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Twelve Evangelists Were Sent and Five Thousand Were Fed

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Twelve Evangelists Were Sent and Five Thousand Were Fed

Book of Luke Chapter 9

We should understand that God has revealed His program for the Church, and the Church is to follow the program God has given us.

We do not have the authority to change the program the Lord Jesus Christ lived and died for and then arose in glory to give us an example of our own glory when we reach Heaven.

We must understand Christ’s calling and our own calling.

We would not understand anything if we were not called of God!

Paul wrote by the Holy Spirit: Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, “called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God”,

All God’s saints have been called: Rom 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, “called to be saints”: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are called for His purpose: 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”.

It is because we are called of God that we can believe!

God chose us while we were still sinners, just like the Lord Jesus Christ called twelve men who were the outcasts of society.

God chose us when we deserved death and offered us life!

This is the same thing the Lord Jesus Christ did when He called His disciples.

*Luk 9:1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
Luk 9:2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

1) We already know that the devil’s demons can cause sickness and misery.

Luk 13:11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

Luk 13:16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

2) We should also know that demons can influence the mind.

We know that Satan deceived Eve, and Eve caused Adam to sin.

2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Satan and his demons can lead weak Christians away from the simplicity of Jesus Christ by telling us that it is hard to live by the commands of God, and most of us will fail. He does not mention God’s grace.

Jas 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
Jas 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

We must keep our minds on Christ Jesus!

2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

3) Demons deceive people.

1Th 3:5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

Through his demons Satan also works in unbelievers.

Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

4) Demons deceive nations.

Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

5) Demon possession is a reality.

The Scriptures teach us that there was a great outbreak of demon activity in the time of Jesus Christ, no doubt to oppose Him.

We see this through all the Gospels and in parts of the Book of Acts.

We can see evidence of demon possession in the affected person’s personality.

Demons do have some supernatural knowledge and intellectual power and can show supernatural strength.

Jesus Christ defeated Satan and his demons at the cross:

Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Are there demons out there today? We have the power to defeat demons because we have the power to defeat Satan, and that power comes by using the Word of God, as we saw in the temptations of Jesus Christ.

Jas_4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

As far as the gift of healing, it was given to the Apostles of Christ by Jesus himself to promote the Gospel. These healings were instantaneous, unconditional, and most importantly, purposeful.

Not just for the purpose of relieving their suffering.

It was secondary to preaching the Word of God.

It was to confirm these Apostles as the messengers of God.

We must understand who our enemies are: Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Today God heals through answered prayer and not through another person.

The Lord Jesus gave these men the power to do certain things and then the authority to use that power.

He does not do this today!

*Luk 9:3 And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
Luk 9:4 And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart.
Luk 9:5 And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
Luk 9:6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.

We wonder why the Lord told them not to take necessary items with them.

The Lord Jesus did not want them to worry about anything when it came to their own needs. This would only hinder them in fulfilling their mission.

They were to travel with “faith” that our Heavenly Father would provide those needs.

This way, they could dedicate themselves completely to their task.

They were to have perfect faith!

Missions and missionaries fail because of a lack of faith!

We need to believe and trust God everyday knowing that He loves us and He will do what He says He will do.

We cannot allow material things to become obstacles in serving God.

We must avoid any appearance of evil or of being evil.

We must avoid all worldly distractions when serving the Lord.

The Jews were hospitable people, taught from the beginning by the Laws of Moses.

Exo_23:9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

The disciples were to investigate and search out a receptive family and home and stay there until it was time to move on to another city.

The family is still most important to God. The Church is to be the family of God!

The Gospel is a message for the community intended to spread from family to family.

There is nothing upon this earth that is to be more stable than the godly family.

Preaching and door-to-door evangelism are still the preferred methods of reaching the lost.

Act 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Act 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

This is the method taught by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus told His disciples that there would be places where they would not be received.

It was the custom of the Jews when they returned from Gentile lands, as they crossed the frontiers of the Holy Land, to shake the dust off their feet.

This was saying: “we free ourselves from all contact with you” or “we free ourselves from participation in your condemnation”.

It had the same meaning as that of Pilate: Mat 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

The Apostle Paul also had his method for the Judaizers: Acts 18:6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.

What did the Lord Jesus say about those who rejected the Gospel? Mat 10:15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.

And so, they went forth preaching and teaching the “Kingdom of God”.

*Luk 9:7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead;
Luk 9:8 And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.
Luk 9:9 And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.

There was a revival happening in Judah, and it found its way into the halls of government.

This teaches us that every government always has its ears open to what is happening in Christianity.

Almost every government will seek ways to stop any revival of Christianity.

Herod had already murdered John the Baptist, thinking he had stopped the Christian movement, but he was wrong.

No government exists that can stop the plan of God!

Some people had said that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead.

This bothered Herod because he had murdered John by removing his head to give to his wife, and he was feeling guilty because he was guilty.

The family of Herod was a tangled mess.

Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus, another son of Herod the Great. When she married Philip, she was marrying her own father’s brother.

Herod Antipas was another uncle of Herodias, and Herod Antipas talked Herodias into leaving his brother Philip to marry him, further compounding the incest in this family.

This is why John the Baptist preached against these things, and it got him murdered by the king.

Not only had some people said that John had risen from the dead, but others had said that Elijah had come back as had been prophesied, and some had even said that Jesus was one of the other prophets that had been raised from the dead.

The biggest thing we see here is that the imaginations of non-believers will run wild when they realize their guilt.

What did God say about the conscience? 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?

What else did God say? 1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

Herod thought that if he could just see the Lord Jesus in the flesh, then he would not feel so guilty and just maybe he could be forgiven.

Wickedness will bring you to conviction sometimes, but you must act upon it.

*Luk 9:10 And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.

The first thing we notice here is that we all need some private time with the Lord Jesus.

It is just after this that the Lord Jesus spends most of His time with these twelve men.

This is also a good example for all of us. We need to tell the Lord what we have accomplished and then seek His wisdom on how to do better.

There is no time that we should be standing still.

If we are having results in our ministries, it is only because we know the Lord Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit.

We should always evaluate ourselves to see how we can improve.

A desert place is a place that is not cultivated for crops but consists of grazing land.

Bethsaida was the birth home of Peter, Andrew, and Philip.

Joh 1:44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

It seems no matter where the Lord was, crowds of people could always find Him.

*Luk 9:11 And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.

We should notice that the Lord Jesus always has time for the needy.

These disciples would soon embark on the greatest mission of this world, but the Lord Jesus would always take time to help those who came to Him because He is our compassionate Savior.

This lesson is clear. Even when we need our rest, there are still people who need the Lord.

There are always sheep who need the Shepherd.

Mar 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

In the Kingdom of God, God is the absolute ruler, and we are His subjects; the Word of God is the absolute law, and obedience is demanded.

Many people are confused about this and think they can alter the Law of God.

If you are a “Born Again” child of God, you have already felt the healing power of God, but in most cases, healing is not our greatest need.

It is always our Spiritual needs that are most important, so therefore the Lord does not always heal us as we would think He would.

Most of the time, we can learn more in our suffering than we can ever learn when we are healthy, and we can get closer to God.

This was a lesson that these chosen men of God needed to learn.

Miracles are great, but salvation is greater!

*Luk 9:12 And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.
Luk 9:13 But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.

We know that these disciples had been given certain powers when they were sent on a mission, and we do not read where He had taken their powers away.

So, the Lord tells them to provide their needs.

These people had certainly been listening to the Lord for several hours, and it may have been hard for them to find food so late in the day.

We know this was a crowd of five thousand men, and it could have been much larger if there were women and children there.

The Lord Jesus could have stopped his teaching earlier, but He did not.

Either way, five thousand people would never find shelter or food to meet their needs in such a short period of time.

The answer these disciples had was that the people could provide their own needs.

We know that people just cannot be left to sustain their own needs; we all need God’s help.

Jesus told His disciples it was they who should provide the needs of these people.

It was more important for these people to hear the message of God than it was to seek food and shelter.

Joh 6:49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
Joh 6:50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

The biggest problem the twelve disciples saw was that there were just not enough resources available to feed these people.

The twelve men said that they did not have the power to meet the needs of these people. We know that only God has such power.

There is nothing too hard for God!

*Luk 9:14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.
Luk 9:15 And they did so, and made them all sit down.

It would have been hard to make sure that every person could eat if this crowd were not organized.

They were set as if they were an army.

While this was taking place, the Lord took time to pray. He had what He needed: “five small barley loaves and two fish”.

Mar 6:40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
Mar 6:41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.

*Luk 9:16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
Luk 9:17 And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.

The Jewish barley loaves were broad, thin cakes, and they were broken to eat them.

The two fish were small fish, maybe no bigger than sardines, and were salted to preserve them.

The Lord Jesus Christ broke these small cakes and fish, and He gave them to the Apostles, and He just kept on breaking and giving until all were fed.

The Lord Jesus Christ was meeting the needs of these children of Judah.

Jesus had first looked up to Heaven, giving thanks to God the Father.

Jesus thanked God for what He did have, fives cakes of barley and two fish.

He then blessed what God had already given to Him.

We should understand that once we do our part in the work God has given to us, then and only then will God multiply our resources.

What we will see is that there was plenty enough to feed this large crowd, and there was still some leftovers.

God will provide more than enough!

Each of the Lord’s disciples kept coming to Jesus to fill their baskets until all were fed.

Joh 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

Psa 37:16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

By feeding these people in such a desert place, the Lord Jesus shows these Jews He is the new Moses spoken of in the Books of Moses!

Deu 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

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.
Deu 18:19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

When everyone had their fill, twelve baskets, one for each Apostle, were filled with what had not been eaten.

When we study this miracle out, we do not see any indication that any of these people were aware of the miracle that had just taken place beyond His own disciples.

The truth is that this world belongs to the Lord Jesus: Psa 24:1 The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

*Luk 9:18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
Luk 9:19 They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.
Luk 9:20 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.

The Lord Jesus never forgot to thank His Father for what He had done.

The Lord Jesus also needed strength as He would set out for Jerusalem, where He would soon face the cross.

We can only imagine the mental anguish upon the Lord as He walked by Golgotha, knowing He would soon die there.

No doubt this would be part of His suffering for us, even before the cross.

At the end of His prayer, He then asked His disciples, “Who say the people that I am”?

There were many Jews who thought that Jesus was the reincarnated John the Baptist.

Others said He was Elijah who had returned as prophesied.

It was also time for those twelve chosen men who rest their minds on Jesus the Christ of God.

It was time for them to confess without hesitation that Jesus was the Messiah sent from Heaven.

As disciples of Christ Jesus, we must pray before all major events in our lives.
As disciples of Christ Jesus, we too must come to an understanding of the Cross, His death, burial, and His resurrection.

We must pray for strength to withstand the trials of life, to bear our own cross that lies ahead of us.

Psa 91:15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
Psa 91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Many people just said the Lord Jesus was just a great man who had come their way.

These twelve men needed to have their concept of the Messiah corrected with the truth.

The general saying was that the Messiah would come to be King of Israel and, like King David, save them from their enemies.

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

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.

Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Mic 5:3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
Mic 5:4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

Jer 33:14 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
Jer 33:15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.
Jer 33:16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.

All these things would be true, but the Lord Jesus first came to save us and start the Church.

Jesus was not the Forerunner John the Baptist.
Jesus was not Elijah returned.
Jesus was not one of the Prophets of the Old Testament who returned.

These are the same false confessions made of the Messiah in every generation.

The Lord Jesus is much more than just some man martyred for His faith.
He was certainly the greatest teacher and the greatest prophet of all time.
He was the only one who could tell us the truth of God.
He was the One sent not only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles.
He was a Great Carpenter.
He did make this world, but many reject this truth.

What is the truth? 1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

Again: 1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1Jn 4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
1Jn 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

The Lord Jesus is indeed the Messiah sent from the only true God, Immanuel, with the mission to save all mankind.

The Lord Jesus was not just some man. He is the Almighty Living God!

*Luk 9:21 And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;
Luk 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

The truth is, “Faith” in God cannot be lived out in a vacuum.

A sheltered faith can never be a mature faith!

As believers, we are not to accept the opinion of others; we must know that we know the Lord Jesus is indeed the Messiah sent from God to save us from the penalty of our sin.

The Lord Jesus is indeed the Messiah, but not what the Jews wanted at that time.

The path of His suffering was not an option. It had to take place just as written in the Word of God.

The path to His Kingship will also be just as described in the Word of God.

It was the elders of Judah, the Chief Priests, and the Scribes, who caused Jesus to be slain.

Many of these were the members of the Sanhedrin Court, the Supreme Court of the Jews.

Amen

God in Control

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Kingdom Teaching and a Storm Is Calmed

Book of Luke Chapter 8

Most ministries do not survive unless there is some support for them. Even the ministries of the Lord had supporters.

There are certain women who are mentioned in this chapter, but our lesson concerns the ministry rather than those who support the ministry.

If you support a ministry of the Gospel, then God knows it, and this is the purpose of the Holy Spirit mentioning these precious ladies who supported the work of the Lord.

Our lesson begins with verse 5, where we will look at some parables.

What is a parable? A parable is a mode of teaching that takes a familiar event to teach spiritual truths.

The Lord Jesus used parables to teach us many lessons of the truth of Heaven.

Why did the Lord Jesus use parables?

Mat 13:34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
Mat 13:35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

We use the word typology in our lessons, and parable teaching is also a teaching by typology.

The parable of the Sower:

*Luk 8:4 And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:
Luk 8:5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
Luk 8:6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
Luk 8:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
Luk 8:8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

There was a revival going on in the land of Judah. It had begun with John the Baptist and was continued by God’s Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.

Multitudes of people were gathering to hear what the Lord Jesus had to say.

Who is the Sower in this parable? The Sower is the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus is not looking for fruit among His people, but as the Sower, He sows the seed which is the Word of God.

The Lord Jesus preaches the truth of the Scriptures.

Not some traditional version.
Not some altered version.
Not some version containing the beliefs of man.

The Lord Jesus preaches the version that is approved by the Holy Spirit.

When we read our KJV Bibles, we are reading the English version of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures approved by the Holy Spirit.

Almost all these people who gathered to hear the Lord Jesus knew the work of the sower.

They also knew that not every seed would produce fruit.

Not everyone who came to hear the Words of Jesus was sincere, and this teaching would also address those people.

If the Lord Jesus could not teach them a truth that they could believe, then He would warn all those who had their ears open to His message.

Just hearing the Word of God is not enough; we must apply the Word of God to our lives and be obedient to it.

The Word of God will not bear fruit if we do not put it to good use!

The Parable of the Sower addresses all people who hear the Word of God.

Every parable is taken from things that happen every day!

Notice the Sower always goes out, and he sows the seed. If not, there can be no fruit.

Today, not many will go out.
Today, not many sow the seed, the Word of God.
Today, there are not many who visit and care for the flock.

Four things happen when the Sower sows the Seed.

1) Some seeds fell by the wayside.

This is seed that was sown outside the field. It fell on walking paths and the road.
This seed fell on unprepared ground and was walked on. It was walked upon, and some lay on top of the ground, and birds came and ate it.

2) Some seeds fell upon rocky ground.

This was a rock that had very little soil to cover it. This seed grew quickly because the water would lie on top of the rock when it rained, but that water would soon dry up, and those plants would wither away because the Sun would scorch the plants.

3) Some seeds fell amongst the thorns.

This seed would sprout, but those plants were soon choked to death by those thorns.

4) Other seeds fell on good ground.

This seed produced much fruit and bears fruit a hundredfold.

Jesus immediately said: “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear”.

It is most important that we hear what God has to say so we will know the truth!

The disciples of Jesus Christ asked, “What do these things mean”?

They also asked, “why do you teach using parables”?

*Luk 8:9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
Luk 8:10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

Jesus said that when the truth of God is taught, we are listening to what the Holy Spirit wants us to hear, and we are to respond to it.

Up until this point, Jesus had been teaching by direct reading of the Scriptures, and He would still do this also.

Jesus began to teach with parables to reach those who had a sincere desire to understand the Word of God.

Learning from a parable required people to do some thinking to get the meaning of the Scriptures.

The Lord Jesus Christ wants us to open our hearts to receive God’s message.

It is important to ask enough questions until we get the true meaning of what God is teaching us, one Parable at a time.

We will seek the truth of God if we already have a personal relationship with Him.

Jesus also used the parables to conceal the truth from closed minds!

Closed minds will not spend much time seeking the truth of God because they are not interested in the truth of God.

They are carnal-minded.

Hard-hearted people have no interest in the God of Love.

If you think you already have it all figured out, you will never understand the truth of God.

*Luk 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
Luk 8:12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
Luk 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
Luk 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
Luk 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

We should understand that the Sower is the Lord Jesus Christ, or one of His disciples today.

1Co 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

The Seed is then the Word of God which is incorruptible.

1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

It is the Gospel that brings much fruit.

Col 1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
Col 1:6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

Jesus warns us all that there are all types of people in a crowd.

The fate of our ministries, and how well they grow, depends on those who hear it!

The success of the seed depends upon one thing only, and it is the condition of the soil.

The acceptance of the Word of God relies on one thing: the condition of the heart.

In this parable, the “soil” is in type the “heart”.

1) That seed by the wayside.

That person by the wayside hears the Word of God. He is present, but he is off to the side. He is not involved in any church, and he lets his mind wander to things he would rather be doing than listening to some preacher. He will not pay any attention to God’s warnings.

Before this person can believe the Devil will come and snatch the Word of God from him.

This person will never apply the Word of God to themselves.

2) The seed on the rock.

It means this person hears the Word of God, even becomes excited over it. He may even make a profession of faith.

But he fails to count the cost and consider the commitment he must make and the effort it takes to be a Christian, and he will not apply himself and become grounded in the Word of God.

When trials and temptations come, he will fail, and his profession of faith will be meaningless.

Luk 9:57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
Luk 9:58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Luk 9:59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Luk 9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
Luk 9:61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
Luk 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

3) The seed among the thorns:

This person receives the Word of God and honestly tries to live for Christ.

The Church and its activities appeal to him, and he joins, even calling himself a Christian, but he cannot overcome the thorns of worldliness.

He is unwilling to cut his ties with the world. He tries to live a double life.

He violates the command of God: 2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

He never becomes a child of God!

We must separate ourselves from the world to be a child of God!

1Ti 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

1Ti 5:6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.

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.

4) The seed on good ground.

These are the ones who accept the Word of God with an honest and good heart.

They hear the Word of God, and they keep it.

They will bring forth fruit that will last because they are patient as they witness for Jesus Christ.

They honestly seek to learn and know the truth of God; the Church will grow.

Act 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

1Th 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

They are devoted to Christ and committed to the Gospel.

They do not allow the Devil to snatch away the truth of God.

The Lord Jesus adds to this truth:

*Luk 8:16 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.
Luk 8:17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.
Luk 8:18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

A candle must be lit to fulfill its function.

A candle is made for one purpose only, and that purpose is to give light.

A couple of things we must understand:

1) All fruit that is gathered is for God. We cannot save anyone; we can only lead them to the Lord, who can save them.

2) The light that remains is for the neighborhood. Once we are saved, we are to learn how to make our light as bright as it can be.

3) This candle is given by God Himself, and it cannot be purchased; it is a gift of God to each believer.

This candle is useless to God unless it is used.

This candle represents our Christian Life.

Mat_5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

This is the life we have when we have been “Born Again” into the family of God.

This life is only useful to God when our candle is lit!

This candle is God-given, but it must be we ourselves who can only light our candle.

We must take the initiative to light our candle and not try to hide it.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only spark that can light our candle!

Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Joh 11:9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
Joh 11:10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

Joh 12:36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

Candles can be used as decoration. We can be a life that beautifies others. This is not the primary use of our life.

You can use the wax from a candle to fill a hole. We can be a life that fills in the gaps in society. This is not the primary use of our lives.

Our life can be like an ornament to attract attention. This would be a life centered on us. This is certainly not what God wants from us.

Our life must be able to shine freely. Eph 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Our life must be like a candle that is set in a high place. Our High Place must be the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our life must be bright and not dim.
Our life must be strong in Christ and not weak.

If we try to hide our light, it is because we are ashamed of the true Light, the Lord Jesus Christ.

1Pe 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

We must understand that there are no more mysteries in the Bible. The Gospel was hidden for a time period but it is not to be hidden now.

There are no secret ways to get to Heaven! The Lord Jesus Christ explained the Gospel well enough for us to understand these things.

In fact, Jesus said we should know the way to Heaven by now.

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
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.

We must understand as we live out our lives in this wicked world that the truth is very narrow.

If we do not understand the Gospel of Grace, we have learned the wrong lesson!

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.

We can think, we can guess, and we can suppose but we cannot stray from the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Only the truth of God will bring rewards!

If we do not use what the Lord has given to us, those rewards will be taken away.

Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

We must believe what the Lord Jesus says.

He gives us this example:

*Luk 8:22 Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
Luk 8:23 But as they sailed, he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.

When the Lord told His disciples they were going over to the other side, they should have believed Him.

Jesus, the Son of Man, needed the help of the disciples to get away from the crowds that had gathered.

Most of these disciples had made their living on the Sea of Galilee. They knew this Sea and the suddenness of storms on this Sea.

Jesus, the Son of God, said we are going to the other side, and when He said this, these men should have believed what Jesus said and accepted it as the truth.

We could say this boat ride was a test of faith.

God will test our faith from time to time!

We will face many storms in our Christian life!

We must understand our sovereign God can do anything He so pleases at any time He so pleases!

1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

The Man Jesus was so tired that He fell asleep, but it did not change His plan.

The Lord Jesus was trusting that the skills of these men would get them to the other side of Galilee.

The Lord Jesus was present, but He was not actively involved in the task of rowing.

Then came the storm, and it was a terrible storm.

This little boat was in jeopardy of sinking, but for one thing.

The Lord Jesus had said that they were going to the other side, and it was a sure thing.

*Luk 8:24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.

They felt that only the Lord Jesus had the power to save them when the Lord Jesus had trusted that they had the skills to reach the other side. He knew all along what they would do. This was a test of their faith; they were never in jeopardy.

Any place where the Lord Jesus is present is a safe place, no matter if He is asleep!

These disciples said they felt they were about to perish yet; they also had said that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah.

This shows that they had doubts that Jesus was the true Messiah.

They were desperate enough to wake up the Lord Jesus.

Just as that fever had left Peter’s mother-in-law, just as all disease had left many people when the Lord spoke and said leave, the Lord Jesus spoke to the wind, and immediately the wind stopped blowing, and the Sea was calm.

Then the Lord had a question for them.

*Luk 8:25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.

We had better believe that Satan had his wickedness involved with this storm, so the Lord Jesus stood on His feet when He could have rebuked the wind with just His words. Satan would try to murder the Lord Jesus at every opportunity.
We must understand that the people of God must have absolute faith in our Savior.

We must also understand that if we are afraid, then it did not come from God, and if it did not come from God, it must have come from the Devil.

They had seen many miracles in their time with the Lord Jesus, but they felt that no one could control nature, and they were wrong again.

Jesus had said they were all going to the other side, and not one of them could have perished.

When the Lord describes the Rapture of the Church, we do not have to doubt that it will be real.

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Amen

Having Great Faith

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

A Centurion’s Faith and a Dead Man Raised

Book of Luke Chapter 7

As we get into the miracles of Jesus Christ, let’s talk about the Lord Jesus, the miracle worker.

The Lord Jesus Christ was also a miracle worker, but we should understand that for the most part, He did these miracles to show the people He is God Almighty.

Another thing we should see about the miracles of Jesus, He did things that only God could do.

Such healing of a leper, the knowledge to heal a leper, is something only God can do.

There is still no cure for leprosy even today.

It is the same for a sinner; there is no cure for sin other than the “Grace” of God that comes in the form of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We can say that sin is a disease that only the Lord Jesus Christ can heal.

Another miracle happened when the Lord Jesus gave sight to the blind man. There is still no cure for blindness today.

Jesus came to this earth to open all our eyes to the truth of our Holy God.

Psa 146:8 The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:

There is another prophecy that led the Lord Jesus to perform miracles. Isa 29:18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

The Bible must remain the truth of the Almighty God!

Isa 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Isa 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

What is the greatest miracle of Jesus Christ? Isa 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

Isa 44:22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

The religious leaders of Jerusalem had no way to explain the miracles that were done by Jesus Christ without admitting He was truly the Messiah, which they were not about to do.

They came up with a plan.

Mat 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
Mat 12:23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

This is the sin against the Holy Spirit.

This sin cannot be forgiven because these wicked men had seen that Jesus had performed these miracles, His words, and His works.

These Pharisees dogmatically reported that Jesus performed these miracles under the power of Satan.

The miracles could not be denied, but they refused to acknowledge that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.

There will be no opportunity for repentance of this sin because it is the same sin of not believing the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mat 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Mat 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

It is a great study just to study the miracles that the Lord did while He was on this earth.

*Luk 7:1 Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.

We should understand one important thing about the Word of God.

Once we have heard the Word of God, we can no longer remain neutral; we will be on the Lord’s side or on the world’s side.

After the Lord Jesus was driven out of Nazareth, He chose Capernaum as the headquarters of His ministry.

The city of Capernaum saw many great works of the Lord during His time there, but this wicked city never accepted the Lord Jesus as God’s Messiah, and it does not exist as a city today.

Mat 11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
Mat 11:24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
The Lord Jesus had just preached a great sermon to those who had gathered to hear Him.

Capernaum was important enough to Rome that a detachment of Roman soldiers stayed there at all times.

It was this Roman commander who had provided the money to build a Jewish synagogue in Capernaum.

*Luk 7:2 And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.

There is a clear lesson to learn in this passage.

People with great faith also care for other people.

Most people look down on our military, but I found that when I was a soldier, most soldiers care for people.

Most soldiers respect others even when they are on assignment in other nations than their own.

When we see the word slave, we do not usually see a person who is loved or cared for.

This Centurion would have had to buy this person for him to be a slave, and he had grown attached to his slave.

A slave in that day was nothing more than a tool to be used and abused by most of those who owned them.

This slave had become deathly sick and ready to die.

The lesson we are to learn is that God will not do for those who have no or little faith.

*Luk 7:3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.

True faith will humble us because we know we are unworthy to approach God and certainly unworthy to ask God for His help.

We should understand that once we understand we are saved from the wrath of God, why should we think God owes us anything else?

This soldier had only heard about the wonderful things the Lord had done, and he believed these things were true, unlike most Jews of that day.

The Book of Matthew said that this Centurion had approached the Lord Jesus.

The Book of Luke says that this Centurion sent some religious leaders to approach Jesus.

The truth is, if a commander sends someone with a message, then it is as if he had approached that person himself.

Both Luke and Matthew are right in what they wrote by the Holy Spirit.

No doubt this military man had heard of the wonderful things that Jesus had done.

We had better believe that Rome had someone in the crowds who approached Jesus to put down any insurrection that occurred, but we know Jesus never preached for rebellion against Rome.

This Centurion requested help, not for himself but for a slave in his possession.

He sent priests who were the leaders of the synagogue that he had helped to build.

Today, we do not need a priest on this earth to intercede for us; we can go straight to our Heavenly Father as long as we go in the name of His Son, Jesus.

1) Once we are exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we must humble ourselves before the Lord if we want to seek the blessings of God!

Mic 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

What was told to Jesus about this military man?

*Luk 7:4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:
Luk 7:5 For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

When we have faith in the truth of God, we will want to know more about Him.

What we see is that some Roman soldiers did have true faith in the God of Israel.

He did this knowing that his own nation and his own rulers despised the Jews.

He helped these Jews because he loved the God of Israel, and it was not a fake love.

The world hated the Jews just as most of the world hates the Jews today.

When you are a hated person, you will strive to be better than those around you, and this will cause more hatred.

We can truly narrow this down to the fact that the Jews served the One True God, and the world will always have many gods or be Anti-God.

God said: Gen_12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Those who hate Israel and the Jews also hate the Word of God, no matter what they say!

The world rejects that it is by faith that God works in our world.

If there is one thing that the whole world has, it is that there is always someone to blame if things are not going to suit them.

This is why there are no solutions to problems reached in this world.

The Jews and the Gentiles have very few dealings with one another.

The Gentiles were treated with less respect than a dog by the Jews, and so did the Gentiles treat the Jews. We know it is much the same today.

Mar 7:25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
Mar 7:26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
Mar 7:27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
Mar 7:28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.
Mar 7:29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.

This Roman soldier did not allow these things to interfere with his love of God and his faith in Christ.

*Luk 7:6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:
Luk 7:7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.
Luk 7:8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

We can have faith in a lot of things in this world, and most of them have little or no real meaning because there is no real benefit for them.

If our faith is real in Jesus Christ, then He knows it, and it means something to Him!

That soldier of Rome had great faith in Jesus Christ.

We see this Scripture a lot, but it is a truth we can depend upon: 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.

This is the faith of this soldier from Rome faith even the Jews did not have.

This faith is believing that the Lord Jesus Christ is the sovereign Lord with all the power of Heaven.

This faith is believing that the Lord Jesus Christ will reward those who diligently seek Him, and He will use His power on behalf of those who seek Him.

This faith is believing that there is nothing impossible for the God of the Bible.

This faith is believing that all God has to do is speak the Word, and things will happen.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

If we cannot believe this, then we will never get a prayer answered, and we need to question our salvation.

*Luk 7:9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Luk 7:10 And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

When God has a great admiration for our faith, He will move on our behalf!

This Gentile from Rome had stirred the heart of our Savior!

There are only two places in the Scriptures where it is said that Jesus marvelled.

Here in this passage about the Gentile Roman soldier and the people of Nazareth, His hometown who had no faith.

Mar 6:4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
Mar 6:5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
Mar 6:6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

There will be no great works in our life, in our church, nor in our ministries without “Great Faith” in the Lord Jesus Christ!

It did not matter if this man was a Roman.
It did not matter if this man was a Gentile.
It did not matter if this man was a soldier who had followed commands, even commands to kill.
It only mattered that he had great faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ has the power to do as He says He will do and the power to meet all our needs!

Mar 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Mar 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Mar 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

This is the power to answer any prayer!

*Luk 7:11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.

The city of Nain was only six miles from the city of Nazareth, and this distance could be walked in less than a day.

This is the same area where Elisha had raised the son of a Shunammite woman, so this area had seen the power of God.

There were many witnesses to this resurrection because it was a funeral procession.

Many unbelievers had followed the Lord Jesus from Nazareth.

The disciples of Jesus were with Him.

The timing of the arrival of the Lord Jesus was perfect.

*Luk 7:12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and many people of the city were with her.
Luk 7:13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

We have stated before that for a woman to be left on her own in this day, it would be hard for her to survive.

The women of that day were homemakers, while the husband and sons, if she had one, would provide for the home.

We saw she was a widow, so her husband had already passed.

In typology, Israel is a widow without a husband today because the Jews still reject the Lord of Glory.

She is now attending the funeral of her only begotten son.

All of Israel’s hope lies in the only Begotten Son of God, the Son who will die for their sins as He did for all sinners. They must first admit that they are sinners.

Was this the reason that the Lord Jesus had compassion on her? It was at least part of it.

The crowd of people attending the funeral and the crowd of people following the Lord Jesus Christ all met together at the gates of the city.

The crowd of the city walks with death.

The crowd with Jesus walks with Life.

What we will witness is that death will lose to the Giver of Life.

Death has the last word for the unbeliever.
Life has the last word for the believer.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

When death meets the Lord Jesus Christ, death will have to give way to Life!

Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

The Lord Jesus was touched by this whole scene. This mother was a type of the love that God has for His children.

We should also notice that no one had asked the Lord Jesus for help.

We see that God does act sometimes out of His own compassion. Why?

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Compassion is a mix of passion, love, and sorrow.

*Luk 7:14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
Luk 7:15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

A bier was a flat wooden frame on which the body of the dead was carried from the house to the grave.

The body of the Lord Jesus would lie on such a bier in a couple of years in Jerusalem.

We know that contact with a dead body was forbidden by the Laws of Moses as a source of defilement.

Num 19:11 He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.

Though God can do as He pleases, the Lord Jesus did not touch the body of this young man but only touched the bier, as written by Luke.

Jesus then spoke: Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

1) The Lord Jesus did have the power to bypass traditional beliefs. The Lord Jesus Christ possesses the right and the power to override all religious laws and beliefs and over life and death as our Creator, but He would never go against the written Word of God.

2) The Lord Jesus Christ has the power to stop the death processional. The pallbearers stopped without Jesus saying a word to them.

3) The Lord Jesus Christ is the only one who has the power to raise the dead. He commanded life to return to this young man.
Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Joh 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
Joh 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
Joh 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

We should understand that everyone who was raised from the dead by Jesus while he was first on this earth later died again.

The Lord Jesus Christ tells us exactly what will happen after the death of the believer and the death of the unbeliever.

The souls of the believers will return with Christ.

The souls of the unbeliever will be reunited with their mangled bodies in the Burning Lake of Fire.

*Luk 7:16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.
Luk 7:17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.

These people in Nain had never seen such a thing as this.
The disciples of Christ had never seen such a thing as this.
All those who were following the Lord as spies for the religious had never seen such a thing as this resurrection of the dead.

Many of them had a great fear of what they saw.

This was a fear of reverence and awe. This is the same fear that we all should have.

Jhn_6:48 I am that bread of life.

Jhn_14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

As far as the human body is concerned, death has the last word.

As far as the Christian is concerned, death is the next step into God’s Heaven.

When death is confronted with life, death loses.

Death has no right to the body of a Christian!

1Th_4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

There was only one thing left to do, and this was to glorify God.

All those present all knew one thing, and it was that only the Living God had the power to raise the dead back to life.

The Lord Jesus was not asked for any help.

The Lord Jesus saw this poor mother and had compassion upon her.

We serve a compassionate and loving God who can be touched by the suffering of His people.

Our God is the only source of true consolation.

The Lord’s compassion is followed up with His “Grace”. The free, unmerited love and favor of God is the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from Him.

Why did God send His Son to save us to begin with? Because He had compassion on us and was willing to show His Grace to us.

Those words “God hath visited His people” mean they should have recognized that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, but they did not have enough faith, and even this little faith did not last long.

They began to see the Lord Jesus as only a Prophet of God, though He was a Prophet, He was so much more than a Prophet. He was God’s Son.

Luk 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Luk 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
Luk 19:43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
Luk 19:44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

The Muslims and other religions call Him Prophet, but I call Him Savior. I call Him God!

We can look forward to the Rapture of the Church or the day after our death when we hear the voice of the Lord calling us home.

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Amen

Called and Chosen to Serve the Lord

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Appointing the Apostles and the Sermon on the Mount

Book of Luke Chapter 6

What is wrong with much of the Church today? People tend to institutionalize religion, making it full of form and ritual, rules and regulations, ceremonies, and services.

What does the Bible say about this? 2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

The modern church is denying the power of the Holy Spirit, and many have kicked the Lord Jesus Christ out of the doors of the church.

The Church becomes a religion like all the false religions and far from Christianity, which is the desire of our Heavenly Father.

The Church is to walk in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ, or it is not a church!

Why were we saved to begin with? The Lord Jesus Christ needs people!

In fact, that word “need “is wrong. The Lord Jesus does not need any of us!

It is those who are lost who need Christians; they do not need religionists!

We are chosen to carry the message of salvation to the world.

How did the Lord Jesus go about choosing people to serve as ambassadors from Heaven?

*Luk 6:12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

The Lord Jesus chose His people after much prayer.

No matter what we are about to take on, we are foolish not to spend much time in prayer.

There was a large group of people following Jesus at this time, and not all of them had the right reasons for doing so.

The leaders of Judaism were filled with hatred for Him, and their hatred was increasing.

In every circumstance, prayer is the refuge for those who serve Christ!

Most of us can say our prayers in a minute or two, but in reality, this is not enough time to get our message to our Heavenly Father.

Yes, He knows what we need, but why should He help us or our ministries if we refuse to spend some time with Him?

The Lord continued all night. Once the Lord started this prayer, He stayed with it until He got His message across and received His answer.

We may not always get an answer when we pray, but we must get our intentions to the Lord!

Jesus was about to choose men to carry the Gospel to all the world, and yet He had a reason for every choice He made.

We know that one of those men was Judas Iscariot, and though we may not know the exact reason he was chosen, we do know Christ had His reason.

By the time the sun had come out, the Lord Jesus Christ knew whom He would choose.

*Luk 6:13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;

There were many who were following the Lord Jesus everywhere He traveled, but He chose twelve men from those who were called disciples with the intent that they would be His apostles.

A disciple of Jesus Christ must:

1) Believes in His doctrine.
2) Rests on His sacrifice.
3) Keep the knowledge of His Spirit.
4) Follows His example.

Rest meaning: Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
An Apostle of Jesus Christ:

1) They are commissioned to preach the Gospel.
2) They had the authority of the Master.
3) They aided in the ministry of Christ.
4) They followed His example.

These are the same things we, who are disciples, must do!

How were an Apostle chosen:

1) They were men who had been with Jesus.
2) They could testify to the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Act 1:22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
3) They were given the keys to the Kingdom of God.
4) They were given supernatural gifts. Act 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
5) They were called by the Lord Jesus Christ: Gal 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
6) They were given the inspired Word of God and would not depart from its truth: 1Th 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

These Apostles were to have no successors. They were the only authoritative teachers of the Doctrines of Jesus Christ.
The office of the Apostle ceased when these men died.

We cannot be apostles, but we can be the messengers of Jesus Christ and the Gospel.

The Lord Jesus called Himself the Apostle sent from Heaven: Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

That word “sent” is the Greek word “Apostello,” meaning sent on a mission.

The Apostle Paul also said the Lord Jesus was an Apostle: Heb 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

The Lord Jesus Christ, our great Apostle, was sent from Heaven with the message of salvation.

So, the Lord chose His Apostles:

*Luk 6:14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
Luk 6:15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
Luk 6:16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

There should be no doubt that these twelve men were a diverse group.

Simon, whom the Lord had already named Cephas, which means a “mass of rock” and is translated as Peter, was chosen, as was his brother Andrew.

We could say that Andrew was more Greek than he was Israelite. He had also been a disciple of John the Baptist

James and John, along with Simon, were businessmen, and these three seemed to have a closer relationship with our Savior than the rest.

James and John were also called Boanerges, “sons of thunder”.

Some say this was because of their preaching, but in reality, the name came because of their temper.

Luk_9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

The enthusiasm of James serving the Lord was probably what got him selected as the first martyr.

Matthew may have been the wealthiest of them all, but he may have given even his wealth up to follow the Lord Jesus.

We know Thomas as doubting Thomas, and he may have been a twin.

James the Less was a son of the sister of Mary, also named Mary.

One was a political nationalist and an insurrectionist, Simon the Zealot.

The Zealots were pledged to overthrow the Roman government and to assassinate as many Roman officials and their Jewish cohorts as possible.

Philip was a native of Bethsaida and seems to have had a prominent place among the Apostles.

Bartholomew was also known as Nathanael and is always mentioned with Philip.

Not much is said about Bartholomew. The Lord Jesus did appear to him on the Sea of Tiberias after His resurrection, and he did witness the Ascension of the Lord.

The Lord Jesus said he was indeed an Israelite. Joh 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

Guile means being crafty, so Bartholomew was a man who fulfilled the true idea of Israel. A man of God, and we could say a man who could get in touch with God through prayer.

Bartholomew would be one of those Israelites who stand at the wall today, praying.

Judas or Jude, the son of Alphaeus, who was also the son of Caphi, who was a Jewish general under Jonathan Maccabaeus.

He seems to be the brother of James the Less.

Then there is Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, also called the Son of Simon. Joh 13:26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
Joh 13:27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.

None of these men was famous or in any way tied to the government.

As this group comes together, we can see the power of Christ, who gives us all purpose and meaning to life.

We should understand that the Lord knew that Judas the traitor would betray Him, and this also was the providence of God.

1Co 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Once these things were settled, the Lord Jesus had a sermon that needed preaching.

*Luk 6:20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
Luk 6:21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
Luk 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.
Luk 6:23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

Many Bible scholars call this passage the Sermon on the Plain to say it is different from the Sermon on the Mount, but we are going to see what the Lord says here.

The Lord Jesus had just chosen His twelve Apostles, knowing that one of them would betray Him, which is another lesson for the Church.

It shows that anyone can spend a lot of time with the Lord Jesus and appear to be saved when they never truly accept who Jesus is and why He came as a Shepherd and will return to be King of kings and Lord of lords.

Jesus is not only speaking to the crowd that had gathered, but He is also speaking to those chosen to be His Apostles.

This message, some call the beatitudes, explains clearly what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

What is materialism? Materialism is the philosophy that considers the fundamental principle of all things and denies the independence and autonomy of the spirit.

Some say it is naturalism, but it is not.
It can be called sensualism, but this is an incomplete meaning.

Materialism is sensual enjoyment in its fullest sense and denies the existence of the spirit world.

We should understand that some parts of our being are non-material.

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

What is the image of God?

The image of God in mankind cannot be material because God is Spirit.

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

God is spirit, and He does not have a body.

1) Personality is nonmaterial because each of us has self-consciousness and self-determination, which allows us to make choices. Animals do not have this trait.

Without this, we could not be redeemed!

Personality reveals our ability to exercise dominion over our created world and develop the earth.

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.

Gen 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

2) Our Spiritual being. God is Spirit, so the human soul is a spirit.

The attributes of a spirit are reason, conscience, and will. These are all non-material.

God has endowed each of us with those attributes that belong to His own nature as a Spirit.

This is why we can know God and the foundation of our belief in our Creator.

If we do not have the image of God, we cannot know Him, and we would be like the animals.

3) We have a moral nature.

Man was created in moral righteousness, also called knowledge and holiness, which was lost in the fall of Adam.

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.

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

We are not all material but are also spiritual.

This was Darwin’s error that has followed mankind through the last few centuries.

We did not evolve from animals!!!!!!!

The Lord Jesus begins His sermon, preaching to those who are poor in spirit.

There is nothing in this material world that can make us rich in spirit!!

We must seek our Creator, our God, and His Kingdom, knowing that He alone has the power to make us rich in spirit.

Mat_6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Being poor in spirit is being full of self.

There is a lot of difference between having self-righteousness and having God’s righteousness.

Self-righteousness dies when the body dies.

The righteousness of Christ Jesus lives forever.

Jesus says all those who become rich in spirit will inherit the kingdom of God.

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Blessed are the hungry. Again, this is spiritual hunger and not physical hunger.

Being hungry is not a blessing; it is sad and tragic.

If we hunger after righteousness, hunger spiritually, it means we have a starving spirit that craves the righteousness of God.

Righteousness means to be right and to do right according to the Word of God.

Just being righteous is not enough; we must do righteousness!

Loose living is dangerous. People do whatever they desire, and they feel comfortable with their relationship with Christ, and they are wrong. They must be righteous and do righteousness to be secure.

Self-righteousness is the first step to legalism and being judgmental.

Jesus does not say Blessed are the righteous because no one is.

Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

Jesus says Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Jesus continues Blessed are those who are sorrowful, those who weep and mourn.

The thought here is of a broken heart over wickedness, helpless against evil, desperate.

It’s the same brokenness we should feel when we see the Lord Jesus Christ on that cross.

We should be broken when we realize that we should have been on that cross rather than our innocent Savior.

We should be desperately sorry for our sin.
We should feel sorrowful for other sinners.
We should feel sorrowful when we experience personal tragedy or trauma.

When the Lord says He will wipe away all tears, it means we will laugh with the joy and comfort of our salvation and redemption.

Psa 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

We will pass from death to real life!
God will wipe away all our tears.

We should feel blessed when the world looks upon us as the disciples of Jesus Christ.

We will be hated without a cause.
Our names will be seen in slander.
We will be charged with false crimes and accusations.

We should rejoice and jump for joy because our rewards are in heaven and not on this earth.

We must remember that we are not of this world; our home is in Heaven!

Those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ and depend upon materialism will not have any of these blessings.

*Luk 6:24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
Luk 6:25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
Luk 6:26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Judgment is coming to all those who depend upon materialism.

We already know that materialism cannot satisfy our God given spirit!

We can say that woe is equivalent to great grief.

I do not consider myself to be rich, but we could say that anyone who has something that they can put away or save after their needs are met are richer than our parents and grandparents were.

Mar 12:41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
Mar 12:42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
Mar 12:43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
Mar 12:44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

The wealthy are esteemed, honored, and envied.

Wealth brings power!

Those who are already wealthy usually work hard to gain more.

What does God say?

Eph 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

What did the Lord tell the rich young ruler?

Mat 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Riches make most who have it selfish.

Riches attach us to this dying world.

Those who are full are those who are so full of themselves that they do not have room for God!

Those who choose to be full of what this world has to offer.

Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

They will leave everything they have accumulated behind when they pass on.
There are no desires that can be fulfilled after death.
There are no delights fulfilled in Hell that will last for eternity.
They shall hunger for righteousness, but it will be too late.

What did the Lord Jesus say?

Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Those who laugh now are those who laugh in their sin.

They have no sense of sin, no sorrow, and no regret over evil or suffering or wickedness.

They pay no attention to this dying world!

They will be alone in Hell to weep over their great losses.

Job 20:5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?
Job 20:6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
Job 20:7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?

Worldly people want attention, honor, and praise, but all these things do is fill them with pride that they cannot overcome.

We must also be aware of the so-called preachers that the world speaks well of.

The modern church would not allow Jesus Christ in the pulpit today.
The modern church has allowed the world into the church, and though they are rich, they are failing because they have rejected the Doctrine of Jesus Christ, who God has made Head of the true Church.

The sermon on the mount and the sermon on the plain would be rejected as false, and the false church will keep growing in sin and riches and end in Hell.

Amen

Jesus Called Disciples and More Healings

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Jesus Called Disciples and More Healings

Book of Luke Chapter 5

In the time of Jesus, every teacher had his own company of disciples.

Jewish Rabbis had theirs, Pharisees had theirs, John the Baptist had his, but the difference in the disciples of Jesus Christ was that He chose twelve men Himself.

This inner circle of men had to forsake their lives and follow the Lord Jesus wherever He went.

They also continued the ministry of Jesus after He returned to Heaven.

The most important thing was that they were trained to carry the ministry of Jesus forward after He was gone.

They changed from disciples to Apostles.

That word apostle has a similar meaning to ambassador.

We should realize that the Lord Jesus also appointed another seventy men and commissioned them.

Luk 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
Luk 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, the harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
Luk 10:3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

A disciple of Jesus Christ will submit to baptism, submit to the teachings of God’s Word, and obey all the Lord Jesus has commanded.

The Lord has told all His disciples that He will make us fishers of men: Mrk_1:17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

Jesus would have all mankind caught in the Gospel net!

*Luk 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

Lake Gennesaret is the same body of water known as the Sea of Galilee.

The call of men is needed more today because the world has more than eight billion people in it who need to hear the truth of the Gospel and make a decision for themselves.

We can see that these people wanted to hear what the Lord Jesus had to say.

They wanted to hear the Word of God!

They had a hunger and thirst for things that the Lord Jesus was saying.

Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

We need that same hunger and thirst today for the truth.

*Luk 5:2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them and were washing their nets.
Luk 5:3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

Have you ever noticed how sound travels so well when you are on the lake?

I believe the Lord Jesus had a booming voice that could be heard from a great distance, but no man can talk over a large, disorderly crowd hanging all over him.

Simon Peter makes his fishing boat available to the Lord Jesus, so Simon participates in the work of the Lord.

Like a pastor preached recently, “What do we have in our hands to give unto the Word of the Lord”?

Do we make available our resources to the work of the Lord?

*Luk 5:4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
Luk 5:5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

The work of the Lord is not all drudgery; the work of the Lord can be rewarding.

Now, this is not saying that Jesus teaches a prosperity Gospel, but God will reward those who are on the battlefield of the Lord, but it is rarely financial, other than meeting our needs.

Peter and those with him had fished all night and had taken nothing.

This is the outcome I have most of the time, but catching fish is not the main reason I go fishing.

Here again, the Lord Jesus had a reason for the miracle that He was about to perform.

The title Master comes from the Greek word meaning teacher.

Sometimes the same Greek word for teacher is used as the title doctor.

Peter was an experienced fisherman, and he knew if the fish did not bite in the night, they were not going to bite in the daytime, but the Lord Jesus wanted to start working on Peter’s faith.

The Lord also wanted Peter to accept Him as the Messiah who has control of all nature.

The lesson from the Lord Jesus was out with the old and in with the new.

A New Covenant was beginning, and it would have better results than the Old Covenant.

The lesson for us all is that we can place our faith in the infallible Word of God.

As we build on our Christian lives, doubt must be replaced with obedience.

There are no hopeless situations for the child of God.

The results of obedience will always be a blessing.

When we are drawn to God, we need to obey our hearts.

I can remember a few weeks before I came to this church, I was walking in my yard, and the Holy Spirit asked me why I was throwing my life away because of the way I was living.

I only knew the truth of that day when I came through the doors of this church.

Peter was having a similar feeling on this day with the Lord Jesus.

*Luk 5:6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
Luk 5:7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

The miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ showed that He could do things that only God could do.

There are many charlatans out in this world today, but none of them can do what only God can do. And we must not be fooled by them.
The Holy Spirit will not allow their lies to be true.

Those who claim the power to heal should go to the closest hospital and stop the suffering of those on the inside.

If Peter had only caught a few fish or even a net full of fish, he would have thought little about it.

The Lord Jesus wanted Peter to feel the willingness to serve the Lord.

If Peter thought he was exhausted, he was about to find out what true exhaustion was all about.

Peter’s net could not hold all the fish, and he called for another boat to come to help. Both boats had so many fish in them that they were in jeopardy of sinking, which the Lord would not have allowed because it would have defeated His purpose.

The Lord Jesus knew exactly how many fish it would take to sink those boats!

When we make decisions in this life, we must make those decisions according to the Word of God and our faith.

Peter’s faith began to rise.
Peter’s faith rested on the Words of Christ, “At Thy Word”. No one else could have talked Peter into letting down his nets he had just cleaned.
Peter’s faith led to obedience without questioning.

Many of us are disappointed at what this life offers, but we find that as we walk in step with Jesus Christ, we learn what blessings are all about.

Peter became overwhelmed because of his own sin of doubt.

*Luk 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
Luk 5:9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

Peter understood exactly what had happened!

Peter was overwhelmed by his own unworthiness!

Peter understood that he had just witnessed a miracle.

The people on the shore are not mentioned, but they were there, many of them, because they had witnessed or heard of the many miracles of healing that the Lord Jesus had performed.

To Peter, the Lord Jesus was no longer Master but now Lord. We know Him as Lord of lords.

Peter came to the Lord Jesus upon his knees in confession of his sins.

1) Peter confessed to his sin of unbelief. He had questioned the Lord’s will. He had to acknowledge that the Lord’s power was not of this earth.

2) Peter confessed that Jesus was indeed Lord. In this verse, the Greek word “kurios” means supreme in authority.

1Co 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Peter acknowledged that the Lord Jesus was the authority that must be obeyed, and we had better understand this also.

3) Peter confessed his fear and his reverence as Peter was in awe of the miracle that the Lord Jesus had just shown him.

This reminds us of the Prophet Isaiah: Isa 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Peter was close to salvation as we know it:

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

And others had witnessed this miracle.

*Luk 5:10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
Luk 5:11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

This passage tells us when these men realized that Jesus is Lord of all, and they were determined to follow Him.

This passage tells us something else.

We know that in typology, this fishing boat is in type the Church, and the Church cannot do anything without the Lord Jesus Christ being onboard.

Jesus Christ challenged these men to follow Him and become fishers of men.

It is the job of the Church to produce and train fishers of men with those who answer the call of Christ and are filled with the Holy Spirit.

To Peter, it was now obvious that the Lord Jesus was indeed the Messiah come from God, and he had what we all need.

A reverent fear of God and an actual fear of the Almighty God and the Lord Jesus, sensing this fear, said, “Fear not”.

The Lord Jesus had not come at this time for “judgment”. He will judge this world when He returns the second time.

So, we too can “Fear not”.

In actuality, the world has already been judged, and we are judged as sinners.

This is the reason the Lord Jesus came to earth the first time.

Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

What do we know of our own calling?

Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

There were two of the disciples of Christ who were named James.

Here we have James, the brother John was the son of Zebedee.

It is this James with his brother John and Peter who become the Lord’s inner circle.

This James is never mentioned apart from John.

This is the James that King Herod had killed with a sword.

There is another James, the son of Alphaeus, called James the Less, because he was shorter than James, the brother of John.

There are also two other men named James.

James, the half-brother of the Lord, who later became the pastor of the Church in Jerusalem.

It is this James who wrote the epistle of James.

Then there was James, the father of Judas Iscariot.

Those who are called of God will forsake all and follow the Lord.

Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

*Luk 5:12 And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

There are some things we should see here.

Leprosy is a type of sin in the New Testament.

In the salvation plan of God, we must first acknowledge that we are sinners.

Then we must acknowledge the cleansing.

In reality, we are not healed from our sin; we are cleansed from our sin.

Only the Lord Jesus Christ can cleanse us of our sin.

We must be washed to become clean.

Rev_1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Is the Lord Jesus also the Great Healer? He certainly is, and He can heal us from any ailment.

Mat_14:14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

He will do neither without a show of faith.

Luk_9:11 And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.

This leper, who came to Jesus, was sustained by his hope. He saw hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our only hope in this world!

He called Jesus Lord because he knew that Jesus is Lord of lords.

1Co_12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

We must realize just how dirty and defiled we are on the inside and on the outside before we can be cleansed of that defilement.

We must humble ourselves before the Lord, who only can cleanse us!

Leprosy was the most terrible of diseases in the day of Jesus and was greatly feared by the people, and we should see sin in the same way today.

It would cause disfigurement, and many times it was fatal; again, sin causes these same things.

It is no wonder that leprosy is a type of sin in Scripture.

The leper was considered unclean.
The leper was judged to be the walking dead.
The leper was an outcast and banished from society.
The leper was considered polluted and incurable.

Sin will cause these same things, but because of the mercy and grace of God, He looks deep into our hearts, and He knows there can be something special in each of us if we will only trust Him.

The leper had asked the Lord Jesus if He could be willing to help him, and the Lord said; ‘I will”.

*Luk 5:13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

We see that the Lord Jesus Christ is willing to help anyone if they show faith in His powers.

The Lord Jesus is always moved with compassion for those who are hurting in any manner.

This leper acknowledges that he is hopelessly lost and the only thing that can help him is God’s “Grace”.

Only “Grace” can heal a leper because only “Grace” can cleanse us of our sin!

So many have become desperate in our world today because this world cannot help them, and if it could, it refuses to help them.

The Lord Jesus reached out and touched this man when no one else would ever touch a leper for fear of getting the disease.

Every leper was considered untouchable!

The Highest of all God’s could go low enough to touch the unclean leper when no one else would.

The Lord Jesus Christ will reach out and touch all who are considered untouchable in our world if they trust Him.

The Lord Jesus is always willing to help those who have faith that He will help them.

How did Jesus heal this leper? It was that sword in His mouth. He just spoke the words “be thou clean,” and this man was cleansed.

We can all be cleansed by the Word of Jesus Christ.

What did the Lord Jesus do throughout the time He was upon this earth the first time?

Mat 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Mat 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

For this, He was crucified!

*Luk 5:14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

What did this man need to do next?

This man needed to worship and offer thanks to God and learn to obey the Word of God before doing anything else.

Remember, this man did not have a place on his body that was not covered with leprosy.

In typology, he was deep in sin. He wanted to run and tell the world that he was now.

We must understand that the Lord Jesus had come to this earth as a lowly servant, and He did not want people to think more of Him than this.

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Jesus Christ did not do the things He did for self-exaltation.

Jesus wrote all prophecy, and He knew some would try to make Him king, but it was not the time for this to take place.

It was highly unlikely that any lepers were healed in those days. A priest had to go through a detailed list of laws to ever confirm that any leper was cured.

This leper still needed a certificate from a priest saying he had been cleansed.

Book of Leviticus, Chapters 13, verses 38-59, and Chapter 14, verses 1 through 32 will give us some idea about the cure of leprosy.

*Luk 5:15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
Luk 5:16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

The fame of our Lord actually interfered with His ministry so much that Jesus had to withdraw to the wilderness and talk to His Heavenly Father.

This is another great example for us.

When the world interferes with our relationship with our Savior, we need to get alone with God and tell Him what we are going through.

Jesus had the message of salvation and the power to heal, but the message of salvation is much more important!

It was God and prayer that were the source of His power, and He needed much time alone with God, just as we all do.

*Luk 5:17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

As the fame of the Lord Jesus grew, the old religionists came to investigate.

Above all, the Lord Jesus Christ was at this time Teacher, and it is His message that is of greater importance.

This committee had representatives from all over the country. Every major area was represented.

These people could not get along with each other, but they came together to critic the Lord Jesus.

These critics did not come to help Jesus in His ministry of salvation, and they certainly did not come to learn from Him.

They came to investigate and observe Him. They were like spectators at a ball game, except salvation is not a game. Salvation is a God thing, and God sent His Son to show us the only path to Salvation.

What did the Lord Jesus do? He just kept on doing what He was doing and paid them no attention.

Rom 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

We are not here to judge any minister who is serving in the name of our Savior.

We were never called to be judges but witnesses!

*Luk 5:27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
Luk 5:28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.
Luk 5:29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.

When the Lord Jesus Christ began building His disciples who stayed with Him, He chose those who were the outcasts of society.

This man called Levi is the same as Matthew, who wrote the Book of Matthew.

Levi was a dreaded tax collector.

The tax collectors of that day were normally Jews, and it was Rome who set up the tax standard, but most of the tax collectors were rich because they collected more than was required.

For this reason, they were hated because they worked for the Roman government.

To the Lord Jesus, Matthew was just a sinner like we are all sinners, and we should see other people as sinners just as we are sinners.

We may be better off than those who reject the Lord Jesus, because He has made a way for us to get to Heaven, but we are not better than anyone we meet, lost or saved.

In fact, Christian Pride can interfere with the job the Lord has given us to do.

We should have a testimony about what salvation has done for us, but the message we have is the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus went forth, whether it was from a house or a city, because it was time for Him to be busy about His Father’s business.

What is the business of our Heavenly Father? 1Ti_2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

By associating with a man such as Levi, Jesus was exposing Himself to ridicule and acceptance by the upper class of Jerusalem.

These outcasts were not acceptable to the social network of society, but Jesus loved them.

We must understand that we were all outcasts from Heaven until we accepted the truth of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Just as the Lord Jesus humbled Himself before these outcasts of society, we have to humble ourselves before Him.

Everything that the Lord Jesus did was an example for us to learn as we are to be more like Him in all His ways.

Matthew made a great feast in his home, and there were many more of the tax collectors there because they were each other’s only friends.

Matthew’s heart was now filled with joy, and he wanted all his friends to learn of God’s Messiah.

Matthew forsook his riches and became a disciple of Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus wants us all to do the same thing today.

2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
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.
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

As always, the super religious crowd found faults in the way that the Lord Jesus worked His ministry, and these outcasts of society were not wanted in their religious circles.

They were not acceptable!

*Luk 5:30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
Luk 5:31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
Luk 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

The religious crowd saw Jesus Christ only as a person who associated with the rejected of society.

Today, this would be the drunks, those who consume drugs, those who have addictions to all sorts of illegal substances, those who are in jails, and anyone else who accepts the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus called us to witness His truths and not be like those who only judge people to see if they think they are acceptable.

If you did not keep the laws of the religious crowd on that day, you were ceremonially unclean and rejected.

Thank goodness we are not under the law, but under grace, God’s Amazing Grace.

The Lord Jesus said to this crowd that only those who realized they were sinners needed a Savior.

All those who are righteous in their own eyes do not need anything.

These are those who are sick, but they do not know it.

They will never call the doctor, so they can never be healed.

The Lord Jesus came to save sinners.

The Lord Jesus died to pay the sin debt of all sinners, even those who think they are not sinners.

The Lord Jesus gave His life for the life of all sinners!

The righteous crowd does not accept the fact that they need repentance!

They say they do not need saving.

Those who trust in some false god say they do not need saving.

Those who are rich think their money can buy them salvation, so they do not need saving.

Those who trust in the ways of the world say they do not need saving.

What does God teach us?

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And God the Father adds: Psa_2:4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

Pro_6:15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

Pro_1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

Today is the day of salvation, don’t wait until it is too late to call upon the Lord!

Amen

Jesus’ Temptation, Teaching, and Healing

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Jesus’ Temptation, Teaching and Healing

Book of Luke Chapter 4

When we need to know how to act in any situation, all we need to know is how Jesus would act in that situation.

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We have no greater example to follow than the Lord Jesus Christ!

This will not always be an easy thing to do.

Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

We must never get confused. The Lord Jesus is God in the flesh!

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.

Jhn_1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Our greatest problem that we face in our Christian life is that we just do not handle temptation very well.

If Satan finds out what works on us, he will use that against us unless we wise up to him.

Victory over temptation is our greatest challenge as we walk in the ways of Jesus Christ.

Every temptation we face today is the same as the ones the Lord Jesus faced in His lifetime in the flesh.

*Luk 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Luk 4:2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

Then Jesus was baptized.

The Lord was the fulness of the Holy Spirit.

Here the Lord Jesus shows how to handle the temptations of the Devil.

The Lord Jesus Christ was about to launch the most important work of Yahweh.

The work of the Lord Jesus Christ was to determine the eternal fate of this world we live in today.

It was the Holy Spirit who led the Lord Jesus into the wilderness so that He could be tempted.

Mar 1:12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
Mar 1:13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.

Mat 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

The Lord Jesus could not begin His ministry unless He could stand up to temptation.

The devil is our adversary, and we must know how to deal with him!

1Pe_5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

If Satan, the Devil, is not afraid to tempt the Lord Jesus, then who do we think we are that we will not face his temptations?

The Lord Jesus is not tempted as the Son of God, but He is tempted as the Son of God who is also the Son of Man.

God allows this so we know that we have an example of the Son of Man, the man Jesus could withstand the attacks of the Devil.

We can too if we learn how the Lord Jesus accomplished this.

The Lord Jesus, one hundred percent God but also one hundred percent man, had to be totally committed to the salvation plan of God the Father.

He needed to gain the victory that was needed so that whosoever believed these things could be saved for an eternity in the presence of God.

God’s plan included the cross, the way of sacrifice and suffering, to help others.

The Lord Jesus would always be tempted to use His power of God to end His temptations, and had He done so, we would all still face that Burning Lake of Fire we know of as Hell.

The man Jesus had to be assured that the God Jesus had the power to deliver him and conquer temptation.

We must be winners of the trials of life.

1) Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit.

2) Jesus was led to spend time alone with God the Father.
We must spend some time alone with God.

3) Jesus was led to be tried and tested.
It is our trials that test us and make us stronger.

4) Jesus was led to fast and pray.
Most of us pray, and maybe not enough, but very few of us take fasting seriously.

We must understand that God is not allowing us to be tempted so that we will fail! God is allowing our temptation so we can have victory over it.

Temptation comes from our heart; temptation does not come from God!

Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

We are never singled out for some special temptation. The same temptations can happen to all mankind.

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

There is only one way to overcome temptation!

Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Let’s watch the Devil do his dirty work.

*Luk 4:3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
Luk 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

The Devil knew exactly that Jesus was the Son of God, but if he could get Jesus to use His godly powers to sustain His human side, then Satan would win this battle.

Jesus had gone forty days without food in a fast that was intended to prepare Him to begin His ministry.

Jesus, the man, knew He needed all the help He could get from His Heavenly Father, and by fasting, He wanted His Father to know how much He would give up completing His ministry.

Remember the Lord Jesus came to die for us, but Satan was not aware of all the plan of God.

No doubt Jesus was hungry, and those river stones probably looked a whole lot like a baked loaf of bread.

Certainly, He had the power to make some food if He wanted to, but His forty-day fast and prayer had given Him much spiritual strength.

All the power that Jesus had at that time could not be used to sustain Himself.

He had to live as a man in order for God’s will to be done and He refused to go against the will of His Father.

He could only use those powers that He had to help mankind!

Mat 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

Jesus had to be who He claimed to be, just as every Christian is to be who they claim to be.

Each Christian and his ministry is to follow in the ways of Jesus Christ.

1) If Jesus used His power upon Himself, then it could not be said that He trusted His Heavenly Father.
2) If Jesus used His power upon Himself, it would be like saying that man could use their own abilities upon themselves instead of helping a lost world to come to know their Savior.
3) If Jesus used His power upon Himself, He would be teaching that men could use their own abilities to build themselves up instead of honoring God for His power.

If you are a Christian, you already know that we could not survive in this world without our Heavenly Father supplying our Spiritual means.

Food alone is not enough to sustain us; we need the Word of God and the strength of the Holy Spirit.

We must clearly understand that we may be better off than those who are lost, but we are not better than anyone else in this world, nor should we see ourselves as better; our pride will get in the way of God’s work.

There is a Spiritual hunger that food cannot satisfy!

*Luk 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Luk 4:6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Luk 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
Luk 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Satan does not give up easily, and we should understand this fact.

As we grow up in this wicked world, we are taught that we must have ambitions to succeed.

In the devil’s evil mind, he thought that Jesus, with His great power, would also have ambitions beyond those of His Father.

We must never believe that Satan does not have some powers, even though his powers are allowed to take place under the watchful eyes of God.

Satan never has control of this world, but the fact is, he can control every unbeliever because God allows it.

2Ti_2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

What were the ambitions of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Luk_19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Isa 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Satan made a bold claim that he controlled the possessions and the glory of the world, which was a lie.

Satan may be the “prince of this world,” but every prince serves a King, and the Devil serves the Almighty God, Yahweh.

Dan 4:25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

Joh 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

Satan is only the author of confusion.

2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Satan offered this part of the world that he influenced over to Jesus if Jesus would fall on His knees and worship him.

1) Could Jesus compromise His standards and behavior?
2) Could Jesus compromise His loyalty and faithfulness to His Heavenly Father?
3) Could Jesus give up His ministry and His mission?

The Lord Jesus was quick to answer: Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Jesus could not follow the ways of worldliness and still be God!

We can have all the ambitions we want as long as they are in the Will of God for our lives.

God wants us to do the very best we can in everything we do, but not sin.

All sin is an abomination to our Heavenly Father!

1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

*Luk 4:9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
Luk 4:10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
Luk 4:11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Luk 4:12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Again, we see that Satan is persistent, so we must be strong in the Lord.

We may not know what or where this pinnacle was located, but we do believe that the roof of Herod’s portico of the Temple, which overhung the ravine of the Kedron Valley, was six hundred or seven hundred feet high.

Surely this would have been the place that Satan would use, for no man could survive such a fall.

Jesus allowed Satan to take Him to this place because Satan had no intention of throwing Him off, but he wanted Jesus to jump off under His own power.

God had said that He would take care of His Son no matter what happened.

Psa 91:9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
Psa 91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
Psa 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Psa 91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

This was not the will of God for the life of Jesus the man!

Satan tempted Jesus to die some other way than the cross.

Luk 9:21 And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;
Luk 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

We know that Satan did not know about the cross.

1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

If Satan had known, then those wicked men in Jerusalem would have known.

If you listen to this world, you will begin to believe that that are many ways to get to God’s House in Heaven, but reality is that there is only one way and that is God’s way.

God’s way is the way of the Cross!

Heb 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1Co_1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Heb_12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Again, the Lord Jesus was quick to answer, and He answered for all of us: It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

When God says there is only one way to get to Heaven, He means what He says, and He says what he means!

*Luk 4:13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
Luk 4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
Luk 4:15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

Though Satan is much smarter than the sinner, he does not have a chance against the wisdom of God.

This is the major reason why we need the wisdom of God.

Satan did not have anything else with which to tempt the Lord Jesus at that time, but we see he would linger in the background until he thought he had something else.

Satan began working on the people of Jerusalem and those who represented the government of the Jews and the government of Rome. Those who did not have the power to resist him.

For us, the Church, we can see that Satan is a loser!

This man, Jesus, had defeated Satan and shows us that we can defeat Satan by making use of the Word of God.

It is God’s truths that defeat the Devil!

The Devil knows he is a loser, but he does not ever give up!

We must remember that Satan does not have to convince the sinner who already belongs to him.

Satan can spend the majority of his time trying to confuse God’s people, and he is good at it.

He has been doing it for two thousand years.

Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

When we have victory over temptation, we will be able to see our lives change, and we will be able to see that change in others.

What did the Lord Jesus tell the Church, and the Holy Spirit confirm? Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

*Luk 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

The Lord Jesus was not a Nazarene because He took some oath. The Lord Jesus was a Nazarene because He was raised in Nazareth.

Those people in that synagogue would be very familiar with Jesus, who was raised by Joseph and Mary, who kept the Sabbath and the Laws.

At the age of thirty, Jesus was allowed to teach and this is the place and He began His ministry here at this place.

There is something in the Book of Isaiah that these other Jews needed to take to heart.

Here it is not the man Jesus who is speaking it is the Son of God who is speaking: Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Here again, we see the Triune God. We see the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus, and Yahweh, and it is here where the Lord Jesus first claims that He is the Messiah, sent from Yahweh.

*Luk 4:17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

We should be able to understand that when the Lord Jesus read the Scriptures, it was far different from when others read.

The author of a book knows his intentions when he reads his own words.

The Lord Jesus treated those Scriptures with reverence, and is another example for us when we read those same Scriptures.

The Messiah was anointed by the Holy Spirit.
He was called by the Holy Spirit.
He was equipped by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit goes with God’s Messiah everywhere He goes.

This is the same job the Holy Spirit does with every child of God today.

1) The Lord Jesus came to preach the Gospel, the Good Tidings of Yahweh.
He would preach to those who were poor financially, but more importantly, to those who were poor in spirit.
He was to preach deliverance to those who were captives of the Devil.

2) The Lord Jesus came to minister. To help and heal the brokenhearted. Give sight to those who were blind spiritually and physically. The Lord Jesus came to make us free from this wicked and evil world.

3) The Lord came to preach the Day of Salvation!

The Lord Jesus read from Isaiah sixty, verses one and two, but He did not read from verse three because verse three dealt with judgment.

The Messiah will deal with “judgment” when He returns with His saints.

Luk_21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

When the Lord Jesus finished reading, He sat down, but He was not through.

*Luk 4:20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Luk 4:21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

We may not realize it, but after the reading of the Scripture, the preacher would sit down to preach.

This is the way it was done in the Jewish synagogues.

All eyes were focused upon the Lord Jesus Christ as He sat down.

Jesus told them they were looking at the beginning of the fulfillment of this prophecy of Isaiah.

This was to be the work of God’s Messiah.

It made them mad that He, the son of Joseph, could say such things, and they would have murdered Him if they had been able to do so.

Jesus left and came to Capernaum and spoke at the synagogue in that place for several Sabbaths.

Jesus also began to heal many of their sicknesses and ailments.

*Luk 4:38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.
Luk 4:39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.

When we follow the life of Jesus Christ, we will see many miracles, and we should know there is a reason behind every miracle that He did.
,
For instance, the Lord Jesus could have healed everyone who lived during His life here on earth, but Jesus chose to heal certain ones, and He had a reason for each one.

Some say Jesus cured or healed the neediest.

The Lord Jesus had just left the synagogue in Capernaum and went to the home of Simon Peter.

Peter was a married man, and his mother-in-law was ill.

Notice she had a great fever.

Even today, the marshes associated with the River Jordan are the most fever-stricken regions of Israel.

In most cases, it was malaria carried by the mosquito.

It could cause jaundice in those who frequently have repeated attacks of this fever.

Typhoid was also common in this region.

This mother-in-law was critically ill and would probably not have lived through the fever at this time.
She was helpless and could not even speak.
She was so weak, she could not get out of bed.

I do not know how many of you have been this sick, but I have during cancer treatments and chemo. It’s terrible to think you might be gone by the next day but it is wondeful to know that if you do die you will wake up in Heaven.

The Lord Jesus just spoke the Word, and her fever was gone.

All the Lord has to do is speak the Word, He does not have to be present for the healing to take place.

Joh 4:52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

Next, we see that whoever was in the home at that time compelled the Lord Jesus to heal her as He had those at the synagogue.

We can see that no matter what the Lord Jesus was doing as He began His ministry, it was always okay to take our needs to Him.

He is never too busy to deal with God’s children.

If and when you go through these days, you will find that the Lord Jesus is your only hope!

Also, notice that fever obeys the Lord just as if it were a person.

The power of this miracle is shown as this lady immediately rises, completely healed, and begins to minister to those in Peter’s home.

As many had witnessed this miracle, they left to bring back all those who were sick in that city.

*Luk 4:40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

The Lord Jesus had been busy this day as His ministry began, but He never said no, “I’m too tired to do more”.

The Lord never gets tired of showing us His Grace!

2Co_9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

No matter when we call upon the Lord today, He is always willing and ready to help us.

Notice it did not matter what disease was presented to the Lord Jesus; He had the power to heal.
No matter what misery was brought to the Lord, He was able to remove that misery.

We see where those who were helpless had been brought to Jesus; they were so helpless.

No matter how helpless we are, we can always reach out to the Lord Jesus.

The Lord Jesus did not overlook any illness or infirmity.

Jesus spoke to some illnesses, and some He just touched them, but they were all healed.

Some of those who were brought to the Lord Jesus had their bad health caused by the Devil.

*Luk 4:41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.

Notice that those demons knew exactly that Jesus was the Son of God.

Notice also that the Lord Jesus does not want any testimony from demons.

The Lord Jesus does not want His name associated with false preachers!

Demons were a deity and spirits. They were superhuman, but they were not supernatural!

Psa 106:37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,

Deu 32:17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

Some people believe that demons are the spirits of dead evil people, but this is proven to be false by Scripture.

Remember that rich and evil rich man and Lazarus? Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Some people believe these demons are the remnants of those wicked people who rejected the preaching of Noah.

This theory comes from those who believe in the Gap Theory. They believe there is a great gap of time between Genesis Chapter 1, verse 1 and verse 2.

We know that God did not make man until verse 26, and besides this, we have Scripture that says sin entered because of Adam.

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Some people believe that these demons were the offspring of angels and women from the verse in Gen 6:2, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

Gen 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

That these giants became the demons that hound us today.

The majority of Christians believe that these demons are a remnant of fallen angels whom God has left unconfined.

Many of these demons followed Lucifer, and God allowed some to roam free.

Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

We know that at least most of those angels that followed Lucifer, God has already bound: 2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

Another group is confined in a more secure pit: Jud 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

Even some of these will be released during the Tribulation Period: Rev 9:11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

Demons are called spirits because they have no bodies: Mat 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:

Demons are not omnipresent but exist locally and cannot go very far from where they are located: Act 16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

Demons are intelligent, but they do not know all things; they do know who the Lord Jesus Christ is: Mar 1:24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.

Demons will lead you away from Christ if you listen to them: 1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Demons have some power. Mark 5:3-4
Demons can inflict disease. Luke 13:11
Demons can influence the mind. 2 Cor 4:4
Demons will deceive you. 1 Thess 3:5
Demons can possess you. Throughout the Gospels

Demons can deceive nations: Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

After praying alone, seeking the presence of God, Jesus became a traveling evangelist.

Jesus prayed often alone during His ministry, another great example for us!

*Luk 4:42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.
Luk 4:43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
Luk 4:44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

We need some time alone with God!

Jesus had been preaching and healing for at least twenty-four hours, and He was exhausted.

Many desperate and helpless people were trying to find Him, and it is the same today.

Many desperate people are seeking something that they do not know, and it is our job to tell them where to find it.

It is in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

We will need to stay in touch with God and seek His help.

After all, it is His plan, and we are to become a part of His plan.

We cannot save anyone, but we can lead them to the One who can.

The Lord Jesus was determined to complete His mission, and He had very little time to do it.

He already had a date with a cross on Mount Calvary.

Isa 50:5 The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
Isa 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
Isa 50:7 For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

Amen

The Message of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

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.

Amen

His name is Wonderful!

The Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Virgin Birth of Jesus

Book of Luke Chapter 2

We should understand that the word virgin means exactly what it says.

The Lord Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary, just as prophecy intended.

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

There is no better way to describe this birth than to say a Virgin Birth.

Mat 1:22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
Mat 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Mary was a virgin before the birth of Jesus Christ, and Mary was a virgin after she gave birth to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Many Christians today say Mary died as a virgin, but I trust the Scriptures.

Mrk_6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

I believe these are the sons and daughters of Joseph and half-brothers and half-sisters of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We should also understand that the Jewish priests all had to marry virgins, and the Lord Jesus can only accept the Church as the Bride of Christ if it is without spot and without blemish.

The Lord Jesus Christ is right now our perfect High Priest!

This is the reason He died in our place so that the Church to be not just forgiven but “justified”.

Just as if no sin had taken place.

Rom_5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Chapter 2 Verse 1

*Luk 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

Prophecy had said the Messiah of God would be born in Bethlehem.

Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Bethlehem means the “house of bread”.
Ephrathah means “fertile”.

Our Messiah is the true food of His people.

Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Seven hundred years before the birth of the Messiah, the prophet Micah said it would take place.

Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Mary lived in Nazareth with her family, and she was now heavy with child.

We ask ourselves, does God have powers that we do not understand? It’s called the providence of God.

God had given His message of the virgin birth through one of the most powerful angels that stood before Him, Gabriel.

God, in His own power, caused the virgin birth through the power of the Holy Spirit, the greatest power upon this earth today.

God used the most powerful man in the world at that time, Caesar, to get the Virgin Mary to Bethlehem before the Lord Jesus Christ was born somewhere else, making the Word of God have errors.

There are no errors in the prophecies, and there are no errors in the Word of God!

At this time, Caesar Augustus reigned in Israel because there was no throne of God upon this earth.

God uses all the rulers of all nations to fulfill His own plan for this world.

Pro 21:1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

Joseph also has to go to Bethlehem because King David was from Bethlehem.

Mary did not have to go to Bethlehem, but she was also a descendant of David through his son Nathan.

*Luk 2:2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
Luk 2:3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

When Cyrenius was governor of Syria, Publius Sulpicius Quirinus governed the province of Syria, in which Judea was then included.

Cyrenius was second in command, but he would still be referred to as governor, so this is not a mistake of Scripture as some claim.

The one thing we know for sure is that the fullness of time that Jehovah had determined had come.

Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Daniel wrote: Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

So, these things took place just as God had said they would, and the priests of Israel should have recognized the hand of God in these things.

The High Priest had for many years been chosen by Rome and was not a descendant of Aaron, and they were more interested in their pocketbooks than the Word of God.

*Luk 2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
Luk 2:5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
Luk 2:6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

Bethlehem Ephratah was only six miles from Jerusalem, and it is the same place that provided the sheep for the sacrifices at the Temple.

Rachel had died giving birth to Benjamin there.
The story of Ruth takes place there.
The early years of the life of David were there.

Today it is called Beit Lahm, which means “house of flesh”.

Today, those men in this place wear the green turban, which shows them to be the undisputed descendants of Mohammed.

Much of Judah at this time showed signs of war, but the world of that day of Augustus was, for the most part, at peace under this cruel ruler who sat on the throne in Rome.

In verse five, we see that Mary is still espoused to Joseph because they had not consummated their marriage, and they would not until after the birth of Jesus Christ.

An espousal was considered sacred, though that marriage had not been consummated.

We could say that the Church is espoused to the Lord Jesus Christ, waiting on Him to come get His Bride and take us home to show His Father His wife.

*Luk 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

The way the family of Jesus was treated in Bethlehem was a prophecy of the way the world has treated Jesus Christ ever since.

Many disagree, but we see here that the Holy Spirit confirms that Jesus was considered the firstborn of the Virgin Mary.

If there is a first, then there must be a second.

The Lord Jesus was not born in pleasant surroundings. We all know the smell of stables.

He was turned away by people from the very beginning, as He is today.

If the world had cared, a room would have been provided for this young mother.

This mother had only herself to bring for this birth, as she herself wrapped this child Jesus in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger.

The Lord Jesus was born into a corrupt world under the rule of a Roman dictator, with Herod the false king of Judea.

None of these things stopped Shiloh from coming.

Gen 49:9 Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
Gen 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

It is the simplicity of Luke’s Gospel that is a mark of truthfulness.

We know the Holy Spirit does not allow error in the Word of God.

Much of the world missed the first coming of Jesus the Messiah, and most of the world will miss the Second Coming of the Messiah.

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

*Luk 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
Luk 2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
Luk 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Luk 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Luk 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

We could probably say that no one has actually seen a real angel, yet these same shepherds got to see a real angel; in fact, they got to see a Heavenly Host of angels.

In the time of Christ Jesus, shepherds were seen as the lowest class of people in Judea.

People just did not see shepherds praising and glorifying God.

Shepherds just had a bad reputation, and they were snubbed by the religious groups.

Religious groups have not changed since that time, and they still snub the True Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus said Jhn_10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

The Lord Jesus said Jhn 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

Because of their work, shepherds could not attend the services at the Temple, and they were looked down upon for this.

All people, but religious people, know that tending animals is a seven-day-a-week job.

They could not keep the ceremonial laws of washing and cleansing, so they were despised.

We can see that the Almighty God does not think much of religion, so He gave His first message of salvation to these lowly shepherds that everyone else considered to be dirty, rotten sinners.

I was a dirty rotten sinner myself.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God!

What had Abraham said to Isaac? Gen_22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:

John the Baptist, the forerunner for Christ, said: Jhn_1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Again, John 1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

John the Apostle wrote: Rev_7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Again, Rev_19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

One more: Rev_22:3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

Praise God for His precious Lamb that took away our sin.

The shekinah glory of God, which symbolized the Divine Presence of God, had not been seen in over four hundred years.

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.

Hab 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

The angel’s message was a message of reassurance and “Good News”.

The Messiah was now among His people; it was time to go visit Him.

The Jews required a sign, so the sign was that they would find Him lying in a manger, the feeding place.

Angels make a great impression, so these shepherds now had the fear of the Lord.

The bright light was the Shekinah glory of God and did not come from the angels.

The Messiah had come for all people and not just the Jews.

When the Messiah returns in the clouds, He comes for His own people. All those who have accepted His Messiah.

Rom_9:26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

The Messiah came as our Savior, not our judge nor a politician.

The Messiah came for miserable sinners.

A wise man once said that the only thing we have to offer when we meet our Savior is a “dirty rotten sinner”.

This Savior, the Lamb of God, is the Lord Jesus Christ!

He is the Anointed One of God and Lord of all creation!

He is Yahweh, the God of the Covenant.

On His first night, the Messiah could be found in the “City of David” because He is also the promised Son of David.

Israel was expecting a Messiah who is a Mighty Warrior, dressed wonderfully and sitting upon a throne, but that Messiah has not yet returned; but He will.

They would only see a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes who was so poor that He was born in a stable because He had come as a lowly shepherd and not as King.

*Luk 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Suddenly, this angel of the Lord was not alone; there was an army of angels with him.

There are many angels, and all of Heaven could have come down to glorify the God of Heaven.

Rev_5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
There are just too many to count!

Angels do not really understand the salvation plan of God, but they do know who their Creator is.

These shepherds got to see a little bit of Heaven and Heaven’s power.

They cried out for the glory of the Highest possible Being they knew.
They cried out for the One they know that dwells in the Highest Heaven.
They cried out for peace on earth.
They cried out for the goodwill of all mankind.
They cried out for all mankind to be reconciled to God.
They cried out for the sin problem on earth to be solved.

Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Col 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

*Luk 2:15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
Luk 2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
Luk 2:17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
Luk 2:18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

All these things had excited these shepherds so much that they left their flocks and went with haste to Bethlehem.

If the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ does not get us excited, then we are missing out on the greatest event that happened on this earth.

These simple shepherds felt that the time to act upon that information was right now.

Once we realize we have a Savior, we need to act upon that information immediately!

Once they knew what the angels had said was true, they too began to tell the world about God’s Messiah.

They had believed those angels, but they would not be believed.

No one yet knew that God was coming down to earth to live within His people.

Nothing is said about Mary and Joseph except that they were there.

To these shepherds, it was all about that babe wrapped in swaddling clothes.

When these shepherds told others about all the things the angels had said, it did not stir the people because they were still looking for a mighty king.

To them, it would be too shameful for the Messiah to be born in a nasty stable.

They had no faith in the truth of God!

Mary, the Virgin Mother of Jesus, would keep all these things inside her.

This is the sweet view of “Grace”, which is silent and waiting upon the Lord.

The perfect gift from our Holy God!

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Amen

The Birth of John the Baptist

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

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

An Angel Foretold of John the Baptist

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

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