Announcing the Messiah (Part 4)
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Over the past several weeks, we have been looking at prophecies from the Old Testament that Announced the Messiah’s birth. Today we are going to look at a New Testament announcement. If you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn to Luke chapter 1.
You may remember the story, Zechariah was serving in the temple—serving before the Lord when the angel of the Lord appeared to him, and told him his wife would give birth to a son, even though both of them were “old.”
When Zechariah ask how he would know that what the angel said would come true, the angel told him that he would not be able to speak until after the baby was born.
Now, we flash forward in time. The baby has just been born, and Zachariah can once again speak.
If you have your Bibles turn with me to Luke 1, and we’ll begin reading with verse 67.
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
Zechariah Filled with the Holy Spirit!
Zechariah Filled with the Holy Spirit!
So this section is often referred to as Zachariah’s Prophecy or Zachariah’s Song and I’ve noticed that a lot of people read through it really fast, just to get back to the “story.” But it is an important part of the story!
The first eight verses of the prophecy refer to the Messiah and the last five verses refer to Zachariah’s son, John—we know him as John the Baptizer.
The Messiah Prophecy
The Messiah Prophecy
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
Praise be to the Lord! YHWH of Israel! He praises the God that sent him the joy filled message of his baby boy! (v. 68a)
Praise because this God has come to redeem his people! This is Immanuel—God with us! (v. 68b)
Raised up a horn of salvation. The horn of an animal represented the animal’s strength—God has raised up His strength through David’s line (v. 69).
God is keeping His promises—the promises that were made through the prophets (v. 70).
God is giving salvation from Israel’s enemies (v. 71).
God’s salvation is honoring the promises He made to Israel’s ancestors (vs. 72-74.a).
The goal is for His people to worship Him without fear (v. 74b).
And serving in holiness and righteousness—all of their days! (vs. 74b-75).
Prophecy for John
Prophecy for John
When we come to verse 76, the prophecy takes a noticeable turn. Look at the first verse.
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
The reference to you, my child points us to the subject change—no longer is he talking about the Messiah, but now he is talking about his son, John (v. 76a).
John will be called a prophet of the Most High (v. 76b).
John will go before the Lord and prepare the way (v. 76c). Check out:
A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.
And
“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
Zechariah says that John is going to be this voice!
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
John will prepare the people—Zechariah’s people—God’s people with knowledge of God’s salvation (v. 77).
John will give the people knowledge that they need God’s salvation (v. 77).
Because of God’s mercy a new dawn is coming—the Messiah is coming! (v. 78)
The Messiah will shine His light on those who are living in darkness (v. 79a).
To shine on those who are in the shadow of death (v. 79b).
This resonates back to Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
This Messiah will guide us to walk the path of peace (v. 79).
The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace.
John will point the children if Israel to the Messiah. He will be the voice crying prepare the way of the Lord.
SO WHAT?
SO WHAT?
So here we are on the Sunday before Christmas. Zechariah’s prophecy for the Messiah and for his son, John has come. But like the Israel of Zechariah’s day, we too are waiting. He was waiting for the Messiah to arrive as a baby. Today we are waiting the Messiah to return and take His rightful place as the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Like Zechariah’s day, today we too have a lot of people who are living in darkness. People are groping around seeking to find or sometimes to create truth. But Jesus, Jesus has come so that we may know the truth. In John 8:32, Jesus said,
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
And just like Zechariah’s day, today people still walk through the shadow of death, but as Jesus began His ministry, quoted from Isaiah 9.
“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
You and I are to continue this tradition of shining light into darkness. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus said:
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Paul echos this idea in Ephesians 5.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
So are you letting your light shine? Are you reflecting Jesus? Is your light shining? Are you living a children of the light?
We have six days until we celebrate Christmas, I want to challenge you to take a few minutes out of your busy, hectic schedule and let your light shine!