Sermon -- Advent Vespers: Week 3 (December 14, 2022)

LUKE 1:57-80

THAT YOU MAY BE CERTAIN ABOUT THE THINGS YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT.

Certain That God Is Merciful.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The priest Zechariah was told that his elderly wife would conceive and give birth to a son.  It was a word from God and an answer to Zechariah’s and Elizabeth’s prayers.  Gabriel even told Zechariah what the name of his son was to be.  There was nothing vague or iffy about the announcement.  But the priest of God did not believe the word from God.  Therefore, the angel of God proclaimed a sentence of judgment upon Zechariah: “Behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place” (Luke 1:20).

     Of course, the word of the Lord was fulfilled.  Elizabeth conceived and bore a son.  Still, Zechariah remained mute, for eight more days, anyway.  Then, on the eighth day, the boy was circumcised to mark him as a child of Abraham and a son of the covenant.  It was also the day for giving him his name.

     The relatives of Zechariah and Elizabeth followed the common practice of the day.  This custom helps to explain why so many names repeat in the Scriptures—Simon, Jacob (often translated James in the New Testament), and Mary.  The relatives reasoned that the only son of the aged priest would be named after him, right?  It makes perfect sense: Zechariah gets his namesake.  Bucking the trend, and perhaps giving the impression that she was disrespecting Zechariah, “his mother answered, ‘No; he shall be called John.’  And they said to her, ‘None of your relatives is called by this name’” (Luke 1:60-61).  Not the father, not a grandfather, not a cousin, or even some weird uncle would be honored or remembered?  That can’t be what Zechariah would want.  So, “they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called” (Luke 1:62). 

     Zechariah may have questioned the word of the Lord when he heard it in the temple, but he would not be skeptical when the word of the Lord was proven to be true.  Apparently, he had made known to Elizabeth what Gabriel had told him, including the boy’s assigned name.  Zechariah’s ego had been put in its proper place.  He did not need a name’s sake.  He listened to the word of the Lord and did as he was instructed.  “He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’  … And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God” (Luke 1:63-64).  The angel Gabriel had told Zechariah that he would not be able to speak until the word of the Lord was fulfilled.  Zechariah finally had fulfilled that word by naming his son.  Then God proved to be merciful by opening his mouth again.

     St. Luke has recorded all these things so that you can be certain about the things you have been taught, and so that you can be certain that God is merciful.  King David gave us an excellent definition for mercy in Psalm 103: “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10).  What could Zechariah say before God?  He had been given a clear promise, but he did not believe it.  For his rejection of God’s word, Zechariah should have rejected by God.

     Is not this the case with every sin we commit?  God’s Commandments are not vague.  His word is not iffy.  God tells us what is good so that we may do it, and he tells us what is evil so that we may despise it and avoid it.  But we are skeptical of God’s word, and we doubt it can really be good.  Jesus taught how God’s people are supposed to live and act.  Unlike Gabriel’s message to Zechariah, Jesus’ instructions do not involve miraculous acts.  This is what Jesus said: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.  To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.  And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:27-31). 

     Perhaps that is harder to grasp than God’s word to Zechariah.  After all, Gabriel said what God would do; Jesus taught what God’s people should do.  Jesus’ words are not vague or iffy, so we can’t say we don’t understand it.  We might insist, “He can’t mean that,” but his words are clear.  Nevertheless, we can find all kinds of reasons why we won’t live as he directs us.  Other people will take advantage of me.  I don’t want to suffer abuse.  Those who hate me are not worthy of compassion; they deserve scorn, if not revenge.  I love my stuff too much to give it away.  In short, the Lord gives us his word and we say, “No.”  But if we say, “No,” then we also forfeit our right to say, “Lord.”  For a Lord and master is to be obeyed, not rejected.  Repent.

     What can we say before God?  What excuse can we give?  We cannot plead that we didn’t know his commands.  We cannot insist that we have obeyed his commands.  Like Zechariah, we deserve God to strike us in judgment.

     What a marvel, then, that “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10)!  This is written so that you can be certain that God is merciful.  No wonder, then, when Zechariah begins to speak again, he praises God: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David” (Luke 1:68-69).  Zechariah sings of the Lord’s redemption.  If we are to be redeemed, then there is a price that has to be paid.  The horn of salvation—the one who is strong to save—makes that ransom payment.  In fact, he is the ransom payment.

     This is recorded so that you can be certain that God is merciful.  “(The Lord) does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10)!  Rather, the Lord dealt with Jesus according to our sins, and Jesus paid the price for our iniquities.  At best, we have been reluctant to follow the word of the Lord which Jesus had preached.  At worst, we have flat out refused to do it.  Jesus, however, gave himself willingly to do all that is commanded.  He does it to redeem us. 

     Jesus did love his enemies—whether it is us who have turned away from his word or it was those who were mocking him as he died for them.  He even prayed that God would forgive the ones killing him.  When they struck him in the face and spit upon him, Jesus did not strike back.  He gave himself willingly to his accusers and abusers.  Jesus let his enemies take his cloak and his seamless garment as he hung naked from the cross.  All this Jesus did to redeem us from sin and death.  All this Jesus did to secure the blessings from his heavenly Father for us.  Jesus was condemned for us so that the heavenly Father would not deal with us according to our sins or repay us according to our iniquities.  Jesus paid the full price; the ransom is complete.  You are redeemed from sin and reconciled to God.  This is all written so that you can be certain of the things you have been taught and certain that God is merciful.

     Zechariah praised God for the Savior who would come soon after John came.  He rejoiced that the Lord showed “the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days” (Luke 1:72-75).  You also get to live in holiness and righteousness before him.  For the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  He promises: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).  This is written so that you will be certain that God is merciful.  He has promised to forgive all who turn to Jesus, and he cleanses you of any unrighteousness that would convict you.  That is why you can life without fear.  There is no fear of judgment for you; Jesus has forgiven all your sins.  There is no fear of death for you; Jesus gives you life everlasting.  These are not merely endearing stories we tell at Christmas time; they are the oaths and promises of a merciful God, and they have been fulfilled by Jesus.  So, you can be certain of these things you have been taught. 

     Only after Zechariah praised God for the Redeemer did he praise God for the son he was given.  As the angel had commanded, he was named John, which means, “The Lord is gracious.”  John would go forth to prepare the people for God’s grace.  Zechariah had prophesied, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins” (Luke 1:76-77). 

     Although John prepared the people by calling them to repent of their sins, John did not just blast people for their faults and weaknesses.  That would be easy enough to do.  Everyone has faults.  And you can guilt people into behaving better.  At this time of year, parents might warn children that presents are on the line if the children don’t produce better behavior.  Threats work, at least for a little while.  After a while, threats produce either fear or resentment.  Threats may curb sins, but they don’t take sins away.  John alerted people of their sins so they would recognize their need for a Savior.  But then John pointed, quite literally, to Jesus: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)!  John means, “The Lord is gracious,” and so John pointed to the gracious Lord.  Jesus is the one who takes away sin, who alleviates fears, and who removes any reason to resent God.  He shows you that God is motivated by mercy, not manipulation.

     John the Baptist grew up and proclaimed the mercy of God to sinners.  It is the same mercy that was shown to Zechariah even though he did not believe the word of the Lord.  It is the same mercy that is shown to you when you do not love your neighbor as you ought.  This mercy is the reason God does not treat us as our sins deserve.  That mercy, in turn, enlightens us to see that God’s word guides us in a pure and purposeful life.  And that mercy warms our hearts so that we are like Jesus in our dealings with other people.  This is written so that you are certain of God’s mercy, and so that you can make God’s mercy known by your words and your actions.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.