| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net Can't Stop This: We usually pick up the Christmas story in Luke 2 with the shepherds, manger, angels etc. Very significant, and should not be overlooked. But I would like to begin our Christmas story this year in Luke 1 with the origins of John the Baptist. Here we meet Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah was a priest, and scheduled to offer incense in the Temple - a real privilege which wasn't a given. You see, it was like drawing a moose tag. You could only do it once in a lifetime, and was a drawing or lottery. You may never be chosen. By this time there were some 18,000 priests. So here he is in the Temple faithfully executing his duty while all the assembly is praying outside (vs 10) when an angel appears to him. His reaction was typical in that he was paralyzed with fear. Nugget: Biblically, an angel isn't a scantily clad toddler with wings and a benign bow and arrow. He is a terrible, formidable creature usually about 10' tall, and wielding a 6' sword. In fact, one angel killed 85,000 Assyrian troops in one night all by himself. (Editor's Note: I think it took him all night cause God made him use a sword). Every account of men (manly men) being confronted by an angel results in their falling to the ground. Some pass out and must be awoken before the angel can deliver his message. The only exception to this is the account of Sodom and Gomorrah where the angels by design, appeared as men. To illustrate their standing in the order of things, note Gabriel's response to Zechariah when he has the audacity to ask for Gabriel's credentials. The angel replies in vs 19: "I am Gabriel, and I stand in the presence of God". Think on that for a moment. And just so our hero has opportunity to think on it, Gabriel tells him he won't speak for 9 months, and he doesn't. Let's turn the Spiritual Switch: If this happened to you, and you couldn't speak for 9 months, what might you say when your mouth was loosed? Would you be bitter toward the rascally angel? Would you be mad at God? What did our hero say? Well, as a result of his obedience in vs 63 his mouth was opened and a flood of praise came out. Unmitigated, unedited praise; and the reaction of the people was ---- Fear vs 65. What was this terrible message? It was four fold: 1) The Opening of Prison Doors: vs 68. Redeem means to set free by paying a price. To his contemporaries, it meant to release a prisoner or liberate a slave. Certainly, only Christ could pay our heavenly debt = "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1st Peter 1:18-19 2) The Winning of a Battle - vs 69-75. A picture most in my generation will recognize is the Cavalry swooping in at the last minute when it seems all is lost. 3) the Cancelling of Debt: vs 76-77. Remission = to send away or dismiss a debt. We are all in debt to God (Romans 3:23). And then 4) the Dawning of a New Day: 78-79. "The people which sat in darkness saw a great light;" Matt. 4:16 quoting Isaiah. Application: How can being freed from prison, winning a battle, having your debt cancelled and having Jesus as The Light be a bad thing? Why did this wonderful message bring Fear to all who heard it? The question really is, how does it affect you? As we celebrate His coming during this Christmas season, it is not enough to say Jesus is a savior, or that He is The Savior. Everyone really knows that. We must, like Mary, be able to cry out: "My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior" - vs 47. Merry Christmas. |
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