Thursday, February 7, 2019 – Luke 1:79-80

The Advent of John the Baptist, Pt. 10
Zachariah's Great Praise, Pt. 8
Another Purpose for the Sunrise: To Guide Us in the Way of Peace!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE2S5brNbdg

Grace Fellowship Church

Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard

www.GraceDoctrine.org

www.facebook.com/GraceDoctrine

The Gospel of Luke 

II. The Identification of the Son of Man with Men, Luke 1:5-4:13.

  C. The Advent of John the Baptist, vs. 57-80.

      1. The Birth of John and rejoicing, vs. 57-58.

      2. The Circumcision and Naming of John, vs. 59-66.

      3. Zachariah’s Proclamation and Prophecy, vs. 67-80.

3. Zachariah’s Proclamation and Prophecy, vs. 67-80.

  d. Praise to God for the coming of “the Sunrise,” the giving of the Messiah, vs. 78-79.

Vs. 79

Luke 1:79, “To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

The second purpose of the Sunrise is “to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

This is an allusion from Psa 5:8, “O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; make Your way straight before me.”

“To guide our feet” is HO KATEUTHUNO HO POUS HEMIES, which uses the Aorist, Active, Infinitive of Purpose for the Verb KATEUTHUNO, κατευθύνω that means, “direct, guide, lead.” In classical Greek it meant, “keep straight or make straight,” and as a noun it was used for a “carpenter’s line.” Interestingly, Jesus was the son of a carpenter, Mat 13:55; Mark 6:3; and reminds us of Psa 19:4-5.

Psa 19:4-5, “Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, ⁵which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.”

Gradually, the idea of “making something straight” shifted to the idea of “directing someone to something,” and included a sense of “success” or “prospering” in the process. It is only used here and in 1 Thes 3:11; 2 Thes 3:5.

1 Thes 3:11, “Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you.”

2 Thes 3:5, “May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.”

This analogy of “being in darkness and directed to peace,” is taken from travelers, who being overtaken by night do not know what to do, and therefore wait patiently for the morning light, that they may know which way to go. Then, when the sun rises in their heart, they know the way, as light shines brightly their way, and the road is open to the promised land of rest, to heaven itself.

This guidance leads, “into the way of peace,” EIS HODOS EIRENE. EIRENE means, “peace, harmony, tranquility, or health.”

“The way of peace,” is to be seen in the Old Testament concept of SHALOM, i.e., “the cosmic harmony that exists where the world and all its inhabitants are reconciled with God. Israel described this state with its concept of covenant.... The qualities... are variously described as prosperity, peace, and righteousness, which taken together begin to describe SHALOM,” (Hanson, p. 3, note 2).” (Complete Biblical Library Commentary)

Here, “peace” is peace with God, who we were at enmity with prior to our salvation because of our sin. Because of sin, (i.e., sitting in darkness and shadow of death,) Jesus Christ, the Sunrise / Morning Light, came into the world to shine upon us, (i.e., redeem our sins and give those who would believe in Him salvation with its eternal inheritance), thereby abolishing the enmity / sin, Eph 2:14-16, and giving us a new life in Christ with God the Father.

Eph 2:14-16, “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, ¹⁵By abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, ¹⁶and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.”

So, this “peace” means that the barrier of sin that kept us in darkness and the shadow of death has been removed by the finished work of Jesus Christ upon the Cross, especially for those who believe.

This “way of peace” is not known or found in the world or in worldly things, Isa 59:8, but in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Isa 59:8, “They do not know the way of peace, and there is no justice in their tracks; they have made their paths crooked, whoever treads on them does not know peace.”

And, after our salvation, “the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,” Phil 4:7.

Therefore, the peace into which He guides the feet of His own includes all the rich blessings that come to those whose sins are forgiven. The former enmity on our part is removed; thus there is peace with God, Rom 5:1.

Rom 5:1, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Yet, there is also the sense of Phil 4:6-9, for He guides our feet into the way of peace, so that we not only enjoy peace with God, but now, knowing the God of peace, the peace of God guards our hearts in our daily walk with Him.

In addition, though Zachariah was using political terms and the prophecies in the OT of eternal peace, this is first speaking of peace with God overcoming sin and then peace in government relationships that will have their total fulfillment in the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ and the New Earth where righteousness lives, 2 Peter 3:13-14.

2 Peter 3:13-14, “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. ¹⁴Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless.”

Thus, this peace corresponds to the language of the OT; as peace is also the consummation of the eschatological salvation, Isa 60:19-20.

Isa 60:19, “No longer will you have the sun for light by day, nor for brightness will the moon give you light; but you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, and your God for your glory. ²⁰Your sun will no longer set, nor will your moon wane; for you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, and the days of your mourning will be over.”

Therefore, Zachariah highlighted the ministry of the coming One in terms of salvation, forgiveness, mercy, guidance, and eternal peace.

John the Baptist was to go before the Lord to proclaim the testimony God had given, in order to guide the feet of the people into the way of peace, which is the knowledge of salvation found in the Sunrise. This metaphor implies more than that, as it speaks to us of the special guidance the Light of Christ is to each individual soul to guide our feet and illumine our path in special manifestations of our duty and life’s pilgrimage.

Only those who walk in Christ’s footsteps have quiet hearts and are at amity with God; in harmony and peace with ourselves, our friends, and the circumstances of life. That means there is no strife within, no strained relations or hostile alienation to God, no gnawing unrest of unsatisfied desires, and no injuries of accusing conscience, because the man who puts his hand into Christ’s hand and says, “Order my footsteps by Your Word,”  “Where You go, I will go,” and “What You command I will do,” has this peace.

The mission of the Messiah is about giving people peace before God, as He leads them from death to life. The servant of God who lives that and knows that, points others who are residing in darkness and the shadow of death to Christ by showing them the way of peace.

“The question remains before us: How do we define life? Is it in power and in the ability to "take control," or is it in following the one who is in control? The text leaves no doubt that we should follow the one who is the source of light. The only road to righteousness and peace, even for a righteous man like Zachariah, is to be prepared to see the light and follow it. The text raises the question and answers it with notes of praise. See the morning star, Jesus, and follow the light in the way of peace. What precisely that pathway involves is the rest of this Gospel's story, for which this hymn serves as a guiding introduction. In a real sense, the application of this text is found in the entirety of this Gospel's message.” (NIV Application Commentary.)

Summary

Zachariah, the old priest, had not said anything for nine plus months, but when he regained his speech at the birth of his son, he certainly compensated for his silence when he sang this song of praise to God! How joyful he was that his son was chosen by God to prepare the way for the Messiah. In reviewing Zachariah’s prophecy, many key notes of Luke’s theology are seen:

1. The focus on the praise of God.

2. The importance of the Christ event, (God “has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of His servant David,” vs. 69).

3. The fulfillment of God’s promises given through the holy prophets.

4. The realization of the covenant made with Abraham being fulfilled.

5. The deliverance from enemies, (sin being the #1 enemy), by the gracious intervention of God.

6. The special role of his son, John the Baptist, in announcing the coming of the Messiah.

7. The new opportunity to serve God forever in peace, without fear, in holiness and righteousness.

As such, the “way of peace” refers to an entire life of peace. Salvation brings peace: peace with God, peace with man, and peace within ourselves. Do you have this peace? Has the Sunrise dawned in your soul yet?

John 8:12, “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life’.”

Vs. 80

Luke 1:80, “And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.”

This first chapter of Luke ends with a summary statement about John that will later be matched by a summary statement about Jesus, cf. Luke 2:52.

“Continued to grow,” is the Imperfect, for ongoing action, Active, Indicative, of the Verb AUXANO αὐξάνω that means, “grow, increase, or become greater.” It is also used for Jesus in Luke 2:40, after His circumcision account.

“Becoming strong in spirit,” is the Imperfect, Passive, Indicative of the Verb KRATAIOO, κραταιόω that means, “to strengthen, become strong, empower,” with the Dative Noun PNEUMA, “spirit.”  KRATAIOO is only used here and in Luke 2:40, for Jesus, and 1 Cor 16:13; Eph 3:16, regarding our spiritual growth.

Eph 3:16, “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.”

Combined, they mean John the Baptist took in the Word of God, Bible Doctrine, and grew to spiritual adulthood, while he grew physically to human adulthood. This phrase may also allude to the fulfillment of the promise made to Zechariah in vs. 15.

“He lived in the deserts,” uses the Pronominal Adjective EREMOS that means, “desolate, abandoned, desert, or solitary (place).” Though it literally means desert or wilderness, it is mostly used in the NT for a solitary place. It is predominately used in the synoptic gospels and in Acts 1:20; 8:26; Gal 4:27. So, for John, we could take this literally, but more importantly understanding it as, “being alone with God, to teach and train him.” This was in fulfillment of the prophecy found in Isa 40:3, as noted in Luke 3:4.

Isa 40:3, “A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God’.”

Luke 3:4, “As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight'’.”

In Luke 3:4, “straight” comes from EUTHUS that we noted above in vs. 79, that means, “straight, right, upright, or straight way,” cf. Mat 3:3; Mark 1:3, for John’s ministry paving the way as forerunner for the Lord.

Taking EREMOS literally, based on John’s parents being old when he was born, it is likely that they died before he was an adult. Therefore, he apparently grew up in the wilderness of Judea, cf. Mat 3:1, located between the Dead Sea and Jerusalem, probably in the general vicinity of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947.

Mat 3:1, “Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying…”

“Some scholars have attempted to establish that John was a member of the ascetic Jewish sect called the Essenes who lived in the same hill country of Judea. While certain aspects of John's message are similar to those of the Essenes (e.g., eschatological emphasis and practice of ritual washings), and while it is possible John grew up near the area of Qumran, it is doubtful that he was a member of the Essenes, though he may have known of them and may even have been influenced by their teaching.” (Complete Biblical Library Commentary.)

In vs. 80, “until the day of his public appearance to Israel,” uses a hapaxlegomena for “public appearance,” which is the Noun ANADEIXIS, ἀνάδειξις that means, “a public announcing or installation.” Though we could render this literally as a “public appearance,” it is better to think of it as his commissioning, appointment, or installation as a prophet when he began his visible and public ministry as forerunner of the Christ. The emphasis would fall upon John’s being officially “appointed” by God as the Messianic forerunner. In any case, it represents the time frame from John’s circumcision to the beginning of his ministry, some 25-28 years.

“To Israel,” indicates the scope of John’s ministry, to God’s chosen people primarily, even though he might have influenced other gentiles.

So, Luke ends his narrative of the early life of John in a way similar to the way he concludes the narrative of Jesus’ early life, Luke 2:52, “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” This should be the narrative of our lives too!

“Our minds are naturally curious and there are a great many things of which we have no record in the Gospels concerning which we would like information. We would like to know something of the training of this child. We would like to be permitted to look behind the scenes and see something of the home-life of John the Baptist as a little child and as a youth growing up. We would like to know what led him, eventually, into the wilderness, and how God spoke to him. But the Lord has not been pleased to gratify our curiosity in regard to these things. He tells us all that is important for us to know, and the rest He leaves. We shall find them out by-and-by when we get home to heaven.” (H.A. Ironside Expository Commentary.)