We conclude the first section of Luke which is all about "beginnings," and why we should believe “with certainty” that Jesus is the Savior sent from God. In this story, we see that although the people of His home town praised Him, yet they rejected His prophecy concerning them. And we see Jesus’ own words declaring that He is the Messiah.
We see further evidence that Jesus is “the One,” as he defeats the wiles of the devil. We will be reminded that Jesus faced unique temptations, and yet we learn from them. And we will see Jesus as “the Adam” who was successful.
Our writer, Luke, as this story begins pronouncedly turns now from highlighting the ministry of John to introducing the initial ministry of the main character of his account, Jesus. Luke’s primary concern in today’s passage is to reveal Jesus to his readers as the one who John had pronounced, unmistakable unique. So, we will compare Luke’s own purpose of relating Jesus’ baptism narrative to the purposes of the other gospel writers. And, hopefully, we will all agree together that there is no one like Jesus.
We were left with a cliffhanger leaving the application of John’s prophetical message hanging in the balance. What is the response of the gathered crowd to John’s baptism of repentance? Today, we investigate such matters and discover the question necessarily present in every repentant heart. We will find that in this “new movement of faith,” there is an old and familiar call to be transformed into the image of God’s own nature. Finally, we will witness the refining of the people’s understanding of who Messiah is and what the result of His coming will initiate.
We are sorry, because of technical difficulties we do not have a video for this week.
We see the very beginning of the ministry of John the Baptist, and he doesn’t enter the scene like a lamb — but like a lion. In this passage, we learn the time frame of his ministry and the heart of his message. And one thing is for sure, you either repent or reject, as John leaves no room for anyone to “stand in the middle.”
We continue our study of the birth of John the Baptist and again we see God's perfect timing in our lives. We also see that God doesn't like it when we don't trust Him, and there is a penalty for our doubt.
We look at the story that begins the Gospel of Luke — a childless, old and unknown couple. It is an odd way to start the story of Jesus, but it is Luke’s way to help us have the background that we need. Today we see the power of God, and the answer to an often-prayed prayer.
We begin a long and exciting journey in my favorite of the Gospels — Luke. In this study, we will try to understand the book as a whole before we begin to devour it in small bite-sized pieces. It will take us three years to complete this study, but when we are finished, I believe we will have a depth of understanding, and a great appreciation for this wonderful book.