INTRODUCTION
" SLIDE #1
" We are rapidly closing in on Christmas. It is an exciting time for children and adults.
" There are many things to do to be prepared for this wonderful holiday.
" Today we will begin a 3-part series entitled, Christmas With Luke.
" In this series we will examine what the Gospel of Luke shares concerning some of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus.
" Today we will examine Luke 1:68-79, this is Zechariah's Prophecy.
" In my 25 years of ministry, I have never preached a message from this passage.
" The background for is this is this. Zechariah is the father of John the Baptist.
" He and his wife Elizabeth were up in years and were barren to this point.
" These were good people, Zechariah was a Priest.
" One day when Zechariah was serving in the temple, an Angel, Gabriel appeared to Zechariah to tell him that Zechariah and Elizabeth were going to a child and Gabriel also told him what this child was going to do for the Lord!
" Zechariah questioned Gabriel as to how his could happen since he and Elizabeth were so far advanced in age.
" Well, Gabriel chastised Zechariah and told Zechariah he would not be able to speak until the child was born because he did not believe Gabriel.
" When Zechariah came out of the Temple unable to speak, the people rightly surmised that Zechariah had seen a vision while in the Temple.
" This is found in Luke 1:5-24
" After this happened, the angel appeared to Mary to let her know that she was going to give birth to the son of God.
" Now we get to Luke 1:57-ff, John was born, it was time to name him. Zechariah could not speak as of yet.
" On the eighth day as was tradition, they were going to circumcise and formally name the child.
" The people figured he would be named after his father Zechariah.
" Elizabeth said, no he will be named John. Everyone was asking which relative was named John, so they figured she was taking advantage of Zechariah not being able to talk, so they asked Zechariah what the boy's name would be.
" Zechariah asked for a tablet and he wrote his name is John!
" Now here is what happened.
" SLIDE #2
" Luke 1:63-66 (CSB) - 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote: "His name is John." And they were all amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard about him took it to heart, saying, "What then will this child become?" For, indeed, the Lord's hand was with him.
" So today we are going to look at some insights we can gain from Zechariah's prophecy.
" Let's turn to Luke 1:68-71
" SLIDE #3
" Luke 1:68-71 (CSB) - 68 Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and provided redemption for his people. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets in ancient times; 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of those who hate us.
" SLIDE #4
SERMON
I. God's purpose for Jesus.
" When we consider the Christmas holiday, what do we think about? Trees, gifts, Santa Claus, family, gifts, food, decorations, Jerry's Electric show, gifts, food, gifts food. :
" Oh yes, and Jesus! :
" This prophecy by Zechariah was called the Benedictus in later centuries after the Latin word meaning Blessed.
" It is believed to be been sung as a hymn in middle of the 6th Century by Caesarius of Arles. ARE ROLES
" This first part of the prophecy deals with God and His purpose for Jesus.
" Before Jesus there was no Christmas. But did God send Jesus just, so we could have all the things we associate with Christmas?
" There is an interesting word in verse 68, the word VISITED.
" This word means to look upon, to look upon in order to know the state of anyone.
" Then to visit for the purpose of aiding those who need help.
" So, God looked down, knew what we needed, and sent Jesus to offer a remedy for our issue.
" Until Zacharias, there was almost a 400-year absence of the Holy Spirit and the spirit of prophecy.
" Malachi, the last of the Old Testament Prophets had died around 400 years earlier.
" So, this event, even though often overlooked is an important event.
" The main purpose God had in mind for Jesus was to provide redemption.
" To redeem means to make ransom for His people. It speaks of a price paid to deliver a captive taken in war.
" Jesus atoning death is the ransom that would be paid to redeem people from the curse of sin and death!
" The next part of the verse a tie into to Psalm 132:17 which says…
" SLIDE #5
" Psalm 132:17 (CSB) There I will make a horn grow for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one.
" Verse 69 of our text says, 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
" The word HORN was a symbol of strength and power, the power of a horned animal comes from the strength of the horn.
" Jesus would offer a salvation that would defeat the best Satan had to throw at it!
" This purpose of Jesus was foretold by the Old Testament prophets, this also authenticates the inspiration of the Old Testament.
" Zechariah also speaks of God's deliverance from the enemies and those who hate us. I am sure Zechariah was speaking of Rome in HIS mind, but God had something bigger in mind!
" SLIDE #6
" Ephesians 6:12 (CSB) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.
" Let's turn to verses 72-75
" SLIDE #7
" Luke 1:72-75 (CSB) - 72 He has dealt mercifully with our fathers and remembered his holy covenant- 73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham. He has given us the privilege, 74 since we have been rescued from the hand of our enemies, to serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness in his presence all our days.
" This leads to…
" SLIDE #8
II. God's purpose.
" God's basic purpose other than saving mankind is that He keeps His promises.
" Even when Israel was unfaithful and chasing other god's, our Father dealt mercifully with them.
" God made an oath to Abraham back in Genesis 12:3 and He repeated it other times.
" SLIDE #9
" Hebrews 6:13-14 (CSB) For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater to swear by, he swore by himself: I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply you.
" The structure of verse 74 in the original text indicates in the strongest of terms that the granting of deliverance was the end to which the covenant and oath God made had been pointing toward.
" This is important for us to understand. When God makes a promise, He will keep it. Nothing kept God from keeping His promise to Abraham, even when He allowed Israel to go into captivity, God made sure His promise to Abraham would be kept.
" When God promises you eternal life through Jesus, He will keep that promise, He will not pull the rug out from under you at heavens gates!
" Notice the end of verse 73 and verse 74 says something great.
" He has given us the privilege, 74 since we have been rescued from the hand of our enemies, to serve him without fear
" I was afraid of God when I was a kid, we do not have to be afraid of God when we serve Him!
" WE CAN SERVE HIM WITHOUT FEAR!
" Without fear of death, or spiritual enemies, or external foes.
" We know when it is over, we will be with God!
" The last part of verse 75 reminds us…
" To serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness in his presence all our days.
" Holiness is good conduct before God. The duties we owe immediately to God, such as reverence, devotion, and acts of service.
" Righteousness is good conduct toward people. Duties to our neighbors, to whatever is right to do for other people.
" How many fear death, and fear about anything that life throws at them. In Christ, we do not have to fear.
" Jim Free passed away this past week. He was I think 90. Jim lived for his Lord, and he died in peace knowing where he was going!
" We can be confident when our time comes that God will be faithful to the faithful!
" SLIDE #10
" Luke 1:76-79 (CSB) - 76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. 78 Because of our God's merciful compassion, the dawn from on high will visit us 79 to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
" SLIDE #11
III. God's purpose for John.
" Now Zechariah shifts to the purpose of his son John. He predicts the dignity, employment by God, as well as the success of his newborn son!
" John's job was to pave the way for Jesus. John was to be a prophet of God who would let people what they needed to do to be ready for the coming of the Messiah!
" The people of the day that John would be dealing with thought that salvation meant simply deliverance from Rome, and that God would put Israel on the top of the heap again.
" Mankind had lost sight of the true nature of salvation, it was more than political or external trappings, it was to be an issue of true devotion to God!
" John preached a message of repentance and forgiveness of sins.
" John's job was to help people understand that God was wanting for the people as well as from the people.
" This hollow form of Religious devotion that was going on was not what God desired, John was to enlighten people as to what God wanted for them and from them.
" John was to shine the light of truth into a dark world.
" Mankind had lost sight of the true nature of salvation, it was more than political or external trappings, it was to be an issue of true devotion to God!
" Verse 78 reminds us that the coming of Jesus was a dawn of a new day for Israel as well as all mankind!
" John was a light to help guide people. Verse 79 speaks of travelers who, being overtaken by night, often waited patiently for the morning light so they would lose their lives by taking a false step in the darkness.
" Jesus can guide your path, John was trying to guide the path of the people to Jesus!
CONCLUSION
" Zechariah's prophecy offers us some insight as why God sent Jesus, as well as God's purpose and the purpose of John the Baptist.
" God has a purpose and plan for you, are you ready to be a part of it?
" Christmas is more than all the wonderful things we attribute to it, it is about God sending His Son so we can have salvation.
" It is about God keeping His promises throughout the years!
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