Forerunner Of Hope Series

Forerunner of Hope

Luke 1:1-25

Introduction

Many churches will begin today focused on a season of Advent or expectation of the coming Christ. The themes of Advent, often signified by the lighting of candles, are Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. We will use those themes this month as well.

Today we begin journey through Luke’s Gospel.

Luke is not a prominent person in the Bible, being mentioned by name only three times. His gospel is one of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) - take a similar approach to the story of Jesus.

Luke’s Gospel is the Gospel for Everyone. He was the only NT writer not a Jew. Written mainly for Gentiles - people like us.

Luke is the Gospel of Prayer - he shows Jesus at prayer just before all the great moments of his life.

Luke is the Gospel of Women - in Palestine the place of women was low. Luke alone writes of Elizabeth, Anna, the widow at Nain, the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet in the house of Martha and Mary, and of Mary Magdalene.

Luke is the Gospel of Praise - ‘praising God’ occurs more often than in all of the rest of the NT put together.

Luke presents the Universal gospel. Luke shows Jesus as the friend of outcasts and sinners. Luke alone tells of Zacchaeus the tax gatherer; The penitent theif at the cross; The Prodigal Son and the Loving Father.

Luke’s Gospel is written to Theophilus (“lover of God”) and is the first of two volumes, the Acts of the Apostles takes up where gospel ends.

Luke is a physician (Col 4:14 “Our dear friend Luke, the doctor…”)

Luke begins with a blending of two dramatic stories. We will focus on the birth of John the Baptizer, the forerunner of hope.

1. Hope For the Hopeless (Luke 1:5-7)

Luke 1:5-7 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

Zechariah and Elizabeth were ‘righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lords commands and decrees…’ Their heartache was that they were unable to have children. Enough time and age had passed that there was no hope at this point of having children. This would have caused the community to look down on them - as if something was wrong with them and God was punishing them. They continued to serve God faithfully even in their heartache and hopelessness.

Zechariah’s duty in the temple was a special day. There were 18,000 priests and the offering of incense was the greatest ministry of his priestly career - a once in a lifetime opportunity. They would draw straws. When Zechariah was chosen, it would be reasonable to believe that he heard murmurs about the childless priest getting to go into the temple. Once in the temple the angel Gabriel came to tell Zechariah that they were going to have a son (spoiler alert - it’s John the Baptist!). Zechariah asks, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” Because he questioned the angel, Zechariah was unable to speak until the day his son was born.

Elizabeth’s pregnancy was soon verified and she spent five months in seclusion, no doubt with many emotions but realizing that hope had been given to the hopeless.

Just as Gabriel promised, when that day came, Zechariah named his son John and sang out a song of praise!

In the story of his birth, John the Baptist was the forerunner of the Messiah, and already the forerunner of hope for the hopeless.

2. Hope for the Faith-Filled (Luke 1:8-14)

Luke 1:8-14 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth...