Preparing the Way (Luke 1:76-79)                                                              2009.12.13                                  Pastor Edward Cheng

It is time to prepare for Christmas!  We have all these traditions that signal that it’s Christmas time—putting up a wreath or a tree or house decorations.  It’s an event that deserves preparation.  Preparing for Christmas in Scripture, however, is not about our preparation, but about us preparing others for Christmas. 

Turn to Luke 1.  God has told Zechariah to name the son John, because this child is going to have a special purpose.  When the child is born, his father is so excited he bursts into this song, in which we get an indication of what John is going to do.  He starts out in v. 68 with praise to God for the son who is going to come into the world.  Through this Son, the coming Messiah, God will demonstrate his mercy and love, and bring ultimate victory to Israel.  Zechariah then speaks of his own son, in v. 76.  The world before John is in need of a Savior, and John’s purpose in life is to go before the Messiah to prepare the people for Him.  Our own world today is in need of Savior, and he is coming.  Our responsibility is to go out there and prepare others for his coming. 

Let us look closely at John’s role.  He is to be a “prophet of the Most High” (v. 76).  Normally, in the Old Testament, prophets are people who are given knowledge of the future, of impending judgment or salvation, which they are supposed to tell the people.  But at its heart, to be a prophet is to be a spokesman for God. 

To continue with v. 77, it would be good to have an image in mind to understand this passage.  Imagine a kingdom where the king lives in the center, with towns scattered all around the main palace, near and far away.  He requires just a few things from the furthest outposts: that they remain loyal, and that they pay taxes.  Then he will provide for them and protect them from attacking neighboring countries.  What if one of these outskirt towns rebel?  Then the king will summon his army and come himself to put the town back into submission.  But before he arrives, he’ll send a forerunner to tell the town that judgment is coming, to give them a chance to repent.  This is the picture to have in mind when you think of John, going as the forerunner before the coming King.  However, it is totally different for us.  In contrast with all the prophets in the Old Testament who would go and warn Israel, “You’d better repent, because God is going to judge you,” John is sent to speak this message: “Salvation through forgiveness.” 

The message that we’re supposed to speak to the people before the King arrives is, “Salvation is available to you—through forgiveness, not through works, because God is merciful.”  People are still rebellious, and judgment is coming.  But our message doesn’t have to be judgment, judgment, judgment.  We’ve been given a new message—salvation through forgiveness.  This is how we can prepare people for Christmas. 

It gets even better.  “Tender mercy” in v. 78 is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word chesed.  The word for “tender” describes where the mercy comes from—it refers to the bowels, the guts, as the seat of emotions (we would say that emotions come from the heart).  It’s not just God’s mercy—it’s a mercy that completely makes up his insides.  This tender mercy is referenced earlier, in v. 69: “to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant.”  We talked several weeks ago about how God remembers us by acting for us.  He has acted on behalf of the world by sending his son into the world to die on the cross.  His mercy is manifested through action. 

One last image for our preparation for Christmas: “the rising sun” (v. 78).  Think about the mentality of a first-century traveler.  Travelers would have to knock on the door of a stranger and rely on their hospitality for the night.  When night falls for a traveler who hasn’t found shelter, there is always the fear of attack by animals or robbers.  You spend the entire night in fear of potential danger.  When dawn comes, you are no longer afraid—you are overjoyed to have survived.  Our message to the world is not about potential danger—they are in fact facing danger, and death.  Our message is that the Sun can rise on their darkness; it is a message of hope, of salvation through forgiveness, of the tender mercy of our God.  Look at Isaiah 9:1-6, to which the “rising sun” alludes.  God has turned gloom into peace.  What better message can we have to tell people to prepare them for Christmas?