Luke 1:39-56
 
     Please open your Bible to Luke chapter one, verse thirty-nine. Our text today is found in verses 39 through 56.
     Before we read this passage together a short review is in order. Luke begins his gospel assuring us he is writing that we might know the certainty of those things which are most surely believed among us. He proceeds to launch into the details surrounding the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist and then proceeds to document the details surrounding the announcement of the birth of the Son of God six months later.
     I caution you to read this chapter with great reverence. Be careful lest you miss the grand importance of what transpired in those days. This inspired text confirms the birth of the forerunner of Messiah and the birth of the Messiah himself. My friends, the message here is crystal clear: God sent forth his son born of a woman; and he raised up the forerunner predicted by the prophet who would prepare the way of the Lord.
     The powerful reality of what was happening gripped the heart of Mary. She now understood God chose her to bear the Son of God and she soon came to understand her cousin Elisabeth would give birth to a mighty preacher destined to be the prophesied forerunner of Messiah. With her heart filled with anticipation and the wonder of it all, Mary with haste travelled to talk with Elisabeth.
     Now look with me at Luke 1:39 and follow along as I read through verse 56:
 
39And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
 
     As we begin an examination of this text the first thing that jumps off the page is the extraordinary reaction of Elisabeth’s unborn child when Elisabeth first heard the voice of Mary. The Bible says the babe leaped in the womb of Elisabeth. Elisabeth adds that the baby leaped for joy in her womb when she heard the voice of Mary.
     I must say, I have no clue how a mother senses communication from the movement of an unborn child in the womb. However, mothers pick up on things about their children before they are born and certainly after they are born. It is a discernment unique to motherhood and it will do no good to try to explain it scientifically. It is a God-given intuition woven into the fabric of what it means to be a mother.
     Next, please take careful note of the unborn baby’s reaction to the voice of Mary. The Bible says the unborn child leaped for joy! We know today unborn babies can feel pain and thus the barbaric procedure of abortion brutalizes the most helpless human beings among us. But according to this passage it is possible for the unborn child to experience joy. This is an amazing insight into the capacity of an unborn child to have some comprehension of what is happening around it. Certainly the joy of Elisabeth’s heart touched the heart of her unborn child who immediately reacted in unison with mom!
     Now look again at verse 43: “And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”  We must immediately ask as to how Elisabeth knew Mary was to be the mother of the Messiah, who is the Lord from heaven. I would remind you Elisabeth knew the Scriptures. Furthermore, she knew her baby was to function as the forerunner of Messiah. Thus, logic led her to conclude the mother of the Messiah lived among them and would soon be revealed. It could be no other way.
     Although it is reasonable to conclude Elisabeth, and Zachariah as well, knew Messiah would soon be born, they had no idea who the chosen vessel would be. Until, that is, Elisabeth was “filled with the Holy Ghost.” You see, the Spirit of God showed her whom the Lord had chosen—it was Mary. Now look again at verse 45. Elisabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, states what only God could reveal to her. She had no way of knowing how Mary took hold of the Word of God as Gabriel announced the birth of the Messiah. However, the Holy Spirit speaks through Elisabeth and confirms Mary’s faith.
     Now look again at verses 46 and 47: “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” At this point Mary breaks forth in praise and worship. She is giving the Lord praise and glory for what he is working in her life. Please notice how Mary rejoiced in “God my Savior.”
     My friends, Mary needed a Savior just like the rest of us. We should never exalt Mary to an inappropriate place in our thinking. While we acknowledge the great privilege granted to her and we call her blessed, she none-the-less needed to believe upon her Son and place faith in him as her own Savior.  And this she did by her own testimony! She is rejoicing in God her Savior.
     May I ask you a question? Is the Lord Jesus your Savior? Do you rejoice in him? My friends, the Bible says of the believer our “conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Indeed, we are looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ!”
     My friends, we all need a Savior because we are all sinners. At our best state we far short of the glory of God. Our God is glorious in holiness, but we are fallen. In a word, we are not holy. All our righteousness is as filthy rags in the light of his glorious holiness. Thus, we need a Savior to deliver us from our unholy condition. We need a Savior who can make us holy, and we have one!
     I am here to declare to you that those who believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Indeed, the Lord Jesus has loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Praise his name! We are now washed, we are now sanctified, and we are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God! Amen! Jesus died to make us holy and by faith in his shed blood we are fitted with the garment of salvation, a robe of perfect righteousness, even the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ!
     May I say, the more you understand salvation the more you will rejoice like Mary in the God of your salvation!
 
     Now let me call your attention to verse 54. Mary says, “He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy.”
 
     God sent the world a Savior through Israel, but that Savior is Israel’s King. And the Lord will remember mercy. The day of Israel’s deliverance is coming, albeit through great trial. Yet, it is coming.

     Do you know the Lord remembers mercy when you and I come to the foot of the cross? . . .   

Luke 1:26-38
 
       Please open your Bible to Luke chapter one, verse twenty-six. We will read verses 26 through 38 today.
     Before we examine this text together, I need to call attention to the obvious. Christians accept the reality of the supernatural. We accept the witness of creation, the witness of conscience, and the witness of the written Word of God, and thus embrace the reality of the supernatural. In a word, we fear God and our confession of Christ as Savior, coupled with behavior that seeks to honor him, confirms the reverence with which we embrace the true and living God.
     Our embrace of the supernatural begins with the foundational truth of Genesis 1:1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth and the fullness thereof, along with the entire cosmos sets forth his manifold wisdom and omnipotence. We believe in supernatural creation as detailed in Genesis chapters one and two.
     We also believe in the supernatural flood of Noah’s day. Noah’s flood was not a local or regional flood. Noah’s flood was a global flood in which God moved in supernatural judgement. The same hand that shaped the original very good creation moved in supernatural judgement reshaping the entire globe. As Jesus says in Matthew 24 the people of that day “knew not until the flood came, and took them all away.” Indeed, all perished under the hand of God’s judgment except for Noah and his family whom God spared in the security of the ark.
     We also believe in the supernatural intervention of God at the Tower of Babel. Soon the post flood population began to grow and in just a few hundred years the people of that day, true to fallen human nature, began to fall prey to unbelief and disobedience. However, the Lord intervened and altered the course of human history in a supernatural way. The Lord said, “Let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of the earth: and they left off to build the city.”
     Do you understand the Lord supernaturally confused the language of mankind at the Tower of Babel? God’s intervention at Babel is the reason for the variety of languages in our world and it is the fountain head of all the various ethnic groups existing in the world today.
     Not only do we accept the reality of the supernatural events I just touched upon, but we also accept the historically reality of the supernatural conception of Christ in the womb of Mary. As we shall see in a few moments, God intervened in history when he chose a young Jewish girl named Mary to give birth to his only begotten Son.
     Furthermore, we accept the supernatural death of our Lord Jesus Christ. The eternal Word came from heaven to take upon himself human nature in the person of Jesus the Christ. As the unique God-man our savior went to the cross where a supernatural sacrifice was made. The natural element of the crucifixion is clearly seen by the historical details of his death at the hand of Rome, however, unseen to the natural eye God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.
     A supernatural sacrifice was made at the cross where Jesus offered himself by the eternal Spirit as the all-sufficient, propitiatory, atoning sacrifice for the sins of Adam’s race. My friends, he died a supernatural death. Thankfully, history does not end there. He was buried, but in three days the supernatural hand of our great God raised Jesus from the dead! Yes, we accept the historical record of the supernatural, bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  (Somebody say Amen!)
     Now let me hasten to say, we believe there is a coming great, supernatural event destined to shake the nations in a unique and startling way. This event is described in 1 Thessalonians 4 and in 1 Corinthians 15 where the Scripture sets forth the next supernatural event on God’s prophetic calendar. At this coming event our Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout and will proceed to redeem the bodies of all who constitute his bride, the church. The dead in Christ will rise first, which means in that supernatural event God clothes his church with perfect, glorified bodies.
     Next, the living believer at his coming shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Our great Creator and Redeemer, who is the resurrection and the life, will in a powerful creative act transform our bodies that they should not see death. Rather, they shall be fashioned like unto his glorious body! My friends, hear me today! Soon the Lord will once again shake this world with his supernatural power! I ask you, are you ready for that day?
     We believe in the supernatural because with our God nothing is impossible. 
 
     Look with me now at Luke chapter one, beginning at verse 26:
 
26And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
 
     With this announcement, the Lord God moved to fulfill his word found in Genesis 3:15 and in Isaiah 7:14. The long-awaited Seed of the woman who must come forth from a virgin’s womb is to be the son of Mary. Now please take careful note of what heaven says about this child: he is to be called Jesus; in the Hebrew Yehoshua, or simply Yeshua, which is the Hebrew word for “salvation.” Indeed, call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins.
     Next, he shall be great and known as the son of the Most High and the Lord God shall give to him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Amen!
     Of course, Mary asked a normal question when she said, “how shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” Gabriel proceeds to tell her how this will happen, and he proceeds to give her assurance that it will happen. First, Mary would be found with child of the Holy Ghost, or the Holy Spirit. Thus, the conception in the womb of Mary was supernatural. The Holy Spirit wrought a miracle in the body of Mary. In that miracle God the Son was clothed upon with a human nature. He is thus called, the Son of God.
     Gabriel gave Mary assurance concerning this matter by telling her that Elizabeth was with child. Certainly, that news served to immediately strengthen Mary’s heart. And then Gabriel emphatically declared, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”  My friends, the supernatural is possible because with God nothing shall be impossible!
 
     Now let me call your attention to Mary’s response in verse 38 . . . “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”
 
     Do you believe in the supernatural? Do you know that God can do a supernatural work in your heart? . . .
    

Luke 1:5-25
 
     Please open your Bible to Luke chapter one, verse five. Luke 1:5.
     Before we pray together, I need to take a moment and establish the historical context of what we are about to read. The last of the Old Testament prophets was a man named Malachi. The last book of the Old Testament bears his name. His prophecy is significant for various reasons. However, he is most famous for the prophecy of a forerunner who would precede and announce to the world the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah.
     Careful consideration of this prophecy concerning a forerunner of Messiah brings into focus the immense importance of this prophecy. The only person in history who qualifies as the promised Messiah must have a forerunner. Think about that. In history the only person preceded by a forerunner declaring him to be Israel’s Messiah and the Savior of the world is Jesus of Nazareth.
     Following the days of Malachi’s prophecy their followed 400 years of silence. The Lord did not send another prophet. The Old Testament canon of Scripture was closed. Of course, while Israel and the world did not have another prophet to speak to the nation and to the world during those years, they held in their possession the Holy Scriptures from Genesis to Malachi.
     Those scriptures, the very Word of the living God, continued to speak to all who sought the Lord. The spiritual minded through those scriptures could clearly understand the day of Messiah’s coming would arrive and all would know he would appear when the predicted forerunner came on the world scene. The Lord broke the silence of the 400 years following the days of Malachi when the angel Gabriel appeared to a man named Zacharias. 
 
     Look with me now at Luke chapter one, verse five as we read through verse ten:
 
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.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
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.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
 
     These verses introduce us to a husband and a wife named Zacharias and Elisabeth. Zacharias served as a priest at the temple fulfilling his duties per the order of rotation established by the priest’s office. There were many priests in the tribe of Levi, and they shared the necessary duties to maintain the temple and administer the various sacrifices prescribed by the Law of Moses.
     We are told that Zacharias and Elisabeth were both righteous before God. This means they loved the Lord and sought to obey the Lord, walking in his will per the law. They trusted the blood of the Old Testament sacrifices to cover their sins and thus they were righteous. Furthermore, they are described as blameless.  They both had a strong testimony for the Lord. You and I need to walk blameless in this world also. We need to have a strong testimony for the Lord!
     We are also told that they had no child. They both prayed for a child, but no child came. Now they were both advanced in age and the hope of a child was a fading memory. It is interesting to note the similarity between Zacharias and Elisabeth, and Abraham and Sarah. Both couples were past the normal age of child-bearing when the Lord intervened in a marvelous way.
     In the case of Zacharias and Elisabeth they had no special promise a child was coming. The Lord indicated to Abraham he would have a child by Sarah long before it occurred. However, in the case of Zacharias and Elisabeth they simply prayed over the matter for years with no special indication the Lord would grant that request. In fact, with each passing year their hope of a child grew dimmer.
     Now look with me at verse eleven as we read through verse twenty: (11-20)
 
11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
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.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
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.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
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.
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.
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.
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.
 
     With these words Luke documents the experience of a faithful, righteous man who was stunned by the appearance of the angel with such an announcement. Gabriel said to Zacharias, “thy prayer is heard.” And what was the prayer? He and his wife had prayed for a child, but perhaps also included in his prayer was the desire expressed by all the faithful in Israel that God would send the promised Messiah.
     Thy prayer is heard! No more waiting. No more longing. No more crying out to God for the fullness of his blessing. My friends, let God answer your prayers in his own time and in his own way. Like Zacharias and Elisabeth, when it seems like there will be no answer the Lord will show you the fullness of his plan. Rest in him. Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you!
     How many times have the faithful during this church age cried out to the Lord: thy kingdom come, thy will be done on this earth as it is in heaven? My friends, God has heard those prayers. He sees the tears. He has felt the heart cry of his people. He has those prayers bottled up. King David said, “put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?” Indeed, they are! Hear me today: those prayers will be answered!
     You will note again the angel told Zacharias to name his son, John. He went on to tell Zacharias his son would be great in the sight of the Lord, turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just.
     No doubt Zacharias understood the angel was quoting from the prophet Malachi. He had heard those words in synagogue. Yet, he did not immediately embrace this announcement with a strong faith. Rather, he asked for a sign that would assure him since he and his wife were both old.
     And so, the angel gave him a sign! He told Zacharias he would be unable to speak until the day he and his wife would hold the newborn in their arms. In a very real way Zacharias was rebuked for not believing the word God sent to him by the angel Gabriel.
     I would advise you not to be too hard on Zacharias. We often stumble around afraid to take God as this word ourselves! But here is some good news: God still used Zacharias and he can still use you and I. Praise his name!
     Now let’s finish our text today. Look at verse twenty-one:
 
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
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.
23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
 
Now may I call your attention to the end of verse 20 where Gabriel says of the words of God, they “shall be fulfilled in their season.”
 
My friends, every prophetic word in Scripture shall be fulfilled in its season! Every word concerning his first coming was fulfilled and in like manner every word pertaining to his second coming will be fulfilled in its season. I will not tire issuing the warning to get ready. Are you ready?
 

Luke 1:1-4
 
     Please open your Bible to Luke chapter one, verse one. Today I am presenting an introduction to this marvelous record of our Lord’s life. We will only read verses one through four as we begin.
     Just before we read our text allow me to say a word about the four gospels as a whole and then a brief word about the author of this gospel.
     The four gospels the Holy Spirit placed in the completed canon of Scripture present unique perspectives on the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the case of Matthew, the gospel bearing his name presents our Lord as King with much emphasis upon the coming kingdom of our Lord. Indeed, as the scripture says, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.” Matthew presents Jesus as the King of glory.
     Next, the gospel of Mark presents our Lord as a servant. Perhaps the theme of Mark’s gospel can be found in Mark 10:45 where our Lord says, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” May I say this quickly: those who serve little know little about the Spirit of Christ. We are compelled to follow our Lord’s example and give our lives away in service to others.
     Next, the beloved apostle John reveals our Lord as the Word incarnate. Indeed,
Jesus is the unique, one and only, begotten Son of the living God. He is fully man and fully God in the unique person who is the promised Messiah foretold by the prophets.
     And now we come to the gospel of Luke. Along our journey through this book, we shall discover that Luke presents Jesus as the son of man. On twenty-six different occasions Luke refers to Jesus as the son of man. In fact, most of the time we shall find Luke quoting Jesus referring to himself as the son of man.
     Of course, Luke also refers to Jesus as the Son of God. However, clearly the Holy Spirit places emphasis upon the humanity of Christ in the gospel of Luke. Our redemption required the death of the last Adam. The Savior of the world of necessity must be both man and God in one person. He must be fully man, yet sinless and without blemish, to serve as the great sacrifice for our sins. As well, he must be God to grant his all-sufficient sacrifice the infinite capacity needed to secure salvation for Adam’s race.
     I will have more to say about the title “son of man” as we read it in this gospel. As well, we shall discover Luke’s emphasis upon the anointing of the Holy Spirit which rested upon our Lord. Jesus was both God incarnate and the perfect Spirit-filled man. The Lord from heaven, incarnate in the person of Jesus the Christ, chose to lay aside only his obvious privileges as the Divine Son of God. He made himself of no reputation and took upon himself the form of a servant. He thus served in the power of the Holy Spirit. Don’t let anyone tell you that Jesus laid aside his deity. At best that is a grave error and at worst it is rank heresy.
    
     And so, we come to the gospel whose human author is Luke. Luke is mentioned four times in the New Testament. He worked often with the apostle Paul. Paul refers to him in the book of Corinthians, the book of Colossians, in his epistle to Philemon, and finally in 2 Timothy.
     It is in the book of Colossians where Paul refers to Luke as the “beloved physician.”  I might pause here to say God uses physicians in a marvelous way to help us as we journey through this life. The Holy Spirit certainly thinks highly of godly physicians. How do I know? I know that because the Holy Spirit refers to Luke as the “beloved physician.” 
     Can I just insert a simple word of advice to you? When you are not well, do not neglect the care and wisdom God gives to physicians. It is NOT an act of unbelief to go to a doctor. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from our Father in heaven. Can I tell you something? Without the care of a knowledgeable doctor, I would have died as a little boy. Do you know what I’ve learned from that? In my older age I don’t intend to die prematurely because I fail to see my doctor. Chew on that while you eat your Sunday chicken!
     One more thing about the beloved physician, brother Luke. He was a gentile. My friends, our Lord came for both Jew and Gentile. He has a place at his table for both and he can use both in his service. Thank God the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost—both Jew and gentile!
 
     Now look with me at our text today, Luke 1:1-4:
 
1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
 
     As noted in these verses various believers evidently attempted to record in written form the important truths circulating amongst the early Christian community concerning those things which they most surely believed. Since Luke set forth his gospel around 60 A.D., we can conclude during the three decades immediately following the death and resurrection of our Lord, various attempts at compiling a trustworthy written record of the life of Christ occurred. While those written details circulating in the Christian community may have helped, it was necessary to have authoritative records upon which the church could rest its faith.
     With that in mind, listen carefully to Luke’s assertion in verse three: It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
     You will note the phrase “from the very first” in this verse. As pointed out by Greek scholars this phrase can legitimately be rendered “from above.” Luke is claiming a perfect understanding “from above.” Unlike the other efforts to set forth the things most surely believed by the authentic church, Luke’s gospel is inspired by the Holy Spirit.
     While we can acknowledge the human element of Luke’s investigation into these things, not the least of which would be his many associations with believers who had knowledge of these many details as eyewitnesses, Luke did not write on his own initiative. Rather, as is the case with all Scripture, his gospel is inspired by the Holy Spirit. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, that is, all Scripture is God-breathed.
     Clearly in these opening remarks introducing his gospel, Luke distinguishes his writings as authoritative. Verse four states as much when Luke says he is writing “that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.”
     My friends, we are not playing a guessing game today. God has provided a trustworthy, authoritative record of the life of his Son so we might know the certainty of the things we believe! The church is not built upon the shifting sand of human opinion. Nor is the church built upon human philosophy and vain deceit after the rudiments of this world and the empty traditions of men.
     Rather, our faith rests upon the inspired Word of God. We are “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away: But the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”  Amen!