The Most Important Questions for Judaism

0:45Total opposite. It couldn't be farthest from the truth. We've loved our time here so much. It's been such a thrill to worship alongside of you and serve alongside of you. Such a thrill to be able to be with so many young adults that are so eager to learn the Word of God. Been such a thrill to preach in this pulpit. My wife and I want to especially thank you for walking through the foster adopt process with us. Such a gift to have our church body throughout all of that. So thank you, thank you, thank you. And you can turn in your Bibles to the end of Luke chapter 1. Luke chapter 1.

1:32We get to enjoy the Word of God together this morning. We'll be studying Zechariah's prophecy in Luke chapter 1, verses 68 through 79. And Merry Christmas. It was over Thanksgiving break that I was sitting in a recliner reading the newspaper and I stumbled across an article entitled, Is That Kosher? Rabbis Debate Plant-Based Pork. It was in the humorous section of the paper, and I chuckled along with the rabbis as they explored this new dilemma. This is quoting from the article. It might look like pork, smell like pork, even taste like pork, just don't call it pork. The arrival of fake plant-based meat expanded the culinary horizon for many observant Jews in recent years. Faux cheeseburgers were suddenly on the menu at kosher restaurants without breaking the ban on mixing dairy with meat. Chili cheese fries became an option. Could Impossible Food Inc. fake pork also get a kosher seal of approval?

2:55Just the word pork was too much to stomach. Said Rabbi Menachem Gannach. While many animals are considered not kosher, including many mammals, nearly all bugs, all reptiles, shellfish, and the list goes on. Jews have a particularly fraught relationship with pigs. So I was laughing along with this article with the rabbis. They're kind of poking fun at themselves. Until I got to this line, about a third of the way through the article. It says this. This is a scholar and a professor of Jewish religion. He was quoted as saying this: This is possibly the most important decision for Judaism in the 21st century.

3:45This is possibly the most important decision for Judaism in the 21st century. That's what he said. And I had to put the paper down. You know, I couldn't laugh along with that anymore. Because the reality is, that is not the most important decision for Judaism in the 21st century. That's not the most important decision for Judaism in any century. Not even close, right? The most important questions for Judaism are timeless, and they're the same in every single century. When will God fulfill his promises to the Jewish people? Will God fulfill his promises to David? Will God remember his covenant? Will he rescue his people? From the hand of their enemies. Who is the Messiah? Has the Messiah already come?

4:38These are the most important questions for Judaism. Well, Zechariah knew this. And I'm not speaking about the Zechariah in the Old Testament, the prophet, although he knew this as well. Instead, I'm speaking about the priest that we read about in Luke, the priest who also prophesied, better known as John the Baptist's dad, that Zechariah. He knew the most important questions facing Judaism in the first century. The angel appeared to him. The angel announced that there would be a child in his wife's womb, though she was advanced in years. And at first, Zechariah did not believe this, but he was forced to be mute. Do you remember this story? He was forced to be mute throughout the pregnancy, all the way until John was eight days old.

5:34But when he could speak, boy did he speak, right? Luke chapter 1, verse 67 says, His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he prophesied. And as we study this morning what he said, we'll see that he did understand the most important questions facing Judaism. Because even though this is the birth of his only, Son, as an old man, never able to have children, this is the birth of his only son. You can tell that this prophecy, this song, this poem, whatever you want to call it, the star of this prophecy is not his son.

6:20The tone of this prophecy is not this John, he is the forerunner of the Messiah. Instead, the tone is this John, he's the forerunner of the Messiah. The Messiah is coming. He recognizes the true significance of what's happening in the birth of John the Baptist, his own son. And he gives God the glory. Full of the Holy Spirit, he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. Almost verbatim, this is a copy of what King David said when he heard in his bed, when he heard that King Solomon was anointed as king.

7:07And so as Zechariah looks forward to the birth of another king, he goes on to say why the Lord should be blessed. So this morning as we study, as we step through this Holy Spirit-inspired prophecy, we'll see five reasons to bless the God of Israel. Five reasons to bless the God of Israel. And I hope that as we go through, whether you're taking notes or not, I pray that in your hearts you can praise the Lord and bless the Lord for these same reasons that Zechariah is praising him in this text. So, five reasons to bless the God of Israel. He brought his promised redemption, he brought his promised king, he brought his promised protection, he brought his promised forerunner, and he brought his promised light. We'll step through each of those one at a time. So follow along as I read from Luke chapter 1, starting in verse 67.

8:07And 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 has 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. Verse 76.

9:00And 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. Pray with me. Father, as we come to study your word, as we study this passage, I pray that you would give us a mind to understand it, give us the will to accept it, as we bow our knee before you in humble recognition that you are the God of eternity, that you are the God that knows the end from the beginning, that you are the God who prophesied all of these things so specifically and so clearly.

10:12We thank you, Father, that moved by your Holy Spirit, Zechariah could explain so many of these Old Testament passages using so much of this Old Testament language to say what is going on in the birth of John. The Baptist and the birth of the Messiah that we celebrate this week. Help us focus, help us understand, help us rejoice, help us praise you, help us bless you, Father, the God of Israel. Thank you, Father, in Jesus' name. Amen.

10:57The first reason to bless the God of Israel is that he brought his promised redemption. He brought his promised redemption. Look at verse 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. Praise be to Israel's God. Why? Why is Zechariah so moved by the Holy Spirit to praise God? For he has visited and redeemed his people. Visited and redeemed his people. Two Old Testament words, two words that are used all over the place. Visited, not just speaking about the visit of the Messiah, although it does refer to that often. Not just referring to the incarnation, but to any time the Lord visits his people, usually to bring mercy, to bring special favor in their time of need. You might remember that. When the Lord visited Baron Sarah and granted her a son, that's the word it uses, is that the Lord visited her. Or when God visited his people Israel in Egypt and he delivered them from captivity. Or when God visited even the Gentile kingdom of Tyre and ended their 70-year captivity. The Lord is visiting and granting mercy, and now Zechariah is seeing this happen again. The Lord is visiting his people. He's redeeming them, just as he did from the land of Egypt. Now he's redeeming them, visiting them, ending all oppression for his people.

12:48Well, just like visited, the word redeemed is used all over the scriptures, and it can mean spiritual redemption or physical redemption. Yes, it often means spiritual redemption. It refers to this payment, this redemption price that the Redeemer has paid to forgive people of their sins, to free them from their sins. But usually, this word for redeemed, or at least often, is a freedom from their enemies, just like we saw with visitation. It's a freedom from their enemies. And I think that's what he means here: is not spiritual redemption, but physical redemption, freeing them from all of their enemies.

13:40God remembered his promise to visit and redeem his people Israel, and he's sending this king who will do just that. God has not forgotten Israel, and Zechariah understands that what's taking place in his day, as the Messiah is born, that this is what leads to freedom from all oppression for his nation, his chosen nation, Israel. We're going to rush on to the next points because I think they'll explain more about this redemption from the enemies and this visit from the Lord. But before we do, I just want to point out, by way of application, this unwavering trust that we're going to see from Zechariah throughout this whole passage. You know, there's never a doubt in his mind that God is going to fulfill his promises to the nation of Israel. There's never a doubt.

14:46He doesn't feel the need to change them. He doesn't feel the need to make them easier for God to fulfill. He knows that God said, I will plant them upon their land, and they shall never be able to be. Again, be uprooted out of the land that I have given them. That's Amos 9:15. And so, Zechariah trusts that God will visit and redeem his people, just like he said he would. And we should have the same kind of trust for the promises that we have received. We should have that unwavering trust as believers.

15:26We should understand that if it's in God's word and he said it would be true, then it is true, and that the promises will be fulfilled. So, for example, when God tells us that he can make us stand in the presence of his glory, blameless and with great joy, we can believe it. We can trust it. We can, like Zechariah, we can take God at his word, that he's able to somehow, though we are sinners, make us blameless and in his presence, full of joy instead of terror.

16:12Do you believe that promise? Well, first, he brought his promised redemption. Second, he brought his promised king. Look at verse 68 again: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redempted. Redeemed his people and has raised up a horn. He has 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. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us and the house of David. So Zechariah again is prophesying about the birth of his own son, John the Baptist, but he knows that his own son is the forerunner of the Messiah to come, this Davidic king who will reign on the throne forever.

17:10This horn of salvation that God is raising up for the nation of Israel. Now, this term as well is all over the Old Testament. We're going to say that over and over and over this morning because that's what Zechariah's prophecy is. It's just full of Old Testament scripture. And so you might remember Psalm 18. Psalm 18 in verses 2 and 3. This is a Psalm of David, and David writes, The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

18:02So, David here is looking to the Lord as his shield and his rock and his horn of salvation. I think you have the picture of like an ox, you know, strong horns, this defense, able to attack or defend a stronghold, a shield for David, a fortress, so that David is saved from his enemies. Well, even more pertinent, we see this phrase in Psalm 132, our scripture reading from this morning. Verse 17 says, There, and he's saying in Zion, there I will make a horn to sprout for David.

18:49I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine. The scriptures are saying that God is going to raise up this horn for David in Jerusalem to reign and wear the crown. He's prophesying about the coming Messiah. And Zechariah, in Luke chapter 1, back in our text, he's saying, This is here. The prophetic scriptures are being fulfilled. He has 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.

19:37In Zechariah's day, these prophecies of the coming Messiah, these are ancient prophecies. In Zechariah's day, they're already 700 years old, at least for some of the prophecies we're going to look at this morning. These are ancient prophecies for Zechariah, and yet he understands that they're coming true in his day. And these are not Delphic prophecies. They're not ambiguous. They're not Nostradamus, fortune cookie promises. They're not the kind of prophecies that anything could fulfill. These are not ambiguous prophecies. No, these are specific prophecies. Zechariah says that the unified, singular mouth of the Old Testament prophets spoke very specifically about the coming Messiah, and he's saying this is coming true, exactly as the scripture said. What the prophets spoke is coming true. They speak of a coming king, a king who would deliver Israel from all of their enemies.

20:56And the king came, just as God said. So again, do we trust the promises of Scripture, like Zechariah trusted the promises of Scripture? They're old for us, just like they were old for him. Do we trust them? For those who have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, Scripture tells us that the God of peace will surely sanctify us completely. Do we believe it? Do we believe in God's promises? He says our whole spirit and soul and body will be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Do we believe it?

21:53Do we wait and long for that day like Zechariah longs for God's promises to be fulfilled? God brought his promised redemption, and he brought his promised king. And third, he brought his promised protection. He brought his promised protection. In verse 69, he mentioned this horn of salvation, and now he's going to abruptly turn and talk about that salvation. He just says the word salvation, and most of our translations kind of try to smooth it over. But you could almost just put a big dash and write salvation, as that's the new topic. Salvation, verse 71, from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. So he's saying specifically what salvation he means. Yes, Christ saved us from our sins. He'll get to that in just a little bit. Right now, what he's talking about is salvation for the Jews from all of their enemies. Verse 71, salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to show mercy 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.

23:24So God is going to bring this salvation. Why? Why is God going to bring this salvation? Verse 72, it is mercy to their fathers. God is remembering his covenant and his oath that he gave to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. God hasn't forgotten. Yes, in Zechariah, that was 2,000 years ago in Zechariah's day. But God hasn't forgotten. God has brought, Zechariah says, God has brought this promised protection to deliver them from all of their enemies as a nation, so that they can then serve God without fear, not having to worry about these other nations that are oppressing them, but as Israelites, as the Jewish nation, they are able to serve God before him all their days. And here in the passage is when we get to the sticky wicket.

24:37God has said in the Old Testament that he would plant them in the land forever. Zechariah understands that this coming king will be the one to save them from their enemies forever. Well, if the Messiah came, shouldn't they be on top of the world now? Shouldn't the Israelites be fearlessly, joyfully living in the land, worshiping the Lord and the temple, just like he said? Shouldn't they have salvation from their enemies, just like Zechariah said? Shouldn't they have that now?

25:17And yet it wasn't even a century after Zechariah spoke these words, it wasn't even a century that the temple was destroyed, that this alleged Messiah Suffered death on a cross. The Jewish nation scattered to the ends of the earth, even as they are today, scattered to the ends of the earth, scattered with no temple. Yes, since 1948, there's been a nation of Israel, but the Israelites are still scattered, and there's still no temple. The temple is still destroyed, they still have enemies, many enemies.

26:04And so, what do we do with this? Do we spiritualize the promise? Do we say, yes, yes, the nation of Israel still has lots of enemies? Yes, the temple's destroyed, but that's okay because God spiritually saved them. So he doesn't need to fulfill his promise to plant them in the land. Is that what we do with this passage? And if so, was Zechariah good-natured, but he kind of missed the point? He thought God was going to fulfill those promises and redeem them and restore them and rescue them from their enemies, but really he missed the point?

26:50Is that what we say? I don't think so. It says that Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied. I think we can assume. That what Zechariah is saying is true. That God was fulfilling his promise. And you know, this is where Judaism would depart from us, obviously, right? They would say, maybe, that Zechariah was right in his interpretation of the Old Testament. He was just wrong in thinking that it was Jesus who is the Messiah.

27:29They would hold that the very fact that Jesus didn't bring in the kingdom on earth, that proves that he's not the Messiah, because that's what the Messiah does, he brings this kingdom for the Jews. And since there wasn't this protection, since there wasn't this God-given deliverance from the enemies, from their enemies, then Jesus couldn't have been the Messiah. A crucified Messiah? How foolish, they would say. A crucified Messiah, the one who's supposed to deliver us from all of our enemies?

28:12But, of course, we believe that Zechariah's words are true, that they are inspired by the Holy Spirit, that they are prophetic, and that they are careful to say exactly what is consistent with the rest of the scriptures. Zechariah is speaking of the one who is. Coming. He is speaking of the horn of salvation. And then he goes on to say what this salvation will be from. I don't think he's implying that this salvation is coming immediately. I don't think he's saying that everything that this one is going to do is going to happen the moment he's born.

28:50Instead, he's clearly stating that the Messiah is coming and that this Messiah is the one who will bring salvation from their enemies. I believe this perfectly lines up with what we see in the rest of the New Testament, just as Pastor Tom has been teaching in Revelation that Christ came once in humiliation, that he was born in poverty, he was born to live a normal life, that he lived a perfect life, a humble life, but that he's coming again in glory.

29:28And when he comes in glory, just as Zechariah expects, salvation will come in all of God's promises. His promises to the fathers, through the prophets, promises of peace and rest, all of them will be fulfilled. Just like Zechariah expects in this passage. So again, do you believe that God will fulfill his promises? Are you like Zechariah? He has told us that Christ is coming with the clouds. Do you believe him? He's told us that every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.

30:18Do you believe it? We'll believe it. Trust in God's word. Trust God's Word to be fulfilled. And one more point of application before we move on. Look again at verse 74. He says, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. You know, this future rest that the Jewish nation is hoping for in Zechariah's day. This future rest and peace is not so that they can live in sinful opulence.

31:11The text shows that Judaism's desire to be freed by their Messiah from all oppression. This desire is not just a carnal desire. This is a desire that lines up with God's. desires that this is what God wants for them to be able to worship him serve him serve him without fear is what it says and this word for serve is not just limited to the priestly context it's not just limited to the temple I believe this service is in every area of life that faithful Jews in Scripture like Zechariah they read the scriptures They were waiting for God to fulfill the scriptures and they were looking forward to this salvation because it would mean that when they were delivered, they could serve God without fear. They for so long are serving under the thumb of all these other empires and nations, but the day is coming when they would be able to serve God without fear in holiness and righteousness. They would be able to serve God before God, it says, in front of God, all their days.

32:31This is the grand privilege of messianic peace, is the privilege of being able to serve the Lord. And I say this by way of application, just to bring up that we have peace in this nation. We have the time and the means to serve the Lord. And if this for them was such a grand privilege that they looked forward to be able to serve the Lord without fear. Then I think we should be people who are quick to treat it like a privilege, to treat our service for the Lord, giving our time, our worship, and service for the Lord, to treat that like a privilege and not just a checkbox.

33:19Do you treat it like a checkbox or do you serve at all? It's a privilege. Not the same context, but as Christians, we have been forgiven from our sin. We have been freed for service, and we should use our freedom to love and to serve with joy. So, our fourth point: he brought his promised forerunner. That's our next point. He brought his promised forerunner. Look at verse 76. He's speaking of his child here, John, John the Baptist. Verse 76: 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.

34:16You know, after Zechariah had been mute for so long, back in verse 66, after he had been mute for so long and he and Inscribes on the tablet. Do you remember this part of the story? He inscribes on the tablet, his name is John, so that everyone could see what the baby's name was going to be. It says, his tongue is loosed and his mouth is open, and he speaks, blessing God. And everyone's amazed. And it says in verse 66, they wonder, what then will this child be? That's what they wonder about John the Baptist. What will this child be? And Zechariah's words here in verse 76, I think, are part of the answer to that, right? What will this child be? Well, first, he's going to be called the prophet of the Most High. Now, I think this is astounding. I think this would have floored anybody who is hearing this. Because any Jew alive in Zechariah's day knows that there hasn't been a prophet for centuries, that they used to have this long and steady stream of prophets. It was such a blessing to the nation. And then after Malachi, no more. 400 years.

35:37And you have Malachi ringing in their ears that a prophet would come to be a forerunner of the Messiah. And century after century, they're looking for this. And now it's here. No prophet for 400 years. And now a prophet. This baby, a prophet of the Most High. John the Baptist, foretelling the coming of the Messiah. Second, we learn about this baby that he's going to go before the Lord to prepare his ways. For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways. This is the reason that John is coming to prophesy, is to prepare the way of the Lord. We already knew this in Luke chapter 1. Remember, the angel said to Zechariah, he said, He, John the Baptist, he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go on before him, before the Lord. He will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready. That was Luke chapter 1, verses 16 and 17. The words of the angel. And so John the Baptist's ministry is parallel to this future ministry of Elijah. He's in the spirit and power of Elijah, reconciling and calling people to repentance.

37:11But also, Zechariah's words here show that this is the direct fulfillment of Malachi chapter 3, verse 1. Malachi says, Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly. Come to his temple. He will prepare the way before me. We also know that John the Baptist is a direct fulfillment of Isaiah chapter 40, verse 3. A voice cries in the wilderness, prepare the way of Yahweh. Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. So you have Malachi and Isaiah speaking of this one who is coming. to prepare the way of the Lord. And Zechariah says, this is happening. Speaking of his son, verse 76, he says, 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 prophets, to his people, in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God. So John is a prophet, and he's the prophet that other prophets spoke about. He's the one who's coming to prepare the way for the Lord. He's the fulfillment of this prophecy. And his message is going to be one of salvation.

38:41Before, he mentioned salvation from their enemies. Now, he says, salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins because of the tender mercy of our God. And really, we'd expect those to go together, right, for the nation. Of Israel, they need to be forgiven if they're going to be redeemed and saved. But here it's speaking of this salvation, this forgiveness that God is granting to his people. So John is giving this knowledge. John the Baptist is going to preach this knowledge, knowledge of salvation, salvation in the forgiveness of their sins, and this is because of God's deep-felt mercy.

39:27This is John's prophetic message as the forerunner of the Messiah: repentance, forgiveness, salvation, mercy. Zechariah believes that all of God's promises are coming true, including those that we just mentioned. Zechariah believed that everything that was spoken to him by the angel, everything that was spoken by Malachi, and everything that was spoken by Isaiah was coming true, just as God said it would. He believed that God was going to keep his word. Do you believe the word that God spoke through the prophet Isaiah?

40:20That the Lord has laid on Christ the iniquity of us all. That the piercing, the crushing, the chastisement, and the wound. were for the transgressions, the iniquities, the peace, and the healing of his people. And that now he makes intercession for the transgressors. All of that was Isaiah, 700 years before Christ is born. Zechariah believed God's promises through the prophet Isaiah. And this promise is the promise of the gospel, the promise that's still available to you today.

41:01Just as God revealed it 700 years before Christ came through specific prophecies about Christ, that Christ would be killed and buried for the sins of others, that he would be this offering for guilt, that though he was perfect, it was the will of the Father to crush him, to pay the penalty for our sins. Zechariah saying that John the Baptist was sent to bring knowledge about the forgiveness of sins. And I want to tell you that this forgiveness is still available to you today, whether you're a Jew or a non-Jew.

41:49This forgiveness is still available to you today. That God still has this deep-felt mercy today, that you could be forgiven. Today, if you'll trust in God, if you'll repent of your sins, if you'll ask God to forgive you of all of your sins, Christ has already paid the guilt offering. Forgiveness is freely available to you today if you'll ask the Lord for it. This is the mercy that John would speak about in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets. Well, our last point, our last point is that he brought his promised light. Look at verse 78: 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.

43:04Again, Zechariah seems to be saturated in the Old Testament. This is just oozing out of him. And every one of these verses is all this Old Testament language, all these quotes, all these allusions to so many passages in the Old Testament. And here he's using language that sounds like Isaiah 9, verse 2. What we sang this morning. Isaiah 9 9 1 1 1 1 9 that a child is going to be given, a son, the Messiah, the wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

43:43This child was coming, and right before this prophecy in Isaiah chapter 9, speaking about this child, he says in verse 2, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwell in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. This light was coming for the people of Galilee. Malachi also speaks of this sunrise, this light that's coming. He says, Malachi chapter 4, verse 2: But for you who fear my name, the sun, S-U-N, the Son of righteousness, shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

44:32So Zechariah says that John the Baptist is sent to preach this knowledge of salvation by forgiveness. And this forgiveness is offered by this deep-felt mercy of God. And it is this deep-felt mercy of God, that same mercy, that is bringing this sunrise, that is bringing this light into the world for all to see. The Messiah, 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. So this light is going to shine on those who are in the dark and it's going to lead God's people, God's nation, Israel, going to lead them into the ways of peace. And I think this peace is what we hear all the time in the Old Testament, that shalom, the peace, that well-rounded all of life, peace, not just peace from warfare or peace from their enemies, although we've seen that's definitely included, but the all of life, peace and contentment, forgiveness of sin, salvation from enemies, freedom, like we've already seen, freedom to serve God without fear, freedom to be holy and righteous.

45:56This life and light, this kind of peace, this is what the Messiah is bringing. These are the ways of peace for his people. Zechariah believed that all these promises were coming true, that they were going to come true, whether immediately in his day or later on, even after our day. Zechariah was a faithful, old man. He was a faithful, old man. That knew the Word of God, and he was waiting for God to fulfill it, and he trusted the Word of God.

46:39So, as we've asked, as I've asked on every single point so far today, do you believe God's promises? Do you believe that they're going to come true, just as he said? God's Word promises that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Do you believe that promise? And if you do, will you confess that Jesus is Lord? He is Lord. Will you agree with him? Will you confess that? Will you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead? You can be saved. This forgiveness is still available for you. In fact, you will be saved. I believe that's a promise. You will be saved if you do these things, if you come to him and ask for his forgiveness.

47:47So we've seen today that Zechariah knew the promises of God, that he was watching for them and waiting for them. And he trusted the word of God. He recognized. That God brought his promised redemption. He brought his promised king, his promised protection, his promised forerunner, his promised light. All of these things God brought. He was keeping all of his promises. And so, as we continue to celebrate Christmas together, I hope that we can catch a little bit of Zechariah's exuberance, you know, this joy. I think this is not a song that he whispered.

48:33I think this is a prophecy that would have been shouted out. I think this is the thrill of hope that we sing about Zechariah's confident and joyful expectation that God was bringing the one who would set all things right. And we're waiting for him to return. This is the answer. This Messiah that was born, prophesied by John the Baptist. This is what they were waiting for, and this is what we're waiting for: the return of the Messiah. And in every generation, these are the most important questions for Judaism: who is the Messiah?

49:25When will he come? Will God fall? Fulfill his promises. Will God save? Will God forgive? Well, we believe, along with Zechariah, that all of these questions find their answer in Christ Jesus. Born in Bethlehem. We believe, along with Zechariah, that all of God's promises are true in the Scriptures, His promises to Israel and His promises to us. His word will never fail. We believe, along with Zechariah, that God is merciful, that forgiveness from sin is available to anyone who will come to Him because of what Christ has done.

50:20We believe, along with Zechariah, that serving God in holiness and righteousness is the grand privilege of peace. And we believe, along with Zechariah, that God should be praised and blessed for all of these things. Blessed be the God of Israel, for he has redeemed, for he has visited and redeemed his people. Pray with me. Father, we do bless you and praise you, and we are astounded that so many Of your specific prophecies were fulfilled in the birth of Christ just as you said they would.

51:10And we know that all of your promises will be fulfilled, and we wait for the day when Christ returns in glory, when he accomplishes this protection from all enemies, this end to all oppression, this peace in Zion. We give you glory that the Messiah came. We give you glory that he was born in Bethlehem, that he was born of a virgin, that all that you said about him is exactly what happened, exactly who he was. And Father, I pray that you would give us the confidence of that old man, Zechariah, that what you say is true, and we don't need to change it. We don't need to apologize and find a way to make it easier for you to fulfill. We don't need to change the word of God.

52:26Instead, we can expect that every Everything you said is true. And we can long for the day when we are with you, blameless with great joy, fully sanctified in mind, and body and spirit, able to stand before you completely forgiven with great joy. We long for that day. We thank you for our forgiveness. And Father, I pray just one more time for those in this room who don't know you, who haven't bowed the knee before you, who either arrogantly or ignorantly have rejected you and rejected your Messiah.

53:14I pray, Father, that even today they would know that forgiveness is still available to them, that they could come to you and be forgiven of all of their sins, washed white as snow. Their record of debt against you, canceled, nailed to the cross, forgiven for all of eternity, so that they can be your child and they could be with you for all of eternity to worship you with joy. We thank you for your word. We thank you for your faithfulness this morning. In Jesus' name, amen.