Less is More: SpeechLESS Luke 1:5-25 · Join the Journey

LESS > MORE

Over the next few weeks our lives will become more and more busy. There will be presents to buy and wrap. Parties to host and attend. Meals to prepare and treats to bake. There will be family to see and friends to catch up with. In the midst of all this it is, I hope that you will take the time to slow down and see what’s really important.

The Overpacked Suitcase

Over Christmas when Suzanne’s parents still were in Kansas we would travel there. For most of our almost 20 years of marriage and even the Christmas before we were married I traveled to Kansas for Christmas. I enjoy traveling, trying new places to eat. But packing I always pack too much. I pack all the just in case things. And then I would end up wearing the same couple of things and washing them over and over again. I always end up lugging around an overstuffed bag all trip, never touching half of what I packed.

Just like my overstuffed bag, having more doesn’t mean you’re more prepared; sometimes it just weighs you down. When it comes to packing and traveling … Less is More.

The Christmas season can be like this… there are so many things happening throughout the month, but there is just one thing that really matters…

I hope that through all the busy we will be able to see what’s really important, the simple truth of Jesus coming to the world.

1 Timothy 1:15

15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—

If we could just remember this one thing this year, Jesus came into the world to save sinners. This is the bottom-line truth about Christmas. God loves us enough to send Jesus to rescue us from our own sin.

If we will remember this… we will have the greatest Christmas of our lives.

EXPLANATION.

This morning we are going to look at a story from the Gospel of Luke which is a prequel to the Christmas story. There is a birth foretold in this story, but it’s not Jesus. And there are some surprised parents, but not Mary and Joseph.

This is the story of the birth of John, he would be known as the forerunner of the Messiah.

So if you have your bible please open them to the gospel of Luke 1. If you don’t have a bible we have some on the back table — please take one as a gift from us to you. Luke is the 3rd book of the New Testament and is one of 4 books that we call the gospels. That word gospel means good news. Because Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell us the good news of Jesus. They tells about what he did and said. They tell us about his birth, life, teaching, death and resurrections. Luke is on the right side of your bible right after Mark and right before John.

Luke 1:5-7

Luke 1:5–7

What do we know about Zechariah and Elizabeth: vs. 6-7

1. Upright

2. Blameless

3. No Children

4. Older

Luke 1:8-10

Luke 1:8–10

Early morning at least three lots would be cast to determine who would do certain jobs:

1. Rekindling the fire on the altar and offering the morning sacrifice

2. The officiating priest of the day

3. Trimming the golden candlestick and preparing incense within the Holy Place

• Trimming the golden candlestick and preparing incense within the Holy Place was the most sacred service of the day

• The incense symbolized the ascending prayers of the saints

Psalm 141:2

Psalms 141:2

May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

• Only once in a lifetime was a priest allowed to perform this duty. He was fortunate if he got to do it at all.

• So Zechariah is left alone to perform this sacred duty and here is what happens…

Luke 1:11-17

Luke 1:11–17

• The first thing the angel says is “Do not be afraid, Zechariah.” Classic thing for an angel to say to a human.

• Gabriel adds, “Your prayer has been heard.” Probably not what Zechariah was praying at that moment, in fact it had probably been decades since he and Elizabeth had prayed for a child.

• Gabriel says that not only will you have a child in your old age, but this will not be an ordinary child

1. Name him John, which means “the Lord is gracious” (vs. 13b)

2. He was to have a special diet. (vs. 15b) (lifetime Nazarite vow - Samson & Samuel)

3. He would be precious to his parents (vs. 14a)

4. He would call many Israelites back to God (vs. 16-17)

5. He would be God’s man with Elijah’s power (vs. 17)

6. He would be the forerunner of the promised Messiah (vs. 17)

• What is so significant about this event that Luke would mention it first in his narrative, even before the news of Jesus birth? It’s important because after 400 years the prophetic silence is broken, the promised Messiah is coming and John will be the one to prepare the way.

Zechariah makes one mistake. He asks for proof.

Luke 1:18-20

Luke 1:18–20

• Great answer from Gabriel. Do you know who I am? Essentially he says, “I am your proof, I stand in the presence of God and I’m here to tell you this news.” Like, what else do you need?

• Zechariah is struck, he cannot speak. Pause

• Notice that Zechariah loses the ability to speak, but only after he has said something stupid. How many times in my life would it have been better if I had lost the ability to speak, before I said some thing dumb?

Luke 1:21-22

Luke 1:21–22

• People are outside praying. Something most of them do everyday. Eventually they notice that Zechariah had not come out.

• Maybe thinking, that old guy must have keeled over.

• Or, maybe he messed up and God struck him dead. This was not the kind of place where you make mistakes. Very sacred. Very holy. Must be very careful.

• Zechariah comes out and he could not speak. It must have been like a game of charades. They realize he had seen a vision.

Luke 1:23-25

Luke 1:23–25

• Interesting to me that he completed his service before he went home to tell Elizabeth. You would think he want to tell the one other person that this was going to affect the most.

• Luke doesn’t give the details — only the result: Elizabeth becomes pregnant.

• Elizabeth becomes pregnant and must have been filled with joy. After years of shame, she did not go out and flaunt it, she just thanked the Lord for the favor she had been given.

Here is what we can learn from this. We can learn to overcome doubt…

1. Doubts come from human wisdom

Luke 1:18

18Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

• Human wisdom says…

• “How could a virgin become pregnant?”

• “Why would Joseph marry a girl who was not faithful?”

• “How does a baby recognize another baby while both are in their mother’s wombs?”

• “How could the son of God be born in a stable?”

• “Why would God choose to become a baby?”

• “Why would the shepherds leave their sheep to go to Bethlehem?”

• “Why would the wise men travel so far to see a baby?”

Doubt comes from human wisdom. But..

2. WISDOM comes from BEING IN GOD’S PRESENCE

Luke 1:19

19The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.

• BE HERE- Jesus said “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” — Matthew 18:20 When believers gather, God’s Spirit is present in and among them. When we gather, God speaks through one another, strengthens us through community, and shows up in ways we often miss when we’re alone.

Matthew 18:20

• BE IN GOD’S WORD. God speaks to us through His word. So be in it.

• Maybe start Dec 1st and read one chapter a day from the Gospel of Luke. There are 24 chapters. On Christmas Eve you will have read Luke’s entire account of the life of Jesus, and you can wake up on Christmas morning fully aware of who and why we celebrate.

Doubt comes from human wisdom, but wisdom comes from being in God’s Presence.

3. GOD GROWS US IN THE SILENCE

Luke 1:20

20And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

I’m sure that Zechariah had plenty of time to think and pray during these nine months. Time to be amazed at what God was doing. Time to think and learn and grow. And when his son was born, he broke his silence when it was time to name the child. Human wisdom would say that the child would be named after his father, but Zachariah insisted that the name was John.

Later when John had fulfilled his role as the forerunner of the Messiah, John’s disciples come to him and ask him about Jesus. Here’s his response…

John 3:30

30He must become greater; I must become less.”

So this Christmas season remember that…

• LESS is MORE.

• Learn to be still (and know that He is God)

• Commit to one evening without screens and spend in God’s word, in prayer.

• Learn to be present (with those who are close to you)

• This Christmas season choose one holiday event to say no to and instead spend focused time with one person or just your immediate family.

• Learn to be thankful (for what you do have)

• This week grab a pen and paper and start listing out what you do have and thank God for them.

This Christmas, put down the heavy bag. Remember the one thing: Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Let less be more. Read Luke. Be present with the people God puts around you. Stand still when God is speaking, and let Him do the heavy lifting. As John said, “He must become greater; I must become less.” Let our prayer this Christmas be, Lord, help us to be less so You can be more.

Friends, the most important part of Christmas is simple: Jesus came to save you. Today you can receive what He came to give — forgiveness, grace, and new life. Put your faith in Him, turn from