Greg Laurie - Christmas: The Prequel (12/02/2017)
- Watch
- Donate
- Become Partner
Pastor Greg Laurie takes us back to the story before the Christmas story in Luke 1, focusing on the faithful priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, who receive the angelic announcement of John the Baptist's birth amid 400 years of silence from God. In dark days under Herod's rule, God breaks through with hope, showing that He remembers His promises and uses humble, faithful people to prepare the way for the Messiah.
The Greatest Story Ever Told – A Prequel That Doesn't Disappoint
Father, as we visit this story again, really the greatest story ever told, we pray that we would see it with new eyes, that we would hear it with new ears, and gain even a greater appreciation of what it means to us. So bless now as we open Your Word, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.
Well, you probably heard the big news that Disney has bought out the Star Wars franchise. And this is good news for Star Wars fans out there in case you have been wondering whatever happened to Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. I guess we are going to find out. Now as you recall there were three films in the original series. There was Star Wars and there was The Empire Strikes Back and then The Return of the Jedi. I remember when I saw them I think, were they out in the 70s or something? It was so long ago. But I remember I was seeing the second one, Empire Strikes Back. I don't know if that is the one or not when it was revealed that Luke's dad was Darth Vader. I can't recall. But I do remember this. I was standing in line. I hadn't seen the film yet. And some guy driving out yelled out to everybody in line, "Darth Vader is Luke's father!" We were like, don't! Because that was a big moment in the story.
When Prequels Surprise Us in Scripture
Well I guess Lucas thought he needed some more money. So after the films that had this amazing success and it had become a cultural phenomenon, he went back and made three more. And they were prequel films. And frankly I didn't like them nearly as much as the original three Star Wars films. Even though they had more sophisticated technology working. I didn't like them. They lost me with Jar Jar Binks. You remember him? The most worthless character ever invented. But so prequels often disappoint. Well we are going to look at a prequel right now if you will. The story before the story. Now the greatest story ever told, the Christmas story, when we think of that we think of the angel Gabriel coming to Mary and telling her she is going to bring forth a son and call him Jesus. And how the angel goes to Joseph and tells him the same. We think of their journey to Bethlehem after the decree is given that everyone should be taxed. We think of the birth of the baby in the manger in Bethlehem. We think of the Shepherds coming in and giving glory to God and later the wise men. That is the Christmas story. But this is a story before the story. And it is not disappointing in the least.
Who Was Dr. Luke? The Careful Historian of the Gospel
We are going to follow Dr. Luke's narrative of the Christmas story for the month of December. Who was Luke? Well one of the gospel writers. He is different from the others in that he was not an eyewitness of the life and ministry of Jesus. Matthew, also known as Levi, was actually called by Christ and walked with Him as did John. And many believe that Mark was actually dictated by Simon Peter. But Luke stands apart in that Luke wasn't there but he went and gathered the information at a later date. Luke was a physician who came to faith from a non-Jewish background. It was his desire to bring a record of the life of Jesus that would be understandable to those outside of the Jewish faith and culture. So with the well-educated skill and attention to detail of a doctor as well as the heart and the artistry of a poet, Luke presents to us the life of Jesus Christ.
He addresses this gospel to a man named Theophilus. Now we don't know who he was. But we know that his name means lover of God. It would seem that from the way this is structured that Theophilus was a wealthy man who probably underwrote Luke's research project. And so Luke addresses his remarks in the beginning of his gospel to Theophilus. Luke chapter 1 verse 3, "It seemed good to me also having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed." So Theophilus, a believer, is being affirmed in his faith by the research findings of Dr. Luke.
Luke's Method – Interviewing Eyewitnesses for Truth
Luke went out and interviewed people. No doubt he sat down and talked with Mary. He talked possibly with Joseph. He talked with many of the people that were there. "Okay, you've got to tell me what you saw. Tell me more." And then he put it all together. Because it was Luke's belief that if a person understood the story of Jesus, it would produce belief. And I think that is true. You know, you will talk to people today and ask them if they are a Christian. They will say no. You say, have you ever read the Bible? Some will say yes. Then when you press them you find out they have never read the Bible. You ask them if they have ever read a gospel. Most people haven't. Yet they reject Jesus Christ. How can you reject Jesus Christ without even reading a little bit about His life or considering His claims? See it was Luke's belief that if you looked into these things you would believe.
Also there were some erroneous reports out and about in this day. I don't know if they had supermarket tabloids when you were in the check-out line. But there were fables and myths and distortions that were being passed around. So Luke is sort of correcting the record to tell us what really happened.
A Dark Time – In the Days of Herod the King
So let's read his words now. Luke chapter 1 starting in verse 5. "There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea a certain priest named Zechariah of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous before God walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren and they were well advanced in years."
And so it was that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of the division according to the custom of the priesthood his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. Then the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And an angel of the Lord appeared before him standing on the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him he was troubled. And fear fell upon him. And the angel said, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall call his name John. And there will be joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord he shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
Understanding the Darkness – 400 Years of Silence
We will stop there. Now when you read this narrative because of Luke's ability as a writer to tell a story that is based on factual information you could sort of miss what he is saying in these opening words. He says in verse 5, "In the days of Herod." Understand what that means. That would be like saying in Germany in the days of Hitler. Or in China in the days of Mao Zedong. Or in Iraq in the days of Saddam Hussein. So immediately you understand those would be difficult days. Those would be dark days as people were under the control of a dictator. That is Herod. A wicked man.
These days for the Jewish people were almost as difficult as their bondage in Egypt under the Pharaoh. Herod had been installed by Caesar to oversee this area of Judea over the Jewish people. He was effectively a puppet governor. He had been given the title the King of the Jews. But he was also a paranoid tyrant. Jealous. Afraid to lose power. And always fearing that someone was trying to take his throne. History tells us that Herod murdered his wife, her brother, her mother, and several of his own sons. It was Herod that gave the decree that all the baby boys in Bethlehem were to be slaughtered because the wise men said, "We are looking for the one who is to be born called the King of the Jews." Worst thing they could have said to Herod. Because he is thinking, "Hey man, I am the King of the Jews. What are you talking about? Some baby being born." So he slaughtered all of those babies.
There was a saying of the day. Maybe it was even a song that went as follows. It is better to be one of Herod's pigs than one of his family. So you get the idea how wicked this man was.
God's Promise Breaking Through the Silence
Now to make matters worse Israel had not heard from God for 400 years. That is a long time. There had not been a single prophet speaking for God. Not a single miracle was performed. Not a single angelic appearance. There is just 400 years of silence. So Luke's narrative finds Israel in the midst of a long night of spiritual darkness.
From her very beginning with the call of Abraham, the father of the nation, to 400 years under the bondage of Egypt, to 40 years of wilderness wanderings, to possession of the land of Canaan, to the chaotic days of the judges, to the glory days of David and Solomon, to 70 years of captivity in Babylon, to the regathering in their land, and now being dominated by foreign powers, Israel was under the control of Rome. And things were hard. The Caesars were actually demanding that people worship them.
And in this very dark time they remembered a promise. God had promised Israel that better days were coming. He told them that Messiah was coming. And in the last book of the Old Testament, the book of Malachi, are these words, Malachi 4:2, "But for you who revere My name, the Son of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings, and He who will go out and frolic like well-fed calves."
So God is saying, good news is coming. The sun is going to rise. R. Kent Hughes, a very good commentator, wrote these words. And I quote, "Great plans, late in eternal ages past, now began to activate. Angels scurried around busily preparing for the dawn." End quote.
God not only promised Messiah was coming, but He said, before He arrives, I am going to send His forerunner, His herald, His announcer. Malachi 3:1, "I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Lord, whom you are seeking, will come into His temple."
So that is where John fits in. John is sort of like the bridge between the Old and the New Testament. He was the last of the Old Testament prophets, but He also was the herald of Messiah.
One God from Genesis to Revelation
Now sometimes people will say, well you know, I believe in the God of the New Testament, not the God of the Old. Like there are two gods. But listen, there is only one God. And He is found all the way from Genesis to Revelation in all 66 books of the Bible. The Bible is not two revelations, but one. And John sort of bridged that gap after 400 years of silence. And now the answer to the prayer of Israel was coming.
I love that Christmas song that says, "O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel."
Zechariah's Encounter with Gabriel – A Life-Changing Moment
So here is Zechariah. He is in the temple. And he is just doing his job. And suddenly the angel of the Lord appears. Gabriel. Now let me read this to you again, which we have already read from another translation. "The crowded congregation outside was praying at the actual time of the incense burning, when an angel of the Lord appeared on the right side of the incense altar. When Zechariah saw him, he was terribly afraid. And a sense of awe swept over him. And the angel said, 'Be not afraid, Zechariah. Your prayers have been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear you a son. And you will call him John.'"
Again, let me emphasize, 400 years since Israel has heard from God, now along comes an angel. But listen, not just any angel. This was the big honcho. This was Gabriel. The only one who would even possibly outrank him would be Michael. Two angels are given to us by name in the Bible. Michael and Gabriel. You could add Lucifer, I suppose, who became the devil. But he was once a high-ranking angel. But Gabriel is a heavyweight angel. For him to appear means this is super important. And indeed it was. It was a big event.
You know it is fascinating to note that the name Zechariah means "God remembers." And Elizabeth means "my God is an oath." So in effect God was fulfilling the meaning of their names. He is going to keep His oath. And He is remembering what He said. To them and to the whole nation.
Why God Chose Zechariah and Elizabeth – Four Key Qualities
Now why did God choose two people like Zechariah and Elizabeth? Well let me point out a few principles that may be helpful for those of us that would like to be used by God.
Number one. Zechariah was a humble man. Contrast him with a powerful and prideful Herod who would in time come down. Here is Zechariah, a humble servant of the Lord. James 4:6 says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
But what does it mean to be humble? You know sometimes we might think it is someone that is really quiet. They are so humble they mumble. You know just, "What is your name? I just don't understand the most." They are so humble they drop the H from the word. "I am very humble" you know. No you are actually more of a wimp. What is wrong with you? Speak up. That is not humility. The word humility, being humble, being meek, all speak of power under constraint. In other words it is not a weak person. It is a strong person that restrains themselves. It is a person who sees themselves as they really are a sinner in need of a Savior. And so that was Zechariah.
He actually was a country priest. Back in these days there would be around 8,000 priests out and about watching over Israel. Sort of like a country preacher. Who would have his little country church out there in the woods somewhere. That was Zechariah. And he had his little flock of people that he would walk over.
A priest in this culture would represent God to the people. He would represent the people to God. He would help them understand Scripture. He would pray for them. He would offer counsel to them. Sometimes offer certain rulings and disputes. And that was his job.
And it is kind of an interesting thing to stop and consider that we are priests in a way too. You say, well wait, I didn't get a clerical collar. No. You don't need one. But when you become a believer in Jesus Christ you enter into the priesthood if you will. 1 Peter 2:9 says, "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood. So you may proclaim the excellencies of Him that has called you out of darkness and a marvelous light."
See, I, just like Zechariah, represent God to people. And so do you. If you are a Christian you are a representative of God wherever you are. You are God's representative in your neighborhood. You are God's representative in your workplace. You are God's representative in your family. Maybe you are the only Christian in the family. And if so, and they decide to have a prayer over a meal, you always are the one that gets the job, right?
And by the way, I think that is great because I figure as long as I am praying I have the floor. You know? And so I always use those prayers to kind of preach a little miniature sermon as well. When it is a prayer over a meal. When relatives are gathered and so forth. But, you know, you are representative of God.
You say, well Greg, you are putting a lot of pressure on me. Sorry. That is what being a Christian is. Listen, you are the only Bible some people are ever going to read. A Christian is a walking epistle written by God and read by men. And many people will never read John 3:16. But they are going to read you.
Faithfulness in the Little Things – Key to Being Used by God
Number two, Zechariah was a faithful man. In this job we see Zechariah just doing his duty. You see the way it worked out in these days is the priest would watch over his little parish or area of responsibility. But twice a year he would be called upon to go to Jerusalem into the big temple and pray for the people. He got to go into the Holy of Holies even. So this was a big deal if you are some country person being able to come to the big city and do this. And so this was a great joy. But something that Zechariah faithfully did.
I think it is really important to point out that if you want to be used by God you need to get out and do something. Sometimes I will talk to a few of them and say, "I want to be used by the Lord. I believe God is calling me to ministry and I am just waiting on the Lord." What does that mean, waiting on the Lord? What are you doing? "I am sitting around with my lazy boy just waiting on the Lord." Well get out of your lazy boy, lazy boy. And do something for the Lord.
You will find that those that God called in Scripture were always busy. Moses was tending his sheep. David was doing the same. Elisha, when called by Elijah to carry on his ministry, was out plowing in a field. Gideon was threshing wheat when he was called by God to deliver Israel from the Midianites. Peter and John were mending their nets when Jesus called them to go and become fishers of men.
Listen, it is difficult to steer a car when the engine isn't running. So turn the car on and get busy. The key is to be faithful in the little things. Do what is before you. Do what you can.
One way to determine what you are gifted to do is sometimes finding out what you are not gifted to do. Sometimes it is process of elimination. So just volunteer for things. We need help over here. We need help in the parking lot. We need help in new convert counseling. We need someone to go down to the mission and help serve food to the homeless. Oh, we need someone to... Oh, just do it. Volunteer. And you will find out, wow, I am really bad at this. Or you might discover, wow, God has really blessed me in this area. I have a skill here or a gifting I did not know that I had.
I remember years ago, right after I became a Christian, I am around 18, maybe 19, and I make an appointment with Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa. I say, Chuck, I sit down and I say, "Chuck, I feel called to ministry. In fact, I even feel called to preach. And I am available to help in any way I can here." I was thinking Chuck might say, why don't you take a midweek service or something? I mean, I am 19. What do you know when you are 19, right? Although 19-year-olds are, I am offended by that. You know nothing yet. Okay, so you will see. You have to get old to say that. Okay, it is okay. It is good to be 19. Enjoy it. It will not last long. Okay.
So here I am, 19, hair in my eyes, use your imagination. I want to serve God. Chuck says, "You need to go talk to Pastor Romain." Well, some of you must know who Romain was. I did not know who he was. Well, as it turns out, Romain, Laverne Romain was his name. He never used his first name. And if you said it to his face, you might not live to tell the story. Romain. He used to be a sergeant in the Marine Corps.
So when a young, long-haired kid showed up saying, "I want to serve God," he said, "fine. Here is a broom. Start sweeping over there. After that, go clean the toilets. After that, go do this." You know, I am offering myself as a servant of the Lord. Lord, they saw free janitorial work.
Now here is the thing. They wanted to see if I would be faithful in the little things. Because if you won't be faithful in the little things, you won't be faithful in the big ones. Jesus said in Luke 16:10, "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities."
You know, sometimes people will say, "I feel called to go across the sea and preach the gospel." Nice. Why don't you start by going across the street and talking to your neighbor? Say, we are thinking of big, big, big. Start small.
Warren Wiersbe, a great Bible commentator, once said, "You can never be too small for God to use, only too big." So if you see yourself as you really are, and be faithful in these little things, God will bless you.
You see, God gives us gifts, but they don't come fully developed. Romans 12 says, "God has given us different gifts to do certain things well. If you're gifted in serving others, serve them well. If you're a teacher, teach well. If you're called to encourage others, be encouraging. If you're called to give, give generously." But these gifts come to us and we have to develop them.
Anyone who is good at what they do, take Marty Getz, or an artist, or a craftsman, or whatever you do. Whatever. You get better at it through doing it. You see?
Years ago, when I was a little kid, my aspiration in life was to be a professional cartoonist. I loved to draw and I had little comic adventures with my own cast of characters and all this. And one day my mom brought home a Disney artist. Now she was married a bunch of times. Had a bunch of boyfriends in between. So this guy shows up and my mom says, "Greg, this man works for the Disney Animation Studio." To me that was like a prophet of the Lord walked into my home. I mean, at that point in my life. I'm like, did Disney? Like Walt Disney was my hero.
So I said, "I don't believe you work for Disney." So he pulled out a pencil and he drew a flawless, I can't recall if it was Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, but it was perfect on a piece of paper. I was like, huh! And he said, "son, if you take this pencil and go away now, and put it under your pillow, and sleep on it, you'll wake up tomorrow morning and be able to draw like me." I think he just wanted to hang out with my mom, right? So I didn't know. I grabbed the pencil, ran off to bed, put it under my pillow. My little heart was racing. And I woke up the next morning, grabbed the pencil, went to a piece of paper, and my skill was the same as it was before. I later hunted that man down and killed him. I've never shared that before. No, I'm kidding. I made that up. But you develop a gift by using it. It doesn't come fully formed.
Zechariah and Elizabeth – A Godly Couple in Their Later Years
Number three. Zechariah and Elizabeth were godly people. They were godly people. Look at verse 6. "They were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless." Wow. That doesn't mean they did them all perfectly, or that they were without sin. But to the best of their ability, they lived godly lives.
But yet, they were getting on in years, and they were well past the age of having children. And ironically, some people might have even thought they were ungodly. Why? Because back in this culture, the idea was, if you couldn't have children as a woman, then something was wrong. There might be a curse. That's why you're barren. You see? That was a misunderstanding. But they had that view.
Except about Zechariah and Elizabeth. "Oh, you think Zechariah is such a godly priest? Well, he'd be so godly. Why doesn't he have any children? Why hasn't God given him a son to carry on his name? Maybe he's not as godly as we think he is." Listen. Don't be so quick to judge. You don't have all the facts. And things are not always as they appear. Because in reality, Zechariah was a super godly man. As was his wife a super godly woman. And God was going to bless them in an amazing way. And not just give them a son. But a super son, if you will. A son who would be a great man of God.
This reminds us of the story of Job. You remember that the calamities that happened to Job on earth were a result of a conversation that happened in heaven. God was up in heaven talking to the angels who came to give a report. Satan was among them. God was super pleased with Job. And he actually said, "If you consider my servant Job one that fears God and shuns evil." The devil says, "Well give me a break. He fears you because you bless him. And all the stuff you've given him. Give me a little time with Job. We'll see what he's made of." And the Lord allowed Satan to have freedom to do certain things in Job's life with limitations. And a series of calamities befell Job. And after those things happened including the loss of his possessions and his children. counselors came along. In quotes. Counselors. And you know what they said? "You must be a super wicked guy, Job because this wouldn't have happened to you if you were a godly man." Nothing could be further from the truth. It was the very opposite of what they thought.
And by the way when I hear that story and I think of God bragging on Job I feel like saying to the Lord, "Lord if you're ever even for a fleeting moment slightly proud of me could you keep it quiet? Especially if Lucifer is around." But Job went through all these things but he was a godly man. And now their faithfulness would be rewarded.
The Angel's Message – Your Prayer Is Heard
Verse 13. The angel of the Lord said, "Don't be afraid. Your prayer is heard. And your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. You'll call his name John." The way this is worded in the original language seems to imply God heard the prayer Zechariah was praying at this very moment. So here he is in the temple in the Holy of Holies. And he's praying. Now Lord I know I'm here to pray for the people but let me just get one prayer in for me. I hope I'm not exploiting this but oh Lord we really want a son. Or maybe you're saying Lord send the Messiah. We need the Messiah. Whatever it was he was praying it was answered right there. That's the whole idea. The prayer he prayed on earth was heard immediately in heaven.
And that's a good thing to remember. Your prayers are heard in heaven. Remember earlier when we were looking at Revelation 8 we read of a bowl of prayers in heaven. Revelation 8:3 "Another angel having a golden censer came and stood at the altar and was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all of the saints on the golden altar before the throne." Every prayer you pray is recorded. God hears and stores your prayers.
Now today we have these clouds that we store things in. And you can store books there. You can store music and photos and other documents so we don't have to have a lot of storage in our devices anymore. If we have Internet access we can pull the stuff down from the cloud. Even in Harvest America we had our prayer cloud as you recall. And people from all around the world submitted the names of non-believers that they wanted prayed for. And those names were there in the cloud for us to remember before God.
Well God is a cloud too. And His cloud is way more sophisticated than our cloud. He stores all data there. Nothing is ever lost. God never has a hard drive crash. Everything is recorded. Now it is a good thing God isn't like me because when I store things sometimes I forget about them. I put things away and I will open a drawer I have it open for a while and go, "Oh, that is where I put that." Right? But God not only stores things He remembers things. And every prayer you've prayed is recorded.
This is what happens to those wait prayers. They are duly noted and saved for the right moment. Sometimes we will say, "Well, God doesn't answer my prayer." Wait a second. God answers all prayers. Yes, no, or wait. Sorry to make you know. But someone had to be. Sometimes He says yes like He said to Zechariah. Right in the moment, yes. Sometimes He says no outside of my will. Often He says wait. But we will think wait means no when in reality wait means wait. Wait for the right time.
Thirty years they have been praying for a child. And now the time has come. God is going to answer their prayer. It is duly noted and now it is going to be answered.
You know it is a good thing to remember because you know here are two faithful people that may have been perceived wrongly by others. And sometimes when we do bad things let me restate that. When we do bad things they come out in time. The Bible tells us that everything that is in secret will be brought into the open. Everything that is hidden will be uncovered. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight. What you have whispered to someone behind closed doors will be shouted.
Now a statement like that sends shivers down the spines of some. Like Lindsay Lohan. You know. Everywhere you go people are watching you. They are recording you. Everybody has cameras now these days and there are phones and even video. And so they will just record it and they will post it on the Internet. And so these things can be put out there. And it is embarrassing if you have done something wrong or illegal or immoral. It is recorded. Yeah. Bad things are recorded. But listen to this. Good things are too.
Maybe you heard the story of this New York City police officer Lawrence DiPrimo. I was walking his beat recently and he saw a homeless man sitting on the street with no shoes or socks. It was around 30 degrees. And the officer you know was concerned and he said sir could I get you some socks. And the homeless man said to Officer DiPrimo. no officer but God bless you and thank you for asking. And so the officer thought man here it is freezing cold out and this guy has a heart to say God bless me. So he went down to a store bought a pair of socks and shoes and brought them to the man and actually put them on the man. He wasn't doing this for a show. He wasn't making an announcement. He is just doing something kind for someone in need. Paying for it out of his own pocket.
Well a tourist happens to be in town and records this whole thing and posts it on the Internet. Now everybody wants to talk to this police officer. His good deed was acknowledged and that is a great thing. But see here is the good news. The bad things will come out and the good things will come out.
Back to the story of Zechariah. Now the good thing is going to come out. God is going to bless him. And he is going to be the father of a great man.
Zechariah's Doubt – Questioning the Angel Gabriel
But Zechariah is struggling with this. He is struggling because he can't believe it is really going to happen. And that brings us to point number four. Zechariah was human and flawed just like us. Look at verse 18 of Luke 1. Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? I am an old man and my wife is well advanced in years." By the way, that is very diplomatic, isn't it? "I am an old man." He could have said, "and my wife is an old woman." So he says, "I am an old man. My wife is well advanced in years." Very nicely done. Even back then women didn't like their age being this close. "She is well advanced in years but she is very beautiful isn't she?"
And the angel answered and said, "I am Gabriel. Do you know who I am? Who stands in the presence of God and I was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings and behold you will be mute and unable to speak until the days these things take place because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."
Instead of believing Zechariah questions. So meanwhile, outside of the temple people are waiting. Where is Zechariah? It doesn't take that long to do what he is doing. He should be out by now. Did God kill him? Did God speak to him? Did he just fall asleep? I mean, what is going on? They are waiting. Suddenly, the speechless Zechariah appears. He can't say a word because his capacity to speak has been taken away. But the people can tell just by looking at him that something of great importance has happened. He has to explain through hand gestures.
Verse 21. "The people waited for Zechariah and marveled. He lingered so long in the temple. When he came out he could not speak to them. And they perceived he had seen a vision in the temple. For he beckoned to them and remained speechless."
You know, you wonder what that looked like. I mean, here is Zechariah. He is coming out. He can't talk. What happened, Zechariah? What happened? That's it. I can't wait until this is aired on the radio. By the way, I hate mimes. That's the only time you will ever see me do that. You know, mimes like I'm a mime. Psh! Ah! So he had to mime it. Pantomime it.
John the Baptist – The Greatest Prophet and Forerunner
But God was setting things in place. And the Bible says when the time was just right God sent forth his son born of a woman made under the law to redeem those that are under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons whereby we cry Abba Father. The time was just right.
Listen. God wasn't going to give to Zechariah and Elizabeth just any son. He was going to give to them the greatest son ever apart from Christ himself. John the Baptist. Jesus gave to John this amazing endorsement in Matthew 11. "What did you guys go out to see in the wilderness? A man dressed in fine clothing. I tell you John he is more than just some man. I tell you of all who have ever lived none is greater than John the Baptist."
You know something you may not realize is in his day John was the man. He preceded Christ. He had a very public ministry. It is interesting to note that the Jewish historian Josephus recorded more about the life and ministry of John than he did about Jesus. To put it in the vernacular John was a rock star. Everybody wanted to hear John. Oh what is John going to say today? I love John. Man I love how he puts those Pharisees in their place. I love how he preaches the Word of God and people would clamber around him down there by the Jordan River. He was baptizing them, telling them to repent. I mean he was amazing.
But he had a job to do. And that job was to point people to Christ. And so he was the greatest Jesus said. Well how could he be the greatest? I thought Muhammad Ali was the greatest. No. John was the greatest. He was the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. He was the last of the Old Testament prophets. The last of the Mohicans if you will. The last one.
Oh wait. Greater than Isaiah or Ezekiel or Jeremiah? Greater than Moses or Elijah or Elisha or even Joseph or David? Greater? Wait a second. God didn't give John the Ten Commandments as he gave to Moses. God didn't give miracle power to John like he gave to Elijah and Elisha. John never wrote a book of the Bible like Isaiah or Ezekiel or Jeremiah. John didn't go through the things that Joseph and David went through. How could he be the greatest of all of the prophets?
Answer. Because he was the direct forerunner of the Messiah. His greatness was a result of his closeness to Jesus. He had the super privileged responsibility of announcing Christ.
So here is John. Fame. Everybody loves to hear him speak. And one day Jesus shows up to be baptized in the Jordan River. John's reaction is, "hey, I am not even worthy to tie your shoe. I can't baptize you." Jesus says, do it. So John baptizes him. And at that point he fades into the woodwork. Okay, everybody, my job is done. Thank you. Goodbye. This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
To his own disciples, John said, stop following me around. Follow him. He is the one. This is the one I have been talking about. Follow him. And I love what John said over in the Gospel of John chapter 3 verse 30. "He must increase and I must decrease." Speaking of Christ. There is another translation that puts it, "he must become greater and greater and I must become less and less." That is a good motto for life, isn't it? And that is exactly what John did.
Life Begins at Conception – Filled with the Holy Spirit in the Womb
John was set apart for God from his mother's womb. Look at verse 15. "He will be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb."
Now this is interesting. If an unborn child is only a fetus or a glob of cells, uterine contents, as some would say, how could he be filled with the Holy Spirit? Answer. Life begins at conception, not at birth. Thus, God can fill a child while it is still in the womb with the Holy Spirit as he did John.
A Strong Warning Against Alcohol – Choose the Holy Spirit Instead
And John gives us a good model for life. He neither drank wine or strong drink. Now I have to tell you personally, I don't drink at all. And maybe that is due in part to the fact that I came from an alcoholic home. I saw what alcohol did in my mother's life and in the lives of all of her marriages and what I had to live through. I saw things no kid should ever see. And I can't think of any good thing that has ever come from drinking.
I think of all the broken homes, the violence, the accidents, people killed on the road from drunk drivers, addiction, destroying your own health, the list goes on. Every illustration of drunkenness in the Bible is a disaster. Drinking never makes things better, only worse. Noah became drunk, and in his nakedness he acted shamelessly. Lot became drunk and his daughters committed incest with him. Belshazzar, the boy king of Daniel 5, had a drunken feast and worshipped his false gods and lost his kingdom that night. And many a kingdom has been lost through drinking. Many a career, many a family, many a ministry, many a life has been destroyed by the effects of alcohol.
Now some would say, well Greg, get off your high horse. I have the freedom and the Liberty to drink. Well listen, I don't dispute that. I drink all that I want to. But I don't want to drink. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:12, "I have the right to do anything, but not everything is beneficial. I have the right to do anything, but I will not be mastered by anything."
See, here is the thing. People who drink think they can handle it, but often they can't. And sometimes those that are coming under the influence seem to be the last to know. There are those phases people go through when they drink. I have seen them all up close and personal. You know, there is that initial phase of just really happy. You know, happy. Laughing at everything. Laughing at things that really aren't funny. And then, "I love you, man. I love you so much. Give me a hug. I love you. I love you. I love you." And then depending on what kind of temperament you have, if you are like my mom, you would become a mean drunk. She would start throwing things, hitting. Others react in different ways. Some people just pass out on the floor. You know, but then they get behind wheels of cars and they drive and and these problems continue on and so often people who are alcoholics come from homes of alcoholics who came from homes of alcoholics and so that sin is passed on from generation to generation.
Paul is saying, I have the freedom to do it but I don't want to be mastered by anything. Here is a revolutionary thought. Try this on for size. If you don't drink, you won't get drunk. Think about that. If you don't drink, you won't get drunk. But if you do drink, you could get drunk. And do you want to be under that power?
Some would say, well I have the Liberty to do it. I am sorry if someone else doesn't have that Liberty. Well wait a second. Paul continues on. He says in 1 Corinthians 8, "be careful that the exercise of your rights do not become a stumbling block to the weak."
So let's illustrate. Let's say there is a person that was a full-blown alcoholic. And they had a serious problem. And somehow they come to faith in Christ and they turn their back in that whole lifestyle. They are no longer hanging out with their drinking buddies. They are a changed person. And so they are doing really well spiritually for a few months. And then they go to a restaurant and they see you, a Christian, having their Liberty. And you are drinking away. And they are like, oh wow, that is a Christian. And I have seen them at church. So if they can do it, then maybe I can do it. And then they drink and they fall off the wagon and things are a horrible mess afterwards.
Well that is their problem. They need to get stronger. No, that is actually your problem too. See, you have a responsibility to be a good example. Back to my earlier point. And, you know, you want to be that example.
I mean, I know because I have been pulled over for DUI. A lot of you didn't know that, did you? I didn't say I was arrested for it. I was pulled over for it. And it happened on New Year's Eve a number of years ago. So, ironically, after I preached, I am driving home. Now, I have not drunk. I have not had a drop to drink in over 40 years. I mean, the last time I had a beer was probably in high school, I suppose. But I am driving along, sober, coming home from church, and a cop car comes up behind me, CHP, and they light me up.
And this cop has a loudspeaker on this car. "Pull over the car now!" I am like, what is going on? "Pull the car over!" Loudspeaker. You know, people are driving by looking. I pull my car over. This guy comes up behind me, leaves the lights going, comes up with a bright flashlight to my window. "Put your hands on the wheel!" I am like, okay. "Get out of the car!" I get out of the car. So, what have you been drinking? "Uh, water? I had some sparkling water." "Oh, yeah? Come over here right now." And he pulls out a pencil. He says, focus on this. And I am nervous. I am like, it is hard. I do not know. "Do not move it so fast." See? I was stressed by this whole thing. And I am thinking, what if somebody walks, drives by right now? Oh, there is Pastor Greg getting pulled over for DUI. God bless Pastor Greg.
Then he makes me walk this line. I am not making any of this up. I am like, hey, it is hard. I know I can't. Oh. Well, he let me go because I was sober. You know? But it was just kind of a hard experience, really.
But, you know, here is something to consider. John was filled with the Spirit. So here is your alternative. You can be filled with the Spirit or you can be filled with the Spirits. The Bible says, "don't be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit speaking to yourself in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." Some people disagree. I agree with that. Too stinking bad.
Lessons from Zechariah, Elizabeth, and John the Baptist
So let's wrap this up. What do we learn from the life of Elizabeth and Zechariah and John? Number one, we learn that we should be humble and wait on the Lord and serve Him where we are. We learn that we should keep praying and not give up because all of our prayers are heard and remembered. We also learn that when God tells us to do something or believe something we should do it or believe it. And we should not be under the power of anyone or anything but the Holy Spirit.
You know, sometimes when we look at these characters in Scripture we see them through stained glass. but understand every one of them was human just like you except Christ. He was human but He was also fully God. So the only perfect person in this story is Jesus Himself. But Mary and Joseph and Elizabeth and Zechariah and John the Baptist and the others that are in the Christmas story all had their flaws and weaknesses. And so we need to remember these are just regular people and God intervened in their lives.
I want to come back to a statement I raised earlier about John where Jesus said of those born among women there is not one greater than John the Baptist. But then he went on to say this but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. What? Okay, already Jesus says John is the greatest of all of the prophets of the Old Testament. And now he is saying I am greater than John? How could I be greater than John? And he didn't say he who is greatest in the kingdom of God is greater. He said he who is least in the kingdom of God. That means any believer.
Well how could I be greater than John? Very simple. It is all about covenants. John was in the Old Covenant or in the New. See John the last of the Old Testament prophets still had to approach God through the high priest who would symbolically place the sins of the people on the animal that would be sacrificed on the altar. But now Jesus through His incarnation through His crucifixion through His resurrection has atoned for all of these sins. I no longer need an animal. I no longer need a priest. I have a high priest in heaven. Jesus Christ representing me before God.
So the difference is Christ lives inside of me. Jesus did not live in the heart of the Old Testament believer. But He does live in the heart of the one who has put their faith in Jesus in the New Testament or the New Covenant. I mean that is a great truth to our faith. is that God comes and lives inside of us.
I heard about a mom that was explaining to her daughter that Jesus lived inside of her. So the little daughter put her ear up against her mom's chest and was listening. And I think her mom was a little hungry. Her stomach was gurgling a little. And the little girl said, "Mom, I think He is making coffee in there." Here is the thing. That is a funny little story. But Jesus really does live inside of us as our Savior and our Lord.
The Bible says, "For as many as received Him, He gave them the power to become sons of God." This is the ultimate gift that God has given to us.
And I want to close by asking, Have you received this gift? Is Jesus living inside of you right now? Are you confident that if you were to die you would go to heaven? I mean really that is what this story is all about. The Son of God became a man that men might become sons of God. He entered our world, He breathed our air, He walked in our shoes, He lived our life, He died our death, then He Rose again. And if we will turn from our sin and believe in Him we can be forgiven.
So I am going to close with a prayer. And this is an invitation for you to join me. And if you have not yet asked Christ to come into your life you can do it right now. Let us all bow our heads for a prayer if you would.
Father, we thank You for Your Word to us today. We know it is true. And I pray for those that have joined us or are watching who may not yet know You. Lord, help them to see their need for Jesus and help them to come to You this day we pray.
When our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we are praying together how many of you would say today, Greg, pray for me. I want Jesus to come into my life. I want my sin forgiven. I want to know that when I die I will go to heaven. Or I have fallen away from the Lord and I want to come back to Him again. If that is your desire. If you want Christ to come into your life and forgive you of your sins. If you want to go to heaven when you die wherever you are would you raise your hand up and let me pray for you right now. Wherever you are sitting just lift your hand up I will pray for you. You want Christ to come into your life. God bless you. Wherever you are, God bless you. Maybe you are watching over at Harvest Riverside. I can't see you, of course. That really doesn't matter. God sees you. Raise your hand up. You want God's forgiveness. Wherever you are seeing this, wherever you are hearing this, raise your hand up. I will pray for you now. God bless you. Anybody else? You need God today. You need to get right with God. You have fallen away from the Lord, as I said. You want to come back to Him again. Lift your hand up. Let me pray for you right now. God bless you and you. God bless each one of you.
All right. Each one of you that have lifted your hand, if you would, please, I want you to stand to your feet. Stand to your feet. I'm going to lead you in a prayer. Stand up. That's right. Stand up. Here at Harvest Orange County, at Harvest Riverside, stand to your feet. I'll lead you in this simple prayer. And I want you to pray this out loud after me. Again, as I pray, you pray this out loud after me. Pray this now, if you would.
"Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner, but I thank you for dying for my sins and rising again from the dead. I choose to follow you from this moment forward. Thank you for calling me and accepting me and forgiving me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."