A HORN OF SALVATION

Luke 1:57-80

Key Verse 1: 69

He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.

Today’s passage is Zechariah’s song of praise and prophecy about the work of the Lord. This passage helps us to know how we can practically serve the Lord.

First, No, his name is John (57-66). 

The first thing we need to consider in serving the Lord is the need for us to deny our self-seeking desires and submit to the Lord every little blessing we have in him for his use. When you hear me say, “every little,” you might feel offended and say, “What? This is my life. Why should I surrender my thing to someone else?” Indeed the idea of surrendering every blessing in our possession to God for God’s use sounds like a promoting of a divine communism. 

But in order to not be misguided on this point let us first read the Bible passage. Let us read verses 57-66 responsively. Here we see the Lord insisting the couple name the son (the little gift, the cute child) John, not Zechariah Jr. or something else. The baby born was a miracle of miracles, not just because the couple gave birth to the child after the age of procreation but also because the child was cute. And he was cute particularly to the eyes of his parents. When Moses was born, their parents saw that he was a “fine” child. To others, Moses was just another boy. But to his parents, he was a “fine” boy. The same thing must have been true with Zechariah and Elizabeth. 

But to the surprise of many, the couple named the boy John. Why? We know the answer. The previous passage says that it was according to God’s instruction. Why then did the Lord God insist on the name John? The Lord knew how much this couple wanted a baby and finally gave them what they wanted, but he attached one condition: they were to name the son John. Why? The general context of the passage clearly tells us that it was to help them dedicate the baby for the Lord’s purpose, not for their private enjoyment. Indeed as the last verse of this Bible passage (which is kind of unusual), they “surrendered” the blessing to the Lord for the Lord’s use. The expression, “he lived in the desert,” indicates that from youth his parents enrolled him in the school of divinity called JDSD, “Jehovah’s Divinity School in the Desert.” Had the couple kept the boy to themselves they could have asked the boy to do a number of things for them: “Zech, come here or go there, do this or do that.” Every once in a while Zech Sr. could have called Zech Jr. and asked him to scratch his back or to massage his aching shoulders. But they denied themselves and gave up the boy for the Lord’s use. 

When you think about it, this “surrendering” did not come naturally. Yes. They were a devout couple. But they were naturally inclined to use or even abuse (for every use that is not for the purpose intended by the Creator constitutes abuse) the child for their own good, rather than for the Lord’s good. Or, not fully for the Lord’s good, but partially for their own good like 5, 4, or 1% for themselves and the rest for God’s good like 95, 96, or 99%.  You may say, “Hey, 99% is not that bad.” But we need to remember that God is in the business of perfection. God demands all or nothing just as the Apostle Paul said, “Aim for perfection,” or just as Jesus said, “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” 

Because of their natural inclination the Lord God had to train them – he gave them mute training. Zechariah remained mute throughout the pregnancy. The average pregnancy is 280 days. During this period of time it was not just Zechariah but Elizabeth who also received training. To a wife, nothing is crueler than a husband who remains totally quiet. You may say an old couple does not need to talk to each other that much. But in my opinion it is not so. Rather the opposite is true. The older you get, the lonelier you get. So, all the more the couple needed to talk. But Zechariah remained dead quiet. For the last 280 days, Zechariah was like a piece of moving furniture in the house. But all the while, the couple must have thought about what the angel had said, particularly about the name of the baby, John. It was a long time of painful training. The training worked. They finally decided to dedicate the baby to the Lord from Day 1 till the end. They decided to surrender the gift to the Lord not partially but fully, not 99% but 100%, not reluctantly, but joyfully. 

Last weekend, I visited Chicago and met Mother Barry. Each time I see her I am reminded of an example of the life that is fully devoted to the Lord. When she saw me she also gave me a Christmas gift: a flute made of bamboo. From her youth she kept living the life that was giving. Giving did not come to her easily though. Once upon a time while she was serving the Lord in Seoul, she used to own a little bike. At that time she did not own that much. She owned her own Bible, a few sets of clothes, and a bike. In fact that little bike was the most expensive item she owned. But the problem was that she was involved in a student ministry, and each time students frequented the Chongno UBF Bible center, they saw the bike, and they freely took the bike, even without asking Mother Barry. At first she felt bad. But soon she repented of her selfish desires. She started giving thanks to God. Then she was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then joy swelled up inside. She received a greater gift than the bike, that is, the gift of the Holy Spirit filling her with the joy of heaven. Now she is 75 years new. And she is still going strong. Our conversation extended to the issue of exercise. And she said, “Yesterday I went swimming.” 

Second, Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied (67).

In Jean Jacques Rousseau’s Emile (or On Education) he says, “Everything is good as it leaves the hands of the Author of things: everything degenerates in the hands of man.” So upon receiving the gift, Zechariah gave it back to God. Then what is left with Zechariah? Look at verse 67. “His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.” In God’s economics, it is never a losing business for us to surrender what we have received from the Lord, to the Lord and for the Lord. In fact it is the only way for us to remain blessed more than we can possibly imagine. And we see a powerful example of this here in verse 67. Look at verse 67 again. “His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.” If anyone is to be considered “blessed,” the blessedness must first be inside of him. Although tons of blessings may have piled up outside, if one’s inner person is not blessed, the blessings that are outside do not amount to anything. In the passage, it is not just coincidence that upon naming the boy John, the Lord God filled Zechariah with the Holy Spirit. The Lord God did not stop there. He enabled Zechariah to prophesy. 

Up until that very moment, Zechariah was just a regular member of the priesthood. But the moment the Holy Spirit filled him, he became a different person. He rose above the multitude of people. The Lord established him as one of the finest individuals the history of the Israelites has ever produced: a prophet who understood the mind of God and therefore was qualified to teach humanity for generations. 

“His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.” This passage then tells us that by dedicating the new born child to God he killed two birds with one stone: he not only offered John to be a great prophet for the Most High, he himself was used as a prophet of the Most High. 

It has been said, “There is always something different with the blessing that is from God.” What is the difference? The difference lies not only with the gift itself but also the fruit of it. In the case of Zechariah, the gift of the prophecy benefited not just him but all others who study the prophecy. Remember each time Christmas season comes around, tons of preachers preach the blessed message of salvation based on Zechariah’s prophecy. Thanks to Zechariah’s devotion to the Lord, the blessings from the Mountain of the Lord came to flow even to us today. 

Third, he has come and has redeemed his people (68).

Again there is always something different with every blessing that is from God. And the difference exists in the contents of the blessing itself. Let us then stop for a moment and consider the contents of the prophecy one by one, not at length but briefly. 

Look at verse 68. “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.” This is a very strange statement. At that particular moment, when Zechariah opened his mouth and uttered these words of prophecy, the Savior of the world was not yet even conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Furthermore, redemption means deliverance from the pit of sorrow and anguish. But the Deliverer was not yet delivered. Still however Zechariah says, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.” “He has come; he has redeemed his people.” These statements are written in the present-perfect tense. Notice, particularly, the work of redemption: the Lord has already redeemed his people. It is a done deal. 

What is Zechariah talking about then? Well, one may ignore it and say, “Look! He was too drunk (in Spirit). Whatever he said does not make any sense. Just ignore him.” But we must remember that it is not Zechariah who spoke but the Holy Spirit who spoke in and through him. 

Man speaks like man, God speaks like God. In John 16:14, Jesus says, “He [the Holy Spirit] will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” Here Jesus testifies that the Holy Spirit speaks only the things which he received from Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit never speaks of his own accord. The Holy Spirit speaks only what he has heard from Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:8 says, referring to the everlasting existence of Jesus, “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’ ” For this reason Bible scholars gave Jesus a nick name, that is, “The Everlasting Man.” When we combine these Bible passages with what Zechariah says in verse 68, we can easily understand what Zechariah is talking about, that is, he is talking about what God has in mind and what God is going to eventually fulfill. Speaking of the same truth, Isaiah 46:10 says, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” 

Here then is the message for us to consider: we must look at the reality from God’s perspective, not from our own. Particularly, from the perspective of God’s perfect redemption. The cold fact is that we are still living in this world which is yet to be redeemed. But in God’s eyes, it is as good as having already been redeemed, if we continue to live by faith in his promises! The world we are living in, in this mortal body, is not the only world there is. There is another world to come. Jesus alluded to this truth in a number of places. For example, in talking to secularly minded intellectuals such as the Sadducees, who believed that the life on this side of the grave is the only world there is, Jesus solemnly declared: “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection” (Lk 20:34-36). Jesus’ statement then reminds us of Satan’s seventh most believable lie listed in David Breese’s book Satan’s Ten Most Believable Lies, published by the Moody Bible Institute: “This life is everything.” The point is that we must look at our life here on earth from God’s perspective, which is an eternal perspective. God is eternal. And we need to look at our life based on what God has done in the past, is doing now, and is going to do in the eternity to come. 

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.” This observation then helps us to know how to view our life for today and tomorrow. We must let the vision of God’s perfect redemption dictate our life: the way we see ourselves and people around us. Then despite some defects, wrinkles, or other imperfections, we can praise the name of the Lord just as Zechariah did. In my case, at first I was happy to receive the gift from Mother Barry – the bamboo flute. But, when I tried to play it, I recognized that it was cheaply made and I almost threw it away. But I repented. I decided to keep it, remembering Mother Barry’s dearest love and prayer for me. 

Fourth, a horn of salvation (69-73) 

Receiving a gift from God is one thing, knowing its value is another. What then is the value of the gift from God? We know that Jesus Christ is the best possible gift the Lord God could come up with. But what does he do for us? Here is the answer: “He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us– to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham:” 

Here “horn” refers to “power”. Some might misunderstand this to refer to a musical instrument, such as a French horn. But it mainly refers to the power of God. Unlike today’s society, many families in Zechariah’s day grew animals as their family business. And they were familiar with the ways in which animals use their horns, such as rams or goats, to defeat their enemies. 

And by the “horn” of salvation, the Holy Spirit meant Jesus’ power to save people. From what does Jesus save people? From all of our enemies, all those who hate us. Who then are our enemies? In my opinion it has been correctly observed and said that there are mainly three enemies: Satan, yourself, and this secular world. On a joyful Sunday like today we do not want to talk about Satan too much. But the Bible indicates that Satan is real. He is the archenemy of God’s children. And his power is formidable, because of his ability to deceive people. He is the father of all lies. He mastered the art of deception. Referring to this ability to deceive, Jesus said that Satan steals, kills, and then destroys. Here stealing has to do with lying. He tempts people into believing what is not true. He then kills and then destroys. But God sent Jesus to save people from the devil’s lies, by teaching them what is true. For this purpose, when Jesus came he presented himself to his disciples as the Truth. In fact, God disclosed this purpose from the first moment at Adam and Eve’s sinning, for in Genesis 3:15 the Lord said to the serpent, which is a type of Satan, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Satan does not have a head. He is merely a spiritual being. But the Lord God used the word “head” to indicate its ability to think and twist the truths of God. Jesus came to enlighten people in regard to the deceptions of the devil, so that people would come to know the way of life, and be saved from all the lies of the devil. This then indicates that we must always go by what the Lord God says in the Bible. 

Next, the self is characterized as another formidable enemy. I am not talking about just you, but me as well. I am my own most formidable enemy. So what does Jesus say? “If anyone comes after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and then follow me.” 

This secular world is also described as another formidable enemy. And we all have to admit that the world made its way into church fellowships, our families, homes, and into our innermost sanctum, through all kinds of media such as the internet. So we have enemies inside and enemies outside. What then does Jesus say to us? Jesus the horn of salvation says, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:25-26). Jesus then says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it” (Matthew 7:13). The narrow gate refers to Jesus Christ, the way of Jesus as opposed to the ways of this world. During the winter break, I would encourage everyone to read John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, which will give us more insight on this point. 

Fifth, to serve him (74-75)

 One of the common mistakes committed by many Christians is to think that to be saved from the hands of our enemies is all there is to salvation. But it is just the beginning, not the end. What is the end? Look at verses 74-75. “To rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.” This passage says that serving the Lord God is the end purpose. It is to perpetuate the blessed life in the Lord. It is the way for us to preserve the blessing called “salvation” for good. 

Sixth, a prophet of the most high (76-79)

Practically then what does it mean for us to serve the Lord? What should we do with this saved life in the Lord? Look at verses 76-79. “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will 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.” This passage describes John’s mission as a forerunner of Jesus Christ. This mission is given to every Christian. This mission is the only one worthy for us to serve, for it leads man out of the grip of the power of sin and death and into the life and light of God, so that as Jesus, the Rising Sun, rises in each person’s heart, the power of darkness, the power of evil, and the power of sin and death will melt away, and healing will become complete, and the joy of salvation will become supreme. 

Seventh, in the desert (80)

It is a good idea for us to be used for God’s purpose to save souls. But leading people to Jesus Christ is not as easy as it seems. It requires divine discipline. It demands a life of full devotion. What then do we mean by devotion or discipline? Here is the answer, for verse 80 reads, “And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.” Here, the Holy Spirit laid down four steps of divine discipline (or devotion, if you will): first, is spiritual growth; second, spiritual power; third, divine influence (which is what the desert is all about); and lastly, putting one to public service. 

During the winter break we will implement an organized program. That is, a daily bread training program at the center. In a sense, this is like a small divinity school lasting two weeks. I would encourage many to participate in this program. 

One word: a horn of salvation

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