John the Baptist and Baptism

 

The Message of John the Baptist and Jesus' Baptism

 Book of Luke Chapter 3

 

 In Chapter 2, we can read about the Lord Jesus as a twelve-year-old, but just a few verses later, we find our Savior at thirty years old.

 The rule of the nation of Israel and the Head of the priests is in the hands of people who do not care about Yahweh and will reject His Messiah.

 Pontius Pilate has been placed in Jerusalem to rule over God's land.

 Herod, a descendant of Esau, has been placed as King of Israel, and we know that the descendants of Esau have always been haters of God's people.

 Oba 1:6  How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!

 Oba 1:10  For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

 There are two High Priests, but there is no time when God said there should be two High Priests.

 Joh 18:13  And led him away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.

 At the end of this book, we will see how these political and religious leaders conspired to bring the Lord Jesus Christ to the cross that Jesus came to die on.

 The first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Messiah, was and still is the pivotal point in the history of our world!

 The earth that rejects our Divine God got a chance to see Him and what He stands for.

 The impact that the Lord Jesus made upon this world can never be overstated.

 John the Baptist paves the way.

 *****Luk 3:1  Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

Luk 3:2  Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Luk 3:3  And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

Luk 3:4  As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Luk 3:5  Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

Luk 3:6  And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Luke gives us an accurate picture of history in the early days of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Luke, with the help of the Holy Spirit, is showing us just how corrupt the government and the religious circles were on that day.

 The false High Priest, Annas, had been removed from office by the then Roman procurator, Valerius Gratus, but he continued to hold power over the High Priest office, with Caiaphas being his stepson.

 Rome wanted control over the religion of the Jews, and this was their way of doing this.

 This is the same thing China, and some other nations, keep control over some churches that teach Christianity.

 God had commanded that all High Priests were to be in the line of Aaron.

 God's call to John the Baptist came while he was in the wilderness, which was a sparsely populated area.

 God found John in a most obscure place.

 God always knows where we are and what we are doing.

 The Word of God can reach any place at any time because the Holy Spirit goes where He pleases.

 Today, the Holy Spirit is the most powerful Deity on the face of this earth, and we know that He will not always strive with man or mankind.

 The call of God is a personal matter, and this is the way God continues to work.

 He loves personal relationships with each of us.

 This Jordan is not the nation Jordan that we know of today, but the River Jordan where John could find a place to baptize those who repented.

 We will notice that John would not baptize those who would not repent of their sins.

The Church has been lax in this regard.

 The Lord Jesus Christ said: Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

 In other words, the Lord Jesus states that there are no exceptions to this command.

 Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 

 The work of John the Baptist was in fulfillment of prophecy.

 Isa 40:1  Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God

Isa 40:2  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. 

Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isa 40:4  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

Isa 40:5  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

 Notice John does not call them back to the Laws of Moses; John calls them to repent of their sin.

 We must repent of our sin and our old life before we can be members of God’s family!

 They had to recognize that they were sinners just as we do today.

 John was called to serve God rather than to serve religion!

 Religion will send you to Hell. Only Christianity can get you to Heaven.

 John, as a descendant of his father Zacharias, was to train for five years and then serve

 at the Temple when his time came, but God had other plans for John.

 If our ministry does not align with God's plans, then we are in the wrong ministry.

 What is repentance?

 Repentance means that if anyone wished to be forgiven of their sins, they would turn from their sins and change their lives; then and only then could they be baptized.

 It should be obvious that we cannot do this without the Holy Spirit, but it must be our goal.

 Baptism was a sign to their neighbors and the world that they were changing their lives because they wanted God's forgiveness.

 As Christians, we follow in baptism because we follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Act 17:29  Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

Act 17:30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:

Act 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

 There would be no animal sacrifice; there would only be a living sacrifice.

 Rom_12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

 John's baptism was a sign that a man wanted forgiveness it was not the means of forgiveness.

Baptism does not wash away sins!

 It would be that changed life that would determine if these things came from the heart, just as it is today.

 Forgiveness of sins is conditional upon that repentance and that changed life.

 A person who truly repents will turn away from sin and turn to God!

 Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

 The Holy Ghost(Holy Spirit)  will not move into a dirty house!

 Act 3:19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Act 3:20  And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

 It was John's job to prepare the world for the coming of the Lord, and He would come first to the Jews because this was His promise, even though He knew they would reject Him and would then go to the Gentiles.

 Amo 4:12  Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

Amo 4:13  For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.

 The Jews will not reject the Lord Jesus a second time!

 *****Luk 3:7  Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

 We had better be aware that the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not for entertainment.

 That sad fact is that John the Baptist would not be allowed to preach in many churches today because he preached the truth, and neither would the Lord Jesus Christ for the same reason.

 John preached the coming "judgment" of God. People do not want to hear about the judgment of God!

 So many today concentrate upon the love of God, which is very great, but they reject the judgment of God on the unbeliever, and they are wrong.

 No matter what different preachers preach, there will be a day of God's wrath!

 I admitted to God that I was a terrible sinner because I was!

 In fact, I am still a sinner only saved by the "Grace" of God, and He is still working on me.

 A viper is the great enemy of souls!

 Mat 23:33  Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

A sinner is anyone who has voluntarily violated the divine law; a moral agent who has voluntarily disobeyed any divine precept, or neglected any known duty.

 All sinners are devoted to sin.

 1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

1Ti 1:16  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.  

 The wrath of God is not coming to those who fall in love with Jesus Christ and believe in Him.

 The wrath of God is coming upon those who reject any part of the Word of God!

 The only unforgivable sin is rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Joh 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 

Joh 16:9  Of sin, because they believe not on me; 

 Eph 5:6  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Eph 5:7  Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

 Psa 2:11  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Psa 2:12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

 To follow the truth of God is noticeable in those who do!

 *****Luk 3:8  Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

 The proof of a saved soul is repentance!

 Valuable fruits of repentance are speaking truth and doing things that are according to the will of God. Such fruits come from the new life that a person receives when he repents.

 The concept of having Abraham as their father made the Jews feel safe because their pride would not allow them to believe that any child of Abraham should ever be lost.

 That same pride said that any single Jew was of more value than all the people in all the nations of the world.

 The Talmud stated that God made the world for the sake of the Jews, which is not true, and the Bible never says such things as these.

 The Lord Jesus put an end to this nonsense: Mat 8:11  And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 8:12  But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 What is the truth? Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

 It's called faith! Faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that has been done to save us.

 Rom_4:13  For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Rom_4:16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

 Gal_3:7  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

 To disagree with the Lord Jesus Christ is to bring the judgment of God upon yourself!

 *****Luk 3:9  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

 God is the Divine Woodsman who cuts down trees, and He has laid His axe at the roots of the trees!

 This is God's warning to us all!

 To be honest, we cannot produce good fruit in our lives without faith in the Gospel and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

 For these Jews, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was less than a generation away.

 *****Luk 3:10  And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

Luk 3:11  He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

Luk 3:12  Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

Luk 3:13  And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

Luk 3:14  And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

 When "judgment" is preached without prejudice, people begin to understand what God is saying.

 To the first group, John answered that we are to share our blessings with others.

To the second group, John answered that we should not rob others to enrich ourselves.

To the entire group, John answered that we share our prosperity with those who have nothing.

 The fruit of salvation goes much deeper than these practical things. John gave these people a good idea of where to start.

 We can see the reality of removing hate and increasing love.

 How can we tell we are in the last days?

 2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

 Along with all these things, we see there is no natural affection for our neighbors.

 The one thing that drives our politicians today is hatred. They hate each other with passion; it drives them to make laws that each other hate instead of doing the job they went to Washington to do.

 They are a pathetic bunch, for certain.

 A question has come up about our military following illegal orders.

 We should understand that God does not condemn any soldier for doing his duty.

 A soldier who goes above his duty and simply becomes a murderer will be condemned by God, but even these can be forgiven.

 When John says to do no violence to any man, this is what he is saying.

 We follow orders, but indiscriminate killing, especially of the innocent, should not take place.

 All terrorists are murderers!

 God demands a changed life!

 When we are filled with the fruit of the Spirit, it will be noticeable to those we are around.

 Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

 The Messiah would be mighty.

The Messiah would be more worthy than any man.

The Messiah would use the Holy Ghost.

 The baptism of John the Baptist was a full-immersion baptism and not a sprinkling.

 John's baptism was with water, but the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ would be with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

 This fire would be unquenchable!

 John preached the truth of the Scriptures, but also as a Prophet, he preached the words God told him to preach.

 John the Baptist preached the same no matter who was in the audience.

 *****Luk 3:19  But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

Luk 3:20  Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

 When God gives His preacher a message to preach, it is to be preached as instructed, not watered down, not distorted, nor twisted.

 Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

 Herod was as much a sinner as we all are!

 A corrupt and sinful life will always bring the wrath of God.

 I hope our politicians, those who claim the Lord Jesus Christ, do not forget this, and those who do not know Him will certainly see that wrath aimed at them in the near future.

 It has to be hard to be a Christian in Washington, but it is not impossible, and they must know they are there because it is the will of God, and they are there to hold back evil and corruption in our nation.

 I do not believe that Herod would have killed John, but Herod had an evil wife.

 Mar 6:17  For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.

Mar 6:18  For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

Mar 6:19  Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

Mar 6:20  For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

 When John preached, he told it like it was.

 When sin is relevant in our rulers, it makes it easier for the entire nation to be in sin.

 Corruption in our leadership just causes corruption throughout our nation, as we have seen and are still seeing.

 Herod the Great was living in sin, the sin of adultery; he was, as we know, also a murderer, and those soldiers who murdered those children were also murderers because that was a command that they should have refused.

 When our military stops the drug trade, they are not murderers or killers because those who spread the drugs are the killers, and our politicians need to be with our President and our military.

 What is the truth? We will never truly prosper in sin! 2Ch 24:20  And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.

 The judgment of God is coming to this wicked world!

 Jud 1:14  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

Jud 1:15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Jud 1:16  These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

 *****Luk 3:21  Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

 Baptism is an act of obedience to God.

 If the Lord Jesus Christ is obedient to His Heavenly Father, who are we to think we can be disobedient?

 We know that our Lord Jesus had no sin, so we must know that Baptism is not for the removal of sin; it is being obedient to our Heavenly Father.

 We had better know that every time Heaven opens up, it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the object of admiration of Heaven.

 Joh 1:51  And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

 Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

 What did Stephen see? Act 7:55  But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Act 7:56  And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

 The one thing that sets these people apart from all others is the fact that they heard the message of John the Baptist, and they responded.

 God wants this whole world to hear His message so that everyone in the world will get a chance to respond to the truth of God.

 What did the Lord Jesus do differently from the others who were baptized?

 1) He demonstrated that He, the Son of God, was fulfilling all righteousness.

 Mat 3:13  Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

Mat 3:14  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

Mat 3:15  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

 2) He was demonstrating His humiliation, that He was a man, fully man.

 Jesus was required by our Heavenly Father to live obediently, just as all men are to live obediently to the Word of God.

 The Lord Jesus had to live a sinless life to accept all our sins on His body.

 Jesus became the Som of Man. Mat 8:20  And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

 Birds and foxes are cunning and wicked, but God still cares for them; however, His Son does not have a home on this earth because His home is in Heaven. It is the same for every Christian.

 It is God's will for every human to hear the Gospel, and they all respond positively to it!

 1Ti_2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

 No man is above any other man in the eyes of God. If God expected His Son to be obedient to all the Word of God, then how can we say God will understand if we keep that secret sin or any other sin?

 This is why the Lord Jesus was baptized!

 Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

 We must all repent and be baptized!

 The Lord Jesus also obeyed God in prayer.

 As He was being baptized, His mind and His thoughts were upon His Heavenly Father.

 This is another thing that gets our prayers into the throne room of God.

 Baptism is the most significant act of discipleship and must be followed by a changed life.

 This is where many churches fail today. There is no change in life.

 God will not waste His "Grace" on those who will not change their lives!

 Prayer is something we must all do!

 Jas 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

 *****Luk 3:22  And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

 God is pleased with us when we are obedient and following the steps that Jesus took to be obedient; we are on the right path to the Glory World.

 1) When the Heavens opened up it showed us that God was approving the ministry of Jesus to begin, and it began that day.

 2) When the Heavens opened up it showed John that prophecy was fulfilled, and the Lord Jesus is truly the Lamb of God.

 Gen 22:8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

 The Lord Jesus would soon give His life for us: Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

 The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the bodily shape of a dove.

 We now get to see the Triune God.

 God the Father speaking from Heaven, saying This is My Son.

The Holy Spirit(Ghost) descended from Heaven in the shape of a dove.

The Son of God receives the blessing of God.

 Mar 1:9  And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

Mar 1:10  And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

Mar 1:11  And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

 When we love the Lord, God will do things that tell us He is much more than just real.

 Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

 We begin to understand just how wonderful Heaven is going to be.

 1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

 *****Luk 3:23  And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

 The Lord Jesus was about thirty years old in His body when He began His public service.

 If He had tried to begin at an earlier age, no one would have paid much attention to Him.

 Num 4:23  From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

 He is an heir to King David.

He is an heir to Abraham.

He is an heir to Adam.

He is the Godly Heir. He became the Messianic Prophet of God.

 His name is Wonderful!

 Amen

John the Baptist is Born

 The Birth of John the Baptist

 Book of Luke Chapter 1 Verses 57 through 80

 Elisabeth's pregnancy goes full term without complications, naturally.

 John's life began to develop in his mother's womb, just as all babies do.

 Elisabeth already knew that she would have a son because the angel Gabriel had said that God had decided.

 God had decided the name for this son would be John and not Zacharias or another name from the family of Zacharias.

 The birth of John the Baptist brought great joy to this family because they had recognized that the birth of John was due to the mercy of God.

 The birth of John the Baptist was a significant event for every generation, including today.

 *****Luk 1:57  Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. 

Luk 1:58  And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. 

 Elisabeth had forgotten her baroness because it had been replaced with joy.

 We too can have joy because we live in a time when the Lord Jesus Christ could return in the clouds at any moment.

 The Lord Jesus Christ said His return could be somewhat compared to the birth of a child.

 Joh 16:21  A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 

Joh 16:22  And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 

Because the birth of John was a miraculous birth, many people wondered what manner of child he would be.

 Elisabeth had forgotten all those years she could not have a child.

 She was ready to give her love to this child of God.

 Her friends and family had come by to rejoice with her.

 The birth of John the Baptist was proof again that God will do what He says He will do.

 The birth of John was of God's power over nature.

 The birth of John was evidence that God is the God of life.

 Nothing is impossible for God.

 Luk 1:37  For with God nothing shall be impossible. 

 Psa 115:3  But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. 

 Prophecy was fulfilled.

 Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 

 Mal 3:1  Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. 

 The Lord Jesus said that John was the fulfillment of these prophecies: Mat 11:10  For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 

 The birth of every child is an awesome miracle of life.

 The birth of John showed us a merciful God who so loves us.

 The birth of John the Baptist is not much different from our own birth.

 It is our job to prepare those we meet to meet the Lord Jesus Christ.

 John was used in God's plan of salvation, and we have the same job on a smaller scale than John had.

 God allowed John the privilege of being the forerunner for the Messiah.

 1Ti 2:3  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 

1Ti 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 

1Ti 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 

1Ti 2:6  Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

 All of the family and friends of Elisabeth rejoiced with her.

 The mercy of God was not just for Elisabeth but was for the entire world!

 God always does exactly what He says He will do!

 *****Luk 1:59  And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. 

Luk 1:60  And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. 

Luk 1:61  And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. 

Luk 1:62  And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. 

Luk 1:63  And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. 

 It was on the day of circumcision, the eighth day after the birth, when a Jewish child was named, and most names came in relation to the father and the father's family.

 John was named by God Himself, and some of these friends of Elisabeth were confused.

 We should know that it is on the eighth day that the blood of a newborn will clot to stop the bleeding, naturally.

 This is why God chose the eighth day.

 Lev_12:3  And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

 Circumcision was the sign of the covenant God made with Abraham.

 Gen 17:9  And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 

Gen 17:10  This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

 We should also understand that circumcision is also a type of Christ.

 Col 2:9  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 

Col 2:10  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 

Col 2:11  In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 

Col 2:12  Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

 Those friends and family of Elisabeth and Zacharias could not grasp that something new was at hand, a New Covenant.

 John was circumcised as a sign of the New Covenant that God was about to make for His people.

 Most of the Jews have not accepted the New Covenant even today, but they will while going through the tribulation period of seven years.

 Rom_11:11  I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

 The Jews did not stumble to be rejected but once they stumbled, God offered His "grace" to the Gentile world with the purpose of provoking Israel to jealousy.

 The fact that this son was named John is enough proof that this whole event was true!

 Zacharias confirmed it by naming the child John.

 Immediately, the chastening of Zacharias ended, and his voice returned to him.

 *****Luk 1:64  And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. 

Luk 1:65  And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea. 

Luk 1:66  And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

 Zacharias knows that John will be his only son, but he does not give him his own name, which was tradition.

 By doing so, he renounces his rights to John and acknowledges that he is giving him to God.

 He originated from God; he therefore belonged to God!

 Zacharias had a baby dedication by dedicating him to God.

 Unbelief had closed the mouth of Zacharias, but faith had made him free!

 Jhn_8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

 Zacharias had not spoken in nine months, but the first words he had were to praise God.

 All those who were there did not understand what was going on.

 They could not explain it, nor could they deny it.

 They could not understand because they had no faith.

 The one thing they knew was that John was something special because they could tell the hand of the Lord was involved in these things.

 They went about all Judaea telling them what had happened on that day of John's circumcision.

 They would not forget what they had seen and heard but kept them in their hearts.

 After our salvation, we should be praising God continuously.

We should be amazed that the Lord would do such a thing as die for our sins.

We should be spreading this "Good News" everywhere we go.

We should see that our destiny lies in the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 1Pe 1:17  And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 

1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 

1Pe 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 

 Psa 111:9  He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. 

Psa 111:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. 

 Psa 89:7  God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. 

 *****Luk 1:67  And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

 There is one thing we know for sure, and it is that God will never go against His own words.

 God will never break a covenant that He has with us as a group or that He has made with us individually.

 No sooner than when his tongue was loosed, Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit.

 Once Zacharias obeyed God, God removed His chastisement from him, and he was healed of his dumbness, and he could speak again.

 1) Zacharias was forgiven for his sin of unbelief.

 We must be aware that every time we question the Word of God, we are committing the sin of doubt, doubting God, doubting our Lord Jesus Christ.

 Remember, it is by faith we are saved! 

 2) Zacharias being filled with the Holy Spirit is a great picture of what happens to every child of God who accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.

 We believe and obey God, then and only then, are we filled with God the Holy Spirit.

 Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

Act 2:39  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 

 *****Luk 1:68  Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, 

Luk 1:69  And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 

Luk 1:70  As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 

Luk 1:71  That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 

Luk 1:72  To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 

Luk 1:73  The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 

Luk 1:74  That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 

Luk 1:75  In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 

 The birth of John is the reason for this song of prophecy by Zacharias, but this song is about the yet unborn Jesus Christ.

 This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit at work.

 The Holy Spirit will always, ALWAYS, lead us to the Lord Jesus Christ!

 It is this same God of Israel who is God the Father of Christianity!

 Just as Jehovah will stand up for Israel as He has done many times already, He is now standing up for Christians throughout this world.

 Notice an important thing here: Zacharias is speaking as if these events are already fulfilled, while they are still in the future.

 Why, because God's promises are guaranteed. God will do just as He says He will do!

 It is God Himself who visited this earth in the person of the Messiah.

 God will not neglect this earth until He has taken all His children to our new home on the New Earth.

 Why has the Messiah come first?

 1) He came to redeem His children.

2) He came to rescue His children from sin

3) He came to save His children.

 Though it is wonderful for those who have faith and accept the Gospel, God paid a tremendous price.

 He paid a life for a life!

 Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 

Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 

Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 

Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 

Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 

Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 

Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 

 Just as promised, the Messiah would come from the House of David.

 Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

Isa 9:7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. 

 That word "horn" is always a symbol of strength, power, and might.

 The Lord Jesus, the "Horn," is the Mighty One of salvation because He alone possessed the might, the strength, and the power to save.

 We should also add that He is willing.

 These are acts of "mercy and grace".

 These acts prove that God remembers His covenants.

 Every prophet of the Old Testament is proven to have told the truth, and they were murdered just because they spoke the truth of God, just as many are murdered today just because we believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 God is working on His plan for this world at all times; He never rests from looking out for His children.

 Jesus is the same Messiah named in the Book of Genesis.

 Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 

 The world may have driven a nail through the feet of Jesus, but He still walks through the lives of Christians, and He will walk again upon this earth.

 Satan will not overcome that blow to His head.

 God will remember the promises made to Abraham.

 Gen 26:3  Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 

Gen 26:4  And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 

Gen 26:5  Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. 

 We may think there is turmoil in and around Israel now, but things are going to get worse until the Lord sits upon the throne of David.

 God saves us so that we might serve Him and fulfill the purpose He has for each of us upon this earth.

God saves us so that we can live righteously and serve Him forever.

 We can be at peace knowing that we do not have to fear what the world can do to us because the worst thing the world can do to us is the best thing that can happen to us.

 We must have a clear understanding that we do not need to fear our enemies; we have been saved from them!

We will stand one day in the presence of our Holy God in a new world designed especially for us.

 1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 

1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 

1Jn 4:19  We love him, because he first loved us. 

 Now back to John the Baptist.

 *****Luk 1:76  And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; 

Luk 1:77  To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 

Luk 1:78  Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 

Luk 1:79  To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. 

Luk 1:80  And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel. 

 John would be a prophet of God.

 There had been no prophets for four hundred years, and John would be the first prophet since the prophet Malachi.

 Here in this same verse, it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Highest.

 Jhn_10:30  I and my Father are one.

 Highest means the Supreme God, just so no one gets confused.

John was to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the "Dayspring from on high". The morning light, the rising sun.

The Messiah, Our Lord Jesus, was sent to give light to those who had been in darkness.

The Messiah was sent to those who are in the shadow of death.

The Messiah was sent to guide our feet through this sinful world.

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 

The only place in Scripture we see anything about the childhood of John the Baptist is in verse eighty.

He was a boy with a strong heart and commitment.

He had a strong will and decisiveness.

He was strong in his convictions.

He was a servant of the Most High God!

He was committed to follow, obey, and serve God.

He separated himself from the world until it was time for him to preach.

John stayed in the desert till the day of his showing.

John is not told to form a political party.

John is not told to make known God's thoughts to His people.

John is not taught all the fighting methods of his day.

John is not told to form an army.

John is told to trust the Lord!

Our one greatest test is, "do we have faith in the truth of God"?

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

Amen

The Promise of John the Baptist

  Book of Luke Chapter 1 Verses 4 through 25

 An Angel Foretold John's Birth 

 Who was Luke, who wrote the Book of Luke and the Book of Acts?

 Luke was a physician, maybe the most educated of all the writers of the Scriptures.

Luke was a Gentile, the only Gentile writer of the Scriptures.

 He was familiar with the Greek and Roman world and the Gospels.

 No doubt he was very familiar with the Apostle Paul.

 He stresses the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the person of Christ, and the ministry to the Gentiles.

 Luke is seen with Paul at Troas, a city in Asia Minor.

 Luke went to Jerusalem with Paul when Paul was arrested.

 Luke was with Paul when he was a prisoner in Caesarea.

 Luke was with Paul when Paul was imprisoned in Rome.

 Paul called Luke the beloved physician: Col 4:14  Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

 Paul called Luke a fellow worker in the spreading of the Gospel: Phm 1:24  Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers. 

 Luke was the last one to remain with Paul in his imprisonment.

 The writing of the Book of Luke and the Book of Acts was probably in the first century 58-62 AD, because Luke did not mention the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, and he would have.

 Who was this Theophilus? Some believe he was a Gentile convert to Christianity and possibly a high official in the Roman government.

 This is suggested by the use of the words "most excellent".

 Because that name, Theophilus, means "Lover of God".

 We should know that there were many early attempts to narrate the life of Jesus Christ, but the four Gospels give us all that we need to know and preserve everything that was accurate and essential when those others did not.

 We know that the Gospels were led by the Holy Spirit, and only the books that were guided by and approved by the Holy Spirit make up the canon of the Bible we have today.

 Luke gives us an eyewitness account of the life of Jesus Christ. Luke was not an eyewitness, but he chose to get his information from those who were eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus Christ.

 The Book of Luke is the Gospel of salvation. Luke uses the words salvation and Savior many more times than the other Gospels.

 The Book of Luke gives us an orderly view of the whole life of Jesus Christ.

 Luke's Gospel is a record of historical events that are being verified every day!

 We will begin in verse 4

 *****Luk 1:4  That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. 

 It may be that the purpose of the Book of Luke is to look at the Lord Jesus Christ as Man, the Son of Man.

 Joh 19:5  Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! 

 Pilate realized that "here stands the Man of God, who has fallen into the hands of mere men and our Lord Jesus came willingly.

 The intent of Luke was to establish the truth of Jesus Christ, God's Messiah.

 As Christians we must know that Christianity is based upon the truth of the Almighty God!

 The Gospel is more about God's creating power than His deliverance.

 Believers are "Born Again" a new creation of God!

 Tit_3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

 Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 

 2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

 To become a Christian is to be accepted by the only true God, our Creator.

 Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 

 The greatest feeling we can have as believers is to know we have been accepted by our Creator and chosen to join Him in Heaven in His house.

 Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 

 Let us look at the birth of John the Baptist.

 *****Luk 1:5  There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 

Luk 1:6  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

 The parents of John the Baptist were righteous parents; they were godly parents.

 This is the foundation that every child should have.

 This family was childless because Elisabeth was barren.

 So, John the Baptist was a promised child.

 The name Zacharias means "Remembered of Jehovah".

 That phrase “the course of Abia" has a meaning.

 There were 24 groups assigned to the Temple, of all the descendants of Aaron, and Zacharias was in the eighth group.

 Each group served in the Temple for one week twice every year.

 John's mother was Elisabeth, and her name means "One whose oath is to God".

 Elisabeth was the daughter of a priest.

 She was a pure woman, a virgin at her marriage.

 All priests were required to marry a virgin.

The Bride of Christ must be considered the virgin wife (without sin) of our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ

 Like everyone who has ever lived, they had human problems in their lives.

 They were committed to each other, and they were committed to Jehovah.

 They spent their lives doing the things that pleased God.

 They obeyed the commandments.

They obeyed the ordinances.

They were blameless.

 These things do not mean they were perfect.

 None of us can be perfect until we reach Heaven's gates.

 They were faithful and living in such a way that no one could charge them with open sin.

This should be the same for Christians of today.

 They had now become elderly.

 John was promised to these godly parents right at the end of the reign of Herod the Great.

 This Herod also reigned at the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ and died during the time that Joseph had taken the Lord Jesus to Egypt to keep Him safe, though Herod could never have harmed Him.

 It was the providence of God.

 We know that Herod murdered every child in Bethlehem up to the age of two years old.

 Herod the Great was a wicked man.

 *****Luk 1:7  And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. 

 We should remember that God had promised His Messiah since the time of Moses.

 Deu 18:18  I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

The Messiah would have a Jewish mother.

 Elisabeth had spent her entire life knowing that she could never be the mother of the Messiah because she was barren.

This was the wish of every Jewish mother. 

Some even considered baroness as a punishment for sin.

  1Sa 1:6  And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb. 

 She felt she was disfavored and displeasing to God.

 God was about to change things for Elisabeth.

 *****Luk 1:8  And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, 

Luk 1:9  According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

 For Zacharias, burning incense in the Temple was a great honor.

 A priest would probably only get one chance for this duty their whole lifetime.

 This duty was chosen by lot, and the lot was cast to choose one of those who had never had this opportunity, and finally, near the end of his life, Zacharias had been chosen.

 The incense was burned upon the altar by a priest before the morning service and after the evening service.

 The aroma of the incense was just like a prayer, as it enveloped the sacrifice and that aroma before the throne room of God.

 We should understand that the golden incense altar represents Jesus Christ as our Mediator.

 1Ti 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 

1Ti 2:6  Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 

 The golden altar of incense stood squarely in front of the Mercy Seat, depicting Jesus Christ interceding at God's right hand.

 Having a son to be born into any family at that time was also considered one of the greatest blessings from God.

 Both Zacharias and Elisabeth had remained faithful even though they were childless.

 Jas 5:11  Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 

 *****Luk 1:10  And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

Zacharias and Elisabeth had many friends, and those friends were praying for Zacharias while he performed this great honor, and he also was praying.

 We should be praying for our pastor the whole time he is preaching and giving us the Word of God.

 1Ch 16:11  Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. 

 If we do not see anything else, we should be able to see that we must patiently serve the Lord continuously all our days because He knows what we are going through, and remaining faithful is the only path to great blessings.

 Things were about to change for this godly family.

 *****Luk 1:11  And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 

Luk 1:12  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 

Luk 1:13  But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 

Luk 1:14  And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 

Luk 1:15  For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. 

Luk 1:16  And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 

Luk 1:17  And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 

 No doubt that Zacharias and Elisabeth were people who prayed, and they may have seen prayers answered for others, but they dearly wanted a child and preferred a son.

 We must realize a son was more apt to help them in their old age than a daughter in that day.

 Zacharias was even praying while he was performing his duties in the Temple.

 Zacharias was in God's House and working near the Holy of Holies on the right side of the Golden Altar of Incense.

 It seems that the right side is always the right side of the Lord to be on.

 Mat 25:33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 

Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 

 This was the place for prayer, and the angel of the Lord said Zacharia's prayer had been heard in Heaven.

 In the Book of Luke, we see more about angels than any other of the preachers in his day.

 Notice the first words of the angel were "fear not".

 Zacharias had nothing to fear, for he was a godly man, but not a perfect man, because we see that doubt entered into him.

 The Hebrew name for John is Johanna and is the name of four other Israelites.

 John the Baptist

John the Apostle

John Mark, who traveled with Apostle Paul for a short time.

John, the Kindred of Caiaphas

John, the father of Simon Peter

John, the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, would be a great man of God.

John would cause his parents to be proud of him.

John would be great in the sight of God.

John would be like one of the prophets of old, Elijah.

John would take the vow of the Nazarene.

John would be filled with the Holy Spirit from his birth.

John would cause many to rejoice.

 There had been 400 years of silence of the time between the Old Testament and the New Testament, during which God did not speak to His people, and no Scripture was written. 

The 400 years of silence began with the warning that closed the Old Testament: “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. 

He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse," and this period ended with the coming of John the Baptist, the Messiah’s forerunner.

 Mal 4:5  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 

Mal 4:6  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

 The thing we can see is the fact that God does reward those who are faithful to Him.

 Next, we should understand that there is no good time to quit on God, especially in our older years.

 1Jn 3:22  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 

1Jn 3:23  And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 

1Jn 3:24  And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. 

 John the Baptist was the prophet of the New Testament and turned many to the Lord.

 John the Baptist was the forerunner of the promised Messiah, and John preached and lived a whole lot like the Prophet Elijah from the Old Testament.

 Mat 17:10  And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 

Mat 17:11  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 

Mat 17:12  But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 

Mat 17:13  Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist. 

 *****Luk 1:18  And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 

Luk 1:19  And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. 

 We should understand that it is never too late for God to answer a prayer, so we must never quit praying.

 Zacharias had lost confidence in himself, and he and his wife had a hard time believing this angel.

 Zacharias had forgotten that he was a child of God and not a child of the world.

 There is nothing too hard for God to accomplish at any time in our lives if we do not give up.

 Jer_32:17  Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

 Jer_32:27  Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

 We either believe in God or we don't, at our own peril.

 It is only our Heavenly Father who can overrule the laws of nature!

 The angel Gabriel is one of those angels who stand in the presence of God, awaiting God's commands.

 Isa 63:9  In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. 

 Mat 18:10  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

 We know that Michael is the most powerful angel, but we should not believe that there is any weakness in the angel Gabriel.

 The name Gabriel means "Hero of God".

 Gabriel always brings "Good News”, but Zacharias also got some bad news because of his doubts.

 *****Luk 1:20  And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. 

Luk 1:21  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. 

Luk 1:22  And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. 

 We should understand that angels have no spirit. They speak straight up and do not show emotion.

 They speak the message that God has given to them just as He spoke it.

 To not believe what an angel tells you is to not believe in God the Father who gave him that message!

 We should understand that God's angels are very powerful and they speak reality.

 Because of that moment of doubt, Zacharias would spend the next nine months not being able to speak at all.

 The Jews still have a problem with the truth of God that they need to change.

 They expect God to show them a sign so they can know the truth.

 1Co_1:22  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

 Gabriel was not offended by what Zacharias said, but the reaction of Zacharias was an offence to God.

 We need to be careful how we respond to the Word of God.

 The Bible is more about commandments than it is about suggestions.

 If we reject any part of the Word of God, we will certainly not have the ability to share the Word of God with others.

 God will not allow us to speak words of distrust or unbelief to those who need to hear the truth of the Gospel.

 We should understand that the chastening of the Lord can sometimes be painful.

 Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 

 We should be more like Jeremiah when we have made such a mistake.

 Jer 10:24  O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. 

 We need to ask for God's mercy in His chastisement.

 When the Lord sits as King of this world from Jerusalem, He will put a stop to all unbelief and distrust, just as He did to Zacharias.

 One of the major problems in our prayer life is that we do not believe that God will do what we ask of Him.

 Why pray at all if we do not have enough faith that God will answer our prayers?

 Can God change the course of nature? At any time, He so chooses to do it!

 Zacharias was to lead these people waiting on him in prayer after his work was complete, but he could not because God had taken away his voice until the time that John was born.

 *****Luk 1:23  And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. 

Luk 1:24  And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, 

Luk 1:25  Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

Zacharias had lost the use of his voice, but he still fulfilled his duties despite being chastised for unbelief.

He did not quit on God! 

He finished his course, and he returned home.

Elisabeth, after conceiving, hid herself for five months.

We have to think that she needed time alone with God to absorb all that was happening to her and to prepare herself for the job of being a godly parent even in her elder years.

Zacharias and Elisabeth lived to see God fulfill His promise.

When God makes a promise, He will keep that promise!

Elisabeth is conscious of the fact that God has shown His favor to her, and she is thankful.

She had wanted a child all her days of marriage, but it had not happened.

She had been barren, but by a miracle of God, her barrenness was over.

She did all the things she could do to have a healthy baby because she knew John would be used mightily by God.

This child, John the Baptist, would represent the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament as he would preach to the world the soon coming of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we answer God's calling, we become a part of God's salvation plan and the providence of God!

Amen

Christ Gave Us A Commission

The Certainty Of Christ's Commission

Luke 24:36-53


To be commissioned is to be appointed as a representative. It is like an order given from a superior and carries His authority.

We can go all the way back to the Book of Genesis and we will see that from that time of creation, God has not created anything new.

Gen 1:31  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Of course this can be disputed but that does not change the facts but there is one thing that has been made new. Every time a sinner is "Born Again" they have become a new creature or a new creation!

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

A wise man once said that there is nothing we have that God needs and that is true, but the one thing we can give to God is that we are sinners in need of being saved which He will gladly do if we come to Him with a true heart. We can give God a sinner in need of salvation!

God then takes His new creations and commissions us all for a special work.

2Co 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

An ambassador in the Old Testament meant someone who was sent on an errand:

Pro 13:17  A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.

An ambassador was also an interpreter:

2Ch 32:31  Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.

An ambassador was also a messenger:

Isa 33:7  Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.

The Apostle Paul says an ambassador for Christ must be all these things:

Sent by Christ on His errand.

Interpreters of the Scriptures or making sense of the Word as Nehemiah put it.

Bringing God's Message of peace through His "saving grace".

Eph 6:20  For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

What this world seems to forget is that to do harm to one of God's ambassadors is an insult to our King, King Jesus.

2Sa 10:5  When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

So what is the commission given to each of us by our Lord and our tasks as ambassadors for Christ?

Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

This is the work of the Church and more important the work of each of us as individuals!

The truth is, our work is not inside the Church building, that's the place to hone our skills, the work of the Church is outside the doors of the Church!

Let's Begin:

In these Scriptures we will see the great statements of the Christian Faith.

1) Jesus has risen, we worship the Living God, the only One.

2) All prophecies of the Scriptures and the Promises of the Lord must be fulfilled.

3) Repentance and the forgiveness of sin is imperative.

4) We must be filled with the Holy Spirit.

*****Luk 24:36  And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Luk 24:37  But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
Luk 24:38  And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
Luk 24:39  Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
Luk 24:40  And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.

Of the disciples we may not know who all were present but we know that Thomas was not with these others at this time.

The truth is, this was an evening service and you can miss some important things when you miss the evening service!

Many will say that this was a spirit of Jesus and He was not actually risen in a body but the first thing we see is that He can speak and He still had the same message of "Peace".

Jesus knew their thoughts and Jesus knew they were all frightened, in fact terrified, because Jesus just appeared in the room as if He had just walked through the closed door which He had indeed.

No doubt they recognized His familiar voice!

But this was not enough for them to believe and Jesus knew this.

So besides hearing, Jesus said look upon Me!

See where the nails were driven in His feet and in His hands and Jesus showed them these places.

Along with "seeing" and "hearing" Jesus said use all your natural senses and "touch Me".

What we know of spirits is that they do not have bodies of flesh and bones that can be touched!

Anyone that believes differently is calling Jesus a liar!

But are their then ghosts or spirits? The truth is, we know for sure the God is Spirit.

We know the truth of the Holy Ghost and we also know that Satan, the Devil is capable of doing many things.

Besides these we know of no others!

BUT, Some of these disciples still could not step over the threshold of the truth and believe even at this time.

So Jesus went one step farther.

*****Luk 24:41  And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
Luk 24:42  And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
Luk 24:43  And he took it, and did eat before them.
Luk 24:44  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Jesus did not scold any of them for their doubts, Jesus patiently entered into the fullness of fellowship with them.

The Lord wants a very personal relationship with each of us and He will never ridicule us if we have questions, He will always provide the necessary proof of the truth!

There is no question to small for God, but when He exposes the truth then He ask that we believe it!

Jesus then ate of the same food that they had made available for themselves, a clear token of fellowship with them.

And then Jesus said, let's look at the real truth and the real proof "The Scriptures".

Peter said:

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

It is the Scriptures that are our sure proof of the truth of God!

Jesus taught from the 5 Books of Moses, all the Books of the Prophets, and also in the Psalms which contain the prophecies of the Messiah.

Not one of these men who had abandoned Jesus deserved His loving patience and certainly not His "Grace" for what He was doing but not one breath of anger was in the person of Jesus Christ on this night.

We can just imagine the excitement that was in the air, the hearts beating out of those chest and those minds grasping to understand what was happening before their eyes and before their person.

God's anger only comes when we deny Him!

AND, We just cannot interpret the Word of God in a spiritual sense, we must understand the Word of God in a literal sense!

Jesus did not have to perform one miracle to prove who He was, because He is the miracle of life!

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

The one other thing that was evident of the glorified body of Christ, was that it was not bound by this physical world and it's natural substance, which they had first seen as He had appeared.

The glorified body of Christ, could be seen, could be touched, could do things that the average person could do, but could also pass through walls and doors without being hindered,

What is one of the promises given to every believer?

Php 3:20  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Php 3:21  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

In all probability this change in our bodies will take place at the "Rapture" of the church but it is also true that whenever we see Jesus we will be like Him.

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Those that have their doubts about a glorified body, do ignore the truth of the Scriptures!

1Co 15:42  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
1Co 15:43  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

Most of us do not realize the importance and the truth of these Scriptures!

The Greek word "soma" is used to describe the natural body and the spiritual body.

The difference in the natural and the spiritual is, that the spiritual body will be be perfected!

No longer subject to pain or illness, or aging, or death, or tears, or sorrow, or crying  and many other things we experience now in our natural body.

Our natural body is sown in corruption but it will be raised in "incorruptible"
Our natural body is sown in dishonor but it will be raised in "glory"
Our natural body is sown in weakness but it will be raised in "power"
Our natural body is "sown" but our spiritual body is "raised", what a difference that makes!

And just so we know, that same body we had on earth will be a similar body to that we will have in Heaven but perfected.

A body that is not "flesh and blood" because flesh and blood are corruptible, they age, they deteriorate, they die and then decay.

That spiritual body cannot do any of these things!

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

That glorious day lies ahead for all those that confess the truth of Jesus Christ!

Our old bodies will be radically changed!

No "body" that has been glorified will need reproduction to continue the redeemed human race.

Gen 1:28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

This law of creation will no longer be necessary!

And Jesus began to explain all these things to His disciples.

*****Luk 24:45  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
Luk 24:46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
Luk 24:47  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luk 24:48  And ye are witnesses of these things.
Luk 24:49  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Understanding, is said to be when our minds grasp the real truth of the things presented to it.
Understanding, is when we can comprehend the idea which are expressed by another when we communicate.
Understanding, is the faculty by which we obtain our knowledge.

It was Jesus Christ who did this for His disciples:

Luk 24:45  Then opened he "their understanding", that they might "understand" the scriptures,

It is the Holy Spirit that does that for all those that believe today:

Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Jesus opened the understanding of the Scripture to these disciples, because the things that happened to Him should not have been a surprise to these men.

These things were written down in the Scriptures!

Our problem is, that we simply do not have enough faith to believe what the Scriptures teach us!

The truth is, it is the Word of God that predicts most all the things that happen in this world. Notice "predicting" is not the same as "causing"!

God does not cause the evil things that happen in this world. God does not cause the catastrophes that happen in this world.

The only thing we know for sure is that God may send famine to some places for His own reasons but these people may just need to move on to some new location.

If the water is rising on our place of living maybe you need to move inland.

If the wind is blowing your home away, maybe you need to build in a place more sheltered.

The truth of us all is, that we either accept and believe, or ignore what God says to our own harm.

It is a mistake to spiritualize the prophecies of God!

It was utterly necessary for Jesus Christ to die for our sins!

It was utterly necessary for Jesus Christ to rise from that death to show the power God!

If we cannot see a victory in our Lord, how can we ever know we will have victory over death?

The Church is built on these truths, those that disagree are only trying to destroy the Church that Christ has built!

We are fools to believe that only the New Testament is relevant today, because Jesus has already said that the entire Old Testament told of His coming and most important of His salvation!

We need Jesus Christ to open our own eyes to the understanding of the entire Word of God!

1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

What is our job after salvation?

We must put forth the effort to show that Jesus Christ had to suffer and die for our salvation!

We must teach that repentance and forgiveness go together, forgiveness cannot happen without repentance!

We must teach that these things must take place before Christ will send Holy Ghost power to live with us throughout eternity!

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

These things must take place before we are ever equipped to be witnesses for the Lord!

To receive the power of the Holy Spirit is to be clothed in that power!

Rom 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

The source of the Holy Spirit and that power, is God!

Jesus Christ brought this promise to us!

BUT, The promise came from God the Father!

We are to tarry until we receive this promise.

Because that promise comes from on high!

It is the Holy Trinity of God Himself that is the source of the power of evangelism!

Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

That uttermost part of the earth is our mission field!

Salvation has it's benefits but being that witness for the Lord, is when we become capable of receiving the blessings of God.

*****Luk 24:51  And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
Luk 24:52  And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
Luk 24:53  And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

The last thing that completed the earthly work of the Lord Jesus was to bless those who would begin the Church, the Apostles and the disciples who were with Him that day but in fact every disciple of Christ has receive this blessing.

Then the Lord allowed them to witness His ascension back to Heaven,

This is another thing that a glorified body can do that could not be done other wise.

It is only a "glorified body" that can come face to face with God!

Exo 33:20  And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

This was also important, because it gives all the disciples of Christ a vision of our own ascension into Heaven.

Heaven is not on this earth as some may say!

Heaven is where my Lord is and that is where I will be one day soon.

There was not one moment while God was on this earth, even when He was on that cross that He was not in full control of His created world, but we must recognize that Heaven is the true place of His throne.

There were 120 eyewitnesses that day that know for sure that our "God is alive"!

**We worship the Living God!

Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

**The ascension of Jesus Christ is further proof of the Tri-Une God, the Holy Trinity, The Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost.

2Co 4:14  Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

**It proves that Heaven, is a real place.

Php 3:20  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Php 3:21  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

**It proves that the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ, is true!

1Pe 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 2:25  For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

**It proves that it is now the time of the Church to carry on the work of the Lord until He returns!

Mar 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

**It proves that it is God, and God only who has the power to save and that power is through His Son!

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

**It also proves that we do indeed have a Mediator in Heaven.

Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

1Ti 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6  Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Just as these who loved the Lord did next, we are now to worship our God!

A worshiper by Greek definition is a Temple Keeper.

When you ask the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your heart the Holy Spirit will move in and you become a Living Temple of the Lord and also a Temple Keeper.

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

**The Temple in Jerusalem was the dwelling place of the Holy Trinity.

The Holy of Holies was where the mercy seat was located, the throne of God.
The outer courts were the place of the sacrifices, a type of Christ.
The burning incense, the sweet aroma of the Holy Spirit

**The Temple was also the treasury of the sacred truth. "A type of Christian life".

Aaron's rod that bloomed, represents the freshness of the Gospel throughout the ages.
The manna, represents the Word of God the bread from Heaven.
The laws of Moses, are a type of the perfect law, the law of love, the commandments of Jesus.

**The Temple was also a partial reflection of Divine Glory.

Sin explains the early worship.
Sin explains the later worship.
Only when all sin is destroyed, will the Christian heart be a perfect Temple of God, the complete reflection of Divine Glory!

Jesus Christ is the center of the Heavenly Temple.
Jesus Christ must be the center of our lives to be a living Temple of God!

Are you a true Temple of God? We need to answer this question every day!

And how did the Apostles respond to the Lord's ascension?

**They were inspired to worship.

As Christians we need to worship the Lord, "in His way"!

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

**They were filled with joy.

They were filled with joy, because they would soon be filled with the Holy Spirit.

As Christians we should have this same joy.

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

**They found that the Temple was the center of their life and the focus of God's presence and worship!

As Christians, we need to find a place of worship where the truth of God is preached and taught and Jesus Christ is still the center of all worship.

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

There are a great many things that we are to learn about and from the Lord Jesus Christ!

We can learn from every step that Jesus took on this earth!

Joh 21:25  And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

There are a great many things that we are to learn about and from the 12 men who turned this world upside down, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Act 2:42  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Act 2:43  And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

We can do none of these things without the salvation that Jesus has provided us when He came to this earth to die on Calvary's cross that we can be saved.

It is "Faith" in these things that is the true beginning of life!

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Questions?

Let's Pray!