The Dayspring Has Visited

Introduction

We are in the latter part of our series titled, “The Coming of Jesus, the Son of Man!” This has been an exegesis of the first chapter of Luke, verse by verse, as we come to know Jesus more deeply, and we see the biblical themes of the coming salvation and the one who prepares the way for the coming Messiah.

The book of Luke reveals the life of Christ, the miracles of His ministry, healing, and deliverance. We see, also, the anointing by the Holy Spirit on Jesus Christ.

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recover of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised [crushed or hurt],”

The book of Luke reveals the gospel of the Cross (the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection) of Jesus Christ.

The purpose of the book of Luke:

He wrote this book of Luke so that his gentile brethren would know “For certainty, the things they were instructed in the faith, were true!” We know that Luke was a physician, a disciple of Paul, and a gentile. He meticulously investigated the accounts of Matthew and Mark, and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote the book of Luke.

I believe above all, the gospel of Luke is an invitation to see the heart of God, revealed through his Son, Jesus Christ.

Aaaa-men! Glory be to God! Hallelujah!!

Bridge:

Today’s message is titled, “The Dayspring Has Visited!” This title comes direclty for today’s text. Before we get to the main message, I want to read two passages, one from the book of Psalms and one from the book of Malachi, this morning.

Psalm 30:5 “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

In Malachi 4:2 “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise With healing in his wings; And ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.”

Church, I believe, some of us have been in a season where it has felt like “a season of night” for a long time. The Word of God tells us that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning....That the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings.

A...men! Glory be to God. How many of us have felt like we have been in a season of night!? I want you to write down or internalize this: “The Night is Breaking, Dayspring Has Visited!”

🔥 SERMON BODY — VERSE BY VERSE

See, before the book of Luke gave us angels in the sky, or shepherds in the field, he shows us an old man, an old priest, stricken in his years, and because of doubt or disbelief in the promise of God. We see Zacharias's ability to speak taken away by the angel Gabriel. So for nine long months, we get the picture that Zacharias, who had been silent, was watching and waiting for this miracle to come, despite his doubt.

Church, can you say, despite our doubt, God is still moving!

Church, can you say, we have a promise from God?!

That, despite what we do or our doubts, we have a Shepherd who will leave the 99 to find the one! We have a promise from God that we will not be forsaken or forgotten, that he knew us before we were formed in the womb.

Despite the rebellion in our lives, despite the unbelief, we have a God who still loves us!

Church, Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. We have a Captain of our Salvation who has conquered death,

Luke 1:67 “And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,”

PP: “THE NIGHT IS BREAKING”

Zechariah had been silent for nine months. But when the Spirit fills him, silence breaks.

Isaiah 60:2 “For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And gross darkness the people: But the Lord shall arise upon thee, And his glory shall be seen upon thee.”

Some of you have been in a season where heaven felt quiet. But silence is not absence. Delay is not denial.

I am here to tell this church that when the Dayspring arises, there is healing in His wings. Zacharias was silent for nine months, and his voice returned!

Luke 1:68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; For he hath visited and redeemed his people,”

PP: THE DAYSPRING SHOWS UP BEFORE YOU CALL

Zechariah does not say God will visit. He says God has visited.

Before the manger, before the cross, before the resurrection— Zechariah says, “He’s already here.” “He hath visited and redeemed his people!

Isaiah 60:1 “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, And the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” Not “is coming.” Has come.

The Dayspring does not for your perfection. He steps into your situation early.

Luke 1:69 “And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of his servant David;”

PP: THE DAYSPRING BREAKS STRONGHOLDS

A horn in Scripture symbolizes strength, power, and authority.

Zechariah is saying: “God is raising up unstoppable salvation.”

Micah 7:8 “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: When I fall, I shall arise; When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.” Because the Dayspring is coming.

He does not just save you— He strengthens you. He provisions you. He pours into the finite.

Because of the Dayspring!

Luke 1:70 “As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, Which have been since the world began:”

PP: OUR GOD KEEPS EVERY WORD, EVERY PROMISE

God is not improvising. He is fulfilling.

Every prophet pointed to this moment. Every promise leaned toward this sunrise.

Hebrews 6:18 “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”

The Word of God says God cannot lie!

God’s truth does not return void!

If God said it, it’s already in motion.

Because of the Dayspring!

Luke 1:71 “That we should be saved from our enemies, And from the hand of all that hate us;”

PP: THE DAYSPRING BREAKS OPPRESSION

Zechariah is not talking about Rome. He’s talking about sin, death, darkness, and bondage.

The Dayspring doesn’t negotiate with darkness— He destroys it.

John 1:5 “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

In other words, darkness could not conquer. Darkness could not win. Darkness could not master the light. Darkness could not beat the light. Darkness could not understand the light.

The Word of God in 2 Corinthians 6:14 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”

Darkness cannot understand light. Darkness cannot beat the light of this world! Christ has conquered principalities and powers. Christ has conquered death. Christ has the victory. The devil is a liar because he cannot win.

Because of the Dayspring!

Luke 1:72 “To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, And to remember his holy covenant;”

PP: THE DAYSPRING IS MERCY IN MOTION

Mercy is not a feeling. Mercy is a movement. God does not just store mercy— He renews it. He does not recycle yesterday’s compassion—He releases fresh mercy every morning.

Lamentations 3:22–23 “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

Because of the Dayspring!

Luke 1:73 — “The oath He swore to Abraham”

PP: THE DAYSPRING IS A COVENANT KEEPER

God made a promise to Abraham: “I will bless all nations through your seed.” Jesus is that seed. Jesus is that oath fulfilled. Jesus is the covenant wrapped in flesh.

Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”

That is one of defining characteristics of our God, he is faithful and he is our covenant keeper!

Luke 1:74 “That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies Might serve him without fear,”

PP: THE DAYSPRING BREAKS FEAR

Fear is the enemy of worship. Fear is the enemy of calling. Fear is the enemy of obedience.

But the Dayspring delivers you so you can serve Him boldly.

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

Luke 1:75 “In holiness and righteousness before him, All the days of our life.”

PP: THE DAYSPRING RESTORES YOUR WALK

Holiness is not a burden— It’s a gift.

Righteousness is not a performance— It’s a position.

The Dayspring does not just forgive you—He forms you.

Luke 1:76 “And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord To prepare his ways;” Luke 1:77 “To give knowledge of salvation unto his people By the remission of their sins,”

PP: PREPARING THE WAY & GIVING KNOWLEDGE

The Dayspring does not just rise— He raises up voices to announce Him.

Salvation is not discovered— It is revealed.

Forgiveness is not earned— It is given.

The Dayspring shines on your understanding.

Luke 1:78–79 “Through the tender mercy of our God; Whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

PP: THE DAYSPRING IS GOD’S HEART ON DISPLAY

This is the verse that holds the whole sermon:

“The Dayspring from on high has visited us.”

Not judgment. Not wrath. Not condemnation.

Tender mercy.

The Dayspring is not just light— He is love wrapped in light.

PP: THE DAYSPRING BREAKS DARKNESS AND GUIDES YOUR FEET

Some walk in darkness. Some run in darkness. But some sit in darkness— that is because some of settled, but...

But the Dayspring says:

“Get up. Follow Me. I’ll guide your feet into peace.”

Matthew 11:28–30 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

🌑 ILLUSTRATION — “WHEN THE SUN FINALLY ROSE IN ALASKA”

There’s a town in northern Alaska—far above the Arctic Circle—where every year the sun sets in November and does not rise again for more than sixty days. Two full months. No sunrise. No sunset. Just darkness.

People who move there say the first week feels like an adventure. The second week feels like an inconvenience. But by the third week, something starts happening inside you.

Your sleep gets strange. Your emotions get heavy. Your sense of time gets confused. You start forgetting what day it is. You lose track of yourself.

One resident said, “Darkness doesn’t just surround you—it gets inside you.”

But then—after sixty long days—there comes a morning.

People gather outside in the cold, staring at a horizon they can’t see yet. They stand there shivering, waiting, watching.

And then it happens.

A thin line of gold appears. Just a sliver. Just a whisper of light. But the moment that light breaks the horizon, people cheer. They cry. They hug strangers. Because after two months of darkness, even a little light feels like a resurrection.

One woman said, “When the sun rose, it felt like hope itself had walked back into town.”

🔥 APPLICATION — “THE DAYSPRING HAS VISITED US”

That’s what Zechariah is saying in Luke 1:78:

“Through the tender mercy of our God, the Dayspring from on high has visited us.”

Israel had been in a long night— 400 years of silence. No prophet. No vision. No fresh word.

But when Jesus came, when the Dayspring rose, when the Light stepped into the darkness—

Hope walked back into town.

And some of us know what that Alaskan darkness feels like.

You’ve had seasons where the sun didn’t rise. Where joy didn’t break through. Where prayer felt unanswered. Where silence felt suffocating.

But hear the Word of the Lord:

Your darkness is not permanent. Your night is not eternal. Your silence is not final. The Dayspring has visited you.

And when the Dayspring rises, darkness loses.

Luke 1:80 — “The child grew…in the wilderness”

PP: THE DAYSPRING PREPARES YOU IN HIDDEN PLACES

John grew in the wilderness. Jesus grew in obscurity. You grow in silence.

The wilderness is not punishment— It’s preparation.

Because when the Dayspring rises, you rise with Him.

🔥 FINAL PREACHING RIFF — “THE DAYSPRING HAS VISITED!”

And just because you don’t see the sun yet doesn’t mean the horizon isn’t glowing. Just because you don’t feel warmth yet doesn’t mean the light isn’t on its way. Just because the night has been long doesn’t mean the morning won’t break suddenly.

The Dayspring has visited!

My counsel shall stand, And I will do all my pleasure:” Isaiah 46:10 “Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times the things that are not yet done, Saying, My counsel shall stand, And I will do all my pleasure:”

Because the Dayspring has visited.

When God says it, it stands. When God declares it, it happens. When God purposes it, nothing can reverse it.

“There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken… all came to pass.” Joshua 21:45 “There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.”

Because the Dayspring has visited.

Every word He spoke over you is still alive. Every promise He whispered is still in motion. Not one good thing will fail.

“No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11 “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: The Lord will give grace and glory: No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

Because the Dayspring has visited.

If He didn’t withhold His Son, He won’t withhold your breakthrough. If He didn’t withhold the Light, He won’t withhold the promise.

“Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay.” Habakkuk 2:3 “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, But at the end it shall speak, and not lie: Though it tarry, wait for it; Because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

Because the Dayspring has visited.

Delay is not denial. Silence is not absence. The vision is on schedule. The sunrise is appointed.

“I would have fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord…” Psalm 27:13 “I had fainted, unless I had believed To see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

Because the Dayspring has visited.

You will see His goodness. You will see His faithfulness. You will see His light break the night.

“It is impossible for God to lie…” Hebrews 6:18 “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”

Because the Dayspring has visited.

Impossible. Not unlikely. Not improbable. Impossible.

If He said the light is coming— the light is coming. If He said the morning will break— the morning will break.

The light shines in darkness… John 1:5 “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

The darkness tried to hold Him— but it couldn’t. The darkness tried to stop Him— but it failed. The darkness tried to understand Him— but it had no language for that kind of glory.

The light didn’t ask permission. The light didn’t negotiate. The light didn’t wait for the darkness to move. The light shined—and the darkness backed up.

Because the Dayspring has visited.

When the Dayspring rises, darkness loses its argument. When the Dayspring rises, shadows lose their shape. When the Dayspring rises, night loses its power.

The darkness can’t comprehend Him. The darkness can’t contain Him. The darkness can’t compete with Him.

Because the Dayspring has visited.

I am the bright and morning star… Revelation 22:16 “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”

He is the Root— the One before David. He is the Offspring— the One after David. He is the Bright and Morning Star— the One who ends the night.

When the morning star rises, the night has already lost. When the morning star appears, the darkness is on borrowed time. When the morning star shines, the horizon starts feeling hope.

He is the Bright and Morning Star— the signal that a new day has begun, the announcement that the night is breaking, the guarantee that the sun is on its way.

Because the Dayspring has visited.

He is the star that never dims. He is the light that never fades. He is the dawn that never retreats.

Because the Dayspring has visited.

ALTAR CALL — “THE SUN IS RISING”

If you’ve been in a long night— If you’ve been in silence— If you’ve been sitting in darkness— Lift your eyes.

The Dayspring is coming. The Dayspring is here. And the darkness cannot stop Him.