Christmas 2021 #3 - God Gave Us a King: The Gift of a Gracious Sovereign (Luke 1:67-79)

We'll see what we can do on that front. Well, we're gonna finish out the series that we began two weeks ago. Entitled the reason for the season as we've been thinking about this Christmas period and what it is that is.

The Birth Narrative of John the Baptist and Zechariah’s Song

Good news about the Christmas season and we're gonna wrap it up today by looking at Luke chapter 1. So if you have your Bibles, and I hope you do take them and turn with me to Luke chapter 1. Luke chapter 1 Luke 1.

And we're gonna be in verses 67 to 79. Luke chapter 1 from verse 67.

Through to verse.

79 I won't give too much introduction because I'll save that for the beginning of the message. But for now. Luke chapter 1 verses 67 to 79. As usual if you would stand with me as we read this portion of God's Word.

Luke chapter 1 from verse 67 to 79. Once again brothers and sisters. These are God's words. Oh. And as usual, I will read the odd-numbered verses you read even ones and we'll pick it up that way. Luke's chapter 1 verse 67 to 79.

Then his father Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied The God of Israel because he has visited and provided redemption for his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.

Just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets in ancient times Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of those who hate us he has dealt mercifully with our ancestors and Remembered his holy covenant.

The oath that he swore to our father Abraham to grant that we having been rescued Of our enemies to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness in his presence all our days. And You child will be called a prophet of the Most High.

For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins because of our God's merciful compassion. The dawn from on high will visit us to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death.

To guide our feet into the way of peace. Pray that God will bless that reading of his word and grant us understanding. Join with me as we pray ask for the Spirit's help and we jump into God's Word one more time.

Well, Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for this time. We pray that as we take a few moments to think about the good news of Jesus's kingship and what it means for us. That our eyes would be drawn from this world to heaven.

That we would rejoice in what Jesus has done for us and what he is doing for us even now. And father as we pray we pray for all the churches in the valley who have In one way or another commemorated this season.

Pray that their witness will be fruitful that your people would be strengthened that those who don't know you will come to know you and Then all these things Jesus would receive the glory. May that be the case even now as you open up your word.

We ask you in Jesus name and for his sake. Amen. Well, please be seated. Well, once again, a Merry Christmas to you. I hope that your Christmas Celebrations went well yesterday regardless of what form they took.

As we come to this season every year. I wonder what comes to mind for you as you think about Christmas. Is it the overweight guy in a red suit dispensing gifts and this very mad international dash powered by reindeers.

For those of us of a certain age. Is it Mariah Carey and that horrendous earworm of a song that they foist on us every year like we care. Kids is it the gifts that we're going to receive this year? What new stuff is coming?

I'll be honest. It's one of my favorite parts of Christmas and I'm 31. Interesting about that last one gifts anybody know why it is that we give and exchange gifts at Christmas time. Have you ever thought about why we do that.

But as far as far as we know the tradition actually comes from the three wise men. Allegedly, they weren't three but for now, we'll just say the three wise men the three wise men that we read about in Matthew's gospel.

As they come to the Savior and they bring these gifts that became part of the practice of Christmas that people would give and exchange.

Gifts.

Giving gifts is a wonderful thing. In fact, our God himself is characterized as the gift giver so James chapter 1 verse 17 says that every good and Perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of lights.

Our God himself is a giver. And for the last few weeks, we've been thinking about God's greatest gift to us his son Jesus Christ. He was the first gift that was given on that Christmas morning. He was given to save his people from their sins.

We read it last week Matthew 1 21. If I read it this Afternoon, she will give birth to a son and you are to name him Jesus. Because he will save his people from their sins. Well for the last few weeks we've been thinking about this gift of Jesus and what we've done is for this Christmas period.

We've taken a leaf out of the historic churches book as it were as we've been thinking about Jesus as our Prophet our priest and our king. So far, we've looked at the fact that Jesus is our prophet that he reveals the will of God to us.

He opens our minds so that we can understand that will. You've seen that last week Jesus is our priest that he offered himself to God on our behalf and that he Intercedes for us before his father if you missed any of those messages, they're up on our YouTube channel.

I'd highly recommend catching up both of those are pretty amazing gifts the the knowledge of God on one hand and the forgiveness of sins on the other hand both amazing gifts and We would be so satisfied if that was all that Jesus is to us.

But there's one more amazing gift that's worth thinking about. We've seen him as a prophet. We've seen him as a priest, but the Bible also tells us that Jesus is a king. That's the gift. That's the gift.

I want to spend some time this afternoon thinking about the gift of Jesus as the gracious sovereign. Titled our message this afternoon the gift of a gracious sovereign. God gave us a king. Today I want to draw attention to four ways in which Jesus's kingship is a gracious gift.

We're in Luke chapter 1. This is the other birth narrative of the Lord Jesus Christ and the interesting thing about Luke 1 is Luke Doesn't start with just Jesus. He actually starts with. He starts with Jesus.

He then goes into John the Baptist birth narrative and then picks it up in chapter 2 with the birth of Jesus.

And.

So here we are in Luke chapter 1 and we are in the section as dealing with John the Baptist the man who would be The forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ. John's dad was named Zechariah. He was a priest in the temple.

Both he and his wife were well past the age for having kids and then I'm kind of summarizing Luke chapter 1 here. Then he receives a word from an angel of the Lord that his wife is going to have a son who will be named John.

Zechariah is a somewhat logical man. He hears something like that his time of life and he says No, no good. No good. Whatever you're saying that that doesn't work that can't happen. Now never mind that it's an angel of the Lord who's speaking to him never mind that they generally don't play.

No, he's not buying it and For his insistence that this can't happen. The angel strikes him dumb like actually dumb. He can't speak. Well the time comes the baby's here when the baby is born. They are Zechariah what his name should be remember.

He still can't talk so the text tells us he grabs a tablet and he writes out the name John and everyone's like why John? Like you don't have anybody in your family named John. Why would you call him John?

And then at that moment he's able to speak and that's what we pick up in Luke chapter 1 and that and that brings us to our text this afternoon. You see in a few words Zechariah is praising God for his covenant promises in sending the king who was promised long ago.

You see as you read the Bible, there's a promise of a king and a kingdom. That that promise starts its way all the way back in the book of Genesis in chapter 1 and that promise goes as it were. Unfulfilled at points.

It feels like we're really close and then we're not. It feels like we're almost there and then we're not. But in this song of Zechariah, he praises God because God had finally Sent the king who was promised long ago.

Well this afternoon I want like I said, I want to look at four glorious truths about Jesus's kingship. Which make for good and use this Christmas for glorious truths. I don't plan on being before you long.

So allow me to get straight to work. First of all Jesus is the king who liberates his people. Point number one. Jesus is the king who liberates his people verse 68. So look at verse 68 with me fuel, please.

Luke says blessed is the Lord the God of Israel. For he has visited and provided redemption for his people. If you are the Bible marking type, you want to circle that word or underline that word redemption.

Redemption is one of those classic churchy words. Those of you who've been our redeemer long or probably laughing internally because you know My general disdain for churchy words that we don't define.

Well, this is actually a great word so let's for a moment actually define it when you read the Bible. Redemption is a word that carries two different ideas together. It's an Old Testament picture. And a New Testament picture.

Follow me here. The Old Testament picture of redemption relates to the Exodus. It relates to this moment when God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and Time and time and time again God describes that event of delivering his people as.

Redemption.

So that's the Old Testament picture behind this language of Redemption. But the New Testament picture the one that most New Testament speakers would have been familiar with Had to do with the slave market.

It was the battery with the buying of a slave with the purpose of ensuring their freedom. So it wasn't enough that you okay you bought this slave. When you redeemed a slave you paid the price For them and then you release them.

Did you catch what both of those definitions the Old Testament and the New Testament ones have in common? Stay well done. Slavery. Both of them have in common people in bondage who are made free through the action of.

Another.

Redemption the Bible would have us to understand is slaves of sin being liberated from their bondage. It's people who are enslaved being made free. And so when Zechariah in our text here says that God is worthy of praise because he's provided redemption for his people He sees that God's promises for his people first and foremost concerned their freedom from sin.

I.

Mean we might want to define what sin is there? When you read the Bible the Bible in its clearest definition of what sin is first. John chapter 3 verse 4 says that sin is.

Lawlessness.

Sin is the breaking of God's law and oftentimes we think of sin and we think it's okay if I do something bad. That's a sin, but the Bible actually expands the definition of sin to more than just what you do.

See sin is the breaking of God's law whether it's in what you think. In what you say or what you do. In fact when Jesus talked about sin, he made it clear that it goes beyond just doing bad things. So I told you we're planning on starting Matthew Next year.

Lord willing when we get to chapter 5 you're gonna see Jesus say you've heard it said you should not commit adultery. And when he says that he's not saying you now you can. What he's saying is that's what the law says.

But listen, I'm taking a step further if you lost after somebody in your heart you committed adultery with them. Well, how about murder? He says listen, you've heard it said that you should not murder and Indeed it was it.

God said that. But Jesus listen if you're angry with your brother or your sister without due reason. That's as good as murdering them. You see sin is not just what we do. It's what we think and what we say and what we do is that really everything we do outside of Christ is sin and the Bible makes us to understand that sin Enslaves those who commit it.

So in John chapter 8 Jesus would say that everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.

Think about that.

We live in a culture that will tell you that you know what doing what you want is true freedom. But can I pause and say that it's funny that our culture says that and yet our culture has never been more enslaved Than it is now the number of addictions that reign rampant through our culture.

Maybe okay. Well, I don't have an addiction problem. That doesn't apply to me. Okay, maybe it doesn't. Let's for a moment talk about some of the things that we give ourselves to and don't even think twice about it.

I looked up the figures this week as I was putting this message together. Did you know that 3 .7 billion dollars is spent every year on entertainment in this country? Again I'm not anti-entertainment.

I watch TV. I watch sports. I was watching sports this afternoon. I'm not gonna lie to you. I'm going to go home and watch my football team from back home like. Entertainment's not the problem. But then you start to look at the numbers and it gets even more concerning.

What's it the average American spends 80 hours a week watching television? Think about that if you're asleep for. Okay, let's use myself. I have terrible sleep so I see about six seven hours a night. So that's what 84 you get.

How many in a week? 168. Okay, excluding work. Well before you had to be yet to watch a TV to watch TV. Now you watch TV anywhere. Anything okay coffee is that form of sleep it might be. I'm not saying it is but it might be.

Our culture has never been more enslaved than ever before. But here's the good news. Jesus makes us to understand that yes, you might be a slave to sin but here's the good news of the gospel. The good news of the gospel is that you don't have to be a slave to sin.

The same Jesus said that everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. Also said this in the same paragraph John 8 32. He said you will know the truth and the truth. Who set you free?

Free.

Jesus my friends is the king who liberates every one of his people as we hear the gospel and we believe it. We are rescued from the evil one and his bondage and so Zechariah begins. And he says blessed is the Lord the God of Israel because he has visited and provided redemption for his people.

I Don't know about you, but I'm with Zachariah. That is something worth singing and shouting about mm.

But.

Can I share with you a second truth about Jesus kingship that makes for good news? Not only is Jesus the king who liberates his people secondly Jesus is the king who conquers for his people. Versus 69 75.

He's the king who conquers for his people. So again versus 69 75. He has raised up a horn of salvation For us in the house of his servant David just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets in ancient times salvation for our enemies and from the hand of those who hate us.

He has dealt mercifully with our ancestors and Remembered his holy covenant. The oath that he swore to our father Abraham to grant that we Having been rescued from the hand of our enemies would serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness in his presence all our days.

That's.

Kind of a mouthful, so let's break that down some a little bit. Note with me first of all this language of the horn in verse 69. The horn in the Bible especially the Old Testament. It's a symbol of strength is a symbol of the ability to attack.

It's interesting that Zacharias is that God had raised up a horn of salvation in the house of his servant David. That's how we know that whoever he's singing about isn't his son. Remember. He's a priest.

He's from the tribe of Levi. And so was his son, but Jesus comes from the house of David. He's from that house. Why would Zachariah be singing about someone else when his own son is in his own? You know I just about remember when Gareth was born.

I Wasn't thinking about anybody others kids in the moment when I'm holding my son. I Really wasn't. I wasn't thinking about much of anyone at that point. Well actually I think about Laura because she was still being looked after.

But in general you don't start thinking of somebody else's kids when you're holding your firstborn. But you see John Zachariah excuse me he's a priest. He knows his Bible and So knowing that he has the son who's going to be the forerunner of Jesus.

Jesus as good as here.

And.

So since the forerunner was here the main event wasn't too far behind. In fact did you catch that he noted that the prophets had talked about this horn long before he came? Did you catch that he says that verse 70 just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets in ancient times.

Jumped down to verse 72. He says he has dealt mercifully with our ancestors and remembered his holy covenant both in prophecy and in covenant. God had said that one would come who would ultimately as Verse 71 says bring salvation from our enemies and from the hand of those who hate us.

So God makes a covenant with Abraham. Genesis chapter 12 and in that covenant We learned that this one who's coming Will be a Jew in the covenant with David. We learned that this one who's coming will be a king.

All the way back in Genesis 3 15. God says this I'm going to send a seed and he's going to crush the head of the serpent. That's for prophecies what we need a whole sermon just to get through all of them.

Allow me to give you the highlights of the highlights as it were. Well Warren ways we put it so well God had promised that the Savior would be a Jew. Genesis 12 from the tribe of Judah. Genesis 49 from the family of David.

2nd Samuel 7 born in David City Bethlehem. Micah 5 2.

And.

All these prophecies and all of these covenants prophesied that a person would come who would bring salvation From the enemies of God's people and from the hand of all of those.

Who hate.

Them.

Now I would argue in context and this is a discussion for another time. That Zachariah is indeed speaking about the actual nation of Israel and that He's speaking about the rest of the Bible's teaching regarding God's future plans for that nation.

Romans chapter 11 if you're interested in hearing more, but I think there's also another dimension. To what Zachariah sings here? You see as we read the Bible the Bible tells us that we all have an enemy.

I mean if you were born into this world, you maybe didn't realize it, but you have at least you may say everyone likes me. I have no enemies now. You've got at least one. That enemy is called the devil.

The enemy hates the people of God. In fact, he's hated them since the Garden of Eden remember Genesis 3 15. I just quoted I will God said I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring.

The adversary has had it out for God's people from the very beginning. That's why if you've noticed you read the Old Testament. It seems like everybody hates the nation of Israel and you can't figure out why they hate the nation of Israel.

They just do people of the people nation of the nation comes off to the Israelites you transition into the New Testament and Here comes Jesus and guess what? Everyone hates him, too. In fact, we didn't read about Matthew chapter 2 16 to 18.

What's the first thing that happens after? His parents get out of town after the angel tells him to leave. It's Lord's of the innocents. Herod is so angry. He says, you know, I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill all the kids that come with him.

Jesus goes to glory and who does he go after next the church? Adversary hates the people of God, but here's the thing. He might try to destroy the people of God. The enemy might try. But he'll never succeed.

That's why Jesus could say Luke 10 18. I watch Satan fall from heaven like lightning. It's like done deal. I'm not worried about him. Paul can say Colossians 2 15.

The Jesus.

Triumphed over the powers of darkness in The cross. That's what the author to the Hebrews could say. He was 214 that Jesus became a man and died. So that he might destroy the one holding the power of death.

That is the devil Jesus. Is the horn spoken of here who? Scatters the enemies of God's people and ensures that they'll never be beaten. The enemy might try but praise God. He will never succeed. And what's the result?

Well verse 72. Likewise as he has dealt mercifully with us. With our ancestors use me and remembered his Holy Covenant. The oath that he swore to our father Abraham to grant that we Having been rescued from the hand of our enemies.

Would serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness in his presence all our days. The king who conquers doesn't just conquer his enemy the devil. Here's the beautiful thing the Bible makes us to understand that he conquers those who would not serve him and that through the work of His spirit he brings rebel hearts to submit to his lordship.

And that's why Christmas is good news because if you're sitting here today, and you know the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only has he conquered the power of the enemy he's conquered the power of sin for you.

He is the king who conquers for his people. Why is Christmas good news was good news because Jesus is the king who liberates his people. He's the king who conquers for his people. Can I give you a third reason why Christmas is good news?

The King Who Forgives Sin and Brings Light

Jesus the king who forgives the sins of his people. He's the king who forgives the sins of his people. Verses 76 and 77. Zachariah goes on and he says. And you child will be called a prophet of the Most High.

For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways. To give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. For a moment, I need to talk about sin again. I know we just talked about that.

But allow me to come back there for just a moment. Our culture preaches to us that sin is not that big a deal. By the way, can we get rid of that language in 2022? It's not that big a deal. After all our culture tells us nobody's perfect, which is true.

So what does it matter if you sin I Think about this. I Like I said, I watch TV. I'm not opposed to watching TV and I watch some dramas on TV. It's interesting to note the change in language in the change in behavior on TV.

If you watch TV as long as I have which is way too long. You probably know is this Once upon a time Characters had a moral compass there were things that they would they if they saw it happen about no, no, no, that's not right and They tried to do something about it.

Now you.

Watch TV you see certain shows and certain behaviors just consider normal. Once I'm old enough to remember watching TV and a husband cheating on his wife or vice versa was considered completely wrong.

It was the worst thing ever. Now he's just considered the norm that some TV shows have to stop watching because they just treat that like it's normal. Our culture basically says sin is not that big a deal.

We don't need to worry about that. But God says otherwise when you read his word Is he could have to. 18 verse 20. God says the soul that sins.

Will die.

Not they might not I might think about it. No, it's on the table. No, he says the soul that sins.

Will die.

Romans 6 23 the wages of sin is death. You work for sin and what you're gonna collect at the end of it is death. Beloved either sin is a big deal the biggest of big deals. Either God means what he says and sin is punishable by death.

He told that to our first parents and he says that consistently through his word or he doesn't. And if it if it does or he doesn't if he doesn't mean what he says. Then that means that we shouldn't listen to anything.

He says about anything. Well, let's pause for a moment if sin is the breaking of God's law on any level and God who gives the law says that sinners will die and yet we also read this Bible and it tells us that God is Loving and he's merciful and he's gracious, but he's also truthful righteous and just what does that mean for us?

I know we just celebrate Christmas, but can I move you along to Good Friday for a moment? This is where Jesus comes in you see Jesus pays the price Necessary for your redemption. We talked about this last week with Jesus as a priest.

If it's better to say that Jesus doesn't pay the price for our sins. Jesus is the price Necessary for your redemption. He stepped in and he said father God. I know what they owe you. They broke the law.

I know they did but listen. Charge it to me. Put it to my account. He enters into our world. He lives the life of obedience perfect perpetual exact obedience that we were supposed to live. He lives that life for us and then he goes to the cross and he suffers the Penalty that we deserved because of our disobedience.

He does all of that in the place of all those who will turn from their sin and turn to him in faith. And again, I'm with Zachariah. I think that's praiseworthy in just about every sense you can use that word.

But the good news doesn't end there. Yes, Jesus is the king who liberates his people. Yes, he is the king who conquers his people yes conquers for his people. Excuse me. Yes. He is the king who forgives the sins of his people, but finally Jesus is the king who brings light to his people.

Jesus is the king who brings light to his people. Verses 78 and 79 Zechariah will conclude and say because of our God's merciful compassion. The dawn from on high will visit us to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death.

To guide our feet into the way of peace. That language of the dawning on high and shining on those who live in darkness, it's really worth noting. See another way that the Bible speaks about the effects of sin on our minds is that it's like darkness.

So Paul can say in 2nd Corinthians 4 4 that the God of this age has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. To keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God.

Ephesians 4 18. Paul can say that those who are still in their sinful nature that they are darkened in their understanding. Again, isn't it kind of ironic that we live in an age where people talk about being enlightened more than ever.

We think we are the smartest generation in the history of mankind. I Mean there's a degree to which you can't blame people. I mean you look at some of the advancements we've made in technology in medicine in so many areas.

You can see you can forgive people for thinking that. I mean We're the generation that we like to flaunt just how much smarter we are than those who came before us. Not even that far up just here if I could pause for a moment.

Just this last week I'm sitting at home. Gareth's asleep during his nap. I was well ahead of my sermon. I thought you know what I'm gonna take an afternoon off. Normally, I work during the afternoons when he's asleep.

So I decided I'm gonna watch a film from when I grew up. I was born in 1990. I'm not that old. So I turn on Netflix and I start scrolling and I find it and Before it starts they put up this little warning some of you maybe seen some of the if you don't believe me go check it.

They put this little warning up saying we hope you enjoy this film. Just know that some of the humor is not up to today's rigorous social standards, and we wouldn't recommend it. It was only 30 years ago.

Actually less than that this one was made in the early 2000s. And yet we're flaunting oh, we're so much more enlightened or we wouldn't make that joke today we like to flaunt in our day and age just how more enlightened we are and yet I Put it to you also our society has never been more dark than ever than it is today.

Again, I keep going back to it. I still just don't understand it make it make sense to me the president of this nation Needs to appoint an assistant health secretary. It's a good post. I Need someone to think about that.

Appoint a doctor. Okay, you'd make sense. You probably want a doctor at that post. But proceeds to appoint a doctor who was a man and then decided one day I don't want to be a man anymore. So I'm gonna be a woman.

And we're supposed to get our National Health Advice From that person make it make sense to me. Make it make sense to me that a celebrity In a city like Chicago Would decide to stage their own getting beaten up In a city like Chicago, which I hear has more cameras than London actually and then say yeah I got beaten up and oh, it's a hate crime all the rest of it.

And then it comes out and people still defend it. Make it make it make sense to me. Never has our society be more dark. We can't tell who's a man and who's a woman anymore. And yet we claim we're so enlightened.

I put it to you that and it's not that I think our society is more evil than any other society. We simply found more ways to manifest the darkness that all of us have and yet Here's the good news in the person of Jesus Christ.

The light of God has shone powerfully into the darkness of this world. That's why John could say in John chapter 1 that the light shined in the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it. That's why Jesus could say John chapter 8 verse 12 that I am the light of the world.

Sorry movement in the 17th century that said that you were the Enlightenment. No, you weren't. Jesus is the Enlightenment. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.

Christmas tends to be at the darkest time of the year. Have you ever wondered about that just recently gave me? Christmas tends to be at the darkest time of the year and I think there's a picture. That's a picture all by itself, isn't it?

That just when it's darkest we celebrate the coming of the light of the world. Into this world. I told you I didn't plan on being before you long. I Put it to you that Jesus's kingship is glorious because it brings light to those who live in darkness.

Isn't it one of the Christmas songs we sing he was mighty doesn't it start off with that. Oh the mercy our God has shown to those who live in death's shadow what a wonderful thing it is as the people have got to know that the Darkness and the sin that pervades this world has been broken once and for all through the coming of Christ.

And so even for us who are believers, we have the wonderful joy of walking in the light of who Christ is. Yes, we don't always do it. Well, yes, we're not always consistent with that, but here's the good news.

Even in our moments of weakness, even in the moments of failure. He takes care of that for us. He is our Righteousness and that's why Jesus coming into this world is good news. Not just for Christmas.

I don't know if you guys had this advertising campaign here. We had it in the UK. It's not just for Christmas. It's for life. Yeah, okay. You guys have that here too. Perfect. Well, that's the good news about the gospel.