Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 41 – Nov 1985

 

God Fulfils His Promise

 

Sermon by Rev. L. Douma on Luke 1:67-79

Reading: Isaiah 42

Singing – Psalter Hymnal: 140; 446; 404; 333; 490

 

Can you remember back to when you were little children, how excited you became when the day, that Dad had promised to take the whole family out on a trip, was almost there?  Did you wriggle all over with anticipation?

My two little girls, are like that now.  The night, before a promised picnic, they run around, talk in bed and won’t go to sleep.  Then they get up real early full of excitement, their little bodies shaking all over and their voices at a high pitch.  They are full of excitement and anticipation because they believe that what Dad promises, will happen.

But when children get older that excitement is often lost.  When a father says to his teenage son: “We’ll go fishing together one day son”, the son replies: “Sure Dad, I bet.  I’ll believe you when we get out there in the boat”.

You see, the teenager has probably experienced too many broken promises and bitter disappointments.  Why get all excited when your hopes will be dashed again.

I have a feeling that Zechariah felt like that.  He and his wife, Elizabeth had experienced bitter disappointments in life.  How many times hadn’t they prayed for a child – and what happened? – Nothing!  How many times hadn’t they prayed for their Messiah to deliver them?  And what happened?  Nothing!

So, when Gabriel stood before Zechariah in the temple and gave God’s promise that he, Zechariah, would have a son, all Zechariah could say was: “How can I be sure of this?”  “It’s too late, we are too old!“

You see, instead of looking at God and what He can do, Zechariah looked at himself, and his disappointments in life, and found the promise a bit too hard to believe.  He couldn’t see past his own problems to see that Gabriel was promising more than a son – but the Son, who would HERALD the MESSIAH!

No, Zechariah is not exactly jumping up and down with enthusiasm.  But then things begin to happen!  He loses power of speech because of his unbelief!  Elizabeth becomes pregnant!  Then Mary comes around and she is pregnant – with the God-child!  Something is going on – God is at work!

When Elizabeth gives birth to John, Zechariah realizes again what he should have kept in mind all along GOD KEEPS HIS WORD, HE DOES WHAT HE SAYS, HE FULFILS HIS PROMISE.

If John has been born by a miracle then, yes, the child of Mary, yes it must be the Messiah!  The time has come!  The promised Messiah is here.  Zechariah is full of excitement and anticipation.  He believes what the Father promises.  And because he believes, his voice is restored and he BURSTS into a song, a song of PRAISE to God, a song of hope, of assurance, a song that describes the surety and joy of salvation.

            “Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel
              because He has come and redeemed His people.”

Why does Zechariah burst into a song and praise God?  Because through the guidance of the Holy Spirit He sees the secureness of salvation, who is going to fulfil the promise of salvation, and what the wonderful results are.

Why is Zechariah so sure of the promised salvation?  Because God promised it.  It will happen because the Almighty, Unchanging God, Creator of everything that exists, SAID SO!

God, against whom mankind rebelled, God, who is furious with the sin of man, God, whose justice demands eternal banishment, He, Himself promises a way of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Why?  Because of His “tender mercy“.  There will be “…forgiveness of sins because of the tender mercy of our God”.  The promise of salvation proceeds from His very “bowels”.

Here, with beautiful poetry and feeling, Zechariah describes the depth of the love of God.  If God’s unchangeableness and power are beyond comprehension, His love and mercy are even more so.

Salvation is here because of the love of God.  Not because men, over several dispensations and different methods failed to be reconciled to God, and so God thought He better step in.  Not because the wrathful God was calmed down by a loving Son.  No, the angry God Himself, out of the depth of His mercy, promises a way of salvation.

Out of that tender mercy He bound Himself to provide salvation by convenanting with man, He put that promise into writing and signed it, so to speak.

If a man decides in his mind to do something, he can always change his mind later on, if circumstances turn sour.  But if he decides to do something and signs a contract – then there is no going back.  He must fulfil his obligations.  There is no getting out of it.  And if there is failure to uphold the contract, there are punishments that are applied.

God, in His love, binds Himself in this way to sinful men.  He ties Himself down and declares what He will do.

To Adam He said: “I provide in my covenant that I will put enmity between the serpent and the woman, I promise that He will crush his head”.

To Noah He said: “I covenant that never again will I destroy all life through a flood.  When the rainbow appears I will see it and I will remember my covenant”.

To Abraham He said: “I establish my covenant with you.  In you will all the nations be blessed”.  And when Abraham still wasn’t certain, God even swore an oath by His own name for the sake of Abraham’s weakness to prove how sure His promise was.

To Moses and the Israelites God said: “I covenant that you will be my treasured possession.  You will be my people”.

To David He covenanted: “Your house and kingdom will endure for ever before me, your throne will be established for ever”.

God is always tying himself down, making promises and agreements.  And throughout history He is moving individuals and nations to fulfil these promises, working in the events of the world to provide the time and place for the work of the Messiah.

Zechariah praises God when he remembers His great work.  That God has come and redeemed His people “…as he said through his holy prophets long ago… to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath He swore to our father Abraham”.

Zechariah is so joyous and excited because all of God’s promises and covenants, all His work in History is about to climax.  THE MESSIAH IS HERE!

Everything God said to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and all His prophets, is about to be FULFILLED!  Everything the whole Old Testament is driving at is about to HAPPEN.

Zechariah sings, God “…has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David… the rising sun has come to us from heaven…!  The CHRIST, the child of Mary, the descendant of David, God became man, is here!  No wonder Zechariah is so turned on!

Zechariah, in his Hebrew poetry, describes the Messiah as a horn of salvation.  Now the horn is a symbol of strength.  All the power of a raging bull is concentrated in his horns.

So all the redeeming power of God, that was promised in all His covenants is concentrated in the Messiah.

All of history pointed to the cross of Christ.  All the promises are fulfilled when Christ died that wretched death on the cross.  When Christ cried in agony: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me”.  God’s justice and His love were both completely fulfilled as He had promised.

Man’s sin has been paid for – but by another – God Himself!

– The promised forgiveness is fulfilled in the Cross of Christ.

– The promised righteousness is fulfilled in the Cross of Christ.

– The promised life everlasting is fulfilled in the Cross of Christ

Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, was allowed to see this and then he looks at the little baby in his arms, his little boy John and he sings: “You my child will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the LORD to prepare the way for Him to give His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins”.

John was to prepare the people so that the benefits of Christ’s work could be received.  The ways of the LORD are the paths along which He imparts salvation to men.

That comes about when people are brought to a realization and confession of sin, when they really admit what they are, rebellious sinners, who desperately need the Christ, the Saviour.

It was John’s task to prepare people.  “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!  Repent, for He who comes after me is mightier than I.”

What happens when you repent (when you believe in Jesus Christ, when you acknowledge that Christ’s agony on the cross was your fault; your sin,) is that then the fulfilled promises are yours!

You are forgiven of your sins.  Sin – which is the cause of all life’s sorrow and misery; sin, which is the cause of enemies, who hate us; sin which brought death and hell – sin is overcome!

Zechariah sings in beautiful O.T.  language: “He has rescued us from the hand of our enemies, to enable us to serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.  The rising sun has come to us from heaven to shine on those, living in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace”.

Zechariah saw something wonderful.  No longer would we have to live a life of depression and fear of death, a life of uncertainty and fear, going from one tablet to the next to make life bearable, from one beer bottle after another to drown worry, a life of sickening hopelessness, broken promises and bitter disappointments.

Now, because of the work of Jesus Christ, His followers’ hearts are filled with light, with joy of salvation.  They walk the path of peace, because they know they are forgiven and adopted as God’s children.  They can feel a peace and a purpose in their life.

Why is there this changed life in believers?  Because God promised it would happen and God has done it.

We did nothing for salvation, for we could not.  God has done it all for us, so that we, in humble adoration, might worship Him, serve Him, without fear, in holiness and righteousness, in His presence, all our days.

Are you still looking at your own life and disappointments, your failures your sicknesses and misery, no longer enthusiastic about much, you’ve been hurt too often?

Listen to the song of Zechariah.  Stop looking at yourselves and look to God.  Have the faith of a child and “wriggle” with excitement.

Sing with Zechariah: “Praise be to the Lord”…
  Praise the Lord, because He fulfils His promise.

There is joy, and peace, there is forgiveness for those who believe.  We can live life to the fullest, joyfully and excitingly, when we stand on the promises of God.  When we believe God we stand on the promises that cannot fail.

We are forgiven and will live forever, because God has promised it and Christ has done it.

AMEN.