Luke 1:67-80
Jesus, The Dayspring From On High
Introduction
A. In Luke 1, Luke introduces us to a man by the name of Zacharias, the husband of Elizabeth, and also the future uncle of Jesus. Zacharias and Elizabeth were both getting old, and they had never had any children.
B. Zacharias was working one day in the temple, burning incense to the Lord, when an angel of God appeared to him and told him about a son that he would soon have. The angel told him to name the boy John and then said that this son would:
1. Bring them great joy
2. Be great in the sight of the Lord
3. Be filled with the Holy Spirit
4. Be instrumental in bringing many people to salvation
C. Zacharias was filled with amazement at the pronouncement and began to ask the angel many questions. The angel heard these questions for what they were: questions of doubt; so he told Zacharias that he would be dumb, that is, he would be unable to speak again until John was born.
D. John spent the next several months waiting for this event, and when at last it came, Elizabeth’s friends and family began to try to pick a name for the baby. When he was eight days old, they finally decided to call him Zacharias, after his father, but Elizabeth tried to tell them that their name was no good. His name would be John.
E. The women were insistent that John was not a good name, but finally Zacharias took up some paper and something with which to write and wrote these words, "His name is John." At that moment, Zacharias’ speech returned to him, he was filled with the Spirit of God, and he began to praise God with the following prophecy from verses 68-79:
F. Read the text. What a celebration of the birth of a son! We have reason to celebrate as well. This morning I want to give you some reasons why we should be celebrating the birth of God’s only begotten Son.
I. Because He is the Dayspring from on High. (78)
A. The word Dayspring is a word that means "sunrise; the rising of the sun, daylight or dawn."
1. The word brings to mind new beginnings, a new day, a fresh start.
2. That’s what Jesus brought with Him – a new day, a new beginning, the dawn of something great.
B. Isaiah recorded, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach glad tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." Isaiah 61:1-3
C. Jesus was and is the hope of mankind. He is the Light of this world – the Dayspring – the Sunrise from on high. Malachi 4:2 says, But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall."
D. When Luke says Jesus is the Sunrise from on high, he is literally speaking about the Sun of God. John 1:5-9 says, "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."
E. You can celebrate Jesus today because He is the Dayspring – We’ve all heard the song, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are gray."
II. Because He came with divine purpose. (79)
A. First we notice that the world in which we live is dark. I don’t have to convince you of the black heart that exists in America today. We live in a wicked and dark world.
1. Every phase of our world, of our culture is dark. Our government is shrouded in darkness, there is a dark cloud of pride and humanism hanging over our educational system, and a dark cloud of selfishness and prosperity has invaded our churches and homes.
2. When God looked down at the conditions of Noah’s day, He saw evil and spiritual wickedness. When God looked down at the conditions of Nimrod’s day (Tower of Babel), He saw the first ecumenical movement and called it spiritual lawlessness, spiritual wickedness prompted by the powers of darkness.
3. When God considers our world today, He knows it is completely given over to darkness – to the prince of this world? Why? John said it was because men loved darkness, and if you’ll be honest with yourselves, you may love it too.
4. Jesus said in John 3:16-20, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."
B. From the fall of man until now, conditions have not improved. We think we have become enlightened; we have ascended far beyond what man ever dreamed he could become. Who would have thought 100 years ago that we could put a man on the moon? Or watch world events from around the globe while they happen on the nightly news in our own living rooms? Who would have dreamed we could communicate instantly with people from or to anywhere in the world on a computer? Have all these advancements improved man’s moral condition the slightest degree? Not one bit!
C. But in the midst of darkness, God sent Jesus, the Dayspring, to give light to them that sit in darkness. Matthew 4:16 says, "The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and in the shadow of death light is sprung up."
D. Not only is ours a world of darkness, it is also a place of death. Death is all around. It will steal your mother and your father. It will take your wife, your husband, your children, all you love, and then it will come for you. The writer of Hebrews said, "It is appointed unto man once to die!"
E. But as bad as that death may seem, that’s not the death we’re talking about. There is a worse death than the ending of this physical life, and that is spiritual death, spiritual separation from God. "For the wages of sin is death." Jesus said, "Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
F. In other words, it’s not the first death you need to worry about. If you’ve never accepted Christ – you’d do well to start thinking about the second death – where Jesus will cast your lost soul straight into hell.
G. How do you escape that second death? You must come to the light. "For the wages of sin is death" we said, "but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world…he that follows me shall have the light of life."
H. Why should you celebrate Jesus this morning? Because He is the Dayspring from on high that has lifted us up out of a world of darkness and death.
III. Because this Dayspring was sent to you through the tender mercy of our God. (78)
A. There was nothing in man or on Earth that would prompt God to send Jesus to us. Jesus didn’t come because we wanted Him to. He didn’t come because we deserved it. He came because God is merciful!
B. Turn to and read Psalm 103 – close this point with great cause for celebration.
Conclusion
A. We have great reason to celebrate Jesus today! Review main points.
B. Maybe you can’t celebrate Jesus today. Won’t you come into the light?
C. Has the Lord been dealing with you about salvation, about baptism, about church membership, or even something else?
