Zechariah's Song of Pardon
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
THANK YOU
THANK YOU
Good Morning - the kids can be released - it is good to be back...
Thank you to Justin for preaching the past two weeks as we travelled up to WV to see family for Thanksgiving and then stopped to see our son, Elijah, who is in his advanced training with the Navy.
SONGS OF CHRISTMAS
SONGS OF CHRISTMAS
We are in week two of series called, Songs of Christmas
We are looking at 4 different songs and prophecies found in the Gospel of Luke
This series is meant to help us slow down.
Busy Season - Chaotic - Rushed - Stressed
In these Sundays leading up to Christmas we want to pause — quieting our hearts (pace, anxiousness, business, the next thing, etc) and our minds (to-do lists, presents to buy, gifts to wrap, parties).
Song of Zechariah, following the birth of his son, John the Baptist
Singing songs, etc.
Last week, Justin talked about Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and once the angel visited her to tell her that she was to be with child, she was also told that her cousin, Elizabeth was also pregnant.
Today is the story of Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah.
, "A voice is calling, 'Clear the way for the Lord [YHWH] 1 in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God."
Mal. 3:1, "Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord [adonai], 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 [YHWH] of hosts."
CHRISTMAS SONG
CHRISTMAS SONG
We know the outcome, the summary - but not the journey, the story...
FAIRYTALE vs REAL LIFE
FAIRYTALE vs REAL LIFE
I want to press into the real emotions of the Christmas Story as revealed in Scripture through their story.
These people are more than characters on a page but they lived and breathed. Their pains lead to warm and wet tears. Their joys brought the sound of laughter.
I believe that through their personal story of pain we come to see, understand, and feel the weight and possibility of praise. We experience the redemption described in words.
My prayer this morning is that you leave here with an increased affection toward Jesus.
PRAYER
PRAYER
CHRISTMAS SON
ZECHARIAH’S SHAME
ZECHARIAH’S SHAME
TRANSITION - CONNECT TO ZECHARIAH’S SONG
TRANSITION - CONNECT TO ZECHARIAH’S SONG
Before we read the song/prophecy of Zechariah — I want to set the stage
ZECHARIAH’S LIFE
ZECHARIAH’S LIFE
Family
Zechariah is married to Elizabeth, they are old, and they have no kids because she is unable to have kids.
They are good people - righteous before God and they people
Job
BRIDGEGod’s Sovereignty
Zechariah is priest of the division of Abijah
According to and1 Chronicles 24 there were 24 groups of priests divided by families. One commentary said that Abijah’s division was considered the least prestigious of the divisions.
Each group/division would serve for one week, twice per year.
However, an individual priest could offer the incense at the daily sacrifice only once in his lifetime. Some would never get the opportunity. This would have been the climax for Zechariah.
Personal
Unable to have kids
Culturally - this was seen a a curse by God
I want us to pause and walk in their shoes...
ALONE, EXPOSED & FORGOTTEN
ALONE, EXPOSED & FORGOTTEN
(1) ALONE
(1) ALONE
Loneliness of Grief remembered year after year
In verse 25 Elizabeth describes herself as feeling reproach — Elizabeth felt rejected by God and an outsider among the people surrounding her.
Elizabeth felt she was different, unwanted, unworthy
In the culture - barrenness was viewed as a divine curse
I imagine the tears came often at first
I wonder if there were miscarriages (mainly because she waited 5 months to tell anyone once she found out she was pregnant)
But the years passed by - old age set in - It wasn’t meant to be.
Given the term “advanced in years” and her “barrenness” — it seems like menopause has set in and all hope was now gone.
Maybe her tears dried up like her hope
EXPOSED
(2) EXPOSED
(2) EXPOSED
Making things worse - her husband was a priest - one who intercedes between the Jewish people and God.
NOW - with great irony - Zechariah was called to present the incense in the Temple.
Incense represented the prayers of the nation going up to God as an offering.
Now it is Zechariah’s turn - the priest with the barren wife
Her shame and reproach visible to the nation.
(3) FORGOTTEN
(3) FORGOTTEN
Zechariah’s name means - “Remembered by YHWH”
But year’s have passed, good deeds unnoticed, unrewarded. Just a man, living in the hill country, faithfully serving year after year to the service of a God who seemingly turned a deaf ear to his cries for a child.
BRIDGE - GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY
BRIDGE - GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY
On this week Zechariah’s division was serving
On this day - lots were cast for Zechariah to enter the temple to offer the incense.
God was invading the story. He had a purpose to be fulfilled. No coincidence or happenstance. God was on the move. His sovereign hand was arranging events according to his purposes - though, to the naked eye, everything was normal
That was, until the angel appeared.
“Your prayer have been heard… your wife will have a son!” & “You will have joy and gladness”
With great doubt, even the words of an angel standing in the temple could not convince Zechariah that Elizabeth would have a child.
“How shall I know this? I’m old, she’s advanced in years” - because Zechariah isn’t about to call his wife old in front of an angel.
The Punishment of Silence for Disbelief
Zechariah was unable to speak.
When he comes out of the Temple, all the people there are expecting Zechariah to offer the customary prayer over the people,
New Living Translation Chapter 6
24 ‘May the LORD bless you
and protect you.
25 May the LORD smile on you
and be gracious to you.
26 May the LORD show you his favor
and give you his peace.’
Instead they hear no words and see a priest playing charades.
PLANS UNFOLD
PLANS UNFOLD
Zechariah goes home and Elizabeth gets pregnant but doesn’t tell anyone for 5 months.
But in her heart she is saying, “How kind the Lord is! He has taken away my disgrace.”
This is when Luke tells us the story of Mary that we heard last week. Now, it seems like Mary may have still been with Elizabeth when Elizabeth gave birth to a son, as promised by God.
Yet, Zechariah could still not speak. Silent wonder as he help his promised son. Imagine this moment - the years, the tears, the hopes that gave way to hopelessness. Now, your child, laying in your arms.
You’ve been unable to speak to nearly one year at this point.
8 days passed — that led to the custom of circumcision and naming the child.
Circumcision was the sign of the covenant before God.
The naming of the child and the circumcision would happen on the same day.
The people thought that the child would be called Zechariah, like his father, but Elizabeth says, No, he is to be called John.”
The people argue with Elizabeth, who looks to her husband for help. Zechariah asks for a tablet to write on and says, “his name is John” in obedience to the angels commands.
ZECHARIAH’S SONG
ZECHARIAH’S SONG
Luke 1:67-
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.”
GOD’S SALVATION
GOD’S SALVATION
(1) VISITED | Alone
(1) VISITED | Alone
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
He has visited his people...
ZECHARIAH’S STORY
Feelings that God has forgotten, abandoned, turned a deaf ear - yet none of these things were true
ISRAEL’S STORY
It has been over 400 years since God sent a prophet to the nation of Israel.
Has he abandoned his people
Someone in the church was recently talking to a Jewish person who said they have a phrase similar to “when pigs fly,” by saying, “when the Messiah comes.”
TRUTH
God draws near
He has visited his people...
God saves
To redeem his people...
Salvation… Rescue…
To the wanderer, the lost, the abandoned, and outsider - God draws near
To the weak, to the meek, the those who mourn - God is your strength
(2) PROTECTED | Exposed
(2) PROTECTED | Exposed
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;
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
Luke 1:69-
Luke 1:
Jesus is the horn of our salvation
Throughout the OT an animal’s horn was a symbol of power and protection.
ZECHARIAH’S STORY
Zechariah and Elizabeth’s shame left them exposed because of his role as priest
God invaded their story with power and protected them. For this reason Elizabeth could say, “God has taken away my shame.”
ISRAEL’S STORY
As a nation, Israel, continuously walked in disobedience to God.
Now this disobedience led them to be under the rule of Rome. Maybe God had enough of them. Maybe this was it.
TRUTH
God enters with power
God enters to protect
(3) REMEMBERED
(3) REMEMBERED
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.
Luke
ZECHARIAH’S STORY
Years have passed.
I doubt Zechariah and Elizabeth were even still praying for a child. Those kind of prayers were for the young
BUT GOD - with his Presence, and Power - and a little sense of humor - came to and old man and an old woman in the hill country and answered their prayers from years prior.
God remembered their prayers, their tears, their grief, their shame - God was not indifferent to their suffering - He did not turn a deaf year
He hear every prayer
He saw every tear
He was present in the silence just as he is present in the celebration
God doesn’t forgot, he doesn’t need to be reminded of his promises...
ISRAEL’S STORY
In , God promises Abraham to bless him so that he would be a blessing to all people. This was start of God setting apart a people, a nation for himself, through which the promised Savior would come, and save people among all nations and all peoples.
This was roughly 2,100 years before the day of Zechariah’s song
God doesn’t foget
He remembers his holy covenant
The oath he swore
TRUTH
God remembers
God is faithful to his promises
TENDER MERCY OF GOD
TENDER MERCY OF GOD
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.”
Luke 1:76-
TENDER MERCY OF GOD
SUNRISE OF HOPE
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
PERSONAL APPLICATION
VISITED
God draws near to save
PROTECTED
God enters with power to protect (horn)
REMEMBERED
God remembers and is faithful to his promises
Promises rest when the weary come to him
Promised to be your light when you follow him
Promises life and life eternal to those who trust in him
Promises to give you what you need.
Promises to produces good fruit in your life to those who remain in him
Promised to always be with us
Promised to give us the Holy Spirit, - our counselor, comforter, and advocate.
Two of the greatest Promises...
ETERNAL APPLICATION
CALL ON THE NAME OF JESUS AND BE SAVED
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Jesus & The Gospel
I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”