WHY JESUS?

LAST WEEK

We looked at the Journey of Zacharias and Elizabeth.

We looked at God’s immediate response to a person who lacked faith

We agreed that we would all be dead, if that was still the case.

THIS WEEK

We will continue to look at the story of Zacharias and Elizabeth

Wait What?

For real?

100%

THOUGHTS

If Jesus is the reason for the season, why is there so much drama?

Why does this season remind us of our brokenness?

Why is it that this season brings deep depression?

Why do we seek to cure internal problems with exterior clout?

TURN TO

Luke 1:57–80 NKJV

57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her. 59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him. 67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: 68 “Blessed is 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, Who have been since the world began, 71 That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us, 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, 73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: 74 To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. 76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” 80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

PRAY

Luke 1:57–58 NKJV

57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.

LUKE 1:

CHURCH, CHRISTMAS IS HERE

IT IS A TIME TO CELEBRATE

As a Church Family

As a Church Family

As a Community of Believers

We have so much in common

We have so much to celebrate

We have so much to be thankful for

When the Lord does something on our behalf,

We should be the first to celebrate His Faithfulness

WE SEE IT HERE IN THE TEXT

I love that their neighbors and relatives came to rejoice with her.

Their doubts, their comments, their criticism took a back seat when God answered this family’s prayer.

Luke 1:59-66

Luke 1:59–66 NKJV

59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.

When the time came

John came into this world

It was a custom to not only circumsize the boy on the eight day, but also to name him.

Normally, the first boy would have carry the name of his Father.

However, when it came time to name him, she responded with something different

Instead of naming him Zacharias

Which meant “Yahweh has Remembered”

She named him John,

Which means “Yahweh has shown favor”

This name changed caused a disruption in the force

It was a shift in trajectory

It was a decision based on what God had said AND what He had done

Friends, we must be reminded that with the Lord, our steps of faith lead to other steps of faith

Faith leads to Faith

God had remembered, but that was old news

Now it was about what God would do for the world in bringing John into the picture

God, out of all the families in the world chose Zacharias and Elizabeth, at this time, to bring forth the man who would fulfill prophecy and usher in the Savior.

God had remembered, and has now acted upon his remembrance

He had spoken and is now acting on his promises.

He has promised and is being faithful to His promises

This separates Him from every other God on the planet

The gods of this world talk a good game

But their actions are inconsistent with their promises

God is Faithful

In a world where

He is worthy of our response.

As Zachariah

Proverbs 14:23 NKJV

23 In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty.

The difference between the God of the Bible and the gods of this world, is that the God we worship keeps 100% of His Word

He is Forever Faithful

He is Unchanging

He is unmatched

His Valuation on you is unmatched

No other God has loved you the way the God of the Bible does.

Zachariahs learned his lesson

He too remembered the Word of the Lord for his life

He moved from remembrance to action

He went from lack of faith to full of faith

It took 9 months, but man it was powerful

As people question his wife about the name of the Child

He remembered God’s Word

He asked for a tablet

Wrote out what God had instructed from whence the promise was stated.

As soon as he finished restating the promises of God for his life

His Tongue was loosed

He spoke to the crowd in praises towards God

Such a powerful move

Fear fell on the people

News got around

People pondered what God was doing in their midst.

Asking themselves

What kind of child will this be that the hand of the Lord would be upon him?

TO BRING CLARITY

ZACHARIAHS BEGINS TO PROPHESY IN WHAT WE CALL THE BENEDICTUS

Luke 1:67–80 NKJV

67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: 68 “Blessed is 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, Who have been since the world began, 71 That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us, 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, 73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: 74 To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. 76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” 80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

”67-80

NOTICE THAT ZACHARIAS BEGINS BY STATING WHO JESUS WILL BE

BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, HE PROCLAIMS THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD:

MOVING FROM REMEMBRANCE TO ACTION

THANKING GOD IN ADVANCE

COUNTING HIMSELF BLESSED FOR BEING A PART OF THE STORY

PROPHESYING, RESTATING, RECLAIMING THE PROMISES THAT ARE YES AND AMEN IN CHRIST WHO WAS STILL IN THE WOMB

NOTICE HIS LANGUAGE

HE IS SPEAKING AS IF IT HAD ALREADY HAPPENED

HE HAS VISITED AND REDEEMED HIS PEOPLE

HE HAS RAISED UP A HORN OF SALVATION, THE POWER OF GOD HAS BEEN LIFTED UP FOR ALL TO SEE IN THE PERSON OF CHRIST

AS THE HOLY PROPHETS HAD SPOKEN, ISRAEL WOULD BE SAVED

NOT JUST FROM THE EARTHLY ENEMIES, BUT THEIR ULTIMATE ENEMY, SATAN

JESUS HAS COME TO PUT ON DISPLAY THE MERCY PROMISED TO THE FOREFATHERS.

JESUS HAS COME AS A RESPONSE TO THE HOLY COVENANT

JESUS HAS COME AS AN ANSWER TO THE PROMISE MADE TO ABRAHAM

Not through the son of the flesh, Ishmael

But through the son of promise, Isaac, whose lineage would lead to Jesus

BUT WHY?

THAT WE WOULD BE DELIVERED FROM OUR ENEMIES

You may think, really thats it?

To set the Israelites free from the Romans?

No my friend, it is bigger than that

Jesus came to set us free from a bigger enemy

Sin, Death, and the Devil

That once the Son has made us free

We would be free indeed to serve Him without fear

IN holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives.

THE ZACHARIAS TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO JOHN AND HIS ROLE IN THE KINGDOM

HE BEGINS TO PROPHESY OVER HIM

YOU CHILD, WILL BE CALLED THE PROPHET OF THE HIGHEST

YOU WILL PREPARE HIS WAYS

TO BRING THE PEOPLE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS SALVATION THROUGH THE REMISSION OF SINS

THROUGH THE TENDER MERCY OF OUR GOD

TAKING FORM IN THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS CHRIST, WHO HAS VISITED US

TO GIVE LIGHT TO THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THOSE IN THE SHADOW OF DEATH

TO GUIDE OUR FEET INTO THE WAY OF PEACE.

FRIENDS, THIS WORLD IS BETTER BECAUSE GOD CAME NEAR

WE ARE BETTER BECAUSE JESUS CAME NEAR

WE HAVE A WONDERFUL COUNSELOR

WE HAVE A PRINCE OF PEACE

WE HAVE A SAVIOR

WHO CAME NEAR

THE GOVERNING OF OUR SOULS IS ON HIS SHOULDER

HE IS THE MIGHTY GOD

HE IS THE EVERLASTING FATHER

THIS PROPHECY IN ISAIAH HAS BEEN FULFILLED

MAKING JESUS THE UNMATCHED SAVIOR OF THE WORLD

JESUS IS NOT JUST THE REASON FOR THIS SEASON

BUT THE REASON AND THE NECESSITY OF EVERY SEASON