assume royal authority (Lk 1:32-3).

Thus, this announcement about Jesus’ identity is also connected to God’s Kingdom.

Let’s think about what it is that we’ve just considered.

Elizabeth is filled with the Spirit.

Filled with the Spirit, Elizabeth exclaims not just that Mary is pregnant but that Mary is pregnant with the Lord Jesus Christ.

In other words, the Holy Spirit’s filling Elizabeth produces a true witness to the identity of Jesus Christ.

Zacharias

Luke 1:67-79 “67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: 68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant— 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old— 71 Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us; 72 To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant, 73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, 74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; 77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, 78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, 79 To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

The passage that we just read occurs just after the birth of John the Baptist.

Incredibly, Zacharias is able to speak again after having been muted by the angelic messenger who proclaimed John the Baptist’s conception.

What is it that precede’s Zacharias’ speech but follows John the Baptist’s birth and naming?

Zacharias is filled with the Holy Spirit!

Just like Elizabeth before him.

Getting the picture now?

Filling with the Spirit.

Speech follows.

However, what is the content of Zacharias’ speech?

Salvation that was promised through the prophets by the Lord.

Who is it that Zacharias declares will accomplish this salvation?

From the house of David (Lk 1:69)

The Most High, that John will be the prophet of (Lk 1:76)

Who is it that John would precede, that is from the house of David, and is the Most High?

Jesus

Zacharias is doing here what his wife before him did when she was filled with the Spirit: gave a public witness to the identity of Jesus, the Lord Who will reign with royal authority. .

So far, when the Spirit has filled these two individuals, they have testified about Jesus as Lord Who will reign with Kingdom Authority.

It’s possible that this is a coincidence.

However, let’s look next at their son, John the Baptist.

John the Baptist

In Luke 1:15, we read that John the Baptist will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb.

Thus, we have the same wording that referenced his parents’ relationship to the Holy Spirit.

What would be the significance of referencing from the womb?

We believe that, in accordance with the Scriptures, life begins at conception.

If John the Baptist will be filled with the Spirit from his mother’s womb, then how much of his life will be spent filled with the Spirit?

His whole life will be spent “filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Thus, everything that we read of John’s life, we are prompted to look for the evidence of the Holy Spirit.

This brings us back to a passage that we have already considered in Luke 1:41.

Luke 1:41 “41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”

What is it that John the Baptist did in this verse?

Leaped in Elizabeth’s womb.

What prompted John to do this?

He heard Mary’s voice!

Let’s look next at Elizabeth’s elaboration on this.

Luke 1:44 “44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.”

What word did Elizabeth use to describe John’s response of leaping?

Joy.

Who is it that is responsible for producing joy?

The Holy Spirit!

This is the Holy Spirit making His presence known in the life of John!