The Least
Luke 1:5-17 (NKJV) 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. 8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
- In the days of King Herod.
1.1. It was a dark time in Israel’s history.
1.2. After Solomon’s reign the Kingdom was divided to Judah’s and Israel. 1.3. Herod was at best a half Jew and only because his father had converted to Judaism.
1.4. Dark days when a non-Jew ruled the Kingdom…
1.5. On top of that Herod was an a King appointed by the Roman Empire. 1.6. Ela… like if China or Russia or Iran were to conquer and appoint who our President was.
1.7. From a glorious past to a dark present was the state of Israel. - John came to prepare the way for the Prince of Peace.
Luke 1:12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
2.1.The Prince that brings peace that never ends.
Isa.9:7 – His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. 2.2. Given the choice, which we have, most people think they would choose to live forever.
2.3. Even in this world of turmoil, heart break and struggle most when given the choice would still choose to live forever in this life – Because we value living.
2.4. Ela… if given the choice to write or rewrite your earth story… what would be your tale. Would you make yourself rich and powerful, beautiful and famous, gifted with special talents that set you apart,
Isa 53:(ESV) 3 …. despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;
Phil 2:(ESV) 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
2.5. Eternity will not be much different when it comes to the conscious state of mankind. We will be just as aware, if not more so, of our desire to be alive.
2.5.1. Yet the state of eternity in Christ’s Kingdom will be completely different.
2.5.2. Peace – wholeness – but with the added benefit of no more conflict, wars, battle against the flesh.
3. The advent is a focus of one’s heart and life .
3.1. Jesus speaks of His second Advent.
(ESV) Matt. 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.
3.2. Separating the sheep from the goats.
3.2.1. From a distance the unexperienced eye might have a hard time distinguishing a sheep from a goat.
3.2.2. Not so different of a concept as wheat from tares.
Matt 25:34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
3.3. A Kingdom that is prepared.
3.3.1. more than a season we celebrate.
3.3.2. As citizens of this Kingdom how we conduct ourself on earth matters.
Matt 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
4. The plan of God was to demonstrate, in His first Advent, the importance of the least among us.
4.1. Jesus is walking among us being found in the least.
4.1.1. It is both one of the joys and woes of the advent season that we spend all year waiting to celebrate this anticipated coming for such short time of the year.
4.1.2. Doing unto the least among us.
4.1.2.1. Find the least.
4.1.2.2. See the least.
4.1.2.3. Respond to the least.
4.1.3. Every aspect of the unfolding plan of God to save the world defies our finite understanding.
4.2. The incarnation: A core doctrine of our faith which affirms that God took human form in the body of Christ. In other words, God was ‘in-carnated’ in human flesh.
4.2.1. All of Heaven had been prepared for a long time for the incarnation.
4.2.2. Something changed in Heaven when Christ was conceived. 4.3. The story of Christ is a pro-life story.
4.3.1. John was filled with the Holy Spirit in His mother’s womb.
Luke 1:11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.
4.3.2. Ela… I don’t believe it to be possible as it pretains to the sovereignty of God — but imagine if Mary had the idea to abort the child in her womb.
4.4. Jesus was God in His mother’s womb.
4.4.1. Ruling the universe from his mother’s womb.
4.5. The immaculate conception.
Luke 1:35 (ESV) 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
4.6. The begotten of the Father:
Psalms 2:7 (ESV) I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
4.7. From Augustine on Christ in His deity and His infancy:
- “He’s the Revealer of His Father, and at the same time He’s the Creator of His mother.
- He’s the Son of God born of the Father without a mother; and He’s the son of man born of a mother without a father. He’s the Day as the Angels count time; He’s the Clock as human beings tick off the day.
- He’s the Word of God before there were timepieces; He’s the Word made flesh who stopped the clock when He was made flesh.
He made the sun with His own hands, and yet He Himself was made under the light and heat of the sun. - He regulates human history from the bosom of His Father; and yet He consecrates this one particular day from the womb of His mother.
He remains with His Father, and yet He goes forth from His mother.
He’s the Creator of the heavens and the earth; and yet He takes His own rise under the heavens, that’s to say from the earth….He sets the stars in motion, and yet he feeds from His mother’s breasts….
- He didn’t abandon His divine agenda when He picked up His carpenter’s tools.
- He didn’t stop holding His universe together with His mighty arms while He was trying to catch flies with His baby fingers.