We have a tradition of sorts in our family, which has
nothing to do with any real spiritual merit.
It’s simply this: we have a rule against singing Christmas songs until
the day after Thanksgiving. That’s not because
I don’t like Christmas songs. I love
Christmas songs, just like I love music in general. Music is a huge part of my life. I have music going on almost all the
time. In the office, in my truck,
wherever. I love music in general and
music that exalts God in particular. And
to be honest, like most folks, I have a special attraction to many of the songs
of the Christmas season. It’s just that
I want to keep enjoying them, and sometimes we can really overdo it, can’t we?
But it’s good and right that we should let music be a
big part of our Christmas traditions.
Music is a big part of the life of God’s people in general. In addition to the Psalms themselves, God’s
Word is full of songs scattered all throughout the narratives of God’s dealing
with His people. Even in Paul’s letters
to the churches, we have glimpses of what were probably early Christian hymns
being sung in the church. The history
of God’s people is full of songs and singing and praising God with all kinds of
music.
It seems that as God reveals Himself to His people,
and reveals what it is that He is about to do, the natural response of the
people is to break out in song. The
announcement of His Son’s birth is no different and we find many “songs” as
Luke’s gospel begins. So for the next few weeks I’m going to post a few
meditations looking at these first Christmas songs, if you will, and hope God will
teach some things about who He is, what He’s doing, and how we should respond.
The first is in Luke 1:67 and following where the
priest Zechariah receives a vision from God while serving in the temple one
day. The angel Gabriel comes and tells
him that his barren wife will bear a son who will prepare the way for the
coming Messiah. The priest’s lack of
belief causes him to be mute until the child is actually born, and then when
his tongue is loosed, he begins praising God.
This song of Zechariah is extremely rich with
content. So much so, that John MacArthur
once preached a six part series on just this one song; this one passage. Six hours of teaching on these verses. I promise not to take that long, but instead
just focus on just the last verses of the song itself, verses 78-79, and the
description we are given of the Christ, the Messiah.
“…because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the
sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke
1:78-79, ESV)
Because of the tender mercy of God, a sunrise will
visit from on high. King James says “dayspring
from on high.” Other translators say
things like a rising sun will come from heaven, or the dawn from on high. The word refers to a rising light. And it’s this theme of a rising light that I
want to focus on. In speaking of the
Messiah who is coming, whose birth we begin to celebrate during this Advent
season, Luke tells us that he is coming like a light. What kind of light?
I. A LIGHT THAT OVERCOMES DARKNESS. Verse 79 begins, “to give light to those who
sit in darkness.” The image of light
coming into the darkness is one that is repeated over and over in Scripture. I
don’t know if you’ve ever stopped to really think about that. This world that we seem to love so much; this
world that we want to cling to, and want to gain approval from, and extend our
stay in is described in Scripture as darkness. It’s a shadow.
Not that it began that way. God created the universe and everything in it
and called it good. But once sin entered
the picture, we have been sinking further and further into darkness. In spite
of all our advancements, in spite of our all our technological achievements, in
spite of all we’ve been able to accomplish through the power of the human
spirit, our problem is still the same.
We are trapped in the dark and are in desperate need the freedom, the
liberty of the light.
The good news is that not everyone is trapped in
darkness. Those who know Christ have had
the light of Christ shown into our lives, and have been called out of the
darkness into His marvelous light. Do
you remember the day the Light of God shined into the darkness of your life? Do
you remember what it was like to see yourself as you really were and know that
God offered you light, hope and life?
Sometimes we lose sight of that transformation in our lives, and we act
like we’re no different than this dark world in which we live. Jesus came to bring light into the darkness of
sin. He came to overcome that darkness,
and through Him we too are overcomers.
And more than just some metaphor about dark and light, this light He
gives actually transforms us from death to life.
II. A LIGHT THAT OVERCOMES DEATH. The second phrase in verse 79 says that this
rising light, this dayspring who is Christ, comes to shine on those in the
shadow of death. Jesus said in John
8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in
darkness, but will have the light of life.” The light of life that overcomes
death.
Death is a fearful thing for most people, but it’s
something every one of us will face, no matter how hard we might try to avoid
it. Hebrews 9 tells us that it is
appointed a man once to die and then to judgment. God has set the day of our departure from
this life and we can’t change that.
However, we can see a change in what that day means. Although death is the ultimate enemy, through
Christ’s death and resurrection, he has overcome that enemy. For the Christian who lives in the light of
Christ, leaving this world isn’t something to be feared, but a homecoming to be
anticipated.
Consider the apostle Paul’s attitude as he faces his
time of death. In 2 Timothy 4:6-8 he
says: “For I am already being poured out
as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the
good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there
is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who
have loved his appearing.” (ESV)
Doesn’t sound like he’s despairing, does it. In fact, that word “departure” in verse 6 is
a very expressive word. It was used by
armies when it was time to strike their tents. Sailors used it to refer to
losing the moorings and setting sail. Travelers used it to refer to the end of
a journey, when the horses were put into the stable. Those in the legal
professions used it to refer to the freeing of prisoners. Paul doesn't face his
death with a spirit of fear. He knows there is more to come after he passes
through death's shadow! And he knows that because he knows the one who is the
light of life.
Zechariah is giving us such a vivid picture of what
the Messiah is coming to do. He is
bringing the light of freedom from the darkness of sin. He is bringing the light of life that overcomes
the final enemy of death.
III. A LIGHT THAT PROVIDES DIRECTION. God knows that we are lost on our own. This disease of sin not only darkens our eyes
and leads us to death, but it confuses us and causes us to chase after the
wrong things in the wrong ways all for the wrong reasons.
The enemy is called the father of lies. He has lied since the beginning, when he
slithered into the garden and twisted God’s own words to confuse Eve and
Adam. And he’s been using the same
tactics ever since. But Zechariah
reminds us here that the Messiah is coming to “guide our feet into the path of
peace.”
We desperately need that way of peace, because it’s
the way of peace to God. And apart from
Christ, we cannot know it. Romans 3
tells us how truly depraved we are, that none of us seek God, that we have all
turned after our own ways. And verse 17
there says that “the way of peace they have not known.” We are truly like lost sheep, wondering
without any direction, without any hope of finding life or peace or true
happiness.
But the Messiah has come to change all that. He is coming to guide our feet into the path
of peace. He is the light that guides us
to eternal life and continues to guide us every day of our lives in this
world. He is the light that overcomes
death, having given himself as an atoning sacrifice for our sins on the cross
of Calvary. He is the light that
overcomes the darkness of this world, the sin that has enslaved us, and gives
us liberty and life and leading.
Hopefully you can see why Zechariah was so
enraptured, why he couldn’t help but break out in a song of praise and
thanksgiving. Because of God’s tender
mercy, He brought this light into the world.
And that light is the reason we celebrate this season. That light is the reason for the songs we
sing, not only at this season, but all year long. The light of Christ is the inspiration behind
every song we sing, every word we preach and teach, every prayer we utter.
Speaking
of songs, there’s an old Welsh hymn by S. M. Sayford that carries the same
message as Zechariah’s. It says:
“Redemption! Oh wonderful story, glad
message for you and for me;
That Jesus has purchased our pardon and
paid all the debt on the tree.
No longer shall sin have dominion though
present to tempt and annoy
For Christ in his blessed redemption the
power of sin shall destroy
Believe it O sinner believe it. Receive
the glad message – ‘tis true;
Trust now in the crucified Saviour,
salvation he offers to you.”
I pray God has shown you the truth of this message,
and shone His light into your heart. If
not, I pray you would look to Christ even now. If you have seen His light, I pray you would
be faithful in using this season as a great opportunity to show Him to others.
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