Advance Warning • Luke 1

1:10:23 Teaching begins

Notes

“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:5-6

Christmas is about preparing people to be ready to receive the Lord when He comes. Have you ever wondered why the Messiah needs a forerunner? When you just show up without warning people are surprised, shocked, and not receptive.

God doesn’t want to smite the land with a curse. He wants to bless. So He gives notice beforehand that He is coming. Then everyone will be prepared. What God doesn’t want is fathers not caring about their children, and children not caring about their fathers. When no one is loving anyone people will treat one another badly. God will smite the land with a curse.

The first Christmas begins with preparing the forerunner’s father because he isn’t ready!

But because God wants to bless him, He prepares him.

I’m reading in Luke 1 (1-7)

1. We are introduced to a sad and puzzling couple.

A. On the one hand, Zacharias and Elizabeth are a special couple, she’s the daughter of a priest, they’re both devoted to the Lord, blameless in doing the commandments of God.

B. And yet they are childless.

1. This was just as much a tragedy then as it is now. And because they are advanced in age there is no likelihood of that ever changing. They have to resign themselves that is isn’t going to happen.

2. There is an added stigma of being unpleasing to God and this is near to being cursed. But they are blameless!

3. So this is sad and puzzling.

C. This particular day is a day of great honor for Zacharias.

1. You notice that he was chosen by lot to burn incense in the temple at the hour of prayer.

2. There were some 18,000 priests at this time, arranged in 24 orders. Zacharias is a member of the eighth order of Abijah. Each order would serve once every six months.

3. In order to share the opportunity a priest would be chosen by lot. A priest could serve his whole career and not be chosen. But if it happened that would be the greatest honor of a priest’s life. Zacharias is peaking today.

D. As Zacharias goes into the holy place to burn incense on the altar of incense, the people are praying outside. Incense is a symbol or prayer rising to God. This a once in a lifetime moment.

2. The Angel of God appears in order to bless Zacharias, who isn’t prepared for it.

A. Gabriel appears next to the altar of incense and Zacharias is surprised, shocked, upset and fearful.

1. This is our natural reaction to being surprised. We think there’s danger.

2. With an angel that is increased because we immediately think, “I’m not fit to be in the presence of God (or His representative). Am I going to die?”

B. The angel says only good things.

1. Don’t be afraid

2. Your prayer has been heard, and you will have a son, and you will name him John.

3. You will have joy and gladness.

4. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb.

5. And he will be the one prophesied in Malachi 4, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous. That son will be the forerunner of the Messiah.

C. Those are all good things, but you notice Zacharias is not receptive.

1. He basically says, “No, that’s not going to happen. I’m old, so is my wife.”

2. He does not say, “I gave up praying that prayer. God didn’t answer it, so you’re a little late, pal.”

3. God is telling him He is going to bless and Zacharias says, “Not going to happen.”

D. His heart is not turned to his Father in heaven, and his heart is not turned to his soon-coming son. He doesn’t receive what God is saying.

3. God prepares Zacharias to receive from HIm.

A. Gabriel tells him I stand in the presence of God. This is what God said to say. This is God talking to you. The message is true and God knows the impossibilities.

B. You will be unable to speak until what I said happens because you didn’t believe me, and my words will be fulfilled in the proper time.

1. I’ve read commentaries that describe this as punishment or judgment. This isn’t punishment or judgment because God described that in Malachi 4: He will strike the earth with a curse.

2. God doesn’t smite Zacharias. He always planned on blessing Zacharias. He knew he was going to have a hard time reacting to this. It wasn’t like Zacharias let God down and God is so angry that He’s going to let Zacharias have it!

3. Do not think this is punishment. This is discipline. God gives him a time-out for nine months where he can’t talk.

D. Zacharias gets time to think! Here are some of the things Zacharias probably thought about.

1. What the angel said is going to happen because I’m still alive! He didn’t kill me! I didn’t deserve that. Thank You, God.

2. I’m going to have a son even though I’m too old. Well, I thought I was all done with life, and God says I’m not. So I guess there’s more to come. That’s amazing. Thank You, God.

3. I am the father of the forerunner of the Messiah. This is the most precious life, much more than my own life. O thank You, God!

4. I’m going to teach this little life how good You are, O God. I’m going to teach him to love you with all his heart, all his soul, all his mind, and all his strength. Because You are teaching me right now about Your goodness, and I didn’t know the half of it. I love You, O Lord, my strength. O God, You are so good! O thank You, God!

E. When Zacharias writes, “His name is John,” like the angel commanded, then he can speak again. And the first words out of his mouth are worship and blessing and praise for the Lord his God. Especially look at vv. 76-79: “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS; to give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” That’s what God wants: tender mercy, as He shines His light down on us, guiding us into His way of peace.

E. Look what God has done: He has turned Zacharias’ heart towards his Father who is in heaven, and He has turned Zacharias’ heart to his son. They are prepared for the coming of the day of the Lord, to receive Him.

4. So what?

A. Christmas is advance notice that Jesus Christ is coming into the world to bless and not curse. It’s really good news from God.

B. Now, you might say, well, He already came. We’re done, right?

C. But there’s the rest of Malachi 4 that will be fulfilled.

1. The great and terrible day of the Lord is coming. The Lord Jesus will come in power and glory. Every arrogant person, every evildoer, will be like chaff, and the day that is coming will set them ablaze so that it will not leave them root nor branch. They will be the ashes under the feet of the righteous.

2. But for the righteous it will be the sun of righteousness rising with healing in its wings. Our righteousness will be brought forth like the light, and our judgment like the noonday. We’ll be joyful like calves skipping around the stall. We’ll be revealed with the Lord Jesus in power and glory.

3. Christmas is advance notice that it will happen. God has already fulfilled the First Advent. He will fulfill the Second Advent of Jesus.

D. What you do then, is get prepared to receive Him.

1. Turn your heart to the Heavenly Father. Let Him turn your heart to your parents and to your children. God wants love in our families. Pursue peace with all men and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. Receive His discipline to share His holiness. This life is about loving everyone. You need Jesus for that more than ever. Don’t you feel your absolute poverty to love anyone? You need Jesus! Have you received Him?

2. Our problem is that we don’t think anything is really going to happen. Like Zacharias, we pray, we’ve read the whole Bible, but when God actually does something, we don’t believe him.

3. If you don’t believe Him, then you will be shocked, surprised, and you won’t receive. Let God make you a believer who really believes Him. If you hear His voice, listen to Him, receive Him.

Let’s pray.