Sermon Note Material (sermon follows)
Chiasmus in Luke 1:68-79
by Ed Vasicek
The four prophetic poems in Luke are not merely random accounts of history (though they are historical), but take us into a direction. In the Magnificat (1:46-55), the theme is that God loves to exalt the humble (like Mary) and humble the exalted; thus, He will provide salvation for his humbled, subjugated nation, Israel. In Zechariah’s prophetic poem, the Messiah era is here, and John the Baptist will prepare the way of the Messiah who will deliver Israel, and, it is implied, others who dwell in darkness. The angelic song (2:14) implies that Jesus is the focus of God’s glory, and that God has a special gift of "peace" for those He favors (possibly a reference to the elect). The last poem, Simeon’s blessing (Luke 2: 29-32) extends the work of the Messiah as a "light to the gentiles," (quoting Isaiah 42:6).
The theme: Jesus fulfills the promises made to Abraham, and those promises extend not only to Israel, but also to all those "living in darkness."
A. Introduction (67)
67His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
B. Redemption (68)
"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come and has redeemed his people.
C. The Horn (69)
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
D. Prophets predicting salvation (70a)
(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies
E. Deliverance from enemies (70b)
and from the hand of all who hate us—
CENTER: Jesus sent to fulfill God’s promises made to Abraham (72-73)
to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
E’ Deliverance from enemies (74-75)
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him i without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
D’ Prophet declaring salvation (76-78a)
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on b before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of s t salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God,
C’ The Sun (78b)
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
B’ Enlightenment (79)
to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."
A’ Conclusion (80)
And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.
*************** SERMON BELOW ************************
The Traveling Light: From God to Israel to the World
(Luke 1:67-79, 2:14, 2:29-32)
1. Poetry is an interesting genre.
2. Take this "post Christmas" poem:
Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I’d nibbled, the eggnog I’d taste
All the holiday parties had gone to my waist!
Every bit of rich food I now must banish
’Til all the additional pounds I make vanish.
I won’t have a cookie--not even a lick.
My only recourse? A fresh celery stick!
No more hot biscuits, nor corn bread, nor pie,
I’ll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I’m hungry, I’m lonesome, and life is a bore---
Some say, "Heh, that’s what January’s for."
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all --and to all a good diet!
[edited and altered, source: Steven Simala Grant, Sermon Central]
3. A lot of people do not realize that the Bible is filled with poetry. Hebrew poetry -- and in the case before us the words were spoken in Hebrew, translated into Greek by the NT authors, and then into English -- is based upon meter and parallelism of thought, not rhyme. But the meter is lost in English, so are things like alliteration or plays on words. They exist in the Hebrew.
4. So can how the average layman tell when we are into poetry? Our 20th century translations have the poetic sections "set off" from the margin.
5. Some of these poems are songs; others are prophecies, and sometimes poems are both. Today we are going to look at some original Christmas poems.
Main Idea: The prophetic poems of Christmas take us on a journey from heaven to Israel, and then to the world.
I. The PROGRESSION of the Poems (Luke 1:67-79, 2:14, 2:29-32)
A. Jesus, God’s Gift to ISRAEL (1:67-69) So we start with "to Israel"
Whether they know it or not, the Jewish people are sharing their Messiah with us.
Note the pattern of this portion: I have given you my outline of it at the end of your notes. This is called chiasmus, and so we begin at the top and bottom together, and then work toward the center.
1. Redemption and ENLIGHTENMENT (68, 79)
• Redemption can either be a spiritual term (forgiveness of sin) or speaking of political, national redemption. Here it is clearly both.
• Jesus came to redeem us spiritually through the forgiveness of sin and to deliver Israel from her time of oppression. Although Jesus laid the groundwork for both, God’s deliverance of Israel is yet future. The time when Israel believes is called, "their fullness."
• Romans 11:11-12, "Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!"
Application: God is almost absurdly patient. He provides a redeemer for Israel, and yet, over 2,000 years later, Israel has yet to embrace that redeemer. But with God, that is not sweat. As a matter of fact, He planned it that way.
As human beings, we have to be in a hurry; our time is limited.
I don’t know about you, but the rush around Christmas reduces the joy of the holiday. I hope our new president passes a law: no one is allowed to be born, die, or marry in December. Somehow, I don’t think Congress will go along with this!
But God’s patience teaches us to begin thinking about the long term, not merely the immediate. Impatience is connected to greed; we want what we want, and we want it now. This is destroying our nation:
• The mortgage crisis/ the auto crisis
• Marriages: often the best after many years
• Education: must plan ahead
• Our eternal reward
Whereas redemption can be a spiritual and/or political term, enlightenment is a spiritual one. 2 Corinthians 3:13 illustrates the concept:
We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2. The HORN and the SUN (69, 78b)
• The horn is not a noisemaker that goes "beep," but refers to the horn or antler of an animal.
• When we visited Missouri, we went to this drive-through zoo: buffalo, longhorn cattle, goats, rams, elk, deer, moose…
• The horn speaks of the strength and awesomeness of the animal; so the Messiah is spoken of as having a mighty horn, meaning awesome strength to get the job done. The horn corresponds to Jesus providing physical deliverance for Israel when He returns.
• The sun refers to the Messiah as the source of enlightenment, based on Malachi 4:2, where the Messiah is predicted as "the sun of righteousness…with healing in his wings."
Charles Wesley captures this entire portion of Scripture in one of the verses of that familiar Christmas carol, Hark the Herald:
Hail! the heaven-born Prince of Peace. Hail the son of Righteousness
Light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to five them second birth
Hark the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new born King"
3. Prophets and the special PROPHET (70a, 76-78a)
4. Deliverance from ENEMIES (70b, 74-75)
Because God has a plan to exalt Israel, Satan would love to destroy the Jews. He tried do to so as recorded in the Book of Esther, and has tried many times since. The hatred so many people have for the Jews is inexplicable except when taking into account the supernatural. Right now, the U.S. is Israel’s only ally.
5. The FULFILLER of the Abrahamic covenant
This is the emphasis of this portion (the center).
A covenant is an agreement or a contract, but, when God makes it covenant, it is typically more of an announcement of intention.
Usually in the time of Abraham, both parties would walk between the pieces of meat (the sacrifice) used to ratify the covenant. When God made the covenant with Abraham, only God passed between the sacrifice pieces! (Genesis 15:17)
“He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant” (Psalm 105:8-10).
The fulfillment of this covenant began when Jesus was born, but it will not be fulfilled to the full until Jesus returns to the earth.
B. Jesus, the FOCUS of God’s Glory (2:14) We backtrack to "from God"
It is all about God. He is the source of Christmas, the source of salvation.
1. The thought of Jesus evokes WORSHIP
One angel brings the message to the shepherds, but then a multitude of the heavenly host (armies) break out in songs of praise! We do not know all they sang -- perhaps more.
2. Jesus, provider of PEACE
The carol, "I heard the bells on Christmas Day" is a poetic struggle to harmonize the idea that Christ’s coming brought peace to the world, and yet the world is not at peace. The carol states the problem in the third verse and then reconciles the issue in the fourth:
And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”
C. Jesus, A Light to the GENTILES (2:29-32) From God to Israel to all the nations
1. God’s SALVATION
The salvation we are given is actually a sharing in God’s salvation. If Jesus has saved your soul, then you are a commercial -- a sample -- for others. Walk with God no matter what, and others will see Him in you.
2. For ALL people
This is a potent statement, for we see the Gospel message spread from God to Israel to the nations. Thus, when the angel tells Joseph, "You shall call Him, "Jesus," because He shall save His people from their sins," the "His people" is extended from Israel to the nations.
Some myths you will hear in churches, sadly.
1. God did not care about non-Jews in Old Testament times
2. In OT times, no one was saved except for the Jews
3. The Jews did not think gentiles could be saved, nor did they think God loves them
God loves all people; this tears down racial and ethnic barriers.
II. The IMPLICATIONS of this Progression
A. God’s commitment to Israel is FOUNDATIONAL
Do not confuse the patience of God with the plan of God. Because God is taking his time does not mean he will not do as He promised.
B. Jesus is the Focus of the Christian LIFE
We can learn many important truths in the Christian life, but we must never get the focus off of Jesus. He wants to enjoy our fellowship every day. He wants to be our number one priority.
C. MISSIONS are a priority
If Jesus is our number one priority as Christians, then we will hold missions in high regard as another important priority. Jesus gave the church its direction when He spoke the Great Commission.
D. Jesus’ LIGHT needs to show in our lives
Christ came to bring us peace and joy, even in the midst of a sometimes depressing world. Right now, our nation is going through some horrid times, and we are only at the beginning. This is a different kind of Christmas. Yet we who know Christ now have a wonderful opportunity … [elaborate]
Conclusion
1. This Christmas, appreciate the mighty effort of God to save YOU!
2. Find His joy this Christmas!
