Advent, Day 21: Waiting and Walking, Without Fear

Good morning!

Tomorrow begins the fourth week of Advent, although we will not complete an entire week before Christmas Day, which is 5 days from today.

The text for this morning features the praise words from Zachariah, father of John the Baptist, Luke 1:67-80.

Remember Zachariah had been struck wordless/mute by the Holy Spirit when, after receiving the angel's message in the Holy of Holies, he expressed doubt.  Now, his son John has been born and, at the naming ceremony, Zachariah indicates that the baby's name will be John (as opposed to the first born son being named after the father).  Immediately, his tongue was set free, and his first words were this public praise prayer to God.

67 And his father Zechariah (A)was filled with the Holy Spirit and (B)prophesied, saying,

68 

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

    for he has visited and redeemed his people

69 

and has raised up a horn of salvation for us

    in the house of his servant David,

70 

as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

71 

that we should be saved from our enemies

    and from the hand of all who hate us;

72 

to show the mercy promised to our fathers

    and to remember his holy covenant,

73 

the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

74 

    that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

might serve him without fear,

75 

    ()in holiness and righteousness before him (S)all our days.

76 

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

77 

to give knowledge of salvation to his people

    in the forgiveness of their sins,

78 

because of the tender mercy of our God,

    whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high

79 

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, 

to guide our feet into the way of peace."

80 (AF)And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was (AG)in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Zachariah focuses on God's faithfulness and His mercy in this psalm of praise.  He testifies to those listening that in sending Messiah God has remembered His agreement with Abraham, the patriarch who gave us all a wonderful example of how to walk with God in faith, as well as His promise to David's descendants, that Messiah would come from among them.

But, the best part of this Holy Spirit-inspired song occurs in verses 74 and 75.  It's the "why" of all this:  WHY is God doing this?  WHY is He keeping His promises?  Zachariah testifies of three reasons:

1.  So that we can saved from our enemies
Who is the number one enemy to whom this reference is made?  Satan, mankind's "public enemy number one".  Satan caused mankind to be subject to physical death, through his temptation of our ancestors in Eden.  Before the coming of Christ, Satan held a power over this world that made it a very different place than this earth we have known.  Even with the evil we see around us now, things were worse before the coming of Jesus and then the Holy Spirit.  Can you imagine?!
In John 10:17-18, Jesus testified of his coming sacrifice and affirmed that He has the power to lay His life down and to pick it up again.  Then, in His vision appearance to John the apostle in Revelation 1:18, look at His words:

"I am the Living One; I was dead, and now, look!  I am alive forever and ever!  And, I hold the keys to Hell and Death."

2.  So that we can serve our Savior without fear
Fear can be so debilitating to the resplendent walk.  Fear is the opposite of faith.  The reason that Zachariah mentions this next in his psalm is because of this beautiful truth:

When the fear of death is gone, all other fears lose their power.

I don't think about my own death very much, probably because I still see myself as a relatively young person.  (Those friends of mine who are in their twenties are laughing to read this...)  But, it's true! As a human, I am middle-aged (stop laughing!).  However, as a soul, I will never die.

Like a famous chef on TV says, "BAM!"

"Oh Gena, you think you are so special!"  

No. 

YOUR soul will live forever somewhere too.  What you decide to do with Jesus's offer of eternal life with him determines where YOU will live after your life on this earth is over.  There is no need for you to fear death either, unless you have not made peace with God through His Son Jesus Christ.  If that describes you, Reader, please go and read my earliest blog posts right now.  Get your soul right with God, while there is still breath left in your body.  Because once God decides your time here is up, it is then too late to become His.  That is the most fearful of all fearful thoughts.

Where my temptation of fear intrudes is in watching when friends and loved ones decide to reject Jesus.  I know that their eternal future hangs in the balance, and that often fills me with dread.  I am constantly having to lay that burden at Jesus' feet, through intercessory prayer.

3.  So that we can walk resplendent

The way Zachariah puts it in the version above is to "serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness all our days".  I would add to that "in love".

The apostle John declares that "perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18).  When we are filled with love for our Savior, there is no room for our human fears.

Zachariah goes on to speak inspired words of blessing, of consecration, over his son, John.  I've read this and Mary's song and Elizabeth's song; and, I admit to being somewhat jealous of their revelations from the Holy Spirit. Who among us wouldn't like to be told, "Your child is destined to do great and marvelous things for the kingdom of Jesus Christ!"?  You have to remember, though, that with those callings came tremendous sacrifice.  Each of these three parents (assuming Elizabeth and Zachariah lived long enough to see it) saw their sons' lives laid down in service to the One, True King. Sobering, yes?

Maybe it is best that we mothers and fathers do not have foreknowledge of what the Lord will require of our precious children.

So, here, Zachariah knows and declares that Messiah will soon arrive, to fulfill scores of Old Testament Messianic prophecies.  He knows that Light is soon to break forth over the dark and sinful earth.  While we anticipate the anniversary of Christ's birth, let's thank Him that His light has shined on us.

"No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand."

                                       from "In Christ Alone", by Natalie Grant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnWw24s5gG8

Father God, You have declared that You are Light, and that in You there is no darkness at all.  Let Your Light break out into our lives this day, banishing all fear into the distance.  Fill us up with Your love because "there is no fear in love; perfect love banishes fear" (1 John 4:18).  Whatever is troubling us, causing us to doubt Your goodness, please replace it with supernatural and abiding faith, hope, love.  In Jesus' name, amen.