Introduction

Luke 2 gets all the attention this time of year, but Luke 1 is also great. And don’t forget that these chapters tell not one, but two miraculous birth stories. In fact, Luke’s gospel, and the entire NT story, doesn’t begin with Mary but with Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth (1:5–7).

Zechariah was a priest and a godly one at that. He’s exactly the kind of person you’d expect at the center of God’s plan. And like so many other significant families in God’s story, Zechariah and Elizabeth couldn’t have children. Now they are older, and they had probably both long ago resigned themselves to never having a child.

Then Zechariah’s turn came to enjoy the high honor of offering incense in the temple. And while he was inside, God did something he hadn’t done in 400 years. He spoke to man. Gabriel appeared and told Zechariah that his elderly wife (or better mature wife) would have a child. And his son would prepare the way for Messiah. Wow! Imagine Zechariah wrapping his mind around the idea that his son would fulfill one of the most significant prophetic roles in Israel. And this was the beginning of Israel’s great hope, Messiah would come and deliver them!

This is huge. Zechariah was stunned. “This is too good to be true. It can’t be true.” He didn’t believe. So, Gabriel judged him by making him mute. Then Zechariah went home to Elizabeth, and sure enough, a few weeks later, she woke up with morning sickness. This is really happening!

For 9 months, Zechariah couldn’t speak, but he didn’t stop thinking and studying. Finally, John was born, and the moment God loosed Zechariah’s tongue, the floodgates opened. The Holy Spirit filled Zechariah, and he proclaimed the beautiful prophecy of vv. 67–80.

Zechariah rejoices for his son John, but he also looks past John to the other miraculous baby growing in Mary’s womb—Jesus the Messiah. He glories in God, and he calls you to share his joy over the Savior’s birth. That’s what I want you to do. Rejoice in the salvation Jesus has provided. And if you’ve never received this salvation, I pray you will receive the greatest Christmas gift that has ever been offered. Christ’s birth is good news! But to really appreciate the good news, the light of the gospel, you must first appreciate…

I.  The Darkness

My favorite part of this prophecy is 78–79. Israel had endured “darkness and the shadow of death” for a long time, centuries in fact. By Zechariah’s time, the Jews had endured 600 years of foreign abuse, oppression, and heavy taxation. That’s a long reign of darkness. And a godly man like Zechariah understood it was all rooted in Israel’s spiritual darkness. They were a race of hypocrites. Jesus compared them to whitewashed tombs that looked beautiful on the outside but were full of rotting flesh and dead bones.

So, Zechariah felt the darkness. Israel was spiritually lifeless, Rome hung over them like a dark cloud, and God hadn’t spoken for 400 years.

Thankfully, we live in a free country, but we feel the darkness also. Our world is broken. Abuse, violence, and oppression are everywhere.

But even more importantly, the Bible says you were born under a cloud of darkness and death. You are a sinner, and your sin separates you from God. No matter how hard you try, you can’t bring yourself to God. On your best days, you still lose your temper, love the wrong things, and hurt the people you love most. Romans says, “all (including you) have sinned” and “the wages of sin is death.”

So, Israel needed help. They needed divine grace to change them from the inside out. They needed a Savior. And so do you. You need a Savior to rescue you from darkness and death. And the best part of the Christmas story is that God sent a Savior for you! Notice the good news, the dawning of the Light as Zechariah describes it in 77–79.

II.  The Light

This is the good news of the gospel, the center of the Christian message. When the world was “sit(ting) in darkness and (under) the shadow of death,” God did not turn his back on us. Instead, by sending Jesus, God displayed…

Tender Mercy: The literal translation is “bowels of mercy.” That sounds weird, almost disgusting to us, but the ancients used that imagery to describe an intense emotion that you feel way down deep, in your gut.

The point is that the Christmas story began in the depths of God’s soul with an overwhelming spirit of mercy and compassion. God didn’t send Jesus half-heartedly, and no one manipulated him into sending a Savior. Instead, God loved you when you didn’t love him. He pursued you when you ran from his authority. The Christmas story began with the “tender mercy of our God” to a poor sinner like you. And God’s tender mercy is as strong today as ever.

So, it doesn’t matter how you have sinned or how hard your heart may be. You are not beyond the reach of God’s mercy. He is full of compassion and mercy. He is ready to forgive and ready to save if you will come to him. Please rest in his beautiful mercy. Notice that Zechariah pictures this mercy as a beautiful sunrise.

The Sunrise (v. 78): Why did God create the day-night cycle? And why did he create such beautiful sunrises? One reason is that when you behold a magnificent sunrise, God wants you to remember “the Sunrise from on high.” So, he describes Jesus’ birth as most magnificent sunrise of all time.

Zechariah borrows this imagery from Isaiah. He prophesied, “There will be no moregloom for her who was in anguish…The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them” (Isa 9:1–2). Jesus is the great light, the great hope of all who are in darkness.

And Zechariah was especially thinking of the very last revelation God gave before Gabriel appeared. Some 400 years prior in the last chapter of the OT, God promised, “‘Behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,’ says the Lordof hosts,…‘But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall’” (Mal 4:1–2).

That is beautiful Your sin is like a heavy cloud of darkness and death. But Jesus’ birth is like “the Sunrise from on high.” It’s more beautiful, more hopeful than the most magnificent sunrise. He brought you light, hope, and life when your night was darkest.

So, Christian, remember your conversion. There was a time when your life was dark, hopeless Then the Spirit opened your eyes to the gospel. It was like the breaking of dawn, the most beautiful sunrise imaginable. You received grace. You could see. Your soul was at rest. Sure, your problems didn’t vanish, but now you had hope, purpose, and strength. Rejoice in the sunrise of Christ.

Maybe you are still bound by the darkest night. You are carrying an overwhelming burden of guilt or shame. Maybe you feel hopeless and discouraged. Maybe you don’t see any point to your life or any path toward meaning and purpose. Or maybe you are trying to earn God’s favor by your good works, and it you know it’s impossible. Your night is dark and heavy, and the shadow of death looms large. Please see “the Sunrise from on high.” Come to Jesus and rest in him. He is light, he is hope, and he is joy.

And know that someday he will come again to shatter all other darkness. The world is a dark place, and it will never be darker than during the reign of Antichrist. But Isaiah and Malachi especially look forward to the day that Jesus will scatter all darkness and fix all creation. Nothing will be untouched. Christ will fix it all, and it will be amazing. And v. 79 adds that the light of Christ will guide us into…

The Way of Peace: Peace can mean many things to us, but remember that Zechariah was a Jew, and Jews greet each other by saying “shalom.” It’s a wish for good will, blessing, and rest. So, “the way of peace” is an all-encompassing state of well-being and blessing, and it stems from being right with God.

It sounded wonderful to Zechariah because Israel did not enjoy shalom. Their sin had separated them from God and his blessing. They were in a state of turmoil, angst, and hardship. Our society is no better. Depression is a plague. People are increasingly lonely, bitter, and despairing. Violence and abuse are rampant.

Where can you find peace and hope? God says that the sunrise of Christ lights the “way of peace.” He is God in human flesh. He brought grace and truth. Jesus made a way for you to be right with God and to enjoy the grace and the blessing of his presence.

So, rejoice with Zechariah over the sunrise of Christ’s birth. His birth was the dawning of a new day. A day of light, warmth, abundance, and peace. Jesus made the hope and power of the gospel available to all who believe. So, we aren’t merely looking back on an incredible birth story; we are looking back and giving thanks for the dawning of a radically new day. Praise God! And earlier in the passage Zechariah describes the incredible prize this sunrise has provided.

III.  The Prize

Jesus provided many gifts, but his central gift is the blessing of…

Forgiveness (v. 77b): Forgiveness is very important because every truly good gift is in the presence of God. If I want to enjoy peace and blessing I must be near to God.

But here’s the problem. God is holy. He is pure light, and he cannot tolerate any darkness. But you are a sinner. Every day you fall short of God’s holiness. You tell lies, you’re a jerk, and you fail to love perfectly. Your sin separates you from God. And your sin demands God’s punishment. So, you need a Savior to rescue you from God’s judgment and to reconcile you to God.

Therefore, the central purpose of Jesus’ first coming was to provide forgiveness of sins. Zechariah’s son, John the Baptist, would introduce Jesus to the world by saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Jesus was born so that he could become our sacrificial lamb. He came to die in our place. That’s exactly what he did. On the cross, he endured God’s wrath against your sin.

As a result, you can be forgiven by simply believing on him. You don’t have to carry a burden of guilt. You don’t have to pay for your sins. Just call on the Lord. Admit that you have sinned and deserve his wrath. Ask him to forgive. If you do, God promises to forgive every sin. The Bible assures you that he will remove them as far as the east is from the west. Please come to God today and receive forgiveness.

And if you are saved, don’t ever take this forgiveness for granted. God is full of mercy. And nowhere is that mercy more apparent than in the image of God’s Son hanging on the cross as your atoning Lamb. Jesus was born to die for you. Praise God for forgiveness. And forgiveness opens the way for another incredible aspect of the prize.

Salvation: Verse 77 says that by “the forgiveness of sins” we can enjoy “the knowledge of salvation.” This is not merely head knowledge; it’s experiential. When you receive the forgiveness of sins, you experience Christ saves you from judgment and every other consequence of sin.

So, it is a big deal that Jesus came to save (vv. 68–69). Throughout Scripture horns always represent strength. Think of a large bull or ram that dominates the herd or protects the flock with its massive horns. Zechariah’s point is that Jesus will not provide a weak salvation. It will be strong, stronger than all our sin, and it will be mighty to transform all of life.

Your life might feel like an overwhelming disaster, but no matter how terrible your mess may be, Christ is mighty to save. His blood can wash away the darkest guilt, and his resurrection life can overpower the most miserable, dominating sin struggle. Jesus can save you from your sin. Praise God that he is a great Savior. Please run to him for salvation. The 3^rd aspect of the prize is…

Transformation: Notice Zechariah’s ultimate vision of what Jesus will do for Israel (vv. 74–75). This is a big deal because sin is great enemy of our joy and not merely because it condemns sinners to hell. No, sin has ruined the world. It destroys marriages and families. It promises so much but only delivers temporary pleasure that quickly fades into misery, loneliness, and sorrow. Most importantly sin separates from God the greatest joy we can know.

And the Bible is clear that you cannot break sin’s power on your own. You can’t attain “holiness and righteousness” in your own strength. Israel’s story illustrates this so well. No matter how many laws and boundaries God gave, they continually rebelled and endured the miserable consequences of their sin. Zechariah understood that they needed help and so do you.

So, rejoice that Jesus didn’t merely come to transform your eternity; he came to break the chains of sin. When you get saved, he doesn’t just forgive your sin; he changes your heart. He gives life and power and to pursue a radically new life and new hope.

So, when you look at the baby in the manger, don’t forget that he came to free you from the power of sin. By his grace, you can walk in holiness and righteousness in the presence of God. Give thanks.

And make sure you do not neglect this part of God’s will for you. Jesus didn’t come so that you could remain a selfish jerk. He didn’t leave heaven so that you could lay around like a lazy bum this week thinking only of yourself. He came to transform your life. So, be a servant like Jesus. Love your family. Stay out of petty conflict. Be holy. The 4^th aspect of the prize is…

Eternal Peace: This promise was big for Zechariah because every Roman soldier was a reminder that this world is far from what God made it to be. The world is a violent place. And the curse of sin has ravished ever other aspect of creation. We are all dying. We all endure suffering and pain. People are cruel. The world is not what God made it to be.

But Jesus will not leave it this way forever. He will bring perfect peace on earth. Zechariah understood this (vv. 70–74). For over 100 years, since the end of WWI, the world has strained to achieve world peace, but we haven’t made much progress. We never will.

But in a moment, Jesus will do what we never could. He will eliminate all evil and every effect of sin. He will even bring peace between the lion and the lamb. The Bible says mankind will hammer their swords into plowshares because they will no longer need weapons of war. It will be a wonderful day!

Conclusion

How do you see the baby in the manger. Is it just a cute story, or do you see Jesus they way Zechariah did? Do you believe that he is the Savior, the only hope for your life and for all mankind? Some of you are carrying a heavy burden of guilt. See Jesus as the Lamb of God who can take away your sin. Some of you are weighed down by fear, sorrow, and loneliness. You need to see Jesus as the only Savior. Do you know that he has saved you? If not, cry out to him right now. Admit that you are a sinner. Confess that Jesus is the Savior who died and rose again for your salvation. And ask God to save you. The Bible promises that he will. Do that right now. If you have questions, or you need help, get it as soon as this service is over.

And if you are saved, slow down and rejoice with Zechariah in the salvation that Jesus has provided. Remember that your sins are covered in the blood of Christ. Take courage that you can walk in holiness and righteousness. And look forward to the perfect peace and the glorious blessing of Christ’s soon return.