Joint Heirs Adult Bible Fellowship Luke, Week 2, Luke 1:5-25 May 7, 2017 Tim Powell, Teacher If God Has a Plan, Then Nothing Is Impossible with God Luke 1:5-25 Introduction: Luke wrote 28% of the volume of the New Testament. It was written so you may know the certainty of those things you have been taught. Review: A. Top Ten Reasons for Studying the Gospel of Luke: 1. Gospel of Luke is one of my favorites. 2. Luke was the only Gentile writer of the N.T. 3. Luke was a physician. His perspective comes from a more scientific and observational viewpoint. 4. Luke was a fellow worker with Paul. 5. Luke was an historian. 6. Luke was a detail-oriented person. 7. Luke shows a concern for the common individual. 8. Luke was a humble man. 9. Luke shows the emotions of Jesus and the people. 10. Luke will show us the heart of Jesus; therefore, we will see the heart of God. B. Other Facts: 1. Luke is the second Gospel written late 50 s AD. 2. Luke writes of Jesus as the Savior of the whole world, also as the Son of Man. 1
3. Where we get many of our Christmas songs. 4. Gospel of Luke is a detail book. 5. Establishes the center stage for the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Lesson: I. Background (Lk. 1:5a) A. No prophetic word from God for 400 years. The Jewish people had sunk deeper into apostasy, abandoned the teachings of the Old Testament, and slipped into legalism. Their religious leaders were looking for their own power. B. Their king, Herod the Great, was a tyrant. II. A Faithful Priest Zechariah (Lu. 1:5-10) A. Zechariah was a Priest. (Lk. 1:5) He belonged to priestly division of Abijah. His wife, Elizabeth, was a descendant of Aaron. B. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous people in the sight of God. (Lk. 1:6) Many followed God from the outside, but these two followed Him from the inside. They were called righteous because God applied righteousness to people of faith in the Old Testament as they awaited the Messiah. C. Zechariah and Elizabeth were childless and old. (Lk. 1:7) In that day children were a blessing from God and their absence indicated a lack of God s blessing. The religious leaders of the day believed and taught this, but it was not found in the Scripture. 2
They were very old beyond child bearing years. 1. Points to ponder: a. Whenever God doesn t seem to know or care, it means you just don t know all that God knows. b. We operate on a narrow and limited knowledge of the situation, but God has omniscient knowledge. c. We operate in the here and now, but God operates in the eternal. d. We operate in the temporal, but God operates in the Spiritual. 2. What is our job? To trust God in every and all situations. That is the essence of the Faith-Rest Life! To walk with Him and to trust Him. D. Zechariah was chosen to offer sacrifices in the Holy Temple. v.8-10 He was chosen by lot to go into the temple and offer a sacrifice of incense before the Lord. He was excited by this great privilege. E. Zechariah s name means the Lord remembers. III. The Miracle Plan Revealed. (Lk. 1:11-20) A. Gabriel appears to Zechariah with answer to prayer. (Lk. 1:11-13) He was gripped with fear at the sight of the angel. He had two prayers: one for a son and the other for the Messiah to come. All these years Zechariah walked the faith rest life. B. Description of the child. (Lk. 1:14-17) 1. Son s name will be John (= Jehovah is gracious ). 3
2. John will be a joy and delight to you. 3. John will cause rejoicing by many because he was born. 4. John will be great in the sight of the Lord. 5. John will never take fermented drink (he will be a Nazarite for his entire life). 6. John will be filled with the Holy Spirit (even before he is born). Note that John was a real person in the womb (not just some tissue ) since the Holy Spirit filled him. 7. John will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord. (Isa. 40:1-5) 8. John will go before the Lord, in the Spirit and power of Elijah. (Mal. 4:5-6) C. Points to ponder: 1. God knows you before you were born. He formed you in the womb. Ps.139:13-16 My frame was not hidden from you when I was formed Isa. 43:7 God formed and made every child in the womb. Isa. 44:24 Your Redeemer formed you in the womb. 2. God has saved you for certain works that He has planned ahead of time. Eph. 2:8-10 You are His workmanship.... IV. Zechariah Became a Mute. (Lu. 1:18-25) Faith is blessed, but unbelief is judged. Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. (Jer. 32:17) 4
Application: Whenever God doesn t seem to know or care. It just means you don t know all that God knows. God has a plan. Trust Him. Nothing is impossible with God. God is showing this reality right here. God desires to use faithful people. God has saved you for certain works which He has foreordained. Even when God is not immediately answering your prayer, He has a plan for you. God can only direct a moving ship. Are you serving Him today? 5