Sermon on Luke 1:57-80, for the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, "Benedictus"
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God
our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. If you have young
children, or if you watch how parents with new babies behave—you’ll notice that
there’s often a delightful dreaming that goes on. Wondering what their child
will be like, guessing at how their little budding personality will flower,
dreaming about their future achievements in sports or art or music or learning,
or things like these. There’s a sense of hopefulness for their child and the
recognition that a child is the birth of something good into this world. Trusting
God, we release the fears that cloud our horizons to His care and keeping, and
His victory over fear and evil.
The naming of a child can be as simple
as choosing a family name, as the relatives of Zechariah and Elizabeth wanted
to do, for their newborn son John. It’s an honorable and traditional way to
give names. Another traditional practice is choosing a name by its special
meaning. All around the world, in ancient and modern times, a name often
carries special significance and is often meant as a blessing for that child.
The reason why it was so important to
get John the Baptist’s name right, and why this little family tussle over
naming him was recorded, is that God’s own angel had directed them to name him
John. And perhaps not far underneath that reason, was that his name was
prophetic in itself. The name means: “The Lord has shown favor.” Right then,
John was just an 8 day old baby, waiting for his circumcision and naming. But
some 30 years or so in the future, he would astonish crowds and draw them out
to the wilderness, to hear his ringing cry of repentance—to prepare the way,
and make straight paths for the Lord. The Kingdom of God was advancing toward
them, and the Lord would bring His favor. God was on the move in their day and
time, and John was to turn their hearts back to Him. The Lord has shown favor could hang like a frame around the picture
of John’s ministry—pointing sinners away from their sins and toward the coming
Messiah—John’s own cousin Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary.
When Zechariah confirmed that his son’s
name would be John, God opened Zechariah’s mouth from 9 months of silence. From
the day that he doubted the angel’s promise to this day of John’s naming,
Zechariah was unable to speak. But now that he saw and believed God’s promise,
God loosed his tongue, and the first words from his long silent mouth, were
praise to God. And his song of praise, often called the “Benedictus” or
“blessing”, is more than just the hopeful thinking of a happy parent, but it
was the revealed words of prophecy from God Himself. It was the promise of the
angel and more—a glorious declaration of how God was now moving for the
salvation of His people.
As a preacher, I often tell you that
some words in the Bible are “pregnant with meaning” or a “loaded word” that
carries a rich treasure of spiritual baggage. A single word may evoke many
other vivid Bible passages; a lot of information may be packed into one word.
They’re like jewels and diamonds to discover in a passage. Zechariah’s
Benedictus, is filled with these word-jewels! Let’s try to briefly take them,
verse by verse, to reflect on them in our hands and heart, marveling at God’s
love for you. Some would be worthy of an
entire sermon on their own, but here goes a shorter walkthrough of that
beautiful song instead.
68.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people…Visited—God
has descended, come down from heaven—into our human life to see us for Himself.
Not the remote, distant superpower outside the universe, but the intimate,
personal God-on-the-scene. Even as Zechariah spoke these words over 8 day old
John, God was still marvelously and wondrously knitting together the hidden
form of baby Jesus, that visitor from heaven to earth, still safe in mother
Mary’s womb. God watched with parental delight and joy, the growing form of His
Son Jesus. Zechariah was singing, from God’s prophetic storyline, the future
days of Jesus, come to visit and redeem His people.
Redeem…to purchase or buy back. As from
slavery and captivity. Its costly to redeem someone. To give them their
freedom. How much greater, the price for His
people than for just one. 69. [He]
has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David.
A horn of salvation—power and joy triumphantly announced! God’s rescue is
coming from the house of ancient King David. Named here, not as king, but as
servant! The Servant that would come from this house would be Jesus, King of
the Jews!
70.
As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old.
Zechariah revered the sacred Scriptures, and the prophets God gave to write
them. The Word of God endures forever, outlasting any kingdoms, monuments of
men, or anything else of our making. It is true and reliable, filled with
ancient wisdom and present insight. 71.
That we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us. Almost all of Israel’s history was
dogged by enemies who wanted to destroy them. But God was their refuge, their
shield, and deliverer. God’s might triumphs over the might of evil; those who
wait upon the Lord will find refuge in Him. We need not fear enemies with God
at our side.
72.
To show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant.
God calls to mind His promises. We also call out God’s promises to Him when we
search the holy prophets, and cling to their words. God is not forgetful, but
keeps His holy covenant. A contract, an agreement, a promise from Him to us, of
what He will do. He will not break His Word.
73.
The oath that He swore to our Father Abraham, to grant us 74 that we, being
delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear.
God swore an oath—doubling down on His promise to bless Abraham—and confirming
it by His unchanging character and His inability to lie (Hebrews 6:13-18). No
higher assurance can be given to us. Why does He rescue us from our enemies? So
that we would serve Him without fear. Fearless service to God is not crippled
by a fear of failure or God’s judgment, because we know all who repent and
believe in Him are forgiven. Our service to God becomes a free and joyful
service. We’re not forced or coerced. We’re not cowed by enemies, because God
is sovereign.
A service 75 in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. To be
holy is to be sanctified or purified—made clean. Only God can bestow on us His
holiness. To be righteous is to have God’s legal status, declared innocent and
right before Him. Only God declares this verdict, by faith in His Son Jesus,
for the forgiveness of our sins. This was John’s message for all to repent and
be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. Clothed by God’s forgiveness, we serve
God in holiness and righteousness all our days.
76
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go
before the Lord to prepare His ways. Here Zechariah’s song
becomes personal to his son John. Prophet or messenger of the Most High God,
John himself was the fulfillment of prophecies—7 centuries earlier, John was
prophesied by Isaiah. 4 centuries earlier, by the prophet Malachi. Both said
this messenger would prepare the way of the Lord.
77
To give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins.
78 because of the tender mercy of our
God… How do you know that you are saved? How do you know that the Holy and
Just God who made the universe cares for you, and will spare you from an
eternity of misery and separation from Him? How do you know if your life was
well lived or not? None of us gets to be our own judge. None of us gets to
excuse our way out of our own sin. Only God’s judgment will count. And we know
that God loves us when we know the forgiveness of our sins, in Jesus, the
Messiah. When we believe in Him, we have everlasting life, and we know that
just so…God loved the world. Just so, we see the tenderness of God’s mercy,
that He has made this pathway of repentance—to turn away from self-destruction,
selfishness, and sin, and into His loving arms.
78b
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. The shadow of the grave stretched far over humanity.
In all the millennia of human history, none has returned from death, never to
die again, save one person. One man, called in prophecy the sun of
righteousness (Malachi 4:2), or here, the sunrise that shall visit us from on
high. Jesus the Messiah, rose from His grave on the third day. And with the
rising of SON Jesus’ light, the shadows of darkness and death were cast away.
From the Easter of Jesus walking in His body, out from the tomb, an eternal ray
of light is cast that drives away all shadows of fear, and guides our feet into
the way of peace. God visited earth in the person of Jesus, to defeat the
otherwise undefeated enemy of mankind—death. Jesus took on death and won. And
opened to us the way of everlasting life.
The song ends by saying He guides our
feet into the way of peace. Biblical peace, or shalom, is a wholeness, a
well-being of body, heart, mind, and soul. It’s all encompassing. And as God is
the only giver of holiness and righteousness—so also He alone gives peace, as
the world cannot give. The peace of sins forgiven. The peace of a heart and
conscience at rest with God, because guilt has been taken away on the cross.
The peace of facing life or death with the confident knowledge that God our
Refuge has not and will not fail us. The peace of serving Him without fear,
because what enemy can frighten us, if even death has been defeated? The way of
peace because serving Him and not ourselves, gives us the greatest joys and
freedoms of a live lived well. May we always sing with Zechariah: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel!”, and
as the life of his son John confessed: “The
Lord has shown favor!” Amen. Now may that peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, unto life
everlasting, Amen.
Sermon Talking
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- Why was it so
important to Zechariah and Elizabeth to get the name of their son right?
Luke 1:59-64. Why did was the name that meant “The Lord has shown favor”
fit John’s life so well?
- Why was Zechariah’s
prophecy in Luke 1:68-79 more than just the hopes and dreams of a loving
parent? What great themes fill this song, the “Benedictus?” (“blessed”).
- What does it
mean that God has “visited” His people? John 1:14; 3:31; Luke 7:16; Exodus
4:31.
- A “horn” is a
symbol of power or victory. How has God raised up His power and victory,
in the time of John the Baptist? How is this connected with His
“redeeming” of His people?
- How does
Zechariah reverence the Word of God? Luke 1:70. How did Israel face their
numerous and powerful enemies? When and why did they suffer defeat (or
victory)?
- What is God’s
“holy covenant?” How does God assure Abraham that He will keep His
covenant? Hebrews 6:13-18; Genesis 12:1-3.
- What is it to
be “holy” or “righteous” in God’s sight? Romans 4:2-3. How are we clothed
in that righteousness and washed pure? Romans 6; Galatians 3.
- How was John
foretold in prophesy? Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1. What title was given for
the coming Messiah? Malachi 4:2; Isaiah 40:3, 5.
- Describe the
many facets of the word “peace.” Which “jewel” or word in this Benedictus
is most precious to you this day?
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