Zechariah's Song (Luke 1:67-80)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:06.280 Let's turn our attention now to Luke chapter one of verses sixty seven through eighty. 2 00:00:12.230 --> 00:00:16.109 In the morning we've been considering for a while the gospel of John, 3 00:00:16.149 --> 00:00:24.140 and this John the Baptist in particular, and his role in preparing the way 4 00:00:24.219 --> 00:00:30.140 for the coming Messiah. Now we consider the birth of John the Baptist and 5 00:00:30.260 --> 00:00:34.979 the way it also prepared for the birth of the Lord Jesus. I'm here 6 00:00:35.539 --> 00:00:42.049 with a prophecy from Zechara, John's father, Zachariah, so Luke Chapter One 7 00:00:42.369 --> 00:00:47.250 and verses sixty seven through eighty, and his father, Zechar I, was 8 00:00:47.409 --> 00:00:53.960 filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied saying blessed be the Lord God of Israel, 9 00:00:54.520 --> 00:00:58.640 for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a Horn 10 00:00:58.759 --> 00:01:02.840 of salvation for us in the House of his servant David, as he spoke 11 00:01:02.960 --> 00:01:06.510 by the mouth of his holy prophets from old, that we should be saved 12 00:01:06.549 --> 00:01:10.629 from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to show 13 00:01:10.670 --> 00:01:15.870 the mercy promise to our father's and to remember his holy covenant, the oath 14 00:01:15.069 --> 00:01:19.659 that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we being delivered 15 00:01:19.700 --> 00:01:26.420 from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness 16 00:01:26.540 --> 00:01:30.739 and righteousness, before him all our days. And you, child will be 17 00:01:30.900 --> 00:01:34.609 called the Prophet of the most high, for you will go before the Lord 18 00:01:34.730 --> 00:01:40.209 to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people and the 19 00:01:40.290 --> 00:01:45.129 forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby 20 00:01:45.250 --> 00:01:49.319 the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give a light to those who 21 00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:53.920 sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into 22 00:01:53.959 --> 00:01:59.799 the way of peace. And the child grew and became strong in the spirit, 23 00:02:00.439 --> 00:02:04.150 and he was in the Wilderness until the day of his public appearance to 24 00:02:04.310 --> 00:02:15.229 Israel. A man he may be seated. So, after the sermon, 25 00:02:15.860 --> 00:02:20.780 I'm going to ask you to join together in singing the song of Zechariah, 26 00:02:20.780 --> 00:02:23.060 which is two hundred and ninety four in your hymnals. You can turn there 27 00:02:23.099 --> 00:02:28.060 an hour later, it's doesn't matter, but we're going to give an opportunity 28 00:02:28.099 --> 00:02:34.650 to sing this, this marvelous prophecy that the Lord, the Lord's spirit, 29 00:02:34.770 --> 00:02:43.969 gives to Zechariah. As we consider Zacharia's prophecy and his son, the Prophet 30 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:47.800 John, John, the baptist. One of the things we notice is how 31 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:54.479 remarkable this is, in many ways paralleling Jesus's own birth. As with John's 32 00:02:54.520 --> 00:03:00.509 Gospel, the story of Jesus begins with the story of John in Luke as 33 00:03:00.590 --> 00:03:06.509 well, and in particular with John's parents, Zecharia and Elizabeth, before we 34 00:03:06.909 --> 00:03:12.789 consider his prophecy, in particular these wonderful words that are here. I do 35 00:03:12.939 --> 00:03:15.780 want to share with you some of the back story for Zechara and Elizabeth that 36 00:03:15.860 --> 00:03:23.580 we find in Luke chapter one. It helps us to understand it's understand what 37 00:03:23.620 --> 00:03:28.810 Zecharai is saying and and and think about some important applications of it as well. 38 00:03:30.610 --> 00:03:32.330 One a way, you can think about Zecharai and Elizabeth, John the 39 00:03:32.409 --> 00:03:37.930 Baptist's parents are kind of like the Abraham and Sarah of the New Testament. 40 00:03:38.810 --> 00:03:46.360 That's because, like Sarah, Elizabeth was old and barren. Zechariah was old 41 00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:51.039 as well, both of them without a children. Moreover, because of their 42 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:55.430 age, the hope of having children was a long past, but even still 43 00:03:55.590 --> 00:04:00.110 they had, it seems, if I'm not reading too much in between the 44 00:04:00.189 --> 00:04:05.229 lines, what we today called baby fever, because Zechariah is praying for a 45 00:04:05.270 --> 00:04:11.860 child even as his old age. He's desiring that God would provide for them 46 00:04:11.900 --> 00:04:17.579 a child. Well, in the midst of these prayers, I'm Zecharai continues 47 00:04:17.660 --> 00:04:20.100 to do his duty, and one of the what we realize, or what 48 00:04:20.180 --> 00:04:24.490 we are told in Luke Chapter One, is that Zacharai is a priest, 49 00:04:25.370 --> 00:04:28.689 and that means that it was his job to serve the Lord God in the 50 00:04:28.769 --> 00:04:33.930 temple. The priests, you may remember, had regular duties each priestly, 51 00:04:35.089 --> 00:04:40.000 each priest was put into one of twenty four divisions and then throughout the year 52 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:43.920 you'd have sort of two weeks on call at the temple. You might think 53 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:47.399 about it that way. Luke one five tells us that among the different divisions, 54 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:51.480 he was of priest belonging to the division of Abijah. This was the 55 00:04:51.720 --> 00:04:57.829 eighth of the twenty four divisions, according to first chronicles ten. Now this 56 00:04:58.110 --> 00:05:03.870 detail about Zakaria belonging to this particular division I don't think is immensely important, 57 00:05:04.589 --> 00:05:10.459 but it does remind us right away of the detail and the accuracy of Luke's 58 00:05:10.540 --> 00:05:15.819 reporting of the Gospel about Jesus. It also reminds us of this duty that 59 00:05:16.660 --> 00:05:21.170 Zachari had and, as versus eight and nine, tell us at the beginning 60 00:05:21.170 --> 00:05:25.810 of this at the beginning of chapter one here, one of the things that 61 00:05:25.889 --> 00:05:30.850 happened is that, year by year, there was a lot that was cast 62 00:05:30.250 --> 00:05:34.370 and one of the priests that were on duty for that two weeks would be 63 00:05:34.449 --> 00:05:41.439 given the special honor of offering incense and a sacrifice as well in the temple. 64 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:45.120 Now, a lot is sort of like casting a die. It's, 65 00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:48.079 by our perspective, a chance. You don't know what's going to happen, 66 00:05:48.120 --> 00:05:53.069 and this would sometimes and you would never be chosen. You'd go your whole 67 00:05:53.069 --> 00:05:56.509 life as a priest, every year serving but never getting to be the one 68 00:05:57.029 --> 00:06:00.550 chosen to go in. If to happen to fall on you twice, from 69 00:06:00.589 --> 00:06:05.540 what I understand the you would only be given this honor one time and it 70 00:06:05.579 --> 00:06:11.019 would be passed on to another. So this was an important and a special 71 00:06:11.139 --> 00:06:15.500 thing. I'm in Zechariah was chosen, but, as we see throughout the 72 00:06:15.579 --> 00:06:19.649 gospels and in our lives as well, the things that seem by chance to 73 00:06:19.730 --> 00:06:25.410 us or of course never by chance. Sometimes people say, wow, that 74 00:06:25.850 --> 00:06:29.050 was a god thing, but it's important to remember that it's all a god 75 00:06:29.170 --> 00:06:32.319 thing. There's not a single thing that happens in this life that isn't isn't 76 00:06:32.360 --> 00:06:40.279 under God's sovereign control. Well, this is what happens. God sovereignly brings 77 00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:44.519 the lot down on Zechariah, and this all is preparing us for this amazing 78 00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:49.589 event. Because what happens is Zechara goes into the temple and something very unexpected 79 00:06:49.670 --> 00:06:55.509 happens there. What he expects is to go in, offer the incense, 80 00:06:55.629 --> 00:06:59.509 the sacrifice and then come out to the people who are waiting and then he 81 00:06:59.550 --> 00:07:03.100 he will bless them. But instead what he got. Happens is he goes 82 00:07:03.180 --> 00:07:10.180 in and he sees the Angel Gabriel. Now, if you go into a 83 00:07:10.259 --> 00:07:14.779 modern Christian book store today, you might thinking think that seeing angels is of 84 00:07:14.899 --> 00:07:19.329 commonplace and maybe even cute, but verse twelve tells us that neither of these 85 00:07:19.410 --> 00:07:24.810 things were true. Zecharia goes in, he sees Gabriel standing there and he 86 00:07:24.970 --> 00:07:29.889 doesn't say Oh, adorable, look at its little bottom. He says he 87 00:07:30.920 --> 00:07:36.839 is afraid, he's terrified. Trouble falls upon him and Gabriel in fact has 88 00:07:36.879 --> 00:07:44.120 to tell him do not fear the angel. We find out as they are 89 00:07:44.310 --> 00:07:50.829 not to terrorize him as one of these majestic, powerful glorious creatures of Jaw 90 00:07:51.029 --> 00:07:57.389 of God. Very mate. Well, might a know? Instead, this 91 00:07:57.550 --> 00:08:01.180 is what he says in verses thirteen through seventeen. Do not be afraid, 92 00:08:01.180 --> 00:08:07.180 Zachar I am, for your prayer has been heard and your wife Elizabeth, 93 00:08:07.300 --> 00:08:13.050 will bear you a son and you shall call his name John, and you 94 00:08:13.170 --> 00:08:18.329 will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth, for he 95 00:08:18.410 --> 00:08:22.889 will be great before the Lord. He must not drink wine or strong drink, 96 00:08:22.410 --> 00:08:26.769 and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's 97 00:08:26.850 --> 00:08:30.920 womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord, 98 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:33.480 their God, and he will go before him, in the spirit and 99 00:08:33.639 --> 00:08:37.480 power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and 100 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:43.669 the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord 101 00:08:43.509 --> 00:08:50.509 a people prepared. So Zacharia gets his prayer answered. But this is no 102 00:08:50.750 --> 00:08:56.179 ordinary son. God doesn't just give him a son, he gives him this 103 00:08:56.340 --> 00:09:01.539 one that had been promised and Alikai, this one who had been anticipated, 104 00:09:01.620 --> 00:09:03.740 this one who would come in the spirit and the power of Elijah, who 105 00:09:03.779 --> 00:09:11.529 would prepare the way of the Lord. Joy, gladness, rejoicing and on 106 00:09:11.610 --> 00:09:15.929 the path on the part of many people. Are the things that this angel 107 00:09:16.049 --> 00:09:22.090 says, the Messenger of the Lord speaks to the Lord's servants. Now, 108 00:09:22.970 --> 00:09:24.960 you and I, who think too much of ourselves, I think, would 109 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:30.159 probably assume that if we heard this news because God had answered our prayer request, 110 00:09:30.480 --> 00:09:35.639 would be praising God. We, of course, would be more than 111 00:09:35.720 --> 00:09:39.269 happy about this and would rejoice and all the rest. But I think more 112 00:09:39.429 --> 00:09:46.669 than likely we'd do what most children, even the older children like Zechariah of 113 00:09:46.830 --> 00:09:52.940 God, do, and that's and that's argue. Children argue right even over 114 00:09:52.059 --> 00:10:00.419 blessings we've been praying for. We're ridiculous, I will say so. Here's 115 00:10:00.460 --> 00:10:05.740 Zechariah praying for years for a son, here's an angel from God saying to 116 00:10:05.779 --> 00:10:09.610 him, here's a son, joy and gladness under you. You will be 117 00:10:09.210 --> 00:10:13.929 this amazing figure, and all the rest. And what is Zecharas Aria's response? 118 00:10:15.809 --> 00:10:18.370 How can this be? I am an old man and my wife is 119 00:10:18.409 --> 00:10:24.200 advanced in years. Now, Zechariah, on the scriptures say, was righteous, 120 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:26.200 he was a good man, he was a servant of the Lord. 121 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:31.080 A reminder to us that even the greatest among us, a still have doubts, 122 00:10:31.799 --> 00:10:37.830 still struggle with faith, and this is what happens. He says this, 123 00:10:37.990 --> 00:10:41.350 how will I know this? And the angel answers him and says, 124 00:10:41.429 --> 00:10:46.230 I am Gabriel, I stand in the presence of God and I was sent 125 00:10:46.389 --> 00:10:50.179 to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, 126 00:10:50.419 --> 00:10:54.860 you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take 127 00:10:54.980 --> 00:11:00.259 place because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their 128 00:11:00.340 --> 00:11:05.450 time. So we like to think, even in our everyday lives that when 129 00:11:05.450 --> 00:11:09.529 we ask things of God, that when he answers them, we will be 130 00:11:09.649 --> 00:11:15.129 immensely happy and will praise God. Maybe not, maybe we think a little 131 00:11:15.129 --> 00:11:18.759 too highly of ourselves. Zechari struggled with it at least. Nevertheless, to 132 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:24.879 prove the power of God and discipline his servant a little bit, God shuts 133 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:28.360 the Zechara, such secharaa, as mouth until the day when these promises are 134 00:11:28.440 --> 00:11:33.230 fulfilled. Now I want you to imagine this. Now, at this point, 135 00:11:33.230 --> 00:11:37.269 from Zacharai's perspective, he's got this kind of embarrassing problem. Right, 136 00:11:37.350 --> 00:11:41.950 here's this man of God who was sent to go in finally, right the 137 00:11:43.110 --> 00:11:46.029 lot was cast on him. He is this great honor of going and offering 138 00:11:46.070 --> 00:11:50.100 the sacrifice, and now he's mute. He's supposed to come out and pronounce 139 00:11:50.139 --> 00:11:54.500 a blessing on the people, he's supposed to say something. They're all expect 140 00:11:54.580 --> 00:12:00.059 they're waiting there for him, the scriptures say. But now he's unable to 141 00:12:00.139 --> 00:12:05.889 speak, and he's unable to speak because of his unfaithfulness while he was doing 142 00:12:05.049 --> 00:12:11.889 his work as a priest. He can't tell them about the angel, he 143 00:12:13.009 --> 00:12:16.440 can't tell them about this promise or anything. All he can do is go 144 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:20.840 out and I guess at well it says, he says, he makes gestures. 145 00:12:22.440 --> 00:12:26.399 As far as I know, no developed American sign language or other assign 146 00:12:26.440 --> 00:12:31.950 languages. At this point, let me ask you to imagine exactly how you 147 00:12:31.990 --> 00:12:37.590 would describe meeting an angel that's promised to give you a son, who comes 148 00:12:37.629 --> 00:12:41.230 in the power of Elijah to your wife, who is well known as Baron. 149 00:12:41.789 --> 00:12:46.460 Exactly what gestures would you use to describe to the people your situation? 150 00:12:46.460 --> 00:12:52.019 Like I said, perhaps a little bit embarrassing, hard to explain, but 151 00:12:54.419 --> 00:12:58.889 it all begins to fall out exactly as God has said, and Elizabeth becomes 152 00:13:00.009 --> 00:13:05.450 pregnant, giving yet more proof to these promises, these things that God has 153 00:13:05.529 --> 00:13:09.889 doing. And when it comes time to give birth, the give birth this 154 00:13:09.009 --> 00:13:15.519 son, there is some discussion about what his name will be. They try 155 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:22.919 to name him Zechariah, after his father, and exactly though, rights on 156 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:28.029 a thing. His name will be John. Call Him John, and at 157 00:13:28.070 --> 00:13:33.870 that moment God opens his mouth, loosens his tongue, and that's what we 158 00:13:33.950 --> 00:13:39.149 have recorded in verses sixty seventh through eighty. Now, before we get to 159 00:13:39.269 --> 00:13:43.580 that, take just a moment to think. Do you not see God's amazing 160 00:13:43.700 --> 00:13:46.340 hand and all of this, and all of this, my friends, is 161 00:13:46.580 --> 00:13:52.100 just a warm up to the story about Jesus's birth, the most important story, 162 00:13:54.500 --> 00:13:58.970 but we can't skip over it. John is important. The scriptures say 163 00:14:00.169 --> 00:14:03.289 so. He's given by God to the world to prepare the way for our 164 00:14:03.409 --> 00:14:09.799 savior. In the birth of John There is joy and rejoicing. It's a 165 00:14:09.879 --> 00:14:16.039 good reminder that part of the joy of things that the God gives to us 166 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:20.000 is the anticipation of them, the preparation of them, so that we are 167 00:14:20.039 --> 00:14:26.230 then ready to receive. Kind of like I was saying before about the prayers 168 00:14:26.309 --> 00:14:28.789 that we ask of the Lord, that we make to the Lord we often 169 00:14:28.870 --> 00:14:35.110 think that we're all ready to go, that I want this thing, it's 170 00:14:35.149 --> 00:14:37.269 a good thing and of course I'm ready to receive it. So I'm just 171 00:14:37.389 --> 00:14:41.059 waiting on the Lord, you know, in his timing, which could be 172 00:14:41.179 --> 00:14:48.419 now, but zen for whatever reason, right and we are impatient and we 173 00:14:48.620 --> 00:14:52.450 think that we should have things and are capable of having things right now. 174 00:14:52.529 --> 00:15:00.929 But of course it's not always true. Some times the Lord desires to go 175 00:15:00.970 --> 00:15:05.850 things and will give those things to us, but he wants to give them 176 00:15:05.929 --> 00:15:09.720 to us not sometimes but all the time, on his time, on his 177 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:18.159 schedule, and sometimes that means there's preparation for them. I heard a sociologist 178 00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:24.190 on the radio yesterday talking about the different ways of the French and Americans eat 179 00:15:24.230 --> 00:15:28.669 their food. He said Americans tend to think about food in terms of an 180 00:15:28.710 --> 00:15:35.110 event that happens in your blood stream, thinking about calories and carbohydrates and these 181 00:15:35.190 --> 00:15:39.940 kinds of health things. The French tend to think about food, he says, 182 00:15:39.980 --> 00:15:45.220 as an event that happens in your mouth. Makes meals more social. 183 00:15:46.100 --> 00:15:50.730 There's an experience that's happening and focused on there, and so it's a strong 184 00:15:50.769 --> 00:15:54.730 enough I guess that this even in fast food restaurants. The French will spend 185 00:15:54.769 --> 00:16:03.570 more time than than we do eating their meals. There, of course is 186 00:16:03.610 --> 00:16:07.840 Americans will think and ask, but are they healthier? We can't get away 187 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:12.840 from that, but it's really beside the point. The point is that sometimes 188 00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:18.480 it's it's not about getting to the point. It's not about rushing there and 189 00:16:18.590 --> 00:16:22.549 just getting the thing that we think we want or getting right there right away. 190 00:16:22.590 --> 00:16:30.070 Sometimes the anticipation and the preparation is part of the point itself, and 191 00:16:30.230 --> 00:16:33.179 we have liked to think that we're always ready to have whatever we want, 192 00:16:33.259 --> 00:16:38.700 but that's not always true. Even Zechariah and His Holiness, in his experience 193 00:16:38.899 --> 00:16:42.899 and is walking with the Lord in his old age and after all his prayers, 194 00:16:44.100 --> 00:16:48.289 wasn't yet ready to receive the marvelous news about this gift of his son, 195 00:16:49.450 --> 00:16:55.970 to receive it with faith. Sometimes we need preparation and God works in 196 00:16:56.049 --> 00:17:00.409 our hearts. He makes us weight, but in doing so he prepares us 197 00:17:00.490 --> 00:17:06.240 to receive the thing so that when we're ready, we burst forth with joy 198 00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:11.000 and praise at the things God has done. So instead of arguing, instead 199 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:17.910 of being disappointed, instead of not appreciating them, we wonder at the wonders 200 00:17:17.950 --> 00:17:21.829 he makes happen, and this is of course, true not only of our 201 00:17:21.869 --> 00:17:25.789 own lives or Zachariah is life, but this is what God has been doing 202 00:17:26.190 --> 00:17:34.460 for centuries before the Messiah was born, preparing the law, preparing of the 203 00:17:34.500 --> 00:17:40.980 way for the Lord, and that's what Zacharai is prophecy is largely about. 204 00:17:42.180 --> 00:17:48.450 And when the time came, Zacharai was ready and when he spoke, he 205 00:17:48.769 --> 00:17:53.690 burst forth in the praise of God. I think this is a remarkable thing. 206 00:17:53.769 --> 00:17:57.960 If you were silent for nine ten months, so I imagine there's a 207 00:17:59.000 --> 00:18:03.000 lot of things that you could potentially say. Right if you think about the 208 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:07.039 various options that Zachariah had. He could say hello to his wife, he 209 00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:12.230 could cool over his baby, he could give a more detailed explanation to his 210 00:18:12.309 --> 00:18:18.309 neighbors and friends of what had happened. What does he do instead? His 211 00:18:18.430 --> 00:18:21.509 heart was fixed on the whole thing that the Holy Spirit had given him to 212 00:18:21.630 --> 00:18:26.779 say. The Holy Spirit had turned this Priest into a prophet to praise and 213 00:18:26.940 --> 00:18:33.819 glorify God and speak about the nature of this son who was coming. And 214 00:18:33.019 --> 00:18:37.059 his message is it bursts forth out of his mouth, his heart full of 215 00:18:37.220 --> 00:18:45.289 faith and the Holy Spirit was a very simple one. God is good and 216 00:18:45.569 --> 00:18:52.289 Glorious and to be praised because through this child away would be prepared for the 217 00:18:52.490 --> 00:19:00.160 greatest gift of all, the salvation of the world through Jesus. One way 218 00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:03.839 you might think about Zachariah's work and his son John, the baptists work as 219 00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:07.759 a prophet as well, or kind of like the last two cranks in the 220 00:19:07.799 --> 00:19:15.109 Jack in a box. Before all of this joy just springs forth, and 221 00:19:15.230 --> 00:19:19.269 that's kind of what happens here with Zachariah. He says in this prophecy that 222 00:19:19.509 --> 00:19:25.220 everything, everything in the history of the world has been building, building, 223 00:19:25.420 --> 00:19:30.220 building to this moment now. This may be hard to understand if you're a 224 00:19:30.339 --> 00:19:37.019 gentile who just walked into the family of God thirty minutes ago. Some of 225 00:19:37.059 --> 00:19:41.049 us this is very true, and others of us, historically speaking, we're 226 00:19:41.130 --> 00:19:48.410 all kind of in this boat. But Zacharia explains this, he helps us 227 00:19:48.450 --> 00:19:53.599 to understand. So if you would, and this last part of my sermon, 228 00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:59.200 I'd like you to just sort of sit with me for a moment and 229 00:19:59.480 --> 00:20:04.559 listen to the way that Zachara explains our family history. Who explains what it 230 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:12.309 means to belong to God and this end, to have this good news. 231 00:20:15.190 --> 00:20:18.910 What Zacharias says and the power of the Holy Spirit is for that, thousands 232 00:20:18.950 --> 00:20:25.180 of years, God had been preparing a way. He says, blessed be 233 00:20:25.259 --> 00:20:27.700 the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people. 234 00:20:29.059 --> 00:20:32.619 He has raised up a Horn of salvation for us in the House of his 235 00:20:32.740 --> 00:20:37.329 servant, David. This speaks of a prophecy that God, or a promise 236 00:20:37.410 --> 00:20:42.289 rather that God, had made to David that through him he would establish his 237 00:20:42.369 --> 00:20:51.039 kingdom forever, what we sometimes called the DIVIDIC covenant. But this promise was 238 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:56.400 rested on promises even before that is Zacharai goes on to say, as he 239 00:20:56.519 --> 00:21:00.720 spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should 240 00:21:00.720 --> 00:21:06.390 be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hated us or 241 00:21:06.509 --> 00:21:11.150 who hate us, to show the mercy promise to our fathers and to remember 242 00:21:11.390 --> 00:21:17.230 his Holy Covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to 243 00:21:17.430 --> 00:21:21.700 grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might 244 00:21:21.740 --> 00:21:27.019 serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 245 00:21:29.819 --> 00:21:36.529 One of the reasons we are called Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church is to remind ourselves 246 00:21:36.690 --> 00:21:42.490 that God has established us in the Covenant Promises of His grace. This is 247 00:21:42.569 --> 00:21:48.799 the way that Zachariah frames the good news about his son, the good news 248 00:21:48.920 --> 00:21:55.559 about the coming of this of the Messiah, that God had made these covenants 249 00:21:55.680 --> 00:22:00.000 of old to Abraham, to David in particular, he singles out. And 250 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:07.470 now and now he's fulfilling them. This redemption, this salvation, this rescue 251 00:22:07.509 --> 00:22:12.670 from enemies, this life of peace and holiness and righteousness, it was all 252 00:22:12.789 --> 00:22:18.980 coming together, it was all about to happen. There's this just intense joy 253 00:22:18.140 --> 00:22:26.259 that sechariah has. And wouldn't you, after thousands of years of promises, 254 00:22:26.380 --> 00:22:34.809 that your son is going to be this promised one to come and, as 255 00:22:34.849 --> 00:22:41.329 he describes him in Zachar in verse seventy six, speaking to his baby boy, 256 00:22:42.930 --> 00:22:48.119 and you, child, will be called the profit of the most high, 257 00:22:48.200 --> 00:22:55.240 for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways. If Jesus 258 00:22:55.279 --> 00:23:00.269 is the door, you might think of John is the key, because in 259 00:23:00.349 --> 00:23:07.309 verse seventy seven he will give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness 260 00:23:07.349 --> 00:23:11.710 of sins, of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God. 261 00:23:12.339 --> 00:23:17.660 And then these beautiful words whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 262 00:23:18.539 --> 00:23:22.460 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, 263 00:23:22.619 --> 00:23:30.849 to guide our feet into the way of peace. It would be of 264 00:23:30.970 --> 00:23:37.809 great benefit of you to memorize Zecharias prophecy, to go over and over in 265 00:23:37.890 --> 00:23:42.839 your mind these words Horn of salvation, forgiveness of sins, visited and redeemed 266 00:23:44.119 --> 00:23:49.720 promises to Abraham swore to our father's grant us tender mercy, sunrise, knowledge 267 00:23:49.759 --> 00:24:00.390 of salvation. It's beautiful and it's our hope this message, that his son 268 00:24:00.509 --> 00:24:04.670 would preach this message, that he himself is preaching this message, that John 269 00:24:04.789 --> 00:24:10.740 The evangelist would testify to that luke the historian is preaching. The message I 270 00:24:11.019 --> 00:24:17.980 give to you now is our message, it is our Gospel, because it 271 00:24:18.180 --> 00:24:22.740 is the Gospel, the good news that God has given to us that to 272 00:24:22.859 --> 00:24:29.450 all who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, there's light in Christ. 273 00:24:33.369 --> 00:24:37.720 What struggles do you face in your life? No doubt there are many, 274 00:24:38.839 --> 00:24:47.839 some known publicly, some unknown, unanswered prayers, physical maladies, the 275 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:52.430 discipline of the Lord, Alienation of friends and family, things that you don't 276 00:24:52.470 --> 00:25:00.109 understand, things that you want that you can't have, may bee deeper miseries, 277 00:25:00.630 --> 00:25:08.859 ongoing sin, fear of death, slavery to Sin, the war of 278 00:25:08.980 --> 00:25:18.299 the evil one against your soul. Whatever your darknesses are, let the word 279 00:25:19.980 --> 00:25:26.170 of the prophets be light to you, of John, the bap us, 280 00:25:26.289 --> 00:25:30.369 the prophet, of his father Zachariah, of all those of old, the 281 00:25:30.490 --> 00:25:37.559 entire scripture, Gabriel and every preacher who's ever testified to you the good news 282 00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:44.000 about Jesus Christ. Hold fast to the words of God. Let them be 283 00:25:44.079 --> 00:25:49.000 light to you in the darkness. Do not hold your heart away from God 284 00:25:49.710 --> 00:25:56.950 or your tongue from confessing his name and singing his praise, but instead hear 285 00:25:57.150 --> 00:26:03.269 the promises of God with faith. Take these things that have been given to 286 00:26:03.339 --> 00:26:07.700 you, like they were given to Zechariah, and like they have been given 287 00:26:07.740 --> 00:26:12.579 to God's children over and over again. Treasure them in your heart and let 288 00:26:12.660 --> 00:26:18.809 them burst forth with praise. Let each of us and this church be a 289 00:26:18.930 --> 00:26:26.250 place where God's praise bursts forth whenever we hear the good news about Jesus, 290 00:26:26.529 --> 00:26:33.200 because the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it. 291 00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:41.039 Our Lord, our Savior. He's promised for a long time. He's 292 00:26:41.160 --> 00:26:45.640 good and he has come. In him you can find light and life, 293 00:26:47.349 --> 00:26:53.990 the forgiveness of your sins and the tenders, tender mercies of God. Let 294 00:26:55.029 --> 00:26:55.430 us pray