Message Notes

INTRODUCTION

1. Who was this man Zacharias?

a) He was a priest   (Luke 1:5)

b) He was a man who lived his life well   (Luke 1:6)

c) He was a much older man   (Luke 1:7)

2. Why did he praise God in this manner?

a) The angel’s words had become real and personal to him   (Luke 1:63)

b) He had a special experience from God   (Luke 1:67)

c) His heart and thoughts were filled with the salvation of God

3. Zacharias recalled how God offered salvation because of His covenant

THE COVENANT DESCRIBED

1. It is God’s covenant   (Luke 1:72)

a) God is the higher being

b) God was the One who made a covenant with Abraham and His descendants

i. He promised to bless physically

ii. He promised to bless spiritually

2. It is a holy covenant   (Luke 1:72)

a) God consecrated and dedicated His covenant   (Gen 15)

b) God later established this covenant by swearing an oath (Gen 22; Luke 1:73)

c) This made God’s covenant sacred and holy

GOD ACTED ON THE COVENANT HE MADE

1. What did God do with the covenant which He had made?

a) He did not forget it

b) He remembered His holy covenant

2. God’s covenant became a reason why He offered to save Abraham’s descendants

a) He did not save them because they were deserving

i. Because of their sinfulness, God was not able to bless

ii. They were being chastised by God for their sinful ways   (Luke 1:71)

iii. They encountered enemies and the hand of all who hated them

b) God offered to save them to show mercy   (Luke 1:72a)

c) God offered to save them to remember His holy covenant with Abraham   (Luke 1:72b)

i. He made an everlasting covenant with Abraham   (Gen 17)

ii. God would remember His word

iii. God would remember Abraham

CONCLUSION

1. Beholding our God

a) He is One who not only gives a word but He is faithful to keep this word

b) He is One who saves the sinful

2. Blessing God as our response

a) We can praise Him for who He is

b) We can praise Him for His salvation

3. This Christmas

a) Let us give thanks that God remembered His word to send us a Saviour

b) Let us give thanks that the Lord Jesus saves and redeems us from our sins