The Lord's Promise Luke 1:1-25

-We find joy as we look to God’s promised son, Jesus

We are a people of faith, living between a problem and the promise. We are daily faced with the harsh reality of the problems of life, clinging to the promises of God. Today, I want us to remember that God’s promises are all fulfilled in a person, Jesus Christ!

A violent hurricane had struck. People were huddled together. A preacher was praying with great oratorical effects in the midst of this violent storm, crying out “Send us the spirit of the children of Israel, the children of Moses, the children of the Promised land.” At this, an old man with less oratory eloquence but speaking more directness prayed in a very simple and practical way, “Lord, don’t send nobody. Come yourself. This ain’t no time for us to go into a theological discussion with your children, but we need you right now.

I. Remain in God’s Promise vv. 1-7

As we open Luke’s Gospel, he dedicates the book to a fellow believer named Theophilus

He wants to give an orderly account of the things that Theophilus has heard about all that has happened in the ministry of Jesus

We must know that the Gospel, that Christ came, died, and rose again is worth believing and remaining in

We do this as we have certainty in its truthfulness

Why should you believe the Gospel and remain in it? Because it is the truth!

Luke focuses in with an incredible example of remaining, Zechariah and Elizabeth

Their story begins in a time of darkness

The Lord has been silent for some 400 years without a prophetic word

The Romans occupy their land and an Idumean named Herod is their king

On a personal level, Elizabeth is barren and has been unable to have a child and now they are old; the window of opportunity seems to have passed

However, Elizabeth and Zechariah do not live without hope

They are marked by righteousness before the Lord, walking in faithfulness as they wait to experience the great blessings of God in their life

They do this as they cling to a promise that has not yet been fulfilled; waiting can be incredibly difficult, but the hope that we look to will be worth the waiting!

Proverbs 13:12

[12] Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. (ESV)

750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers 316: Hope

In Christianity Today, David Neff writes:

About five years ago, Christian social critic Richard John Neuhaus was being driven from the Pittsburgh airport to a speaking engagement. During the drive, one of his hosts persisted in decrying the disintegration of the American social fabric and the disappearance of Christian values from our culture. Cases in point were too numerous to mention, but Pastor Neuhaus’s host tried anyway. After the tedious drive, Neuhaus offered these words of advice: “The times may be bad, but they are the only times we are given. Remember, hope is still a Christian virtue, and despair is a mortal sin.”

II. Recognize God’s Promise vv. 8-17

A special day comes in Zechariah’s life, a literal once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

His time of service comes up and he will enter the Temple to offer incense before the Lord

It is in this moment that God speaks through His angel Gabriel to Zechariah; 400 years of silence is going to be broken in the Temple that day with a message of good news

What is the good news for Zechariah?

God has heard Zechariah’s prayers and will answer them

Elizabeth will have a son, to be named John

This son will be great before the Lord and filled with the Holy Spirit, a righteous man

However, this news is not the best news

This son will have a mission, to prepare people for the coming of the Lord, a fulfillment of prophecy from Malachi

It’s time for people to get ready because light is going to shine through the darkness; this is more than the birth of a son, it is the birth of the Son.

Zechariah was like a lot of us, looking for a solution to some of his problems:

His wife’s barrenness is at the forefront of his attention

However, he has to recognize that God is going to do something much greater than just giving him a son

Sometimes, we are so caught up in resolving our problems that we miss that God has a promise that is greater than our problems:

God will redeem and restore the brokenness of your life

God has an abundant life for you here

God has eternal hope for you in heaven

God wants you to be His child and live with His peace

All of those promises of God are fulfilled in Jesus, we just have to recognize it

A couple of months ago, I was in Montana on a mission trip. We were worshipping with the local church and another group from Alabama was there with us. The pastor, not knowing me, introduced himself: “You’re from FBC Wetumpka? Clint Landry is the pastor there. My friend Jeremy Smalley served on staff with him in Arab and now Jeremy’s at Clint’s old home church in Bayou la Batre.” He had no idea who he was talking to and how well I knew the story!

2 Corinthians 1:20

[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. (ESV)

III. Receive God’s Promise vv. 18-25

Zechariah responds with questions and unbelief

On the one hand, he has made an honest evaluation of his circumstances and wants proof

On the other, he has just spoken with an angel in the Temple and he still does not believe

This unbelief is costly, it takes his voice and he is unable to share the good news of all that God is doing

We see this cost in the unbelief of lostness that leaves people without hope

We see this cost in the unbelief of doubt that leaves people without power

On the other hand, Elizabeth gives us a beautiful picture of joy as she waits on the promise of God to be fulfilled

We don’t know what all Elizabeth knew, but she knew she was pregnant

She had some information from Zechariah who probably wrote it down just as he did before the crowd

Because she has confidence in what God is doing, she is able to rejoice

This is the key to joy, believing that God has and will keep His promises to us through Jesus

During one of the worst seasons of my life, I found myself devouring the Psalms. Every morning, I would go to my office and read through multiple Psalms. People were angry with me, I was failing in my leadership, and it felt like everything I touched went wrong. Finally, very broken before the Lord, I came to a passage that has been dear to me ever since:

Psalm 27:13–14

[13] I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living!

[14] Wait for the LORD;

be strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the LORD! (ESV)

In the quiet of the moment before the Lord, the Spirit spoke clearly to me heart: “This is for you”. We need to recognize today that the Word of the Lord is for us and we need to receive it today.