Sermons on Luke's Gospel

[charlescameron]

Luke 1:1-4
We begin with the first four verses of Luke's Gospel.
In our first look at Luke's Book, we ask four questions:
(1) What is Luke's story about?
(2) Where did Luke get his story from?
(3) How are we to read Luke's story?
(4) What can we learn from Luke's story?
-----
(1) What is Luke's story about?
We might ask this question differently: Who is Luke's story about?
The answer is Jesus.
Luke is the writer of this Gospel.
Jesus is the Theme of the Gospel. Jesus is the Gospel. He is the Good News.
Luke tells us many things about Jesus.
The first thing he tells us is this: Luke's Gospel is "an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us" (Luke 1:1).
"Fulfilled" - This is not the beginning of the story. It's the fulfilment of a story which has been many centuries in preparation. Long before the birth of Jesus, the prophets were speaking of the Messiah or Christ who was to come.
The story told by Luke is part of a much larger story - the Story which begins at the start of Genesis and continues on to the end of Revelation.
The Gospel of Luke tells us about "the things that have been fulfilled among us". The Christ has come. Jesus is the Messiah. God has fulfilled His promises. God has sent His Son. He is Jesus our Saviour. This is the Good News. This is God's Good News.
(2 ) Where did Luke get his story from?
Luke's Gospel is not a work of fiction. He didn't make his story up. It's not a figment of his imagination. He's telling us about things that happened. His Gospel is based on eyewitness testimony. Luke tells us that these "eyewitnesses" were also ministers (or servants) of the Word.
* When we read of the Word, our thoughts turn to God. He is the One who has given the Word us . It is His Word.
* When we think of the Word of God, we think also of Jesus Christ. He is the living Word of God.
* We think also of the Scriptures. The Bible is the written Word of God.
* Our thoughts also turn to the preaching of God's Word. We study the Bible, learning what it says to us concerning our Saviour.
(3) How are we to read Luke's story?
Here, we can learn from the name of Luke's first reader - Theophilus.
In Bible times, names had their own meaning. The meaning of each name was very important.
There are two shades of meaning in the name, Theolphilus. These two shades of meaning are closely related to each other. They are both concerned with love. They are both concerned with God.
Theophilus means "loved by God." It also means "lover of God."
"Loved by God", "Lover of God" - these two phrases indicate to us the way in which God wants us to read the Gospel of Luke.
* We are to read the Gospel of Luke with a view to learning about God's love. The Gospel of Luke will show us how much we are loved by God.
* We are to read the Gospel of Luke with a view to increasing our love for God. The Gospel of Luke will help us to love God more.
As we read this Gospel together, let us pray, "Lord, show me how much You love me. Lord, help me to love You more."
(4) What can we learn from Luke's story?
We will learn many lessons as we take a close look at Luke's Book.
In his introduction, Luke highlights one very important lesson. It is the lesson of "certainty" (Luke 1:4). We read the Gospel of Luke so that we might "know the certainty of the things we have been taught."
Our God is trustworthy. We can put our trust in Him with confidence. God's Word is truth. We can trust His Word. It is His Word of truth.
Reading the Gospel of Luke will strengthen our faith.
Let us pray that the Gospel of Luke will change us, making us more like Jesus.

[charlescameron]

Luke 1:5-25
In the Gospel of Luke, the central character is Jesus Christ.
Before the Name of Jesus appears in Luke 1:31, we read of John the Baptist who paved the way for Jesus.
In the opening chapter of Luke's Gospel, we remember a man whose name was given to him by God. The man's name was John. His name means "The Lord is gracious." His name speaks of the grace of God, reaching out to many people through His ministry.
When John the Baptist preached, he called on the people of his own day to learn from the faithful of past generations. John was sent by God "to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous" (Luke 1:17).
In the story of John the Baptist, we see the greatness of a man who was "great in the sight of the Lord" (Luke 1:15).
As we think of human greatness, let's look beyond all of it to the greatness of God.

[charlescameron]

Luke 1:26-38
* At the beginning, we see God's initiative (Luke 1:26).
* At the end, we see Mary's response (Luke 1:38).
* In the centre, we see Jesus (Luke 1:31).
-----
We see here a picture of the Christian faith and the Christian life.
* "In the beginning, God" (Genesis 1:1).
* We say our "Amen" (Revelation 22:20).
* Jesus at the centre (the Gospels).
-----
* Jesus is the result of God's initiative: "When the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman" (Galatians 4:4).
* Jesus is the cause of our response: "The Son of God loved me and gave Himself for Me" (Galatians 2:20); "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).
* Jesus is at the centre - the centre of history, the centre of the Bible, the centre of our faith, the centre of our life.
-----
Who is this Jesus who stands at the centre of all things?
God's angel, Gabriel, was sent to Mary. He tells us who Jesus is.
(a) He is our Saviour. The name, "Jesus", means "Saviour." When we call Him Saviour, we call Him by His Name.
(b) He is the Lord our God. When the angel says, "He will be called the Son of the Most High" (Luke 1:32), He speaks to us of the uniqueness of Jesus. He is none other than "the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). He is no ordinary man. He is no mere mortal. He is nothing less than God the Son, sent down from heaven above to be our Saviour.
(c) He is our King. He is the King of kings - "His Kingdom will never end" (Luke 1:33).
-----
As we take a close look at Luke's Book, we will learn much about Jesus. May we learn to love, worship, follow and serve Him.

[charlescameron]

Luke 1:39-56
While at Elizabeth's house, Mary praised the Lord. Her song of praise rises from the Lord and rises to the Lord.
At the heart of this song of praise, there is the "Saviour" - "my soul rejoices in God my Saviour" (Luke 1:47).
Mary's song of praise is both a joyful testimony and a call to worship.
* Mary's song could be summed up in the words of Psalm 35:9 - "My soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in His salvation." This is Mary's joyful testimony. She rejoices in the Lord. She takes delight in His salvation.
At the heart of her joyful testimony, there is the "Saviour" - "my soul rejoices in God my Saviour" (Luke 1:47).
* Mary's song of praise comes to us as a call to worship, an invitation to join with her in praising the Lord. In her words of praise, we hear an echo of the call to worship, found in Psalm 34:3 - "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name together."
Mary praised the Lord. She rejoiced in the Saviour. What about us? Will we praise the Lord? Will we rejoice in the Saviour?
* When we read the Word of God, we must not read it only as an account of things that happened a long time ago. We must also ask, "What is the Lord saying to me here-and-now? This is what we must do as we read Mary's song of praise to her Lord and Saviour.
* In Mary's song of praise, there are many echoes of the Psalms. by looking at one of the Psalms, Psalm 138, in connection with Mary's song of praise, we can learn to worship Godlike Mary did - worshipping Him with our whole heart, with faith in Him, with deep appreciation of His love.
* Taking the first and last verses of Psalm 138, we can look at Mary's song of praise, we will learn (a) how she worshipped God and how we are to worship God; (b) why she worshipped God and why we must worship God; (c) about the great theme of Mary's worship and the great theme of our worship.
(a) How Mary worshipped God and how we are to worship God
Psalm 138:1 - "I will praise You, o Lord, with all my heart."
"With all my heart" - This is how Mary worshipped God. This is how we are to worship God.
Let us worship God with our whole heart.
(b) Why Mary worshipped God and why we are to worship God
Psalm 138:8a - "The Lord will fulfil His purpose for me."
This was Mary's joyful testimony. Her song of praise came immediately after Elizabeth's words: "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished" (Luke 1:45).
Mary rejoices in the God of perfect faithfulness. This is what we must do. We must sing from the heart: "Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me" (Lamentations 3:23).
(c) The great theme of Mary's worship and the great theme of our worship
Like the Psalmist before her, Mary rejoices in "God's steadfast love which endures for ever" (Psalm 138:8). Before the Psalmist and after us, the great theme of all true worshippers will be, "God has loved us and we are glad." Mary looked back to God's promise to Abraham (Luke 1:54-55). She looked ahead to us and beyond us - all generations" - "His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation."
Here, we see love at every point, love for all time, love for all of eternity.

[charlescameron]

Luke 1:57-66
* "The hand of the Lord was with him" (Luke 1:66).
The words of Hebrews 11:4 - "he died, but through his faith he is still speaking" provide us with an apt description of John the Baptist. He belongs to the distant past, yet his words continue to speak to us today.
* "The hand of the Lord was with him."
As we read of the ministry of John the Baptist, we read of a man who was fully devoted to the Lord, a man who was mightily used by the Lord.
* "The hand of the Lord was with him."
Let us pray that the hand of the Lord will be upon us. With thanksgiving, we remember those whom the Lord who has so graciously and powerfully used for His glory in past generations. We are not, however, locked in the past. We learn from the past so that we can be greatly used, in this generation, to bring men, women and children to the Saviour.
* "The hand of the Lord was with him."
John the Baptist was a bridge between the old and the new. He followed on from the Old Testament prophets. He pointed forward to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We are to be like John the Baptist. We are to be a bridge across which people travel as they make their way to Jesus Christ, the living Saviour, We build on the past, basing our teaching on the Scriptures. We learn of the Saviour as we read the Scriptures. As we seek to point sinners to the Saviour, let us pray that the Spirit will work mightily in the hearts of many and that God will be glorified as many are brought to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
* "The hand of the Lord was with him."
The ministry of John the Baptist had a great impact on a large number of people - a "multitude came to be baptized by him" (Luke 3:7). Let us pray that God will raise up many preachers who will call many people to return to the Lord. May God grant that His faithful servants will see much fruit for their labours.
* "The hand of the Lord was with him."
This is not only about John the Baptist. It's about us. It's about the purpose of God for our lives. He calls us to be His witness. He calls us to be faithful and fruitful in His service. We learn from John the Baptist - "a voice crying in the wilderness" (Luke 3:4). We look at the "wilderness" of today's world. It is a world of "ungodliness and unrighteousness." It is a world that has fallen under the judgment of God (Romans 1:18). Is there a way back to God? John the Baptist gives us God's answer to this all-important question. He points us to our Saviour, Jesus Christ. He calls us to look away from ourselves. He calls us to look to Jesus, "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). May our words, in this sinful generation, be a living echo of the voice of John the Baptist in his generation. May our words point to the Saviour. May our words call men and women to come to Christ and receive, through faith in Him, the forgiveness of all their sins.

[charlescameron]

Luke 1:67-80
Prior to the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, there was the birth of John the Baptist. At the time of John's birth, his father, Zechariah, sang a song of praise to God. It is a song of praise which (a) gives thanks to God for His blessings in the past; (b) rejoices in the blessings God gives in the present; (c) looks forward to God's blessings in the future.
* Zechariah looks back to "the holy prophets of long ago" (Luke 1:70).
* Zechariah rejoices in the birth of John - "a man sent from God" (John 1:6).
* Zechariah looks forward to the coming of Christ. John's ministry was to "go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him" (Luke 1:76 b).
Past, present and future - This is the framework within which we live our life. We live in the present, looking back to the past and looking on to the future.
* What can we learn from Zechariah's song of praise, as we make our journey from the past, through the future and on into the future?
- "He has raised up a horn of salvation for us" (Luke 1:70).
- "to give His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins" (Luke 1:77).
- "the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace" (Luke 1:78-79).
* How does all of this become real in our lives? - It is through "the tender mercy of our God" (Luke 1;77). From beginning to end - in the past, in the present, in the future, our salvation is the work of God, the work of His tender mercy, His amazing grace, His wonderful love.
* Where do we find God's tender mercy, His amazing grace and His wonderful love? - In the Man who was born the Babe of Bethlehem, the Man to whom John the Baptist pointed his hearers, the Man who is none other than the Son of the living God - Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. He has come. He is with us now. He will come again.
(1) He is "the horn of salvation", raised up by God. At the heart of the Gospel, at the heart of our faith, there is Jesus Christ - "the horn of our salvation", Jesus Christ - raised from the dead by God. We look back and we remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. In Him, we find our true strength. He is our strong Saviour.
(2) Here-and-now, Christ is with us. He is the risen Saviour. He is the living Lord. He is Emmanuel - God with us. He is with us as the One who gives to us the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of our sins. The knowledge of salvation, the forgiveness of sins - These are the blessings we know here-and-now. Christ is not only a figure from the past and a hope for the future. He is our Saviour here-and-now.
(3) Jesus Christ, the risen Son of God, will come from heaven. he will bring His redeemed people into everlasting light and everlasting life. All of this will become a reality - an everlasting reality, through His everlasting love. let us keep our eyes fixed on our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let Him lead you in the way everlasting, the way that leads to His heavenly and eternal glory.

[charlescameron]

Luke 2:1-20
The story of the shepherds at Bethlehem is just one part of a much larger story - the Story of the Divine Shepherd.
"The Lord is my Shepherd." This is the great testimony of the Psalmist in the most well-known of the Psalms - Psalm 23. The Lord is the Shepherd of love. He is the loving Shepherd. The Lord loves us. He shows His love for us in the coming of Christ to our world.
The Christmas carols announce, for us, the love of Christ, our Saviour.
- "Love came down at Christmas, Love all lovely, Love Divine."
- "Son of God, o how bright, Love is smiling from Thy face."
- "Sacred Infant, all Divine, what a tender Love was Thine, thus to come from highest bliss down to such a world as this!"
The love of the Shepherd, the love of the Saviour - This is what we read of in the story of Christ. Jesus is our Saviour, our loving Saviour. Jesus is our Shepherd, our loving Shepherd.
We see His love in his birth. We see His love in His whole story - His life, His death, His resurrection, His coming again in power and glory.
As we look together at the story of the shepherds coming to Bethlehem, let us see it in the broader context of the complete Story of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd who died for our sins, the Great Shepherd who, in His mighty resurrection, triumphed over death, the Chief Shepherd who is coming again to establish God's heavenly and eternal Kingdom.
(1) The shepherds came to Bethlehem to worship the Baby who was to become the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for us that we might receive the forgiveness of all our sins.
The story of the shepherds and their journey to Bethlehem begins with Good News - The Saviour has been born (Luke 2:10-11). What a wonderful day it was! - the day our Saviour was born. It was a wonderful day, but it was only the beginning of a wonderful life. It was the beginning of a journey which took Jesus from the cradle of Bethlehem to the cross of Calvary. It was the beginning of a journey which would bring God's wonderful salvation to undeserving sinners.
At the Cross of Calvary - the place where Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, laid down His life for us, we learn of our sin and God's salvation. It was our sin which sent Jesus to the Cross. It is God's salvation which Jesus brings to us through His death on the Cross. This is Good News of great joy - "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15).
(2) The shepherds came to Bethlehem to worship the Baby who was to become the Great Shepherd who, in His resurrection, triumphed over death.
On the night that Christ was born, the shepherds were given an almost overwhelmingly awesome demonstration of the heavenly glory of God: "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favour rests'" (Luke 2:13-14).
At the beginning of Christ's life on earth, there was a mighty revelation of God's glory.
At the end of His life on earth, there was another mighty demonstration of God's heavenly glory - God raised Jesus from the dead.
One of the Christmas songs - "Mary's Boy Child" - contains the words, "Man will live forevermore because of Christmas Day." We could also sing, "Man will live forevermore because of Easter Day." The Child who was born at Bethlehem became the mighty risen Lord - Jesus Christ, risen from the dead.
As we celebrate Christ's birth - the beginning of His life on earth, we must allow our thoughts to move on to the end of His earthly life - His mighty resurrection from the dead. When we do this, we will understand the true and full meaning of the final verse of the Christmas carol, "Hark! the herald angels sing": "Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail, the Sun of Righteousness! Light and Life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings. Mild he lays His glory by, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth."
(3) The shepherds came to Bethlehem to worship the Baby who was to become the Chief Shepherd who will come again to establish God's heavenly and eternal Kingdom, the only Kingdom which shall endure forever.
Immediately after Christmas, our thoughts begin to turn towards the New Yea. the future is beckoning us. The future is calling on us. We must move forward. We must step into the future. God's future. God is calling us to move into the future with Him.
In the story of the shepherds who went to Bethlehem to worship the Baby jesus, we have a striking contrast between the past and the future - what the shepherd were, what the shepherds became.
At the beginning of the story, we find the shepherds keeping watch over their sheep. At the end of the story, we find the shepherds glorifying and praising God. they were changed by what happened to them that night. They would never be the same again. They were new men. they had seen the lord and it had changed them.
"Glorifying and praising God" - This was the response of the shepherds to the revelation given to them on the night of Christ's birth. They caught a glimpse of the heavenly worship and they began to worship God with hearts full of praise to Him.
In the story of the first Christmas, we catch a glimpse of something more - the Christ who came to Bethlehem is the Christ who will come again in the fullness of His divine glory: "Not in that poor lowly stable, with the oxen standing by, we shall see Him but in heaven, set at God's right hand on high, when, like stars, His children crowned, all in white shall wait around."

[charlescameron]

Luke 2:21-40
Here, we have the naming of the Baby (Luke 2:21). His Name was given to Him by God. His Name is Jesus - "Jesus! Name of wondrous love." His Name is the Name of our salvation. His Story is the Story of our salvation.
Following on from the story of His birth, we have the first step towards the Future, His future, our future in Him. We are pointed in the direction of this future by two people who had waited for the coming of the Saviour - Simeon and Anna. For both Simeon and Anna, the past (the time of waiting) had come to an end and the future (the time of salvation) had begun. The end of the old, the beginning of the new - This is particularly relevant at the beginning of a New Year. The New Year is not only a change in the number of the year. It's a time when the Lord is inviting us to put the past behind us and move into the future with Him.
As we move forward with God, we can learn from Simeon and Anna. In the welcome given to Christ by Simeon and Anna, we learn that the Story of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, is a Story of revelation, resurrection and redemption.
- In Christ, there is revelation.
- In Christ, there is resurrection.
- In Christ, there is redemption.
* In Christ, there is revelation.
God has revealed Himself to us. He has spoken His Word to us. Jesus Christ is His living Word. God has made Himself known to us. He has shown to us the way of salvation. Jesus Christ is "the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6). He is the Way without which there is no going. He is the Truth without which there is no knowing. He is the Life without which there is no living. This is revelation. This is God making Himself known to us. We are not left groping around in the darkness, trying to find our own way back to God. Jesus is the Way to God. We are not left in a state of confusion - the confusion of uncertainty. we have received a revelation of God's truth - Jesus Christ is the Truth. we are not left without hope. God has given us hope for the future. Jesus is our Hope. In Him, we have life - eternal life.
* In Christ, there is resurrection.
None of us knows what each year will bring into our lives. There may be hard times ahead of us. we have no guarantee that our life will be easy. In Jesus Christ, we have a Saviour who enables us to look beyond our present circumstances to our glorious, heavenly destiny. Jesus Christ is "the Resurrection and the Life" (John 11:25). By ourselves, left to our own devices, we fall into sin, we fall away from God. With Christ as our Saviour, we are raised to newness of life (Romans 6:4). Through faith in Him, we receive God's gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23). Christ is our life - not only for this life here on earth. He is our life - for all eternity in heaven.
* In Christ, there is redemption.
The future towards which we look forward, through faith in Jesus Christ, is not only a future which is summed up in the greeting, "Happy New Year." It is a future which is summed up in the word, "redemption." This is a word which teaches us that true happiness is not found in ourselves. true happiness is found in Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. In Him, we have "eternal redemption." This redemption has been secured for us by the shedding of the precious blood of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. we have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20). We have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). Through Jesus Christ our Saviour, crucified and risen for us, God is calling us on to heavenly and eternal glory.
-----
At the time of Christ's presentation at the Temple, the Story of revelation, resurrection and redemption was still in its infancy. The Story of revelation, resurrection and redemption was just beginning to unfold. The next step in the Story of revelation, resurrection and redemption is summed up in Luke 2:40 - "the Child grew and became strong; He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him." In the growth of the Child, there is an invitation to us: Will we grow with Him? Will we go from strength to strength? Will we grow in grace? Will we increase in wisdom? May God help us to make real progress in spiritual growth. May God help us to grow in Christ.1-40

[charlescameron]

Luke 2:41-52
When Jesus was found in the Temple, He said something which Joseph and Mary didn't understand. It's something we must think about, something we must seek to understand of we are to understand Jesus - who He is and what is important to Him.
In the words of Jesus found in Luke 2:49, we come to the very heart of Jesus - who He is and what is important to Him. Jesus' words are in the form of a question. It's a question which reveals to us who Jesus is. He is the Son of God. It's a question which reveals to us what was important to Jesus. he loved to be in His Father's House. he loved to be about His Father's business.
There are two different but closely related versions of Jesus' question. Modern translations of the Bible put it like this: "Didn't you know that I had to be in My Father's House?" The Authorized Version puts it like this: "Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"
From this question, we learn three lessons about Jesus - (1) He is the Son of God; (2) He loved to be in His Father's House; (3) He loved to be about His Father's business.
(1) Jesus is the Son of God.
Each of the four Gospels tell us that Jesus is the Son of God.
* In Luke's Gospel, we have the angelic declaration: "You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the Name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High" (Luke 1:31-32). Jesus is "the Son of the Most High." He is the Son of God.
* Mark's Gospel begins with a clear statement that Jesus is the Son of God. the very first verse says this: "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1). Jesus is the Son of God. This is the first thing that Mark wants us to know about Jesus.
* John tells us why he wrote his Gospel: "These things are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God" (John 20:31). Jesus is the Christ. he is the Son of the living God.
* In Matthew's Gospel, we have Peter's great confession of faith in Christ: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). This was Peter's response of faith. This is to be our response of faith. It is by faith in Jesus Christ that we become God's children. Through faith in Jesus, the unique Son of God, the eternal Son of God, we are able to call God, "our Father."
(2) Jesus loved to be in His Father's House.
Worship was important to Jesus. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He affirmed His commitment to worshipping God. He said to Satan, "You shall worship the Lord your God." He still says to us, "You shall worship the Lord your God." Worship - This is the reason we come to our Father's House. This is why we begin our service with the words, "Let us worship God." Jesus worshipped God. We are to worship God. Jesus takes His place in God's House. He invites us to join Him. He says to us, "Let us go to the House of the Lord" (Psalm 122:1).
(3) Jesus loved to be about His Father's business.
As well as worshipping God, Jesus also witnessed for Him and worked for Him. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He affirmed His commitment to working for God and witnessing for Him. When Jesus said, "You shall worship the Lord your God", He did not stop there. He continued, "and Him only shall you serve." Jesus spoke these words to Satan. he still says to us, "Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only" (Luke 4:8).
When our service of worship, in the House of the Lord, comes to an end, our service of work and witness, in the world, begins. as we go out from the House of the Lord, God's Word still says to us, "Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).

[charlescameron]

Luke 3:1-22
The third chapter of Luke's Gospel begins with John. It ends with Jesus. The whole chapter may be summed up in the words of John 3:30 - "Christ must increase, but I must decrease." Here, we have the vital principle of true Christian living and faithful Christian witness.
In our Christian living, we must pray that there will be less of self and more of Christ. In our Christian witness, we must seek always to point away from ourselves to our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus' baptism is described in Luke 3:21-22. In His baptism, we catch a glimpse of much more than Jesus, the Man. In Jesus' baptism, we see God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is the deep, eternal background to the Story of Jesus, the Man. When we look behind the scenes, we see God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Baptism is carried out in the Name of God - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is done in obedience to Jesus' Final Commission to His disciples - "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20).
In baptism, we pray for the blessing of God. we pray that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit will rest upon those who are baptized. In baptism, we commit ourselves to the God-given task of teaching those who have been baptized to live in obedience to Jesus Christ.
How are we to know the blessing of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit? How will this blessing of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - equip us for living in obedience to Jesus Christ? What can we learn about the blessing of God? How can this blessing become a reality in our life?
At Jesus' baptism, there was a mighty revelation of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This revelation of God was given while Jesus "was praying" (Luke 3:21). Jesus was praying. While He was being baptized, Jesus was praying. This tells us something very important about baptism. In baptism, we are praying. We are thanking God for His love. We are looking to Him for His blessing. Prayer is vital if we are to enjoy God's blessing. God will not send His blessing to those who refuse to pray. God's blessing comes when His people pray. We must learn to pray if we want to see God's blessing coming upon us with power.
What happened when Jesus prayed at the time of His baptism?
Three things happened - three things which, together, formed a wonderful revelation of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
(1) Heaven was opened and the voice of God the Father was heard.
(2) Jesus Christ was declared to be the Son of God. This was the testimony of God Himself: "a voice came from heaven, 'You are My Son, whom I love. With You, I am well pleased'" (Luke 3:22).
(3) "Heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove" (Luke 3:21).
All of these things - this revelation of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit - can be summed up in the words, "heaven was opened" (Luke 3:21). The opening of heaven for the voice of God the Father and the descent of God the Holy Spirit marked th divine confirmation of the earlier opening of heaven when Jesus was born. This opening of heaven at the time of Jesus' birth has been well expressed in the words of hymns of worship; "Who came down from heaven to earth? - Jesus Christ our Saviour"; "He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all."
Jesus Christ is our Saviour. He is our Lord. He is our God. This is the testimony of God the Father. this is the testimony of God the Holy Spirit. Both the Father and the Holy Spirit direct our attention to Jesus Christ, our Saviour,m our Lord and our God.
* Why do we believe in Jesus? Do we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, simply because Luke, together with Matthew, Mark and john, tells us that he is the Son of God? No! Our faith is not based merely on human testimony. we believe in Jesus because God has told us, "This is my beloved Son." We think back to the birth of Jesus. We remember the testimony of the angel: "Today, in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11). Here, at Jesus' baptism, we have the divine confirmation of this revelation concerning Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.
As well as the testimony of God the Father, we also have the testimony of God the Holy Spirit. we do not believe in Jesus, simply because we have heard about Him in the Bible or heard preaching about Him. it is the Holy Spirit who brings us to faith in Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit who brings the words of the Bible to life for us. it is the Holy Spirit who takes the words of the preacher and brings them home to the hearts of the hearers with divine power. the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus. the Holy Spirit still descends upon us as we read and hear God's Word. The Holy Spirit leads us to put our faith in Jesus.
* What do God the Father and God the Holy Spirit tell us about Jesus? How does Gos, speaking to us in the power of the Holy Spirit, show us what Jesus means for us? God tells us that Jesus is His "beloved Son." God tells us that He is well pleased with His Son - our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. God tells us that we, "in Christ", we become God's children - His sons and His daughters. God tells us that, when we are "in Christ", having put our faith in Him, God is well pleased with us. At the time of Jesus' baptism, God spoke from heaven and the Holy Spirit descended from heaven. This is part of the Story of our Lord Jesus Christ.Through faith in Jesus Christ, the speaking of God and the descent of the Holy Spirit become a part of the story of our life.
We must not think of our own story of coming to faith in Christ purely in terms of human influences. True faith is always more than something merely human. Faith is God-given. It's the gift of God. Real faith in Christ is more than the work of a persuasive preacher or an eloquent evangelist. It's always the work of God. The heavens are opened, God speaks, the Holy Spirit comes, Jesus is exalted among us and we put our faith in Him.