Called to Proclaim

Called to Proclaim

Introduction

When it comes to the subject of Christmas, most people have a story to tell. Our world is not at a loss for Christmas stories. Most of them are fictitious but for the most part present a positive message promoting love, the home, and thankfulness. Luke’s story is non-fiction. It is the original Christmas story that is truthful and accurate. No materialism, no commercialism, nothing trivial, but all that is spiritual and needful. Luke was called to proclaim the truth about Christmas. Zacharias also proclaimed the truth about Christmas. And so should we.

At this point in Luke’s account, we have studied how God promised Zacharias and Elisabeth that they would have a son (John the Baptist) who would be the forerunner of the coming Messiah. With the exception of Mary’s praise in Luke 1:25-56, most of Luke 1 is centered on God’s promise to send John the Baptist. Beginning in Luke 1:67, Luke records a song of praise by Zacharias the priest, the father of John. This song of praise is a vital part of the Christmas story. By recording Zacharias’ song, Luke takes us back into the Old Testament and allows us to examine some Old Testament covenants that are connected to the promise of Messiah’s birth.

The birth of Jesus Christ connects with the promises of the Old Testament. All the Old Testament promises, covenants, and hope are fulfilled in Christ. You will notice “David” mentioned in Luke 1:69; the “oath” to “Abraham” in Luke 1:73; and the “knowledge of salvation” which refers to the new covenant we have in Christ in Luke 1:77.  In other words, Zacharias knows what is happening with the birth of his son John, and the soon to follow birth of Jesus Christ. As priest, he spent most of his time studying the Old Testament and explaining it to the people in the hill country of Judea. So, when his son John is born, he has something wonderful to proclaim.

Mary’s praise was personal as she rejoiced for what God was doing in her life (Luke 1:26-56). But Zacharias’ song of praise and proclamation was a broad as salvation reaches from the Old Testament to the New Testament and to every open heart. Zacharias proclaimed what was happening at the first Christmas in order that we might know what can happen this Christmas!

Our lesson text begins today after Elisabeth had given birth to John the Baptist (Luke 1:57-62). When the neighbors attempted to name the newborn child Zacharias, Elisabeth insisted he be called “John” (Luke 1:60). As soon a Zacharias confirmed John’s name by writing it on a tablet, “his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake and praised God” (Luke 1:64). 

Luke 1:67-79 is known as the Benedictus. That comes from the word “blessed” in Luke 1:68. This portion of scripture is filled with Old Testament quotations and allusions. When Zacharias was struck mute in the temple (v. 20), he was supposed to deliver a benediction (Luke 1:21). So it is fitting that when his speech was restored after nine months of silence, the first words out of his mouth were this inspired benediction recorded in Luke 1:67-80.

Proclamation and the Covenant of David (Luke 1:67-71)

Luke tells us that Zacharias was “filled with the Holy Ghost” (Luke 1:67). “Filled” means he was “controlled” by the Holy Spirit. In every case where someone was Spirit-filled in Luke’s nativity account, the result was Spirit-directed worship. What a great lesson for us to learn (Ephesians 5:18-20).

Every Jew knew that Messiah would come in the royal lineage of King David and would restore the kingdom. But by the time David’s predecessors were finished reigning, the kingdom was divided and left in ruins. The Jews longed for the restoration of the kingdom when Messiah would come. Jesus Christ was in the royal line of David because his earthly father, Joseph, was in the Davidic line (Matthew 1:1-16) and his mother, Mary, was also in the line of David. So, from Mary Jesus received His royal lineage and from his earthly father Joseph, He received His royal right. Zecharias knew this and proclaimed it.

The Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7; Luke 1:69) promised: 1) A great king will come and establish a kingdom forever  2) The kingdom will be one of peace, righteousness, safety, and protection  3) The great king will rule forever over the entire world (Zechariah 14:9).
Zacharias knew these scriptures and he knew what was happening with the birth of his son and the coming Messiah. What he did not know was that the people would reject the Messiah and not have Him rule over them. They didn’t want the king of the kingdom (Luke 19:14). Zecharias couldn’t have seen the gap and like any of us, he didn’t understand God’s entire sovereign plan. But that didn’t stop him from proclaiming what he did know and understand.

Zacharias praised God for “visiting and redeeming his people” (Luke 1:68).  God is once again stepping into human history to deliver them from sin. He had done that on previous occasions but in the coming of Jesus Christ He would bring total deliverance and salvation. Captivity to sin is the worse captivity the Jew or Gentile has ever known and only Jesus Christ can deliver from sin. 

The “horn of salvation” (Luke 1:69) was a common expression in the Old Testament (2 Samuel 22:3; Psalm 18:2; 1 Samuel 2:1). The horn is a symbol of strength (Deuteronomy 33:17). These words referred to Jesus Christ and clearly were not meant to exalt John the Baptist. Since both Zacharias and Elizabeth were Levites, the One raised up “In the house of his servant David” could not be John, but spoke of Someone greater than John (John 1:26, 27). That Someone is Jesus! Luke 1: 76–79 speaks of John’s role. God has “raised up an horn of salvation for us” was Zacharias proclamation that God was sending salvation to the Jews through the coming Messiah. What will be revealed later is that Christ will be the Savior not only in the “house of his servant David” but in every house that will believe. Is He Savior of your house?

Zacharias’ also mentions the “prophets” (Luke 1:70) in his praise. In many different time periods throughout the Old Testament, God had given prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. The promise of Messiah began in Genesis 3:15 and continued through every generation. “Prophets” had prophesied that the nation of Israel “should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us” (Luke 1:71). Israel’s entire history has been one of hatred from other nations and she has always longed for a deliverer. That explains why most people in Israel in Zacharias’ day and still today looked for a deliverer from her political enemies (Psalm 106:10). However, Jesus did not come primarily to deliver Israel from Rome or any other nation. He came to bring spiritual deliverance which is the greatest need of all mankind and every nation.

Proclamation and the Covenant of Abraham (Luke 1:72-75)

The second covenant Zacharias mentions is the covenant of Abraham (Luke 1:73). The purpose of the covenant of David was to deliver Israel from her enemies. The purpose of the covenant of Abraham was to “show mercy toward our fathers” (Luke 1:72). God had promised “mercy” and “to remember his holy covenant” (Luke 1:72).  Zacharias’ name means “God remembers.” Perhaps Zacharias himself is remembering specific passages of the Old Testament as he offers these words of praise. He expects God to remember what He has promised and not abandon the children of Israel. Can you offer Him praise today for showing “mercy” and “remembering His promises?”

The Jew had always lived in fear of being overcome, killed, and not being able to maintain an earthly existence. The covenant of Abraham was about mercy and compassion toward an undeserving people (Luke 1:72). This stream of mercy started with Abraham but it reaches everyone through the Lord Jesus Christ!  At the time of Abraham, there was no such thing as a Jew, or the nation of Israel (Genesis 12:1-3). God comes to Abraham and promises to make a great nation out of him. That was God’s promise to Abraham. God didn’t ask Abraham to agree to anything, only to obey.

If you study the history of the Jew and the nation of Israel, things haven’t worked out the way that should have. Today, Israel does not enjoy the blessing of salvation. God has protected them and is protecting them but they are in “spiritual blindness” to God’s saving grace. In fact, if you had asked Zacharias if he and his people were enjoying the blessings promised through the Abrahamic Covenant, he would have answered, no. Why? Because at the time prior to Messiah’s coming, the nation was under Roman bondage and life was difficult and hard.

The Abrahamic Covenant promised a great nation, a possession of land, and a nation that would be a blessing to all nations of the world through providing a Savior to the world. That is what Zacharias is referring to with the word “oath” in Luke 1:73. Zacharias expected that in a few months when Messiah was born, the Davidic Covenant would take control and the Jews would be “saved from their enemies” (Luke 1:71). He also expected the Abrahamic covenant to be fulfilled and then the nation “might serve God without fear in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life” (Luke 1:74-75). Zacharias eagerly anticipates a day when all God’s people will be able to serve in righteousness. He is a priest. He knows the importance of being right with God. But that day never came for the nation of Israel. Why? Men rejected Jesus Christ as Messiah. Men refused to exercise faith in the Son of God so nothing of eternal value happened in the life of the nation. There is absolutely nothing of eternal value happening in any life if you do not know Christ as Lord and Savior.

What Zacharias longed for is possible to everyone today who will trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. While none of us will be able to fully serve the Lord in righteousness until we reach Heaven, those who are saved are a part of the church whose members are “a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people…” (1 Peter 2:5).

Proclamation and the New Covenant (Luke 1:76-80)

Zacharias includes the New Covenant in his song of praise in Luke 1:77 in the words “knowledge of salvation.” The New Covenant is promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34 where God says, “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” When God gave the covenants of promise to Abraham of land and blessings and to David of the coming kingdom and his descendant would be on the throne, those promises in and of themselves had no ability to make the people obey the Lord. Furthermore, the covenants were powerless over the sinfulness of the nation and the individuals. What Israel needed was another covenant. If Israel was ever to inherit and embrace all the promises of God they were going to have to be changed on the inside. And God provided for that in the New Covenant.

The “child” in Luke 1:76 is referring to John the Baptist. John would be called the “prophet of the Highest” (Luke 1:76) meaning that the purpose and significance of his life would be his being the forerunner of Jesus Christ. John would “go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins…” (Luke 1:76-77). Through John’s ministry the people would learn that they were sinners and that God provided “remission of their sins” in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. “Remission of sins” is the heart of salvation. God saves sinners from separation from Him and from eternal hell only by atoning for and forgiving their sins (Romans 4:6–8; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:22). That is what Zacharias is proclaiming and that is our proclamation this Christmas and everyday.

As Zacharias continues he mentions the “dayspring from on high” (Luke 1:78) which is a messianic reference in both the Old and New Testaments (Isaiah 9:2; 60:1-3; Malachi 4:2; 2 Peter 1:19; Revelation 22:16). The “dayspring” refers to the rising of the sun or the entrance of light. Zacharias is proclaiming that his son John will preach that Messiah will be as a glorious light in the murky darkness of this world and that God “through tender mercy” will “visit us” (Luke 1:78). When God sends John to preach and present Jesus it will be an act of deep love from God the Father.  Those who “sit in darkness” (Luke 1:79) and in the “shadow of death” (Luke 1:79) will now be able to have life, light, and guidance for life when they open their heart and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 1:80 tells us the John “grew, and waxed strong in spirit” which means he grew physically and spiritually. The statement “was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel” seems to indicate that John was not a part of any organized group but live a solitary life preparing for his moment of appointment to announce the ministry of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

Zacharias’ proclamation of John’s birth and his purpose of preaching Jesus to the nation of Israel were rooted in three Old Testament covenants of promise. Israel was promised a future in Abraham, David, and in the New Covenant of “knowledge of salvation.” In other words, Israel had a great future promised, but not without acceptance of Messiah. The same is true for everyone. God has promised a great future for those who will by faith confess their sins and place their faith and trust in the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We can learn from the example of Zacharias in today’s lesson. After nine months of silence, God wanted Zacharias to proclaim to the people what John’s birth meant and what the coming of Messiah would provide for the nation. God used Zacharias’ proclamation. And He will use yours too. Tell the world Jesus saves!

Amen.