Brown's Daily Word 12-07-09

Praise the Lord for the songs of the season. We had some snow this weekend. My wife Alice was singing and dancing with joy for the fresh snow the Lord gave us. " It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas". Praise the Lord for the many sweet and triumphant songs of our Savior's birth. The Gospel reading for yesterday was taken from Luke 1: 67 ff. It is the song of Zechariah, also known as Benedictus. The Lord blessed us with a glorious weekend, including worship yesterday and the concert by the St. Petersburg Men's Ensemble from Russia in the evening. The following is a portion of the message I shared yesterday.
Zechariah, the father of John Baptist, was one of the ordinary characters in the Christmas story whom God used to make an extraordinary contribution. The Bible describes Zechariah and Elizabeth as “righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commandments of the Lord, but they had no children” (Luke 1: 6-7). Though Zechariah was a priest, a man who possessed a divine call to represent God to the people, he doubted the promise of God to provide a son to him and Elizabeth. When he failed to believe the angelic announcement about his son, the angel declared, “You will be silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place because you did not believe my words” (Luke 1: 20).
Before examining the incredible prophecy delivered by Zechariah, two significant truths emerge from the introductory description provided in Scripture. First, faithfulness does not eliminate trials. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous followers of God, yet they did not have children. Our society holds a different view about having children, but in the first century Judaism, barrenness was seen as curse for unfaithfulness. Zechariah and Elizabeth illustrate the fact that this belief was a cultural myth, not divine mandate. Second, we should be encouraged that even the great servants like Zechariah have moments when their faith is weak, but God used him anyway! We don't have to be perfect to be used mightily of God.

Consider the following list of imperfections of God’s servants. Abraham lied. Noah got drunk. Moses committed manslaughter. Samson was a womanizer and had an ego problem. Jonah was a racist. Hosea married a prostitute. Amos thought pruning figs was a homiletics class. Jeremiah was depressed. Elijah got depressed when it rained. David was an adulterer. Peter had a big mouth and an impulsive nature. Matthew was a tax collector. Thomas doubted. John Mark was a quitter. Martha was a control freak, while her sister Mary was lazy. Paul had "a thorn in his flesh". Timothy needed a drink to calm his stomach ulcers. Lazarus was dead! And the list goes on…


The incredible prophecy of Zechariah comes after nine months of divinely appointed silence. Shortly after the birth of his son, Zech erupted in praise. He declared that the LORD has raised up a horn of salvation to redeem his people and deliver them from sin. This glorious salvation is described as a purchase. God redeemed us, or bought us, with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus described His ministry this way, “The son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom (or payment) for many” (Mark 10:45). Zechariah also proclaimed the purity of salvation. Luke 1:77 describes salvation as the forgiveness from sins. We are not just saved from danger, but we have been saved from our own depravity. The prophet Isaiah said our sin becomes white as snow when we are cleansed by almighty God.

Zechariah continued the amazing prophecy about the Messiah by calling Him the “horn of salvation” and the one who “rescues us from our enemies.” In Scripture, a horn represented power, and authority (see 1 Kings 22:11, Ps. 89:17). It also is indicative of the fact that Jesus, God's incarnate Word, came to proclaim salvation among His people. He came to be heard.

This is another of the great paradoxical truths about the Lord Jesus. He is the Christ child who conquered the forces of darkness. Satan is the defeated enemy. Through the powerful horn of authority and strength, Jesus Christ, we are rescued from the enemy’s deadly grip of destruction.

Revelation 12: 1-9 describes what many Bible scholars believe to be a cosmic battle that occurred when Christ was born. A fiery red dragon with seven heads and seven horns sought to devour the child of a pregnant woman clothed with the sun. The child who is called to shepherd all nations was spared by God. Then war broke out between the angels of God and the dragon. We must look beyond the birth of Christ on a silent night and learn to appreciate the cosmic battle and ultimate victory secured by Christ. He is Immanuel who entered this world through holy invasion into enemy territory.

The promised Christ delivers us form sin, defeats the enemy, and destroys our fear. Zechariah declared that the Messiah would perform a work in our soul so that we would serve Him without fear. Knowing our sins are forgiven and that the enemy is soundly defeated, we can approach God with boldness. We must always stay humble before God, but humility is not to be confused with fear. Hebrews 10:19 says, “Therefore brothers, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus” though Scriptures also teach us to live in the fear (awe, wonder, and respect) of God. In Christ we experience perfect love that Zechariah describes as “God’s merciful compassion” (v. 78). The apostle John reminds us in 1 John 4:18 that “perfect love drives out fear.”

Our tendency is move away from truth and drift toward lies that produce fear. When people become paralyzed by fear, they begin listening to voices that reinforce fear. The Bible declares that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but we have a spirit of power, love, and sound judgment (2 Tim. 1:7). In a world of negativism, criticism, and pessimism, we must embrace the truth that Christ makes us “more than conquerors.” We have been adopted into the almighty family of God, and we have been given a divine inheritance that cannot spoil of fade. We serve our blessed Savior without fear!

The final part of Zechariah’s prophecy uses a familiar metaphor to describe salvation. Christ is described as a shining light to those who live in darkness, but it also identifies our responsibility to walk in the path of peace. Christ is the guiding light for our journey along paths of peace. We are to walk as peacemakers who shine the light of Christ to those who dwell in darkness. Jesus used both concepts of peace and light to define His call upon those who followed Him. He said let your light shine before men (Matt. 5: 16), and He challenged us to live as peacemakers (Matt. 5:9). Each of us is called to display the glorious light of Christ.

One of the most popular Christmas songs is "Carol of the Bells". Our friends from Russia sang this song last evening with power and zeal. Although it is often thought to be a Russian song, the song was written by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych and first performed in 1916 at Kiev University. The Ukraine is a large geographic area possessing its own alphabet and language. Even though the Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, it has maintained a culture distinct from the traditional Russian culture. The song "Carol of the Bells" was inspired by a legend that at midnight the evening Jesus was born all the bells of earth started to ring out of their own accord. I am deeply encouraged that one of the most inspiring songs about our Savior’s birth came out of a political system that denied His existence. After the concert I took our Russian friends for dinner at the Chinese Buffet. They were sharing that, in spite of the economic crisis there, the Church in St. Petersburg is strong and vibrant. New churches and cathedrals are being built up in all over Russia. Communism failed to deliver people form the bondage of sin, but the gospel of Christ is sill setting captives free! Jesus delivers us from sin. Jesus defeated the enemy. Jesus destroys our fear, and Jesus displays light. Merry Christmas! All Hail the power of Jesus Name.

In Jesus.

Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JYrOMK1aDA