Luke 1:57-80 Sermon for Jan. 4, 2026

Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her his great mercy, and they rejoiced with her. When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day, they were going to named him Zechariah, after his father. But his mother responded, ‘No. He will be called John.’ Then they said to her, ‘None of your relatives has that name.’ So they motioned to his father to find out what he wanted him to be called. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they were all amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. (57-64) Let’s pause. Immediately, his mouth was opened. Here’s what you need to know: the moment obedience was complete, the discipline lifted. What was the obedience? Well, it was the writing of the name JOHN that was an act of obedience. This was a public declaration that he now fully believed God’s Word. It signaled complete submission to the angel’s command. Now, this is going to be hard to hear for some of us tonight. While not always a clear black and white, you can be sure that disobedience to and unbelief in the Lord can lead to discipline in your life. It can lead to the favor of the Lord being absent for a season. It can lead to the absence of blessings in your life. Psalm 66:18 says, “If I had been aware of malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” As soon as Zechariah responds in obedience, the discipline lifted. Are there areas of your life where you’ve yet to repent in? Are there behavior patterns in your life that you know are not honoring to God? You might want to do an assessment and take those areas and give it to the Lord. Ask Him for help. Let’s proceed. Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard about him took it to heart, saying, ‘What then will this child become?’ For indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him. (65-66) Anyone ever grow up with someone saying, “I’ll put the fear of God in you if you don’t start doing this or that?” Ok, yeah, so we’re familiar. That probably has some unhealthy tendencies to it, but there does remain a level of truth for us today: Fear of God ( a holy reverence for Him) is largely absent in both the culture (no surprise) AND the church (a dangerous predicament). I’ll talk about inside the church. We’ll address “what is the fear of God?” But, first, let me read to you 2 Timothy 4:9,10 which says, “Make every effort to come to me soon, because Demas has deserted me, since he loved this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.” I read this because of that phrase “since he loved this present world.” Now, first, it’s important to understand that I’m going to get really personal with each and every one of us. It’s easy to take that phrase “there is no fear of God anymore” and apply it to “THEM.” To apply it to the obvious immoral. To apply it to churches that have gone off the deep end. It’s all true, but let’s also not let ourselves off the hook here, yet. Demas deserted Paul. He loved this present world. And, as I do a deep dive, I think we can f ind a little Demas in each of us from time to time. It doesn’t necessarily mean that he left ministry, hates the church, and decided to start dealing cocaine and partying. I think what it means is that Demas tried to have one foot in with Jesus and one foot in a world where He wanted some form of control and Kingship. The fear of God quickly faded in him. So, if we were to highlight some examples of what it means to not fear God, I would say the following: We treat God casually instead of reverently. We celebrate what God calls sin. We prioritize us above God. We’ve lost a sense of accountability. We treat worship as entertainment. We’ve lost awe at the supernatural. We value comfort over holiness. We’ve lost the sense that God is near. We can add more, but I think that a large number of churches today have lost a fear of God. It’s as if we’re operating these Christian empires without God in it. And that’s a dangerous place to be in. In fact, I heard it once said, “It’s pretty scary what the American church today can do without the Holy Spirit.” In our text, it says that fear came on all those who lived around them. Again, this is a holy, reverent posture. And trust me, I want to see the fear of God in our country as a whole, but how can we expect that if the fear of God is missing in our church? Does this mean we just stop calling out what is evil and bad in society? No, absolutely not! You still call out the slaughter of the unborn, the redefinition of human sexuality, corruption, and all that. What I’m saying is that we need to get back to a fear of God in our own churches first. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “and my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” This is attributed to the people of God. I want to ensure that our church follows this. I don’t care for the worldly measurements. I care that we honor and follow Jesus. I care that we exalt our King. Rest assured that churches and gatherings of people who claim to believe Him but celebrate what God condemns will be dealt with and I pray for repentance and for the mercy of God. I don’t say this as judgment, but rather, with a deep sense of the fear of God. If we can model the fear of God posture in our church, we will be effective as a witness to those around us. Let’s continue. What we have here is what is known traditionally as the Benedictus prayer of Zechariah after his mouth was opened. By the way, don’t miss that part. It doesn’t say he opened his mouth. It says his mouth was opened. That is, the Lord lifted the discipline. Let’s read. Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and provided redemption for his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, (68-69) Pause. Visited means that God has personally intervened. Redeemed means He is buying back His people from bondage. Zechariah begins with the Messiah, not John, his son. John is the forerunner. The Messiah is front and center. Let’s continue. just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets in ancient times; salvation from our enemies and from the hand of those who hate us. He has dealt mercifully with our ancestors and remembered his holy covenant- the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant that we, (70-73) Pause. God is keeping promises made across centuries. Zechariah sees Jesus as the climax of the entire Old Testament story. So, if anyone ever says that the Old Testament is outdated, not needed, or divorced from the New, that person has seriously misunderstood the entirety of the Christian faith. Zechariah looks at all the 39 books of God’s promises and One Story as the slow revelation of Jesus. Let’s continue. having been rescued from the hand of our enemies, (74a) Pause. Not just political enemies, but spiritual ones. God’s salvation frees His people from fear, bondage, and oppression. This is Exodus language. God frees His people so they can serve Him. Who needs to be set free from bondage of sin and addiction so you can worship Him? This is an important question because if you are living in sin and have not dealt with darkness in your life and still think it’s possible to worship the King, you’re wrong. You need to be set free from your bondage. You need to repent. You need to deal with “it” so that you can be set free to worship. So that your worship can be accepted. So that your prayers can be heard. Let’s continue. would serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness in his presence all our days. (75) Pause. Salvation leads to transformation. God rescues us for a new way of living. Holiness is not a burden. It’s the natural result of redemption. If we say that we are saved, prove it. Not for anyone else’s sake but so that you may not be deceived. Salvation leads to a changed life. Sanctification is progress. It’s daily repentance and being submitted to the Lordship of the Holy Spirit’s work in your life. Let’s continue. And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, (76) Pause. This is John’s identity. He is the first prophet in 400 years. He is the forerunner of the Messiah. His job is to prepare people’s hearts. Also, you’ll hear lots of references as John being like Elijah. Listen, this isn’t Elijah reincarnated. Reincarnation is demonic and is not biblical and is a serious misreading of Scripture. What John does for Jesus, Elijah has done for generations past and they both share in this fire and zeal for the holiness of God. Let’s continue. to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. (77) Pause. John’s ministry is about repentance. Forgiveness is the doorway to the kingdom. John prepares people by calling them to turn back to God. Perhaps you tonight need to return back to God and God is inviting you to do that tonight. Today is a new day and His mercies are new. Clean slate. Let’s continue. Because of our Gods merciful compassion, the dawn from on high will visit us (78) Pause. Salvation flows from God’s heart, not human effort. God’s compassion moves Him to act. God saves because He loves. That’s the gospel’s heart. The Light: Jesus is the dawning light after centuries of darkness. Light symbolizes revelation, hope, and life. Echoes Malachi 4:2. Now, rest assured that one day He will be back and expose everything that is in the dark. Nothing in the dark today will be hidden forever. Let’s continue. to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. (79) Pause. Peace: wholeness, restoration, harmony with God. The goal is a life shaped by God’s peace. Let’s continue. The child grew up and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. As I invite the worship team back up and we prepare to partake in the Lord’s Supper, I’ll lead with the four R’s. Reflect, Repent, Respond, Remember.