“The Case for Christ - Zacharias’ Prophecy (4)” - (part 11)

Once again, we are in Luke 1, where we have come to the end of Zacharias’ prophecy in which he declared that the knowledge of salvation through the remission of sins by Christ would give ‘...light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.’ (v 79)

As I stated last week, Christ’s work would be the overcoming canon and criterion that is able to bring life into those who sit in the throes of darkness and death.

For those who sit in darkness of unbelief, as the Israelites did, the conviction by faith in accepting the Word of God in Christ settles the account between man and God in bringing unbelief to a final end.

For those who sit in darkness because of distressing circumstances, as in Job’s case, live with the conviction that God’s Word is true and He is faithful.

In either case, Zacharias has gone on to indicate the purpose of Christ’s coming: to give light to ‘...guide our feet into the way of peace.’

Why would the prophecy end in this way?

Why does it make peace the way of the proceeding on in salvation?

Is it not because one is needful to the other?

The redemption God provided and the peace He gives go together - they are inseparable!

It is the logical sequence that guides the path of the forgiven sinner!

God’s people could not have redemption by remission of sins without also coming to a place of peace before Him.

And they cannot come into that place of peace unless forgiveness is first ministered.  

We know that from our own experience.

How much peace did we really have in the presence of God when we did not know Jesus Christ?

Can you remember those days?

We could not really come face-to-face with Jesus Christ without having a twinge of guiltiness gnawing within us - is that not really true?

Was not our coming to Him one of fear, hoping we were
pleasing Him in our duty-bound performances before Him?

Have we not also witnessed those who even shrink back or recoil with fear when we even mention the name of Christ to them for their consideration?

Even the most hard core of man, if he were truly honest with himself, would have to admit to an uneasiness - to no real, inward, deep peace - to shameful guilt - if he were to meet God squarely in the face of Jesus Christ.

The Scriptures verify this condition in Romans 1:18 and 19: ‘The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.’

What does this mean?

As history unfolded, God’s wrath against sin in the terrible corruption and perversion of human life was made amply clear.

But to drown out God’s voice in the matter, men suppress the truth when it starts to exert itself - it makes them feel uneasy in their moral nature when it is faced.

There is a deliberate cover up of the truth by drowning it in iniquity and degeneracy!

That uneasiness is always there and will always be there - until it gets settled in the covert of God’s forgiveness and peace!

Thus, Zacharias has made an extremely important point for Christ’s coming: in Christ’s remission of sins, He has canceled the sin and guilt and exchanged it for His peace.

This was the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the Good News of peace through Jesus Christ.
(Acts 10:36)

Peter made that statement as part of his sermon in Cornelius’ house.

He let his listeners know that God was giving to both Jews and Gentiles, a new revelational understanding of God’s message of peace to His people.

And Jesus, also, confirmed Zacharias’ prophecy, when He spoke of His coming work, by saying to His disciples:
‘...these things I have spoken unto you, that in Me you might have peace.’ (John 16:33)

Have you ever wondered what He meant by ‘peace’ when He spoke this?

Most of us seem to think peace is when everything is running along smoothly - going mostly our way!

Or - we think peace means there is no war going on anywhere in the world.

But - that is not peace - not peace Zacharias is prophesying.

No - the peace he spoke of - and the peace Jesus spoke of - can be wrapped in its mysterious simplicity with this one meaning: it is the presence of God in the glorious knowing that His hand is inwardly surrounding, upholding, and will prevail to the end.

That is the peace Jesus is to us - that is the peace Zacharias connected with the Dayspring Who would give light to the darkness ‘to guide our feet into the way of peace.’

Read with me again, in John 16 - John 16:33 - and see how Jesus said it to the disciples: ‘...in Me - in Me - you have peace.’

In Him, there is peace - He would become to them peace.

His very Presence would give that knowledge that would be peace to every one of God’s people.

That is His promise - that is His purpose - to become peace for every man!

‘But...’ - you say - ‘...real, downright, perfect peace alludes me - I feel anything but peaceful most of the time.

I shout at my children a lot, I am impatient with my spouse most of the time, I want to tell my boss off practically every day, I drive the freeway as though I ought to be the only one who has the right of way, I get nervous and uptight at just about everything all the time! Things are never going to get right! They will never get better!’

Do you know what I am talking about?

Look at the remainder of that verse: ‘These things I have spoken unto you that in Me - in Me - you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.’

‘In the world, you shall have tribulation...’.

Does that sound like ‘peace’ as we think peace ought to be?  Hardly!

You see - Jesus was very careful about connecting His ‘peace’ with something that is exactly the opposite - ‘tribulation’ - yes, problems, wars and rumors of wars, things not running smoothly at all!

That is not quite what we have in mind when we think of peace - is it?

One of the reasons I mentioned last week, when we were considering the aspect of the ‘darkness and death’ regarding ‘Job’, was to point out that Job’s predicament was not because he sinned and making the distress he was going through part of corrective discipline for him.

No - for it was not because of unbelief toward God’s Word on his part at all!

Oh no - but, as I said last week, he was about to see something far greater in Jehovah and this season of
problems - this time of distress - was the pathway to it.

Do you think for one moment that all of Job’s dirtress was not worth it all after we see that majestic, dazzling dialogue God had with him when it was all over?

If you like, start with chapter 38 and read onward to see that for yourself sometime soon.

It even came to the point where Job could say to Jehovah:
‘I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but mine eye seeth Thee.’ (42:5)

He had faced a terrible, terrible battle - not even knowing exactly why - but - when the shadow of death on his eyelids was lifted, he saw God remarkably clearly!

Once again, listen to his triumphant statement: ‘I have hears of Thee (intellectually heard) by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eyes seeth Thee’ - there is the reality of it! -
‘...mine eye seeth Thee...!’

Yes - the problems were hard, and even long - it was a battle - it was a vigorous, even strenuous, overcoming
session asking for the exercise of faith.

Did you notice Jesus saying that in the verse in John:
‘...be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.’?

It cannot be honestly said that Job was ‘of good cheer’ 
during most of the ordeal.

It was being guided into His peace that Job did not grasp: neither did his friends help him in that respect.

But - he did make it through on the sheer, naked faith of God’s Word.

But Jesus changed that part of the battle.

You see - ‘His peace’ and ‘man’s problems’ belong to two different spheres - two different realms.

When Zacharias spoke of being guided ‘in the way of peace’, he was constrasting these two spheres: the realm of death with the realm of life.

The only certain hope he had to give was that Christ would lead out of the realm of death and into the realm of life - into that sphere which guides into His peace.

When Christ was correlating these two opposite conditions in the John passage, He, too, was promising ‘peace’ that prevailed over ‘tribulation’ - a peace realized in and through
struggle and conflict.

The battle He won made the victory secure - it no longer is an arbitrary victory - a chance victory - for any of God’s people.

‘In Me, you have peace: in the world, you have tribulation’.

Christ invites His people to take shelter in Him - be guided into His peace by the victory that is sure.

Listen - if a man takes refuge in the middle of his castle that has the thickest of walls while the battle rages all around the castle, he is taking refuge in a shelter where the noise of the battle will not be heard.

We who are Christ’s are in Christ - in Him, as residents in His house with the thickest of walls about us where all we can hear is: ‘...be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.’

When our hearts live in His Fortress, surrounded by Jesus Christ, everything else is neutralized where all other distractions are negated from our innermost beings.

‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusteth in Thee.’ (Isa 26:3)

‘Perfect peace’ - there is the overcoming part!

I like the translation that reads: ‘Thou keepest the firmly-
established mind in peace, peace: for his confidence rests on Thee.’

This particular verse actually is looking forward to this new covenant purpose we have met here in Luke 1:76.

For it especially emphasizes the inmost nature of man - his whole attitude and habit - it emphasizes that ‘Gift’ that has a firm hold on Jehovah.

God was now going to provide this gracious, personal way of the knowledge of Himself of ‘perfect peace’ through this way of peace in Christ.

It is so deep and constant that it always abides and lives within him, because such a mind is kept by Christ since its trust is placed in Him.

It hangs on to God, is thoroughly devoted to Him in Christ.

That is what secures - for him - both stability and peace: 
I repeat, that is where there is no vacillating, up and down, in and out - stability and peace is secure.

It is like a ship in a cove moored to a huge rock during a raging storm: it moves with the crashing waves but it holds fast to the rock to which it is tied.

If you move on to verse 4 of that chapter in Isaiah 26, you will see that result recorded there: ‘Hang confidently on Jehovah forever: for in Jehovah is an everlasting Rock.’

There is ‘perfect peace’: there is the ‘Perfect Peace’!

In the midst of all our pressing duties, in all the absorbing cares of this world, in the endless distressing anxieties, in the many seducing temptations of this world, in trying to provide the essential necessities of living for our families - 
in the midst of all those things, a man in Christ can wrap himself round about with the life of Jesus Christ and know of that ‘quiet place’ where His peace reigns!

Does your heart reverberate with a very deep-felt ‘AMEN’ 
to that? 

I sincerely hope it does!

If we believed this with all our heart, as the Iraelites should have done, if we hang on to it, as Job did, and it is real to us - not just words in a Book - then, we would see that nothing can shake our settled quietness and confidence in Christ and in His peace.

Let me just read this portion of Zacharias’ prophecy in closing tonight as a summarizing finish to this prophetic passage.

We start with verse 77: ‘...to give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God: whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace.’

The Christmas season is upon us and the attention is generally being drawn to ‘the Incarnation of God’s Son’.

So, next week, Lord willing, we come to the angelic announcement of Christ’s birth - an opportune time to look at this event.

In the meantime, keep these times of our study of Christ much in prayer for the continual ministry by the Holy Spirit to each of our hearts.

‘And - now - may ‘...the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it.’

Amen.  Let us pray.