A Song About God's Promises
Notes
Transcript
Luke 1:57-80
Scene 1:
Imagine that you are Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.
God had made you unable to speak for nine months.
Because you hadn’t believed him when he told you that he was about to perform a miracle.
In this miracle God is going to give you a son.
The son that you thought you would never have.
For nine months you have been unable to speak as you have watched your wife’s belly grow.
As you have felt the baby move and kick.
Now the baby has been born and eight days after his birth, you write down that God has told you to call the baby John.
All of a sudden you can speak.
God has given you back your voice because you have followed his instruction and called the child John.
What would you say?
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Traditionally, a baby boy would be named after his father or someone else in the family;
So the relatives and neighbours were shocked when Elizabeth insisted on the name John.
Zechariah wrote, “His name is John” on a tablet, and that settled it!
Immediately God opened the old priest’s mouth, he hadn’t said anything for nine months, but he certainly compensated for his silence when he sang this song of praise to God!
And how joyful he was that his son was chosen by God to prepare the way for the Messiah. [1]
Scene 2: Prophecy given
Zechariah's song elaborates on how the birth of his son John relates to the birth of the promised Saviour.
The language of the song is thoroughly soaked in Old Testament references
For example the use of the word redeem (1:68) means “to set free by paying a price.”
It can refer to the releasing of a prisoner or the liberating of a slave.
The new event which John will announce is compared to God’s saving of his people from Egypt.
John's birth heralds a new exodus — an escape or delivery from sin.
It is this escape, which Jesus Christ came to earth to bring
Luke 4:18 tells us that Jesus bought deliverance to the captives”, salvation to people in bondage to sin and death
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,
In verse 69 Zechariah uses another picture to describe what God has done and Zechariah’s son will announce.
In Scripture, a horn symbolizes power and victory (1 Kings 22:11; Ps. 89:17, 24).
The picture here is that of an army about to be taken captive, but then help arrives and the enemy is defeated.
In the previous picture, the captives were set free;
But in this picture, the enemy is defeated so that he cannot capture more prisoners.
It means total victory for the people of God.
The word salvation (Luke 1:69, 71) carries the meaning of “health and soundness.”
No matter what the condition of the captives, their Redeemer brings spiritual soundness.
When you trust Jesus Christ as Saviour, you are delivered from Satan’s power, moved into God’s kingdom, redeemed, and forgiven (Col. 1:12–14).
This redemption that Zechariah spoke of came from the house of David (Luke 1:69.
God had promised that the Saviour would be from the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10), from the family of David (2 Sam. 7:12–16), born in David’s city, Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
The coming of the Redeemer was inherent in the covenants God made with His people (Luke 1:72), and it was promised by the prophets (Luke 1:70).
Note that the results of this victory are sanctity and service (Luke 1:74–75).
He sets us free, not to do our own will, because that would be bondage, but to do His will and enjoy His freedom. [2]
Scene 3: Prophecy fulfilled
Luke goes on to show how the prophecies not only of Zechariah but also of Gabriel (Luke 1:l5 - 17) and Isaiah (Isaiah 40:3-5) were fulfilled in John (see also Malachi 3:1).
His spiritual stature and challenging public ministry (1:80).
His uncompromising preaching which called the people to repent and turn back to God,
Preparing the way spiritually for the coming of Jesus (3:3-18; Matthew 3:1-15 John 3:23-36)
His prophet's courage in being prepared to stand up against the authorities even though it resulted in imprisonment (3:19-20).
Jesus himself called John the greatest man who had lived (7:28).
Scene 4: The challenge for us:
How can we — like John — live uncompromisingly for God in a way that directs people today to Jesus?
For example are we too easily swayed by peer pressure in areas of materialism or life style choices?
Are we afraid of being unpopular, and so fail to speak out when we see dishonesty?
Are we so wrapped up in own lives that we can’t spare any energy for speaking out on issues of injustice in our society?
Do we crowd our schedules with so many activities that there is no time to stop and meditate on what God wants us to be doing?
God fulfils his promises;
All to often we forget that God is God.
If he says it is going to happen then let’s not be like Zechariah and end up dumb.
God has promised the greatest thing possible, salvation from sin.
John the Baptist told the world that this salvation was about to arrive.
Jesus bought that salvation.
God kept his promise
He wants us to be confident about that and in that confidence to fulfil our godly promise and potential.
[1]Wiersbe, W. W. 1996, c1989. The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.
[2]Wiersbe, W. W. 1996, c1989. The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.