Salvation from our God

The blog article this week comes from an alternative text from the unified lectionary, that of Luke 1:68-79.

Here we have what is known as the "Benedictus", or the prophecy of Zechariah concerning his newly born son, John, who will be known as John the Baptist. In brief, an angel came to Zechariah, who was without children, and told him that he would have a son who would be the forerunner of the Messiah. Zechariah expressed some doubt, and the angel made him mute until the child should be born. These are the first words Zechariah has spoken in months, and we have in this scripture passage this wonderful blessing upon his son. It is more than a blessing, a benediction, however. It is more about praise of God who is about to send salvation to his people. It is about a new day and a new relationship with our God which is about to be ushered in.

"He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David." The gospel message for our author, Luke, is that God shall save us from our sins. Here in a prophetic message from Zechariah, also echoing the words of the prophet Isaiah, we find the reminder of who Jesus is: "You shall name him Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." The announcement from the angel comes only a few verses of scripture before this message from Zechariah. Luke has given us a wonderful story of prophecy, announcement, and fulfillment. God is true to his promises, and his covenant is being fulfilled before our very eyes.

"He has remembered the oath that he swore to our ancestor, Abraham, that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days." In the New Testament God is revealed to be a God of love. Jesus tells us that, "if you have seen me, you have seen the Father." What we see in Jesus is a friend to mankind, a benevolent healer and worker of miracles to help people, a teacher of authority, a prophet, and a servant who suffers and dies for the sins of the world. We see a God who cares about us, who desires our good, and not only for his chosen people, the Jews, but all people of the world. This is quite a change from the God of the Old Testament, who was to be obeyed or pay the consequences, feared and revered, worshiped and adored, and not to be approached except by the chosen ones of his calling, such as Moses, the high priest, or the prophets. When Moses went up on Mt. Sinai to talk to God, as he returned his face shown brightly and the people feared him. God was not to be approached. To touch the ark of the covenant was forbidden, and would cause death. God was to be feared and respected, but there was a lack of familiarity. God is holy and all-powerful, so there was a lack of intimate relationship.

Jesus reveals a different God, or perhaps one who is cast in a different light. The Father is one to be approached, one who hears our prayers, and even one who desires to establish a relationship with us, perhaps restoring the kind of relationship he had with Adam and Eve before the Fall, before sin destroyed everything. In the beginning God went walking in the cool of the day to talk with his creatures. God had wanted to be close to us, it appears, but the introduction of sin changed all of that. Now Jesus has come to stand in the gap between us and God. He extends a hand to each of us, so that in his person our sins are forgiven and we are brought back into communion, God with us, and us with God. With our sins forgiven, Jesus also provides the means in the resurrection to wipe them away, so that we are justified before God, and our sins are not only forgiven, they are wiped away. We are now accounted righteous and holy. We can now serve God "without fear, in holiness and righteousness all our days."

God gives light to those who sit in darkness, and will "guide our feet into the ways of peace." The kingdom will come fully in when war is done away with, when all is peace and holiness and light, and we all gather at the foot of David's throne on Mt. Zion to worship Jesus the king. We will especially have peace with God our Father, for all competing things for our attention will become secondary, and we will all know God, from the least to the greatest, for he shall write his laws on our hearts (Jeremiah 33). The God who became wrathful and fearful because of our sin will once again become our dear Creator and Savior through the work of Jesus.

Blessings,

Terry