Luke chapter 1, and we're reading from verses 57 through to 80, which is the end of the chapter.
Zechariah is being struck dumb because he didn't believe Gabriel when Gabriel told him that he and his wife, as an aged couple, they were going to have a baby.
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 his 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 them up in their hearts, saying, What then will 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 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.
Well, good morning, everyone.
For those who don't know me, my name's David.
I'm one of the pastors here.
Our world longs for peace.
Everywhere and every day,
we just see hostility and violence break out.
Rarely do we see peace break out.
But boy, we're used to seeing hostility and violence break out, aren't we?
From the biggest picture where it's war,
Ukraine and everywhere around the world.
Terrorist attacks,
conspiracy theories and the bloodshed and the mayhem they caused this week in Queensland.
Road rage.
Even coming down to the micro picture of our own families.
Hostility breaks out so quickly and so easily, doesn't it?
Even here at church, you can get into trouble for changing the sermon title,
mucking up small groups and, dare I say it, mucking up the children's title.
My goodness me.
So there's always a breakout, isn't there?
We long for peace.
We long for safety and stability and rest.
Peace and rest go together.
We just want to know that in our world of chaos,
that all is well for us.
Everywhere and every day,
I think therefore people are searching for peace.
Numerous different pathways
to just try and find that peace that is so critical to us,
to our sense of well-being in this world.
The problem is that most of the pathways our world offers us to peace
are so shallow and so fragile
that we know they're so easily lost.
And therefore, even as we chase for these peace things,
we're actually becoming more anxious and even depressed
because the things we look to for peace,
we just know could evaporate before us in just a moment.
Everywhere and every day,
people are looking for peace in the wrong direction.
But the historian Luke,
whose word we're looking at this morning,
he wrote a biography of the life of Jesus,
one of the four biographies.
Luke points us in a totally different direction
when it comes to the issue of peace.
He's convinced that he's discovered the secret,
unlocked the key to real peace, real safety,
real rest in this chaotic and uncertain world.
And remember, he's a historian,
and he promised that all his stuff was compiled
on the basis of solid research.
He says this stuff because he believes it.
He's got good reason to believe it.
Historical, substantial reasons to believe it.
And he believes that peace has come into our world
in the person of Jesus Christ.
He believes that peace,
the peace that everybody's looking for,
comes from God.
And that lovely phrase of having broken into our world
in the person of Jesus.
I said a minute ago that peace rarely breaks out.
Well, Luke's telling us this morning
that peace does break out.
It has broken out in our world.
And he showcases, therefore,
in the early part of his writings
around about the birth of Jesus,
he showcases several Christmas songs
inspired by Jesus,
some even before Jesus was born.
Last week we looked at Mary's song,
and that showcased God's grace and mercy.
Grace and mercy coming to us in our world
in Jesus.
And Zachariah's song this morning
we're going to look at
adds to that
because he adds not only to grace and mercy,
but he adds to the concept of peace.
The promise of peace.
Peace which God says he will establish.
Peace that God says he'll bring to us
in our world
through the kingdom of Jesus.
And that causes Zachariah to overflow
or burst into song.
That song, as I said last week,
doesn't necessarily mean it was sung.
It's just a picture of an overflow
of an expression of delight.
Oh, and thanks.
Because Jesus will deliver
the life of peace,
the life of rest,
the life of security
that we all long for.
Now just stop there at that point.
We'll dig into these concepts in a minute.
But just stop at that point
and just imagine that.
Imagine what Luke is telling us,
that we can have
a life of peace
without fear.
Wouldn't that make you want to sing?
Well, let's jump into the text
and see how Zachariah and Elizabeth
were blown away
by an immediate and personal experience
of God's grace,
mercy, and peace.
Now, by the way,
if you're a visitor
and you didn't get one of these,
you can just nab one
off the back table,
I think,
if there's any left.
Just a sermon outline,
some of the points I'll be saying.
So, go back to the stuff
that Gareth referred to
when he was doing the reading.
Go back to chapter 1,
verse 6 and 7.
And we'll just put this in context.
Chapter 1, verse 6.
Zachariah and Elizabeth,
Zachariah is a priest,
his wife Elizabeth,
they were both righteous before God,
walking blamelessly
in all the commandments
and statutes of the Lord.
But they had no child
because Elizabeth was born
and both were advanced in years.
There you are.
You've set yourself
in the whole of your life
to honour the Lord.
Connection back to Malachi again.
Yet, at the same time,
you were childless.
And so, what that meant for you
in those days
was you were living in shame.
Because in those days,
to be barn,
to be without child
as a couple,
was to be thought
to be under God's judgment,
to be people
under God's disfavour,
displeasure.
And so, you've got this
sort of terrible mix
for this couple,
determined to serve the Lord
and be glad
in their service of Him,
and yet living
a lifetime of shame.
And they're old.
They're old.
That chance of a child,
humanly speaking,
has passed them by.
And suddenly,
because of God's
miraculous intervention,
we jump into the story
then this morning,
suddenly,
well,
nine months later,
you're actually holding
the child
that you'd always wanted,
the child you'd always
longed for.
And you're bursting
with thankfulness
because this little
miracle child
showcases
a personal experience
of how God
delights to save
or reverse
the fortunes
of His people.
They turn them
from shame
into a position
of honour
and delight.
Look at chapter 1,
verse 25.
Chapter 1,
verse 25.
Try that one.
Yep.
I'm on the wrong page here.
We'll get there eventually.
Chapter 1,
verse 25.
Thus the Lord,
Zacharias says,
thus the Lord
has done for me
in the days
when He looked on me
to take away
my reproach
among people.
The birth of John
turns disgrace
and shame
to honour
and joy
for Zacharias.
Same sort of things
in chapter 1,
verse 58.
On the eighth day
they came
to circumcise
the child
and they would have
called him
Zacharias
after his father
but his mother
sorry,
and her neighbours
and relatives
heard that the Lord
had shown
great mercy to her
and they rejoiced
with her.
Mercy
spilled into shame
turns to honour
and delight
and thankfulness.
God's grace
and mercy
delivers
comfort
and hope
and peace
into their
restless
anxious lives.
The naming
of John
as God
directed it
says it all
that John
actually means
grace and mercy.
Their miracle
child
was destined
to be a key
player
among God's
people.
John would be
as we're told
in the song
as it was rehearsed
in the song
John would be
God's messenger
bringing grace
and mercy
and peace
to God's people
and that means
the reversal
of God's judgment
forgiveness
a new opportunity
praise God
as he deserved
to be praised.
If you look
at chapter 1
verse 65
suddenly
their fortunes
among the locals
were turned around
fear came
on all their neighbours
and all these things
were talked about
through all the hill
country of Judea.
Now
what was Zachariah
and Elizabeth
going to do now?
A lifetime of shame?
Were they going to
sort of puff
their chests out
and say well actually
no
you lot look
we're now
blessed and favoured
by the Lord.
No
they didn't do
that at all.
They very quickly
pushed the focus
onto their child
and then onto
Mary's child
as we'll see
in a moment.
Why did they do that?
Because they knew
it was their child
who would be used
as a key player
in God's salvation plan.
Just like Elijah of old
and Zachariah
and Elizabeth
were just delighted
to be part
of God's
intervention
God's plan
as it were.
and indeed
their own names
add to that focus
the showcase
here that Luke's
bringing to us.
Zachariah means
God remembers
his covenant.
Elizabeth means
God is absolutely
faithful.
So their
personal experience
is a zoomed
in picture
of what is
about to happen
in God's world
at large.
an experience
of God's grace
and mercy
bringing peace.
So if that's
their personal experience
then how much more
would they want
to sing?
How much more
would they want
to honour
and praise the Lord
when they think
of what they've
experienced
now being applied
globally?
And so
Zachariah
rehearses
then an
immediate
global experience
of God's
grace and mercy
and peace
and salvation.
What did
Zachariah
have prayed
for all his
lifetime?
Well he had
prayed
that the Lord
would establish
his kingdom
and establish
his covenant
would save
his people
as he had
promised
that they
bring the
new age
of salvation.
Now it's
happening
and he's
part of it.
Verse 67
Zachariah's
song is
actually called
a prophecy.
That shouldn't
trip us up
because I
think that
just tells
us that
it is a
song but
it's actually
meant to be
something that
we then in
subsequent
generations
join into.
It's meant to
be written
down and
recorded and
learned from
and joined
with.
Shaped and
inspired by
God's
spirit
Zachariah's
song is a
model to
us then of
God's
commitment
to salvation.
In his
grace and
mercy God
comes to
his people.
So if you
look at the
very first
lines there
verse 68
the thing
that bubbles
up into
praise is
in the first
sentence.
God would
personally come
into his
world.
God would
actually drop
in as it
were and
visit his
people to
redeem them
for he has
visited and
redeemed his
people.
A few years
ago I
watched a
documentary in
America.
A group
there were
trying to
help Vietnam
war veterans
many of whom
are homeless
and in
really bad
state.
The forgotten
generation
they called
them.
They were
trying to
get them
into homes
and the
documentary was
one particular
African-American
soldier in a
really bad
way.
He managed
eventually
under this
group to
be given
a small
one-bedroom
unit and
he was
delighted.
His very
first visitor
the next
day was
Michelle
Obama.
She was
the patron
of this
group of
people who
were actually
trying to
give homes
to Vietnam
veterans.
So here
was this
guy and
he was in
bad shape.
He hadn't
really cleaned
up or
anything.
He was
just there
in his
house so
excited.
His first
visitor was
the first
lady of
America.
And she
just came
in.
Of course
there were
cameras there
but as far
as you could
see it was
just a very
ordinary thing.
She came
in and
sat down
and he
offered her
a cup
of coffee
and she
said yep
she would
have a
cup of.
There they
were.
He was
blown away.
Now
why was
he blown
away?
Well he
actually told
him.
He could
not believe
that somebody
so important
would come
to him in
all his
humbleness.
All his
dirtiness.
To see how
he was doing.
To have a
cup of with
him.
It was a
very powerful
picture.
Well I
think it's
a great
picture that
we can
use here.
God
doesn't
hold back
waiting for
his dirty
lost people
guilty people
to come
to him.
He knows
jelly well.
Remember
what we
said in
Malachi?
God knows
jelly well
his people
wouldn't
come to
him.
So what
does God
do?
He takes
the initiative
and comes
to his
people.
He comes
to them
at their
point of
need.
He comes
to us
at our
point of
need.
That's
God's
character.
Grace
and mercy.
Coming to
those who
lack peace
who are
anxious to
give them
peace.
God cares
deeply for
his people.
He wants
to have
relationship.
The relationship,
the good life
that he created
them for.
the relationship
and good
life which
ultimately only
he can
give.
So he
visits us
in our
place.
He comes
to show
us what
he has
on offer.
A home.
A real
family.
Real
hope.
And he
does that
for people
who otherwise
are homeless
and hopeless
and fearful.
people.
That's an
amazing
statement just
by itself.
And one we
should never
lose when we
think about
Christmas.
This is God
coming to
us in
our need.
So
familiar to
us and yet
so powerful
when we
think about
it.
Not only
does he
come to
us but
he redeems
his people.
Verse 69
again.
He has
visited and
redeemed his
people.
How does
he do that?
Well he
has raised
up a
horn of
salvation for
us.
That's an
Old Testament
picture of
a powerful
saviour figure
in the
house of
his servant
David.
This is
Messiah.
This is
the long
promised,
long awaited
king and
saviour,
Messiah,
whom God
said would
come to
deliver the
salvation,
promised.
Come to
redeem or
save his
people.
And so
Zechariah has
moved the
spotlight from
himself and
Elizabeth,
from his
own son.
He's now
speaking about
Mary's child
yet to be
born.
Jesus would
be God's
specially
equipped
saviour.
Jesus would
come and do
what no
other prophet
or king
before him
had been
able to
do.
He would
come and
he would
deliver God's
people from
their sin.
He would
deliver them
into peace
and hope.
He would
destroy their
enemies.
We'll say more
about that in a
minute.
He'd bring them
into a place of
safety to enjoy
the good life.
And why?
Why is all this
happening?
Well,
Zechariah knows
very well why
it's all
happening.
It's a very
simple answer
for Zechariah
because God
said that's
what he would
do.
God remembered
his covenant,
his covenant
with Abraham,
his covenant
right through
the Old
Testament,
repeatedly
saying,
yes,
I'm doing
this.
It is on
track.
From
Abraham's
time,
God had
promised he
would show
mercy on his
guilty people
and not
destroy them.
Remember how
the Lord
describes his
people in
Malachi 2?
He says,
well,
I know
jolly well
that you
guys have
never,
ever had a
heart to
obey me.
And yet I
will still
keep my
covenant and
my promise to
you that I
will come to
you.
You won't
come to me,
but I will
come to you
as I
promised.
God
and he
delivers
them,
not just
redeems
them,
but he
delivers
them into
fear-free
acceptance and
relationship with
himself.
Look at
verse 74
and verse 75.
We're
delivered from
the hand of
our enemies,
might serve
him without
fear in
holiness and
righteousness
before him
all our
days.
redeeming,
Jesus'
redeeming
work would
mean
deliverance
from being
held prisoner
by their
enemies and
deliverance
into a
new state
of safety
and security
and acceptance
and obedience.
And verses
76 through
79,
his son
John, he
realized,
would be part
of that
dawning
edge of
salvation.
He would
be the
prophet,
ultimately the
final prophet
that would
be the
one that
would introduce
God's
Messiah,
God's
Savior,
Jesus.
How would
he do
that?
Well, he
would actually
help God's
people develop
a new sense
of their
sinfulness.
And by
that, then,
a new sense
of their
need for
God's grace
and mercy,
a new
longing for
it.
So, in
God's plan,
the two
things would
marry up
just as
God's people
became more
and more
aware of
their need
to be
saved.
Up pops
Jesus,
the Savior.
John would
teach them
that their
greatest need
was not
deliverance
from their
political
enemies,
military
enemies.
John would
teach them
their greatest
need was
deliverance
from the
enemy
within.
See, what
had happened
was that
God's people
had come to
think of
salvation as
been livered
from all the
enemies out
there.
So, they
thought, well,
okay, if we can
get rid of the
Romans, we can
get rid of all
these people,
and then Israel
will be great
again.
And we'll be
able to be
God's people as
we're meant
to be
God's
people.
Well, John's
mission, as
has the
prophets before
him, being
to say that
not right.
You need
deliverance from
the enemy
within.
It's your
hearts that
are the
problem, not
your geopolitical
circumstances.
And this is
what Jesus
comes to
deliver,
deliverance
from the
enemy within,
deliverance
from rebellious
hearts.
Deliverance
from the
guilt of
that rebellion,
the sin and
the offense
that it
causes.
Deliverance
from the
fear of not
being acceptable
to God
because of
their sin.
Deliverance
from the
fear of
ultimately being
rejected by
God because
of their sin
and their
failure to
live under
his rule.
And in
that bleakness,
in that
darkness, we
have a metaphor
working here,
as we saw in
Malachi, that
Jesus, therefore,
would be like
the brilliant
sunrise after
the long,
dark night of
misery and
sin.
And once
again, God's
people would
bask in the
sunlight, in
the warmth,
in the
newness that
that sunrise of
Jesus would
bring.
Quite
literally,
Zacharias says,
that Jesus
would deliver
them from
darkness and
the shadow
of death
into the
new light
of life.
Quite
literally,
Jesus would
be the
light of the
world.
And so,
we just
pause there
and flesh
out that
metaphor a
little bit.
Death does
cast a shadow
over life,
doesn't it?
I was just
listening to the
TV last night
and they were
talking about
a show about
Harry Houdini.
And he was
known as the
man who
cheated death
and avoided
death until
death caught
up with him.
I thought,
that was a
really interesting
way of saying
that.
It was almost
as if he had
done something
amazing.
But no,
he was just
like the rest
of us.
It just hadn't
caught up with
him.
Death casts a
shadow over
all of life.
And when we're
young, I think,
we don't think
about it.
I certainly
didn't think
too much
about death
whenever I
was young.
Or perhaps
we just ignore
it when we're
young.
But here's the
shadow because
we know the
jolly well that
100% of people
die.
Death will come
to all of us.
No matter how
hard we try and
avoid it.
And death
forces us to
ask the big
questions of
life, doesn't
it?
Well, okay,
what then?
Is there a
God?
What will I
have to say
to him?
What will he
have to say
to me?
Well,
Zacharias
tells us
here that
Jesus will
remove all
of those
fears of
death.
Why?
Because he
will deal
with our
sin, which
is the
thing that
makes us
alienated from
God.
He will
make us
acceptable to
God.
He will
bring us
into a new
relationship
with God
and therefore
the fear
can dissipate.
Now imagine
that being
spoken by
somebody like
Zacharias.
Remember what
Zacharias was?
He was a
priest.
What does
that mean?
Well, it
means that
every single
day of his
life he
had been in
the temple,
which I
picture in my
mind, whether
this is a good
picture or not,
but this is a
country picture.
I just
picture it
like an
abattoir.
Blood and
guts everywhere.
And if
you've been
involved in
the killing
of animals
up close,
there's a
distinct smell
and the
smell never
gets nicer
after you
do it for
a long
time, believe
me.
It's a
distinct
smell of
death.
And there
was Zacharias
day after
day offering
sacrifices.
Why?
Because he
cared for his
people and
his role
as a
priest was
to be
an
intermediary
to try
and provide
the sacrifices
that would
allow the
relationship
between the
clean God
and his
dirty people
to continue
to deal
with sin.
And now
he gets a
glimpse that
this is all
coming at an
end.
He's going to
be out of a
job because
Jesus would
offer a
sacrifice once
for all.
Deal with
our sin once
for all.
Make us
acceptable to
God once
for all.
And that
will guide
our feet
into the
way of
peace.
Imagine the
joy that
would have
brought to
Zacharias.
this Jesus
would restore
relationship
with God
forever.
But there's
one more
thing that
Zacharias
throws in
here.
Because
ultimately God
takes us
home to be
with him
forever in
rest and
peace.
The idea of
guiding our
feet into
the way of
peace.
It's again a
picture of
a pathway.
It's pushing
us down a
particular
pathway in
life.
If you
look again
at those
verses
74 and
75.
The idea
of a
wonderful
freedom to
serve the
Lord without
fear all
our days.
Now, one
of the things
I know in
my own
life and
one of the
things I'm
bumping up
against as
I speak with
people here
on every
day, every
week of
my ministry
is the
fear that
can get into
our heads and
can get into
our hearts.
We struggle
to serve the
Lord, but
we're fearful.
Well,
Zachariah is
talking here
about freedom
from fear,
freedom to
serve the
Lord.
Now, what's
the basis of
that freedom?
What's the
basis of
freedom from
fear?
Well, it's
simply Jesus
and taking
Jesus at
his word
that he
will reconnect
us to
God, having
dealt with
our sins,
and having
dealt with
our sins,
there's no
longer any
reason for
God to be
alienated from
us.
The
relationship's
restored forever.
And the
end point of
that?
Salvation,
peace,
rest.
I spoke
earlier about
that Vietnam
veteran.
He was
blown away
that Michelle
Obama would
come to
visit him,
but the
end of the
story was
actually even
more surprising,
because after
having her cup
of tea and
her biscuit,
and that's
literally what
it was,
a cup of
coffee and
a biscuit,
that's
literally what
it was,
she said to
this guy,
now, I've
come to your
place and
you've made
me at
home, I
want you to
come to
my place,
and I want
you to feel
at home and
make my
place your
place.
Well, can
you imagine
the consternation
that Vietnam
vet felt?
It was such
a beautiful
finish.
The old
soldier was
overwhelmed,
from homelessness
to the
White House,
from shame
to honor,
and that
was the
deal.
She said
she had
come to
his place
and her
intention
was to
take him
back to
her
place.
Such a
great picture
of salvation.
God comes
to us,
seeks us
out,
pursues us
when we
would have
no regard
for him,
fixes the
mess that
we've made
through our
rebellion and
our sin,
takes the
punishment that's
due to us
on our
behalf,
makes us
acceptable to
God when
we have no
right to be
even near
God,
and caps it
all off by
saying,
now I'm
going to
take you
home to
be with
me forever.
forever.
We lose
all that as
we celebrate
Christmas and
focus on a
little baby.
Of course,
Christmas begins
with a little
baby, but no
ordinary baby.
God's King and
Savior coming to
do all of
that.
He sorts out
our heads,
he renews our
hearts through
the power of the
Spirit within us,
he gives us new
desires, new
attitudes, new
delight in serving
him, and
finally he makes
clear that he
won't be finished
with us until
he has us back
at home in
heaven with
him forever.
Now, the
promises all
leading up to
being saved,
he's delivered
on.
Why do we
find it so
hard to
accept that
he'll deliver
on all the
promises he
makes to us
after we're
saved?
we need to
take Jesus
at his
word.
Sin has
been dealt
with, freedom
from fear of
death, new
life, and
ultimately
heaven.
Now, surely
that's something
to make you
sing about,
isn't it?
Now, two
parting thoughts
then.
If you're a
believer, then
you've got lots
to sing about.
And let's
sing from the
song sheet that
Jesus gives
us.
Let's not go
through and cross
out the words
we're not sure
about and write
in our own
interpretation,
because nothing
we're sure will
write in a lot
more fear and
uncertainty again.
But then we
won't be singing
from Jesus
song sheet,
will we, if
we do that?
But it may be
that you're here
this morning and
you actually think
you've got nothing
to sing about
because you're
still living in
the shadow of
death, living
in fear,
desperately trying
to find community.
You're not
actually a
believer.
You're still
longing for a
place of safety,
you're still
longing for
security.
You're still
longing to find
a way to
live when
life seems so
fragile and
uncertain and
lonely.
Well, the
song sheet says
it all.
Turn to
Jesus.
He's come to
you in this
world, in your
situation.
life.
He's offering
you your very
heart's desire.
And he's
gently challenging
you to give up
looking for these
things elsewhere,
as you've been
doing, and find
them in him.
him.
And he promises
that his light
will dispel
darkness and
fear in your
life.
And he tells
you that his
light is already
shining.
What you need to
do is step out of
darkness into his
light and be
healed and feel
the sunrise warm
you through and
through and comfort
you.
and give you
that sense that
yes, all is
well in the
world, in
Jesus.
Pray with me.
Lord, the
words here, in
some ways, are
just so simple
and so clear.
Jesus is
light and
life and
peace.
He has come
to us.
You have
pursued us,
Lord, when we
wouldn't pursue
you.
You've pursued
us.
You've brought
us to
Jesus and
you've brought
Jesus to
us.
Lord, for
those here this
morning who have
not yet turned
to Jesus, but
are searching
for peace, I
pray, Lord, that
you might just
fill their minds,
flood their
hearts with the
fact that Jesus
is what they've
been looking for
all along.
And for those,
Lord, who are
already believers
but struggle to
take Jesus as
word and
therefore still
fearful, I
pray, Lord, that
we might actually
just be able to
go back to
singing from
your song
sheet, the
song sheet that
quite literally
says, Jesus
has done it
all and all to
him we owe.
I pray in Jesus'
name.
Amen.
Thanks very much
for listening to
me.
Thank you so much
for listening to me.
Thank you.