Luke 1:67-79; The Birth of Christ – Lighting the Path of Peace.

Class Outline:

Thursday December 19, 2024

 

Theme: Christ is the light that shows us the path of peace.  

 

Four ways of peace: 1) with God; 2) with others; 3) with nature; 4) with self. 

 

The image we will get today is that the Lord Jesus Christ is a lamp that we can shine on all four of these categories in our own lives. The peace promised by God through Jesus encompasses all four. Today we will learn from Christ that He gives them all.

 

Zacharias’ psalm of praise.

4 strophes. LUK 1:67-79.

 

Thanksgiving for the Messiah (68-70)

The great deliverance (71-75)

Place of John (76-77)

Messianic salvation (78-79)

 

List of praise psalms (Psa 8, 19, 29, 33, 100, 103, 104, 111, 113, 114, 117, 135, 136, 145-150.)

 

Theology Corner: Filling of Holy Spirit

Zacharias is filled with the Spirit. We noted that the ministry of the Holy Spirit in filling people was rare in the OT and not permanent. No OT saint was indwelt by the Holy Spirit. In the church age the HS indwells every believer and that means that the believer now may be filled with the Spirit any time he or she submits to the will of God and obeys His word.

 

LUK 1:67-80

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: 

 

LUK 1:68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, 

 

Begins with praise for God for the new visitation. 

 

A Christian’s life should be full of praise and joy. It is a tragedy due to lack of faith when it is not.

 

LUK 1:69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant —  

 

Zac does not begin with his son but with the Davidic Messiah. “Horn of salvation” is an image of power like the horns of a bull. 

 

LUK 1:70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old —  

 

Zac reminds us that God fulfills His word. He will always fulfill what He has spoken. 

 

LUK 1:71 Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES,

And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US; 

 

He quotes PSA 106:10. The context of that Psalm is deliverance from Egypt. 

 

LUK 1:72 To show mercy toward our fathers,

And to remember His holy covenant, 

 

LUK 1:73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, 

 

God always keeps His word. If you know His works in the past then you know the future.

 

LUK 1:74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,

Might serve Him without fear, 

 

LUK 1:75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. 

 

In vv. 72-75, the psalm reveals the purposes and future results of God’s action in fulfilling His covenant and providing salvation.

 

LUK 1:76 "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

For you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS (MAL 3:1); 

 

LUK 1:77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation

By the forgiveness of their sins, 

 

Focus on vv. 78-79; Messianic salvation who illumines the path of peace.

 

LUK 1:78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,

With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, 

 

The Sunrise from on high will visit us - an awesome title for the Lord Jesus. Will visit is His expected coming through the virgin birth. 

 

LUK 1:79 TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH,

To guide our feet into the way of peace." 

 

The word translated “dawn” or “Sunrise” is anatole (east) and can refer to the sprouting of a plant and the rising of a star, and its usage gave it a messianic connotation of “branch.” 

 

ISA 11:1

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,

And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

 

NUM 24:17 [Balaam]

“I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not near;

A star shall come forth from Jacob,

A scepter shall rise from Israel,”

 

MAL 4:2

“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings;”

 

This star, this branch comes to illumine the path of peace for us.

 

Poetic image - the path of peace.

We are born into a darkness (man born blind).

 

Demands faith - EXO 34:6-7

The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished,

 

End of Exo 4 all should be well.

EXO 4:31

So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped.

 

They lose faith when times get difficult.

 

Shine upon those who sit in darkness:

ISA 9:2

The people who walk in darkness

Will see a great light;

Those who live in a dark land,

The light will shine on them.

 

Faith maturity takes time: Mary treasures, ponders, goes through piecing.

 

Illuminating the path of peace.

 

God’s peace would be a gift to all who would have faith brought about by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

The Son of God coming into the world is the greatest submission in the world by miles.

 

Shine the light of submission on every human relationship you currently have. (Phi 2)

 

He came to save: shine the light of justification on your relationship with God - do not let your sins, failures of the past or present stop you from boldly going to Him.

 

He came to establish justice (one day): shine the light of the future on the current world.

 

He came to forgive all of your sins and make you new: shine the light of redemption in the mirror as you see yourself.