RAP SHEET Luke 1:67-80

SERIES: The Chosen King

SERMON: Past / Present / Future

SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:67-80

REVIEW

This week, we heard the prophetic song of Zechariah—John the Baptist’s father—who, filled with the Holy Spirit, praised God for what He had done and would do through the coming Messiah.

Zechariah connects the birth of Jesus to God's ancient covenants with Israel, particularly those made with David and Abraham. Jesus is described as the “horn of salvation,” the fulfillment of the promise that a king would reign forever on David’s throne. Zechariah also celebrates God’s faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham: that his descendants would become a great nation, inherit the land, and bless the whole world, ultimately fulfilled through Jesus.

But Zechariah’s prophecy doesn't just look backward. It speaks into the present moment and looks forward in hope. His son, John, would prepare the way for the Lord, calling people to salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. And the prophecy ends with a vision of peace and light breaking into a dark world, pointing us to Jesus' second coming, when the Kingdom will be fully fulfilled.

We live in the tension of the “now and not yet.” The King has come. The promises have begun. But full fulfillment is still on the horizon.

APPLY

• How does remembering God’s faithfulness in the past help you trust Him in the uncertainty of the present?

• What are the promises of God you are still waiting to see fulfilled in your own life?

• In what ways are you actively preparing the way for Jesus, like John the Baptist, pointing others to the Kingdom of God?

What is ONE WAY you will live with hope in the “now and not yet,” trusting God’s promises and pointing others to Jesus this week?

PRAY

• Thank God for being a covenant-keeping God, faithful across generations.

• Take a moment to name areas in your life where you feel like you're stuck in the “not yet,” and ask God to help you wait with faith.

• Ask for boldness to live like John the Baptist, preparing the way and proclaiming the hope of Jesus to those around you.

• Praise God for sending Jesus and for the assurance that He will come again to fulfill all things.