Visited by Glory this Christmas
Transcribed sermon by Andrew Selim
Passage Luke 1:61-80
Throughout the Bible, there are a number of praises (doxologies) to God. Doxology comes from two Greek words; ‘Doxa’ meaning glory, and ‘ology’ meaning saying or word. A doxology is an explanation of praise or glory; a short hymn of praise to the Lord.
Within the church, there are different types of melodies for different types of doxologies. The Trinitarian doxology, for example, is sung every hour of the book of Prayers (the Agpia). There are also seasonal doxologies sung at a particular feast date. Finally, there are doxologies that commemorate specific saints.
There is a theme of doxology throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament, that the church reflects throughout the year. One of the most famous doxologies of the Old Testament is after Moses stretched his hand over the sea, and the sea returns to its original depth. Moses sang a doxology; I will sing to the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously (Exodus 15). Then, Miriam responds with another doxology; Sing to the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously (Exodus 15:20-21).
In the New Testament, we read the doxology of the Virgin Mary herself; my soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour! (Luke 1:46-56).
Finally, on the 4th Sunday of Kiahk, the final Sunday before the Nativity, the church reads the doxology of St Zacharias. He proclaims this after the birth of his son, John.
Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us.”
He continues on, and you will notice that after the birth of his own son, the doxology is not about John the Baptist, but the coming Messiah.
After nine months of silence, instead of proclaiming the joy of his own son, he proclaims God and the Messiah. John is only mentioned in a few verses toward the end. For centuries, the Jews had languished over the visitation from God.
For Zacharias, he contemplates saying, that God, “has visited and redeemed His people.” In the Greek translation, it is to look into a situation in order to help; to help someone who is suffering and has been forgotten or overlooked. In the Bible, we see visitations from God to people who were suffering and forgotten.
The Lord visits His people in their time of need, when they feel like they have been forgotten by all else. As we approach Christmas, the Lord visits you and I, when He was incarnated in the flesh. David the prophet spoke of this visitation saying, “what is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:4).
Has God visited you yet? Are we praying like Jeremiah saying, “Remember me and visit me!” (Jeremiah 15:15). Has God visited not just our bodies, but our hearts and make it His temple and His home? Has He found His way into the innermost parts of your being; your thoughts, your intentions? We don’t want just a transient visitor, but a permanent resident.
The Lord always takes care of the house that He visits and lives in, as He strengthens, glorifies and beautifies it. The Lord visits and, “raises a horn of salvation.”
When we read the scripture in relation to a horn, it is the bony structured that protrudes from an animal’s head but in the Old Testament there were various purposes to a horn. They were uses as vessels to carry oil and as trumpets. David also writes, “But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil” (Psalm 92:10). Horns are not just for oil or trumpets, they are also symbols of power. The horn of a king is his saving strength.
In the Old Testament tabernacle there were four horns on the altar of burnt offering which was carried to the Temple. The horns were sprinkled with blood during the ceremonies to make atonement for sin, and to purify the people from their sin.
When Zacharias says, “You have raised a horn of salvation,” he means that God has raised the power of salvation. The horns on the altar of burnt offering was not just for atonement, but also a place of refuge. As it is written, “Now Adonijah was afraid of Solomon; so he arose, and went and took hold of the horns of the altar” (1 Kings 1:50). Adonijah clinged to the horns of the altar where he knew he would be safe. No one in the Old Testament would dare to kill on the altar of offering.
Christ is the horn of salvation that we cling to when we are in trouble and in need of refuge. King David also writes, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2). Now, during uncertainty, we have the horn of salvation that we run to and seek refuge in.
Zacharias concludes, “Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.” (Luke 1:78-79). The Messiah as the dayspring, or dawn; the rising sun. The sun/light is one of the most important titles of Christ, this is reflected in the Psalm that is linked to the Gospel; “Restore us, O God; Cause Your face to shine” (Psalm 80:3).
The last words of King David when he spoke of Christ the Messiah were, “And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds” (2 Samuel 23:4). This is exactly like what Zacharias said when he proclaimed that Christ would be the light of the morning.
In the twelve healings by prophets of the Old Testament, no one was given sight, only Christ did this. They raised the dead, they healed the lepers, but they did not give sight to the blind, for this was the mission of the Messiah, to give sight to those living in the darkness of sin. As it was prophesied, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened” (Isaiah 35:5). Of all the healing miracles of Christ, the majority were given sight to the blind, for Christ was the Dayspring, and the giver of light.
Christ is the light to our darkness. When John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask if Christ was the Messiah they were waiting for, Christ responded, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see” (Luke 7:22).
We can forgive a child that is afraid of the dark, the real tragedy is when men are afraid of the light. Light came into the world, but was shunned by men, for they loved the dark. Is there darkness in my life; of fear, of stress, of anxiety, of sin? There is so much darkness, from within and without, the Lord says that He will light the lamps of our darkness.
Let us be enlightened, and become not what we are but what we once were. When Christ is our Dayspring, we no longer need the sun or moon, for He will be the everlasting light and glory.