Christmas Brings Change (Luke 1:5-23; 57-80)

Good morning FE, it is great to be with you this morning as we celebrate and begin the countdown to Christmas. For those watching on line, thank you for joining us, we pray the Lord blesses you as you watch. We are doing a short Christmas series looking at the lives of different people who God began working through to accomplish his purposes on the earth, for our salvation and for his glory. In the different lives of the people, we learn of the impossibility, we will discover that Christmas is impossible, without a God who makes possibilities out of impossible situations.

This morning we will be looking at the lives of Zechariah and Elizabeth, focusing more on the life of Zechariah. Open your Bibles to Luke 1, we will be reading a large portion of the chapter this morning because the life of Zechariah spans the from the beginning of chapter 1 and the end of chapter 1.

Luke 1:5–7 (ESV)

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

5 Hubo en los días de Herodes, rey de Judea, cierto sacerdote llamado Zacarías, del grupo de Abías, que tenía por mujer una de las hijas de Aarón que se llamaba Elisabet. 6 Ambos eran justos delante de Dios, y se conducían intachablemente en todos los mandamientos y preceptos del Señor. 7 No tenían hijos, porque Elisabet era estéril, y ambos eran de edad avanzada.

We learn some important facts right away, they lived during the reign of king Herod, who was a wicked ruler. This is the Herod who slaughtered all the children 2 years and younger in hopes he would kill Jesus while he was a toddler because he was threatened by the fact that a king was born. We also learn that Zechariah and Elizabeth were from the priestly tribe. Zechariah served as priest and Elizabeth was from the daughters of Aaron. We also learn that Elizabeth was barren and they couldn’t have children and they both were “advanced in years” which translates to english, they were old, passed the child bearing age.

We also learn Elizabeth and Zechariah walked blamelessly before the Lord, they were faithful followers of Yahweh. This is very important information, because in their day, you were looked down upon if you were barren, as if you were cursed or being punished for sin, but Luke through the Spirit communicates that Zechariah and Elizabeth were faithful followers of Yahweh.

Luke 1:8–10 (ESV)

Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.

8 Pero aconteció que mientras Zacarías ejercía su ministerio sacerdotal delante de Dios según el orden indicado a su grupo, 9 conforme a la costumbre del sacerdocio, fue escogido por sorteo para entrar al templo del Señor y quemar incienso. 10 Y toda la multitud del pueblo estaba fuera orando a la hora de la ofrenda de incienso.

What is this about? The priests were divided into 24 divisions, Zechariah was from the division of Abijah. Each division had a turn to serve in the Temple. Now in each division their were many priest, so they would cast lots, to see which priest would be able to serve when it was their turn. You were only able to serve once in your life time, Zechariah is chosen to serve in the temple and burn incense at the altar of incense.

Luke 1:11–12 (ESV)

And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.

11 Y se le apareció un ángel del Señor, de pie, a la derecha del altar del incienso. 12 Al verlo, Zacarías se turbó, y el temor se apoderó de él.

Just imagine, after the book of Nehemiah, which is the last recorded events of the Old Testament. Their is silence, there are no prophets writing scripture, there are no leaders writing scripture, there is silence from the heavens. Year after year, decade after decade, when a baby is born, the people of Israel are thinking is this the one, is this the Messiah, year after year and decade after decade they are still waiting. Hundreds of years have passed and the people of Israel are still waiting, priests are still serving, waiting for the Messiah, waiting for God to break the deafening silence and speak and as Zechariah is burning the incense and praying, God breaks the silence.

Christmas changed God’s silence to God speaking.

God uses an angel of God to break the silence with good news. What was the message? What is the good news which causes God to break the silence and to speak?

Luke 1:13–17 (ESV)

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

13 Pero el ángel le dijo: No temas, Zacarías, porque tu petición ha sido oída, y tu mujer Elisabet te dará a luz un hijo, y lo llamarás Juan. 14 Y tendrás gozo y alegría, y muchos se regocijarán por su nacimiento. 15 Porque él será grande delante del Señor; no beberá ni vino ni licor, y será lleno del Espíritu Santo aun desde el vientre de su madre. 16 Y él hará volver a muchos de los hijos de Israel al Señor su Dios. 17 E irá delante de Él en el espíritu y poder de Elías para hacer volver los corazones de los padres a los hijos, y a los desobedientes a la actitud de los justos, a fin de preparar para el Señor un pueblo bien dispuesto.

This is one of the greatest Gender reveals ever, Zechariah, you are going to be a father, you will have a son and you will name him John. Zechariah’s son will grow up to be John the Baptist, Zechariah you will have joy and gladness, but not for you only but many will rejoice at his birth…why? FOR

he will be great before the Lord

he must not drink wine or alcohol

he will be filled with the HS, from the womb - When you study the OT, we know the Spirit came upon people to equip them for a special service to complete.

He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God

He will go before HIM in the Spirit and power of Elijah

Malachi 4:5 ESV

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.

to turn the hearts

of the fathers to the children

disobedient to the wisdom of the just

to make ready the Lord a people prepared

Many will rejoice, why? because John is a sign that HE is coming! A sign that God is working, A sign that God is moving, John is a sign that The Messiah is coming!

Christmas changes our sadness into joy because the Messiah is HERE.

I want you to picture what is happening, Zechariah is selected to serve, he enters to burn incense and pray, Zechariah is most likely praying for the redemption of Israel, suddenly an Angel appears and brings good news to Zechariah, which should be news of great joy. BUT…

Luke 1:18–23 (ESV)

And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

18 Entonces Zacarías dijo al ángel: ¿Cómo podré saber esto? Porque yo soy anciano y mi mujer es de edad avanzada. 19 Respondiendo el ángel, le dijo: Yo soy Gabriel, que estoy en la presencia de Dios, y he sido enviado para hablarte y anunciarte estas buenas nuevas.20 Y he aquí, te quedarás mudo, y no podrás hablar hasta el día en que todo esto acontezca, por cuanto no creíste mis palabras, las cuales se cumplirán a su debido tiempo. 21 Y el pueblo estaba esperando a Zacarías, y se extrañaba de su tardanza en el templo. 22 Pero cuando salió, no podía hablarles, y se dieron cuenta de que había visto una visión en el templo; y él les hablaba por señas, y permanecía mudo. 23 Y cuando se cumplieron los días de su servicio sacerdotal, regresó a su casa.

After everything Zechariah has witnessed as he was serving, he has the audacity to ask the angel for another sign! Listen to his question, “How will I know this?” The question is not asking for an explanation, the questions is asking for a sign. But Zechariah goes on, “I am an old man” the way this is written, is in the the emphatic, he says “I AM OLD and MY WIFE IS OLD.

What is interesting is the Gabriel response is emphatic as well. “I AM GABRIEL, I STAND IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD” We learn that he was sent by God to give this message of good news and because of Zechariah’s unbelief, his voice was taken away, until everything came to pass.

Some of you today are like Zechariah, you heard the message, it is clear to you, but you still will not believe, like Zechariah, you ask “How do I know?” Yet the problem is not that you don’t have enough information, the problem isn’t you do not have enough of the truth, the problem is you still do not believe, that God takes the impossible and makes them possible, that he takes an old couple and bless them with a baby, that he takes a virgin and places Jesus in her womb, God with us who will save, Jesus who will change our sadness in to joy. God is being merciful to you by giving you another opportunity to repent and believe, like he gave Zechariah an opportunity…

Luke 1:57–66 (ESV)

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

57 Cuando a Elisabet se le cumplió el tiempo de su alumbramiento, dio a luz un hijo. 58 Y sus vecinos y parientes oyeron que el Señor había demostrado su gran[ah] misericordia hacia ella; y se regocijaban con ella. 59 Y al octavo día vinieron para circuncidar al niño, y lo iban a llamar Zacarías según el nombre de su padre. 60 Pero la madre respondió, y dijo: No, sino que se llamará Juan. 61 Y le dijeron: No hay nadie en tu familia que tenga ese nombre. 62 Entonces preguntaban por[al] señas al padre, cómo lo quería llamar. 63 Y él pidió una tablilla y escribió lo siguiente[am]: Su nombre es Juan. Y todos se maravillaron. 64 Al instante le fue abierta su boca y suelta su lengua, y comenzó a hablar dando alabanza a Dios. 65 Y vino temor sobre todos los que vivían a su alrededor; y todas estas cosas se comentaban en toda la región montañosa de Judea. 66 Y todos los que las oían las guardaban en su corazón, diciendo: ¿Qué, pues, llegará a ser este niño? Porque la mano del Señor ciertamente estaba con él.

Immediately we see that this event had an immediate impact on the community, everyone who heard of these events pondered them in their heart, wondering “what then will this child be?” This also had an impact on Zechariah, as soon as he writes “His name is John” it says his tongue was loosed and that Zechariah blessed God, then we are told that he was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, his prophecy is two fold, The role of Jesus the saviour and the role of John

Luke 1:67–80 (ESV)

And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, “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 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, 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.” And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

67 Y su padre Zacarías fue lleno del Espíritu Santo, y profetizó diciendo:

68 Bendito sea el Señor, Dios de Israel, porque nos ha visitado y ha efectuado redención para su pueblo, 69 y nos ha levantado un cuerno de salvación en la casa de David su siervo, 70 tal como lo anunció[an] por boca de sus santos profetas desde los tiempos antiguos, 71 salvación de nuestros enemigos y de la mano de todos los que nos aborrecen; 72 para mostrar misericordia a nuestros padres, y para recordar su santo pacto, 73 el juramento que hizo a nuestro padre Abraham: 74 concedernos que, librados de la mano de nuestros enemigos, le sirvamos sin temor 75 en santidad y justicia delante de Él, todos nuestros días. 76 Y tú, niño, serás llamado profeta del Altísimo; porque irás delante del Señor para preparar sus caminos; 77 para dar a su pueblo el conocimiento de la salvación por el perdón de sus pecados, 78 por la entrañable misericordia de nuestro Dios, con que la Aurora nos visitará desde lo alto, 79 para dar luz a los que habitan en tinieblas y en sombra de muerte, para guiar nuestros pies en el camino de paz.

80 Y el niño crecía y se fortalecía en espíritu; y vivió en lugares desiertos hasta el día en que apareció en público a Israel.

Listen to Zechariah’s prophecy in reference to the role of Jesus the Saviour: Bless God because

you have visited us and redeemed us

You have raised a “horn of salvation” this is not a horn like a trumpet or horned instruments, this is horn like the horn from a bull, which symbolizes strength, power and mighty to save. Jesus will be mighty to save his people.

You have not forgotten your promise and you have kept your word

We will be delivered from our enemies to serve you without fear. The people of Zechariah’s day were probably thinking of Rome, but Jesus came to deal with much greater enemies, the enemies of sin in our hearts, the enemy of this world system which is at war against God and the devil.

So that we can serve him in holiness and rightousness

Zechariah continues about the role of John the Baptist

He will be a prophet of the most High

He will go before the Lord to prepare his ways

he will preach salvation, the forgiveness of sins

This is the mercy of God, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

To guide our feet into the way of peace

The role of John was to point people to the one who is mighty to save, through the scriptures Zechariah and John are still pointing us to Jesus and we learn that,

Christmas shines the light of truth on our hearts to expose our sin and turn our hearts toward Jesus, who would change all who repent and believe in him.

Christmas brings change and it reminds us that God is still working and moving, but now he is speaking and moving through his Son, Jesus. Christmas turns our sadness into joy because the messiah is here! He is here and he is powerful to transform our hearts, to change us from enemies of God to sons and daughters of God, he is mighty to destroy sin, death, and the works of the devil and transform your desires so that you find you satisfaction and joy in Jesus.