Zechariah's Song

Luke 1:68-70

©Copyright December 8, 2019 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche

From time to time people ask me “What’s the hardest thing about writing books?” I always say the same thing: “the writing!” It takes time to come up with the right word, the right image, the right word picture. Even the children’s books take time. Once you have a story in your head it doesn’t take long but coming up with the story and the approach that is geared for a child’s understanding, takes a little thought.

I share this with you because of our text his morning. We are going to read the words of a man named Zechariah. He had nine months to think about what he wanted to say and the words we look at this morning are those words.

Zechariah was an old priest who was married to his wife Elizabeth. They never had any children. Zechariah was chosen to offer the sacrifice in the Temple which was usually a once in a lifetime opportunity. As he was in the temple making the offering the Lord appeared to Him and told him his prayers had been answered. He and his wife were going to have a baby! Zechariah asked, “How is that possible?” And because of his doubt God made him unable to talk for nine months.

The baby he and Elizabeth were going to have would be known to us as John the Baptist. When Elizbeth delivered, you can imagine the excitement of the people. The fact that Zechariah had been rendered unable to speak made the story that much more dramatic. When it came time to name the baby, everyone assumed he would be named after a family member (like Zach junior). Instead, Elizabeth said, “His name will be John.” They checked with dad and he confirmed what his wife said. When he did so, he was able to speak and this song is the result. It wasn't actually a song, but it could have been. It has two parts to it:

Blessing to God

68“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,

because he has visited and redeemed his people.

69He has sent us a mighty Savior

from the royal line of his servant David,

70just as he promised

through his holy prophets long ago.

71Now we will be saved from our enemies

and from all who hate us.

72He has been merciful to our ancestors

by remembering his sacred covenant—

73the covenant he swore with an oath

to our ancestor Abraham.

74We have been rescued from our enemies

so we can serve God without fear,

75in holiness and righteousness

for as long as we live.

Last week’s song of Mary is also known as the Magnificat, Zechariah’s song is known as the Benedictus because that is the first word of his song in Latin (“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel”). Zechariah praised God for what He was about to do. Like last week, things that are going to happen are written in the past tense to show the absolute certainty of what was going to take place.

God Raised up a Horn of Salvation. Or to put this another way, “God has provided a way for people to be saved or made right with Him.” The wonder of this phrase is found by emphasizing the first word: GOD has provided. The one who has been sinned against is the same one who has made it possible for us to be forgiven.

In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read,

For God made Christ, who never sinned to be the offering for our sin, so hat we could be made right with God through Christ.

In Titus 3:5 we read,

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.

This is good news to most people because most people believe they have to live good lives to EARN salvation. They believe, “if they are good enough” they will go to Heaven when they die. The problem is the Bible calls us to be holy (or sinless). We will never achieve the standard of being “good enough” apart from Christ rescuing us!

The Jews had offered lots of sacrifices trying to appease the Lord. Zechariah understood that what God was going to do through Jesus was new, it was merciful, and it was going to make salvation possible for anyone who puts their trust in Him. It was also going to make future sacrifices unnecessary.

Second, This salvation was predicted in the prophets. Zechariah understood that the prophets had been talking about a Redeemer, someone who would save the people from their sins. Perhaps he caught a glimpse of what Isaiah understood in Isaiah 53,

All we like sheep, have strayed away.

We have left God’s path to follow our own.

Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word.

He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.

And as a sheep is silent before the shearers he did not open his mouth. (5-6)

And in verse 11

And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible

For many to be counted righteous for he will bear all their sins.

Psalm 22 talks about the crucifixion in vivid detail centuries before the actual events took place and before crucifixion was even "a thing".

There are illusions throughout the prophets about the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. Nine months of silent reflection helped Zechariah to see these things.

Finally, Zechariah said, “He did this so we could serve in holiness and righteousness before him." The Lord does not save us merely so we can do what we want without feeling any guilt. He saved us FROM sin and OUT OF sin. He saved us so we could live life the way it was meant to be lived: honoring God and following His directions.

This is a powerful reminder that Jesus did not come to earth to become a celebrity or to gather up a group of fans. He didn’t come down from Heaven so we would have incentive to work harder or feel guilty. He came down from Heaven so He could set us free to live life free from the strain and stain of sin. He came to set us on a new course and in a new direction. Celebrating Christmas without understanding this is to miss the point entirely! God loves us and shows us vividly by sending Jesus to the cross to bear the penalty for our sin.

After Zechariah praised God for His work of redemption through Christ, He talked to the child that has just been named.

76“And you, my little son,

will be called the prophet of the Most High,

because you will prepare the way for the Lord.

77You will tell his people how to find salvation

through forgiveness of their sins.

78Because of God’s tender mercy,

the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,

79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

and to guide us to the path of peace.”

Blessing to John

It is not surprising to us that John was somewhat of a loner when he was an adult. His parents were already old when he was born. Most likely, by the time he came on the scene preaching repentance, his parents were long gone. Perhaps Zechariah even knew this would be the case. He blessed John and testified to the work He would do.

John would prepare the way for the Messiah. John’s job was simple: point people to Jesus! It is not easy being the “advance man” for someone else. In the same way it is not easy being the “opening act” at a concert. Our human nature wants affirmation and status. Yet, John understood his role. He told his disciples that Jesus must increase and John must decrease. John went from being a man who held crowds spellbound, to being a footnote in the life of Jesus.

That is not an easy role to play.

However, this is exactly the place where we find ourselves. It is our job to point other people to Jesus. WE cannot save ANYONE! We can, however, proclaim the good news. We can (and should) point people to Jesus! We should seek for all glory to go to Him.

John was given the privilege to announce to people: there is forgiveness of sin because of the tender mercy of God. Once again, mercy is an undeserved gift. It is contrary to what we deserve! This is the same message we should be conveying this Christmas. We should take every opportunity to point people to Jesus, not just during the Christmas season but all year long.

There are benefits to this salvation that should cause us to run to embrace it. First, our sin will be forgiven. Say those words with a sense of awe! We should say them with a sense of wonder.

Anyone who is in touch with God's standards and how our lives fare in comparison to those standards, realizes that we are people steeped in sin. From the very earliest days we rebelled against the idea that God should call the shots. We are quite happy to tell God how to run the universe. This attitude reveals the depth of the poison of sin in our hearts and lives.

If you are like me, there is a whole list of things you regret in life,

Times you were unkind; maybe even mean

Times you shared information that was entrusted to you

Times when you lied to save your reputation or to cover up something you were supposed to do but didn't do.

There were commandments of God you completely ignored

There were failures in life that resulted largely from the fact that you ignored the counsel of God.

And think about it, these are only the sins we are aware of! There are many times as many sins that we have dismissed as "not important."

Sometimes these regrets in life haunt us. We can't undo what we have done (or failed to do) so we may be depressed or even think it is impossible for God to ever forgive us.

This is where the wonder of the gospel comes in. Through Christ ALL that past sin (and future sin) is forgiven! It is paid for! They are no longer are a barrier between us and the Lord. It is an incredible and wonderful promise. It is the fulfillment of a dream that seemed too remote to even dream about.

Second, "the sunrise will visit us from on high". I don't think this has to be complicated. The sunrise gives us the signal that a new day is starting. John will announce a new day arriving in Christ. Israel was pictured as walking in darkness. For 400 years there was no word from God. Israel was lost, feeling cast aside. John was going to announce the end of that.

In the book of Malachi we read,

“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. (Malachi 4.2)

Christmas is about new beginnings, a new dawn, a choice to live!

Third, we will see light in the midst of darkness. When a person turns to Christ as Savior and Lord; when they stop relying on themselves and start relying on Him something wonderful happens. It is like a light turns on in your soul. You come alive. You see things differently. In theology this is called the illumination of the Spirit.

Have you seen the videos of people who are given a special set of glasses that allow them to see color for the first time in their lives? It is quite powerful. The people can't help but cry as they take it all in. The beauty, the richness, the life they see in color. I see coming to Christ much that same way . . . all of a sudden, you see things you never saw before. The Word of God starts making sense. We see people differently than we ever did before. Suddenly it all starts to make sense. The pieces fall into place.

Finally: he will lead us to the path of peace in this world of despair. It is easy to get discouraged in the world. There is political upheaval, violence more intense than we can fathom, and there is a growing indifference among people that is depressing. John would lead people like you and me to the true path of peace which is found in Christ alone.

The Jewish concept of peace comes from the concept of "shalom." This is much more than merely the absence of conflict. It is a state of wholeness, a completeness, the sum of all requirements for conscious well-being. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

God's peace is what makes life come together. It alone will help us feel whole . . . like we have found what we have been looking for all our lives.

Have you been to a wedding when little kids come down the aisle right before the bride in a wedding. They are holding a cute sign that basically says, "Here comes the bride." They are announcing the moment everyone has been waiting for. This is what John was called to do. He gets to announce the coming of the one the whole world (and all of creation) has been waiting for.

Takeaways for Today

There are some takeaways for our lives from these words of Zechariah. First, we are not as alone as we feel. Those who study such things say we live in a world that is desperately lonely. People stay in their homes staring at their devices and much of our lives are lived in cyberspace, which is very impersonal.

You may feel alone, unnoticed, possessing little value. You may feel no one would miss you if you were gone. We pass dozens of people every day who don't seem to see us at all. Sometimes we can feel that way in church. Lots of people are present but no one seems to notice or care that you are here. I hope that is not the case, but it could be. The message of Christmas is this: God sees you. He SEES you. You matter to Him. This is the whole point of Christmas. You are here today, I believe, because God wants you to hear this message. You matter to God!

Second, Christmas means we can stop looking over our shoulder. We have a tendency to live life tentative, waiting for something bad to happen. We are fearful that we are going to do something that is going to forfeit our place in Heaven. The message of Christmas is this: IT IS A GIFT! Christ died so our debt was paid. Our job is to receive the gift. Once we truly come to Christ, IT IS FINISHED. You don't have to second guess, you don't have to be afraid, you don't have to keep beating yourself up for your failures in life, you don't have to live tentatively or keep looking over your shoulder!

Instead, you can look forward. You can rest. You can rejoice. You can celebrate. Christmas is not just a celebration of the birth of Jesus, it is the celebration of forgiveness, new life, wholeness, confident hope, life beyond the grave. It is a celebration of light in the darkness, peace in the storm, joy even through the trials.

Finally, you and I have the privilege of sharing this good news with others. Stop for a minute and think about who in your life desperately needs to hear this good news. Who do you know who would like to stop beating themselves up, living fearfully, or feeling cast aside? Christmas is the best time of the year to deliver that news. You can begin by asking a simple question: "What do you think is the best thing about Christmas?" After they give their answer you can tell them, "I think the best thing about Christmas is the great gift Jesus gave to us by His life, death, and resurrection. Do you realize that it is because of this birth that we no longer have to be tormented by guilt, or paralyzed by fear of death, we no longer need to wonder if anyone cares we are here." Then, smile enthusiastically and wait to see where God leads the conversation. It is a gift for which your friend will be grateful for this life and the rest of eternity.