Luke's Gospel

Loop chapter 3, and we're gonna begin reading at verse 21, be prepared for all the names. When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven. You are my son, whom I love.

With you, I am well pleased. Now Jesus himself was about 30 years old when he began his ministry, He was the son so it was thought of Joseph, the son of Helai, the son of Matat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi. The son of Jani, the son of Joseph, the son of Matathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Eslai. The son of Nagai, the son of Math. The son of Matathias, the son of Semian, The son of Joseph, the son of Joda, the son of Jonan, the son of Risa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel.

The son of Nerei, the son of Melkai, the son of Adai, the son of Khosam, the son of Elmerdam, the son of the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Mathet, the son of Levi, the son of Cymian, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph. The son of Jonas, the son of Elayakim, the son of Malayah, the son of Mena, the son of Matatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Narshon, the son of Aminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hess, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Tara, the son of Mahor, the son of Sarug, the son of Raiu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelar, the son of Canon. The son of our facts had, the son of shem, the son of Noah, the son of lamech, the son of methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalal, the son of Kenan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of god.

Heavenly father, thank you for sending the Lord Jesus Christ that first Christmas time. Please would you now show us in your word why and how we still need him so much in 2019. Open our eyes, our ears, our hearts and minds to see his glory that we might speak ever more boldly of your gospel this year. And we pray that in Jesus' name, amen. Where have all the good men gone?

And where are all the gods? Where's the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night. He's got to be strong. He's got to be fast, and he's got to be fresh from the fight.

San Bonnie Tyler in the 19 84 Smash Hit holding out for a hero. Presumably because as she saw it, she needed a hero. Now, Bonnie, in her lust filled cravings, probably didn't realize it at the time, but she stumbled across a profound theological truth that the entire human race is in desperate need of a hero, a savior, a rescuer. Why? Because the world is in a lot of trouble.

Here are some of the highlights of the news in 20 18. This year was the year of the Facebook data scandal, where 85000000 people's private information was sold to a marketing company shortly before the GDPR law came into effect, which was great fun for all of us. This year, 12 boys from Thailand really needed a hero to come and get them out of a cave that they were stuck in for 17 days. This year, volcanoes erupted, earthquakes shook Indonesia and tsunamis flooded coastal areas killing thousands. And sir David Attembra told the UN If they don't act on climate change right now, we'd see the collapse of civilization and the extinction of much of the natural world.

Meanwhile, suicide bombers killed hundreds in Pakistan, a bridge collapsed in Italy killing 39 people Wild fires killed hundreds in California and Greece, Paris is a riot. And that's all without the drama in the House of Commons. You know there's a chance there might be another general elect early next year. And if there is, who are you gonna put your hope in for 20 19? Theresa May or Jeremy Corbyn.

Lord have mercy on us. Happy new year. 2018 wasn't all bad. Prince Harry got married and Harry Cain, 1 top gold scorer at the World Cup. Which we lost.

But you get the point. Turn on the news for 5 minutes and you'll be singing along with Bonnie, we need a hero. Everybody say hero. And that's just the bad stuff that happens out there in the world. We've also gotta deal with all the bad stuff that happens here inside our own hearts.

We've got to live with the consequences of our own sin the thoughts we've had, the words we've said, the actions we've done this year that have offended god. All the times we've walked away from him. All the times we've exchanged his glory for a lie. For images and the shiny things of this world. All the times we've pushed ourselves ahead of other people Our problems aren't just out there in the world.

They're also right here on the inside affecting us personally every day at work, at school, at home. We need a hero to save us from our world, to save us from ourselves. We need a hero. This is why superhero movies are so popular. This year gave us the Avengers Infinity War.

Black Panther, aquaman, Spider Man, and Ant man. Whoever he is, we want to see a superhero come and deliver us from our greatest enemies. We need a hero, a savior, a rescuer. Everybody say, savior. And fortunately, for us, This is kind of what Christmas is all about.

God's been promising to send a savior for hundreds of years and Doctor. Luke, who's gospel we've been reading, has been going to great lengths to show us that a savior has come. For example, in chapter 1, Luke writes, call him Jesus. He'll be great and will be called the son of the most high. The lord god will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever, and his kingdom will never end.

Sounds promising. So Mary sings about god, her savior, and Zechariah sings about the god who's raised up a horn of salvation for us, a baby who will bring knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of sins. In chapter 2, the baby Jesus is presented to the shepherds as a savior who is Christ, the lord. In the temple, Simyan praises God for the baby, saying my eyes have seen your salvation. When Jesus is 12, his parents find him in the temple courts because he had to be in his father's house.

A 12 year old's claim to be the son of god, the father. And in chapter 3, John's ministry is preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. He quotes Isaiah saying all people will see god's salvation. Luke has been going over the top trying to tell us that this baby is the hero. But a key question still remains.

Is this baby Jesus qualified for the task of salvation. Can he actually do everything that's been promised about him? Is he really going to be the hero? Or is he gonna let us down like everyone else in history? The job spec in the old testament is clear.

God has made all the promises. Has Jesus got what it takes to succeed where no 1 else has before. Now imagine you're Luke's reader, theophilus. You need a hero. You've got Luke telling you this kid has got it.

He's got what it takes. And as you read on, you're willing him. Go on Luke, convince me. Show me that this kid has got what it takes. He's like the House of Commons.

He needs further reassurances that it's all going to be okay. And so like Theresa May heading off to try and get something on paper. Doctor. Luke tries to persuade his readers that this baby, this person has all the right qualifications. We're going to think about it tonight in a huge working illustration as if it's a job vacancy.

Hero required. Savior and rescuer required to save the world from sin, death, evil, satan, judgment, and hell. Low rates of pay but important, meaningful, and rewarding work. Good references required. Interview in 2 weeks time Sunday evening, thirteenth of Jan in chapter 4, here at the hub with Paul Langman.

And Luke writes these verses here tonight to show his readers that Jesus most definitely is qualified to be the savior. And so because theophilus can be confident about Jesus from these verses, we can be too So let's see how he does it. First point of 2, Jesus is publicly identified as the son of god. Jesus is publicly identified as the son of god. Have a look at chapter 3 and verse 21.

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove. And a voice came from heaven. You are my son, whom I love. With you, I am well pleased.

Now Jesus himself was about 30 years old when he began his ministry. It's been 30 years since Christmas. I know it doesn't feel like it. Luke skips over it as if it was only last Tuesday. But can you imagine the sense of expectation in the air?

The rumors that have been going around, the Messiah is coming. Did you hear about the angels? Did you see the baby the Christ is coming. Where is he? John the Baptist is preaching about the coming king.

And he's baptizing all the people in this heightened sense of expectation, something's gonna happen. And into that, Jesus comes along and he's baptized too. Not because he needs to be forgiven, not because he needs to repent, but because he associates himself with the people that he's come to save. And as he's praying at the baptism, heaven opens and the holy spirit descends upon him in bodily form like a dove, not actually a dove as is drawn in so many paintings. Not a dove, like a dove in bodily form.

A physical visual descending and resting of the Holy Spirit upon the Lord Jesus. Now, what's going on here? You'll remember that in the old testament, Samuel anoints David as king by pouring oil on his head. And the spirit of the lord comes upon David from that day forward. You'll also remember the way the spirit comes upon Samsung and Gideon to empower them in the book of judges.

And the way the spirit speaks through the prophets like Ezekiel and David Now, if we put all of these ideas together, we get the sense that this is the anointing of the new king, but it's not oil being poured over Jesus' head. The spirit himself is resting upon the lord Jesus. This is the god approved commissioning of Jesus ministry, a god empowered ministry, a word of god speaking ministry. But as impressive as this site may have been, it's what happens next that explains what's happening. This is incredibly rare in the Bible, but it happens here.

God, the father himself speaks. In a voice that came directly from heaven. You are my son whom I love with you, I am well pleased. Now to be god's son means to be like god in some way. Like father, like son.

Anyone who has seen me has seen the father. Visible image of the invisible god the exact representation of his being, like father, like son. And it reminds us of the great king in Psalm too. I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain. He said to me, he said to me, you are my son.

Today, I have become your father. That's what happens here in Luke 3. And the words that god speaks here are also very similar to Isaiah 42 1. Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen 1 in whom I delight. I will put my spirit on him notice that because it's just happened.

I will put my spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. God the father is saying 2 things. 1, Jesus is the king. 2, Jesus is my servant that Isaiah writes a lot about. He is the 1 to fulfill.

All of the old testament promises about the hero, the savior, the rescuer, And here, Jesus is being publicly identified as the son of god and all the promises that come with that title. If we head back to our working illustration, the job vacancy, these are the references. Most of you will know, when you apply for a job, when you fill in the application form, when you write your CV, you have to have references, someone to say, yes, this person is who they claim to be. I know this person. I have worked with them and they were great.

You should employ this person. They will work hard for you too. And you can't have just 1 reference. You have to have 2 just in case 1 of them is lying. If you are the son of god, where are your references?

Jesus has 3. God the father, god the Holy Spirit, and John the Baptist. Short references, but ones that no 1 else in history can claim. Luke says theophilus, are you listening? Is Jesus qualified for the task of salvation?

Let me tell you this baby grew up and 30 years later at the beginning of his ministry, he was personally commissioned by almighty God himself. Does that help you to have the further reassurances you require? Is he qualified for the job? Well, he's got some very good references. He comes very highly recommended.

But that's not all. Let's go to our second point this evening. Jesus is properly connected as the son of Adam. Jesus is properly connected as the son of Adam. Now, genealogies in the Bible are designed to make theological points.

They're not just there as a list of names. We often get hung up on these kinds of things, but if we do, we miss the point. Talk to me afterwards if you want to know more about genealogies. Luke's purpose here is to show his readers that Jesus is the son of David in verse 31. The son of Abraham in verse 34, the son of Adam in verse 38, the son of god.

And it's important that Jesus is the son of David because you can trace his line of succession back to King David himself. And this means that all of the promises that are made to David and his sons about the kingship are made to Jesus here as well. Luke says, doesn't he? The lord god will give him the throne of his father, David. And he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever His kingdom will never end.

It's a promise made to David, and here it's applied to Jesus. It's important that Jesus is the son of Abraham because god promises Abraham that all the nations on the earth will be blessed through his offspring. I e Jesus. And finally, it's important that Jesus is the son of Adam because it shows that he is 1 of us. Adam is the son of god because he was made in god's image but in the garden of Eden, Adam failed to be faithful to god.

And since that time, all other human beings, including us, have also failed to be faithful to god. Not 1 of us has been the hero that we've been waiting for, not Adam, not Abraham, not Israel, not David, no 1. In order to be our hero, our savior, our rescuer. Jesus needs to be 1 of us, but he needs to get it right where everyone else in the world has failed. The promise to Adam and Eve is that 1 of their offspring will crush the serpent's head.

So in showing that Jesus is the son of David, the son of Abraham, the son of Adam, Luke is saying that all of those promises made to these men about their offspring apply here to Jesus. Can he do it? Yes, he can. Now I've never known much about my family tree. I don't know about you, but I know who my grandparents are I know a few of my great grandparents, but not all of them, and I don't know many people who know anything about their great, great grandparents.

But sometimes we all like to sit down and watch the TV show Who do you think you are? Particularly if there's someone good on it like Lee Mac? And it makes you think, doesn't it? How much fun it would be to go on the show and find out who you are. Where did your family come from?

What did they do? Who were they? Well, imagine that tonight's episode is about Jesus Christ. But there's no trips to the archives required because for Jesus, it's all there in black and white. He is the son of Joseph, the son of David, the son of Abraham, the son of Adam, the son of god.

And all the promises made to them about their offspring apply to him. This is who he is in our big job vacancy illustration, these are the qualifications that are required for the job. If you are the son of god, what are your qualifications? To be the Christ you have to be a king in David's line. You have to be the offspring of Abraham.

To whom the promises were made. You have to be the offspring of Adam and Eve. You have to be able to crush the serpent's head. Luke is telling us that Jesus is uniquely and perfectly qualified for this job. The only thing left to know is can Jesus succeed where everyone else had failed.

Adam was the son of god. Israel was the son of god. David was the son of god. But all of them failed through temptation and sin. The only way to find out is to put Jesus to the test.

We're impressed with his CV. His qualifications and his references are impeccable, but we want to call him for interview in 2 weeks time in chapter 4. We want him to try his hand a few tasks to see if he can really cut it We need to test him to see what's in his heart. You've gotta come back on the thirteenth I'm leaving you on a cliffhanger here. Sorry.

If you're theophilus Luke's reader. He's telling you that Jesus is perfectly qualified for the job of savior of the world. His references are impeccable. His qualifications are excellent. We've gotta get this guy in for interview.

We've never seen anything like it. You're hoping with everything that you've got that this guy is the real deal. You can't wait to see him in action. All the prophecies about him made over Christmas as a baby are being backed up at his baptism. His links to the promises made to David and Abraham and Adam qualify him as the human savior who can fulfill all of god's promises.

He's got everything. Son of man, son of god. You've only got that 1 question remaining. Will Jesus stand the test of temptation, or will he like all others before him given at some point? For us living in the 20 first century, we need a hero, a savior, a rescuer, someone to save us from our world and from ourselves.

Hero required. To save the world from sin, death, evil, satan, judgment, and hell. And we've had loads of applications in, human solutions to our problems are plenty. But they're always disappointing, aren't they? They never quite achieve everything they say they will.

Now, I don't know who you're putting your hope in. For 20 19. Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, the queen Prince Charles, Donald Trump Claude Juncker, Aquaman. It doesn't fill you with a huge amount of confidence, does it? Luke is telling you that there has never been either before or after, any other savior as genuinely qualified to deal with all our problems.

Anashamedly, Luke invites you to put your hope for 20 19 in Jesus. The unique savior. The only person in history perfectly qualified for the task of salvation. And with every further page of Luke's gospel, he's inviting you to look at the evidence for yourself. Look at what Jesus did, who he was, what they said about him.

He wants you to have absolute confidence in the content and credibility of his gospel. He wants you to go back to work in January emboldened, strengthened to tell people about the only savior in the world. The only 1 who can do anything at all to help us. 2019 isn't about Brexit. It isn't about Europe or America or anywhere else in the world.

It isn't about the human leaders that come and go. Let's make 2019 about the only leader qualified to do anything to help us. Let's make 2019 about the lord Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Heaveny father.

Thank you that there is someone in the world who won't ever let us down. Thank you that our lord Jesus is completely trustworthy. Thank you that he is everything we are not and could never be. And thank you for his history and all promises that you made through his family line. Promise to send someone to be our hero, our savior.

Thank you for keeping your promises and sending the lord Jesus at Christmas time. And thank you that you personally commissioned him with an audible voice and a visible presence at his baptism. Help us to take confidence in him from these words in your gospel. Help us to find all our hope in him in 20 19 And please help our human leaders to look after us well this year in all the turbulence coming our way. May the lord Jesus be our anchor through all the storms of life?

We pray in Jesus name, amen.