December 4, 2022; Sunday School

Order of Service

• Sunday School Lesson
• Closing Prayer

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Sermon Title: From Silence to Fullness — The World Between the Testaments

Scripture: Luke 1:67-79

I. Introduction: Why Study the Intertestamental Period

A. The page between Malachi and Matthew represents approximately 400 years of history

1. The world Jesus enters feels different from the Old Testament world — priests, prophets, and kings have given way to Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes
2. Understanding this period helps explain the religious temperature into which Christ is born

B. Key questions the intertestamental period helps answer

1. Why are people waiting for a Messiah, and what exactly are they waiting for?
2. Why does the crowd go from the triumphal entry to crying "Crucify him" within days?
3. Why does even John the Baptist ask whether Jesus is truly the one to come — Matthew 11:3

C. Paul describes the timing of Christ's birth as the fullness of time — Galatians 4:4-5

1. The Greek word plēroma — completeness, fullness
2. All of history was being sovereignly ordered to bring about the moment of the Incarnation

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II. Zechariah's Prophecy and the People's Expectations

A. The Benedictus — Luke 1:67-79 — Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesies at the birth of John the Baptist

B. What the people were longing for, drawn from Zechariah's words

1. Salvation from enemies — language closely echoing Psalm 106, which recalls the Exodus deliverance from Egypt
2. Fulfillment of the Davidic covenant — a horn of salvation raised up in the house of David (Luke 1:69)
3. Fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant — the oath sworn to Abraham (Luke 1:72-73)
4. Forgiveness of sins — salvation from sin as an enemy, not merely political oppression (Luke 1:77)

C. The tension in popular expectation

1. Much of the language points to a political-military deliverer from Rome
2. Yet the deeper fulfillment is spiritual — forgiveness, holiness, and righteousness before God
3. This tension explains why the crowds turned on Jesus when he did not overthrow Rome

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III. Zechariah's Prophecy Draws Directly from Malachi

A. The "sunrise from on high" in Luke 1:78 connects to Malachi 4:2 — the sun of righteousness rising with healing in its wings

B. The messenger who prepares the way in Luke 1:76 connects to Malachi 3:1 — Zechariah, led by the Spirit, identifies his son John as that messenger

C. The Spirit leads Zechariah to see that the closing words of the Old Testament are now being fulfilled

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IV. A Brief Historical Framework: From Exile to Malachi to Christ

A. Key dates in the period leading to the intertestamental silence

1. 586 BC — Southern Kingdom of Judah falls; exile begins
2. 538 BC — Cyrus of Persia issues his decree; exiles begin returning — Ezra 1
3. ~537 BC — Temple reconstruction begins — Ezra 3
4. 516 BC — Second Temple completed
5. ~440 BC — Malachi prophesies, contemporary with Ezra and Nehemiah

B. The 400 years of silence

1. Malachi's final words (Malachi 4:6) mark the close of inspired revelation
2. In the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament closes with 2 Chronicles 36 — Cyrus's decree to return to the land
3. God goes silent in terms of inscripturated revelation, but does not cease to work providentially

C. The Apocrypha and other writings fill in some historical gaps but are not inspired Scripture

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V. The Lingering Question and the People Who Were Waiting

A. The people are back in the land, the temple has been rebuilt, sacrifices are being offered — and yet they remain under foreign domination

B. The lingering question: Is God still good? Will he make good on his promises?

C. Examples of faithful waiting in Luke 2

1. Simeon — righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25)
2. Anna the prophetess — fasting and praying in the temple, speaking of the child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem (Luke 2:36-38)

D. Caution for today: the Pharisees are a warning against allowing political concerns to become the center of faith; the Messiah's kingdom is not primarily political