Michele Hardie, of Holland, Michigan, describes a time when her family was getting ready for Advent. Recalling their preparation for advent a year earlier, she asked her children, “Who can tell me what the four candles in the Advent wreath represent?” She was looking for them to say hope, peace, joy, and love.
Luke, her seven-year-old, got all excited and replied, “There's love, joy, peace, and ... and ...”
“I know!” her six-year-old Elise interrupted: “Peace and quiet!” (Michele L. Hardie, Holland, Michigan. Christian Reader, “Kids of the Kingdom”)
Sometimes, it seems that Advent is anything but a time for “peace and quiet.” However, amidst the busyness and turmoil of the season, there is a way to find real peace.
That’s what Zechariah discovered. He was an elderly priest, who had lived under an oppressive Roman government all his life. Then it was his turn to burn incense in the temple. There, an angel told him that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son, who would introduce the Messiah to the world. Zechariah couldn’t believe it, so the angel took away Zechariah’s ability to speak. Nine months later, his son, John, was born. Zechariah’s tongue was loosed, and the first words out of his mouth was a song of praise. His doubt was turned into delight, and he sang a song of God’s visitation, which leads to the way of peace.
If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Luke 1, Luke 1, where we have Zechariah’s song and discover the way to peace amidst the doubts and fears of real life.
Luke 1:68-70 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old… (ESV)
With the coming of Messiah, Zechariah praises God, because He has finally visited, redeemed and saved His people as He had been promising to do for a long time. That’s how Zechariah found joy and peace in the midst of his doubt and fear. And that’s how you find joy and peace, as well, in the midst of YOUR doubt and fear.
REALIZE THAT GOD HAS VISITED YOU!
Appreciate the fact that in Christ God is with you! Recognize that in Christ God has come to take care of you.
That’s what the word “visit” means in the Bible. It means to take care of someone in their affliction and distress. James uses the same word in James 1, where he says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God… is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction….” (James 1:27).
When you were powerless to go to God for help; He visited you! He came to purchase your freedom and to powerfully deliver you from evil. The horn of an animal symbolized its power. Well, here it speaks of the power of our Savior against the forces of evil. Wonder of wonders! Our powerful God came to visit us!
Matthew Hosier, in a blog entitled “Incarnation through Middle Eastern Eyes” writes about a friend of his who moved to a Muslim majority nation.
When they arrived in the Middle East, they heard that on festival days everyone dresses in their best clothes and goes to visit their relatives and neighbors to celebrate. So, for their first festival they carefully cleaned their apartment, dressed up in their best clothes, got some sweets and chocolates which are traditional to hand out to visitors and waited in their house. But no-one came to visit.
Later, a friend explained what they did wrong: “On festival days, the small visit the big, and the big give out presents.” For example, everyone in a family visits their eldest brother, or their parents, or grandparents. When they arrive, they kiss the hand of the older person to show respect and honor. The host would then care for their guests by feeding them, serving them, and giving them gifts like good quality chocolate, money, or other presents. As newly arrived foreigners without social standing or relatives, naturally no-one came to visit them. They were considered “small” by the culture, so they were the ones who needed to do the visiting.”
Think about that in light of God visiting us in the incarnation. In every other religion, humans (the small) try to visit God by their own strength and good works. But as much as we try to dress up nicely, we cannot be clean enough to enter His house without polluting and disrespecting it.
In the incarnation, the “Big” visited the “Small.” In fact, He became “small” Himself, so He could visit us in our squalid house. But as the “Big.” He also played the role of host and gave gifts. He gave us redemption and salvation, freedom and deliverance from the powerful forces of evil. (Adapted from Matthew Hosier; “Incarnation Through Middle-Eastern Eyes,” 12-22-16; http://thinktheology.co.uk/blog/article/incarnation_through_ middle_eastern_eyes; www.PreachingToday.com)
That’s what God did for you! Please, in the busyness and turmoil of the season, don’t lose sight of what Christmas is all about. If you want to find joy and peace in the midst of your doubt and fear, realize that God has visited you. Then…
TRUST HIM TO SAVE YOU.
Depend on Christ to deliver you from your most powerful enemies. Rely on the Lord to rescue you from the forces of evil. For that’s why God came into this world. Zechariah sings, “God has visited [us]…”
Luke 1:71-73 …that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham… (ESV)
God came to save us from our enemies just as He promised He would do. No doubt, Zechariah had in mind the Roman occupiers of His country, but in the context of Luke’s Gospel, those enemies go far beyond human armies and rulers. They extend to “the spiritual forces of evil” in heavenly places, i.e., to the “rulers,” “authorities,” and “cosmic powers over this present darkness” (Ephesians 6:12).
Throughout Luke’s Gospel, Jesus demonstrates His power over demonic forces time and time again. In Luke 4:31-37, Jesus casts an “unclean demon” from a man in the synagogue, and the people are amazed that Jesus has such authority and power. Luke 6:18 talks about “a great multitude of people” coming to Jesus, and “those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.” Luke 7:21 declares that Jesus “healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits.” Luke 8:2 talks about Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus cast out seven demons. In Luke 8:26-33, Jesus casts a legion of demons out of a man in the country of the Gerasenes. In Luke 9:37-43, Jesus rebukes an “unclean spirit,” which caused a boy to go into seizures and foam at the mouth. In Luke 11:14-23, Jesus is stronger than Beelzebul, the prince of Demons. In Luke 13:10-13, Jesus frees a woman from a “disabling spirit.” In Luke 13:32, Jesus declares, “I cast out demons.” Luke 22:3-6 declares that “Satan entered into Judas,” who “sought an opportunity to betray Jesus”, which led Jesus to the cross. But in Luke 24, Jesus is risen from the dead, the victor over sin, death, and Satan himself!
My dear friends, Jesus came to save you from your enemies. So, whatever your demons, trust Him to save you! Stop trying to save yourself, and look to Jesus for the deliverance only He can provide.
In the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia, there's a special display of a rickety, home-made aluminum kayak. This tiny, makeshift boat seems oddly out of place among the impressive Navy vessels and artifacts from significant battles on the sea. But a bronze plaque tells museum visitors its story.
In 1966, an auto mechanic named Laureano and his wife Consuelo decided that they could no longer live under the oppression of Cuba's totalitarian regime. After spending months collecting scrap metal, they pieced together a boat just barely big enough for two small people. Then Laureano jury-rigged a small lawn mower engine on the back of the kayak.
After months of planning, on a moonless September night, they set out in the treacherous Straits of Florida, sitting back to back and wearing only their swimming suits. They had enough food and water for two days but ended up floating in open water for over 70 hours. Eventually, the U.S. Coast Guard found and rescued the couple just south of Alligator Reef Light in the Florida Keys.
Years later, Laureano commented about their trip. He said, “We lived in the enormous prison which is Cuba, where one's life is not worth one crumb. Where one goes out into the street and does not know whether or not one will return to one's home, because the political police can arrest you without any warning and put you in prison. Before this could happen to us, we thought that going into the ocean, and risking death or being eaten by sharks, is a million times better than to stay suffering under [such oppression].”
Just think of the bravery it took for Laureano and his wife, Consuelo, to make that trip, but they couldn’t do it without the help of the U.S. Coast Guard. On their own, they were doomed.
So it is when people try to save themselves. It’s like trying to get to freedom in a rickety, home-made aluminum kayak, which will only leave you stranded. Please, don’t do it! If you want to find joy and peace in the midst of your doubt and fear, realize that God has visited you, and trust Him to save you. Then, after He has saved you…
SERVE HIM WITHOUT FEAR.
Bravely do what God tells you to do, and minister with courage. For that’s why God visited us. He visited us that we should be saved from our enemies…
Luke 1:74-75 …that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. (ESV)
God saved us not just so we could sit and soak in His blessings, no! He saved us so we could serve Him fearlessly in a way that pleases Him.
Justin Wren was an All-American wrestler in college, so he easily moved into the world of the MMA (the Mixed Martial Arts), where he became very successful. However, as Wren’s success and popularity skyrocketed, so did his addictions to cocaine, alcohol, and narcotics. His life hit rock bottom when he was kicked off one of the world's best fight teams for drug use.
Wren said, “My childhood dream had turned into a living nightmare. But when everyone else had written me off as beyond redemption, one friend, Jeff, refused to walk away. He called me several times a day, inviting me to a Christian men's retreat…” Wren said, “I was expecting a bunch of ‘kumbaya moments’ around a campfire, but the men were raw and real about their struggles.”
After giving his life to Christ, Wren wanted more than MMA fame. He started volunteering at local ministries and prisons, sharing his story with anyone who would listen. Then he prayed: “God, I'm yours. Is there anything you want me to do? I desire to do your will, not mine.”
God answered his prayer and Wren ended up in the Congo, sharing his story with a remote tribe of Pygmies. Wren describes that experience. He says, “I knew I couldn't help them unless I understood them first, so I lived with them for a year. I slept in a twig-and-leaf hut, ate their food, and suffered from the same diseases.” One bout with malaria nearly killed him. But no matter how tough things got, Wren says, “I felt more at home than I ever had in the gym.”
The Pygmy tribe soon adopted Wren as one of their own. They gave him a new name: Eféosa Mbuti MangBO. “Mbuti MangBO” means “The Big Pygmy,” which was appropriate, since at six-foot three Wren towered over the average (four-foot-seven) Pygmy man. “Eféosa” means “The Man Who Loves Us.”
Then five years after being kicked out of the MMA, Wren returned with the goal of raising money to help serve the Pygmies. “The drive to fight is still there,” he says, “but I'm no longer fighting my inner demons. I'm fighting to fulfill God's call on my life.” (Justin Wren, “I Went From Fighting in a Cage to Living in a Hut,” Christianity Today, 12-30-15; www.PreachingToday.com)
You see, when you no longer have to fight your inner demons, you can fight to fulfill God’s call on your life. That’s why God saved you! So you could serve Him! Why don’t you pray the same prayer that Justin Wren did? “God, I'm yours. Is there anything you want me to do? I desire to do your will, not mine.” I dare you to pray that prayer. Then see where God leads you. It may not be to the Pygmies in the Congo, but I guarantee: you’ll feel more at home in His will than you ever felt before.
If you want to find joy and peace in the midst of your doubt and fear, realize that God has visited you, trust Him to save you. Then, after He has saved you, serve Him without fear. It’s the only way to…
EXPERIENCE HIS PEACE.
To find true reconciliation and rest. To discover harmony within and without.
So far, Zechariah has sung about God visiting His people. Now, he sings about his own son, John, preparing the way for that visitation. Take a look at verse 76.
Luke 1:76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways… (ESV)
In Bible days, when a king wanted to travel somewhere, he would send a messenger on ahead to level the roads. They didn’t have paved highways like we do today. Often, the roads were full of rocks, potholes, and ruts. So the messenger’s job was to remove the rocks and fill in the potholes and ruts.
That’s John’s job. He is preparing the way for God’s visitation to this earth. Only, John is not fixing the roads; he is fixing the hearts of people, getting them ready for God to enter into their lives. How does he do that? He does that by teaching people that God loves them. John came…
Luke 1:77-78a …to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God…
It’s hard to translate the concept of “tender mercy” from the original Greek into the English, but let me try. “Tender” in the Greek is a reference to the intestines or the gut, and “mercy” speaks of showing concern for the needy. Putting it all together, Zechariah is saying, “God feels the pain of His people in His gut, so he reaches out to them in their need.
Specifically, verse 77, He saves His people by forgiving their sins. That is to say, He releases them from the penalty of their sins. You see, God’ justice demanded punishment for sin. But instead of punishing US, God in His mercy visited us to punish HIMSELF for our sins. That’s what the cross was all about. That way, with justice served, God could release us from the punishment we deserved and show us His tender mercy instead. All you need to do is trust in the God who died for you.
In his book Hidden in Plain Sight, author and pastor Mark Buchanan writes about a woman named Regine. Originally from Rwanda, Regine came to Christ while reading her sister's Bible during the genocide that ravaged her country. When she fled to Canada for refuge, she met her husband, Gordon. They decided to return to Rwanda to show the love of Christ to the people who had once been her enemies. This is the story Regine told Mark Buchanan:
A woman's only son was killed. She was consumed with grief and hate and bitterness. “God,” she prayed, “reveal my son's killer.”
One night she dreamed she was going to heaven. But there was a complication: in order to get to heaven, she had to pass through a certain house. She had to walk down the street, enter the house through the front door, go through its rooms, up the stairs, and exit through the back door.
She asked God whose house this was.
“It's the house,” He told her, “of your son's killer.”
The road to heaven passed through the house of her enemy.
Two nights later, there was a knock at her door. She opened it, and there stood a young man. He was about her son's age.
“Yes?” she inquired.
He hesitated. Then he said, “I am the one who killed your son. Since that day, I have had no life. No peace. So here I am. I am placing my life in your hands. Kill me. I am dead already. Throw me in jail. I am in prison already. Torture me. I am in torment already. Do with me as you wish.”
The woman had prayed for this day. Now it had arrived, and she didn't know what to do. She found, to her own surprise, that she did not want to kill him. Or throw him in jail. Or torture him. In that moment of reckoning, she found she only wanted one thing: a son.
“I ask this of you,” she told the young man. “Come into my home and live with me. Eat the food I would have prepared for my son. Wear the clothes I would have made for my son. Become the son I lost.”
And so he did. (Mark Buchanan, Hidden in Plain Sight, Thomas Nelson, 2007, pp. 187-189; www.PreachingToday.com)
My dear friends, that’s what God does for us when we trust in Him. You see, we killed His Son, because it was our sin that put Him on the cross. Even so, God invites everyone to be His sons, His daughters. Please, accept God’s invitation and find real peace.
First, find peace with God. Be reconciled to Him.
Then find peace within. Be relieved of your fear.
Luke 1:78b-79 …whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. (ESV)
Picture a group of tourists, who went on a walk in the country and got lost. They’re trying to find their way back to safety, but the sun sets and a pitch-black night overtakes them. Since they can’t see the hand in front of their face, they sit in the darkness, afraid that some wild animal will attack them. Then, when all hope is gone, someone with a bright light appears and shows them the way to peace and safety.
That’s the picture we have in these verses. The people in darkness have seen a great light (Isaiah 9:2), and that light is Jesus! Malachi 4:2 calls Him “the sun of righteousness… with healing in its wings.” He is God in the flesh who came to “guide your feet into the way of peace.”
In February 1954, a navy pilot set out on a night-training mission from a carrier off the coast of Japan. While he was taking off in stormy weather, his directional finder malfunctioned, and he mistakenly headed in the wrong direction. To make matters worse, his instrument panel suddenly short-circuited, burning out all the lights in the cockpit.
The pilot “looked around … and could see absolutely nothing; the blackness outside the plane had suddenly come inside.” The pilot was about to panic when he looked down and thought he saw the trail of a faint blue-green glow in the pitch-black ocean. He knew in an instant what he was seeing: a cloud of phosphorescent algae glowing in the sea that had been stirred up by the engines of his ship. The pilot – future Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell – knew what he needed to do, and so he did. He guided his plane by the light of that algae into a safe landing on his ship. Jim’s life was saved because of that light. (Sam Rodriguez, Be Light, Waterbrook Press, 2016, pages 105-106; www.PreachingToday.com)
In a similar way, you too can be saved by the light that is Christ. Just trust Him enough to follow His light all the way home.
Please, this Christmas, realize that God has visited you, trust Him to save you. Then, after He has saved you, serve Him without fear. It really is the only way to experience His peace.
Joy to the world the Lord is come! Let earth receive her king. (Isaac Watts)
