John 15:1-17: Living With Jesus Makes Me Live Like Jesus

I am attaching a link to a lesson I presented to the Mens Groups Leaders at our church (Southside Fellowship) last month.  We are studying the Upper Room Discourse this fall: John 13-17.  It is a look at the last teaching and time of communion Jesus had with his disciples on the night he was arrested and sent to the cross.  I had the privilege of presenting John 15:1-17 to the men. 

I thought I would post it for those of you who might want to listen!  Please feel free to share some feedback.  There is some dialogue with the guys during the lesson which does not get picked up in the audio.  Be patient, it is not a program glitch!  You can listen to many other great sermons and lessons on the church website: www.southsidefellowship.org

Here is the link to my presentation: http://www.southsidefellowship.org/default.aspx?page=3665  From here click on the box that says Mens Ministry.  The next screen will have two more boxes: Gospel Christianity and Mens Small Groups Bible Study.  Click on the box that says Mens Small Groups Bible Study.  Once in there you will see a list of messages presented by all of the men who have covered the passages in John.  I had week 4 and my name will be attached!  By the way, they are all good!

 

 

2011
10/09
CATEGORY
Uncategorized
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The Lost Holiday

Everybody loves a holiday.  I just saw a blog promoting Towel Day…All right!  Let’s get the party started! 

Recently, all of the British Empire and most of the rest of mankind (or at least womankind) was abuzz about the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate.  The Brits do love their royal galas.  But if you think the royal weddings are most extravagant, keep in mind that there is one ceremony that has not occurred in the kingdom for over 58 years – a Coronation.  Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953 and became Head of the Commonwealth of Nations, Queen of Seven Independent States, as well as the Head of the Church of England.  Her coronation ceremony came roughly 16 months after she officially took the throne after the passing of her father, King George VI of February 6, 1952. 

Elizabeth’s coronation has some interesting historical facts.  It was the first coronation to be televised.  Transatlantic flights carried the film across the pond so that the Canadians could witness the ceremony as well within the same day it took place.  An estimated 3 million people lined the streets of London to witness the Queen’s procession to and from Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace.  Meanwhile an estimated 20 million people worldwide watched the event on television in 39 different languages.  Keep in mind that in 1953 televisions were not in every living room!  In fact, it would suffice us to assume that virtually anyone who could get in front of a television on that day and the days that followed would have been most eager to observe the oath that brought about the “changing of the guard” of the most far-reaching empire in world history!  It was truly a day of Pomp and Circumstance, Ceremony and Celebration, Oaths and Swearings of Allegiance, Prayer and Pronouncement. 

The Coronation of a King or Queen is a BIG DEAL for any kingdom.  However, one thing that is interesting to me is that even though the king (or queen) is sovereign, there must be a representative of the kingdom and its people who certifies that he or she is the rightful heir to the throne.  That representative then bears a gravely significant responsibility for anointing the proper king before God and their people.

The world will watch with wonder and anticipation on the day when Prince Charles will ascend to the throne and attempt to carry on the immense noble legacy left by his mother, the Queen. 

So what about us?  Not we Americans; rather, we Christians?  Do we not worship King Jesus?  And if so, did we miss his coronation?  After all, a coronation is not a private affair.  It is meant to be shared with the people.  I personally do not know of anyone who celebrates the Coronation of the Messiah-i.e. the Anointed One- every year like we do his birth and resurrection.  Why not?  I never gave it much thought myself until I got stuck while studying the gospel of Luke.  Is it possible that it has not happened yet, or was Jesus lying when he declared himself to be the Anointed One?  Following is what I came to discover through much prayer and Bible study, albeit an unexpected discovery for me.

As I was studying Luke’s narrative on the life of Jesus, I came to a roadblock on my journey when I came to the account of Jesus’ baptism.  It seemed like such a climactic moment in the story!  Jesus goes to see his cousin, John the Baptist, who was clearly of prophet of the Lord.  Jesus gets baptized, then while he is praying the heavens open and a dove descends on him and the Father speaks from Heaven endorsing Jesus’ life and character!  Wow!  Oh, to have been there on that day to have seen that happen! 

But then the story makes an abrupt change in chapter 4 of Luke’s gospel.  We go from God speaking to man directly from heaven to…. a geneology!?!  Luke gives us the bloodline of Jesus that appears to go through his mother, Mary’s, ancestors back to David and on to Abraham and all the way back to Adam.  Then as if it was just parenthetical, Luke picks up the narrative again and takes up the story of Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days to fast and pray before beginning his public ministry. 

I didn’t get it.  Why did the geneology show up where it did?  Why not do like Matthew or Moses or the author of Chronicles and put the geneology at the beginning of the story and then jump into it?  It just seemed out of place to me.  Some quick study and close reading through all of the Gospels’ accounts of the baptism of Jesus reveal to us that the Spirit not only descended upon Jesus, but that He also appeard to fill Jesus with supernatural power on that day.  That was another fascinating insight for me as well!  After all, wasn’t Jesus God?  Wouldn’t he have already been filled with power by the Spirit since birth?  But that is not how the authors of the Gospels portray it.  Jesus was then led by the Spirit into the wilderness.  Jesus later performed his first miracle.  Jesus began proclaiming the kingdom of heaven as one having authority (See Matthew 3-4 and Luke 3-4). 

We moved on in our study of Luke and got into the accounts of Jesus’ ministry around the shores of Galilee.  After many healings and the casting out of demons and proclamation that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, Jesus returned to his home town of Nazareth one day and went to the synagogue of his youth.  Well, the world-traveler had returned home for a visit!  I am sure he took some teasing from the men that day before they asked him to speak to them on that Sabbath.  So Jesus opened up the scroll from Isaiah and began to read from what we would call chapter 61 where it says, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Isaiah 61:1-2)  After reading this Jesus sat down, but everyone waited to see what would happen next.  Jesus then said, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”  (Luke 4:21)

Now you can be sure that the word had gotten back to Nazareth before Jesus did about what he had been doing around Galilee.  So when Jesus sat down after reading this passage, those who were in attendance that day knew exactly what he was implying.  But for me, I did not quite get it- not completely anyway.

You see, I had to pray about it for a while and meditate on the story to really understand what was going on in Luke’s story.  Gratefully I happened to be reading through the book of I Samuel at the same time we were going through the book of Luke.  I had been reading about how Israel wanted a king to stand up and fight against their enemies (I Samuel 10).  So God relented to their requests and sent the Prophet/Priest Samuel to anoint Saul with the holy anointing oil to make him king.  Shortly thereafter the Ammonites attacked Isreal.  It was at this point the Spirit of God filled Saul and he gathered an army and defeated the attackers (I Samuel 11).  Unfortunately, Saul turned his back on God and lost sight of where his strength came from.  So God removed his Spirit from him and sent Samuel to the house of Jesse the Bethlehemite.  It was there that God told him to anoint David to be king over Israel.  The Bible says that when Samuel poured the holy oil over the head of David that the Spirit of the Lord filled him from that day forward (I Samuel 16:13).  We all know what mighty acts of war and beautiful words of praise that were accomplished through his life. 

So I began to process what God did with the ancient kings of Israel.  There was protocol.  God spoke to a prophet and told him to take the oil that was used to sanctify the tabernacle and the priests and to pour it over the head of the one who was to be king.  That is what Messiah is.  Messiah means to anoint, or more literally, to smear or rub (i.e. with oil).  The oil was thus the representation of the Holy Spirit as we commonly understand today; and with the coming of the Holy Spirit comes power!  The coming in power of the Holy Spirit was proof that the anointed one was indeed the man chosen by God to lead Israel. 

So finally one day it hit me!  The baptism of Jesus was more than just an acknowledgement and endorsement of the ministry of John.  Jesus showed up at the river that day to be Coronated!  John was the prophet sent to prepare the way of the LORD.  He was preaching a message of repentance for the kingdom of heaven was at hand.  Remember, God’s purpose for the nation of Israel was to be a light to the world of how life as God intended it ought to be lived.  That was the purpose of The Law.  John was telling everyone: ”The King is coming!  The King is coming!  Make his paths straight.  Stop living for yourselves and start living the way He intended.”  The prophet was God’s man who stood before the people to declare who should be the rightful lord and king.  So on that day beside the Jordan River there was no need for oil because the Spirit himself descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove.  Then God the Father himself made the declaration of the authority that had been given to his Son.  On that day Jesus was declared to be the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One of Israel!  The criteria for what had been foretold had been met- almost. 

You see, Jesus was not the first king of Israel.  Long ago God had made a covenant with David that the Messiah would come through his descendents.  The Messiah was to be the one who would bring salvation to Israel, and thus be the Light to the rest of the world.  Both Mary and Joseph were descendents of King David, but a careful study of Matthew’s geneology shows that Joseph’s line was corrupted because of Jeconiah, whom God had cursed.  However, the line from Mary as accounted in Luke’s geneology was a clean line with no curse from God!  Jesus was the rightful heir to the throne!  John, Jesus’ cousin on their mother’s side (Elizabeth and Mary were cousins) could vouch for the veracity of the claim that Jesus was the Son of God as well as his geneological claim to the throne of David! 

Now the geneology makes perfect sense to me as to why it is where it is in Luke’s story.  That day was Coronation Day!  Not much pomp, not much ceremony, but there was an oath and there was a prayer and in that circumstance there was an anointing.  Israel had its King as chosen by God through his prophet! 

But like David, Jesus did not ascend to the throne right away.  David had to wait many years before he was crowned king and took his seat on the throne first of Judah and later over all of Israel.  But while he waited, he was faithful to his people and he was mighty in valor.  Our Lord Jesus Christ has not fully taken his seat on the throne of Israel, but He still is the King of Heaven and someday he will take his seat on the throne here on earth like he does in Heaven.  Israel has rejected Jesus as its King once already, but someday He is returning in power and in full glory to redeem Israel once again.  And he will rule and reign over her and all the earth from Zion, his holy hill.  On that day the whole world will know that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords!

One day on the banks of the Jordan River a group of people went out to see a man dressed in camels hair speak of repentance and the coming Messiah.  What they witnessed was the coronation of the High King of Israel as performed by God himself coming down from Heaven above!  That is a day worth celebrating!  Jew or Gentile, slave or free, we have a King!   And he is alive today seating upon the throne of heaven orchestrating the course of history so that when he returns every knee will bow and tongue will confess that Jesus Messiah is LORD! 

Will you make his coronation an event to be remembered and celebrated?  One of the most wonderful things about our faith is that it is anchored in real-life events and not just in philosophy and reason.  We can celebrate his birth, his anointing, and his resurrection and ascension.  All of which changed the course of history for all mankind.

2011
05/28
CATEGORY
Gospel of Luke Commentary
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Jesus Christ- Creator of the World He Redeemed

Introduction

In the past few months the topic of creation has been frequent conversation in our household.  My wife has been doing a Bible study in Genesis with a group of ladies at church.  In the course of one of those conversations I made a comment in some way as to the fact that it is beyond my comprehension and amazement that Jesus would create a world full of people who would turn their backs on him and then put on flesh and come into this cursed world and redeem it back to himself by dying a death of the cruellest and most humiliating way imagined in that day and time.  But that is what the Bible says He did.

After that comment about Jesus my wife, Amy, said, “You mean God created the world.” 

I replied, “Yes, Jesus is God.”

To which Amy said again, “But it says in Genesis 1:1 that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

“Yes.  But there are many Scriptures that speak of the creation of the world, and as we have had more revelation from God through His spoken word to man it has been revealed that it was the Son of God who is the Creator of the world.”

Amy was incredulous and skeptical.  “Well, I have never heard that it was Jesus who did that.  I have always heard that it was God.”

I was beginning to realize where the mental block was occurring in her thinking.  She continued to refer to God, but we know that when we speak of God in the Christian terms we are really referring to the Godhead- the Trinity.  God in three Persons- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  When Amy was saying God created the world she was thinking of God the Father in particular.  That is understandable.  It is a common perception to think that any reference to God in the Old Testament referred specifically to God the Father.  Another common thought is that the Holy Spirit did not come into effect in this world until after the resurrection and ascenscion of Jesus on the Day of Pentecost .  Both of these perceptions would NOT be supported by Scripture.

References to the Persons of the Trinity in the Old Testament

Holy Spirit:

Before addressing the issue of whether all Old Testament (OT) references to God refer exclusively to the Father, I will quickly dispel any false notion that the Holy Spirit did not indwell people before Jesus’ time on earth.  I Samuel chapter 16 recounts the story of Samuel being told by God to go and choose one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king of Israel.  God reveals to Samuel that Jesse’s youngest son, David, was to be the anointed chosen king over His people.  So verse 13 of I Samuel 16 says “Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.

I Samuel 11:6 recounts to us that even King Saul was filled with the Spirit after he had been anointed king over Israel.  “And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.”  Saul would later disobey God and as a result of his faithlessness God removed his Spirit from Saul and used David to fight for his people.

There are many other examples in the OT where people were filled with the Spirit: Sampson, Gideon, John the Baptist, Zechariah, Elizabeth.  It was the Holy Spirit who empowered those individuals to carry out their mighty deeds for the Lord and His people.  Also, the Spirit of God was hovering over the “face of the waters” at the onset of creation (Gen. 1:2). 

So the point I am making is simply that we need to look more specifically at the Godhead as we read through Scripture and identify which figure is carrying out which function.  One very important way that we can begin to do this is by understanding the meaning of the name(s) of God.  How God is named in the Bible can give us some clear indications as to who is at work in that particular part of the story.

The Son (Jesus Messiah):

In Genesis 1:1 when it says that “God” created the heavens and the earth, “God” is translated “El-ohim” from the Hebrew.  “El” is the generic root word for ”god”.  ”El” could be in reference to a false god (idol) or the true and living God of the Bible.  Elohim is translated “God the Mighty or God the Powerful.”  Elohim (Mighty God) is the most common reference to God in the Old Testament.  In our modern versions it is translated as “God.”  Now the thing that is fascinating about the use of Elohim in the Genesis account of creation is that Elohim is used in the plural, not singular tense!  So when we look at the creation account we already see the plurality of the Godhead- not just a “he” but a “they.”

Genesis 1:26 further drives home this point when it says: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (ESV)

Genesis does not give us the full details as to which figure of the Godhead is speaking there, just that one of the members of the Godhead (Father, Son or Spirit) spoke the world into existence.

So by His very spoken word, worlds came into existence: sun, earth, moon, stars, galaxies and all the elements that fill those bodies.  What immeasurable Wisdom, Intelligence and Power so far beyond our comprehension that all we can do is step back and praise the glory and grandeur of it!  Not only did it require immense strength to create the world, but imagine as best you can the amount of Power, Wisdom and Intelligence required to sustain this universe and keep it in harmony! 

New Testament References to Creation and the Creator

So who is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe?  Let me take you now to the New Testament.  Remember that the new explains the old! 

Hebrews 1:1 begins: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,  2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.  3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (ESV, bold and italics mine)

Amy still was not convinced!  So I said, “All right, now let me take you to another passage!  Let’s look at Colossians 1.”

Colossians 1:13 begins by speaking of how it was the Father’s plan to redeem us back to himself through the atoning work of his Son, Jesus Christ.  So let’s read Colossians 1:13-20: (again italics, parentheses and bold inserts below added by me)

13 He (the Father) has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,  14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  15 He (the Son) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  16 For by him (the Son, Jesus) all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.  17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.  19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,  20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Paul wanted his readers to know exactly who it was who had redeemed them from the darkness that they had been brought out of when God saved them (and us)!  Jesus Christ, the very one who created the world and holds it together, came and did the work to redeem us back to Himself, thus giving us access to the Father through the Spirit.  The preeminence of Christ means that He belongs in the first place of everything that exists, including our hearts and minds.  All things were made by him and for him.  That was the Father’s plan.  When Hebrews and Colossians speak of Jesus as being the firstborn of all creation and the heir of all things, that is referring to the inheritance.  Part of God’s eternal plan is to unite all things back to Christ. (Ephesians 1:10)  Referring to Jesus as the firstborn does not imply that He has a beginning, but rather that He is entitled to all things- His inheritance.  And we who have put our hope in him are his inheritance. 

With that in mind let’s look at a passage from the Old Testament and shed some light on it! 

Isaiah 44:24 states, “Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,…”" (ESV, italics mine)

Notice first the reference to LORD.  Capital letters denote a different name for God.  In fact, it is the personal name of God referenced here, Jehovah- the Eternal, Self-Existent One.  Also, Redeemer is capitalized, thus being used as a name for God.  A Redeemer in the Bible was someone who bought back (purchased) something or someone that used to belong to himself or one of his relatives.  Often times it was something lost or stolen from them, but later had to be bought back.  An example would be the land that belonged to Naomi’s dead husband that Boaz earned the rights to buy back for her when he married Ruth, Naomi’s daughter-in-law.

When we sinned we gave up the rights to our access to God the Father and in turn became slaves to our sinful flesh and followed the course of this world whose prince is the Devil (Eph. 2:1-4).  Jesus Christ came and lived a perfect sinless life and died the death earned by us, thus satisfying the debt that we owed to God for our disobedience and rebellion.  That substitutionary death was the payment (the ransom) required to REDEEM US BACK TO GOD!  Our LORD is our Redeemer.  Our Redeemer is our Creator according to Isaiah 44:24, and we know that our Redeemer is Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:13).  Therefore, our Redeemer is our Creator who is Jesus Christ!  The new explains the old!

To further drive home the point, look at John’s gospel.

John 1:1-10:  (ESV, bold and italics mine)

1(A) In the beginning was(B) the Word, and(C) the Word was with God, and(D) the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3(E) All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4(F) In him was life,[a] and(G) the life was the light of men. 5(H) The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

 6There was a man(I) sent from God, whose name was(J) John. 7He came as a(K) witness, to bear witness about the light,(L) that all might believe through him. 8(M) He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

 9(N) The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet(O) the world did not know him.

The Word, Jesus Christ, was in the beginning and all things were made through him!  Again, it is important to understand the name given to Jesus here.  It is “the Word”, that is Greek for logos: Logic, Wisdom, Intelligence.  All of the wisdom and intelligence necessary to create a world that would function like ours does with such precise balance and harmony is contained in the mind of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Proverbs 8:22-30 elaborate further on the eternal nature of the Son, referred to there as Wisdom as begotten from the Father.  At some point in eternity past the Father took Wisdom as if he were His Son and brought him into his bosom.  Together they formed the plan and brought the worlds into existence.  Creation was the manifestation of the wisdom of the Father worked out through the Son who put it on display in six days of creation.  This passage describes creation week like a Son taking over the family business that the Father has spent an entire lifetime preparing him for the working of it.

Hebrews 1:10 elaborates further speaking of the Son: “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands;”  Hebrews says this was spoken of the Son of God and not of angels.

Jesus  Is Still in the Creating Business!

Jesus said in John 14:1-2, “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God (theos), believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you.  Behold I am going to prepare a place for you!

Even now Jesus is creating and building his eternal kingdom and home- the holy city- the dwelling place for Him and his Bride, the church, forever.  Our Lord and Savior is supremely creative!  Every time one of us turns to him for salvation, he declares us to be a new creation in him and citizens of heaven! (Ephesians 2)

Back to Creation with an Illustration:

Now you may still be asking the question: ”But weren’t all three Persons of the Trinity involved in Creation?”  And I would say, “Yes, but not all in the role of creator.”  Let me use an illustration to explain the events of creation.  This is certainly not complete, but it conveys the general roles of the Trinity as best I understand them.

I am in the landscaping business and often times I am hired by someone to give their landscape a “facelift”!  So the owner calls me and invites me to their house and tells me they are tired of looking at their ugly, drab landscape.  He wants something new and nice that he can appreciate and enjoy!  So I go and meet with him and begin to discuss, often at some length and detail, what features he would like to see in the new design.  After a while I will begin to get an idea of what they like and don’t like, what will work in each part of the yard, and which plants and objects are best suited to each section of the landscape.  At some point the owners leave it up to me to design the new landscape for them.  That point being when they know that what I am going to produce will be beautiful and functional according to their will.  But in each design I make, I strive to incorporate the characteristics that are suitable to both the owner and the designer.  Once the design is in place and approved by the owner, then a plan is put into effect to complete the work.  That is where the employees and the tools come into play.  They along with myself put the plan into motion and bring the idea into existence.  I give commands and directions and they are carried out by my staff and tools.  Over time, my employees work along with our equipment to accomplish the plan as I envisioned it, thus creating a new landscape.  Throughout the whole process, owner, designer, and staff work together to bring the plan to completion. 

That is how I see the relationship between the Father, Son and Spirit.  The Father establishes his will, which is to put his glory, grace, and wisdom on display, and He wants to exalt his Son.  So he gives the Son free reign to create a world full of creatures and objects that will bring praise and glory to his name.  However, a perfect world would not have the awareness of His grace, only his Majesty.  So he allowed the Deceiver to tread this earth and lead people into rebellion.  This was no accident.  The Father and Son both knew that Man would fall from grace, but that through His redemption we along with every other created being both here and in heaven would experience and gain a deeper knowledge of the immeasurable riches of his grace and the manifold wisdom of God. (Again Ephesians 1-3 spell this out in much more beautiful language than I can!)  Third, the Spirit searches the mind of God.  And when Jesus spoke the world into existence, the Spirit was there to carry out the work of putting the words into form.  It was the Holy Spirit who gave Jesus his miracle working power while he walked this earth (Luke 3-5) and it is the Holy Spirit who empowers us to have the faith to let the power of Christ reign in our hearts (Eph. 3:16-17).  That is why I think the Spirit is mentioned in Genesis 1:2 as hovering over the face of the waters.  He was waiting for the Lord to speak.  “Let there be light.”  POW!!! Light was there instantly.  Again this is my speculation, but we know from Revelation 21 that Jesus, the Lamb, is the whole light of heaven.  All of the holy city is lit up by the radiance of his glory.  My opinion is that Day 1 of creation was Jesus manifesting himself in this dimension we call the Universe.  Jesus said, “I am the light of the world”.  That is a spiritual and literal proclamation.  Then as the days of creation progressed and God began to put detail into the creation, Jesus would speak his design and the Spirit would ”breathe life” into the objects spoken into existence.  In Ephesians 6 Paul is using the armor of a soldier to illustrate how we are to stand against spiritual forces of evil.  In verse 17 he says that we have one weapon amongst our armor, which is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  The “word” is “rhema” in Greek.  The spoken word of God.  When confronted by evil, we are compelled to do one thing: Go to God in prayer and proclaim that which He has already spoken to be true.  God speaks, the Spirit acts: Mission accomplished!  Jesus refuted every temptation of the Devil by speaking Scripture to him!  There is tremendous power in the very words of God (both Father and Son).

Conclusion:

After sharing much of this with Amy, she has come to understand it and appreciate Jesus even more as she sees in more detail who He is and what He has done.  But she had a few more questions.  “Why isn’t this ever talked about?  Why does it seem like I have never heard this before?”  For that I have no good answer.  Since then I have had this conversation with other people, and Jesus as Creator was a foreign concept to them as well.  But the New Testament scriptures are very clear that “by him and through him” all things were made. 

So why is all this relevant to my daily life?  Why does it matter that I know specifically that it was Jesus who spoke the world into existence?  It matters to me because I want to know my God.  For to know Him is to love Him, and to love Him is to obey Him.  When God created the world he declared it “good.”  It was good because it was all according to His plan.  When I look around every day and see all the glorious beauty that has been made then I can be reminded that the One who died for me is the same one who is re-creating me and conforming me back into the image of Himself.  This world and my life is a manifestation of God’s grace and power and glory, and I want to spend eternity lavishing in the splendor of all of it!  Amen

2010
11/06
CATEGORY
My Thoughts
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Fall is a great time to landscape!

Here are a couple pictures from one of our latest projects!

We are also reestablishing the back yard by transitioning from centipede grass to fescue to handle the heavy shade.  The other side of the house has been regraded to correct drainage problems.  All of the water was running down the mulch edges creating a lot of erosion.  In fact the water could run all the way up to the house rather than flowing away from it!  Water should flow through the grass down a slope or underground through drain pipes, not through mulch!  You are asking for an eyesore if that is happening in your yard!  We corrected that problem by installing both drain pipes and a swale through the grass! 

Give me a call if you need any help with your yard and you live near Greenville!

2010
10/08
CATEGORY
Keystone Lawn
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Ephesians 3 Overview Presented to Mens Group Leaders

Ephesians 3 Overview

For those of you who just can’t get enough of me (that would be about 2 of you, maybe just one!!!), I figured I would go ahead and post the teaching I was fortunate enough to do for the men who are going through the book of Ephesians this fall at our church- Southside Fellowship.

The audio came out a little distorted unfortunately.  The main volume was turned up too high on the receiver, but like I say you die-hards can still hear it well enough!  It has been a great experience getting ready for this as I have been able to meet with three pastors and two other lay men in the church.  We have been going through the whole book of Ephesians together gaining a better understanding of it.  I have learned a lot from the Word and from these other men. 

Most of what I normally do as far as teaching goes is a lot of guided discussions where there is a lot of conversation.  This session was much more of me just disseminating information and sharing what God has taught me.  However, there was a good bit of discussion at times as we covered the major points of the passage.  I love to hear how the Word of God speaks to the hearts of other people, and the Spirit was certainly present that morning.  These meetings go from 6 am from 7:30 am! 

It is over an hour, so don’t feel like you have to listen to it all at once! 

Below is the link to listen to the session:

Ephesians 3 Overview

Enjoy and feel free to post any feedback!

For those interested, the other 3 sessions before mine can be found at the following site:

Mens Leadership Training

2010
10/05
CATEGORY
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A Real Life Gospel Story!

(The following events are real, only the names are omitted to protect the guilty!)

There was a certain man who owned a small business.  One day one of his employees, who was generally of the jovial sort and tried to always make his fellow coworkers laugh and have a good time, thought he would do something a little crazy to get a good laugh out of everyone.
Their business was located outdoors and this fellow decided he would pretend he was Bo or Luke from the Dukes of Hazzard and do a flip/spin/slide over one of the other guy’s cars. So he took a run at it, stuck his foot up to spring off the side of the car and flip over it!  Only there was just one problem!  He did not jump/spin/spring over the car; rather his foot firmly planted itself in the rear quarter-panel and sank in deep leaving a nice size 12 shoe dent in the metal!

Stunned at what he had just done he quickly looked around and soon realized that no one was even watching him!  Had he pulled the stunt off, no one would have even saw him do it!  Now totally embarrassed he had to confess to his boss and to the coworker who owned the car what he had just done.  How quickly can a day be ruined!  After just trying to do something funny he was now looking at a $400-$500 paint and car body repair job on someone else’s car!  Not to mention the fact that he may have damaged a relationship with his coworker friend.

Imagine what he must have been thinking and feeling that day!  How much is this going to cost me?  How do I tell him what I just did?  How do I tell my wife I just kicked in a guy’s back fender for no reason?  Can I use my insurance?  Can I use his insurance?  Can I blame someone else?  Is he going to want to kick in my back fender!?!

Well, later that day the guy confessed what he did to his boss and coworker in order to clear the air and offered to make amends. 

Let me just pause right here in the story and ask you a question.  Do ever wonder how the gospel story of Jesus Christ relates to real life stories here and now today in our lives.  Do you realize that the gospel is not only the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16) but also the guide for daily living (Titus 2:11-13)?  The following events in the story illustrate how the gospel applied in everyday life can show others the love of Christ.

Well, a few days later the boss was telling his father the story of what happened.  The father just happens to be coming to town later that week!  Not only that, but the father can do car body repair and painting.  He proceeds to tell the son that he can bring his tools with him and fix the car if they want him to.

After relaying the message, the guy who did the damage said he would be happy to pay the father instead of a stranger to repair the damage he had caused.  So the father came to town later that week and spent a hot August day working on the car, pulling out the dents, smoothing the fender and covering the damaged it all with a fresh coat of paint.  In fact,when he was finished it looked better than before the dent was put there!

When the offender and the offended saw the work they were both amazed and satisfied at the quality of the work and the beauty of the finished product.  In fact, it almost made the rest of the car look worse compared to the refinished work.  The guy then asked the father, “I appreciate what you have done.  Just tell me how much I owe you.”

The Father says, “Ah, nothin’.  Don’t worry about it!”

“What!  No, I want to pay you.  What I did was stupid and I don’t deserve to get away with it for nothing!  Just tell me what I owe you and I will be happy to pay.” 

The Father said again, “Ahhh….”  And then he just went on and started talking about something else trying to change the subject!

Why would the Father go work all day in the heat for a guy he hardly knows, in order to fix the damage he had caused a fellow employee and friend (whom he had never met previously) and demand nothing in return?

Simple, because those guys know his son.  And because they are both important to his son.  The Father can say to the guilty Man, “I will show my favor (grace) toward you; not because of who you are, but because of who you are in relationship to my son!”

The father is a living testimony of what the gospel looks like when carried out in real life.  We are given spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit.  Yours may be teaching or evangelism or administration or giving or coordinating or something else.  Unfortunately, most people think that the spiritual gifts are for them.  They are not!  The more one comes to understand the Christian life the more he understands the it is all about serving.  Jesus gave his life away for us, and he simply calls us to give our lives away for God and for others.  (See Hebrews 10:19-25) 

We are given spiritual gifts in order to give what talents we already have away joyfully for the benefit of others.  When we do that we will see vivid examples of God showing up in our lives!  Spiritual gifts are simply those things that we are already good at and enjoy doing, and turning around and using them for others’ benefit while expecting nothing in return!

In this true story, the Father enjoys working.  That is his hobby.  He loves to tinker on cars, tractors, houses, trucks, etc.  He would rather do that than go watch a baseball game or go to a movie.  It is even better when he can do some project with some friends or family!  And because he is in Christ and Christ is in him, he can find joy in doing hard, hot, and sometimes dirty job for someone’s benefit at no cost to them!

Living the gospel story is simply doing for others what Jesus Christ has done for you.  He has given you this tremendous gift that you did nothing to earn.  In fact, you caused great damage that demanded retribution.  But if you know the Son then the Father pours out his lovingkindness on you now and forever!

That, my friend, is a real life gospel story!

Now, go out and find the gospel story God wants to write through you.

2010
08/21
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The Purpose of Jesus’ Baptism

Have you ever wondered why Jesus was baptized?  Have you ever wondered why Luke 3 goes from this climatic moment of the Father speaking from heaven right into a geneology?  (snoozer)  Right?  Then he goes right back into the wilderness temptations of Jesus by the Devil himself.  Wouldn’t it make more sense for Luke to put the geneology somewhere earlier in the book?  Like around the birth of Jesus as in Matthew’s gospel?  It would certainly make for easier reading, right? 

But let us pause for a few minutes and think about what was going on during this very significant life changing event of the baptism of Jesus.  And to better understand what happened there we need to go back to the first two kings of Israel- King Saul and King David.

I Samuel 10:1-6 says  Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his (Saul’s) head and kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies.  And this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you to be prince over his heritage.   …  And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying.  6 Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.

Samuel the prophet anointed Saul as king, and soon after the king was filled with the Spirit.  We know that later God removed his Spirit from Saul after his disobedience and consortium with a sorceress.  Moving forward, let’s look at what happened with King David. 

I Samuel 16: 12 says “And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.”  13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.”

When Samuel anointed David to be the king of Israel, the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him from that day forward!  Yes, that Holy Spirit!  That One that filled the disciples of Jesus at Pentecost sounding like a mighty rushing wind.  Remember what happened not long after David was anointed?  A guy named Goliath was mocking Israel and its God.  David took offense to it; so he took down a giant with a small stone and a slingshot.  Your Sunday School teacher may have told you it was because David was an expert marksman.  I have a feeling it was something else inside him aiming that rock!  He would go on to fight and defeat all of Israel’s enemies even while Saul was sitting on the throne.  No where do you see David losing a battle while he was obedient and faithful to God.  He was able to defeat the enemies of God’s people.   God also established a covenant with David promising that the future kings of Israel and eventually the Messiah (The Anointed One) would come from one his descendants.  In fact God told David that he would establish his throne forever through his seed (2 Samuel 7).

Notice how I Chronicles 11 describes the relationship between David and Saul:  I Chronicles 11:1  Then all Israel gathered together to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh.  2 In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.’ ”  3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel.  (ESV)

Let’s return to the scene in Bethany at the Jordan River where John is baptizing.  Jesus comes along and tells John that he is ready to be baptized.  John knows that Jesus is a man of honor who does not need to be baptized for the repentance of his sins, but Jesus tells him to baptize him in order that the law might be fulfilled.  What law is that?  When God established a king over Israel he used a prophet to anoint that king.  God chose John to be the prophet through whom He would reveal His Anointed to Israel.  Notice the comparison:  Samuel pours oil over the heads of Saul and David, shortly thereafter the Holy Spirit rushes upon them and they gain great power.  John immerses Jesus in water and then soon after the Holy Spirit comes upon Jesus and he gains great power and authority!  The power to do miracles, cast out demons, give sight to the blind, proclaim good news to the poor.  The power to defeat Satan and his temptations.

But you may say, “Jesus never took the throne of Israel!  In fact they mocked him for it at his crucifixion.”  True.  But just like David who had the power of the Spirit on his life even though he did not sit on the throne for many years until Saul died, even so Jesus assumed the power of God and began to live as the Defender and Protector of His people over our enemy, namely the Devil.  Jesus is the king of Israel today and forever, he just has not taken his seat on the earthly throne- yet.  But that day is coming!  The King is Coming back!  He has made a covenant with his people and He will someday sit on that throne and rule and reign forever!

So why the geneology right after the baptism?  I hope you see it now.  That is the line from Mary back to David back to Adam back to God.  Mary’s bloodline was uncorrupted seed of David.  The king of Israel could rightfully pass through her.  Matthew’s geneology is of Joseph, but he was a descendent of Jechoniah.  He was cursed by God and told that the Messiah would not come from his descendents! 

Jesus, the son of Mary and conceived of by the Holy Ghost, was the rightful king anointed by the last Old Covenant Prophet, John the Baptist as was revealed to him by the Father in Heaven.  It is a fascinating parallel between Samuel, his mother (formerly barren), and David to John, his mother (formerly barren), and Jesus.  Can you really doubt that God is in control? 

Jesus Christ is the savior and defender of his people, shepherd of his sheep, creator and ruler of all creation, righteous judge, King of kings and Lord of lords!

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.  11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Ephesians 6:10-12 (ESV)

2010
08/18
CATEGORY
Gospel of Luke Commentary
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What has happened to holiness?

Continued commentary from The Gospel of Luke…

Luke 3:2-4 (ESV)  …During the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.  3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. …

One day early this summer I was mowing a rather large lawn which went way back off of the road and backed up to another lot which contained a large garden.  While mowing in the back part near the garden a Korean man came out and stopped me to ask a question.  He could speak very little English and I speak no Korean, so it took a few minutes to realize he wanted permission to cut down a small grove of trees in the back corner of the lot I was mowing, as well as some trees off the fenceline, to give his garden more sunlight!  I did not own this property, but I told him that I would be happy to give him the phone number of the owner who rents it out!  My customer happens to be an Indian!  Needless to say, the Korean man insisted that I call for him since he could not speak much English.  So I called Mr. Patel and told him the situation, and he said he would come over and talk to the man.  They both wanted me to stick around to help interpret, even though I do not speak Indian or Korean!  Go figure!

The meeting finally broke up between the two men after they came to some agreement on the trees.  While I was standing in the back yard with my customer having a conversation he looked around at the quiet serenity of the place we were in and said, “This reminds me of those small farming villages in India.” 

“Why do you say that?”  I asked. 

Vijay said, “You see that grove of trees over there?  In India they would put a hammock under those trees and take a nice long nap in the afternoons while it is hot.  They are limited in what they are able to do because they are so poor, so they just sleep through the heat of the day and finish their business after it cools back down.”

“Sounds good to me!”  I replied.  “Oh to go back to the simple life with fewer worries and stress, and just be able to focus on the necessities.”

As I thought on what he was saying I finally realized the significance of why John the Baptist dwelt in the wilderness.  First, we must go back to the announcement of his coming to Zechariah in Luke 1.  Gabriel commanded Zechariah that he must not drink wine or strong drink (Luke 1:15).  What he was saying there was that John would have a Nazirite vow placed over his head from the day he was born.  Numbers 6 goes into the details of what a man or woman must do when they take a Nazirite vow.  If you read that you will see that this was a sign of one’s willingness to be separated from certain things for a certain period time in order to demonstrate holiness before God.  It was not required that one keep the vow their whole life, but there were requirements for the time they were under the vow.  They could not cut their hair, they could not drink wine or consume any part of the grape for that matter, they could not touch anything that was dead, and when they were finished they had to offer a sacrifice and cut their hair completely off.

Sampson and Samuel were two other notorious men who were Nazirites from birth.  In fact, it is a wonderful comparison study to look at Hannah and Samuel along side Zechariah, Elizabeth and John the Baptist.  I would encourage you to read I Samuel and Luke correspondingly.  I will write later of some fascinating parallels!

So John was born with restrictions placed upon his behavior and eating and appearance.  When Luke picks back up on his life he has reached adulthood.  He specifically notes that he is living in the wilderness, and that is where his ministry takes place.  Matthew 3 records that he wore clothes made out of camels hair and ate locusts and wild honey.  If you did not know that he lived his life under the Nazirite vow you might think he was being different just for the sake of being different.  But that is not the case.  He was different because he chose to remain holy (i.e. set apart).  He would not allow himself to be influenced by the culture of his day.  Apparently, the best place for him to keep his vow was in the wilderness.

Just like the poor farmer in India who only needs to make sure he has enough food and provisions to support his family, John only had one thing he needed to focus on.  He was called by God to “prepare the way of the Lord.” 

Living in the wilderness gives you a single focus- survival.  It is not easy living out there.  If you were living in the wilderness you would only be concerned with having the necessities- food, water, shelter and clothing.  Toys and luxuries would only be an added burden for one to carry.  We live today in stark contrast to that mentality.  The basic necessities of life can seem to come as a given, and we spend vast amounts of energy and resources acquiring the things we desire for pleasure or comfort.  I can become consumed with working hard to become wealthy and to have more and better stuff.  Sometimes I even find myself working harder thinking that will gain me more time to rest! 

John was willing to live up to the vow placed upon his head even before he was born.  He was willing to give up the fast pace of the “exciting” city life and live in the desert eating locusts and wild honey and wearing camel hair robes in order to keep his heart and mind pure before the Lord.  For the message God gave to John was to preach was for His people Israel to repent of their selfishness and begin to put other peoples’ needs ahead of their own wants. 

Luke 3:10-14 records what kind of people were coming to hear John preach.  He tells them to share out of their abundance, stop collecting more than they are due, and do not extort people of their property.  John could preach this strong message from a pure conscience because he himself was not a slave to possessions. 

You see, to live like Jesus you must be willing to give away everything.  For that is what Jesus did for you.  The Christian life is simply living like Jesus lived.  Paul told the Ephesian to imitate him as he imitates Christ (Eph. 5:1).  We are no longer slaves to our sin nature.  Rather we have been set free from sin in order to serve God and others.  This is essential holiness. 

So I find myself wondering, “what has happened to holiness today?”  Ephesians 1 and 5 tell us Christ is preparing for himself a bride that is holy and blameless.  I fear that too many of us think that we will have more “influence” on the world if we live with the same priorities as they do.  “Don’t do anything too crazy; they’ll all think you’re nuts.”  So we take the same jobs, drive the same cars, buy the same houses, go to the same movies, take the same vacations, eat the same food, drink the same drinks, listen to the same music, get divorced for the same reasons, share the same political viewpoints, etc. because we value and enjoy the same things.  Much of it can even be defended as being part of our freedom in Christ. 

But what are we willing to give up in order to stay separated from the influence of this world and all it has to offer?  What must we do in order to set our minds on things above, where Christ is?  (Col. 3:1)  What would you do to be a vessel for the Lord in the same mold as John the Baptist?  Luke 3 says that the “word of the Lord came to John in the wilderness.”  Out there- away from all the noise, the crowds, the lights, the action. 

Just John (and apparently lots of locusts and bees )

and God

and a Message.

Later when Jesus began his ministry huge crowds began to follow him to hear him preach and to be healed.  So Jesus would stay until every last one of them got the message and were healed right?  Wrong!  Sometimes Jesus would have to get away from them all and pray  (Luke 5).  After Jesus’ baptism he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty (40) days- praying and fasting.  (Luke 4:1)

Just Jesus and

the Father

the Holy Spirit

and the Message (Prayer).

Satan came to tempt him at his weakest point physically, but he failed to realize that in the wilderness Jesus became razor sharp spiritually.  Luke 4 records that he went into the desert filled with the Spirit and he came out of the desert filled with the Spirit!

Many Christians go through life wondering why nothing amazing spiritually ever happens to them.  My question is,

When is it ever just

You

and the Father

the Son

the Spirit

and the Message

in the Wilderness?

You may never hear the call of the Lord if you never spend any time in the wilderness.  That is where real life begins!

2010
08/02
CATEGORY
Gospel of Luke Commentary
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How to Beat the Heat

As a landscaper I am often asked, “How can you stand working out in that awful heat all day?”  Of course, if I answered that question I would be giving away important trade secrets and then everyone would become a landscaper, right!?!

Perhaps there are some life lessons to be learned from time spent working under the intense rays of the sun all day.  Oh Alright, I will give away a few!  First, the only way to beat the heat is to simply learn to endure it.  Only a fool would get into this line of work without first considering the fact that it is a hot and sweaty job for at least 4-5 months per year.  Sure you can drink plenty of cold liquids (sweet tea is my favorite!) and wear the proper clothing (cotton so it can breathe), but nothing short of getting out of it overcomes the heat.  So you just endure it.

In fact, sweat is your biggest ally!  The biggest reason people who are not used to the heat roast when they go outside is because they do not want to break a sweat.  That is understandable if you are in dress clothes or church clothes or something of the sort.  But if you are in hot, direct sunlight and do not begin to sweat rapidly you will have no mechanism to absorb the heat and energy from off your skin. 

Thomas Edison said that success was determined by 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.  No matter what industry or trade you choose to endeavor, you must endure the obstacles and potential setbacks to achieve long term success.  I enjoy the variety and challenges of lawn care, landscaping and being a business owner.  I primarily deal with a heat that comes from the sun, but I pity many a man and woman who deal with the “heat” of a brutal boss or pesky customers or downsizing or economic downturns and so forth.  Everyone has to deal with some sort of “heat”, but if you want to be successful you must learn to endure it and focus on the goals laid out before you.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. I Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

2010
07/28
CATEGORY
Keystone Lawn
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Jesus: The Messiah and The Son of God

Continued commentary from Luke:

There are two cornerstone statements around which two religions hang their hope.  The Jews were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah – literally the Anointed One- or the Christ (Greek).  We as Christians look back to Jesus as the only begotten Son of God who came as the Messiah and Redeemed all mankind from sin.  Luke deals specifically with both of these issues with directness and clarity at the beginning of his gospel. 

We talk about Jesus Christ or say Jesus was the Son of God, but how can we be so certain that these are true statements?  In fact we may say it so much that we don’t even stop to contemplate what we are saying.  But to someone grappling with Christianity that is “The Big Question.”  Is Jesus really who his followers say he is?  Was he the Son of God and the Savior of the world?  And, if so, then how? 

The main premise of the Gospel of Luke addresses this very key issue.  He wanted his original reader(s), Theophilus, to have certainty regarding the things he had heard about Jesus. (Luke 1:4)  This is very important to keep in mind as we read through the Gospel of Luke.   In fact the early events and dialogues that Luke records are specifically designed to give the reader multiple eyewitness accounts from multiple sources as to the veracity of the claims made about Jesus by his followers then and now. 

This is essentially a case presented before a jury as to whether the claim you are making is true or false.  The jury is you – the reader.  I want to take you through each of the main parts of Luke’s account of Jesus birth, childhood, and early ministry and show you what each story reveals about Jesus.  These events often had multiple and numerous eyewitnesses who could verify the claims made by Luke.  In fact, if what Luke wrote about were false, then the people present at each of these events would have refuted and stalled the movement at its inception.  Remember, the Pharisees and other enemies of Jesus never denied his supernatural acts, they denied that his power came from God.  Therefore, he could not be the rightful Son of God or the Messiah.

Notice below the progression of characters and what they say about Jesus. 

Angel Gabriel:

Luke 1:30 – 33 (ESV)  And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.  32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,  33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”  34  And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”  35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of hthe Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”

Son of the Most High, that is literally Son of El Elyon.  When Abraham met Melchizedek, priest/king of Salem, he identified himself as the priest of the Most High God, or El Elyon.  Abraham proceeded to offer him a tithe, symbolizing the honor given to one who is greater.  He was then blessed by Melchizedek.  (Genesis 14:17-24)  This is the same name alluded to here by the angel Gabriel and in many other places in Luke.

Mary:

Luke 1:46 (ESV)  And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.  For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

Why?  Because she is the mother of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!  Son of God, Son of Man.

Elizabeth and John (in her womb!)

Luke 1:41 – 45 (ESV) And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,  42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Not only did the Holy Spirit fill Elizabeth, but it also got a hold of the baby in her womb as well and they both testified as to who this baby was inside of Mary!  Note that Elizabeth says all of this as Mary is coming to greet her; they had not spoken yet.  And contrary to Zechariah, when Mary received the message from the angel Gabriel, she believed him and accepted the words as truth.

Zechariah:

Luke 1:76 (ESV)  …and you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways …

Spoken during his prophetic return to speech after the birth of his son, John.  You should spend some time reading that prophecy, for it gives a great summary of where Israel was coming from and where it was going during his time.  He goes back to Abraham and the covenant and looks forward to the ministry of his son and then onto the Savior himself!

Angels:

Luke 2:10 – 11 (ESV)  And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

This has become one of my favorite passages in the Bible!  “For unto you“  Who?  You bunch of dirty, unsanctified bottom-feeding shepherds, that’s who!  For unto you is born this day a Savior!  No wonder they went running through the city shouting the good news!  No one in the religious establishment was telling them they had a Savior, but the angels sent by the Father in heaven were telling them they had hope and redemption and a newborn King! 

Simeon:

 Luke 2:26-30 (ESV)  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.  27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law,  28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,  29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation…

Anna:

Luke 2:38 (ESV) And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Jump ahead 12 years to the time of the Passover Feast.  Up until this point there have been 7 events/characters who have attested to the divinity of Jesus.  As we move ahead behind thise body of evidence the proof gets stronger:

Jesus (as a boy):

Luke 2:49-50 (ESV)  And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”  50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.

Had Mary forgotten how it came to be that she had her first boy?  Anyway.  Many people wonder why this is the only story recorded of Jesus’ boyhood events.  I do not get too caught up in the circumstances of what happened as to why Jesus got left behind.  Rather, I hope you are starting to get the picture of what Luke is trying to get us to see about who this Jesus is.  He records one comment from the very lips of our 12 year old Savior himself.  That he was in the temple which was his Father’s house.  Jesus was reminding his family about who he was and also publicly declaring that he was the Son of God!  Perhaps this was the first time Jesus said it or the most public time in which he said it, but it was significant enough for Luke to record it as being a true story about Jesus.  Also, there would be corroborating witnesses to the story.

John the Baptist:

Luke 3: 16 (ESV)  John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  

Everyone acknowledged that John was at least a prophet.  But John declared that one mightier than he was coming after him.  John’s whole purpose in life was to be the forerunner of the Messiah in order to prepare the peoples’ heart for the coming Savior. 

God the Father:

John 3:21-22 (ESV)  And when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened,  22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

First the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus in the form of a dove, then a voice from heaven!  That should have left no doubt in the minds of everyone present as to the true identity of Jesus!  But isn’t it amazing how doubt can creep in over time when the enemy attacks?  That is exactly what the Devil began to do to Jesus as soon as he was filled with the Spirit.  How did he begin every temptation?  “IF you are the Son of God, then …”  Jesus was the Son of God and he used the words of the Lord to refute every temptation showing that he had the power over sin.

Jesus:

Luke 4:12 (ESV)  And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

Then what should have been an amazing coronation when Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth turned into a bloodthirsty mob ready to throw him off a cliff!

For Jesus stood up in the midst of his hometown fellows in the synagogue and quoted from Isaiah 61 saying…

Luke 4:18 (ESV) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor …

Jesus went home and stood up in the synagogue and declared himself to be The Anointed of God.  At first the people were happy to hear those gracious words from him, but when Jesus reveals their prejudice and unbelief the people turned on him and tried to kill him!  It is interesting to ponder what Jesus did to escape his townspeople, because it is not like he ran away as far as he could get from them to prevent further harm!  He simply went down to Galilee, which was only 20 miles from Nazareth and spent a good deal of his ministry time there!

Demons:

What?  That’s right!  More than anyone, it seems.  They were constantly blurting out who Jesus was.  Like they were trying to “out” him or something, because he was constantly rebuking them for it.  For example:

Luke 4:33 – 35 (ESV)  33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,  34 “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”  35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.

Check this verse out:

Luke 4:41 (ESV) And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

And another:

Luke 8:28 (ESV) When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.”  29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.

Let me illustrate the seeming paradox of the evil ones identifying Jesus as Lord.  There are people who love Tiger Woods and there are people who despise Tiger Woods and think he is a sleeze ball for his extramarital affairs.  But is there any informed person in this world who would deny that he is the greatest golfer of our time?  No!  Love him or hate him, you would have to admit his position and ability, whether or not you would model your entire golf game and personal life after his.

Jesus came into this world as the Son of God and the Messiah whom Israel had long awaited.  Luke leaves for us numerous examples from both reputable and even some irreputable sources, but they all made the same confession as to the nature of Jesus.  So as you meditate on these two key truths about Jesus, let it be reflected in how you pray, how you share your faith and how you defend your faith.  You should be quick to bring anyone who has any doubts about the divinity of Jesus to the first four chapters of Luke and show them what the Bible clearly says about him and ask them to show you proof to the contrary!

2010
07/28
CATEGORY
Gospel of Luke Commentary
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