As the Gospel of Luke opens, we jump right in to the action, anticipating the Savior and Great High Priest who would sacrifice His life for us. The people had gone through a period of silence from God and almost a steady constant silence. Life became slow. The people went through the motions of their…
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By this time, Elizabeth is six months into her pregnancy. The woman who was unable to have children had conceived a child and the story of Zechariah’s muteness no doubt accompanying the story. For all that seemed to be a miracle, this was only the beginning. John would serve as a herald for the coming Savior.…
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With Elizabeth pregnant with a miracle onvichild as a blessing and gift from God, Mary went to see her relative and check on her pregnancy. After all, both of them had miraculous conceptions. If anyone would be able to understand Mary’s situation, it would be Elizabeth. So Mary traveled while pregnant (admittedly not the last time she…
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There I sat, in the waiting room of the maternity ward. My friend had gone in to labor in the middle of the afternoon and the network of cell phones buzzed furiously; “It’s time.” As I looked around, I saw moms, dads, siblings, uncles, cousins, friends, and just about anyone else who knew her. The…
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It came time for Mary to have her child. You would expect that the Savior of the world would enter with fanfare. Or at least there would be a proclamation of the coming Savior. After all, this was the Savior of the world, the one the prophets foretold and who would save humanity. He would…
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Make no mistake, shepherds were dirty people. Not morally, although maybe they were, but they were often covered in dirt, sweat and grime. For the sake of protecting the flock, they would stay with the sheep, sleeping in the fields. They smelled like livestock and were not the upper class of society. If you were planning an event for the coming of the King of the Universe, more than likely, you would overlook the shepherds. Yet, it was to the lowly shepherds that the angels announced the birth of the Savior.
Make no mistake, shepherds were dirty people. Not morally, although maybe they were, but they were often covered in dirt, sweat and grime. For the sake of protecting the flock, they would stay with the sheep, sleeping in the fields. They smelled like livestock and were not the upper class of society. If you were planning an event for the coming of the King of the Universe, more than likely, you would overlook the shepherds. Yet, it was to the lowly shepherds that the angels announced the birth of the Savior.
Luke writes with major foreshadowing of the time that would be coming. For Jesus seemingly went missing and was found on the third day. Furthermore, He was found keeping about the business of His heavenly Father and proclaiming the good news to all who would receive it. This is the same thing with His crucifixion. For Mary, this was a difficult time fearing she had not only lost her son but had lost the Son of Man. For Jesus, however, when he noticed that His community had left Him, He knew to seek solace in the house of His Heavenly Father.
John the Baptist speaks with a strength and faith that surpasses even the strongest of the Pharisees and religious leaders of his time. He wastes no time and directly piercing the heart with his strong rhetoric and direct preaching. He calls the religious leaders a brood of vipers for failing to see the story of faith unfolding right before them. As difficult as this may have been, John was able to speak with clarity and boldness as one who spoke empowered by the faith in Jesus Christ.
John The Baptist had sought to prepare the hearts and minds of those in the world for the coming of the Savior. With the birth of Jesus the stage was set for the work of the Messiah. 30 years into the His life, the ministry of Jesus Christ was inaugurated by His baptism. At the outset, Luke clearly lays out the mission and direction of Jesus Christ. Luke shows where Christ stood in the grand scheme of eternity and the biblical narrative. As the Spirit of God descends on Jesus, in the physical form of a dove, the Father voice commandingly booms from heaven. The fullness of God, all three persons of the Trinity have converged in this moment to rescue mankind.
