"The Lord's Prayer: Forgive Us Our Debts"

2 Chronicles 6

Psalm 51

Luke 1

Introduction: John's Calling and Yours

"And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

to give knowledge of salvation to his people

in the forgiveness of their sins."

What will you be called?

John was called the prophet of the Most High.

He was the one through whom Jesus was revealed as the Messiah.

John's birth was quite extraordinary.

His mother, Elizabeth, had been barren and now was quite old.

His father, Zechariah, was a priest, serving in the temple,

where he had seen an angel who delivered the message of his son's birth,

and then, when Zechariah did not believe the message,

struck him mute until John was born.

Did anything like that happen when you were born?

Probably not.

If John is such a remarkable figure-

such a unique figure-

then why would I compare you with him?

John was called a prophet of the Most High.

What will you be called?

In Luke 7 Jesus speaks to the crowds about John.

"What did you go out into the wilderness to see?

A reed shaken by the wind?

What then did you go out to see?

A man dressed in soft clothing?

Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in king's courts.

What then did you go out to see?

A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

This is he of whom it is written, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face,

who will prepare your way before you." (Luke 7:24-27)

So Jesus confirms what Zechariah says about his son.

John is a prophet-and more than a prophet.

He is the herald of the Messiah.

"I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John."

John is the greatest prophet-he is the greatest man who had ever lived,

because he has been given the highest calling:

to prepare the way for Jesus.

Children, what will you be called?

You will be called "greater than John."

Because Jesus goes on to say,

"Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." (Luke 7:28)

Why are you greater than John?

John's father tells you.

The Song of Zechariah explains why the greatest of the prophets

is still less than the least in the kingdom of God.

And the answer is all about two things:

1) forgive us our debts

2) deliver us from evil

John, together with all the OT saints, received salvation in anticipation of what Jesus would do.

He participated in the forgiveness of sins through the shadows of the animal sacrifices,

and the priestly ministry in the temple.

The light that shone upon John was reflected light,

the fading glory of Moses' face

as he had caught a glimpse of the heavenly glory at Mt. Sinai.

But John was given the great honor of being the great prophet who would declare to all Israel

that the dawn was at hand,

the dawn in which the glory of God would be revealed anew:

no longer the faded, reflected glory in the face of Moses,

but the glory of God himself, revealed in the face of Jesus Christ.

"And we beheld his glory, the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

The OT saints had their sins forgiven through the blood of Jesus,

just like us.

The OT saints were delivered from evil by the Holy Spirit,

just like us.

But they did not see what you see.

They saw the glory of God from afar,

as the Spirit of God descended upon the temple in Solomon's day.

You see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ-

not the fading glory of Moses,

but an unfading glory-in which you, too, now participate.

The reason why you are greater than John

is not because you are inherently better than John.

It is simply because your calling is to be united with Christ by faith.

Your calling is to testify that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead,

and seated at the right hand of the Father.

John got to say, "God will do this."

You get to say, "God has done this!"

So let us look at how Zechariah's prayer teaches us about these two things:

1) forgive us our debts

2) lead us not into temptation

The fifth and sixth petitions of the Lord's Prayer are bound together:

"Forgive us our debts" points backward to the past,

while "deliver us from evil" looks ahead to the future,

but both are dealing with the basic theme of redemption and deliverance.

Q. 105. What do we pray for in the fifth petition?
A. In the fifth petition, which is, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, we pray that God, for Christ's sake, would freely pardon all our sins;[221] which we are the rather encouraged to ask, because by his grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.[222]

Q. 106. What do we pray for in the sixth petition?
A. In the sixth petition, which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, we pray that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin,[223] or support and deliver us when we are tempted.[224]

Zechariah's song

1. God has done what he promised

promises: salvation through the house of David (2 Chronicles 6-Solomon's prayer)

Salvation from our enemies (forgive us our debts)

Remembered his holy covenant with Abraham

So that we might serve him (lead us not into temptation)

2. God will do what he has Promised

Prepare the way of the Lord by giving knowledge of salvation/forgiveness of sins

(Forgive us our debts)

To give light to those who sit in darkness

To guide our feet into the way of peace

(Lead us not into temptation)

Conclusion: As we forgive our debtors

If you are unwilling to forgive others,

then you should not expect God to forgive you.

The parable of the unforgiving servant (Mt 18:21-35)