Joint Heirs Adult Bible Fellowship Luke, Week 8, Luke 3:1-14 July 23, 2017 Tim Powell, Teacher Who Is Really Saved... OT and NT? Luke 3:1-14 Introduction: Dr. Luke was a precise historian who included clear details of events happening at the time of Jesus earthly ministry. Knowing the date of the reign of Roman leaders helps with the calculation of when Jesus was born which is figured to be in 4 B.C. Lesson: I. Historical Background of John the Baptist s and Jesus Ministry. (Lk. 3:1-2) Luke gives us important background information about the world in which Jesus was ministering. Jesus began His public ministry in AD 26. A. Israel: Under the rule of Rome. Political and spiritual leaders were evil. Neither group cared about the people at all. The rules governing Israel were being made somewhere else in Rome. B. Tiberius Caesar: Emperor of Rome. Tiberius was the adopted son of Augustus Caesar and his co-regent at this time. Israel rebelled against Roman rule. They refused to give Tiberius the allegiance and worship he demanded. 1
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A. Pontius Pilate: Roman Procurator (governor) of Judea Pilate s predecessor was Herod the Great who sought to kill the baby Jesus. Herod sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under. Mt.2:16-18 (NKJV) Pilate was proud and cynical and wanted to impress the rulers in Rome. B. Herod Antipas: Tetrarch or governor of Galilee Main character who ruled the area when Jesus lived and ministered there. C. Philip: (herod Philip II) was a son of Herod the Great and was installed by the Romans as Tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis. D. Lysanias: Tetrarch of Abilene. E. Annas and Caiaphas: High Priesthood of Israel. Annas was a previous High Priest and was the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Rome has replaced Annas with Caiaphas, but the real power behind the priesthood belonged to Annas. Annas was proud and greedy. He operated and benefited greatly from the sale of sacrificial animals and the exchange of money in the Temple. All Temple offerings had to be made using Temple currency, so the money changes exchanged Roman coinage for Temple money. 3
Israel s so called spiritual leaders were only concerned with their own power and financial gain. Annas and Caiaphas hated Jesus because He was threatening their cushy arrangements. II. The Geographical Setting for the Ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus (Lk. 3:2b- 3a) A. The Wilderness. John the Baptist s ministry was a rebuke to the religious establishment The wilderness that God led John to was a very harsh and foreboding location. Imagine this is the place God selected for Jesus to be welcomed as he began His ministry. 4
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B. John was humble. We assume that his parents were dead because of their age when he was born. When people came out to see John, they were isolated from their normal lives and were able to concentrate on John s message Sometimes the comforts and the life as we know it has to be taken away so God can show us the truth. How often do we really think about what we believe and our direction or goals in life? It is good to get away to be with God, but we often believe we are too busy to do it. 6
III. The Word of God Came To John. (Lk. 3:2b-6) A. John s calling was to prepare the hearts of the people for Jesus. (Lk. 3:4-6) Isa. 40:3-5 is a prophecy of the long-awaited Messiah and is the pivotal chapter in the whole book: B. John s particular ministry. (Lk. 3:3) 1. Preach the Baptism of repentance. 2. Preach that only repentance leads to forgiveness of sins. John s calling was to take people out of their comfort zone in order to lead them to repentance. Question: Why is John s teaching different than what the priests were teaching? o Repentance requires a change of heart. o The priests offered the opportunity to pay for sins with no requirement for repentance. With the priests if you had 15 sheep you could sin 15 times and could plan ahead for your future forgiveness, but John spoke of repentance that led to not wanting to keep on sinning. John was calling people to repentance whereas the priests were saying just bring another lamb and get forgiven again, and again. o Repentance means turning 180 º o When we share the Gospel, we must be sure that it includes the necessity for repentance. IV. John Exposes the Hearts of the Spiritual Leaders as a Brood of Vipers. (Lk. 3:7) Vipers spit out poison and have long, rotating fangs that can inject poison deep into a person. Vipers camouflaged themselves so that they would not be recognized for what they were. This was not a seeker-friendly approach John used, and it did not please the spiritual leaders 7
V. What Does Real Repentance and Forgiveness Look Like? (Lk. 3:8-14) A. Real repentance does not rely on heritage. (Lk. 3:8-9) God can make descendants of Abraham out of stones if He wanted to. B. Real repentance will produce fruit of repentance. (Lk. 3:8, 10-14) True repentance changes one s behavior. For example, be honest with your trade. If you are a tax collector, only collect what is owed; if a soldier, do what is right for the people. VI. What Was John s Baptism? John s baptism represents real repentance and being washed clean of sins... irrespective of heritage. John was calling people to real repentance, repentance that produced fruit. Question: Who is really saved? o Those who have truly repented of their sin and acknowledge Jesus Christ as the only Savior and Lord of their life. Salvation is not simply a matter of asking Jesus to come into your heart. It must include true repentance. o Lk. 15:7 "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." o Ac. 4:12 "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." o Ac. 16:31 "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved you and your household." Believe includes the ideas of repentance and faith. Application: Only true repentance leads to forgiveness of sin. Have you? Does your life show it? Is your religiosity getting in the way of the True Religion? Make sure you have truly repented! 8
How often do you really think about what you believe and your direction or goals in life? Have you taken time to get away to spend time with the Lord? 9