Enter the Light, Part 4
December 17, 2017
Summary and Goal
God’s servant Zechariah gave an exhortation of praise in response to God’s provision of a son, John the Baptist. Zechariah’s praise sprang forth from the reality that God was fulfilling His promise to redeem His people. This was a declaration of praise for God’s people, that the time of the Messiah had come.
Main Passages
Luke 1:67-79
Session Outline
1. Praise God for His Faithfulness to His Promises (Luke 1:67-75)
2. John Would Point People to Salvation (Luke 1:76-77)
3. The Dawn Guides Us Toward Peace (Luke 1:78-79)
Theological Theme
God is to be praised because of His faithfulness to His promise to send a Savior, giving the gift of salvation.
Christ Connection
Zechariah’s song praised God for being faithful to promises throughout the Old Testament to send a Savior. Christ’s birth marked the Dawn from on high visiting us so that we could be transformed through salvation.
Missional Application
Just as John the Baptist’s role was to make clear the way of the Lord and make Him known at His first coming, believers today must live in a way that points others to Christ, making Him known and preparing others for His second coming.
Historical Context of Luke
Purpose
To present an accurate account of the life of Christ and to present Christ as the perfect human and Savior.
Author
Luke—a doctor (Colossians 4:14), a Greek and Gentile Christian. He is the only known Gentile author in the New Testament. Luke was a close friend and companion of Paul. He also wrote Acts, and the two books go together.
To Whom Written
Theophilus (“one who loves God”), Gentiles, and people everywhere
Date Written
About A.D. 60
Setting
Luke wrote from Rome, or possibly from Caesarea.
Key Verses
“Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.’” – Luke 19:9-10
Key People
Jesus, Elizabeth, Zechariah, John the Baptist, Mary, the disciples, Herod the Great, Pilate, Mary Magdalene.
Key Places
Bethlehem, Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem
Special Features
This is the most comprehensive Gospel. The general vocabulary and diction show that the author was educated. He made frequent references to illnesses and diagnoses. Luke stressed Jesus’ relationships with people; emphasized prayer, miracles, and angels; recorded inspired hymns of praise; and gave a prominent place to women. Most of 9:51–18:35 is not found in any other Gospel.
Excerpted from the Life Application Study Bible (NIV). Tyndale House Publishes, 2003.
Introduction
One of the enduring mainstays of the Christmas season for the last four decades is the well-known Claymation special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. From its initial airing in 1964, it became a seasonal classic. The nearly hour-long special takes great creative liberty with the traditional lore of Rudolph, adding in classic characters like Yukon Cornelius, the Abominable Snowman, an elf named Hermie who just wants to be a dentist, and the entire cast of characters on the Island of Misfit Toys.
Despite the creative license, the core of the story remained: Santa Claus could not navigate a historic storm, and the potential devastation of children all over the world created a burdensome cloud over the residents of the North Pole. As you know, the solution for the seemingly insurmountable conditions was a light. That light just happened to be affixed to Rudolph’s face. What had once been hidden by his parents to prevent him from being made fun of became the sole beacon that could guide Santa’s team through the blizzard-filled darkness.
A lot of Christmas lore is foundationally tied to themes of the biblical Christmas story, whether people realize it or not. The biblical Christmas story at its core is a story of rescue—a rescue from darkness. As has been shown throughout this series, the concept of light obliterating darkness so that those previously trapped by that darkness could be free runs the Scriptural gamut when addressing the coming Messiah. In Zechariah’s prophecy, Zechariah recounted God’s faithfulness and prophesied one last forerunner of the coming Light.
- In your Christmas traditions (favorite movies, places to visit, etc.) where do you see the themes of light and darkness most prominently?
- How does the understanding of Christmas as a celebration of rescue resonate with your annual Christmas traditions?
- Describe a time when you were rescued from something. What were the circumstances? How did your feelings change when your rescuer arrived?
Session Summary
Prior to this week’s passage, Zechariah had been visited by the angel Gabriel, who told him that his wife, Elizabeth, would conceive a son. Much like the promise of Isaac’s birth to Abraham and Sarah, Zechariah and Elizabeth were well-advanced in years, making child-bearing seemingly impossible. When Zechariah expressed his skepticism, Gabriel told him he would be mute until the time of the child’s birth. When the child was born, Zechariah’s tongue was loosed immediately after he obediently wrote that the child must be named John.
The passage this week answered the lingering question of John the Baptist’s purpose and identity. Zechariah erupted into praise in light of God’s great faithfulness and the sense that His salvation was at hand. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Zechariah prophesied the role of his son in making clear the way of the Savior.
1. Praise God for His Faithfulness to His Promises (Luke 1:67-75)
The important detail of Zechariah being filled with the Holy Spirit provides a biblical explanation for the extensive insight of his prophecy. Being filled with the Holy Spirit, from the Old Testament through Acts 2, meant that the Holy Spirit was empowering someone for a specific task for a specific time. Zechariah being filled with the Holy Spirit gave him insight into God’s plans well beyond his own.
His Holy Spirit-empowered prophesying traced the promises of God for the redemption of His people from God’s covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7, through the prophecies of the prophets. The language of “salvation from our enemies and from the clutches of those who hate us” hearkened back to the events of Exodus. Zechariah’s prophecy spans all of the Old Testament in such a way that he viewed every element of Israel’s history as part of God’s promise of a Savior gradually being fulfilled. His understanding of his own people, their history, and his own son who had just been born was informed by his understanding of God’s sovereignty as the driving force in the midst of it all.
- When you think about your life and how God has walked with you, where are some critical junctures at which God showed Himself faithful? Was it easier to perceive those moments of faithfulness when they happened, or as you look back on them after some time had passed?
- How does it make you feel to read about God remembering His covenant throughout numerous generations? What promises in His Word do you remember most often? How does His faithfulness, recorded in Zechariah’s prophecy, relate to you?
Rescue in Zechariah’s prophecy existed on two planes: the temporal and the eternal. In the temporal plane, or our physical world, God was a constant protector and provider for His people, even when their sinfulness made them unworthy of it. In light of that, His grace and mercy was plentifully evident to the generations of Israelites that came before Zechariah. On the spiritual plane, however, even greater rescue was underway. The rescue was not from political oppression, in which one oppressor was replaced by the next. Rather, the spiritual rescue was an eternal one in which the great oppression of sin that separated God’s people from Him was in the process of being eradicated. The clutches of their enemies did not merely refer to the Roman Empire of Zechariah’s generation any more so than it was restricted to the Babylonians, Assyrians, Midianites, or Philistines from previous Israelite generations. Ultimately, the clutches of the enemy God’s people would be rescued from are those of the principalities of spiritual darkness.
2. John Would Point People to Salvation (Luke 1:76-77)
The first nine verses of the prophecy set the context for understanding who this child, John, would be by outlining redemptive history from Abraham forward. Then, verses 76-77 answered the question more directly. Zechariah prophesied over his newly born son that he would be a prophet of the Most High. This description spoke to John the Baptist’s role as the precursor of the Messiah, confirming the words of Gabriel when Zechariah was initially informed that his son would have a special place in God’s redemptive history (Luke 1:13-17). When Zechariah’s prophecy is paired with Luke 1:13-17, it’s clear that Zechariah’s son was the fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3—a fact not lost on the priest, Zechariah.
- God had specifically set John aside to point people to the Savior. How do you think God has specifically gifted and created you for that same purpose?
- Sometimes the magnificence of the events in Scripture can make us feel like those things could never happen today. How do you personally avoid that temptation? How do you remain mindful that the same God who empowered Zechariah also empowers you? Why is it important to do so?
Jesus and John are forever intertwined in Zechariah’s prophecy. The prophecy included several descriptors of John’s ministry that would also be present in the coming earthly ministry of Jesus. Specifically, John would “give His people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins” (Luke 1:77). That should not be confused with John being able to provide salvation as only Jesus could. However, part of the role of preparing the way for Jesus was John’s preaching repentance and forgiveness of sin so that the people understood salvation.
3. The Dawn Guides Us Toward Peace (Luke 1:78-79)
Finally, it was clear that the ultimate result of God’s merciful compassion was the coming of Jesus. In these last two verses, the idea of visitation took on a deeper connotation, which is wonderfully explained multiple times in Hebrews. The writer of Hebrews taught that while Jesus faced every temptation of humanity, He did so without sin (Heb. 4:15). His visitation was one of empathy, feeling every distress common to man and more.
The brilliance of His light would shine on those living in darkness and the shadow of death. The language here refers to those oppressed by the cosmic forces of spiritual darkness that afflict the physical realm. Darkness should never be understood as a morally neutral absence of light.
- At times, we can feel the weight of our sin so heavily, it feels grievous to even mention in prayer. How does remembering that Jesus experienced temptation of every kind battle that faulty idea?
- When you read the phrase, “live in darkness,” what images does that conjure up in your mind? How do you battle living in darkness daily?
The way of peace contrasts that of darkness. When a person lives in darkness, they succumb to temptation and conform to the ways of the world. The defining characteristic of living in darkness is not living a lifestyle that has God as its central focus. On the other hand, Christ guides our feet, meaning He points people in a direction toward the way of peace. “Peace” carries the idea of God’s rest and justice. Peace is not the absence of conflict, but an existence under the reign of a merciful, compassionate God.
Conclusion
It’s easy to focus only on the wondrous description of Christ’s redemptive work in Zechariah’s prophecy. We must not lose sight, though, of the fact that the larger description is the role of John the Baptist’s pointing the way to Christ. Believers are both beneficiaries of God’s merciful compassion and messengers of that same compassion. We have much in common with the work of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Christ’s earthly ministry. With the leading of the Holy Spirit, believers prepare others for the return of Christ by making Christ known in their various spheres of influence, speaking the gospel in love and extolling God’s grace.
As we go through the Christmas season, there is no question that people all around us live under darkness and the shadow of death. They are imprisoned in cells of different names: loneliness, poverty, addiction, selfishness, self-reliance, materialism, and carnality, just to begin the list. We have the opportunity to be the instruments Jesus uses to guide our feet into the way of peace.
- Pause and prayerfully think through the interactions you’ve had this week at work, school, and home. What evidences of brokenness is the Spirit reminding you of in those interactions? How can you be a messenger of light this week to one of those people?
- Look at your remaining plans for the Christmas season. How many of those would be suitable for inviting a friend or neighbor to participate? How can you best demonstrate merciful compassion?
- How can you be a part of our church’s ministry to our community this season? Why is it important to participate in biblical community this way?
Prayer of Response
Pray that God would make your group mindful of all the ways God has shown Himself faithful, as revealed in Zechariah’s prophecy. Pray that the Holy Spirit would invigorate those in your group to move toward those living in darkness this week.
Extended Commentary
Luke 1:67-79
1:67. God had one more word for the pondering people. The Spirit promised for the son (v. 15) and pledged to come to Mary (v. 35) now spoke through Zechariah as he had through Elizabeth (v. 41). Thus, Zechariah’s song of praise, reflective of so much of Mary’s song (vv. 46-55), was more than human singing. It was divine prophecy, declaring God’s word for God’s people.
1:68-75. Praise and adoration belong to God alone. As he redeemed Israel from Egyptian slavery (Exod. 15:13; Deut. 13:5; Ps. 77:15; 111:9), so through the forerunner and the Savior he would again pay the price for his people’s salvation. He will accomplish this through the Messiah whom everyone expected—the king anointed from a horn of oil and given divine strength like the strength of the great horned deer and oxen (1 Sam. 2:1,10; 2 Sam. 22:3; Ps. 89:17). The prophets said he would do this. Just think of Isaiah 9 and 11 and Jeremiah 23. The promise to David in 2 Samuel 7 is coming to pass.
Just look what will happen: Victory over our enemies. Everyone who hates us is doomed. The oppression and persecution we have suffered so long from the nations is past history. A new day has dawned. Why? Because God is faithful. He did not forget the covenant of mercy he made with our fathers. He promised Abraham a great nation. We will see that happen. Free from enemies, we can devote our lives to serve God without fear or hindrance. That means we will be a different people. We will be holy, set apart to serve and obey him, different from all other peoples on earth. We will be righteous, fulfilling the covenant promises we made to God just as he fulfilled his promises to us.
1:76-79. These wonderful hopes can come true through the little baby Zechariah held in his hands. This helpless, miraculous baby will be God’s first prophet since Malachi over four hundred years before. He will not be the Messiah. He will be the one who prepares the way. He is the forerunner whom Malachi promised (see Mal. 3:1). He will let people know what God is up to. He will show them they can have salvation by letting God forgive their sins. Then they can be righteous keepers of the covenant.
Zechariah continued his song of praise: This is not to say how great this son of mine will be. This is to say how wonderful God is. This is all due to his mercy. God wants to send the rising sun of righteousness Malachi said would come (Mal. 4:2). For too long God’s people have lived in the