The Birth of John the Baptist

Well, good morning everyone. It is 14 days until Christmas time. As Bing Crosby said, it's beginning to feel an awful lot like Christmas.

Who's excited? Put your hands up. A bit of excitement this morning. Excellent.

Here's what I want you to do. I want you to take that excitement and I want you to turn to Luke chapter 1.

Luke 1 · chapter mention

Take that excitement to Luke chapter 1 and we'll get into this story this morning.

Luke 1 · chapter mention

It's really exciting. This morning we're getting into the events that Luke describes leading up to the Christmas story.

And as Paul said, just to mix it up just a little bit, what we're going to do, instead of one sermon, we're going to have three little sermons.

That terrifies you by the look of things, but we'll get there.

We're going to have three mini sermons and in between each we're going to sing a carol.

And hopefully this will help us to get into this story because it is fantastic.

So Luke chapter 1 and we're going to look at these characters that we've already read about, Zechariah and Elizabeth.

Luke 1 · chapter mention

So let's pray and let's ask for God's help as we turn to this chapter of Scripture this morning.

Father, we thank you. We thank you so much for our time together this morning.

And we thank you for your word.

And we thank you for Christmas.

And we thank you for everything that it represents to us.

So, Father, we ask that this morning these perhaps familiar verses.

Father, would you help us to grasp them anew?

Would you help us to see their mind-blowing significance and their meaning in your plan, your grand plan of salvation?

So would you come and would you teach us by your Holy Spirit?

May he make your holy word alive to us, we pray.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

Amen.

So I wonder what your favourite Christmas tradition is.

I heard mine already from one of the children.

I couldn't remember who it is.

One of my favourite Christmas tradition is the Advent calendar.

I don't know if anyone else is really into Advent calendars.

I must add, it's got to be chocolate.

And if I'm being really expensive, it's got to be Lindor.

But we've gone for Cadbury's this year.

So I love my Advent calendar.

Reduced to clear at Tesco if anybody fancies coming late to the Advent party.

I'm loving introducing my eldest daughter, Chloe, to the idea of an Advent calendar.

And what we're doing, we're helping her opening the doors each morning.

She seems to be a lot more interested in the chocolate than anything else.

But she's getting into this idea of Advent as well.

It's this thing we do, isn't it, as we build up to Christmas.

This thing called Advent.

And it helps us count down the days to the 25th of December.

The day that we've all been looking forward to.

Each morning we open a door.

And then we get up the next morning, we open another door.

And then we get up the next morning, we open another door.

And you can feel it, can't you?

That sense of excitement and anticipation.

As you're counting down the days to the 25th, you see the doors fly open.

Before you know it, there you are.

Your whole thing is open.

And you're at the 25th.

But here's what I want you to picture this morning and imagine.

Imagine how you would feel, consider how you would feel,

if you didn't know when the end date of your Advent calendar was.

You didn't know when that date was.

What if day after day you woke and you opened your Advent calendar and you said,

Is this the day?

No, it's not today.

And you got up the next day and you opened your calendar and you said,

Is this the day?

No, it's not today.

And you did the same thing day after day after day.

In fact, what if that waiting, it started as days?

And then it turned into years.

And then it turned into 10 years.

And then it turned into 100 years.

And then it turned into 400 years.

And you still didn't know when that day was coming.

How would you feel in the waiting?

How would you feel?

Because as we enter these events leading up to the first Christmas story,

the Christmas morning,

Luke introduces us to a people who are waiting.

They're waiting.

A people who have been waiting for 400 years.

It's been 400 years since God last spoke through the last of the Old Testament prophets.

Now, an awful lot has gone on in the world since then.

But God speaking, not one of them.

400 years of silence.

Here in Luke chapter 1 are people who are waiting on God to act.

Luke 1 · chapter mention

Waiting for what?

For God to do what he said he would do.

And what did God say he would do?

He said he would rescue his people from their enemies.

And he said he would comfort his people.

And he said he would be merciful to his people.

And he said he would make his people a holy people.

And he said he would bring people, others,

from outside our people into our people to be part of our people.

And our number would grow and grow and grow and we would worship this God in his presence together.

And he said he would deal with our sin problem.

But they've been waiting and they've been waiting and they've been waiting.

And that day, that day has not yet come.

And all the while, here are people who are living their lives in darkness.

And so Luke chapter 1, he introduces us to two people.

Luke 1 · chapter mention

Firstly, to a priest.

Verse 5 of chapter 1.

We've got it there.

Zechariah.

And to his wife, Elizabeth.

Now this came up in little Chloe's calendar this morning.

Zechariah and Elizabeth.

She, we're kind of doing the whole one syllable name thing just now.

So we went for Zech and Liz.

So here are Zech and Liz.

Zechariah.

And what are they doing?

They are waiting.

And do you see how Luke describes them in that chapter?

They are righteous in the things of God.

They are people who are diligent in keeping God's law.

They are a couple who love and who trust God.

But in their waiting and in their working, they are no doubt asking,

When is our God coming?

When is he coming?

We've heard the prophecies.

We've had them passed down to us generation after generation after generation.

We've heard the prophecies.

We've heard our God.

Our God, he makes promises.

But will our God keep his promises?

So as we pause just there, let's stand and let's sing this great carol that's going to help us,

I think, just reflect a lot of those sentiments.

O come, O come, Emmanuel.

Let's stand and sing this together.

So here we are.

Zech and Liz, they're playing the waiting game.

But little do they know that God is about to shake things up in hugely unexpected ways.

And we have to say that this passage is full of the unexpected, isn't it?

It's full of the unexpected.

Firstly, did you notice, do you see that there's an unexpected plan?

So here are an elderly and faithful and godly couple.

But what are we told?

They're unable to have a child.

That can't be in the script for how they saw their lives going, can it?

I mean, that's painful.

And that, in that culture, that's got to be, that is, that's shameful for them.

So here are a couple wondering in their own lives, where is God in all of this?

But God has his plan.

For secondly, do you notice that there's an unexpected job?

Zechariah, if you see it, verse 5, his day job, well, he's a priest.

And he normally serves somewhere in the Judean hills, but twice a year for one week,

his division are on duty in Jerusalem at the temple.

And within his division, there would have been something like 800 priests.

And we're told, Luke tells us, that Zechariah, he hits the jackpot.

He's selected by, what are we told, random lot,

to be the priest who tends the altar of incense.

Where is that?

Well, it's right in the temple.

He is going to get within feet of the most holy place,

the place where God dwells.

What a privilege for Zechariah.

What an honor for this man.

And make no mistake, this inner temple visit

would have been the absolute highlight.

It would have been the absolute pinnacle of his professional career.

And I just think about, in your own line of work,

what is it you do day on day?

What would that look like for you to reach the pinnacle?

What does it look like?

Where would you go?

What would you do?

Who would you meet?

How would you feel?

Because this is Zechariah's pinnacle moment right here.

In fact, so prestigious was this honor,

we're told that once you had your turn,

it's likely that that was you for your lifetime.

Never again.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

And it's on this unexpected job that,

thirdly, Zechariah gets an unexpected visit.

So there he is.

He's in the temple.

He's going about his duties.

He's offering incense.

There he is praying.

He's probably praying for his nation.

He's praying for his people.

And there he encounters an angel.

Verse 12, how does he react?

Cute and cuddly angel?

No.

Verse 12, how does he feel?

He is terrified.

Oh, what a panic in thy bristy.

This is how he's feeling.

What does this mean?

What does this mean?

Why are you here?

What have I done?

What does the angel Gabriel tell him?

Fourthly, he tells him about an unexpected boy.

Now, this couple may be getting on in life,

but here is Gabriel,

and he's telling Zechariah,

there's a child on the way for you and Elizabeth.

Now, I wonder, I was thinking about it this week.

Why did God wait until Zechariah and Elizabeth

were really old before he sent them a child?

You wondered that as you've read this passage before, perhaps?

Why does God wait?

I'm just trying to picture it this week.

Imagine an aging Zechariah trying to play catch

with John the Baptist in the backyard.

He's old.

Why is God waiting until they're old?

Well, surely it's to teach them,

and it's to teach us that our God is God over all,

that our God, he is God who is in control,

that our God is sovereign,

and he's purposeful in what he does and in his ways,

and our God has a plan that will unfold

in his perfect timing for his glory,

and for his glory alone.

And so Liz and Zech, what are we told?

They're reunited, he comes home,

and as they come together,

here is a heavenly guarantee

that Liz, against all the odds,

is going to conceive.

And they're not going to have to wait

to the 20-week scan to find out the gender.

Do you notice that?

It's a boy.

And they are going to have to go through that process

of trying to write down every possible name

for a boy and a girl

until actually the birth happens.

What is he going to be called?

He's going to be called John.

Verse 13.

And you see, immediately we see

that there's a plan

and there's a purpose for this bairn.

And they're not left to wonder

and to think about what he's going to grow up to become.

Is he going to grow up to be a physician,

do you think, Liz?

Do you think he's going to grow up

and he's going to be a musician?

Do you think he's going to grow up

and he's going to play center forward

for a united?

Do you see how there's a plan

and there's a purpose from heaven for this boy?

There's a plan.

He's already been assigned his job

from heaven's quarters.

And do you notice the language

that Gabriel uses here?

It's language from the prophet Malachi

about one who will come

before the day of the Lord,

before he comes to his temple.

And he will come in the spirit of Elijah.

That's how John is described.

That is who John is going to be.

And what will he do?

Look at verse 17.

He will prepare the way of the Lord.

And if you're on the ball,

you'll notice in the surrounding verses there,

the word turn used twice.

Look at it there.

See if you can see it.

Use twice.

Because that's John's role here

in salvation history.

To turn people from their sin

and to turn them back

to the Lord their God.

He's a turner.

And he's going to get people sensitized.

He's going to get people ready.

He's going to get people prepared

for the coming of Jesus.

And John will be great.

It sounds brilliant, doesn't it?

Verse 18.

How does Zechariah react?

He doubts Gabriel's message.

I think specifically we're intended to understand

that he wants some kind of sign.

He wants to know that God will actually do this.

How does he know?

And so he's temporarily sentenced to muteness.

And so Zechariah, there he is.

He serves the rest of his time at the temple

and then he returns home to the hill country.

He returns home to his wife.

Now I would think about it this week.

I love getting into passages

and trying to imagine them.

I'd love to have been a fly on the wall

when Zechariah returned home to Elizabeth.

Would you not?

Presumably she knows nothing of the fact,

firstly, that he's been selected

for that temple duty.

And second of all,

what he's actually seen

when he was in the temple.

Imagine that scene as they get home.

Zechariah can't speak.

I like to think that what happened

as he returned to the house

was the most energetic game of charades

the world has ever seen.

As he tries to describe,

communicate to Elizabeth

what he's seen

and what's happened to him.

Kind of angel, baby, right?

Do you see?

He's trying to communicate this,

but he can't.

But this is what's going on

in this man's life.

This couple's life.

God is moving

and God is acting.

And so fast forward

nine months or so

to verse 57

and we read the actual birth

of this boy.

And we see fifthly

to the gathering

and the watching crowd at least

that he's given

an unexpected name.

Now local custom of the day

was that the son

would be named after

either the father

or the grandfather.

So the bookies favorite here

for this boy

is that he will be called

Zechariah.

And so when you can understand

as Elizabeth suggests

that no, no, no,

he will be called John,

that the surrounding crowd

are puzzled

and they're questioning

her choice

and they turn to Zechariah

and what are we told?

They motion to him.

Again, two-way charades here.

They motion to him

and they say,

are you going to step in

and do something about this?

And Zechariah,

the man who doubted

as he's thought upon

the things of God

over the time period

before the birth of his boy,

as he thinks about it,

what do we see?

That he is a man

who now trusts in God

and his plan

and he now sees

what God is up to

in these events,

that God has come

to visit his people.

And what are we told?

He takes his tablet,

that's where Apple

got the idea from presumably,

he takes his tablet

and what does he write?

You can feel the drama.

John.

His name will be John.

John's name,

what does it mean?

The Lord is gracious.

He is gracious.

So fitting

for what's going on here.

That's exactly what Zechariah,

he understands

to be going on

in these events.

The Advent calendar

that he's been opening

day after day

is today the day

God's going to come?

No.

Is today the day

God's going to come?

No.

And now he understands

that God is coming

and God is going to make good

on the promises

that he made

to his people.

That day

is on the horizon.

And on a side note,

isn't it

interesting

that we're told here,

Luke tells us

just how much

this whole episode,

it grabbed the attention

of their neighbors

in passing.

Do you notice that?

They looked in

and they looked

into this couple,

they looked into this house

and they saw

that God was up to something.

They looked in

and they saw

that God was working

in marvelous

and mysterious ways.

And as they saw

that the worship

and the wonder

that filled

that household,

and as they hear

Zechariah now unmuted

and with his tongue

unloosed,

praising God

like he's never

praised God before,

what are we told

at verse 65?

The people were filled

with awe.

And the news

of what God was doing

in these events,

it spread wide.

It spread everywhere.

Now it made me think.

What do my neighbors think?

As they look into my life?

As they look into our house?

Or flat?

Neighbors both physically

up in the stairwell,

yes,

but neighbors,

the people who we rub

shoulders with every day,

what do they see

as they look into our lives?

Does the joy

of this couple,

of this family,

about what God is doing

at Christmas,

do I share

that thrill and joy?

Is that joy

my joy?

Is I understand

what God is doing here?

And does that joy,

does it spill out

from me

to the rest

of this community?

It's a big challenge

for us,

isn't it?

I wonder how

you feel

as you feel

that challenge

this morning.

Wouldn't it be great

as we look forward

to next Sunday

or our Christmas events?

Wouldn't it be fantastic

if we all took

the opportunity

to try and share

something this week?

Share something,

just maybe to one

or two people

share something,

maybe share an invite,

but particularly share

something of the joy

of what Christmas

means to you?

I was really challenged

on that this week.

How often do I just

never think about that?

Here are a couple

and they are filled

with joy.

Here is Zechariah

filled with joy.

His tongue

loosened to employ

the praises

of his God.

Why?

Why?

Because God

makes promises

promises

and God

keeps promises

and prays him

that that is true.

So let's stand

once more.

This is the

last hymn

of this section here.

Let's stand once more

and let's sing

this great Charles Wesley hymn

that picks up

in a lot of these things.

Come,

thou long-expected Jesus,

born to set

thy people free.

Let's stand

and sing this together.

And we've already

thought about the fact

that so much

of this account here

in Luke chapter 1

Luke 1 · chapter mention

is unexpected.

Unexpected.

But as we come

to verse 68,

we actually see

that everything

that is happening here,

everything that is

going down,

is going down

exactly

as God said

it would go down.

We might look at this

and think everything

is unexpected,

but actually

as we look

beyond

and above,

everything

is going down

as expected.

Why?

Because God

makes promises

and God

keeps

his promises.

And it's here

as we read

of Zechariah's,

his spirit-filled,

burst into praise,

that we begin

to see the true

significance

of what is unfolding

here,

of what is happening.

Now,

what is he

praising God for

in these verses?

Scan your eyes

over it.

What is he

praising God for?

What does he

understand

that God

is doing

in these events

in his life,

in the life

of his people?

I think the big

theme of his

prophecy,

his words of praise,

is salvation.

You'll see him

mention it

in verse 69,

that God

has raised up

a horn

of salvation.

That's language

representative

of God

raising up

a strong king

who's going to

rule and reign

for his people.

Again,

at verse 71,

what does he speak

of?

Salvation

from our enemies.

And then

verse 77,

Zechariah's son,

what will he be?

Well,

he will be the one

who will give

the people knowledge

of what?

God's

salvation.

Zechariah

is,

he's singing

about salvation.

salvation.

Zechariah

is praising

God that he

is coming

to save

his people.

After years

of silence,

years of silence,

God is visiting

his people again

and that

is cause

for copious

amounts of

rejoicing.

And as you

follow his words,

there appear to be

two aspects

to this

salvation.

It's salvation

from something

and it's

salvation

for something.

From something

and for something.

Notice it.

Firstly,

God is coming

to save

his people,

to redeem

his people

from their enemies.

It's

Exodus language

that Zechariah

is using here.

That's what's

happening.

It's the language

of rescue

and deliverance,

redemption.

It's the language

of the slave market,

of buying,

paying a price

and buying

somebody back.

And I think

ultimately it's

speaking about

the great rescue

that God will do,

the great deliverance

that God will win

for his people

over their great

spiritual enemy,

their sin

and their separation

from God.

And you'll notice

that Zechariah,

he sees this event

not as a random

birth,

not as a

something that's

happened out of the blue,

but he sees it

as the very

fulfillment

of what God

had promised

and God

had said

he would do.

So here

do you notice

that Zechariah,

he's looking back

down the corridors

of time

and he's connecting

the events,

sorry,

the ancient promises

that God made.

He's connecting them

with what he's seeing

playing out in front

of him,

especially the ancient

promises made

to David

and to Abraham.

That God would send

a rescuer.

That God would send

a mighty king.

That God would send

one who would bring

blessing to the nations

and he would do it

through one of their

descendants.

And so he's connecting

that

with these events.

Zechariah is celebrating

the truth

that should thrill us

this morning,

that our God,

he makes promises

and that our God

keeps his promises.

And do you notice

that Zechariah

clarifies

the express purpose

of this rescue mission?

God is coming

to make a way

for his people

to be saved

from their sin

and save them

for a life

of obedience

and worship

with him.

Second half

of verse 74,

look at it there.

God saves,

what does he say?

To enable us

to serve him

without fear

in holiness

and righteousness

where?

Before him

all are days.

Now there

is the cry

of a heart

that has been

electrified

by God's word

and by God's truth.

And is that not

a wonderful truth

if we think about it

in our Christian lives?

The purpose

of the gospel,

what God was doing?

That he hasn't

just saved us

from our sin

and let us loose

to wander around

life aimlessly.

that he saved us

in order that we

might have

and live

in fellowship

with him.

Knowing him

as our God

and knowing him

as our King,

Lord,

and Savior.

To live the life

that we were designed

to live

with the one

who designed us

in the first place.

That is what salvation

is all about.

That God is coming

to save his people.

the answer

to the darkness

is that

the light

is coming

from heaven.

The answer

to the captivity

is that

the rescuer

is coming

from heaven.

Christmas

is all about

the gospel.

All about

the gospel.

That the baby

in the manger,

get your heads

around the incarnation

by the way,

I still can't

get my head

around it.

The baby

in the manger,

God

in the flesh,

the creator

of all

in a crib,

came to be

the king

who would go

to the cross.

And what would

he do there?

He would

reconcile

all those

who believe

and trust

in him

to their gods.

It was Charles Spurgeon

who famously

said that

Jesus may well

be the cause

of the greatest

division,

but he is also

the cause,

the medium

of the greatest

union.

This is what

God is doing

here.

He is reconciling

God and man.

And you see

how it's a wonder

for Zechariah

that his son

John

will go before

Mary's boy

and get the stage

ready for him

so that when

he appears,

what's he going

to do?

He's just going

to shine the

spotlight on him

and say,

don't look at me,

don't look at me,

don't look at you,

look at him.

Come

to him.

Come

to him

and repent

of your sin.

Be forgiven

through him

and have life

in him.

John really

is the great

preparer.

The one who

will say,

come

and look

at Jesus.

Praise him,

says Zechariah.

Praise

our God

that he makes

promises

and he keeps

promises.

And so

as we leave

Zech and Liz

this morning,

let me just ask

you two questions.

Two questions

I think

were challenged

from this passage.

First of all,

how are we

waiting?

How are we

waiting?

These two

individuals here

in Luke 1,

they might at

first glance

seem so irrelevant

to us.

But when you

think about it,

what an example

they are

of what it

means to

wait well.

Here they are

waiting for the

first coming

of Christ.

Trusting

and hoping

and clinging

in the midst

of their doubts

and questions,

trusting God's

words and

living by faith

in what God

has said to be

true rather

than what they

can see around

them.

You know,

we might not

be waiting

for the

first coming

of Christ

anymore,

as we

celebrate

his coming.

But here

we are today

and we're

waiting for

his second

coming.

When this

mighty king,

the Lord

Jesus Christ,

will return,

this time not

as a helpless

babe,

but this time

will return

as a mighty

king who

will judge

and who

will win.

And so the

question I think

from this passage

for us is,

are we waiting

like Zech and

Liz?

How are we

waiting this

morning?

And secondly,

as we gaze

upon the joy

of these two

individuals,

I think Luke

quite purposefully

asks us his

readers,

have you

entered into

this joy?

The joy alone

that God can

give?

Do you see,

do you understand

what cause for

celebration this

baby in the

manger was going

to be?

Do you see

that the hopes

and fears of

all the years

really were met

in Bethlehem

that night?

Do you see

the one who

gives joy?

Have you

entered into

the joy this

morning of

knowing the

salvation that

God offers

Christmas time

in his son

Jesus Christ?

Do you know

the joy of

sins forgiven?

Do you know

the joy of

conscience

cleansed?

Do you know

life to the

full?

Life that is

found in this

baby in the

manger?

What is Luke

saying to us

here?

Come and

enter into the

joy of knowing

this baby in the

manger as your

king, as your

saviour, and as

your lord.

And praise him,

praise him

eternally that

our God, he

makes promises,

and our God, he

keeps his

promises.

The chorus of

the great

carol we

sang earlier,

joy to the

world, the

Lord is

come, let

earth receive

her king, let

every heart

prepare him

room, and

heaven and

nature sing,

and heaven and

nature sing, and

heaven and

heaven and

nature sing.

What we're

going to do

just before we

pray and

close and

stand to sing

our last

song, let's

just have a

time of

quiet.

We're so

busy, aren't

we, running

around and

we'll run

around upstairs

at the

lunch.

Let's just

use this

time just

to be quiet

and let's

come before

our Lord

and our

king and

our saviour

this morning

before we

pray.

And so

gracious

father, we

thank you for

this morning.

And we

thank you as

we look at

Luke chapter

one, that we

see in

glorious

technicolor

that you

are a God

who makes

promises, and

you are a

God who

keeps his

promises.

And we

remember at

this time of

year, this

Christmas time

of year, that

you are a

God who has

acted to

save his

people from

their sin, from

their darkness, and

to the light, and

to yourself.

So would you

help us at this

Christmas time to

rejoice, to

rejoice, to

rejoice, and

what it means to

be your

people.

Oh, Father, help

us to marvel at

the Christ.

Help us to

wait well.

Help us to

love you, we

pray.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

Amen.