"zechariah's Christmas Carol"

Zechariahs Christmas Carol Luke 1:68-79

1. First who is Zechariah?

• Zechariah travels to Jerusalem several miles to perform the regular temple duties.

• His wife, Elizabeth, has been barren for years, (to be barren was considered to be a curse from God).

• Luke tells us, however, that Zechariah and Elizabeth were “righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord” (v. 6).

2. What did Zechariah want?

• He wanted a child. “What a child he got.” John The Baptist

• God shows up and speaks to Zechariah through the angel messenger Gabriel.

• Gabriel is the angel God sent to Zechariah to tell him His wife was pregnant

• A great miracle Barron becomes abounding with life but, instead of speaking to the wife, however, the angel speaks to the husband.

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3. What the angel said?

• “Do not be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayer has been heard” (v. 13).

• Zechariah and Elizabeth had long been praying for a son

• The angel tells the old priest that he and his wife will have a son, who will grow up in the mold of the prophet Elijah and prepare the way for God’s Messiah.

4. What is Zechariah’s Response to receiving the news from Gabriel

• He responds not with faith, but with anxiety and doubt : “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man and my wife is getting on in years” (v. 18).

• Basically the priest dose’ nt Believe God can heal, doesn’t believe God can intercede, doesn’t believe God really would answer prayer, I believe,

5. What happens as a result of unbelief?

• Because of his unbelief, Zechariah will not be able to speak until the baby, who is to be named John, is born.

• Zechariah the priest lit the incense and came out of the holy place, he was supposed to give a blessing to the people. Here comes Zechariah out to the waiting crowd and … nothing.

• Elizabeth is with great joy and says,: “This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people” (v. 25).

6. How long was Zechariah silent?

• Zechariah was silent for nine months. Imagine that. Nine months of simply listening,

• nine months of pondering the angel’s message,

• God had been silent for a long time but now we hear of the birth of the forunner of messiah

7. Zechariah has a song we call the Benedictus

• Zechariah sings 68"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.

• 69He has raised up a hornD of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 71salvation from our enemies

• Zechariah sings to His Son 76And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, through the Messiah forgiveness of their sins,

• Zechariah Sings You Son 79to shine on those living in darkness

• We to have a song “No More” Crying, hurting, struggle, no more blindness, no more sorrows, no more pains, sickness, and death.