This week's Bible Study - December 20, 2009
Go, Tell It on the Mountain
 Background Scripture:
Luke 1:67-79
Quote of the Week:
“You can't tell how deep a puddle is until you step into it”
-- Source Unknown
It would seem that we are inundated with news these days. Unless you live under a rock, it is difficult to not hear news of what is going on. I do know that there have been times that I have traveled to other countries and have seemed to be out of the loop, but that was more because I didn't understand the language than anything else. When I was in Belarus with a basketball team in October, 2002, I remember eating breakfast in a Minsk hotel restaurant on our last day in country. I remember watching and listening to the Russian language coming from the TV. Several Belarusian people anxiously gathered while I just continued to casually eat my breakfast. It turned out to be the Moscow Theatre Hostage Crisis. News was happening while I ate my breakfast, but I didn't really 'get it'.
Generally, if you turn on the radio or the TV, or even check email on the Internet, you see or hear top news stories. It used to be that you would only know about local events or major national / international events. But, in today's society, you can find out news about happenings all over the world. You can easily find newspapers online from around the world.
Even with all the news that is out there, the local stories and the stories of special interest are ones that people often want to hear. While it is nice to know about what is happening in other parts of the world, it is the things that are closest to you that are of primary interest. Traffic reports, local weather, school events and things like that are things that you benefit from on most any day. People want to know about those things, because it can impact what they do each day. It hits closer to home.
The other thing that people enjoy hearing about is what is going on in the lives of others. If you just open your ears, you will hear a lot of people asking what others are going to do over the Christmas holiday. A lot of people will go spend time with their families and friends. Most believers will attend church services. Christmas Eve services are generally very well attended. It is one of the two times in a year when some people darken the doors of the church - I've heard these people called Chreasters (Christmas and Easter church attenders). You will likely get asked about your Christmas plans. It is an opportunity for you to share something of significance. It may just be that you talk about the Christmas Eve service and how important that is to you. I know some people that are going on Mission Trips over the holidays. A friend of mine is heading to Costa Rica - what a story to tell others, both before the trip and afterwards. Others are going to other places around the country and the world and have a huge opportunity to share something that others will want to hear.
In the book of Luke, we learn of a priest named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. They had no children, and they had likely grown content with none, as Elizabeth was barren and they were both well along in years. I imagine that it caused some level of angst in their lives, as children were seen as a blessing from God. Zechariah was chosen among all the priests to go into the holy of holies and burn incense, while the assembled worshippers prayed outside. Only one priest could enter the holy of holies once a year. Although not cited in Scripture, some Talmudic tradition (rabbinic interpretation and commentary on the Torah) has stated that the priest goes in with a rope around his leg so that if he dies, he can be pulled out. Since the priest was going into the presence of God, who knew how God would deal with any sin in the priest's life? I can imagine as a priest, this would be a potentially harrowing experience even if nothing else happened.
Zechariah was at the altar of incense when an angel of the Lord, Gabriel, appeared to him. Gabriel told Zechariah that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a son, and his name would be called John (later called John the Baptist). John would do many great things for the Lord. Understandably, Zechariah asked the angel how this could be, and he continued to go on and tell the angel why it couldn't be (the age of he and his wife). On a side note, it is amazing how good we are at giving excuses as to why something can't happen. We wouldn't want to really trust God, would we? Gabriel told him that there would be a sign of unbelief; that Zechariah would not be able to speak until the birth occurred. I would have to think Zechariah tried to speak, but nothing happened. He likely stayed in the area, pondering his situation. The people began to wonder why he stayed so long in the temple. When he finally appeared, he couldn't speak and they realized that he had seen a vision. He kept making signs, but they could not understand. When he returned home, Elizabeth did become pregnant.
When it was time for Elizabeth to have the baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives shared in her joy, as they realized that this had to be a sign from God. On the day of circumcision, they were going to name him Zech Jr. But, Elizabeth said that the child's name was to be John, a name that was not shared among any of the relatives. Zechariah concurred on a writing tablet - "his name is John". At that point, he was immediately able to speak and he began praising God. The people knew that God had been working and many people began to see God's hand in all that had happened. The story of Zechariah spread. They knew that this child was going to be used in a marvelous way.
In verse 67, we read that Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied. It is important to understand the things that had happened prior to this point, and that's why I shared them here. If you didn't know he had no voice for many months, this may not seem like such a big deal. Even though life was a struggle for a while, the first thing he did when it was over was to praise God. Think of that for a moment. What if it were you? What if you had endured something that you did not enjoy and then it was over? At that time, what would be your thought? For many of us, I know the first words - "it's about time!" These words are understandable, but very self focused. We need to get a new perspective and realize what God might be doing in our lives. Zechariah realized that this was all of God, and when he could, the first thing he did was to praise the Lord and then began to prophesy. In the midst of our circumstances and when we come out of them, are we truly anxious to praise the Lord, or if that is an after thought?
Zechariah had insight as to what God was doing and knew that something very special was meant for his son, John. In verses 13-17, Zechariah had been told by the angel that many would rejoice because of his birth. John would be great in the sight of the Lord. He would be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth and he would bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. He was going to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Based on what he had heard, Zechariah praised the Lord, the God of Israel. He knew that his son would make the people of Israel prepared for the Lord, which implied the Lord would come soon. Zechariah had a deep knowledge of Old Testament Scripture and of the many Messianic prophecies. The Messiah was to come to redeem his people and to provide the way to salvation from the house of his servant David, as the prophecies had stated.
Zechariah's interpretation of the prophecies implied a Messiah that would lift up the nation of Israel and provide salvation from their enemies and from the hand of those who hate them. This had been the oath that the Lord had made to their father Abraham, to rescue them from the hand of their enemies and to enable them to serve the Lord without fear. With no enemies, the Jewish people would be free to serve the Lord. This was God's holy covenant and through this Messiah, God would show mercy to the Israelite fathers.
While Zechariah knew the Messiah was coming, his view of salvation from literal enemies was not quite correct. There are people today that believe that if they follow Christ, everything just falls into place. But, that's not true. Believers and unbelievers both experience dreadful circumstances. We all have tendencies to follow our own path, which can result in terrible consequences. In the local Christian bookstore this week, I saw a Beth Moore study entitled "When Godly People do Ungodly Things". Even devoted followers of Christ can fall into the traps of Satan. Do we really have completion salvation and release from the enemy? Yes, through Jesus Christ, the Messiah, we are made right with God and freed from our enemy, sin and its wages, death. We are free to serve the Lord in holiness and righteousness before God all of our days, even though we are bound to falter.
After Zechariah finished talking about the Messiah, he spoke of the role of his son, John. According to what the angel had said, John would be called a prophet of the Most High. As parents, we always want good things for our kids. We see their potential early on. No two kids are the same, but each of them is gifted in different ways. Do we pray for our children and do we recognize God's hand upon them? We may not have been the best parent that we could have been, but we can be thankful if they serve the one and only True God. John would be a prophet of the Most High. If only each of us could serve as a prophet of the Most High and spend our lives telling others about Him.
Zechariah said that John would go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him. He was to give the people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. This was all because of the tender mercy of our God - by whom the rising sun will come from heaven to shine on those living in darkness. This is the Son of God who is the light of the world and who shines that light in a world of sin and darkness. God also sent Jesus to us in the midst of the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.
We certainly need the presence of Jesus throughout our lives, but most likely the two times when it is most keenly appreciated and felt is when we are aware of our sin and we are faced with the inevitable reality of death of someone close to us. Where else can we turn?
In your sin, you might find someone who is worse than you, or someone who will just condone what you do. While this may seem good for a bit, we soon realize that we need something to clear the guilt of our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This can only come through forgiveness. It is an incredible thing to know the forgiveness of our God. It is a shame that many people are still held captive by others who refuse to forgive. Ask yourself if you are holding anyone hostage by refusing to forgive. If God sees fit to forgive us for all that we do, why can we not see fit to forgive others? Thankfully, we have full access to a God that loves to forgive through the blood of Jesus.
And, when you approach death, where can you turn? Just in the past couple of weeks, I have had a couple of friends that have lost loved ones who were very close to them. And, I know that there are more that read this lesson that have experienced the loss of someone close recently. You will find that others are legitimately concerned for you for a while, but then it becomes life as usual. We can always experience the comfort of God - not only when someone close to us dies, but also when we near that time in our own lives. How do other people deal with that?
Closing
There are many news sources out there, but I would be willing to submit that you do have an audience. There are times that you can tell others about things in your life. We don't hesitate to tell about a new car or some other purchase that we have. We will talk about a trip that we took or some accomplishment of our children. However, we as believers have a story that can impact people for eternity. We don't necessarily have to walk others through the path to salvation, but we can tell what has happened in our lives. Are you looking for those opportunities in your life?
Zechariah had many reasons why they would have no child. We are often like Zechariah in this area. We want to trust that God can do anything, but we find the excuses that often cause us to opt out of allowing him to work. It is in those areas that we see no other way out that God does his best work, and those are the things we need to be willing to tell others.
Zechariah lost his voice due to unbelief, but God restored it when the prophecy had been fulfilled. The first thing Zechariah did was to praise the Lord. Are our hearts and minds set to praise the Lord when he provides for us? If we don't have that mindset, we can't really expect that we can make any difference in sharing with others. Regardless of what you have had to go through, realize that God has a purpose. The events of your life may be somewhat random, or you may suffer consequences for taking the wrong detour in life, but in any situation, God can work. Are you ready to praise him when he does?
A large part of what Zechariah prophesied was about the Messiah. When we share, we need to realize that God may be using us to share our faith with others. This isn't just about learning to speak up, but it is more about learning to say the things that let others know of Christ. As stated in this lesson, Jesus provides light in a world of darkness. When we have wrestled with an issue and God grants us release, we need to let others know the role that Jesus played in our lives. And, Jesus is there for us in the shadow of death. When we experience death around us, the only true hope can be found in Christ. This is the hope that everyone needs to know. This is the hope that can profoundly change the lives of others. Are we sharing the hope that lies within?
Are we going to tell it on the mountain? The words that follow are the lyrics to that hymn.
Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere,
Go tell it on the mountain,
Our Jesus Christ is born.
When I was a seeker
I sought both night and day,
I asked the Lord to help me,
And he showed me the way.
Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere,
Go tell it on the mountain,
Our Jesus Christ is born.
He made me a watchman
Upon a city wall,
And if I am a Christian,
I am the least of all.
Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere,
Go tell it on the mountain,
Our Jesus Christ is born.
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