PICTURES OF THE MEANING OF CHRIST’S COMING Luke 1:57-80
Proposition: There are many beautiful pictures of what the coming of Jesus Christ as Messiah to bring salvation really means.
Objective: My purpose is to help God’s children appreciate a fuller meaning of what Christ’s coming means to them.
INTRODUCTION:
Sometimes it is difficult to keep track of all the special days on the calendar. One morning over breakfast, a woman said to her husband, "I’ll bet you don’t know what day this is." "Of course I do," he answered, as if offended, and left for the office. At 10 a.m., a dozen red roses arrived at the house. At 1 p.m., a two-pound box of chocolates was delivered. A designer dress arrived at 3 o’clock. When her husband came home, the woman ran out to meet him, threw her arms around his neck, and said, "I’ve never in my life had a more wonderful Groundhog Day!"
The record of John’s birth is given in a single verse (v. 57), with family and friends sharing in the joy. Then there is a “Family Feud” over what to name the baby on his day of circumcision. Cutting the male foreskin was widely practiced throughout the Middle East to mark the transition from child to man. With the Jews, it was performed when boys were only eight days old as an outward sign they belonged to God and had become members of his chosen people. Older converts were circumcised no matter what their age. The family wanted to call him “Little Zach” but Elizabeth & Zacharias insisted on the name of John. Zacharias even wrote on a tablet (v. 63), “His name is John.” Here we find the song of Zacharias. He speaks of the forerunner’s earthly birth and heavenly mission. “He has visited and redeemed His people” (v. 68) is the major theme of this hymn of praise. The little boy being named (John means “grace of God”) was the forerunner of the Messiah who would bring salvation to lost sinners and one day deliver Israel from all her enemies. God was visiting His people, but they did not know “the time of their visitation” (19:44). In this beautiful song, Zacharias gave several pictures symbolizing the salvation we have in Jesus Christ and describes the mighty acts of God. Zacharias has remained silent for the last nine months. He has had a lot of time to reflect of the ways of the Lord. Whereas before he could not speak, so now he cannot keep silent. He breaks forth into a beautiful song. The song of Zacharias can be divided into two parts, each consisting of one long continuous sentence. Note the following:
Vvs. 68-75 focuses on Praise as Zacharias praises the Lord for having provided salvation for His people.
Vvs,78-79 focuses on Prophecy as Zacharias goes on to describe what the church’s mission and ministry will be.
As was the case with Mary’s song, the song of Zacharias will he filled with quotes of phrases and whole verses from the Old Testament. In fact, each of these two sections will begin with a statement and then refer to the Old Testament Scripture to provide evidence for that statement. Wiersbe says that this hymn gives us four beautiful pictures of what the coming of Jesus Christ to earth really means:
I. PICTURE OF REDEMPTION: The Opening of a Prison Door (v. 68) “He has…redeemed His people”—Praise & adoration belong to God alone. The idea of redemption runs through Scripture, with the Exodus being the great OT example of rescue from enemies and captivity. Luke 24:21 shows the expectation Jesus’ followers had that he would do a similar work of freeing God’s people.
1. Praise “Blessed is the Lord God”—This is a common way of introducing a thanksgiving—The Source of it all. Praise to God for what He had done. Zacharias realized that the birth of his son, John, indicated the imminence of the coming of the Messiah.
2. Practice “for He has visited”(to inspect, to go see, to look out)— The picture is of travelers who have lost their way in the wilderness and are over- taken by night. They grope for the path, but it eludes them. Finally, in despair, they can do nothing but sit down in the darkness, where death from wild beasts lurks in the shadows, and hope for the morning light. They can’t sleep because they are too cold and too afraid. Every time a wolf howls in the darkness, they shudder.
They are in a desperate situation. The common element with each of these metaphors is that those in these desperate straits know that they need God’s deliverance. They know that they’re in bondage and that their enemies are too strong for them. They know that they’re lost in darkness and the shadow of death. If morning doesn’t dawn soon, they will die. He spoke of Christ’s advent as an accomplished fact before it happened. Faith enabled him to say God had already visited and redeemed His people by sending the Redeemer.
Illus: If you have Pilgrim’s Progress, you’ll find that the pilgrim’s name throughout the book is Christian. But do you know that this was not his original name? His original name is plainly stated in the story. In the scene in which it first appears, the pilgrim is conversing with the porter who asks, “What is your name.” Christian answers: “My name is now Christian, but my name at first was Graceless.” 3. Provision “He has…redeemed His people”—“Redeem” means “to set free by payment of a price.” The Israelites equated salvation with political deliverance, and John was to give them a new understanding of salvation—that the enemy is within, not without. We see that this originally was a political redemption, but with a moral & spiritual basis. However, Jesus came to bring “deliverance to the captives” (4:18), salvation to people in bondage to sin and death. He came to release the sinner.
Illus: Samuel Morse invented the first telegraph. When the first transmission was made more than a century ago, the message Morse declared was "What hath God wrought". Someone has suggested if the event were to occur in our times the message would most likely say, "What man can do!"
II. PICTURE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: The Winning of a Battle (vvs. 69-75) “That we should be saved from our enemies”—Victory over our enemies. This speaks of ethical transformation offered by the
Messiah.
1. Strength in salvation (v. 69) “(He)…has raised up a horn of salvation for us”)--A horn was used to hold the oil for anointing kings. Also, a shield was an offensive weapon, while a horn is an offensive weapon. In Scripture “horn” is a symbol of power, strength and exaltation, as the power of an animal was in its horn, or horns (Psa. 75:4-5; 89:17, 24; 112:9). This means He will be a “powerful Savior.”
2. Security for salvation (v. 70-73) “That we should be saved from our enemies”—God had assured them that He would give them victory over all who opposed them as they followed God’s leadership to their destiny. Praise to God for fulfilling prophecy. The coming of the Messiah had been predicted by the holy prophets ... since the world began. It would mean salvation from one’s enemies and safety from foes. Praise to God for His faithfulness to His promises. The Lord had
made an unconditional covenant of salvation with Abraham. This promise was fulfilled by the coming of Abraham’s seed, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. The salvation He brought was both external and internal and eternal.
3. Service due to salvation (vvs. 74-75) “Being delivered…might serve Him”— This is the result of the victory so we might serve Him. We are set free to do His will & enjoy His freedom. Lives are changed and communities are also.
Illus: The citizens of Feldkirch, Austria, didn’t know what to do. Napoleon’s massive army was preparing to attack. Soldiers had been spotted on the heights above the little town, which was situated on the Austrian border. A council of citizens was hastily summoned to decide whether they should try to defend themselves or display the white flag of surrender. It happened to be Easter Sunday, and the people had gathered in the local church. The preacher rose and said, "Friends, we have been counting on our own strength, and apparently that has failed. As this is the day of our Lord’s resurrection, let us just ring the bells, have our services as usual, and leave the matter in His hands. We know only our weakness, and not the power of God to defend us." The council accepted his plan and the church bells rang. The enemy, hearing the sudden peal, concluded that the Austrian army had arrived during the night to defend the town. Before the service ended, the enemy broke camp and left.
Illus: A hospital visitor saw a nurse tending to the sores of a leprosy patient, and said, "I’d never do that for a million dollars!" The nurse answered, "Neither would I. But I do it for Jesus for nothing."
III. PICTURE OF REMISSION: The Canceling of a Debt (vvs. 76-77) “By the remission of your sins”—Remission to “to send away, to dismiss as a debt.” Zacharias turns the emphasis in God’s redemptive purpose to the role of his son, John.
1. Prophet (v. 76b)”You will be called the prophet of the highest”—He was of priestly descent, but the assumed the role of prophet when he began his ministry in the wilderness. Jesus later says that “there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist” (7:28).
2. Preparation (v. 76b)—“to prepare the way of the Lord”—John went on ahead of Jesus to open the way and prepare the way for Him. Zechariah had just recalled hundreds of years of God’s sovereign work in history, beginning with Abraham and going on into eternity. Then, in tender contrast, he personalized the story. His son had been chosen for a key role in the drama of the ages. Although God has unlimited power, he chooses to work through frail humans who begin as helpless babies. Don’t minimize what God can do through those who are faithful to Him.
3. Plan (v. 77a) “To give knowledge of salvation”—Here knowledge is not theoretical but rather the experiencing of God’s salvation. Malachi predicted a messenger to prepare the way before Jehovah (Mal. 3:1). Zacharias identifies John as the messenger.
4. Program (v. 77b) “By the remission of their sins”-- Salvation consists in forgiveness of sins upon repentance of sins. All of us are in debt to God because we have broken God’s Law & failed to live up to His standards. We know that John came to prepare the way before Jesus. The obvious conclusion is that Jesus is Jehovah.
Illus: When missionary Dan Crawford was trekking through South Africa, a villager inquired, "Are you angry?" Astonished, Crawford responded, "No, why do you ask?" "Because you’re so silent," came the reply. "In our tribe, if a man is angry, he doesn’t speak. That’s why we think God is displeased with us. He is so silent."
IV. PICTURE OF REVELATION: The Dawning of a New Day (vvs. 78-80) “The Dayspring from on high has visited us” —“Dayspring” means “sunrise.” A new day has dawned. The people were sitting in darkness and death and distress gripped them when Jesus came; but He brought light, life and peace. It was the dawn of a new day because of the tender mercies of God (Matt. 4:16). Christ’s coming was the dawn of a new day for mankind.
1. Revelation of mercy (v. 78a) “through the tender mercy of God”—The coming of salvation will come through God’s tender mercy. God’s compassion is a common theme of the NT.
2. Revelation of Light-giver (vv. 78b) “The Dayspring from on high”-- Travelers in the Judean mountains often waited patiently for the morning light, lest they should lose their lives by a false step taken in the darkness. Christ’s coming is likened to the sunrise. For centuries, the world had lain in darkness. Now through the tender mercy of our God, dawn was about to break. It would come in the Person of Christ, shining on the Gentiles who were in darkness and the shadow of death, and guiding Israel’s feet into the way of peace (see Mal. 4:2). As we only have 1 sun in nature, so we only have 1 Son (Sun) in Grace!
3. Revelation of peace (v. 79) “into the way of peace”—The concluding note is that of peace, that peace of God that calms people’s hearts and makes them strong to live for God. It “does not mean merely freedom from trouble; it means all that makes for man’s highest good.”
Spurgeon: This means the dawning in the east, the rising of the sun at break of day. While this gospel visitation is thus apparently less in splendor than that of the law, yet it is not deficient in efficacy or in true glory. God has not visited us as a candle, which might suffice to cheer our darkness but could not change it into day. David rejoiced, saying, "The Lord will light my candle;" but in this we go far beyond him: we need no candle, for the Lord has visited us with the day-dawn.
He has come, moreover, not as a blaze which will soon die down, but as a light which will last through our day, yea, last for ever. After the long dark and cold night of our misery, the Lord cometh in the fittest and most effectual manner; neither as lightning, nor candle, nor flaming meteor, but as the sun which begins the day. Day, when it first breaks in the east, has not the blaze of burning noon about it; but it peeps forth as a grey light, which gradually increases to the perfect day. So did the Lord Jesus Christ come: dimly as it were, at first, at Bethlehem, but by-and-by he will appear in all the glory of the Father…The dayspring banishes the night. Without noise or effort, it removes the ebon blackness, and sows the earth with orient pearl. Night stretches her bat’s wings, and is gone: she flies before the arrows of the advancing sun; and the coming of Jesus to us, when he does really come into our hearts, takes away the darkness of ignorance, sorrow, carelessness, fear, and despair. Our night is ended once for all when we behold God visiting us in Christ Jesus. Our day may cloud over, but night will not return. O, you that are in the blackest midnight, if you can but get a view of Christ, morning will have come to you! There is no light for you elsewhere, believe us in this; but if Jesus be seen by faith, you shall need no candles of human confidence, nor sparks of feelings and impressions: the beholding of Christ shall be the ending of all night for you. "They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed."
Illus: A man risked his life by swimming through the treacherous rip-tide to save a youngster from being swept out to sea. After the child recovered from the harrowing experience, he thanked the man for his act of sacrifice. The man responded to the boy’s thanks: "That’s okay. Just make sure your life was worth saving." God has saved you so make sure your life was worth saving. How?
CONCLUSION: This is the song of Zacharias:
1. God has a unique purpose for my life. “Behold the Son.{ See what Christ has done for us “He hath redeemed us.”
2. God calls me to believe His Good News about the Savior. Jesus paid it all. See what Christ came to save us for which is “to perform mercy promised…to grant us…that we might serve Him with fear.”
3. You and I need to be pointing people to Jesus (vvs. 76-77). Jesus came to save us for this is “to give light to those sit in darkness…to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
4. God will give me strength to live my life for Him and He will show break into the darkness of my life with light. The people were sitting in darkness and death & distress gripped them when Jesus came; but He brought light, life & peace. It was the dawn of a new day because of the tender mercies of God.
Illus: Peter Marshall told of a young pastor was called to the bedside of an old Scottish shepherd who was dying. Although the shepherd was a Christian, he was terrified of facing death. The pastor wanted to give him some encouragement so he could face death peacefully. He asked him, “You were a shepherd, right?” The shepherd said, “Aye, I have tended sheep many a day.” Then the pastor asked, “Have you ever stood on a hillside and watched the wind drive a cloud across the valley with the shadow approaching you?” “Many a time,” the old man remembered. “And when you saw that cloud coming racing across the heather toward you and your flock, were you afraid?” The old man drew himself up on his elbow and said, “Afraid? Of a shadow? Nay, I’ve never run from a shadow.” And his eyes began to flood with tears as the pastor read these familiar words, “Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me, Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4) The old shepherd said, “I see it now. It is only the shadow--not the real thing-- that can touch a believer.” And his fear was replaced with peace. His family reported that the old shepherd lived only two more days. As he grew weaker, they were sitting by his bedside. In the very early hours of the morning, pitch black outside, the old shepherd opened his eyes and said, “Blow out the candles—the sun is up now.” Then with a smile, he was gone. To the place where the sun never sits. When the family reported this to the pastor, he recalled the words here, “The Dayspring from on high has visited us.”
Prepared by: Gerald Steffy, 6206 N. Hamilton Rd.
Peoria, IL 61614, Phone: 309-691-3680,
E-Mail grsteffy@yahoo.com for MY SERMON NUGGETS
