Extraordinary for the Ordinary Luke 1:5-25

Transcription

1 Extraordinary for the Ordinary Luke 1:5-25 Introduction: It may be changing now, but our culture has been fascinated with what has been termed "reality TV". This is the idea that a seemingly normal person can lose an extraordinary amount of weight, discover a hidden talent, or become the next singing sensation. The phrase that you hear over and over as these everyday Joe's win whatever competition they were apart of is, "I'm just an ordinary person, anyone can do what I did, if you put your mind to it, want it enough, or work hard enough"...or some other similar phrase. There is a deep fallacy in this, and it goes beyond the fact that no matter how much I want to be a pro athlete, it is clearly not what God has intended. The focus of these interviews is on what is extraordinary about the person that simply needed to be discovered, and yet nothing is mentioned about the ONE who IS extraordinary. We like seeing ordinary people succeed because it gives us hope. However, hope is truly found when we pl ace our trust on the ONE who does extraordinary things with normal people. The first story told in Luke focuses on two ordinary people that God did extraordinary things with. Our goal is to grow in our faith in Him, and grow to rely on ourselves less, since we do not have enough inside us to deal with the times of waiting, hard, and dark times. Background (Luke 1:5-7) Luke 1:5-7 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. A time of social corruption Luke begins his narrative of the life of Jesus with a detailed description of the events that preceded His arrival. We are introduced to a couple of key people and procedures that create the template for God breaking through time and space to communicate hope to His people. We are first able to understand the political and social climate of the time with the phrase, In the days of Herod, king of Judea. Herod, or Herod the Great, was the one who held political power in all of Palestine at this time. The Jewish exiles who had returned to the land had endured many foreign powers over five centuries: Babylon gave way to Medo-Persia (who allowed the Jews to return, rebuild, and worship at the temple in Jerusalem 2 Chron. 36:22-23; Ezra 1: B.C); this gave way to Alexander the Great defeating the Persian king Darius III, ushering in Greek control ( B.C. though the Hasmoneans won independence in 142, Hellenistic influence had taken hold and held sway until the Romans took control); The land passed to the influence of Rome (Dan. 2:40; 7:7) and was solidified under Herod, as he was officially voted in by Marc Antony and the Senate in 37 B.C. Herod was the undisputed ruler until his death in 4 B.C. Herod was known for a few things: He tried gain favor from the Jewish people(since he was an Idumean a descendant of Esau and traditionally an enemy of the Jews) he married a distinguished Jewish woman named Mariamne, lowered taxes during famine, and conducted massive building projects, including a port in Caesarea. But his main building accomplishment was the expansion of the temple mount (see diagram). This massive construction was still ongoing during Jesus ministry. But Herod was also ruthless, vicious, and constantly paranoid. He murdered his wife, her brother, her mother, and several sons. He also was responsible for the murder of countless children in Israel when he was 1

2 threatened of a promised King (Matt. 2:16-18; 2:2). Herod s reign was coming to an end, but Roman control was to be the norm throughout Jesus lifetime. A time of spiritual darkness In the time of the close of OT prophecy and history, Israel is back in the land, the temple is built, worship is reestablished, but it was a mere shadow of what it used to be and what it should have been. The land was occupied, but there was no power. There had been rank intermarriage, lack of giving, and social injustice. There was an overall hard-heartedness toward God because true worship gave way to ritualistic religious practice. This gave rise to a secular approach to worship as well as an aggressive moral approach (which gave rise to the guardians of the Law, the sect known as the Pharisees). This led to 400 years of silence, 400 years where God was not speaking through prophecy, and not doing miracles. There had been prophecies given about judgment if there was no repentance. This was a dark time. But God had not forgotten. And as it is so often the case, God being silent did not mean He was not working. A time of silent hope Malachi 4:2-6 (cf. Ma. 3:1; Isa. 40:3) But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts. 4 "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction." However, there was a group of faithful who still believed by faith that God would keep His promises. The last word of the OT is a word of hope in the midst of judgment. There would be sun shining through the darkness, there would be reason for dancing, and a time of healing. Those who truly feared the Lord had this belief, and they waited for the day that God would reveal this long awaited day. God would once again break into time and space set things right. But 400 years is a long time. And though there were those who waited patiently, it was increasingly hard to believe it was actually going to happen. We have the same tendency today, that though we know Christ will return imminently, we practically do not believe that each day of our lives. This is where we are introduced to 2 key people named Zechariah and Elizabeth. There are some distinctive features shared about his couple: They were part of the group that genuinely feared the Lord. They were righteous before the Lord and blameless in their walk. This did not mean that they were perfect but means they believed by faith in God s promises and acted on that faith in obedience. OT saints were saved by faith like those in the NT and today, trusting in the work of God through a future Messiah who would be the sacrifice for their sin. They were faithful. Zechariah was a faithful priest who was doing his twice yearly time in the temple, which meant 2 weeks a year he would serve a rotation in the temple. They were dealing with the sorrow of infertility. They had a desire for children but were unable to become pregnant. Not only had they prayed fervently for this, they were now past the age where they should have been biologically able to have children (1:18). This not only was sorrowful, but in this culture, this also brought with it an amount of shame (1:25) among the people. Having children in marriage was a primary focus in family life, which put pressure on a wife to produce (much like some cultures today - like we discovered in the C.A.R). It was also 2

3 believed to be a result of God's disfavor, since the OT Law stated that a consequence of immorality was infertility (see Leviticus 20:20-21). It is clear in the passage (as in John 9:1-5) that their infertility was NOT linked with disobedience, but with God's decision to close her womb (see 1 Sam 1:6). This led to obvious sorrow and frustration, as well as deep searching of the Lord. They were normal. By this we mean that though Zechariah was a priest, he was a man who sought to honor the Lord, lead his wife, dealt with sorrow and disappointment, and even when God answered in unexpected but amazing ways, there was doubt. This couple was not perfect, but they were faithful. This couple was not perfect, but this is exactly whom God chose to do earth-shattering work among. God uses normal people to accomplish His amazing will. This is what we see in this story of God keeping His extraordinary promises among ordinary people. An Extraordinary Promise to Israel (Luke 1:15-17) Luke 1:15-17 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and 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, 17 and he will 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 for the Lord a people prepared." Zechariah had won the lottery. He was chosen by the casting of lots (sort of like rolling dice to decide) to offer incense in the holy place of the temple (see diagram). This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, like dotting the "I" in script Ohio or throwing out the first pitch of a World Series game involving the Dodgers, this was an honor. Zechariah entered the holy place to offer incense, which was a way of acknowledging the prayer of the people going up to God. There would have been people praying and waiting in the outside court for him to finish and give the blessing (from Numbers 6:24-26). As he was in the middle of performing this task, an angel interrupted with a message. The first message was not to fear, which was necessary since fear is absolutely an appropriate response to seeing the angelic, particularly in a place like the holy place. Zechariah was visibly upset by the presence, as we all would have been. Gabriel did what angels did so often with those they had interaction with, he reassured that he was not to fear and that God had heard his prayer. Now, before we take a look at what that meant for this couple, we must understand where this fit in God's prophetic plan. Before restoration, God had promised to send Elijah and a voice crying out in the wilderness (Isa. 40:3). This person would prepare the path of Messiah, so it was necessary for this prophet to come. This is why the description of John the Baptist is so important. A Promised Fore-runner John's character and ministry was given that showed He was to fulfill this prophecy of a fore-runner. He was to be great before the Lord, as one who was set apart for a divine purpose. He was not going to drink any wine, which was consistent with those who were called as leaders in the OT (see Samuel in 1 Sam. 1:11). John would lead an ascetic lifestyle as a prophet crying out in the wilderness. He would also be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb, which was consistent with the calling of prophets like Jeremiah (Jer. 1:4-5). This connected John with other OT prophets as well as showed the fulfillment of OT prophecy. John would not only be a joy for his parents, he would be set apart by God to be the long awaited forerunner of the Messiah. 3

4 A Promise of Sunrise John's mission was to bring about revival, to proclaim the goodness of God in the coming Messiah. He would turn people of Israel to their God, go in the spirit of Elijah, turn hearts of fathers and disobedient, and make the people ready for the Lord. God had not spoken, but He was not silent. He waited for this exact time to break through and prepare the time for the Messiah to come quickly to His temple (Mal. 3:1). People had waited for centuries for this moment, and now God was ready to unleash His gracious and glorious plan to a people who were walking in darkness through ordinary people. This was captured by Zechariah later when he wrote, "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the LOrd to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of sins, because of the tender mercies of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us on high" (176-78) The darkness had been great, but the sunrise had come, breaking through with blinding light, shattering the hopeless darkness with overwhelming clarity. Exactly what Zechariah had prayed, for the restoration of the people of Israel was being unleashed through this still unborn son that would be born in a miraculous way, because with God, all things are possible. An Extraordinary Promise to Individuals (Luke 1:8-14) Luke 1:13-14 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth Answered Prayer It is clear that John was the answer to the corporate prayer of Israel, but God not only accomplished something immense in a corporate level, but He answered prayer at a very personal, intimate level. God answers in big, audacious ways, but also in small, personal ways. Though Zechariah had been praying for the restoration of Israel, God had heard the many prayers of the past by announcing the arrival of a son. God had always heard his prayer, and had always answered, but not in the way that was expected or asked. This is why we never draw weary in praying for the things that seem impossible. A Promised Son For Zechariah and Elizabeth, the answer was a son that would bring joy and gladness to the hearts of parents, and many would rejoice at his birth. Though this son would be set aside for God's purpose from the beginning, his parents would experience the joy of this most special relationship. There are 2 things we remember at this point: 1) We stay faithful in prayer! We all have areas that we have prayed long for that don't seem to be answered: infertility, an unsaved child, a physical ailment, a career path, or even a spouse are those things that we often wonder why God doesn't just answer now. We remember from the example of this couple and the fearful of the day that God hears our prayer. He will answer in His timing but also in His power, and He can do what seems impossible. He can bring revival. He can raise up leaders. He can raise up missionaries, brings back wanderers, and open blind eyes. So we keep praying and hoping, trusting in Him, 2) He is always doing something! Nothing is being wasted, and everything has meaning. Even Elizabeth's infertility had meaning, as God was preparing her for something magnificent. Even Zechariah was being prepared while his mouth was shut. God is not wasting your pain, sorrow, or suffering. He is glorifying Himself and preparing us for that end. 4

5 An (All Too) Ordinary Response to Promises (Luke 1:18-25) Luke 1:18-20 And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." 19 And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." Dilemma of Doubt This part of the story ends with hopeful joy, yet with a bump in the road. We mentioned that Zechariah was normal, and that showed itself in his response to Gabriel's message, "I'm too old (and my wife is especially too old)" His issue was doubt, or unbelief, that God can do what He says. This is illustrative of our response to God's promises. Doubt in the nature of God, His goodness, His care and love, and His power plague us. How do we know? It leads to token prayers, selfish prayers, or no prayer. This is seen in a few Biblical stories: Sarah and the announcement of her child, Isaac - Sarah was indignant at the annoucement by the LORD (Gen. 18:1) that she would become pregnant. "After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?" (Gen. 18:12). The response: "Is anything too hard for God?" (Gen. 18:14). Something she wanted so badly, yet could not believe the timing and inequality of this message, even though it was what she had hoped for. She had failed to remember that nothing is too hard for God, and everything is according to His appointed time, not ours. The release of Peter from prison (Acts. 12) - Peter had been imprisoned, James had been killed and the church was waiting for the same thing to happen to Peter. The church got together to pray in earnest for Peter (12:5) in a seemingly impossible or inevitable situation. The strangest thing happened: God answered their prayer and Peter was released. As Peter came to his friends at Mary's house, poor Rhoda saw Peter at the door, did not open the gate, and let those praying for Peter know that Peter was there! Their response? "You are out of your mind!" It must be an angel. They prayed, but they prayed token prayers, not believing that God could really do it. I wonder if we do the same thing? Do we pray in faith, or do we pray the "right things" but not believing they are possible. Or, to say it another way, what would be different if God really answered your prayer? Would life be different? Or would there be nothing different because you really don't pray for anything of significance. Consequences of Doubt Gabriel, the angel, explained in a very direct way that questioning this message was not a good thing. He declared that he was Gabriel (one of the 2 named angels that were used by God - the other being Michael), that he stood in the presence of God, and that he had good news (the same word as "gospel) to speak. If angels could be indignant, Gabriel would have been. The result was that Zechariah would be mute until the birth of his child. This was corrective for Zechariah, and it is clear that later on Zechariah had learned from this time of silence. When we doubt, there are consequences for us. We are left open for areas of sin like anxiety, fear, and worry, and also we are not able to experience the joy of trusting the Lord. When we doubt God's goodness, we trust in our own. When we doubt God's power, we have to trust in our own strength. When we doubt if God hears, we take matters into our own hands. When we take things into our own hands, we are left open for misery, hopelessness, and even bitterness. Joy come s from turning our focus from ourselves to yielding ourselves in trust completely to Him. 5

6 Overcoming Doubt How do we overcome doubt? Faith. The truth of prayer is that God is always able to answer our prayer, always is powerful enough, but He has not promised to answer all our requests the way we have asked. But He gives something far greater and more satisfying: Himself. And He is enough. Take heart in what David wrote in Psalm 37. "Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices." That is our prayer. That our delight would be in the LORD, and when it is, we get our greatest delight: HIM. And He moves that delight into righteousness. This is what we see in the life of Mary, which we will cover next week. Concluding Questions: What are areas of your life that you doubt God's goodness or power? How has it affected your prayer life? How has it affected the way you process life (numb, fear, anxiety, anger, etc)? When we remember that God keeps His promises, that He delivers on what He has said, how should it change the way we approach everyday? What is the area that you are dealing with right now that seems impossible because you have waited so long? What comfort can you take from an extraordinary God? 6

7 7

8 8

9 9

10 10