Zechariah's Song - Luke 1:68-79

INTRO

ILLUSTRATION

Slight hipster thing about me....I enjoy vinyl records.

Got into years back the tangible nature of music we have lost.

-Putting on a record versus queing it up on my phone.

-Great joy was re-discovering older music, digging through bins.

I remember listening to Stevie Wonder, isn’t she lovely

I remember listening as I cleaned and realizing how often miss used at weddings, etc.

Because it’s a song about his just born daughter.

The song came to him as he held his daughter for the first time after she was born.

Isn't she lovely Isn't she wonderful Isn't she precious Less than one minute old

Today we come to another father holding their child and singing.

But what’s amazing is that this song is a song of praise for not only his son but another baby.

We are looking at Zechariah’s song.

It’s a song of worship.

Here is what Zechariah’s song teaches us:

Big Idea: Rejoice! We hope in a faithful, present savior!

CATCHING UP - ZECHARIAH’S STORY

Zechariah had already faced consequences for his doubts. Because he didn’t believe the angel he was mute, unable to speak.

And here he was, tested again.

Everyone expected the baby to be named after him, but Elizabeth stood firm.

They finally turned to Zechariah, who agreed: ‘His name is John.’ And just like that, his punishment lifted.

His ability to speak returned

And Zechariah filled with the Holy Spirit burst into prophetic song, praising God and speaking destiny over his son.

That’s where we are today.

So let’s go directly to this song and see it starts with

1. The Anticipation (v.68-73)

Luke 1:68–73 (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;

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

It’s important to understand the context. The perspective of Zechariah’s song

This is an Israel aching for deliverance.

Generations after generation waiting, hoping.

They're clinging to these ancient promises of a coming Savior.

The air is thick with expectation.

This isn't just a historical footnote, friends.

This is the setting where God's grand narrative unfolds.

Here is what set’s our prospective as we consider this……God is Faithful to keep His Promises:

Think about God's character, specifically His unwavering faithfulness.

This is what Zechariah’s song is about.

He's singing about this promise like it's already done.

That's faith!

He calls this coming ruler ‘a horn of salvation’.

Think about that image – a horn, like that of a mighty ox, symbolizing strength and power.

It's about a Savior who's going to step into our world with the kind of power and beauty that’s unstoppable.

This ‘horn of salvation’ isn’t just showing up for a show of strength.

He’s here for redemption, to ransom his people with his own life.

But it's not just about redemption.

This horn, this Savior, is also about ultimate victory.

He’s the one who will deliver us from all our earthly struggles when he returns, as Revelation tells us.

Zechariah knew it, and he sang it out: Jesus, the horn of salvation, has been raised up in David’s line.

And the beauty of this? Today, right now, this same Jesus is our savior.

He's the one who can save us, no matter how deep our failures – whether it’s betrayal, lies, jealousy, you name it.

Jesus is the power behind the gospel, the good news that saves those who believe, no matter who they are.

Zechariah is blown away by God’s faithfulness

Zechariah goes through Israel’s history from David all the way back to Abraham

Zechariah could certainly relate to Abraham.

Imagine Abraham, who's got no kids, hearing from God that he's going to be the father of a great nation, and through him, blessings will flow to the entire world (Genesis 12:1–3).

Now, in a situation where most would be skeptical, Abraham chooses to believe this wild promise.

And get this – God looks at this belief and goes, 'That right there, that’s righteousness' (Genesis 15:6).

But God doesn't stop there.

He keeps covenant. Seperating animals and walking through…God shows up as a smoking firepot and a blazing torch (Genesis 15:17).

It's not just some ancient fireworks show; this is God saying, 'My promise is rock solid. If I back out, let me be torn apart.'

God promises Abraham a lineage as numerous as the stars, a lineage that would be a blessing to all nations (Genesis 22:16–18).

All of this is in mind in Zechariah's song.

He's singing about how this crazy, amazing promise finds its fulfillment in Jesus.

Christ isn't just a rescuer from our enemies; he's the one who empowers us to serve God fearlessly, to live lives marked by holiness and righteousness (vv. 72–75).

This isn't just about getting saved; it's about stepping into a life of meaningful, joyous service.

It's an invitation to a life brimming with purpose and meaning.

God wasn't just making casual promises; He was laying down a covenant, a divine guarantee.

And here's the kicker: this isn't just about dusty history.

It’s about now. It’s about Jesus.

He’s the fulfillment, the embodiment of those promises.

He's the one bringing restoration to our brokenness, hope to our despair.

These promises are not just ancient words; they are the very heartbeats of God’s plan, reverberating through time to reach us today.

So, where does that leave us? Let's get personal.

Do we anticipate God working in Our Lives?

How so?

Do we even know what His promises are?

ILLUSTRATION

Picture yourself serving the Lord on a foreign mission field. You find yourself constantly in trouble with the rulers of the country.

All around you are fanatics whose lifestyle is hypocritical, repulsive, and downright pagan.

You need help and you need it soon!

You have been given the chance to make one phone call to some close friends.

Your time on the phone is limited to sixty seconds.

What would you request from your friends?

An immediate rescue?

A transfer to another location?

Personal relief in the way of supplies or a substitute?

These are not bad suggestions, but the Apostle Paul did not choose any of them.

Writing from the carnal city of Corinth, his burden focused on two items:

prayer for successful ministry in Corinth and a helpful reminder that the Lord was faithful and in control.

Do your circumstances and surroundings ever get you down? Of course, we all experience times of disappointment and worry.

But when you pray, pray for the advancement of the kingdom. Pray that you would remember His promises

And always keep in mind that God is securely on His throne. You can rely on the Lord in every situation.

Sometimes we can think that those promises are just for the super Christian. Guys like Paul

Don't be tempted to think that God's promises aren't for you, or that He just gives you the dregs.

That you just get the bottom of the barrel generic promises

ILLUSTRATION

A preacher was visiting an old woman from his congregation.

As he sat down, he noticed a large bowl of peanuts on the coffee table.

"Mind if I have a few?" he asked. "No not at all," replied the woman.

They chatted for an hour or so.

Then as the preacher stood to leave he was embarrassed to realize that instead of eating only a few peanuts, he had emptied most of the bowl.

"I'm terribly sorry for eating all your peanuts," he said. "I really meant to eat just a few."

"Oh that's all right," smiled the old woman. "Ever since I lost my teeth, all I can do is suck the chocolate from them."

That’s how a lot of us treat God’s promises like they’re just the dregs

Consider just a few of His promises:

His promise to never leave us,

His assurance of peace that surpasses understanding,

His guarantee of grace sufficient for every day.

These aren’t just nice thoughts; they're rock-solid truths we can stake our lives on.

You can't break God's promises by leaning on them!

As we reflect on these, let’s ask ourselves:

Are we living in anticipation of God’s faithful work in our lives?

Are we trusting in His promise?

Let’s go back to the song and move from the anticipation to the visitation

2. The Visitation (vv. 74-76)

Luke 1:74–76 (ESV)

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,

Hundreds of years of silence and now God himself will come.

He will visit and restore.

The coming of Christ is an unveiling of God’s master plan for humanity.

It’s God stepping into time and space, saying, ‘Here I am, and here’s my plan for redemption, for restoration, for bringing back everything that’s been lost.’

This visitation isn’t just a historical event; it’s the cosmic turning point where God reveals His heart and His intentions.

It’s about redemption that heals our brokenness, and restoration that brings back what was lost in Eden.

This visitation changes everything—it rewrites our story and redefines our future.

Salvation has come.

It’s not just a nice idea or a theological concept.

It’s an act of sheer mercy (v. 72).

ILLUSTRATION

Several years ago there was pastor leaving the church seeing a little boy out in front of the building.

The boy was carrying a rusty bird cage in his hands and several little birds were fluttering around on the bottom of the cage, as if they knew they were going to be destroyed.

The Pastor said, “Son, where did you get those birds?”

The boy answered, “I trapped them out in the field.”

“What are you going to do with them?” the preacher asked.

“I’m going to take them home and play with them and have some fun with them.”

“What will you do with them when you get through playing with them?” the Pastor asked.

“Oh,” said the boy, “I guess I’ll just feed them to an old cat we have around the house.”

Then the Pastor asked the boy how much he would take for the birds and the boy answered, “Mister, you don’t want these birds. They’re just little old field birds and they can’t sing very well.”

The Pastor said, “I’ll give you two dollars for the cage and the birds.”

“All right,” said the boy, “It’s a deal, but you’re making a bad bargain.”

The exchange was made and the boy went whistling down the street, happy because he had two dollars in his pocket.

The Pastor took the cage out behind his church and opened the door of the cage and the birds flew out and went soaring away into the blue, singing as they went.

The next Sunday the Pastor took the empty bird cage to the pulpit to use it in illustrating his sermon.

Then he said, “That little boy said that the birds could not sing very well, but when I released them from the cage they went singing away into the blue, and it seems that they were singing, “Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed.” 

Zechariah is signing…Salvation has come.

God is rolling up His sleeves and diving into the mess of our world

From the time of Abraham, through the prophets, right up to King David, the Bible's singing this one epic song: salvation.

It's like God's greatest hit, His plan to scoop up His people and bring them home.

That’s the storyline of the Bible – God on this relentless journey to rescue us.

Zechariah can’t help but sing because his little boy is going to play a part in this salvation song

Vs 76 we see a pivotal character: Zechariah’s son - John the Baptist.

He’s not just a voice crying out in the wilderness; he’s the herald of the dawn.

John’s life and message prepare the way for Christ, setting the stage for God’s revelation of salvation.

He’s the one pointing to the horizon and saying, ‘Pay attention, something incredible is about to happen.’

John's role is crucial—he’s the bridge between the old and the new, the promise and the fulfillment.

He’s the one calling us to wake up, to get ready, to open our hearts and minds to the revelation of God’s salvation that’s right on our doorstep.

So here’s our challenge: How are we responding to this revelation in our daily lives?

We’re not just talking about ancient history; we’re talking about a living reality.

We have the written revelation, the story of God’s love and salvation laid out before us. (JEOPARDY)

But how does it change us?

Are we like the people John called out to in the wilderness, ready to prepare the way for Christ in our hearts?

Are we living lives that reflect this incredible truth we’ve been given?

Let’s be people who not only receive God’s revelation but also respond to it—by how we live, how we love, how we serve.

Let's be people who see every day as an opportunity to experience and share the revelation of God's salvation.

So the song moves from the anticipation and visitation to redemption

3. The Redemption (vv. 77-79)

Luke 1:77–79 (ESV)

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.”

Redemption is why Jesus came.

When we consider Christmas the incarnation it’s not just about a historical event or a nice story we tell at this time of year.

It’s the heartbeat of God’s love beating loudly in human history.

Jesus steps into our world with a mission soaked in forgiveness, mercy, and redemption.

Jesus is the puzzle piece that completes the picture of God's redemptive plan.

His mission? To take our mistakes, our mess-ups nail them to the cross of Calvary, and exchange them for forgiveness and his righteousness.

This isn’t just divine intervention; this is divine love in action.

Imagine being lost in a pitch-black forest, and suddenly there’s this brilliant light guiding you out.

That’s what Jesus is in our lives—a light piercing through the darkness.

He’s not just a faint glow in the distance; He’s a blazing beacon guiding us away from the shadows of death and into a place of peace.

It’s like stepping out of a cold dark room into the warmth of the sun.

Jesus brings clarity where there’s confusion,

hope where there’s despair.

In His light, we see things as they really are.

We see ourselves, our world, and our future in the light of His truth and love.

Zechariah remembers how God has redeemed.

How he redeemed his people from Egypt.

And now God is redeeming people all over again.

Not from enslavement to an Egyptian king, but from enslavement to their own sin—to our own sin.

We need, he says, “forgiveness of [our] sins.”

Sin is more than a mere misstep; it's a profound problem severing our relationship with God and others.

Despite advancements in education and welfare, even the most successful people struggle with inner conflicts, hinting at a deeper issue: sin.

This root cause of relational fractures and internal emptiness goes beyond mere surface problems.

ILLUSTRATION

The musician Sting once sang about feeling lonely and distant from God, praying for something to bridge that gap.

“Everyone I know is lonely And God’s so far away And my heart belongs to no one, So now sometimes I pray Please take the space between us And fill it up some way.”

And honestly, that song nails it.

It expresses this sense of spiritual isolation and longing for a connection with God.

Sin not only disrupts our earthly lives but also has eternal implications, alienating us from God.

However, Zechariah is singing because he knows hope is coming

It’s like we're echoing Sting's words, asking God to fill this void between us. ‌ ‌

And here’s where the hope enters in. ‌ ‌

We're asking God to rescue us from this sin, from this slavery we can't break free from, this debt we can't pay off. ‌ ‌

And guess what? That's exactly what He offers.

Hope emerges through Jesus Christ.

His life, death, and resurrection offer a solution to this separation.

Jesus, experiencing and overcoming our struggles, taking on our sin and shame.

He bridges the gap sin creates.

His resurrection is not just a symbolic victory but a tangible proof of God's power over sin and death.

When we accept Jesus' sacrifice, we see he brings us back to God.

This acceptance transforms our lives, filling the void with purpose, freedom, and a renewed connection with our Creator

This shift from a life dominated by sin to one of fulfillment and connection with God encapsulates the gospel's core message.

It’s what Zechariah is prophesying about in his song.

This redemption story isn't just for the world; it's for you and me.

We've been brought from death to life, from darkness into incredible light.

ILLUSTRATION

Normally the flight from Nassau to Miami took Walter Wyatt Jr. only sixty-five minutes.

But on December 5, 1986, he attempted it after thieves had looted the navigational equipment in his Beechcraft.

He attempted it with only a compass and a hand-held radio,

Walter flew into skies blackened by storm clouds.

When his compass began to gyrate, Walter knew he was headed in the wrong direction.

He flew his plane below the clouds, hoping to spot something, but soon he knew he was lost.

He put out a mayday call, which brought a Coast Guard Falcon search plane to lead him to an emergency landing strip only six miles away.

Suddenly Wyatt’s right engine coughed its last and died.

The fuel tank had run dry.

Around 8 P.M.

Wyatt could do little more than glide the plane into the water.

Wyatt survived the crash, but his plane disappeared quickly, leaving him bobbing on the water in a leaky life vest.

With blood on his forehead, Wyatt floated on his back.

Suddenly he felt a hard bump against his body.

A shark had found him.

Wyatt kicked the intruder and wondered if he would survive the night.

He managed to stay afloat for the next ten hours.

In the morning, Wyatt saw no airplanes, but in the water a dorsal fin was headed for him.

Twisting, he felt the hide of a shark brush against him.

In a moment, two more bull sharks sliced through the water toward him.

Again he kicked the sharks, and they veered away, but he was nearing exhaustion.

Then he heard the hum of a distant aircraft. When it was within a half mile, he waved his orange vest.

The pilot dropped a smoke canister and radioed the cutter Cape York, which was over twelve minutes away:

“Get moving, cutter! There’s a shark targeting this guy!”

As the pilot pulled alongside Wyatt, a ladder was dropped over the side.

Wyatt climbed wearily out of the water and onto the ship, where he fell to his knees and kissed the deck.

He’d been saved.

When he was drowning in the water he didn’t need encouragement or better techniques.

Nothing less than outside intervention could have rescued him from sure death.

How much we are like Walter Wyatt!

Except scripture doesn't say we reached up and grabbed onto a ladder.

It says we were dead.

As if that shark was our sinful desire and it pulled us under.

No more breath in our lungs.

It’s then Jesus dives in a saves us from sin and death.

This is a song showcasing God’s faithfulness, His revelation to us, and the ultimate redemption He brings.

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This isn’t just a story; it’s our story.

It's about a God who doesn't just make promises but keeps them.

A God who doesn't stay distant but visits us, steps into our world, and our lives.

Remember, this is the God who, throughout history, has been laying down track after track of faithfulness.

‌

From Abraham to David, from prophets to kings, every piece leading up to this moment where Jesus steps onto the scene.

And Jesus – He's not just a part of the story.

He is the story.

‌He's the fulfillment of every promise, the light in our darkness, the bridge over the gap sin created.

So here's the big idea: Rejoice! We're not just hoping in some distant, abstract concept.

Our hope is in a faithful, present Savior – one who's been there since the beginning and will be there at the end.

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Jesus is here, now, actively involved in our lives, offering redemption, relationship, and restoration.

Application Questions:

How have I personally experienced the promises of God? Do I genuinely believe in His faithfulness?

How am I confronting sin in my life and seeking God’s redemption?

In what specific ways has the light of Christ guided me out of darkness or confusion?

Has the knowledge of Jesus’ redemption transformed my identity and purpose? Do I live each day reflecting the joy and freedom that come from being redeemed?