retreat-release

The Full Atonement
Matthew 27:45-53
July 23, 2017

As you know we are knee deep in our study called “500 Years of Reformation” and more specifically we are in the middle of studying that second SOLA which emerged from the Reformation.

We are studying SOLA GRATIA
Or what it means to be saved “By Grace Alone”

Without a doubt the MOST ESSENTIAL POINT that must be gained in order to understand Grace Alone is the true DOCTRINE REGARDING MAN.

We must understand what Scripture says about man,
Which is that as a result of the fall, man is spiritually dead.

He is both incapable and unwilling to come to God.
This reality (also known as Total Depravity or Absolute Inability)
Necessitates that salvation be a total work of grace.

Since man cannot help in salvation in any way, God must do it all.
The good news is that He does.
God saves us by His grace.

In spite of what we are, and in spite of what we desire, GOD HAS WILLED TO SAVE SOME. These recipients of His grace are referred to as the elect.

These are the ones whom God chose
And has effectively called out of sin and into salvation.

He raised them to life, He changed their desires,
He granted them faith, and He drew them to Himself.

And that is the reality we have been covering for the last several weeks.

But even in all of that, we have yet to discuss
The most important aspect of salvation by Grace Alone.

We have yet to discuss THE MEANS OF THIS SALVATION.
We have yet to discuss how God took sinful people
And made them acceptable to Him.

And the answer to that is of course, through the means of ATONEMENT.
God atoned for their sin, that He might be able to draw them to Himself.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

1 Peter 2:24 “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”

Isaiah 53:4-6 “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”

Romans 5:6-8 “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Absolutely central to the gospel
Is the belief in the substitutionary atonement of Christ.

However, over time even this marvelous work
Has been subject to misunderstanding
And has even been reduced in its effect.

The reason this has happened is again due to our desire
To put man’s happiness at the center and to produce a message that sells
And is more palatable to sinners.

Just as has been done with the Doctrine Of Election
Which has been rejected because it offends our humanistic sense of fairness,
Man has also twisted the doctrine of the atonement to make it more pleasing.

The problem of course is that not only does it rob God of the glory He deserves,
BUT IT ALSO WEAKENS OUR FAITH.

Tonight we are going to talk about the EXTENT OF THE ATONEMENT.
That is to say, exactly who the atonement effects.

THE POPULAR STATEMENT TODAY WOULD BE TO SAY THAT
THE ATONEMENT IS ABSOLUTELY UNLIMITED.

In other words, the atonement is for every human who ever lived.

In fact, the typical gospel call went something like this:
“I just want you to know that on the cross Jesus died and paid for your sin. The sacrifice has already been made, the gift has been given, now won’t you please just accept this free gift which has already been given on your account.”

And it is pretty much proclaimed everywhere
That Jesus already paid the sin debt of every human,
All they now need to do is accept this free gift.

And so long as you keep it on the surface level, that sounds really good.
But the reality is that statements like that do incredible damage to the gospel and incredible injustice to what Christ did on the cross.

WHY?
Well, let’s think it through for a moment.

IF WE SAY that on the cross Jesus paid the sin debt of all the sins of all people, then we have to ask the question: WHY DO THEY GO TO HELL?

I mean, if Jesus fully satisfied the wrath of God on their behalf on the cross,
Then why are they fully bearing God’s wrath for all eternity?

And make no mistake, hell is real.
Matthew 10:28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

So, if Jesus already paid their debt, then why are they then being forced to pay it in hell?

To which someone would immediately say,
“Because they rejected what Jesus did.”

OK, so then we’re saying that Jesus didn’t actually pay their debt,
He only potentially paid for it, so long as they accept it.

And people don’t like the way that sounds so they say,
“No, He actually paid for it, it’s just they didn’t take it, so they are going to pay for it to.”

So then, are we saying if they fail to accept what He did,
Then what He did is nullified, their sin is placed back into account,
And they then suffer for it for all eternity?

Is that what we’re saying?
That sinners have the ability to sort of “scratch out” what Christ did?

Well, that doesn’t sound right either.
When you think it through, there are obvious problems to this idea
That Christ fully atoned for the sin of every human on the cross.

I’ll tell you the problem with saying that Jesus died for everyone.

To make that claim is to say that
Jesus fully satisfied God’s wrath and atoned for the sin of those who are now in hell paying for that same sin for all eternity.

If you want to push it even further,
Jesus did the exact same thing for people in heaven that He did for people in hell,
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE is that the people in heaven made the choice to accept it while the people in hell chose to reject it.
But if you go down that road then
Jesus did the exact same thing
For people in heaven as He did for people in hell.

So what difference did He make?
And again, we are back to the problem.

If you believe that Jesus died for everyone
Then you are saying that all Jesus did on the cross
Was purchase a potential salvation, not an actual one.

He potentially bore all man’s sin, but he actually bore no one’s
Until they chose to activate it by accepting it.

WHAT ARE YOU SAYING PREACHER…THAT JESUS DIDN’T DIE FOR EVERYONE?

Well my question is simply this:
If He did, then why are they in hell?

There are two words I want you to write down,
Because we need to ponder them a second.

1) EXTENT – speaking of how far the atonement reached, or who it reached.
2) EFFECT – speaking of what the atonement actually accomplished.

Now, with those words come 3 options.
1) Christ’s atonement was unlimited in both extent and effect.
(That is universalism)

2) Christ’s atonement was limited in both extent and effect.
(All men are lost)

3) Christ’s atonement was limited by either the extent or the effect.
(We must settle here)

THAT BEING THE CASE,
YOU MUST CHOOSE ONE OF TWO DOCTRINAL POSITIONS.

1) When Christ died on the cross it was for all people, but it was limited as to its effect because most of the people He died for still ended up going to hell.

2) When Christ died on the cross it was limited as to its extent, but all those He did die for were totally atoned for and as a result go to Heaven.

You must either limit the atonement as to its extent or as to its effect.
But you cannot say He fully atoned for all people or else that is universalism
And the Bible does not teach that.
So which is it?
Did Jesus die for every human, or did Jesus fully atone for those He did die for?

Now, I’m going to save you some struggle and show you the answer.

• Jesus did not die for every human, nor did He bear the sin of every
single human,
• Rather, Jesus died for the elect and He fully and faithfully and
totally bore their sin on the cross.

LET ME FIRST JUST SHOW THAT TO YOU
And then we’ll discuss why you need to know it.

Isaiah 53:11-12 “As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.”
He didn’t bear the sin of all, He bore the sin of many.

Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Not all people, “His people”

Matthew 26:26-29 “While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
It wasn’t for everyone, it was for “many”

John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
It is for His sheep (not the goats)

Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”
What Jesus did was for the church, the bride.

Hebrews 9:28 “so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”
Again, “to bear the sins of many”

Hebrews 10:14 “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”
He perfected “those who are sanctified”

Are you getting the picture?
When Jesus died, He died to fully atone for the sins of His people.

WHY THE DISCUSSION?
Because I want you to understand
What Christ actually did when He died on the cross.

• He didn’t potentially atone for all men,
• He actually atoned for the redeemed.
• He actually bore my sin on His body
• He actually paid my debt
• It wasn’t potential, it wasn’t just possible, it was actual

John 19:30 “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

• He didn’t say, “Now, it’s possible!”
• He didn’t say, “It is started” – HE FINISHED IT THERE.

Hebrews 1:3 “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

Hebrews 9:12 “and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”

That is why we can sing songs like:
“My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin, not in part, but the whole; IS nailed to the cross and I bear it no more! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh my soul.”

That’s why we can sing:
Man of Sorrows! What a name for the Son of God who came, ruined sinners TO RECLAIM, Hallelujah! What a Savior!
BEARING SHAME and scoffing rude, in my place condemned He stood, SEAL’D my pardon with His blood, Hallelujah! What a Savior!
“Guilty, vile and helpless we, spotless Lamb of God was He, FULL ATONEMENT CAN IT BE? Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Lifted up was He to die, “IT IS FINISHED!” was His cry, now in heaven exalted high, Hallelujah! What a Savior!
When He comes, our glorious King, ALL HIS RANSOMED home to bring, then anew this song we’ll sing, Hallelujah! What a Savior!

That’s why we sing:
“JESUS PAID IT ALL, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow”

What Jesus did was absolutely and totally effective.
He totally and actually bore all my sin and your sin
And all the sin of all the elect on the cross.

It was not a potential atonement, it was an actual one.
And I want us tonight to simply take a look at the event,
And see that very thing.

We opened by reading Matthew 27:45-53, let’s look at it together now.

#1 HE SUCCESSFULLY BORE SIN
Matthew 27:45-46

An often considered word regarding salvation is the word “IMPUTATION”
2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Christian doctrine hangs upon
The imputed righteousness of Christ.

We say that we are now righteous before God,
Not based on our own righteousness,
But based upon Christ’s righteousness imputed to us.

Now, this is only possible based on the fact
That our sin has first been imputed to Christ.
We can only receive and enjoy His righteousness,
If He first receives and pays for our sin.

TO PUT IT SIMPLY:
If Christ didn’t receive our sin, then we didn’t receive His righteousness.

And that is what makes this truth on the cross so important.
For here we find Jesus suffering.
Not suffering as a martyr would suffer,
But suffering as a sinner would suffer.

He is feeling the full blunt of God’s wrath, and He is experiencing
The tragic separation from God that sinners experience.

Look at the text. (45) “Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour.”

Mark tells us that it was the third hour when Jesus was crucified.
So after hanging on the cross for 3 hours listening to the scorn of men,
Jesus then enters a new and greater phase of suffering.

“from the sixth hour” (that would be noon)
“darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour.”
• It is not possible that this was an eclipse, the timing of Passover would not have permitted it.
• Furthermore this was a three hour darkness, and no eclipse lasted this long.

RATHER, THIS A DIVINE REALITY OF GOD’S JUDGMENT.

Darkness is associated with
The wrath and judgment of God.

We are all familiar with the plague of darkness in Egypt,
But beyond that, listen to the prophets describe God’s day of wrath.

Isaiah 13:10-11 “For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light. Thus I will punish the world for its evil And the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless.”

Joel 2:1-2 “Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations.”

Amos 5:20 “Will not the day of the LORD be darkness instead of light, Even gloom with no brightness in it?”

Zephaniah 1:14-15 “Near is the great day of the LORD, Near and coming very quickly; Listen, the day of the LORD! In it the warrior cries out bitterly. A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness,”

Even in the New Testament, the imagery continues.
2 Peter 2:4 “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;”

Jude 6 “And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,”

Even Jesus used this imagery.
Matthew 8:11-12 “I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

It is obvious what is occurring as Christ hangs on the cross.
• God is angry.
• God’s wrath is being poured out.
• Judgment is taking place.

Now many have assumed that God’s wrath here is focused on Israel for their deep wickedness to crucify God’s Son.

And not to make light of this grave sin.
But we must remember Christ has already prayed
That God not count this trespass against them.

Furthermore, the very next verse makes it abundantly clear
Who was feeling the wrath of God.

It wasn’t those standing around the cross, it was the One on the cross.

(46) “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”

Christ was feeling the effects of God’s judgment.

WHY?
WELL, THERE IS ONLY ONE REASON.

He must really be taking our sin.
• Since we know by now that Christ was innocent.
• Since His innocence was validated by His resurrection

We can only come to one conclusion.
Christ is actually bearing sin, and God is judging it.

At this moment Christ is realizing the full separation
That sinners have experienced since the garden.

• Christ is feeling the shame of Adam and Eve with their heads down walking out of Eden.
• Christ is feeling the shame of the Israelites as they watch God move His tent outside the camp.
• Christ is feeling the shame of Ezekiel as He watched the glory of God depart from God’s temple.
• Christ is feeling the shame of separation from the Father.

And at this He cries out:
“Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Interestingly enough, this is the only time that Jesus ever called Him God,
And not Father.
The intimacy was gone. – Separation had set in.

Do you see that He is actually bearing sin?
This isn’t potential, this is actual.

Whoever He is dying for, He is right there actually taking their wrath.
Whoever He is dying for, they will never bear that wrath, He is taking it.

He successfully bore our sin.
#2 HE SUCCESSFULLY FINISHED HIS TASK
Matthew 27:47-50

Here we find that despite all the abuse Jesus has already taken,
They are still heaping more abuse on Him.

“And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.”

There are two possibilities here.
1) They didn’t know what He said, and took the “Eli” as a literal call for Elijah.
2) They did understand, but chose to purposely twist His words

Most believe it was the second.
That even now, Christ was being mocked and reviled.

And yet, He endures.

We even get a special prophetic occurrence in verse 48.
(48) “Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink.”

WHY DID HE DO THAT?
(Well, Psalm 69:21 prophesied that they would give Him vinegar to drink
And He had to fulfill all prophecies)

John 19:28-29 “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth.”

I love that verse.
He had already done so much.
He had already endured so much.

And yet, obedience was so important;
Fulfilling the prophecies was so important,
That before Jesus could die,
He had to fulfill what the prophets spoke and say, “I thirst”

Jesus is cutting no corners
Jesus is not stopping short, He is doing it just as He must.

And still they mock
Even as the man is giving Him a drink
(49) “But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.”

The crowd isn’t even merciful enough to let Him get a drink.
They want the man giving it to Him to get out of the way and let’s see if Elijah comes.
IT WAS CONTINUOUS MOCKING.

But Jesus never took their bait…
1 Peter 2:22-24 “WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”

Jesus just endured, and fulfilled His calling.

Right up through verse 50
“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.”

We even know what He said:
John 19:30 “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

It is done! – Paid in full! – Completed! – ACTUAL
That was victory.

He Successfully Bore our Sin He Successfully Finished His Task
#3 HE SUCCESSFULLY SECURED OUR SALVATION
Matthew 27:51-53

We know Christ bore our sin and we know He finished His task, but what did it accomplish?

His death obviously accomplished two things.
1) ACCESS TO THE FATHER IS GRANTED

“And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom;”

Man didn’t tear it, God did.
It was torn “from top to bottom”
THERE IS NOTHING POTENTIAL HERE

You know the veil as what separated the glory of God from sinful man.

Christ did what had never been done.
He made God accessible.

HOW?
• He atoned for sin.
• He was the propitiation.
• And His blood was so acceptable that God no longer needed the veil

Access was granted!
We can now know God!

The second thing?
2) DEATH WAS DEFEATED
“and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.”

People today often talking about Christ
Defeating death at His resurrection.

But it wasn’t the resurrection of Christ that defeated death,
It was the death of Christ that defeated death.

Hebrews 2:14-15 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

And when the dead rose at His crucifixion we see without a doubt
That what Christ did on the cross was totally effective.

It wasn’t potentially effective, it was actually effective.
• He really bore sin
• He really satisfied God
• He really secured salvation

Christ successfully secured salvation.

And you need to know that so that you understand
The fullness of God’s grace in your life.

When we read verses like:
Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

We understand why.
It is because on that cross Jesus actually bore all my sin.

DO YOU SEE THE GRACE?
• We were sinful man totally unwilling and totally unable to come to God.
• But God, in His infinite grace chose us to come to Him.
• He gave us a heart to respond to His call
• And He atoned for our sin through the sacrifice of His Son.

We did nothing in that.
It was GRACE ALONE

I am so thankful that Christ’s sacrifice wasn’t just potential,
That He didn’t just leave it up to me whether or not to activate it

Because we have already learned that if the choice was mine,
I would have chosen wrong.

• Thankfully Jesus bore my wrath
• Thankfully Jesus fully took my penalty
• Thankfully Jesus totally covered my sin

That is grace…GRACE ALONE.

The Coming Restorer – Part 2
Luke 1:5-25 (8-25)
July 23, 2017

As you know we have begun our study of the gospel of Luke.
We are calling this study “THE HISTORY OF REDEMPTION” because that is precisely what Luke is seeking to reveal.
• Having heard all the stories about Jesus…
• Having investigated the facts fully…
• Luke has set out to record it all in an orderly manner…
• That we may know “the exact truth” about Jesus…

And this story begins at the most obvious place.
Luke begins his story right were the Old Testament stopped.

The last book of the Old Testament was Malachi.

As we saw last time:
• Malachi’s prophecy was a direct confrontation of apathy
• We had people who were religious but who didn’t really care about the Lord
• And all of this was a problem because the Lord was promised to be on his way.

And Malachi revealed that if the Lord were to return
And find these people in their current state of apathy,
They would in no way be ready for Him.

Malachi 3:2-3 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. “He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness.”

In short, the Messiah was coming, but Malachi was convinced
That hardly anyone was actually prepared for His arrival.

When Messiah comes
He would tread down the wicked and elevate the righteous.

Malachi 4:1-3 “For 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 LORD of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” “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. “You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the LORD of hosts.”

Therefore, before Messiah would come,
God would send a man in the same spirit as Elijah,
Who would first purify the people
And restore them back to the purity which God required.

Malachi 4:5-6 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. “He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”

This restorer was promised to come and lead the people to repentance “so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”

And with those words the Old Testament came to a close,
And for over 400 years there was no new revelation.
It was simply a people left to wait.

And that is why Luke begins his story where he does.
It is as though Luke picks up Malachi’s pen and continues to write.

He is continuing the story of redemption.
And Luke moves forward with the revelation of the one
Whom God promised would come and restore.

There are 4 main points to this section and we began looking at the first of those points last week.
#1 THE CHOSEN SERVANTS
Luke 1:5-10

You will remember that we first took a look at these whom God selected
To be the vessel through whom the restorer would come.
The couple God selected was Zacharias and Elizabeth.

And they were selected because (6) “They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.”

That doesn’t mean that they were sinless,
It simply means that their heart was humble and obedient to God.

They were that small righteous remnant that Malachi spoke of.
They were those who rejected apathy and genuinely feared the Lord.

Malachi 3:16-18 “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. “They will be Mine,” says the LORD of hosts, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.” So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.”
That was Zacharias and Elizabeth

And as we noted last week, this piece of information highlights a point
That Luke is going to make throughout his gospel.

The people God uses are not the religious or the knowledgeable or the socially important, instead God uses THE HUMBLE

And that is certainly seen here in the selection of Zacharias and Elizabeth.

And we also learned about them last time that (7) “they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.”

So not only where they ACCEPTABLE TO GOD,
But most likely they were SCORNED BY THE WORLD
Since those who were barren were thought to be cursed.

It is just another example of the constant point Luke makes.
• What is acceptable to man is contemptable to God.
• What is contemptable to man is often acceptable to God.

THIS MORNING WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD IN LUKE’S STORY.
So we have this barren couple whom Luke tells us was pleasing to God.

(8-10) “Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering.”

We find that during the period when Zacharias was “performing his priestly duty” (which is something he was required to do twice a year)
“he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.”

The opportunity to enter the temple to burn incense
WAS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY.

The job was to go in and burn incense upon the altar of God.
This was done every morning and every evening.

If you are curious about the SERIOUSNESS of this event you simply need to read Leviticus 10 about Nadab and Abihu (Aaron’s sons) and how they offered strange fire before the LORD and fire from the altar came out and consumed them.

This was SERIOUS.
The priest went in and offered incense
As he offered the prayers of the people before God.

And this is why we see the crowd outside.
(10) “And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering.”

As the priest went in, he would offer the prayers and the incense, and as the smoke rose, it was symbolic of the prayers ascending up to God.

Aaron was selected by God
To be the one who offered the incense on this day.
So, you see then the chosen servants.
#2 THE BROKEN SILENCE
Luke 1:11-17

“an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.”

This is huge because it hasn’t happened for over 400 years.
• In fact, the last time Scripture relates and angelic vision was nearly 500 years ago when Zechariah had those famous night visions.

God is breaking His silence!

Now naturally (12) “Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him.”

I would think so.
Even though Zacharias was “righteous in the sight of God” that does not mean he was sinless, and sinful beings are always terrified when in the presence of the holy angels.

Zacharias was terrified.
(13-14) “But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. “You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.”

Here we find the purpose of the angelic visit;
Zacharias is going to have “a son”.

Now based upon the circumstances of life,
We can certainly see this as unexpected.
It falls in line with the Abraham and Sarah situation.

Apparently Zacharias and Elizabeth prayed for this over the years and now the request was being answered.

Incidentally,
• If you’ve ever wondered why there was a delay in God’s answering of
your prayers, perhaps it is because He was up to something bigger and the
timing just wasn’t right.

• Also, just because you think it’s too late for God to answer or that the
window of opportunity has closed, then this story sort of shatters that as well.

This couple is going to have a son and they are to name him “John”.
JOHANNAN in the Greek which means “God is Gracious”

And I don’t think Zacharias would have any qualms with that.

And of course, “You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.”

Well sure they would.
• Any time a godly couple like Zacharias and Elizabeth finally get pregnant, of course everyone is going to rejoice.
• I’d bet the baby shower would be huge.

But that was not exactly what the angel meant
When he said “many will rejoice”

The rejoicing is based upon the role this child will play.
(15-17) “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. “And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

This John is the restorer that Malachi promised.
That means that on the heels of John is coming the Messiah.
THIS IS A REASON TO REJOICE!

Now, let’s look at some of the specifics about this child.
1) HIS PREFERENCE
“For he will be great in the sight of the Lord;”

“great” translates MEGAS in the Greek.
It can mean “great” or “large” or “huge”

I like to think of the statement like this.
How big of a deal is it that this John is being born?

The answer is: IT IS A HUGE DEAL!
This child is playing a HUGE role in the redemptive plan of God.

Remember what Jesus said?
Matthew 11:11 “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

John was the greatest because of the role he played.
As far as human roles go, there was never a bigger role to be played
Than the role that John played.

In short, the birth of this child is a big deal.

2) HIS PURITY
“and he will drink no wine or liquor”

The reference here is most likely to that of a Nazirite.
Numbers 6:1-8 “Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to the LORD, he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh or dried grapes. ‘All the days of his separation he shall not eat anything that is produced by the grape vine, from the seeds even to the skin. ‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall pass over his head. He shall be holy until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD; he shall let the locks of hair on his head grow long. ‘All the days of his separation to the LORD he shall not go near to a dead person. ‘He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head. ‘All the days of his separation he is holy to the LORD.”

Nazirites played an important role in Israel.
• Whereas the priests and the prophets proclaimed the righteousness of God, the Nazirites were to be examples of it.
• They took a vow that for a period of time they would maintain their “cleanness” before God.
• They would refuse to defile themselves with anything of the world.
• They were a living picture of purity and righteousness.

John would be this for his entire life.
• He would be a living example of righteousness and purity.
• He would forsake the world and all its comforts and pleasures.
• John would be an absolute witness against the corruption of the world.

He would be pure.

3) HIS PREDESTINATION
“and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb.”

If you don’t believe the doctrine of election
Then you’ve got a real problem with this verse.

God chose this man before he was ever born.
God filled this man with the Holy Spirit before he was ever born.

And no, this is not uncommon.
Jeremiah 1:4-5 “Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Galatians 1:15-16 “But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,”

God selected this man for a specific purpose.
It had nothing to do with John’s behavioral worth
And everything to do with God’s sovereign purpose.

And that is what we see next.
4) HIS PURPOSE
(16) “And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.”

“turn…back” indicates that
John’s main purpose is that of curing the onset of apathy.

It speaks to a people who had once been devoted to God,
But who had fallen into a state of apathy and even rebellion.

That is why we call John a restorer.
• His job was to break the apathy and crush the arrogance.
• His job was to help men see God and all that He required that they might once again humble themselves before Him.

In this sense, John was no different than any of the rest of God’s prophets.

But as we already noted John’s role was greater than all of them
For John had an even bigger purpose than just restoring people.

(17) “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

• John was coming to prepare people for the coming of the Lord.
• John was the Elijah that Malachi promised.
• John was coming to clean men up and to make them fit for the king.

In a few chapters Luke will actually highlight John’s ministry.
Luke 3:3-9 “And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT. ‘EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED, AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW; THE CROOKED WILL BECOME STRAIGHT, AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH; AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD.'” So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? “Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. “Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

John knew what Malachi promised,
Namely that when the Messiah came He would burn up the wicked.

John was warning men of that reality and preparing them for His coming.

He was coming “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

That was the announcement of the angel to Zacharias.
God is about to arrive!

The Chosen Servants, The Broken Silence
#3 THE OBVIOUS SIGN
Luke 1:18-22

(18) “Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”

I don’t think it’s strange to read that Zacharias was a little cynical here.
Life has a way of doing that to a person.

While he heard the promise,
He was still keenly aware of the natural limitations of life.
How could this be when they were so old?

But the angel didn’t take to kindly to being questioned:
(19-20) “The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. “And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

Note to self: DON’T IGNORE GABRIEL
Zacharias wanted a sign, and he received a sign.
He was going to be a mute until the day of John’s birth.

What I want you to understand however is that this sign
Was about more than simply punishing Zacharias.

How do I know?

Well, Zacharias is hardly the first person in history
To have received an announcement from God
And initially questioned it based upon the overwhelming circumstances.

However, not all were as harshly treated as he was.
• Did Abraham and Sarah not both laugh when God announced that they would have a child? (But God didn’t strike either of them with silence)

• Did Moses not ask for a sign when God told him He would deliver the children of Israel from Pharaoh? (But Moses wasn’t struck with silence)

• Did Gideon not ask for a sign twice of the Lord to prove His plan?

Even later in this very chapter, Gabriel is going to appear to Mary.
Let me read that encounter to you.
Luke 1:32-35 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”

Mary didn’t really respond any differently than Zacharias,
But all Gabriel did was answer her question.

HERE’S THE POINT.
I’m NOT SAYING Zacharias was unfairly punished.
He doubted God and so his punishment was just.

I’m just pointing out that God must have been doing more here
Than just teaching Zacharias a lesson in faith.

And that is made clear in the next verses.
(21-22) “The people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in the temple. But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute.”

Here we find that there had been
A BIT OF ANXIETY building outside the temple.

• Did Zacharias mess up and God pull another Nadab and Abihu on him?
• Was he dead?

Now certainly Zacharias could have come out and said,
“The reason I’m late is because an angel appeared to me.”

But bear in mind that sort of thing hadn’t happened for over 400 years.
• It’s not a stretch to assume that no one would have believed him,
• Especially since he (by reason of his childlessness) would not have been one that people would have expected God to speak to.

However, because he had been stricken as a mute we see the result,
“they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple;”

NOW EVERYONE BEGINS TO REALIZE
THAT GOD IS ONCE AGAIN ON THE MOVE.

The Chosen Servants, The Broken Silence, The Obvious Sign
#4 PROVIDENTIAL SATISFACTION
Luke 1:23-25

Elizabeth conceived and she was indeed overjoyed.

Now, notice that she simply saw it as an answer to prayer and God being willing “to take away my disgrace among men.”

I’m not sure that Elizabeth even knew yet
The true extent of what God was doing.

Now, what is clear is that
In a few months Mary is going to conceive and when Mary visits Elizabeth that baby in Elizabeth’s womb is going to leap for joy and the Bible says that Elizabeth will be filled with the Holy Spirit and will cry out about the coming Messiah.

God is going to make it known to Elizabeth as well.

But at the present we just see a baby conceived
And God doing what He promised.

SO THERE’S THE STORY…WHAT DO WE MAKE OF ALL OF THIS?
At this point we have to sort of zoom out and ponder a little.

Here we have Luke who has investigated everything carefully
And he is seeking to record it all in an orderly manner for us.
AND LUKE FOUND THIS STORY SIGNIFICANT

All the other gospel accounts jump right to Jesus.
They tell us of John, but they start with Jesus.

Luke however spends all this time at the beginning on John.

And things like that cause me to back up and ask:
WHY WAS THIS SO IMPORTANT?

In order to answer that question all we have to do is remember why God purposed to send John in the first place.
Malachi 4:5-6 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. “He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”

Malachi was clear that before the Messiah would come,
Humanity was first in need of a restorer.

Why not just send the Messiah?
Because if the Messiah comes without this restoring prophet coming first, then all the world would see was wrath and a curse.

John was necessary.

And here is what he teaches us.
MAN, IN HIS NATURAL STATE,
IS NOT FIT FOR THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
Now, I want you to think about that for a moment.

The word of the day was apathy.
People were complacent about God,
And there was no fear of God before their eyes.

They just assumed that they could live however they wanted,
And give God as much or as little as they wanted,
And all would be well.

And because God was not instantly punishing them for this,
It only served to confirm their assumptions, and their apathy grew.

And they all thought they were just fine.
But they weren’t.

TURN TO: PSALMS 50
In this Psalm God is calling the earth to stand before Him, specifically those who claim to be His people.

And you notice that it is not a peaceful scene.
(1-6)

Then you notice that God is not moved by their religious commitment.
(7-15)

In fact, God has a problem with the people, and it can be summed up as APATHY.
(16-21)

Did you catch that “you thought that I was just like you” statement?

And so God has some sound advice.
(22-23)

And again I remind you that
Man in his natural state is not fit to stand before God.

Luke here spends 25 verses just announcing to you
The details about the coming of John the Baptist
And there is only one reason for John the Baptist.

That is to lead the people to repentance to prepare them for the coming King who they most certainly were not ready to meet.

(17) “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

John came to change people’s attitude concerning sin.

In Malachi’s day (and I would say in our day)
People’s attitude toward sin was pathetic.
Everyone thought it was ok. Everyone assumed it was no big deal.

THE COMING OF JOHN PROVES THAT ASSUMPTION WRONG

One day, the Lord Jesus will return and on that day,
Those who are not fit for His coming will be judged
And burned up with unquenchable fire.

Being apathetic about sin won’t cut it.
Assuming God is just like you won’t help.

The beauty of that is this is that when the Messiah did come,
He died upon a cross that those who would humble themselves
And repent of their sin might be made righteous through His sacrifice.

That is where Luke is headed.
But first he wants you to understand how badly you need it.

You need to know that God is not ok with man just as they are.
If he were, there would be no need for John.
And there would be no need for the death of Jesus.

God will in fact redeem sinners through the sacrifice of His Son,
But those sinners must first be humble and repentant
If they are to ever partake in it.

That is the message here.
• Humble yourselves before God.
• Confess your sin to Him.
• Beg for His forgiveness.
• Submit your life to His will and His desire.
• Commit all that you are totally to Him.

This is the attitude of the righteous.
And these are the ones who find redemption in Christ.

Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”