Inexplicable Hope
Notes
Transcript
Hope Promised
Hope Promised
In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord. But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years.
When his division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, it happened that he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified and overcome with fear. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.”
The tale of Zechariah and Elizabeth is woven into the tale of the birth of Jesus for a reason. Throughout the gospels John is the Herald of the one to come.
In Isaiah the prophet talks about what will happen when the Messiah comes. There is an understanding the he will be preceded by a visit from Elijah…that there will be a voice calling out in the wilderness.
John tells the people that come to him to be baptized.
He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord—just as Isaiah the prophet said.”
A voice of one crying out:
Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness;
make a straight highway for our God in the desert.
Jesus himself talks about who his cousin represents...
Look, I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come.
The hope that John brings is a hope for reconciliation.
He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.”
All of this is important all of this has meaning. John’s birth is the beginning of Hope for the world. He is the one that comes before the Messiah the one that is going to make things ready for humanities redemption and yet. His birth does not make sense to Zechariah or Elizabeth.
Hope Doubted
Hope Doubted
“How can I know this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”
The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news. Now listen. You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”
Why is this an important part of the story. Hope does not change just because we have doubts. Promises from God are not rendered null and void because we can’t wrap our brains around them. On the contrary the whole point of Hope is that it is not contingent on our understanding of what is possible.
Humanity tends to dissect our circumstances, work out the probable outcomes and unfortunately for many leans towards more pessimistic outcome than one of hope. This is what Zechariah does when he’s confronted with an Angel, in the Holiest place telling him the amazing story of hope.
I often wonder how much of the consequence Gabriel gives is because of his annoyance..I mean what does it take to get this man to realize exactly what’s going on.
The joy of Hope that comes from God is that even when it is Inexplicable…it is absolutely assured.
Hope Realized
Hope Realized
After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said, “The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people.”
Elizabeth is given what was promised....the hope offered to her Husband as he served the Lord is born out in reality…God does for Elizabeth what he wants to do for all of humanity he takes away her disgrace and shame replacing it with grace, joy and wonder and endurance...
The Barcelona Olympics of 1992 provided one of track and field’s most incredible moments.
Britain’s Derek Redmond had dreamed all his life of winning a gold medal in the 400-meter race, and his dream was in sight as the gun sounded in the semifinals at Barcelona. He was running the race of his life and could see the finish line as he rounded the turn into the backstretch. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain go up the back of his leg. He fell face first onto the track with a torn right hamstring.
Sports Illustrated recorded the dramatic events:
As the medical attendants were approaching, Redmond fought to his feet. “It was animal instinct,”‘ he would say later. He set out hopping, in a crazed attempt to finish the race. When he reached the stretch, a large man in a T-shirt came out of the stands, hurled aside a security guard and ran to Redmond, embracing him. It was Jim Redmond, Derek’s father. “You don’t have to do this,” he told his weeping son. “Yes, I do,” said Derek. “Well, then,” said Jim, “we’re going to finish this together.” And they did.
Fighting off security men, the son’s head sometimes buried in his father’s shoulder, they stayed in Derek’s lane all the way to the end, as the crowd gaped, then rose and howled and wept. Derek didn’t walk away with the gold medal, but he walked away with an incredible memory of a father who, when he saw his son in pain, left his seat in the stands to help him finish the race.
That’s what God does for us. When we are experiencing pain and we’re struggling to finish the race, we can be confident that we have a loving Father who won’t let us do it alone. He left His place in heaven to come alongside us in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. “I am with you always,” says Jesus, “to the very end of the age”
This Week’s Challenge
This Week’s Challenge
Begin to see the glass as being filled with hope as opposed to being emptied in fear and sorrow. Get markers and a poster board and write and draw the following verse to be set up behind your nativity set.
For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.