2013.12.08 Second
Advent
A Light
will shine!
In this wonderful Advent season we find
ourselves celebrating the most important event in all of Human history! The
Incarnation…. The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem……. God with men….. God
demonstrating his unfailing love for us by becoming flesh….. As we look back to
the birth of Jesus we see that the shadow of the cross was over that manger
bed….. Jesus was truly born to die…. He came that we might have life!
Good morning everyone……. We´re glad you´re
here!
I love the Advent season…. I love all of the
old Christmas hymns and songs …. One of my favorites is Joy to the World….. We
have been spending a lot of time talking about persecution and suffering….. I
want to spend some time today talking about the Joy that we find in the Lord
Jesus….. We will spend some time back in the Gospel of Luke….
Luke’s gospel is the one with the most
emphasis on the Holy Spirit and on joy...... He demonstrates that the Good News is for all people……… Luke was
a gentile….. an outsider……. According to the Jews……. Gentiles were outside of
the grace of God……
Luke’s gospel is the one with the most emphasis on preaching the good
news (the gospel)....... The Good News is our source of great joy…. This term is used ten times in this Gospel (and only once in any
other Gospel) as well as fifteen additional times in Acts.......
Luke understood how very important our mission is…….
Because Luke is the only Gentile (Heathen) author in the entire
Bible….. someone told Him the Good
News…. Today We know what the Good News is …..because of His writing…….. It is
a wonderful…. Joyful account of hopefulness…. He himself was rescued from the
darkness and bondage of sin….. because he heard the good news!
Luke made sure we understand the Good News…. And our responcibility to
proclaim it to a lost and dying world….
We are now the light of the
world! We have been sent!
I love to study the OT prophet Isaiah…… Many scholars call it the 5th
Gospel because it is filled with the Good news of our great God and redeemer
the Lord Jesus Christ….
Isaiah prophesied at a ve4ry difficult time in Israel´s history…. It was
a time of darkness and despair…. Israel was deep in sin and rebellion and
judgment was coming….. They were in very dark times….In Isaiah ch 8….. Isaiah
told of the certain judgment to come at the hands of the Assyrians….. The also
gave them a word of comfort…… He reminded them that God´s promise to dwell with men was to be
accomplished….. The Long promised Messiah would come to redeem them…. A light
will shine again into their dark despair…. Let´s turn to Isaiah 9…v1…
Isaiah 9:1-2 NLT
1 Nevertheless, that time of
darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali
will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the
Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea,
will be filled with glory. 2 The people who walk in darkness will see a great
light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.
Isaiah 8: 23 und 9:1 Neues Leben
8:23 Doch diese Zeit der Dunkelheit und
Verzweiflung wird nicht für immer andauern. Wurden früher auch das Land Sebulon
und das Land Naftali gedemütigt, so wird später das Gebiet der Völker, die Gott
nicht kennen, die Straße am Meer jenseits des Jordan, zu Ehren kommen.
1 Denn das Volk, das in der Dunkelheit lebt,
sieht ein helles Licht. Und über den Menschen in einem vom Tode überschatteten
Land strahlt ein heller Schein.
A great light! Redemption will come at the darkest of
times…. We are not retelling stories here….. We can trust this book..... Ignore
the so called scholars who from unbelief have tried to discredit the Word of
God... It is all true…. Every word of it…. The doubters will be proved
wrong..... everyone of them....
In 1947 the dead sea scrolls were discovered at Qumran.... Today
we have a perfect copy of Isaiah that was written more than 150 years before
Jesus was born….. The Isaiah scroll.....It can be viewed in Jerusalem in the
Shrine of the Book…… Isaiah wrote more about the coming of the Messiah that
any other prophet…..
Advent is a great time to look at the Prophesies of Jesus´ birth and Ministry…..
In Isaiah we just read that Galilee of the
Gentiles…will be filled with the Glory of God…..
Isaiah 9:1 NLT
Neues Leben
2 The people who walk in darkness will see a
great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.
1 Denn das
Volk, das in der Dunkelheit lebt, sieht ein helles Licht. Und über den Menschen
in einem vom Tode überschatteten Land strahlt ein heller Schein.
A light will shine…… This text was written written 700 years before Jesus´birth……
Turn with me to Luke 1……. Let´s look at the time
of Jesus birth….
Luke 1: 5-7 NLT
5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named
Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife,
Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. 6 Zechariah and Elizabeth
were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments
and regulations. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to
conceive, and they were both very old.
Luke 1:
5-7 Neues Leben
5 Zu der
Zeit, als Herodes König von Judäa war, lebte ein jüdischer Priester namens
Zacharias. Er war Priester von der Ordnung des Abija, und auch seine Frau
Elisabeth stammte aus dem Priestergeschlecht Aarons.
6 Zacharias
und seine Frau führten ein gottesfürchtiges Leben und befolgten alle Gebote und
Vorschriften des Herrn.
7 Sie hatten
keine Kinder, weil Elisabeth unfruchtbar war, und jetzt waren sie beide schon
sehr alt.
v5…… When Herod was king…..
The years before Jesus birth were Dark times in Israel..... For at least
500 years there were no prophets....
For many years they had been ruled
by foreigners… Greeks and Romans for centuries..... Nehemiah was the
last great Jewish leader....
Then there was Herod.....
This is the man known as Herod the Great, who was at the end of a long and
terrible reign....... He was a very wicked man.....
He was not a descendant of Israel........ but of Jacob’s brother Esau…..
an Edomite, or an Idumean........ He was politically connected..... He knew Caesar..... He knew Cleopatra... He
was elected the King of the Jews by the Roman senate....
He was known for his spectacular building programs….. but even more so
for his paranoid cruelty…… which drove him to execute many, including members
of his own family..... and religious rulers....even some that he had
appointed.... But there were God fearers in Israel….. God always has a
remnant….. We find some of them in our text this morning…
v5..... Zacharia and Elisabeth…. It was believed to be a double blessing to be
married to a daughter of Aaron...
v 6.... God Fearers.....
Zechariah and Elizabeth
were righteous and obedient....... They
were Pharisees in the best sense.... not at all hypocrites.... they were
sincere...( without wax....) nothing to hide...
They desired and prayed sincerely for the consolation of Israel...... Which
means that they prayed earnestly for the
coming of the Messiah..... v8….
Luke 1: 8-10 NLT
8 One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on
duty that week. 9 As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to
enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. 10 While the incense was
being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.
Luke 1:
8-10 Neues Leben
8 Eines
Tages, als Zacharias seinen Dienst im Tempel verrichtete, weil in dieser Woche
seine Ordnung an der Reihe war,
9 wurde er
nach priesterlichem Brauch durch das Los dazu ausgewählt, das Heiligtum zu
betreten, um das Rauchopfer darzubringen.
10
Währenddessen stand draußen eine große Menschenmenge und betete.
Only certain priests could serve in the Holy place in the temple......
Over the years the number of priests multiplied....... (there were said to be
as many as 20,000 priests in the time of Jesus) casting the lot determined
which priests would serve when...... he was chosen by lot to enter the
sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense....... Each priest allowed this
privilege only once in his life........
To a godly man like Zacharias, this would be the biggest event of his
life...... a tremendous privilege, a-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity....... Zacharias must have wondered what it would be
like to enter the holy place.......
It is also easy to imagine Zacharias asking the other priests who had
already burned incense before the Lord what it was like...... asking them if they
had any unique spiritual experience when they were ministering before the
Lord...... This whole event was filled
with enormous anticipation......
Zachariah.... his type of priests were called rustic priests.... they
were not educated in the best schools...... they were not born into the best
and wealthiest of the priestly families..... they were plain simple folk...... God
has always chosen the least ....the poor....the weak to shower with mercy and
favor... God chose Zacharias to receive the Good News that at long last….. God
would again visit his people to deliver them……. This time….. The Messiah….. God
Incarnate would come…..….
The Angel Gabriel could have appeared to the High Priest......
part of the wealthy and powerful religious leaders..... that would seem a
better choice in a worldly sense........ but Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth
were part of the remnant that still truly Loved the Lord..... they
prayed earnestly for the Messiah..... the Comfort of Israel...
At long last the Lord sent them the answer to their prayers..... both
private and personal ( at last a son!)..... now many years did they cry out to
God for help and for deliverance..... then at long last in an instant........ a
miracle of grace and a demonstration of his unfailing love... a son..... and
their son John the Baptizer to be...... the forerunner of the Messiah!......Filled with the Holy Spirit from his
mother´s womb.... God is pouring grace out on this couple…… He is pouring
grace out on a lost and dying world….
Beloved....the LORD will send you the answer to your prayers.....
He will answer the cries of your hearts.........hang on to Jesus........
trust in His unfailing love and mercy..... Receive the Grace that He offers
today….. Zacharias and his dear wife received grace this day….. I want to tell you a little about the Things
that happened in the Temple this special morning….
It was the time of the Morning Sacrifice.......
The Priest on the highest pinnacle of the Temple
had watched for the first rays of light at sunrise…....... Within the Courts below all had long been
busy......
Each day about fifty priests were on duty.......
They washed and put on clean robes…. They inspected the Temple courts by
torchlight........ Lots were drawn for the Priests who would have the special
privilege of going into the Holy Place this morning….
While the sacrifice was prepared for the
altar….. the priests……. had made ready all within the Holy Place…. where the
most solemn part of the day's service was to take place - that of offering the
incense…. The incense clouds that rise before the Ark of the covenant represent
Israel's prayers..... Zacharias was chosen to be honoured
with this highest act of intercession
for the people....... Only once in a lifetime might any one enjoy that
privilege......
From now on…… he was called rich...... As
they all prepared to service the Lord and His people….
The priests began with prayer and
confession of their sins and trust in Almighty God……
Zacharias must have been well known in the Temple...... each
course was on duty twice a year….. and, unlike the Levites, the priests were
not disqualified by age, but only by infirmity....... In many respects he
seemed different from those around..... His home was not in either of the great
priest- centers - the Ophel- quarter in Jerusalem, nor in Jericho - but in a
small town in the highlands south of Jerusalem: the hill-country of Judea……. He
was a priest, and married to the daughter of a priest…… It was supposed to give
him a double blessing.....
Now his time had come....... He
was going to stand before the Lord.... Enter the Holy of Holies and offer up
the prayers of the Saints....
There had never been a vision given to an ordinary Priest in the act of offering
up incense....... But God had a special plan for this man and his wife…. Let´s
look at Luke 1:11…..
Luke 1: 11- 23 NLT
11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared
to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and
overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.
13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your
prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him
John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,
15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or
other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his
birth.
16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be
a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the
coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,
and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How
can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well
along in years.”
19 Then the angel said, “I am
Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring
you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will
be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will
certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were
waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking
so long. 22 When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they
realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in
the sanctuary.
23 When Zechariah’s week of
service in the Temple was over, he returned home. 24 Soon afterward his wife,
Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. 25 “How
kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no
children.”
Luke 1: 11-
25 Neues Leben
11 Als
Zacharias im Heiligtum war, erschien ihm ein Engel des Herrn. Dieser stand
rechts neben dem Altar für das Rauchopfer.
12 Zacharias
erschrak bis ins Herz,
13 doch der
Engel sagte: »Hab keine Angst, Zacharias! Gott hat dein Gebet erhört. Deine
Frau Elisabeth wird dir einen Sohn schenken, und du sollst ihn Johannes nennen.
14 Du wirst
überglücklich sein bei seiner Geburt, und viele Menschen werden sich mit dir
freuen,
15 denn er
wird in den Augen des Herrn groß sein. Er wird keinen Wein oder andere
berauschenden Getränke anrühren und schon vor seiner Geburt2 mit dem Heiligen
Geist erfüllt werden.
16 Und er
wird viele Israeliten dazu bringen, sich wieder dem Herrn, ihrem Gott,
zuzuwenden.
17 Er wird
ein Mann mit dem Geist und der inneren Kraft des Propheten Elia sein, der dem
Herrn vorausgeht und das Volk auf seine Ankunft vorbereitet. Er wird die Herzen
der Väter ihren Kindern zuwenden und die Ungehorsamen dazu bewegen, sich der
göttlichen Weisheit zu öffnen.3«
18 Zacharias
fragte den Engel: »Wie kann ich sicher sein, dass das wirklich geschehen wird?
Ich bin jetzt ein alter Mann, und auch meine Frau ist schon in
fortgeschrittenem Alter.«
19 Da sagte
der Engel: »Ich bin Gabriel. Ich habe meinen Platz in der Gegenwart Gottes. Er
hat mich mit dieser frohen Botschaft zu dir gesandt!
20 Weil du
meinen Worten nicht geglaubt hast, wirst du nicht mehr sprechen können, bis das
Kind geboren ist. Denn meine Worte werden sich erfüllen, wenn die Zeit gekommen
ist.«
21
Mittlerweile warteten die Menschen draußen auf Zacharias und wunderten sich, wo
er so lang blieb.
22 Als er
endlich heraustrat, konnte er nicht zu ihnen sprechen. An seinen Gesten
erkannten sie jedoch, dass er im Heiligtum des Tempels eine Vision gehabt
hatte.
23 Er blieb
im Tempel, bis die Zeit seines Dienstes vorüber war, und ging dann nach Hause.
24 Kurze Zeit
später wurde seine Frau Elisabeth schwanger. Sie zog sich fünf Monate lang
zurück.
25 »Wie gütig
doch der Herr ist!«, rief sie. »Er hat mich von der Schande der Kinderlosigkeit
befreit!«
v11…. an angel of the Lord appeared to him,
v12…… Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him……
This had never happened before……..not to a
normal priest….
v13……. the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your
prayer……. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son……. and you are to name him John……
A child!.... Unbelieveable! and a son…… This
miracle was something that they had prayed for…… for many years…….. For them to
be childless was a great tragedy…… now at long last…..God had answered them
with a miraculous promise……
While the priest was in the temple with the
incense……. The people were outside praying to the LORD…… Trusting the
Almighty God to hear and answer their prayers…….. they were standing with Zacharias’………
lifting their needs up to the LORD…..
v14…… You will have great joy and gladness…… and many will rejoice at
his birth……
v15…… for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord……. John is the forerunner of the Messiah………..
Good News…… the darkness of despair was soon to end……..
The Messiah is coming…..there is hope………
You shall soon see Immanuel…… God with us!
v16….. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God.
v17….. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah….. He will
prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the
fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept
the wisdom of the godly.”
The glorious light of the Gospel……. Shining
out from Galilee to the whole world…….
v20…… But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent
and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be
fulfilled at the proper time.”
Zachariah…….. was struck dumb…..unable to
speak……… He had Just heard the GOOD NEWS….. The Messiah was coming to redeem
and rescue man from deepest darkness…… But he was silent and unable to
speak until He saw the birth of his son and named Him John……. We have heard
and believed the GOOD NEWS….. but we are also often silent? Why? Are we afraid
of something?…….
Well Zacharias went home and Elisabeth became
pregnant….. A miracle…. V25…
v25 “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed…… “He has taken away my
disgrace of having no children.”
These wonderful saints of God……. Waited for
God to answer their prayers…… They had perhaps prayed for children thousands of
times……. I suppose they had stopped praying by now……… They were old……but they never
lost their trust in the LORD……. They did not allow themselves to be
overcome with bitterness….. they continued to serve and trust in God….. Maybe
they had lost hope by now……I think they had accepted…..The answer as no……. But
God had a plan……God´s plan was far greater than they could have possibly
imagined………. As Elisabeth exclaims….. How kind the Lord is…..! How great is our
God!!!
The forerunner of the Messiah ? Their son? Yes! Zacharias got his voice back and he rejoiced
and he worshipped his redeemer….. let´s look at 67….
Luke 1: 67- 75 NLT
67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave
this prophecy:
68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and
redeemed his people.
69 He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant
David,
70 just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.
71 Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us.
72 He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred
covenant—
73 the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.
74 We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without
fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.
Luke 1: 67-
75 Neues Leben
67 Sein Vater
Zacharias wurde mit dem Heiligen Geist erfüllt und weissagte:
68 »Gelobt
sei der Herr, der Gott Israels, denn er ist zu seinem Volk gekommen und hat es
erlöst.
69 Einen
mächtigen Retter aus dem königlichen Geschlecht seines Knechtes David hat er
uns gesandt,
70 wie er es
vor langer Zeit durch seine heiligen Propheten versprochen hat.
71 Nun werden
wir vor unseren Feinden und vor allen, die uns hassen, gerettet werden.
72 Er hat
unseren Vorfahren Barmherzigkeit erwiesen, indem er seinen heiligen Bund mit
ihnen nicht vergisst,
73 den Bund,
den er mit unserem Stammvater Abraham schloss.
74 Wir wurden
vor unseren Feinden gerettet,
75 damit wir
Gott an jedem einzelnen Tag unseres Lebens ohne Furcht dienen können in
Heiligkeit und Gerechtigkeit.
Redemption…. Compassion….. Grace…. Mercy in
action….. look at verses 74 and 75…….
74 We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without
fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.
God´s plans are always far better than anything that we can hope for……
Let´s trust Him with our future……Let´s trust him with our lives……… He is faithful….. He is worthy of our
praise….., He always keeps His promises….
He is the one who said… I will never leave you! I will never forsake
you! Deut 31:6……. We have been offered grace….. so that we can demonstrate
God´s grace in our lives by the
way we treat others….. even our enemies….
We receive God´s grace and we become light´s
in this dark and lost world….
We have been saved…. rescued to serve our
great redeemer… to proclaim the GOOD
NEWS……
Close
God has chosen to reveal himself to us…. In
and through the Lord Jesus Christ…. He is the perfect image of the Father!....
John said in John 1:14… The Word became flesh… we have seen His
Glory! …. He has decided to tabernacle
with us…. To redeem us… What a revelation…… The Glorious presence of the
Lord Jesus in our lives shines a glorious light on all of our hard times in this
dark and dying world…
What is the connection between all this
revelation and us? John 1 V 16 gives the answer….. Turn to John 1: 16….
John 1: 16-18 NLT
16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after
another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and
faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique
One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to
us.
John 1:
16-18 Neues Leben
16 Immer und
immer wieder haben wir den Reichtum seines Segens empfangen.
17 Denn das
Gesetz wurde durch Mose gegeben; Gottes Gnade und Wahrheit aber kamen durch
Jesus Christus.
18 Niemand
hat Gott je gesehen. Doch sein einziger Sohn, der selbst Gott ist, ist dem
Herzen des Vaters ganz nahe; er hat uns von ihm erzählt.
God came not just to show us grace but to give
us grace; and we must receive it……. And we have the privilege and
responsibility to pass it on…
God doesn't just want us to know about his
truth and grace, he wants you to receive it and experience it…….
This Christmas he wants to give us all abundant grace…. to forgive all our sins….. all of
them!
This Christmas he wants to give us a strong foundation of truth and reality
to stand on….. so we won't cave in under the stress of disasters and hard
times…… Here´s the truth! The Good News….
The baby born in a manger….. Jesus…. Is God in the flesh….. He promises to
take away all your guilt…. to make your conscience clean….. He will wash you
white as snow… He will help us make it
through all of our problems….. He will give us strength for each day…. Jesus has come
to give us grace and mercy poured out on our lives…. to fill us with hope and joy and peace……. In
the middle of our trials…. Isn't that
the meaning of grace? And isn't that why he pitched his tent among us?
God has revealed Himself to us in the face of Jesus Christ….. Full of
grace and truth…. John 1: 14….
Don't spurn it this morning…… Receive it……. Welcome it for what it
really is….. Abundant grace and mercy…. Far greater than all of our sins….. Far greater than our faults….. far
greater than the disasters that come to every living creature in this fallen
world…. We who have repented of our sins and been born again have received
grace upon grace for our great God and Redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ…. It´s
good news…. We need to only look around us and see how very dark and lost
this world still is…. We need to remember how very dark our own personal world
was…. before we repented and came to the Lord Jesus…. Paul reminds us very well
in Ephesians… 2.. v1
Ephesians 2: 1-5
NLT
2 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2
You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the
commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the
hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way,
following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our
very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even
though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ
from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
Ephesians 2:
1-5 Neues Leben
1 Auch ihr
wart früher tot aufgrund eurer Sünden.
2 Ihr habt
genauso in der Sünde gelebt wie der Rest der Welt, beherrscht von Satan, der im
Machtbereich der Luft regiert. Er ist der Geist, der in den Herzen derer wirkt,
die Gott nicht gehorchen wollen.
3 Wir alle
haben früher so gelebt und uns von den Leidenschaften und Begierden unserer
alten Natur beherrschen lassen. Wir wurden mit dieser Natur geboren und waren
Gottes Zorn ausgeliefert wie alle anderen Menschen auch.
4 Doch Gott
ist so barmherzig und liebte uns so sehr,
5 dass er
uns, die wir durch unsere Sünden tot waren, mit Christus neues Leben schenkte,
als er ihn von den Toten auferweckte. Nur durch die
Gnade Gottes seid ihr gerettet worden!
We were dead…. We were following our desires and sinful natures….. But
God…. Who is rich in mercy…. What grace and mercy and unfailing love….
Let this Good News fill your
heart with everlasting joy this season…. Joy to the world!
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