“Embracing Change To Experience Life!”
Luke 1 : 5 – 25
In the Old & New Testaments,
we encounter a
very different culture.
The culture of the Jews was such
that “NAMES” were of incredible
importance.
… means
“Jehovah Will Remember”
In his “Jesus the Messiah” gave us
an insight of the incidence here….
“It was the time of the morning
sacrifice. As the massive
Temple-gates slowly swung on
their hinges, a three-fold blast
from the silver trumpets of ….
…. the Priests seemed to waken
the City, as with the Voice of
God, to the life of another day.
As its echoes came in the still
air… up the slopes of the Upper
City, down the busy quarters
below, or away to the new suburb
beyond, they must, if but for a
moment, have brought ….
…. holier thoughts to all. For,
did it not seem to link the
present to the past and the
future, as with the golden
chain of promises that bound
the Holy City to the Jerusalem
that was above, which in type
had already, ….
…. and in reality would soon
descend from heaven? Patriot,
saint, or stranger, he could
not have heard it unmoved,
as thrice the summons from
within the Temple-gates
rose and fell.”
Remember….
• your “PROMISE” Jehovah
• your “PEOPLE” Jehovah
It has been 400 years that
Jehovah has not spoken to His
people – not even once!
At that moment, Zechariah was
ALONE…
• Zechariah approached the altar.
• He spread the incense.
• He waited as it kindled on the
coals.
As Zechariah
opened his eyes,
he was aware that
he was
NOT ALONE!
… means
“Mighty One of Jehovah”
Gabriel had come,
the “Mighty One of God”
to deliver a message,
but before he could deliver the
message he had to calm the fears
of those to whom he had appeared.
The last words of God were
recorded over 400 years ago by the
prophet Malachi, people had come
not to expect to hear from God.
The angel had come to inform
Zechariah that his prayer had
been heard
and that his wife would
now bear him a son,
to whom the name John
would be given.
Zechariah would indeed have a
son in his old age.
The son will be the immediate
forerunner to the promised
Messiah.
Whether from fear or doubt,
Zechariah dared to challenge
Gabriel with the question…
“How can I be sure of this?
I am an old man and my
wife is well along in
years.” (Luke 1:18)
… means
“Jehovah Is An Oath”
[Jehovah, the
Absolutely Reliable One]
Elizabeth was a descendant
of Aaron of the priestly line and she
had married a priest, their union was
said by
tradition to have a double blessing,
but things just didn’t seem to turn
out that way.
The
DESIRE of every Jewish
woman was to be mother
of the Messiah who would restore
their nation and fulfill the
promise of God.
Elizabeth and her husband were
UPRIGHT in the sight of God,
OBSERVING all the Lord’s
commandments and regulations
blamelessly.
Zechariah and Elizabeth
did not concern themselves with
the whispers and questions of their
neighbors, they knew whom it was
they were meant to please, and that
was the Lord. They were blameless
in the sight of God!
Elizabeth became pregnant
after Zechariah’s silent return
and then
she secluded herself for
a period of five months.
The name which seemed so long
to be misplaced on her now took on
its
fullest meaning….
What must it have been like for
Elizabeth, to gaze at this miracle
child, to gently caress the little
hands and
feet or to look into
the child’s eyes of
one announced by
the angel Gabriel
himself.
Those things which we call
“SUPERNATURAL”
because they are outside
of our regular experience
God calls “NATURAL.”
… means
“Jehovah Is Gracious”
The day of circumcision arrived for
Elizabeth’s son eight days after he
was born…
the male child was set apart with the
sign of God’s covenant with Israel.
An unusual event – the dedication of
a miracle child.
NAMING of the child…
As old Zechariah could no longer
speak it was assumed that the name
Zechariah would be given to this
child, that he might model his life
after his father’s and
serve as a priest of God.
Suddenly Elizabeth interrupted the
ceremony…
“No, his name will
not be Zechariah,
he will be called John.”
(Luke 1:59,60)
Why the name
“JOHN?”
It was the name given to him by the
command of God through the angel
Gabriel.
What’s in a
Surely there must be some reason
for God choosing the name
“JOHN” rather than allowing the
parents
to name the son.
The name “JOHN” means,
“Jehovah is Gracious.”
to an elderly couple in giving them a
son, but to really understand the
fullness
of his name we have to
revisit the words of Gabriel.
He is a “sign” given to the
Jews of the coming arrival of
their king.
Gabriel tells us that he (John) will
turn many people back to the Lord
their God.
He (John) will precede the
coming of the Lord with the spirit
and power of Elijah.
John the Baptist forms
the “BRIDGE” between
Old Testament and
New Testament for us.
Malachi 4:5-6 ….
the final words God
spoke in the
Old Testament before
400 years of silence.
Malachi 4:5,6….
“See, I will send you the
prophet Elijah before that
great and dreadful day of the
Lord comes. He will turn the
hearts of the fathers to their
children, and the hearts of the
children to their fathers; or
else I will come and strike the
land with a curse.” (NIV)
John …. the last prophet
of the Old Covenant.
It was an Old Testament prophet
who was needed to come and
graciously turn the people of Israel
back to their God and to prepare
the way for the promised One.
It is to John that the
announcement of the Messiah
falls… “Behold the Lamb of God
who take away the sins of the
world.”
Jesus would later say
of him, “No greater
prophet has ever lived.”
John comes to turn the hearts of
the fathers to
their children, to restore right
family relationships.
John comes to turn the
disobedient back to
the way of the righteous.
As I conclude this
message, I want to
remind you that we serve
…
A God who
A God who is
A God who is
A God who is