I'm honored to have Pastor Reuben Cason of White Oak Hill Free Will Baptist Church in Bailey, NC as an additional writer on my blog. From time-to-time Pastor Cason will be posting some articles for us! Below is his first blog entry! Enjoy!
What would Christmas be like without music? I thoroughly enjoy the “sounds of the season.” I usually don’t like to start listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving, but this year I started listening to my Christmas CD’s two weeks before Thanksgiving. I must really be in the Christmas spirit this year!
What is your favorite Christmas song, be it secular or sacred? I don’t listen to secular music, I prefer Southern Gospel, that good ‘ole four part harmony was what I was raised on and it’s hard to get far from your raising. But during the Christmas season, I do enjoy listening to some of the secular Christmas music. Now these songs bring back precious memories of my childhood days, but they have absolutely nothing do with the “reason for the season."
That’s why I want us to turn our attention to the “Songs of the Season from the Christmas Story.” You will not find
such a single concentration of song, praise and exultation anywhere else in the New Testament as you find in the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke. I would encourage you during this Christmas season to spend some quite devotional time reading and meditating on these two chapters.
The “song” from the Christmas story that I would like to focus on at this time is found in Luke 1:67-79. This is Zacharias’ song of blessing. I would encourage you to read Luke 1:5-25, 57-66 to get a clear understanding about what happened to Zacharias in the temple as he was performing his priestly duty. Verse 67-68a says, “Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: Blessed is the Lord God of Israel…” Suddenly filled with the Spirit, this obscure priest took his place among the prophets.
His speaks three things about the coming Messiah.
1. His love is revealed (68b). “…for he has visited and redeemed His people.”
a. Visit means that He has come to be involved in our lives. Jesus desires to have a personal relationship with you. He died for the sins of the world, but that also means that he died for “your” sins, and “my” sins. Salvation is to be personal. You can believe that Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world, but you must make it personal, and believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. You and I must believe and make personal John 3:16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
b. Redeem means that He has come to pay the price required to set people free from bondage. 1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
2. His power is revealed (69). “And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.”
a. The horn of the bull became the symbol of strength and power in the Old Testament. The horn of salvation then is the power of salvation.
b. Barnes said, The word salvation, connected here with the word horn, means that this strength, or this mighty Redeemer, was able to save. It is possible that this whole figure may be taken from the Jewish altar. On each of the four corners of the altar there was an eminence or small projection called a horn. To this persons might flee for safety when in danger, and be safe. So the Redeemer may be called the "horn of salvation," because those who flee to him are safe.
c. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
3. His faithfulness is revealed (70). “As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began.”
a. No truth about God is more important than His faithfulness.
b. Verses 71-75 is an explanation or result of God’s faithfulness.
There is a whole lot more to say about this “song” of Zacharias than space will permit. It’s especially worth your time to read and study what he said about his son, John the Baptist in verses 76-79.
Like so many of God’s faithful servants, Zacharias passed quietly from the scene once his part was done.
The familiar words of Phillips Brooks are very appropriate at this point:
How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given.
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven.
No ear my hear his coming but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in.
Be sure that you take some time during this busy holiday to “sing” with the saints of old.
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