IN THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIJAH

Luke 1:5-25
Key Verse 1:17a

And he will go before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah…

Every year at about this time, we go back to Bible passages that help us to prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate the good news of the birth of our glorious Savior Jesus Christ.  One thing I came to realize in this passage is that God used two old people to carry out his world redemptive work.  God wants to keep us humble.  In the Bible we see God using old people like Zechariah and Elizabeth, and also young people like the young shepherd boy David.  Yet, what matters is that regardless of our age, is that we stay humble and keep following God by obeying the teachings in the Bible.  This is what Zechariah and Elizabeth did during the very dark times they lived in.  Let’s see the passage in two parts. 

1.  Zechariah, Your Prayer Has Been Heard(1-13)

In the first part of vs. 5 it says, “In the time of Herod King of Judea…”  The people of the time, were simply concerned about their daily duties and responsibilities.  Herod the tetrarch son of Herod the great, was responsible for many great building projects in the Judean area.  Yet, hee was a evil ruler, mainly concerned about maintaining his position as king.  He murdered two of his brothers who were first in line for the position ahead of him. Later after the magi had told Herod about the birth of the one who had been born king Jesus, Herod ordered the execution of all baby boys 2 years and younger in the vicinity of Bethlehem. 

In the passage, Luke skims over Herod as if he his nothing, and focuses on the lives of two people, Zechariah and Elizabeth.  Zechariah and Elizabeth were both of priestly lineage, descended from Aaron.  In vs. 6 it says, “Both of them were upright in the sigh of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.”  This was a time when marriages were unstable, and no one had regard for the word of God.  In many marriages, one partner would drift away from the Lord, creating a dark shadow in the relationship.  Regarding Zechariah and Elizabeth, it says that they were both upright in the sight of God, observing all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.  They had a big problem, though.  In vs. 7 it says,  “But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.”  Elizabeth was barren, and both Zechariah and Elizabeth were well along in years.  They were senior citizens.  In the bible, children are viewed as a blessing from God.  If an Israelite couple in those did not have any children, it was viewed as if the two were for some reason cursed by God.  Zechariah and Elizabeth’s case was a little worse.  They were a priestly couple, serving the Lord.  Yet, they didn’t have any children.  There must’ve been something really bad they did.  God was punishing them by not granting them children.  Despite this stigma of Zechariah and Elizabeth not having children, they still observed all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.  This makes their lives of faith, even more remarkable.  When people are blessed by God, they feel good, and are more inclined to obey God.  Yet people in a position like Zechariah and Elizabeth might consider God unfair, and turn from God.  Yet, Zechariah and Elizabeth, despite their life problem, observed all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.  This makes their lives of faith shine all the more during their dark generation. 

In vs. 8 it says that once when Zechariah’s division was on duty, he was chosen by lot according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.  There were many priestly divisions.  In each division there were 1,000 priests.  This custom of going into the temple to burn incense took place once a year.  So for a priest to be chosen by lot to go into the temple, was really like winning the spiritual lottery.  It was really a great spiritual privilege which only a handful would receive.  Here in this passage, we see that the lot fell on Zechariah, and he received the blessing to go into the temple to burn incense.  When the time came for Zecharaih to burn incense, the assembled worshipers were assembled outside.

When Zechariah had gone into the temple, in vs. 8,9 it says that an angel of the Lord appeared to him at the right side of the altar of incense.  When Zechariah saw him, it says he was startled and was gripped with fear.  He wasn’t just afraid, he was gripped with fear.  In the Bible there are a handful of occasions where an angel of God appears before someone, and the response is similar.  For example, when Isaiah saw the angel of the Lord in Isaiah 6:5, he said “Woe to me!  I am ruined!  For I am a man of unclean lips.”  In Genesis 33:30, after Jacob had wrestled with God, he named the place Peniel and said, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”  When Mary the mother of Jesus saw, the angel of the Lord in Luke 1:29, it says that Mary was troubled.  It seems that the fear experienced by those who meet an angel seems to do with the fact that the angels stand in the presence of God, and that persons sins are completely revealed.  Yet, in these cases, the angels had  come to deliver good news.  In this passage, the angel said to Zechariah, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,”  Wow, Zechariah and Elizabeth, who were senior citizens, and Elizabeth being past the age of child bearing were going to have a son.  This was incredible news.   

One thing we want to look at briefly here is Zechariah’s prayer.  The angel said, “Your prayer has been heard….”  When the angel said this, this meant that despite the reality of Elizabeth being barren, Zechariah had apparently been praying for son.  He may have had this prayer topic for years, or more likely decades.  We can learn a lot from Zechariah.  Maybe he and wife were married in their early twenties.  As the years went by, they came to realize that something was wrong.  For some reason, they weren’t having children.  Just think of all the people they sought out for help, like fellow priests, or physicians of the day.  What about the people who may have tried comfort them.   They would speak words like, “Oh, I’m sorry that God’s will for you is so sad.”  Yet Zechariah didn’t give in.  He prayed.  Zechariah really sets a powerful example for us to follow

In the Bible there are several examples of those prayed to God for various personal problems.  These include Abraham who prayed for a son in his old age; Isaac who prayed for his wife Rebekah for twenty years to have a son; Hannah who prayed in bitterness of her soul  to have a son.  One example I  find that is a bit curious is when Jesus is talking about General Naaman.  He was a general of the king of Aram, who had leprosy.  He listened to the advice of his servant and to make a long story short, he went to the prophet Elisha and was healed.  When Jesus was talking about this incident, he said at the same time, there were many in Israel who had leprosy.  Yet, none of them were cured, even though the prophet Elisha was right in their own backyard.  For whatever reason, those lepers in Israel, just didn’t seek help for their problem.  What I learned here is that we need to practically bring our prayer requests to God.  Zechariah being a priests, could’ve become a bit proud thinking, “I don’t need to pray to God.  I am an Israelite priest.  God should just give me children regardless.”  Yet, he didn’t think this way.  Instead Zechariah, persistently, and earnestly brought his prayer request to God.   Now in this passage, God is blessing Zechariah’s long time prayer topic.

2.  In the Spirit and power  of Elijah. (vs. 11-25)
 
Again in vs. 13b-14 it says, “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.  He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth.”  After the angel told Zechariah would bear him a son, he said, ‘you are to give him the name John.’  It is common for people to name their children according their own desires and feelings.  Yet, the angel here told Zechariah, that his son was to be named John.  This meant that John was not to be for Zechariah’s purposes, but for God’s.

It also says that he would be joy and delight to his parents.  We see endless examples of how when children grow up, instead of being a joy to their parents, they become a source of grief and sorrow.  Because of Johns mission to make people ready for the coming of the messiah, John would bring joy and delight to his parents.  At that time in Israel, so many people were living in darkness under the spiritual leadership of the Pharisee and religious leaders.  Now the time was coming, when they could rejoice.  John was going to prepare the hearts of the people for the one whom everyone was waiting for.  Through John, they could be ready to receive the messiah.  John also had the blest position in history to bridge the gap, between what we commonly refer to as the Old Testament period, and starting the new testament era.  So many of the prophets and servants of God who served in previous generations longed to see that day.  Yet this blessing went to John the Baptist.  

In vs. 15,16 says, “for he will great in the sight of the Lord.  He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.  Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.”  John the Baptist would be great in the sight of the Lord.  Through him many people could recognize their need to repent, and prepare their hearts to receive the promised messiah.  Notice, the only personal advice that the angel gave to Zechariah, was to make sure that John must never consume fermented drink.  In our lives, we have seen numerous examples of how alcohol can create so many problems and devastate family relationships.  Because of alcohol, many young men and women have turned from acting normal to doing angry, crazy things which they would deeply regret later.  Also think about how many teenagers each year die each year in this country as a result of drunk driving.  When children grow up and  become adults, any unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as drinking, smoking, and the like, these behaviors were learned while living under the care of their parents.  So as parents, the best thing we can do for our children in terms of influence is to live a pure life.  Of course we are sinful, and make mistakes, but this should be the goal we should aim for.

It says in vs. 16 it says, “Many of the people of Israel will be brilng back to the Lord their God.”  Johns mission and message, were straight forward.  John preached repentance.  In Matt. 3:2  John preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”  This message is so simple, and yet it stirred the hearts of all who heard it.  People went out to John from Jerusalem and all Judea and whole region of the Jordan.  People went out to John, confessed their sins, and were baptized in the Jordan river.  (Matt. 3:5,6)  Very quickly Johns ministry became very popular.  Very quickly he got the attention of the Pharisees and the religious leaders. 

Vs. 17 the angel told Zechariah concerning John, “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”  During the time of King Ahab, and Queen Jezebel, the queen lead Israel astray in the worship the idol god, Baal.  Jezebel also maintained 450 Baal prophets on the payroll, to lead the people in worshiping this idol.  The prophet Elijah stood up against the established leadership, and challenged them to repent.  To make a long story short, Elijah had a contest between the Lord, and the idol God Baal.  In the end of course, the Lord won, and all the 450 Baal prophets were killed.  

John the Baptist served his mission in the spirit and power of Elijah.  The established leadership of his day was supposed to help the people live lives worthy of the kingdom of God.  They were supposed to show the people how to live lives pleasing to God, glorifying his name.  Yet instead the spiritual leaders loaded down the people with heavy burdens, and would not lift a finger to help them.  The Pharisees liked to walk around in flowing robes, to be greeted in the market place, choose the seats of honor at banquets, and for a show made lengthy prayers.(Matt. 23, Mark 12:38-40)  Yet, they were completely ineffective as spiritual leaders for the people.

Johns mission was to challenge this established leadership in the hope that they would repent.  In Matthew 3, when John saw many of the Pharisees and the Sadducees coming out to where he was, he rebuked them.  He said, “You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”  John rebuked them for their pride in being Abrahams descendants, and told them that if they didn’t repent, they would be like trees cut down and thrown into the fire.  He also stood up to King Herod and rebuked him for his unlawful marriage to his brothers wife. 

John also lived so as to lower his image, and magnify the image of Jesus Christ. He clothes were made of camels hair, with a leather belt around his waste.  He ate locust and wild honey.  Could you imagine John taking a quick break from baptizing the people.  Maybe he had his lunch sack nearby.  Maybe about noontime, he would just step aside from his baptizing to take a quick break. He would take a large spoon full of wild honey from his honey jar.  Then he would reach into his lunch sack pull out a hand full of locusts and stuff them into his mouth like a bunch of cheetos.  John made himself less, and lifted up the name of Jesus.  From Isaiah 40, John was a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”

In the last part of vs. 17 it says, He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous….  A Fathers relationship with his children is so important.  Fathers should teach their children courage, compassion, unconditional love.  Too many times were hear of families on one hand with a weak father, and a domineering mother.  Fathers are the ones to teach their children about the bible, and what is right before God.  Many times in my family, I just yell at my children.  It say them, “Why did you do this like that, or how come you didn’t do that.”  Sometimes I even make my son cry.  Then I go back and lie on the couch.  Yet, the father should be a key factor in teaching his children about the Bible.  The father is the one who needs to teach his children about fearing God, and not getting even with on other kids who might not be so nice to you.  May God help me to be a proper father for my children. 

After hearing the angels words about his son John, you’d think Zechariah would be so joyful and thankful for the angels message.  Yet, how did he respond?  Instead, he said in vs. 18, “How can I be sure of this?  I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”  Wow.  The angel must’ve been surprised.  The angel came to Zechariah to deliver the good news about his son.  Zechariah should’ve been able to at least recall his own prayers a son.  He could’ve recalled Abraham, Isaac and others who prayed for children.  He didn’t.  In the excitement of the moment he could only utter unbelieving words, “How can I be sure of this?....”

So the angel gave him silence training.  Zechariah would be silent and not able to speak until the birth of his son took place.  We have to be very careful.  The words that come out of our mouths have a lot more influence than we expect.  If God is not pleased with our words, you never know, he might impose on us silence training.  

How did God bless Elizabeth.  All those years to see other families celebrating joyful birthday parties, going on family vacations, opening presents on Honica, must’ve been very painful.  Yet, now Elizabeth was going to have a son.  In vs. 25 she said, “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”  A huge dark cloud was lifted from Elizabeths heart.  Praise God who answered Zechariah’s prayer.  Praise God who established John the Baptist, one of the greatest servants of God who ever lived.  

One Word: In the Spirit and power of Elijah