SERMON TITLE: The Mighty Savior
TEXT: Zephaniah 3:14-20 (ESV)
SPEAKER: Robert Tansill
DATE: 12/13/20
You can watch the sermon here.
You can find the sermon notes here.
Good morning, Gateway! I'm Robert Tansill, and it is great to be worshiping with you this morning. I also want to send greetings to those watching online. This morning we are continuing in our Advent sermon series, “The Promise.” As we celebrate Advent, it is not just a season when we anticipate celebrating Christmas, Christ’s first coming, but it is also the season when we look with anticipation to Christ’s second coming—when He comes to fulfill, once and for all, every prophecy spoken about Him.
Author, Fleming Rutledge, in her book on Advent writes, “The central drama of Advent is that of judgment and redemption. Our lives are stretched... between the sneak preview of the new world being born among us in the church, and the old world where the principalities and powers are reluctant to give way. In the meantime, which is the only time the church has ever known, we live as those who know something about the fate of the world that the world does not yet know. And that makes us different.” (Fleming Rutledge, Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ)
Every week Josh reminds us, God loves you. And it's this love of God that sustains us every day, especially in the hard times. What is it that we are supposed to do, think about, or look to that reminds us of God’s love, which will help us get through the tough times? What is it that sustains our faith and gives us hope when everything around us feels hopeless? In the book of Zephaniah, we are going to find our answer.
But before we look at our passage, I want to give you a little background information. The prophet, Zephaniah, lived during the final decades of the kingdom of Judah, around 630-620 BC. Josiah, the king of Judah, was attempting to bring change to the land by removing the false idols and restoring the worship of God in the temple. Judah’s worship of false gods had become embedded into its culture because Judah’s previous king, Manasseh, who reigned for 55 years, had allowed it to happen. As a result, God brought judgment on Jerusalem, Judah’s capital, for how corrupt it had become. This would be tantamount to destroying Washington, DC! In Zephaniah’s prophecy, all of the institutions for worshipping false gods would be destroyed. All the leaders who carried out injustice would be judged. All the financial institutions that took part in dishonest lending and borrowing would be demolished. And the wall of Jerusalem itself would be torn down. God was going to use the great army of Babylon to judge Judah by destroying Jerusalem. Yet, there would be a remnant among the people who would, in humility, still seek the Lord with all their hearts.
But God was not going to judge only Jerusalem. He was also going to judge the surrounding nations like the Philistines, the Ammonites, the Moabites, and the Assyrians for how they treated Judah and how corrupt they were as nations. In fact, they would all fall before the Babylonians, which is why God says He was going to gather all the nations and “pour out upon them His burning indignation” (3:8).”
You might be thinking, “Why would God want to destroy all the people?” The truth is, He doesn’t! Instead, He wants to purify them. A day is coming when God will transform a remnant from all the nations into one unified people (3:9-10). After God purifies them, they are going to turn from their sin and seek the Lord with their whole hearts, worshipping Him only (3:9). In doing so, God is going to fulfill His promise to Abraham way back in Genesis 12, 15, and 17, “to bless all the nations.”
In our passage this morning, we catch a glimpse of how things will end up. A New Jerusalem will become the center of worship, as well as the place where the faithful remnant of God’s people, made up of every nation, will dwell with God for eternity. This will result in a grand celebration as all the conflict, injustice, pain, sorrow, and suffering in the world are dealt with once and for all. And the catalyst for this is the love of God seen in the person of Jesus. He is the Mighty Savior that Zephaniah mentions. He is the one who, through his sacrificial death on the cross, makes a way for God’s justice and love to be displayed (Romans 3:21-26) and who deals with the sin of man once and for all. Though Zephaniah doesn’t know exactly how this will happen, God gives him a glimpse of what lies ahead for the people of God, even amid all the destruction and suffering Zephaniah is experiencing around him. So, what do Zephaniah’s words have to say to us in our present circumstances, in the midst of the pain and chaos that we might be going through right now?
Turn with me to Zephaniah 3:14-20. Zephaniah writes...
Zeph. 3:14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
let not your hands grow weak.
17 The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
18 I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival,
so that you will no longer suffer reproach.
19 Behold, at that time I will deal
with all your oppressors.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
20 At that time I will bring you in,
at the time when I gather you together;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes,” says the LORD.
(Zephaniah 3:14-20, ESV)
In these words from Zephaniah, the one thing that I want you to hear more than anything else is the overwhelming sense of joy that is rooted in hope and based on God’s love. Where do we see that? We see it in verses 14-15, where the first thing that Zephaniah shows us is that…
Look again at Zephaniah’s words in verses 14-15, "Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.” With these words, Zephaniah calls God’s people, the remnant that has placed their trust in God alone, to worship God and give thanks with confident hearts. But what is their confidence based on? It is based on the truth that God is a merciful and loving God. He’s not just a God of wrath and anger, but He’s also a God of love and mercy.
Even though Zephaniah knows that Babylon is coming as an instrument of God’s judgment on Jerusalem, back in Zephaniah 2:1-3, we hear these words, “1 Gather together—yes, gather together, you shameless nation. 2 Gather before judgment begins, before your time to repent is blown away like chaff. Act now, before the fierce fury of the LORD falls and the terrible day of the LORD’s anger begins. 3 Seek the LORD, all who are humble, and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the LORD will protect you— protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.” (NLT)
Folks, this is who God is. Yes, He is just. Yes, He is righteous. Yes, He is a God of wrath. But more than that, He is a loving God who is continually calling people to repentance. And for those in Jerusalem who had placed their trust in God and who were watching the prophecy of Zephaniah unfold before their very eyes through the destruction and terror of the Babylonian army, all they could do was cling to the hope that God would protect them from His anger on that day of destruction. It was a confident hope! It was a hope that allowed them to look past their present suffering to the day when the Mighty Savior would deliver them, and us, from all fear.
Can you even fathom what that will be like, a day where all fear is gone? No more worrying about your kids, or your job, or your health, or the economy. No more worrying about anything! How will they respond when the Mighty Savior arrives, reminding God’s people that His promises are true?
Zephaniah says in verse 14 that they will, “Sing aloud, rejoice and exult with all your heart!” (ESV) What does that look like? Hear how the translation called the Message puts it, “So sing, Daughter Zion! Raise the rafters, Israel! Daughter Jerusalem, be happy! Celebrate!” Why express so much joy and jubilation? Because, despite the judgment Babylon is going to bring on Jerusalem, Zephaniah is picturing a day when the Lord is going to come in the flesh to forgive his people for their sins, and live among them. When is this going to happen?
As we look at Zephaniah’s words in verse 15, so many of the words point to Jesus’ ministry. On numerous occasions when Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Matthew 9:2; Luke 7:48), the words of Zephaniah that, “the Lord has taken away the judgments against you,” come to mind. When Zephaniah says, “The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst,” the words of Nathanael in John 1:49 come to mind when he saw Jesus and said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” And when Zephaniah says that, “you shall never again fear evil”, we are reminded of the numerous times where Jesus said not to fear (Matt. 8:26; 10:26, 31; 17:7; John 6:20; 12:15; 14:27). So, what’s the point?
With Jesus’ arrival, Zephaniah’s words of what is to come are now realized. God’s kingdom is in our midst even now. Jesus, The King of Israel, has established his kingdom here on earth (Mark 1:15), but not yet in its fullness. Proof of that is seen in the fact that we are delivered from judgment for our sins (1 John 2:12) and no longer have anything to fear (Rom. 8:35). And because of that, we do not need to wait until Christ’s second return to sing aloud and to rejoice and exult with all our hearts. The Mighty Savior that Zephaniah mentioned has already delivered us from evil and our fear of judgment. And when He returns a second time, it will be fully realized.
But there is more. Not only will we be delivered from all of our fear when Christ comes back, but a second thing Zephaniah wants us to see is that...
Look at verses 16-17 where Zephaniah writes, “16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. 17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” What is Zephaniah talking about here? By using the phrase, “On that day…”, he is talking about the day when God will finally judge the world, ridding it of all injustice and evil. The phrase “on that day”, is used four times in Zephaniah to encourage the remnant that in their suffering (Zeph. 1:9–10; 3:11, 16), not only is God fully in control of all things, but that He will be the final Victor on behalf of His people. This is the meaning behind the words “mighty one” in the original language. It conveys the idea of a warrior fighting for his people with the promise of victory. And who is this mighty warrior?
It is Jesus! He is the one who is fighting for His people, fighting for those who have placed their trust in Him. And because He is fighting for us, we are told in verse 16, “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.” Another way to say this is, “People of God, don’t panic or become overwhelmed with fear when you experience the trials and tribulations of life. God is in control. The one who created the universe is the same one who stills the storms and raises the dead. He is the one our hope is in!”
Whether the Babylonian army is at your doorstep (as with Zephaniah’s original audience) or the trials of life are bearing down on you, the Mighty One, the Victorious Warrior, Jesus, is going to make sure that your salvation is secure as you continue to trust in Him. And what will it look like when the smoke clears on that day, when God has judged the world, and you are standing before Him face-to-face? (v. 17)
In a shocking display of love for His people, and only seen here in Scripture, the New Living Translation says that God is going to, “take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (NLT) Folks, a day is coming when God will calm all of your fears as He welcomes you into His presence with loud singing. Did you catch that? God Himself is going to be singing. This is the only time in the Bible where this is mentioned. But it shows not only what a joyous day this is going to be, but more importantly, how much God loves you. He is going to sing with joy and delight over you when you stand in His presence on that final day. Once again, can you even fathom that? What kind of love is that? Is that how you picture God? Can you believe that He loves you so much and is going to be so excited to see you that in His joy, He is going to burst out in song over you! What?!
But that is how much He loves you. And it is with this in mind that Zephaniah wants to encourage his readers in their suffering. A day is coming when Jesus, the Mighty Savior sent from God, will make His appearance again, conquering evil once and for all and ensuring your salvation as you continue to trust in Him. So, as I said before, people of God, don’t panic or become overwhelmed with fear when you experience the trials and tribulations of life. God is in control. And He is the one who is going to bring everlasting peace to your soul. He is the one in whom we place our hope. This is the message of Zephaniah to a remnant of believers witnessing the destruction of everything around them. This is the message of the Bible. For all of us whose trust is in the Lord, not only is a day coming when is Jesus going to return to deliver us from all our fears and bring everlasting peace, but He is also going to accomplish one more thing that Zephaniah wants us to see which is that...
Look at what Zephaniah says in verses 18-20, “‘18 I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach. 19 Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. 20 At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,’” says the LORD.”
Many commentators struggle with how to interpret verse 18. But the consensus seems to be that what it is talking about is the day when the remnant of God in Jerusalem would no longer be able to worship God through their festival celebrations because of their exile in Babylon. Imagine if your right to worship God was taken away from you. How would you feel? Well, for those in Jerusalem who witnessed the destruction of their capital, the collapse of their economy, and the loss of their right to worship God, it was a day of hopelessness. But as Zephaniah reminds them again, “Don’t lose hope!” God is not finished with His people yet. Yes, judgment has come on Jerusalem and as a nation they are going to be exiled to Babylon for their disobedience, but the Mighty Savior is coming! When He does come, He will make all things right for those who have placed their trust in Him. How?
First, as verse 19 says, by dealing with all those who have oppressed them. Here’s how the translation called the Message puts it, “At the same time, I’ll get rid of all those who’ve made your life miserable.” Just think about it. A day is coming when all those who caused you harm, out of evil intent and who are not repentant, will be judged. Imagine what a day that will be! God is going to judge all those who have hurt you. And this is why Paul says in Romans 12:19, “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the LORD.” This is also why Jesus said in Luke 6:27-28, “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” Because we know that Jesus is coming back again and will deal with all those who have oppressed us, we can wait and continue to trust, not growing weary in doing good. But that is not all.
Zephaniah also tells us that when Jesus does come again, He will heal all those with physical infirmities, as well as, “gather the outcasts.” Who are the outcasts that He is talking about here? It is all the people, both Jews and Gentiles, who have suffered throughout the centuries for their faith in Christ. When Jesus comes again, as the Message states in verse 19, “In the very countries where they were hated, they will be venerated.”
If you are familiar with Jesus’ ministry, you know that He healed those who were sick, lame, blind, and deaf. And He even raised to life those who had died. He also ministered to the “outcasts” like tax collectors, prostitutes, Roman officials, and the Samaritan woman. The reason all of this is important to us now as we look back on Jesus’ ministry, keeping in mind Zephaniah’s words, is because it is those things that fuel our present hope for what is to come. Because Jesus has already come the first time, we can have confidence that He is going to come again. And when He does, He will fulfill what Zephaniah describes in our passage this morning. He is going to make everything right once and for all.
Because that is true, let me close this morning with God’s final words from Zephaniah 3:20 to the remnant in Jerusalem, to all those from every nation who profess Christ as Savior and Lord, and to you this morning who have placed your trust in Jesus alone for your salvation. Remember, these words are from God, so take them to heart. Let them be what fuels your hope for the day when Jesus will come again and will deliver us from all fear, bring us everlasting peace, and make all wrongs right, “‘On Judgment Day I’ll bring you back home — a great family gathering! You’ll be famous and honored all over the world. You’ll see it with your own eyes — all those painful partings turned into reunions!’ GOD’S Promise.” (Zephaniah 3:20, The Message) For to God, and God alone belongs all the glory.
Let's pray together.
Father, as we contemplate that day when Your Son Jesus, the Mighty Savior, returns for Your people, we pray that you would fill us with anticipation. Until then, encourage our hearts as we continue to humbly and faithfully walk with you. And, in spite of all that we may experience in this life through the trials and tribulation that come our way, help us to not grow weary in trusting You. We long for that day when all suffering and pain will cease, when all injustice will be done away with, and when all those from every nation will join together to sing aloud as they rejoice and exult with all their hearts that the LORD our God is in our midst. But until that day arrives, we will continue to sing and rejoice as we anticipate Your arrival. For to you alone belongs all the glory. Amen.
“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” - Eph. 3:20-21; NLT
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