The Promise of Messiah’s Forerunner

u003c!u002du002d wp:heading u002du002du003enu003ch2u003eIntroductionu003c/h2u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThis week’s lesson is the first lesson of the winter quarter.  The subject for this quarter’s lesson is titled:  God’s Great Blessings and the first unit of lessons we will be looking at this month is titled Blessing of a Savior.  As always for the winter quarter, the first month (unit) of lessons is gearing up for the celebration of the birth of Christ.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading u002du002du003enu003ch2u003eGlad Tidings From Gabrielu003c/h2u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe first lesson of this quarter takes a look at Gabriel delivering a message to Zacharias.  Before the birth of the Savior, there was the birth of the Messiah’s forerunner.  What is a forerunner?  Forerunner:  one that u003cemu003eprecedes u003c/emu003eand indicates the approach of another.  So, the forerunner of the Messiah was one that came and set the path u003cemu003ebefore u003c/emu003eHim; the forerunner let those on the path know that the Messiah would be coming down the pathway soon.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eGabriel appears to Zachariasu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennWho was the forerunner?  Many of us already know who the forerunner was but let’s go through this scripture today for all of those that may not know.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennOur lesson opens with a “he” serving as priest before the Lord in the temple (vss.8-9).  Who is the “he” mentioned in the opening verses of our lesson?  The “he” is Zacharias and scripture plainly tells us that he was a priest (v.12).  Scripture tells us that his lot had fallen to burn incense in the temple during the hour of incense (v.10).  To further set the scene, scripture tells us that there was a whole multitude of people u003cemu003epraying outside u003c/emu003eat that time.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennDuring that hour, “an angel of the Lord” appeared to him and was standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  I want to briefly touch on this verse solely because of all that we just learned in our most recent quarter of lessons.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennIncense, I want to remind you, was burned in the tabernacle for a couple of reasons.  The burning of incense showed that one was communing with the Lord in prayer and worship.  A sweet smelling offering was one that pleased the Lord and was accepted by Him.  On u003ca href=u0022https://newfoundfaith.org/obedience-on-the-day-of-atonement/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022 data-type=u0022postu0022 data-id=u00229857u0022u003ethe Day of Atonementu003c/au003e, incense was burned in the Holy of Holies for the purpose of covering the mercy seat – the top cover of the ark; essentially it was a means of protection from the Lord’s presence.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSo, I find it very interesting that it was during this hour where incense was being burnt in the temple that an angel of God appeared to Zacharias.  We don’t see it mentioned in the opening scripture for our lesson but Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth, had been praying all their life to have children; they were old at this point in time and Elizabeth was barren (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A5-7u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eLuke 1:5-7u003c/au003e).  So, it was prayer time and the Lord was about to answer the prayers of Zacharias and Elizabeth.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSomething else I want to point out here is that this was “an angel of the Lord”.  If you have been following our lessons recently, you will recall a few months ago where we discussed the difference between “the Angel of God” and “an angel of the Lord” (In lesson – Obedience in Leadership).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003enn“The Angel of God” is the preincarnate Christ that appeared in Old Testament scripture.  “An angel of the Lord” are heavenly beings created by the Lord to serve Him.  So, right away, for those of us who can recall recent lessons, we would have noticed right away that this angel was not the preincarnate Christ.  By the end of our lesson, we know for a certainty that this is Gabriel who is also seen throughout scripture delivering important messages on behalf of God (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Dan.+8%3A15-26%3B+Luke+1%3A26-37u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eDan. 8:15-26; Luke 1:26-37u003c/au003e).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eThe message for Zachariasu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennUpon seeing the angel, Zacharias was troubled (v.12) which, at times, seemed to be a common reaction throughout scripture when angels appeared; we will see Mary was troubled by Gabriel’s visit later in this chapter (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A26-29u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eLuke 1:26-29u003c/au003e).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSo, Gabriel says to the troubled Zacharias, “Do not be afraid, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John (v.13).”  So, for those who do not know who the forerunner for Christ (the Messiah) was, we now know his name is John — John the Baptist.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennWhat this signified for Zacharias was that the Lord had been hearing his prayers all those years and was moving to answer those prayers.  Zacharias and Elizabeth, are again said to have been u003cemu003ewell advanced u003c/emu003ein years, according to Zacharias himself.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe birth of John puts me in remembrance of another older couple that had essentially waited all their lives to have children; I am speaking of Abraham and Sarah.  Abraham and Sarah, we will recall, had been very prayerful about having a son but Sarah was barren – or believed to be barren.  They so badly wanted children that Sarah gave Abraham her maid to have a child with.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennYet, the Lord u003cemu003epromised u003c/emu003ethem that they would have a son and all they needed to do was wait on Him.  God, I want you to understand, had heard the prayers of Abraham and Sarah but they lacked the patience to wait on Him.  Now, Zacharias and Elizabeth, scripture tells us, were u003cemu003eboth u003c/emu003erighteous before the Lord and kept His instructions; they were patient and were waiting on the Lord.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennOftentimes is the case where we lack patience in the Lord; we believe that our prayers are going unheard and if God is not hearing our prayers, we certainly don’t believe He is going to answer.  May I encourage you today to wait on the Lord?  When you are of genuine faith, u003cemu003eknow u003c/emu003ethat the Lord heard your prayer the first time and He is going to move at the time u003cemu003eHe u003c/emu003esees fit.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eThe Messiah’s forerunneru003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennGabriel said to Zacharias, “you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth (v.14).”  Why will many rejoice at the birth of John?nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennGabriel tells us that John would be u003cemu003efilled u003c/emu003ewith the Holy Spirit u003cemu003eby birth u003c/emu003e(v.15).  This point is very fascinating because, again, the belief by many is that the Holy Spirit was only received u003cemu003eafter u003c/emu003ethe ascension of Christ.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennHowever, just as Christ appears in Old Testament scripture, there are others who were filled with the Holy Spirit prior to His ascension to heaven and the giving of the Holy Spirit to the apostles.  For example, King Saul temporarily received the Holy Spirit when he was first anointed king and began to prophesy (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Sam.+10%3A1-11u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003e1 Sam. 10:1-11u003c/au003e).  There are some that will argue against it, but David u003cemu003eplainly u003c/emu003espoke about not wanting to lose the Holy Spirit after his great sin (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps.+51%3A10-11u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003ePs. 51:10-11u003c/au003e).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennBeing filled with the Holy Spirit from birth, Gabriel states that John would “turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord (v.16).”  John, Gabriel said, would go before “Him” (Christ) the spirit and u003cemu003epower u003c/emu003eof Elijah to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (v.17).  Elijah, some of you may know, was a very bold prophet of God that spoke against King Ahab, Jezebel, their false prophets, and all those that followed them with a message of u003cemu003erepentanceu003c/emu003e.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennAs Elijah called for people to turn from their wicked way to the way of God, John did the same thing in his day.  John, the apostle, said of John the Baptist that the Baptist bore witness of the true Light (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A7u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eJohn 1:7u003c/au003e).  John was “the voice of one crying in the wilderness: make straight the way of the Lord (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A23u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eJohn 1:23u003c/au003e).”nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennJohn baptized u003cemu003emany u003c/emu003epeople as he called for repentance and this baptism stood as an u003cemu003eoutward u003c/emu003esign of being washed clean of sin.  When he laid eyes on Jesus, the day when Jesus was baptized, his message was confirmed and he exclaimed to the people, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”  John, indeed, was the forerunner of the Messiah to make straight the way of the Lord.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eZacharias questionsu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennImagine hearing these things being said about a child you didn’t know was even coming, yet, Gabriel was speaking of John as if he had already seen John’s life!  Zacharias asked, “How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years (v.18).”nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennWas this a bit of doubt and hesitation coming from Zacharias?  I do believe this to have been the case, though, I don’t believe this necessarily speaks u003cemu003eagainst u003c/emu003ehis faith.  I say this because all of us of true faith could have likely asked this same question.  In fact, the Lord can show us something in a thought and we will wonder u003cemu003ehow u003c/emu003eis the Lord going to make that dream or thought a reality?nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennOf course, we ought not ever doubt or hesitate on the Lord.  When God shows us something, the best thing the believer ought to do is simply wait and see — have faith.  Gabriel responded to Zacharias by telling him exactly who he was and on whose behalf he was speaking (v.19).  Zacharias was then made mute because he did not believe Gabriel’s words which would be fulfilled at the birth of John.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennOnce John was born, Zacharias’ voice returned and he, being filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied and spoke the truth that had been shared with him (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A67-79u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eLuke 1:67-79u003c/au003e).  The believer, quite often, has to wait for our blessing(s) from the Lord.  Again, I tell you, we should be patient in our waiting and when we receive our blessing from God, we are going to rejoice.  In our rejoicing, we are going to u003cemu003etestify u003c/emu003eof what the Lord has done for us and our testimony – God’ work – will shine bright on that day.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e