Salvation Is Coming
Luke 1:5-25, 57-80 ·December 18, 2022· Joel Passmore
Part of: Luke
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The book of Luke, we're starting at the very beginning. Well, actually, not the very beginning. We did skip the little prologue that Luke has. We went right to two stories that Luke tells about two different people that got wrapped up into the coming of Christ, the story that God was writing about the coming of Christ. These two people and their families got pulled into this. Last week, we talked about, we were amazed together about Mary's simple yes, her humble obedience to what God said he would do.
There was a lot about Mary that we saw that we were just blown away by. How could someone of her age and her very little stature respond so faithfully, even at the great cost and the great impact it was going to have on her life? How could she do that? Well, today, we have a different kind of story. We've already started it in the sermon reading. We have a story of someone who probably, well, definitely, was a lot more equipped to respond to something incredible, like an angel appearing with faithfulness, and yet he stumbled.
So today's sermon is really, the passage is really about doubt. It's about what happens when we don't respond the way that we know we should have, the way that we would have wanted to God. What happens then?
Walking by faith is difficult. The more years go by, the more sober I get to the truth that trusting God is easier said than done. I tell it to people all the time. I say it to myself. Trust God. But it is way easier to say than it is to do. We want to respond like Mary's faith. We want to have that kind of response. An immediate trust, an immediate submission, an obedience to God. Yes, Lord, I will do that. But many times, reality just doesn't match our aspirations.
It's a little bit like those cake fails that you might have seen on the internet or on TV. So you see this, and you're like, that looks easy enough, right? And then what happens when you actually try it is this.
So you can kind of think of this as like you read about Mary and her response. That's on the left. Like, it's beautiful. It's awesome. It's amazing. And you're like, yeah, I can do that. And then sometimes life turns out like that. That's what happened with Zachariah. Zachariah was those ugly cookie monster cookies. Well, what happens then? Does God's work get interrupted? Does God move on and find somebody else? Is it over for Zachariah? Let's find out what happens together.
From a story of doubt, a story that did not kick off and start the way that Mary's did. A lot of the things were the same. An angel appearing, saying something amazing was going to happen, but a different response. We already heard about that earlier. What happens when it comes out of the oven looking like that? Because I know we've all been there. Let's read the passage. This is Luke 1. I'm going to pick up on verse 57. It's in your bulletins. It'll be up on the screen behind me.
This is the Word of God for us today. Let's pay careful attention to it. Let's respond to it with trust, because God is trustworthy. Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, No, he shall be called John.
And they said to her, None of your relatives is called by this name. And they made signs to the father inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, His name is John. And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, Blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea. And all who heard them laid up in their hearts, saying, What then shall this child be?
For the hand of the Lord was with him. And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, 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, 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 to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear. In holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins. Because of the tender mercy of our God. 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. And the child grew and became strong in spirit. And he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. Pray with me.
Lord God, by your mighty hand, and by the working of your spirit, please make the going forth of your word to be fruitful in our hearts. Help it to land on soft soil, to go deep down and bear fruit. Lord, we are all ordinary people who are waiting and hoping to hear from you. To experience your grace again, or perhaps for the first time. Lord, will you meet us? Will you meet our expectations? Will you meet us? Help us to bring to you our faith, however small it is.
Please work in our hearts. Jesus, we pray this in your name. The title of the sermon today is Salvation is Coming. And here's the main point. God's power and mercy to the helpless and doubtful. His power and his mercy to the helpless and the doubtful. Because that's exactly what Elizabeth and Zechariah were. Let's start with this. We're going to, just like last Sunday, we're going to begin with what was read earlier in the service. Doubt in the temple.
The theme of waiting, it really dominates the first part of this passage, the first part of the story. We're introduced to a priest named Zechariah, his wife Elizabeth. As I've already said, they were two ordinary people in the community of God's people. They were faithful. They obeyed the commandments of the Lord. They tried to follow, as best they could, the law of the Lord. They had a respectable family lineage. He was a priest. She was a descendant of the great priest, Aaron.
But there was a problem. They had no children. Elizabeth was unable to conceive after years and years and years. Now she was old. It looked like it was too late. This was a huge disappointment for them. A lifelong pain. Children were a blessing in every culture. And in this culture, they were the primary form of social security when you got older. It really made an impact on you when you got older and could no longer work if you didn't have kids.
After many, many decades, they were probably wondering, where are you, God? Where are you? We thought we were doing all the right things. Meanwhile, they're not the only ones who are waiting. God's people have been waiting. They returned to their land after being in exile. They returned in 538 B.C. But they'd been under a foreign power the entire time. They didn't really have independence. They couldn't do things their way. They were basically occupied.
Now it was by the Romans. The last prophet to speak had been Malachi. His ministry finished around 400 B.C. 400 years of waiting. No prophet. No angelic appearance. No word from the Lord. They had been waiting for some activity from God.
Still, Zechariah served faithfully as a priest. Ancient historians and biblical records tell us there were 24 divisions of priests. 750 priests per division. That's 18,000 priests. But one temple. One temple. So each division would serve at the temple about twice a year for an entire week. Two weeks a year. That's all Zechariah would have done his whole life in the temple. There were two services each day and the work was spread across the 750 priests.
going into the holy place inside the temple to burn incense as the sacrifices were being offered. That was the most significant thing that a priest could do in his whole life. And he would only do it one time. Once in his lifetime he would have that privilege to go into God's house, to go into the holy place and burn incense. They drew lots to see who did it. That's like drawing straws. Once you did it you'd be crossed off the list. You wouldn't do it anymore the rest of your life.
Zechariah was now old. Who knows how many years he had left of serving and he hadn't done it yet. But at last the text tells us he was chosen by lot to enter the temple and burn incense. Now as he enters just imagine what might be going through his head. Imagine what might be going through your head. Maybe he's been serving as a priest 40 years? 60 years? He's never done this? He's thought about doing it? He's wondered is this going to be the year that I do it?
If it was me I would be thinking okay don't mess it up. Don't mess it up. This is your opportunity. It's only going to happen once. I was at a church one time this was very soon after I got ordained and I was I was asked to come and institute the Lord's Supper. Not to preach just to institute the Lord's Supper. And they had a very specific way they wanted it done and I wrote it all down and I was rehearsing it as I was sitting there. I didn't want to screw up and it was just a big it was just a big mess up.
I won't go into details but it was pretty embarrassing. I got a lot of things wrong and then I gave the benediction and I got the benediction wrong too. So I'm thinking about Zechariah entering the temple and he's just thinking I got to get this right. This is my moment. Little did he know what was about to happen. An angel of the Lord appears. He says do not be afraid Zechariah for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall call his name John.
The gift that had seemed like it had gone over the horizon was now being offered to them at long last. And what's more this son is going to have a very special place in God's plan and has in his salvation plan. If you don't know this is John the Baptist. That's who this is. The angel says he will turn many of their children to Israel turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of their fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.
This really was remarkable. 400 years since the last prophecy and an angel appears in the temple to this old priest who's been waiting for a child. Surely Zechariah was not expecting it. Imagine his shock. And yet if anyone could have received this news and once he got his bearings responded to it appropriately and correctly it should have been Zechariah. It should have been a person like him. Think about this. He knew the story. He knows the scriptures.
He's a priest. He knew the story of Abraham and Sarah. He probably taught people the story of Abraham and Sarah. An old couple who were promised a son who didn't believe but then it came to pass God gave them a son in their old age. He knew that story. He knew other women in the scriptures Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah who were unable to conceive sought the Lord. The Lord heard their prayer and allowed them to conceive. He knew those stories. He read those scriptures.
He taught them. And he knew the prophets as well. He probably knew that when Gabriel was speaking he was referencing Malachi the very last prophet that had come before 400 years earlier. This is what Malachi says. Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. and he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers. Sound familiar? That's what the angel was saying to him.
Zechariah was primed to receive and respond to Gabriel's announcement with excitement and with faith but the years of waiting the years of disappointment they had taken their toll on him. So instead he asks how shall I know this? for I am an old man and my wife has advanced in years.
Can you hear the heaviness in his voice? The reluctance to obey the reluctance to believe the limitations the obstacles in his life they spoke louder to him than God's promises and God's power louder even than an angel standing before him and speaking speaking to him. Can you see yourself in Zechariah my friends? The situations we think we can't change the limitations and the obstacles that seem too big the potential outcomes that we worry about well God what about this?
What if this happens? What about this? Many times many times for me those things are more convincing than the word of God. they're more convincing than the power of God.
When I felt like God was calling me to ministry and away from the career that I had before it didn't happen like this there was no angelic appearance I did want to be sure I did want to discern that talk about it with people I think it was good to do that but I have to admit when I read this story I'm reminded it came a point where I kind of was scared what's going to happen I don't know what this is going to look like I don't know what the future will look like for us is it going to work out or not it went from a righteous discernment is this really real God is this really you speaking to me what other people had to say let me pray about this it eventually it transferred into just waiting and sitting and how do I know this for I am old like Zachariah Zachariah means God remembers the meaning of his name but Zachariah forgets he forgets God's work he forgets God's work in the past and he forgets God's promises for the future and if we're honest so do we he asked for proof and so he gets some proof he can't speak he doesn't believe he doesn't receive the words that were given to him so words are taken from him but God is not finished with this doubting priest if you're sitting here feeling like you can identify with this doubting priest with Zachariah I want you to hold on to this the story doesn't end here it keeps going God doesn't tell Gabriel you know what you know what forget it fine maybe some other priest will believe what I say we'll find somebody else who wants a child
forget him Gabriel come on back up here I'm going to find somebody else to go to God was determined to show himself powerful over Elizabeth's helplessness he was determined to show himself merciful in the face of Zachariah's doubtfulness he's he's going overcome those things with his persistent love and I want you to hear that today if you're feeling like Zachariah if you're feeling hesitant and doubtful and like it didn't go like you wanted when God inclined you to do something or spoken to your life or pushed you a certain direction God's not finished with you yet he wants to overcome those things with his love so let's see how he does that let's turn now you can turn back to the other page in your bulletin let's look at what happens next starting in verse 57 this is faith at the bris Elizabeth had hidden herself and so when she gives birth people are shocked completely gobsbacked they're blown away the whole community celebrates that the Lord had shown them mercy but they don't even know the half of it yet they don't even know the full extent of the mercy that God is showing the time comes for the circumcision and the naming this is a ceremony called Brit Malah but nowadays it's commonly called a bris you circumcise the child you name them everybody celebrates except the child I guess everyone is swept up with the excitement of what's happening they're ready to name this child after his dad let's go let's do it this is awesome they're partying but Elizabeth is waving her hands
she's refusing the peer pressure no no no his name shall be John but this buck's tradition no one in your family is called John we can't do that they go to Zechariah now think about Zechariah at this point nine months of silence nine months of humiliation of incompetence and nine months of reflection nine months of sitting on what had been told to him by Gabriel nine months of him watching the glow and the grow of his wife with child but he still can't say anything he asked for a writing tablet and he wrote his name is John this is more than just the wisdom that it's always better to agree with your wife this is an act of obedience this is an act of repentance it's a public demonstration of faith this might as well be the four words I trust the Lord John means Yahweh is gracious and Zachariah is agreeing he is gracious he is gracious I see that now even in the face of my doubts and my cynicism God God is gracious and merciful you might have had a recent failure to trust God to act in line with his word our God is gracious and so the question is how are you going to respond next time how do you want to respond next time God gives second chances chances and fourth chances how are you going to respond next time there's another opportunity for you to experience a turnaround to come into line with his will to find agreement with his purposes for you this is what happens for Zachariah immediately he turns around his mouth is opened and what is the first thing he does he spoke blessing
God the sign of forgiveness and restoration with his speech being restored he speaks and he blesses God these nine months of silence had taught him something as he sat there watching and waiting unable to do simple things like communicate with his wife he saw what was happening he saw that the angel's word was coming true when he spoke again he was joyful at the agreement with God the rest that he had now in God's will for him the people marvel at what happened it's clear that something special is going on but they can't quite figure it out they say what will this child be well Zechariah is going to tell them because what happens next is prophecy comes from a priest you don't get a lot of times when priests would be prophets but it happens here this priest opens his mouth and prophesies what Zechariah says next is way beyond just thank you God for hearing my prayer it's way beyond just simple thanksgiving he is telling the people this is how you're supposed to understand what's happening right now he's speaking to them and he's speaking to us he's saying this is God's will this is what is happening in God's plan right he's drawn near he's come close he's come for a visit and when he comes for a visit he brings a gift and that gift is redemption and it's through a redeemer he raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David Zechariah doesn't know anything yet about Gabriel speaking to Mary he doesn't know what's happening in the Christ child born well actually
still unborn in Mary he doesn't know that yet but he's speaking in the spirit about what God did in Mary to prepare the holy royal son God is keeping his promises and he's doing this that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us the people hearing Zechariah at this point might have been oh okay I know what he's talking about he's talking about finally getting us liberated from these Roman oppressors those are the enemies that Zechariah must be talking about but is that occupying them the great enemy is sin the great enemy is not a tyrannical government oppressing them it's not a set of social problems someday John is going to point to Jesus and say behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world that's what John was sent to do Jesus is the savior he's the horn of salvation in the house of David he Now listen church what is your biggest problem and what is your ideal future think about those two questions what is your biggest problem and what is your ideal future we all have answers to those questions we all do so does the one who made you so does God if your answers to those questions are anything less than God's answers then Christmas is not going to mean that much to you Christ coming is not going to mean that much to you he's going to be like a gadget that you unwrap and you're like oh how cute and you put him in a drawer unless your answers to those questions match God's you're not going to receive Christ the way you when you see
that your ideal future is peace with God which you are powerless to achieve on your own then you're going to receive Jesus with thanksgiving as the greatest gift that you could ever receive that's what Zachariah is saying salvation is coming because of the tender mercy of our God 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 we all feel the darkness and the threat of death do not content yourself with God in his mercy has given light and peace through his son Zachariah and Elizabeth received grace that's the that's the sum total of this account today they received grace Elizabeth barrenness and Zachariah doubtfulness didn't stop God in fact it was a way for God's power and mercy to be displayed God's John's birth was celebrated with greater joy because Elizabeth had been barren Zachariah's prophecy rings louder and people pay attention more because he had been silent for nine months that's the God we worship if you struggle with doubt then rest in the mercy and the power of God salvation is coming and it's coming through Christ dwell on that today find rest and hope and peace in the mercy and the power of God through Christ pray with me father we need your help to receive this today you know how doubtful we are you know how helpless we are Lord our doubt and our helplessness those are not things that we like to admit or acknowledge thank you Lord that you gave us this
story this true story that happened to Zachariah so that we could be encouraged to see that we're not the only ones who are helpless not the only ones who have doubts and thank you that you continue that story and you show mercy and power to this couple even in the face of Zachariah's doubts Lord help us to believe to trust you to agree with your promises for us help us most of all to rest in Christ and to find him to be the most wonderful amazing gift that we could ever receive help us to receive him with joy now and every day Jesus we pray this in your name