Joy and Wonder: The Promise of Christ's Coming
Summary
In today's exploration of Luke chapter 1, we delve into the profound joy and wonder that Christ brings into our lives. We often find ourselves seeking joy in trivial things and wondering about matters of little significance. However, Christ is the true source of joy and the cause of all wonder. As we journey through this chapter, we encounter three pivotal moments: the announcement of joy and wonder, the birth of joy and wonder, and a song of joy and wonder.
The narrative begins with the announcement to Zacharias, a righteous priest, and his wife Elizabeth, who were childless and advanced in years. Despite their circumstances, they remained faithful to God. In a moment of divine intervention, the angel Gabriel appears to Zacharias, announcing that their prayers have been heard and that Elizabeth will bear a son, John, who will be the forerunner of the Messiah. This announcement is a testament to God's faithfulness and the fulfillment of His promises, even after 400 years of silence.
The birth of John the Baptist is a moment of great joy and fulfillment. Elizabeth's reproach is lifted, and the community rejoices with her. This event signifies the beginning of a new era, as John will prepare the way for Christ, turning many hearts back to God. The joy experienced by Elizabeth and Zacharias is a reflection of the greater joy that Christ's coming brings to the world.
Finally, we reflect on the song of Zacharias, a prophetic hymn that extols the mercies of God and the salvation brought through Christ. This song, rich with Old Testament references, highlights the fulfillment of God's covenant with Abraham and the promise of redemption. Zacharias' words remind us that Christ is the true light, the day spring from on high, who guides us into the way of peace.
As we celebrate the birth of Christ, let us hold onto the joy and wonder of His coming, allowing it to fill our hearts and guide our lives.
Key Takeaways:
- Faithfulness in Waiting: Zacharias and Elizabeth exemplify faithfulness in waiting, serving God despite their personal disappointments. Their story reminds us that God's timing is perfect, and His promises are fulfilled in ways that exceed our understanding. Even when God seems silent, He is working behind the scenes to bring about His purposes. [05:25]
- Divine Intervention and Human Doubt: Zacharias' encounter with Gabriel highlights the tension between divine intervention and human doubt. Despite his righteousness, Zacharias struggles to believe the angel's message. This teaches us that faith is not the absence of doubt but the willingness to trust God amidst uncertainty. [24:30]
- The Role of John the Baptist: John the Baptist's role as the forerunner of Christ emphasizes the importance of preparation and repentance. His life and ministry call us to turn our hearts back to God, preparing the way for Christ to enter our lives. John's message is timeless, urging us to seek forgiveness and transformation. [20:46]
- The Joy of Fulfillment: The birth of John brings joy not only to his parents but to the entire community. This joy is a foretaste of the greater joy that Christ's coming brings. It reminds us that God's promises bring true joy and fulfillment, surpassing any temporary happiness the world offers. [32:06]
- The Song of Salvation: Zacharias' song is a powerful declaration of God's salvation and mercy. It points to Christ as the fulfillment of God's promises and the source of our redemption. This song invites us to reflect on the depth of God's love and the wonder of His plan for our salvation. [45:23]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:49] - Introduction to Herod and Zacharias
- [02:46] - The Righteousness of Zacharias and Elizabeth
- [05:25] - The Announcement of John's Birth
- [06:20] - The Priesthood and the Lot
- [08:29] - The Temple and the Altar of Incense
- [11:04] - The Angelic Encounter
- [13:03] - The Silence of God Broken
- [14:45] - The Promise of Joy and Gladness
- [17:12] - The Greatness of John
- [20:46] - The Ministry of John the Baptist
- [24:30] - Zacharias' Doubt and Consequence
- [28:26] - The Vision and the People
- [31:22] - Elizabeth's Joy and Wonder
- [32:06] - The Birth of John the Baptist
- [36:36] - The Song of Zacharias
- [45:23] - The Fulfillment of Prophecy
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Luke 1:5-25
- Luke 1:57-80
#### Observation Questions
1. What were the circumstances surrounding Zacharias and Elizabeth's life before the angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias? ([02:46])
2. How did the community react to the birth of John the Baptist, and what does this signify? ([32:06])
3. What was Zacharias' initial reaction to the angel Gabriel's message, and what were the consequences of his response? ([24:30])
4. What role did John the Baptist have according to the angel's message to Zacharias? ([20:46])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the story of Zacharias and Elizabeth illustrate the theme of "Faithfulness in Waiting"? What can be learned from their example? ([05:25])
2. In what ways does Zacharias' doubt reflect common human responses to divine intervention? How does this relate to the concept of faith amidst uncertainty? ([24:30])
3. How does the birth of John the Baptist serve as a precursor to the greater joy brought by Christ's coming? ([32:06])
4. What is the significance of Zacharias' song in highlighting the fulfillment of God's promises and the role of Christ as the source of salvation? ([45:23])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you had to wait for something important. How did you maintain faith during that period, and what can you learn from Zacharias and Elizabeth's example of faithfulness in waiting? ([05:25])
2. Have you ever experienced doubt in your faith journey? How can Zacharias' story encourage you to trust God even when you have doubts? ([24:30])
3. John the Baptist's role was to prepare the way for Christ. In what ways can you prepare your heart and life for Christ's presence today? ([20:46])
4. The community rejoiced at John's birth. How can you cultivate a sense of joy and community in your own life, especially during significant life events? ([32:06])
5. Zacharias' song is a declaration of God's salvation. How can you incorporate praise and gratitude into your daily routine, especially in recognizing God's work in your life? ([45:23])
6. Consider the ways in which you seek joy and wonder in your life. How can you shift your focus to find true joy and wonder in Christ? ([00:49])
7. How can the themes of joy and wonder in the coming of Christ influence your perspective and actions during the Christmas season and beyond? ([34:00])
Devotional
I'm ready to provide the 5-day devotional based on the steps outlined. Here it is:
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Day 1: Faithfulness in God's Timing
In the story of Zacharias and Elizabeth, we see a profound example of faithfulness in waiting. Despite their personal disappointments and the silence of God for 400 years, they remained steadfast in their devotion. Their story is a powerful reminder that God's timing is perfect, and His promises are fulfilled in ways that often exceed our understanding. Even when God seems silent, He is working behind the scenes to bring about His purposes. This teaches us to trust in God's timing and to remain faithful, knowing that He hears our prayers and will answer them in His perfect time. [05:25]
Isaiah 30:18 (ESV): "Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him."
Reflection: In what area of your life are you struggling to trust God's timing? How can you actively practice faithfulness while you wait for His promises to unfold?
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Day 2: Trusting Amidst Doubt
Zacharias' encounter with the angel Gabriel highlights the tension between divine intervention and human doubt. Despite his righteousness, Zacharias struggles to believe the angel's message that he and Elizabeth will have a son. This moment teaches us that faith is not the absence of doubt but the willingness to trust God amidst uncertainty. It is a call to lean into God's promises, even when they seem impossible, and to trust that He is capable of doing more than we can imagine. [24:30]
Mark 9:24 (ESV): "Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, 'I believe; help my unbelief!'"
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are experiencing doubt? How can you invite God into that space and ask Him to strengthen your faith?
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Day 3: Preparing the Way for Christ
John the Baptist's role as the forerunner of Christ emphasizes the importance of preparation and repentance. His life and ministry call us to turn our hearts back to God, preparing the way for Christ to enter our lives. John's message is timeless, urging us to seek forgiveness and transformation. As we reflect on his role, we are reminded of the importance of preparing our hearts and lives for Christ's presence, allowing Him to transform us from the inside out. [20:46]
Malachi 3:1 (ESV): "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; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts."
Reflection: What steps can you take today to prepare your heart for Christ's presence? Is there an area of your life that needs repentance and transformation?
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Day 4: Experiencing True Joy
The birth of John brings joy not only to his parents but to the entire community. This joy is a foretaste of the greater joy that Christ's coming brings. It reminds us that God's promises bring true joy and fulfillment, surpassing any temporary happiness the world offers. As we reflect on this, we are encouraged to seek the joy that comes from God's promises and to allow it to fill our hearts and lives. [32:06]
Psalm 16:11 (ESV): "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Reflection: What is one promise of God that brings you joy? How can you focus on this promise today to experience the fullness of joy in His presence?
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Day 5: Singing the Song of Salvation
Zacharias' song is a powerful declaration of God's salvation and mercy. It points to Christ as the fulfillment of God's promises and the source of our redemption. This song invites us to reflect on the depth of God's love and the wonder of His plan for our salvation. As we meditate on these truths, we are encouraged to join in the song of salvation, praising God for His faithfulness and mercy. [45:23]
Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV): "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."
Reflection: How can you incorporate praise and gratitude into your daily routine as a response to God's salvation and mercy? What specific aspect of God's character can you celebrate today?
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Quotes
There were many different Herods that you read about in the Bible. This was the Herod that you're most familiar with. He was the one that's called Herod the Great. He reigned for about 40 years. He was a great builder, but not a great man at all. He was a cruel man, paranoid. Many people thought that he was literally insane. He was a murderous man. He had his wife and children killed because he was conceited. He was concerned that they had intentions for his throne. [00:01:01] (31 seconds)
What a great thing to be known, that you were righteous before God. There are many things that we want to be remembered as, you know. Hey, he's a guy who had really great Christmas lights every year on his light. He was a guy who had a really cool boat. Oh man, I wonder what happened to that boat after he died. That's not what you want to be known for, right? What you want to be known for is being righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. They were known for their walk. They were known for their godliness. Now, this doesn't mean they were perfect, okay? [00:03:37] (38 seconds)
So it was that while he was serving as a priest before God in the order of his division, even though he didn't have children, that outward sign of blessing, he faithfully continued to serve, right? He served whether there was a reward or whether there was not in his sight. So he was serving in the order of his division. Now, we read that he was in the division of Abijah. There were 24 divisions or courses of priests at the time that Christ was born. And we know from historians that the average division had about 1,000 priests. [00:05:56] (40 seconds)
And to his amazement, as he's praying, an angel appears to him. What's really amazing is this. For 400 years. There had been no angelic prayer. There had been no angelic presence that was visible to man. For 400 years, there had been no divine communication to man. We read about that in Malachi. Malachi, that was the very last of the Old Testament. It had been 400 years since they had heard a word from God. God had gone silent for 400 years. And now he sent his messenger. He sent an angel to Zacharias. Look what it says. [00:12:56] (47 seconds)
God hears all of our prayers, whether they were 10 years ago, whether they were 20 years ago, whether they were 30 years ago. He takes our tears and he puts them in a bottle. Does he not? And in answering Zacharias' prayer for the people of God, he was bound up, unbeknownst to Zacharias, with his own life, because his son, John, would be the forerunner of the Messiah, right? Let's look in verse 14. [00:15:13] (38 seconds)
He'll be great in the sight of the Lord and he was going to be from birth a Nazarite. A Nazarite vow was something normally you took temporarily for a defined period of time. It was a sign of outward denial that symbolized a consecrated heart to the Lord. There were three things involved in the Nazarite vow. The first thing was that you would not drink any intoxicating drink. The second, that you would not cut your hair. It'd grow long. And then the third, you would not touch anything dead. [00:17:56] (33 seconds)
And Zechariah said to the angel, how shall I know this? For I'm an old man and my wife is well advanced in years. Zechariah was struck with unbelief, actually. Now, in scripture, you'll find when God told Abraham he was going to have a son in his advanced age, he did not necessarily believe God as far as at least what it sounded with his words. He said, show me a sign of this. And remember Abraham and Sarah, they did what? They laughed, right? But the scripture says that though his words may have sounded that way, he had a heart of belief. [00:23:53] (37 seconds)
Already we see that people are taking joy in the birth of John the Baptist, right? This is her neighbors and her relatives, just as promised by Gabriel back in verse 14. Verse 59, and it was so on the eighth day that they came to circumcise a child and they would have called him by the name of his father Zacharias. That was a custom. You named your children with a family name. His mother answered and said, no, he shall be called John. This tells me that John had been able to communicate to Elizabeth what the angel had told him, right? And he wanted to make sure he would be obedient to the Lord. [00:32:06] (44 seconds)
Zacharias' lips have been opened. And he prophesies, is what the scripture says here. And he prophesies by reciting a song. This song, I believe he'd been working on for nine months, right? For nine months while Elizabeth was pregnant, he couldn't speak. Nine months, I think he thought about what Gabriel had told him inside of the temple, that this would be no ordinary child, that he'd be a forerunner of the Messiah, that he'd be declaring the gospel to all men, even the Gentiles, the disobedient, would learn the ways of the just. And so he composed this beautiful hymn. [00:36:14] (45 seconds)
Zechariah was a man who knew God's word. And at that time, that's all they had was the Old Testament, right? So he committed himself to it. We see in verse 68, he's quoting Psalm 72. Blessed be the Lord God, the Lord God Israel, who only does wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name forever. And let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen. Purposely encapsulating what John was feeling. And expressing right here. He says, for he has visited and redeemed his people. The word visited here is a direct allusion to Exodus chapter 3. Remember at the burning bush? [00:37:39] (42 seconds)
Christ would be the one who would show us the very heart of God. It says, Through the tender mercies of our God, with which the day spring from on high has visited us. Day spring is a messianic term, and it means the sunrise, the day break. It can also be translated, We see this, actually, in the Old Testament. In Malachi, the very last chapter of the Old Testament, it says, But to you who fear my name, the Son of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings, and you shall go out and grow fat like stall -fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day that I do this as the Lord of hosts. [00:52:18] (55 seconds)
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