Luke 1:56-66
God Has Been Here
This is the fifth in the Luke series. We are in a section of
proclamations.
1. Gabriel to Zacharias
2. Gabriel to Mary
3. Elisabeth to Mary
4. Mary to God
5. Zacharias to Israel
Zacharias’ proclamation is a little different in that it was the
longest and it was a public proclamation whereas the others have all
been private, all in the presence of just two
I. \\#56-66\\ Miracles
A. \\#56\\ Mary went back home.
1. That might not sound like a miracle but it did take some
courage.
2. I mentioned last week that life kept moving in between
these proclamations.
a. Mary stayed with Elisabeth and Zacharias for 3 months.
b. Of course Elisabeth was in her 6th month when Gabriel
came to visit Mary so Mary departed just before
Elisabeth was due.
c. Why? We don’t know.
d. Mary would have been showing by that time and probably
felt she needed to return to face whatever lay ahead
for her.
e. That took moral courage and for someone to have it
today seems lacking!
B. \\#57\\ Elisabeth had a son whom they named John. \\#60\\
1. Remember, \\#13\\ the angel did not merely promised would
conceive but bare a son.
2. This is that promised miracle!
C. \\#58-66\\ Zacharias spoke.
1. You remember that Zacharias lost the ability to speak
because \\#18\\ he questioned the angel for assurance
that the promise would be fulfilled.
a. In short, Zacharias was asking for a sign.
b. God knew he would and had already told the angel what
the sign would be.
(1) It would be him!
(2) Zacharias would be mute until the child was born.
(3) And John remained mute until he acknowledged that
the angel’s word has been fulfilled by calling
the child’s name John.
2. Don’t doubt God.
a. I know it is both common and easy to do.
b. Zacharias was a righteous man and he doubted, but both
account and Jesus’ remarks to the Pharisees make me
think God is not too thrilled when we seek signs.
c. If anyone is going to say anything about a sign, let
it be God who offers to give it not us who ask to
receive it!
(1) Let faith be our sign.
(2) God’s banner over us is love. Our banner over
Him should be faith!
II. Zacharias’ Proclamations - What will be Zacharias’ first words
after at least 9 months of silence? His will be words to Israel
about two topics.
A. \\#68-75\\ Zacharias had words concerning God.
1. God had been there!
Luke 1:68 …for he (God) hath visited… his
people…
a. This was news to Israel.
(1) In part because God’s work had been behind closed
doors.
(a) An angel appeared to Zacharias behind closed
doors and then to Mary behind closed doors.
(b) Who was going to believe it?
(c) Then one older woman gets pregnant.
i. That is rare but not unheard of).
ii. A 62 year old woman in Spain just had
a baby girl.
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/10/19/62-year-old-woman-in-spain-
gives-birth-to-third-child.html
(d) Then a teen woman gets pregnant. More rare
then than now but still not news.
(e) Without the angels being seen, what is that
to get excited about?
(2) In part because those who were the recipients of
God being there did not want to speak about it.
(a) \\#24\\ Once Elisabeth was pregnant, she hid
herself for five months.
(b) Mary was essentially hiding herself by going
to live with Elisabeth for three months.
(c) Zacharias could write but he could not
speak and if his wife didn’t want people to
know, I got a feeling he wasn’t going to
tell them.
(3) It seems obvious that God wanted this to start
small.
(a) Especially with Zacharias.
i. Why didn’t God have the angel appear to
the public?"
ii. Zacharias was at the temple on a holy
day.
iii. There were lots of people just on the
other side of the wall!
(b) Here’s the thing about God’s small works:
i. IF the people will believe, they will
lead to bigger and bigger works.
ii. God plants a seed and our faith and
obedience waters it.
iii. The only thing that can stop God from
doing something bigger and better is
us!
b. But God was working! God is always working.
c. Once John was born and Zacharias could speak, it was
time the people knew. God had been in Israel!
2. God had put some power to His promise of salvation.
Luke 1:69 And hath raised up an horn of
salvation for us in the house of his servant
David;
a. God had been promising a salvation for some time.
Joe 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that
whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD
shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in
Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD
hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD
shall call.
Ob 1:17 But upon mount Zion shall be
deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and
the house of Jacob shall possess their
possessions.
b. The deliverance that God had promised was national and
personal.
c. I love God but promises are hard to eat or deposit.
(1) At some point, we need God to fulfill His
promises.
(2) Zacharias was saying that God had.
d. The "horn" is the symbol of power.
e. Zacharias was stating that John’s birth is the
beginning of God giving Israel their promised
deliverance.
3. Along that same thought, Zacharias said that God had at
least begun to fulfill His covenants.
Luke 1:70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy
prophets, which have been since the world began:
Luke 1:72 … to remember his holy covenant;
73 The oath which he sware to our father
Abraham,
a. Many figure Abraham lived around 2000 BC. Zacharias
was as far removed from Abraham as we are from
Zacharias.
b. But God had not forgotten the promises made to
Abraham.
c. God will not forget the promises made to us either.
d. God had made several promises to Israel.
(1) God’s promises with the nation of Israel are
called covenants.
(2) God made one with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David,
and one just called the New Covenant.
(3) Each covenant built on the last.
(4) The Holy Spirit was saying that what God had done
in the last months had set things into motion
for those covenants to be fulfilled.
4. And along that same thought, Zacharias said the national
deliverance that God has promised was even closer.
Luke 1:74 That he would grant unto us, that we
being delivered out of the hand of our enemies
might serve him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him,
all the days of our life.
a. Two elements were at the heart of the covenants that
God had made with Israel.
(1) Israel would have the land in peace, free from
the hatred of their enemies.
(2) Israel would be righteous, right with God.
b. As to the second element, the only ones keeping Israel
from being righteous is Israel. They could turn to
God at any moment. Sadly, they will not.
c. Why is God waiting so long to give Israel the land and
to cut off their enemies?
(1) I think God is waiting until everyone decides
whose side they are on.
(2) It looks like all nations, even the United
States, may end up on the wrong side.
B. \\#76-79\\ Zacharias had some words concerning his son.
1. John would be a prophet to God.
Luke 1:76 And thou, child, shalt be called the
prophet of the Highest….
2. John would prepare the way for Lord.
Luke 1:76 …for thou shalt go before the face
of the Lord to prepare his ways;
a. Zacharias made it sound so literal.
b. It was. John would see the Lord face to face and
prepare a path for Him to walk among men.
c. Zacharias got very specific.
3. John would give "knowledge of salvation to the people,
i.e. he would tell them how to be saved.
Luke 1:77 To give knowledge of salvation unto
his people by the remission of their sins,
4. John would give light to a dark world.
Luke 1:79 To give light to them that sit in
darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our
feet into the way of peace.
\\#80\\ reveals that after John was born, for this family, life went
back to normal as much as it could, but God would continue to work—
as God always does.
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