Advent 2023: Zechariah’s Prophecy

Introduction

Open to Luke 1:57-80,

Who do we ambassador for?

Mary new the word

We will see that Zechariah is the same.

I am going to give you the list of citations from verses 68 and 69 a little later.

long story short, its lot. from two verses.

The people of God when they are full of the word of God prophesy about the good ness of God.

When they are not full of the scriptures they grumble and complain.

As was mentioned last Wednesday and again on Sunday,

Mary faced at least exile for being pregnant out of wedlock. If not death.

Her response was not woe is me, instead she said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Lk 1:46–47, ESV)

That is why we are back here every year, to hone our skills as ambassadors and steep our mind is the word so that our every proclamation is “my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (Lk 1:47, ESV)

So lets continue. in Luke 1.

Let’s Read

Luke 1:67–80 ESV

67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, 68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; 72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us 74 that we, being delivered 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 before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” 80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

May God Bless the Reading of His Holy, Infallible, and Sufficient Word

Let’s Pray

Transition

We will spend the bulk of our time in verse 67-79 this evening but verses 57-66 give us needed context.

Body

The Birth of John the Baptist

Luke 1:57–66 ESV

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 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.

Bore a son

She knew his name was John, we can reasonably assume that Zechariah communicated his vision of the Angle to her.

The miracle of his mouth being open

The purpose of it all, Gabe mentioned on Sunday. verse 66.

“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.”

God is authenticating His work.

Transition

As we got into verse 67-79 as I mentioned I wanted to just give a quick like of scripture that Zechariah makes and these are just from verse 68 - 69.

1 Kgs. 1:48 1 Chr. 29:10. Ezra 7:27 Ps. 41:13; 72:18; 106:48. Isa. 29:23. Ex. 4:31. Ps. 111:9; 130:7, 8. 1 Sam. 2:1. Ps. 132:17. Ezek. 29:21. 2 Sam. 22:3. Ps. 18:2.

Beloved that list of cross references was from verse 68 and 69.

Its not a exhaustive list.

The Purpose is Service

Luke 1:67–75 ESV

67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, 68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; 72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us 74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

The word Prophesy in verse 67.

Not like Ezekiel

God gives us signs in order that we might obey with knowledge of his nature.

Eph 2:10 is the result of 2:8-9

“8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph 2:8–10, ESV)

John 3:16 leads to John 3:36

“16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16, ESV)

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (Jn 3:36, ESV)

The high view of Christ should bring about the more fidelity and fidelity manifests as obedience.

The best way to make sure you are a Eph 2:10 and John 3:36 Christian is to be Work filled christian.

Charles Spurgeon gave John Bunyan the best accolade Christian can give an other, he said: “If you cut him, (John Bunyan) he'd bleed Scripture!” [1]

May that be said of you and me!

After you ever seen a smooth round river rock?

Did it start that way?

No, it was the consistent flow of the water the made it what it is.

Your mind is that jagged rock, and the word is the water.

“67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, 68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; 72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us 74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.”

Transition

After this Scripture laden doxology, we have Zechariah’s commotion of his son John. “And you, child.”

Knowledge of Salvation

Luke 1:76–80 ESV

76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” 80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

“to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins.” (Lk 1:77, ESV)

What is the knowledge of salvation?

As always we have the fact in scripture we are commended to righteousness.

As Zechariah just said, in verse 74 - 75, “serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.” (Lk 1:74–75, ESV)

But we do not, so John comes and John says, “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29, ESV)

The Essence of the Knowledge of salvation is that you can have no salvation, no righteousness outside of Christ.

He is the central thing.

I head Paul Washer say today, “when I hear people say Jesus is number one in my life I know they have all their theology wrong. Jesus is not number one in a list of thing he is in a category all by himself. Its a horrid thing to say He [Jesus] is a part of my life. He is my life. “ [2]

That video is shard on my facebook if your like to see it.

Conclusion

imagine what we have seen this year

Benediction

The high priestly prayer, Jesus said to the father.

“But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (Jn 17:13–17, ESV)

References

[1] https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/555782-if-you-cut-him-john-bunyan-he-d-bleed-scripture

[2] https://www.facebook.com/reel/885746583020172