Special Births Connected to Christmas: Samson, Samuel, and John: the Nazirites
Judges 13:3-5, I Samuel 1:11, Luke 1:13-17
1. My favorite Christmas joke: he wanted a new car for Christmas, she wanted a fur coat. They compromised: they bought the coat, but kept it in the garage.
2. One child prayed, “Dear God, please put another holiday between Christmas and Easter. There is nothing good in there now.”
3. Christmas is broader than the night on which Jesus was born. Several events that prepared the way and set the tone, one, the birth of John the Baptist found in Luke 1.
4. Story of John’s birth, Elizabeth; Zechariah a priest, therefore John a priest, too.
5, Matthew 11:11, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
6. We often associate John the Baptist with Elijah, because he came in the power and spirit of Elijah. Many modern scholars believe John was part of the Dead Sea Scroll community, but I am skeptical about that. They promoted isolation and joining their commune. John taught people to bloom where they were planted.
7. Because John was a Nazirite from birth – which meant he was permanently under a vow that was normally temporary -- we connect him to two other men in the OT, and one in particular: Samuel and, more specifically, Samson.
Main idea: There are only three men in Scripture who were under a Nazirite Vow from birth: Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist. They show us a pattern that is fulfilled in the birth and ministry of Jesus. Though they were in the limelight, they really prepared the way for another.
I. Similarities Between ALL Three: Samson, Samuel, and John
A. All three born to CHILDLESS couples
1. Hannah and Elkanah (I Samuel 1)
2. Manoah and his wife (Judges 13)
3. Elizabeth and Zechariah the priest (Luke 1)
B. All three were NAZIRITES from birth:
Numbers 6:1b-7 … When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord, he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins.
“All the days of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. Until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. He shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long.
Judges 13:3-5 And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son [Samson]. Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”
I Samuel 1:11, And she [Hannah] vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son [Samuel], then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
Luke 1:13-17, “But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.’”
C. All three PREPARED the way for DAVID or David’s Son (Messiah)
1. Samson and Samuel weakened the Philistines, David COMPLETED
2. John prepared the people for salvation, JESUS completed
D. All DIED in seeming defeat
• Seemed like a great start, amazing life, but bleak ending
• Is that your life? Maybe great student, job, family… falls apart/let down
• The great evangelical movement that swept America in the 70’s and 80’s has died down as America moves further away from the faith of the Bible…failure? At the same time, the evangelical faith is growing in the world
• John’s ministry was massive, but most of Israel did not receive Jesus
E. Interpreting life: God’s view of SUCCESS
Though they were in the limelight, they really prepared the way for another.
II. Similarities Between John and SAMSON
A. Both were STIRRED by the Spirit to begin their work (Judges 13:25)
B. Both noted for their FEARLESS boldness
C. Both fell through SENSUOUS women (Herodias’ daughter Salome)
D. Both had PYROMANIAC tendencies
E. BOLDNESS and GENTLENESS: A time for both
• Good parents know when to reprove their child and when the child feels bad enough already and needs to be shown forgiveness and grace
• God is active in both ways; Jesus bold, Jesus gentle…
Though they were in the limelight, they really prepared the way for another.
III. Contrasts Between Samson and JOHN
A. John named Yochanan before his birth; Samson, “daring” AFTER
B. John was amazing godly; Samson, UNGODLY
• John was filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in the womb
C. Samson served the Lord UNWILLINGLY, John freely
• Myth: God only uses the godly
• Truth: It is better to be godly and used of God
D. John was the GREATEST of the prophets (Matthew 11:11)
E. Better to be GODLY than to just get the job done
• God cares more about who you are than what you accomplish
• Samson got the job done, but John had a heart for God
• We tend to value the wrong people…achievers rather than servants
Though they were in the limelight, they really prepared the way for another.
Conclusion:
1. We are called to prepare the way for the return of Jesus. 2 Peter 3:12, “…waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God…”
2. Whether in limelight or not, our task is to make disciples, to love God, and to love others.
3. We may feel like we have failed. But faithfulness – not success – is what God demands. Are we faithful in preparing the way for Jesus Christ?
A special interest article: Mandaenism from Wikipedia
Mandaeism or Mandaeanism … is a gnostic religion… with a strongly dualistic worldview.
Its adherents, the Mandaeans, revere Adam, Abel, Seth, Enosh, Noah, Shem, Aram and especially John the Baptist, but reject Jesus of Nazareth and Christianity…
According to most scholars, Mandaeans… are Semites and speak a dialect of Eastern Aramaic known as Mandaic.
…. There are thought to be between 60,000 and 70,000 Mandaeans worldwide, and until the 2003 Iraq war, almost all of them lived in Iraq. Many Mandaean Iraqis have since fled their country (as have many other Iraqis) because of the turmoil created by the War on Terror and subsequent rise in sectarian violence by Muslim extremists… Most Mandaean Iraqis have sought refuge in Iran with the fellow Mandaeans there…
