REDEMPTION At HAND-I—Luke 1:67-80
or 'Touching Redemption'
Attention:
Christmas is a season of giving Presents-Gifts to others besides ourselves.
Thru our example, our children are taught about sacrificial giving.
We give because we love those to whom we give.
Our gifts are usually wrapped &/or hidden in some way in preparation for a certain day & time.
We give Christmas gifts in the same manner, because God’s gift to us came on the particular day & at the particular time God Himself set.
How many of you shake or handle your presents before you are allowed to open them?
Have you ever had the surprise spoiled because you cheated & looked?
REDEEM—To purchase or exchange in order to make something/someone what it should be...with continuously lasting results from a point in time forward.
God initiated the redemption of His people thru John’s birth.
God’s redemption was realized thru John’s birth.
Redemption is touched/at hand thru God’s visitation.
When is/was God’s redemption realized?
Signs that God’s redemption is at hand.
1—Redemption is at hand when God initiates/gives...
INSIGHT(:67)
Explanation:(:67)Speaks
:67—“Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, & prophesied, saying:...”
At this time Zacharias became filled with the Holy Spirit as had been Elizabeth(:41). When the Spirit of God fills people they are able to prophesy.
When the human spirit alone fills one, they are able to forge ahead without God, never rising above the limitations of the flesh.
What follows here is a prophecy of praise, foretelling & forthtelling centered in God’s desire.
Zacharias’ “prophesying’ is ‘special revelation’ versus ‘general revelation’ because he is declaring that God’s promised salvation in Christ has been initiated with his son, John.
“Filled”—plhyw—1) To fill; 2) To be fulfilled, to be filled. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary plew(which appears only as an alternate in certain tenses & in the reduplicated form pimplhmi); To "fill"(literally or figuratively--[Imbue, influence, supply]); specifically--To fulfill(time).
“Spirit”—pneuma—1) The third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father & the Son—1a) Sometimes referred to in a way which emphasizes his personality & character (the Holy Spirit), 1b) Sometimes referred to in a way which emphasizes his work & power(the Spirit of Truth), 1c) Never referred to as a depersonalized force.
“Prophesied”—profhteuw—V.—1) To prophesy, to be a prophet, speak forth by divine inspirations, to predict—1a) To prophesy, 1b) With the idea of foretelling future events pertaining esp. to the kingdom of God, 1c) To utter forth, declare, a thing which can only be known by divine revelation, 1d) To break forth under sudden impulse in lofty discourse or praise of the divine counsels—1d1) under like prompting, To teach, refute, reprove, admonish, comfort others, 1e) To act as a prophet, discharge the prophetic office.
Argumentation:
2Pet. 1:13-21—“Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease. For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power & coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor & glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns & the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
Illustration:
My golf-cart is acting up—it won’t pull hills like it used to/I take it to the mechanic/You have checked out their reputation & found them to be reputable/They are an experts. they do repairs for a living/They offer an educated guess as to what the problem really is with the golf-cart/Their expertise relieves-solves your current problem/INSIGHT
The church every day—others have heard who is ‘reputable’ & they need solutions. When we ‘offer’ them Christ Jesus, their problems stand to be solved should they accept Him & His designs.
There are certain ‘sects/brands’ which cling to the edge of Christianity/These openly & intentionally rank & compare their so-called ‘visions’ to Scripture/These in effect deny & subordinate & make subservient the Canon of Scripture, to their so-called ‘new revelation’/However everything must be interpreted thru the existing revelation from God—Scripture/INSIGHT
Application:
?Is Redemption at-hand thru God’s INSIGHT in you??
?Your Redemption at hand in Jesus?
2—Redemption is at hand when God initiates/gives...
BLESSING(:68a)
Explanation:(:68a)
:68—“"Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited & redeemed His people,”
Zacharias has learned/grown from his silence. He is appreciative of God’s work & ability to use fallible human vessels in its accomplishment.
Zacharias proclaims that the Lord the God of Israel is a blessed treasure. Particularly for His people.
“Blessed”—euloghtov—Adj.—1) Blessed, praised. Strong—Adorable. Used 8X.
From—eulogew=‘Good word’
“Lord”—kuriov—1) He to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord. Kuriov has a wider meaning[than despothv], applicable to the various ranks & relations of life & not suggestive of either property or of absolutism. Strong—from kurov(supremacy); Supreme in authority, i.e. as noun--Controller; by implication--Mr.(as a respectful title).
“God”—yeov—1) A god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities; 2) The Godhead, trinity; 3) Spoken of the only & true God—3a) Refers to the things of God, 3b) His counsels, interests, things due to him; 4) Whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble him in any way—4a) God's representative or vice-regent—4a1) Of magistrates & judges. Strong—of uncertain affinity; A deity, especially(with o, h, to)--The supreme Divinity; figuratively--A magistrate; by Hebraism--Very.
Argumentation:
Ps. 41:13—“Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! Amen & Amen.”
Ps. 72:18, 19—“Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things! And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen & Amen.”
We’ll also see the following 2 verses regarding God’s ‘Presence’(:68b).
Eph. 1:3—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,”
1Pet. 1:3—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
1Chron. 29:10, 11—“Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly; & David said: “Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever & ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power & the glory, The victory & the majesty; For all that is in heaven & in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all.”
2Cor. 1:3, 4—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies & God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
Eph. 2:1-10—“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses & sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh & of the mind, & were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ(by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Titus 3:4-7—“But when the kindness & the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration & renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
These truths ought to cause you to shout ‘Hallelujah, Praise God I’m saved’ from the top of your lungs!
Mat. 12:35—“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, & an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.”
Illustration:
Suppose the IGA(grocery store) hires a new employee—Jenny/She is given a variety of jobs—Cashier-Bagger-Stocker in all departments, Customer Service, etc./Jenny is friendly & helpful to others—she doesn’t ‘bark,’ or ‘whine’ or ‘mope’ or complain, saying, ‘that’s not my job, I’m not gonna do that!’ about her work...she rather enjoys it & is thankful for it/She regularly receives appreciation from customers for a job well done/She is blessed & is a blessing to IGA & others!/BLESSING
Carrabelle’s community ‘facade fix-up’ efforts/They have improved the look of our town tremendously/The plantings thru the DOT along 98 also/These are blessings bestowed upon us & I am thankful/Such ‘blessing’ should be reciprocated by our taking care of what we’ve been given/BLESSING
Application:
?Is Redemption at-hand thru God’s BLESSING in you??
?Your Redemption at hand in Jesus?
3—Redemption is at hand when God initiates/gives...
PRESENCE(:68b)
Explanation:(:68b)
:68—“"Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited & redeemed His people,”
Zacharias wanted others to know that the birth of his son John signaled that the Lord had visited His people Israel.
Thru John’s birth & thus the certainty of Jesus’, God had accomplished redemption for those whom He calls His own. Not that the redemption had been brought to fruition but that the redemption had been set in motion by John’s birth. Thru God’s visitation, unalterable things had been set in motion which would, with absolute certainty, accomplish the redemption so much so that it could be spoken of as taken place in the past. John’s presence is the sign of the certainty of the Savior’s presence & work.
“Visited”—episkeptomai—Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative—1) To look upon or after, to inspect, examine with the eyes—1a) Tn order to see how he is, i.e. to visit, go to see one—1a1) The poor & afflicted, the sick, 1b) To look upon in order to help or to benefit—1b1) To look after, have care for, provide for: of God, 1c) To look(about) for, look out(one to choose, employ, etc.). Strong—To inspect, i.e. by implication--To select; by extension--To go to see, relieve. RWP—An old Greek word with a Hebraic coloring to look into with a view to help. Used 11X.
From—epi—properly, meaning superimposition(of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution[with the genitive case], i.e. Over, upon, etc.; of rest(with the det.)--At, on, etc.; of direction(with the accusative case)--Towards, upon, etc. &—skopov—from skeptomai(to peer about ["skeptic"]; perhaps akin to skaptw through the idea of concealment; compare skepasma); A watch(sentry or scout), i.e. by implication--A goal.
“Redeemed”—lutrwsiv—1) A ransoming, redemption; 2) Deliverance, especially from the penalty of sin. Strong—A ransoming(figuratively). Used 3X.
From—lutrow—V.—To ransom(literally or figuratively)—From —lutron—N. n.—Something to loose with, i.e. A redemption price(figuratively--Atonement)....From—luw—V.—a primary verb; To "loosen"(literally or figuratively).
Argumentation:
Lk. 19:35-48—“Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, & they set Jesus on him. And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road. Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice & praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying:” ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Peace in heaven & glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered & said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” Now as He drew near, He saw the city & wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you & close you in on every side, & level you, & your children within you, to the ground; & they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Then He went into the temple & began to drive out those who bought & sold in it, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, & the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, & were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.”
Jn. 1:1-4, 14—“In the beginning was the Word, & the Word was with God, & the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, & without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, & the life was the light of men.”.....“And the Word became flesh & dwelt among us, & we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace & truth.”
Eph. 1:3-8—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy & without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom & prudence,”
1Pet. 1:3-9—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible & undefiled & that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, & glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible & full of glory, receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls.”
Illustration:
When your parents first visit you after you’ve moved out of town/Their physical presence causes you to scrutinize your own situation/Certain things you have not been able to take care of before become apparent/PRESENCE
Application:
?Is Redemption at-hand thru your PRESENCE?
?Your Redemption at-hand in Jesus?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Action:
Redemption is at hand when God initiates/gives...
1. INSIGHT(:67)
2. BLESSING(:68a)
3. PRESENCE(:68b)
Pts. 1-3 presented 12/13/2015pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
