Burden Lifting Day Series

Burden Lifting Day

Series: Christmas Through Their Eyes

Chuck Sligh

December 8, 2019

NOTE: A PowerPoint presentation is available for this sermon by request at chucksligh@hotmail.com. Please mention the title of the sermon and the Bible text to help me find the sermon in my archives.

TEXT: Turn to Luke 1

INTRODUCTION

In Luke 1 we see that the curtain opens in God’s prophetic timetable: Prior to the actual birth of Christ, we see preparation for this extraordinary event. Before God does something, He always paves the way beforehand. God is a mighty God—And He’s also a God of order and foresight.

We see this preparation played out for us in the first chapters of Matthew and Luke. God prepared Joseph and Mary, and then just before the birth, He prepared the angels and the wise men, for the glorious event about to unfold. But before any of this is the story of the birth of the last and greatest prophet of the Old Testament age—John the Baptizer. John would be part of this preparation, for it was he who would prepare the way for the Lord’s ministry on earth about thirty-three years later.

John was born to a couple named Zacharias and Elizabeth. Verse 5 tells us that Zacharias was a priest. – “In the days of Herod,…king of Judaea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, who belonged to the priestly division of Abija: and his wife was of from daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.”

Verse 6 tells us the wonderful testimony and spiritual integrity of this couple: “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord blamelessly.”

Why is it that Luke chose to tell us this story before telling us the story of the birth of our Lord? Well, part of it was to tell us who John was and the fascinating things that revolved around his birth, and how they show us God’s hand on him even at his birth. But there is also a very human drama; one that many couples face.

Let’s look into this human drama this morning:

I. FIRST, NOTICE A HEAVY BURDEN THEY CARRIED – Luke 1:7 – ”And they had no child, because…Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they both were now well advanced in years.”

Sadly, for them, they had no children, could not conceive, and now they were too old to have children (from a human standpoint). Only a few verses after we meet them in this passage, Luke singles out this fact. This must have been paramount in their thoughts. This was a burden they carried with them.

I’ve known several childless couples down through the years of my ministry. Though most come to a quiet acceptance of God’s will in this matter, they often struggle for a long time to come to terms with not being able to bear children. Every Mother’s Day is an ordeal; every child dedication brings tears of anguish; and every birth announcement is a mixture of joy for the expectant mother and sadness that the expectant mother isn’t her. I’ve talked with and comforted several these couples over the years—listened to their yearnings, wept as they wept, and prayed with them for children.

These yearnings and the stress it creates was even more pronounced for Zacharias and Elizabeth, for in that day, there was a stigma attached to being childless. But now all hope of having a baby was gone, for the last part of verse 7 tells us that they were now “well advanced in years.”

Now, again, remember that verse 6 tells us that both Zacharias and Elizabeth were righteous people, and obeyed God’s laws and statutes blamelessly. Even though they were believers and loved and followed God, they were still childless. God had not granted them their request. They carried a heavy burden for years, and God never, up to this point, saw fit in His infinite wisdom to lift it from them.

Let me ask you a question: Did you walk into this sanctuary today carrying a burden? Like Zacharias and Elizabeth, has your burden eclipsed your blessings in your mind?

What is your burden today?

• Is it a physical infirmity?

• Do you have a broken heart?

• Is there a broken relationship?

• Are you experiencing loneliness?

• Are you defeated?

• Have you experienced a great financial setback or a disappointment?

• Have you lost a loved one, or perhaps a precious little one in your womb, or even worst of all, a child after birth?

If you have a burden today, then take heart, for Zacharias and Elizabeth, and many other good people in the Bible, have walked in your shoes.

II. BUT NOTICE NEXT THAT ZACHARIAS AND ELIZABETH EXPERIENCED A BURDEN-LIFTING DAY! – Luke 1:8-11 – “And it happened that while he was serving as priest before God 9 According to the custom of the priest’s office, he was chosen by lot to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of the incense offering. 11 And…an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right side of the altar of incense.”