Session 4: Why Did Jesus Come?
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Background: Zechariah’s State of Mind
Background: Zechariah’s State of Mind
Background: Zechariah’s State of Mind
Background: Zechariah’s State of Mind
Zechariah and Elizabeth had no child, because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years. There are so many prayers, so many tears, and so many unanswered questions in between those lines. With the incredible cultural and familial pressure to have children, childless parents felt deficient, passed over by God.
If you've ever longed for something with all your heart, then you know the kind of self-examination and surrender that Zechariah and Elizabeth made. You know how disappointment turned into sorrow, and sorrow to despair, and despair into resolve. Now, with the passing of the years, they had long-since packed away their hopes.
What was special about this day for Zechariah?
Zechariah is a card-carrying AARP member by the time we reach v. 8-9. He would already be drawing Social Security if he would retire (which priests never do) . . . which is why he so totally caught off guard by what was about to happen! I've heard the joke all my life about why God gives us children when we're young, when you have the energy and patience to put up with their energy and impatience. Zechariah knew that joke, I'm sure, and believed it. But all that was about to change.
What was special about this day for Zechariah?
It was already the most important day of Zechariah's life.
A priest could go years without pulling Temple duty; there were that many priests in Jerusalem.
He is assigned to offer incense, which was a once-in-a-lifetime privilege. When a priest offered incense, he was just outside the Veil, behind which was the Holy of Holies.
Only the high priest got closer to the revealed presence of God, and that was only once a year. Jewish tradition described a priest who gets to offer the incense as "rich and holy" for the rest of his life.
What was Zechariah’s reaction when the angel appeared to him? Look at
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
Can you see this old man standing there with a censer in his hand and his mouth hanging open as he heard the words of Gabriel?
Who does the reaction of Zechariah remind you of? Look at ;
17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”
He implies he won't believe without a sign. So Gabriel basically says, "Here's your sign!" and from that moment forward through the next 9 months of Elizabeth's pregnancy, Zechariah didn't speak another word.
Well, Zechariah refused point blank to believe the angel. His answer in so many words is "senior adults don't have babies." And he implies he won't believe without a sign. So Gabriel basically says, "Here's your sign!" and from that moment forward through the next 9 months of Elizabeth's pregnancy, Zechariah didn't speak another word. How would you like that ladies? One man told me after first service that evidently his wife was pregnant because she hasn't heard a word he's spoken in awhile.
The next time Zechariah spoke, it was to name his son John as the angel instructed. In that joyous moment, as he held his son in his arms, Zechariah broke forth in a song of praise to God. It is his "Benedictus." The lyrics to his song take us behind the scenes into the heart of a godly man on the eve of the Incarnation, when God became man.
Let’s look at our study verses, the prophecy of Zechariah. Go to
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;
What do you draw from verse 68?
A. The price to free us is paid
Zechariah scatters this great theme throughout this refrain, thrilling at the great purpose of God to save us. This comes out in four different ways:
A. The price to free us is paid
v. 68: "He has visited and provided redemption for His people." God has visited us, emphasizing that His care for us has moved Him to draw near. And the reason He comes is to redeem us, which is rescue at a high price. He has come at extreme cost to Himself to free us from the slavery of sin.
What is redemption? Study verses ; ; ;
How is our salvation seen as a redemptive act?
The buying back of a person (redeemed object) effected through the death of Christ (payment) from the merited penalty of sin (previous owner).
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
What is the significance of using “the horn” in ?
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
B. The power to accomplish our salvation is His
B. The power to accomplish our salvation is His
v. 69. "He has raised up a horn of salvation for us." The horn of an animal is the symbol of its strength, its sheer brute power. To say that God has raised up a horn of salvation for us means that we have a Mighty Savior who has the power to finish what He starts for us.
1:69 The horn, symbolizing an animal’s strength, refers to Jesus. David. Cf. v. 27.
1:69 A metaphor for power (e.g., ; ; ).
3 my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold and my refuge,
my savior; you save me from violence.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his saints,
for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the Lord!
What is Zechariah declaring in ?
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
Who are our enemies?
C. The victory over our enemies is assured
C. The victory over our enemies is assured
Zechariah's focus is practical and spiritual: God will deliver His people from any tyrant.
But more importantly, God will deliver us from worse enemies: sin and death and hell and demonic power.
In , Zechariah speaks of a covenant. Is this the same thing he is referring to in ?
Abrahamic covenant and Davidic covenant
Zechariah praised God for His work of fulfilling His covenant promises to David (1:69) and to Abraham (1:73).
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
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
Zechariah praised God for His work of fulfilling His covenant promises to David (1:69) and to Abraham (1:73).
What is a covenant? Look at God’s action with His covenant with Abraham in ;
And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half.
17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 15
15:17 The flame, symbolizing God, passes between the pieces, symbolizing that God himself will bear the penalty if the promise is broken. Ultimately, Christ bears the penalty for our disobedience.
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 15
Fire in the Bible is often associated with the presence of God
The Moody Bible Commentary c. Answering Abram’s Doubt about the Land (15:7–21)
When Abram awoke, he would have perceived (1) that God had passed between the pieces, and (2) that He had done so in such a way as to prevent Abram from doing so afterward. Thus the only one to whom the covenant was “bound” for its fulfillment is God, that is, the covenant was unconditional. This is also Paul’s point in his comment on this event in Gl 3:17, in which he stated that the Abrahamic covenant was “ratified by God” alone, hence justifying his designation of it as a “promise” (an unconditional covenant) rather than “the Law” (a conditional covenant).
Move to and refer to
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,
These wonderful hopes can come true through the little baby Zechariah held in his hands.
This helpless, miraculous baby will be God’s first prophet since Malachi over four hundred years before. He will not be the Messiah. He will be the one who prepares the way.
He is the forerunner whom Malachi promised (see ).
He will show them they can have salvation by letting God forgive their sins. Then they can be righteous keepers of the covenant.
1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
Look at . What is the message here?
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.”
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
D. The erasing of all offenses is certain
v. 77. Zechariah is telling us that God did not visit this planet simply to see how we were doing. He knew how we were doing.
That's why he came! We were in trouble and he came to save us.
Zechariah's solo closes with one final burst of praise about the Light that God is focusing on this world. He uses three very picturesque phrases to help us feel the impact of God's coming.
Zechariah just can't stop glorying in God, who keeps His promises. All that he said he would do, he has begun to accomplish. Zechariah emphasizes that what God was doing fulfilled what "He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets in ancient times" (v. 70), that God was remembering "His holy covenant . . . that He swore to our father Abraham." (v. 72-73)
Zechariah is telling us something that makes God distinct from all other contenders. He establishes His Lordship over time for us by binding Himself to promises that the passing of time in no way dims. Someone counted, and there are no less than 456 prearranged signs in the OT to properly identify the Messiah. Guess who is fulfilling them to this day! The One and only Son of the Living God, Jesus Christ. God does what He says, in His time and His way, for His glory and our good. Praise His Name!
Moved the God's Spirit, Zechariah tells us what this Messiah brings to those who trust and follow Him. There will be spiritual transformation, v. 74: "to serve Him." There will be emotional transformation, v. 74: "to serve Him without fear." And there will be behavioral transformation, v. 75: "In holiness and righteousness in His presence all our days."
So many people live lives of quiet desperation. They eek out an existence on a treadmill of futility, wondering what difference it all makes. But an old priest sees the end to all that in God's Deliverer, whom we know as Jesus Christ.
He came so that we who served another master might serve God our Creator.
He came so that we who served another master might serve God our Creator.
He came so that we who fear facing God might be reconciled to Him.
He came so that we who fear facing God might be reconciled to Him.
He came so that we who felt the disconnection of our lives from all purpose might have life abundantly.
He came so that we who felt the disconnection of our lives from all purpose might have life abundantly.
He came so that we who once could not please God might be pleasing to Him forever.
He came so that we who once could not please God might be pleasing to Him forever.
He came so that we who were unholy might have our lives aligned to Him and His ways.
He came so that we who were unholy might have our lives aligned to Him and His ways.
That's the transforming enablement brought about by the coming of Christ to the earth.
That's the transforming enablement brought about by the coming of Christ to the earth.
IV. He sings of unmatchedimpact
IV. He sings of unmatched impact
Zechariah's solo closes with one final burst of praise about the Light that God is focusing on this world. He uses three very picturesque phrases to help us feel the impact of God's coming.
1. He calls this the Dawn of Heavenly Sunlight, v. 78: "The Dawn from on high will visit us." Finally, the sun has broken the horizon on a dark world!
2. It is End of Hopeless Living, v. 79a: "To shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death." This pictures someone on death row, hopeless, pining away, beyond all human rescue. And then suddenly - light and freedom.
3. It is Guidance to An Amazing End, v. 79b: "To guide our feet into the way of peace."
Probably a metaphor referring to the coming of the Messiah (cf. ; ; and perhaps ).
The words rising sun (Gk. anatolē) may also be translated as “root” or “branch.” In either case it probably expresses a messianic title (cf. ; on rising sun,
And ; ; and 6:12 on root or branch). The Messiah will illumine those in darkness and bring in peace.
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
5 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
3 And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
Conclusion
17 I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
it shall crush the forehead of Moab
and break down all the sons of Sheth.
1:79 Perhaps an allusion to (compare ).
This is the song of an old man who held a miracle child in his arms and contemplated the seismic shift that was taking place in his lifetime. Nothing like this had ever happened and Zechariah had to sing.
2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
16 the people dwelling in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned.”
But don't miss the point of his solo. God has visited to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Today that same Divine Visitor comes and knocks at the door of your heart. Can you hear the sound His presence, there in your heart? He stands patiently at the door, waiting for you to open and bid him enter.
Will you, like old Zechariah, drop everything and welcome him into your heart? Or are you too busy to be bothered with Jesus? The familiar words of Phillips Brooks are very appropriate at this point:
So Why Did Jesus Come?
So Why Did Jesus Come?
He came so that we who were lost in sin might be lifted up into the service of God.
He came so that we who served another master might serve God our Creator.
He came so that we who fear facing God might be reconciled to Him.
He came so that we who felt the disconnection of our lives from all purpose might have life abundantly.
He came so that we who once could not please God might be pleasing to Him forever.
He came so that we who were unholy might have our lives aligned to Him and His ways.
2. The Benedictus of Zacharias (1:67–80)
1:67–79. With his restored powers of speech, and being filled with the Holy Spirit (a manifestation that in Luke’s writings always comes before a person speaks in some revelatory way; cf. Andreas J Kostenberger, “What Does It Mean to Be Filled with the Spirit: A Biblical Investigation,” JETS 2 [1997], 229–40), Zacharias immediately turned to praising God. This song—a work of poetry—was intended to be the answer to the people’s question in 1:66—What will this child turn out to be? The song, drawn mostly from quotations and allusions of the OT (e.g., 1:68 with 1Kg 1:48 ; ; 1:69 with , ; ; ; 1:71 with ; 1:73 with ; 1:78 with ; 1:79 with ), is called the Benedictus (after the first word of in the Latin version). In one long sentence (1:68–75)
1:68–75. Praise and adoration belong to God alone. As he redeemed Israel from Egyptian slavery (; ; ; ), so through the forerunner and the Savior he would again pay the price for his people’s salvation. He will accomplish this through the Messiah whom everyone expected—the king anointed from a horn of oil and given divine strength like the strength of the great horned deer and oxen (, ; ; ). The prophets said he would do this. Just think of and 11 and . The promise to David in is coming to pass.
Zechariah begins the hymn by praising God for his deliverance (v. 68). The word horn (v. 69) means strength, alluding to the horns of animals. This is a very common Old Testament expression (). The salvation which God has accomplished is a fulfillment of the prophecies made to David (vv. 69–70). Clearly, Zechariah is thinking of God’s promise to David that an heir would always sit on the throne (), and thus he is thinking of Mary’s promised son. This may seem strange because John has just been born and Zechariah is praising God for Jesus. But we have already seen in that John’s birth is linked with the fulfillment of God’s saving purposes. The fulfillment of God’s covenant (v. 72) to Abraham (v. 73) is also the object of Zechariah’s praise. With the birth of John and the promised birth of Jesus, Zechariah sees the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises. Zechariah conceives of this fulfillment in nationalistic terms; the Jews will be rescued from the onslaughts of all enemy forces so that they will be able to serve God in peace and harmony (vv. 71, 74–75).
1:68 Like the Magnificat (vv. 46–55), the Benedictus begins with a word of praise: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. For indicates that all of the following (vv. 68–79) is the cause of Zechariah’s praise. he has visited and redeemed his people. With the events of vv. 5–67, the promised time of salvation has begun. (Cf. v. 78, which also speaks of God “visiting” his people with the dawning of the “sunrise … from on high”—that is, with the coming of Christ.)
1:67–80 In the second of the four hymns in Luke’s birth narratives, Zechariah praises God for His great redemption, provision, and blessing. This song is known as the Benedictus due to its first word in the Latin Vulgate (an ancient Latin translation of the Bible; compare note on ).
1:67 Compare vv. 15, 41.
1:69 A metaphor for power (e.g., ; ; ).
1:73–75 swore to our father Abraham. The content of the oath (v. 73) is given in vv. 74–75, that is, to bless the world through Abraham’s offspring. The Benedictus proper ends at v. 75.
1:73 Yahweh’s covenant with Abraham is recorded in .
1:76–77 This knowledge, brought by John the Baptist, prepares the way for the coming of Jesus. Such knowledge is not merely theoretical or cognitive but deeply experiential, resulting in a fundamental change of heart and behavior (e.g., “repentance”; cf. 3:7–8). Salvation and the forgiveness of … sins (cf. 3:3) reveal the nature of the redemption brought by the Christ.
1:76 Refers to John the Baptist.
Jesus and His Witnesses as Prophets in Luke—Acts
Compare .
1:77 Compare 3:3.
1:78–79 the sunrise shall visit us … to give light.
1:79 Perhaps an allusion to (compare ).
Zechariah continued his song of praise: This is not to say how great this son of mine will be. This is to say how wonderful God is. This is all due to his mercy God wants to send the rising sun of righteousness Malachi said would come (). For too long God’s people have lived in the darkness of foreign governments, the darkness of economic oppression, the darkness of our own sins. We have experienced living death all these years. Now God is changing all that. God will let his sun shine on us. His pathway for us will become clear. No longer will we have to plot war and subversion against the enemy nations. We will know his perfect peace.
In verses 76–77 Zechariah turns his attention to the role of John. He will be a prophet (cf. ; ) and will prepare the way for the Lord. Here the “Lord” is probably not a reference to God but to Jesus. John’s ministry will be a spiritual one, for the people will learn the saving message that consists of the forgiveness of their sins (cf. ). The last two verses (vv. 78–79) are particularly difficult. The salvation which John proclaims is due to the tender mercy of our God, and that same mercy also explains the advent of the rising sun. The words rising sun (Gk. anatolē) may also be translated as “root” or “branch.” In either case it probably expresses a messianic title (cf. ; on rising sun, and ; ; and 6:12 on root or branch). The Messiah will illumine those in darkness and bring in peace.
Takeaways
Takeaways
The historical accuracy of Luke’s description of the census is plagued by various problems, the most serious being the date of Quirinius’s governorship. Quirinius began his governorship of Syria in a.d. 6, and this is obviously too late to accord with the date of Jesus’ birth, for Jesus was born before the death of Herod the Great who died in 4 b.c. Scholars have suggested various solutions to solve the problem, but we will mention only two. (1) Quirinius conducted several military operations in the eastern part of the empire, and he may have had extraordinary authority to order a census during the governorship of Saturninus (9–6 b.c.). (2) Perhaps the census began during the reign of Herod the Great and was not finished until the governorship of Quirinius. No easy resolution of this problem is available, and we must be content with some uncertainty.
Takeaways
God ALWAYS acts in the best interests of His people in accordance with His plan
God will ALWAYS be faithful to His promises and to the covenant relationship He has with His people
God chooses and calls individuals to make Him known to others.