Messianic Messages - Advent

In one paragraph

This was the Third Sunday of Advent, Joy Sunday, and Pastor Mark stepped away from the minor prophets series to walk through the opening chapter of Luke. He traced the long silence between the Old Testament and the New, then showed how the births of John the Baptist and Jesus broke that silence in a burst of fulfilled prophecy, joy, and Spirit-filled speech. Before getting into Luke, Pastor Mark...

Read together

1. Hosea 11 out of Egypt I called my son, quoted as messianic prophecy fulfilled in the flight to Egypt
2. Hosea 13-14 shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol, quoted as judgment oracle that Paul later takes up
3. 1 Corinthians 15 Paul quotes Hosea asking where is your sting, read as yes to redemption through Christ
4. Joel 2:32 everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved, noted as what Peter quotes on Pentecost
5. Micah 5:2 Bethlehem named as birthplace of the coming ruler whose origins are from eternity
6. Haggai the lord of armies will shake the nations, silver and gold are his, latter glory of the house will be greater, peace promised
7. Zechariah bring in my servant the branch, Netzer linked to Nazareth and read as pointing to Jesus
8. Zechariah 6 the branch will build the temple, bear majesty, rule on his throne, be a priest, council of peace between two offices
9. Zechariah 9 rejoice greatly daughter of Zion, your king comes humble on a donkey, applied to the triumphal entry
10. Zechariah 12 they will look on me whom they pierced, mourning like for an only son, read as forecast of the crucifixion
11. Malachi 3 I am sending my messenger to clear the way before the lord, quoted as forecast of John the Baptist
12. Malachi 4:5-6 I will send Elijah before the great day, turning hearts of fathers to children, quoted as promise of a forerunner before Christ
13. Micah 6:8 what does the lord require, act justly love mercy walk humbly, applied as description of Zechariah and Elizabeth
14. Habakkuk 2 though it tarry wait for it, cited when Gabriel tells Zechariah his words will be fulfilled in their proper time
15. Luke 1:1-4 Luke's prologue describing his careful consecutive account written for Theophilus
16. Luke 1:5-25 Zechariah serving in the temple, Gabriel announcing the birth of John, Zechariah struck mute
17. Luke 1:26-38 Gabriel sent to Mary in Nazareth, announcing the conception and birth of Jesus, Mary's submission
18. Luke 1:39-45 Mary visits Elizabeth, baby leaps in the womb, Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit and calls Mary blessed
19. Luke 1:46-56 the Magnificat, Mary praises God for his mercy, humility, and faithfulness to Abraham
20. Luke 1:57-80 birth of John, Zechariah writes his name is John, his tongue freed, Benedictus prophecy over John
21. Isaiah 26:3 you will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you, cited in closing

Talk about it

1. The pastor walked through several messianic prophecies from the minor prophets before moving into Luke. Which of those prophecies was most striking to you, and why?
2. He described the four hundred years of silence between Malachi and the events of the gospels, and said the remnant kept returning to the words they already had. What does it look like, practically, to hold on to what God has already said during a long stretch when you are not hearing anything new from him?
3. When Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, the pastor pointed out that Zechariah was faithfully performing his priestly duty in all humility even after four hundred years of silence. What connection do you see between that kind of quiet faithfulness and being in a position to receive something from God?
4. The pastor contrasted Zechariah's initial doubt with Mary's response of 'may it be done to me according to your word,' and he drew out the humility running through the Magnificat. How do you think about the difference between honest doubt and the kind of unbelief Gabriel rebuked in Zechariah?
5. He said that recognizing the bad news is a real prerequisite for accepting the good news, and tied that to John the Baptist's message of repentance. Do you think that is still true today, and what does it look like in a conversation with someone who does not yet follow Jesus?