Please open your Bible to Luke chapter four. Our text today is found in verses 14-30.

     Before we read the text together, I want to remind you of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus at his baptism in the form of a dove. At his baptism Jesus was formally anointed by the Holy Spirit. John bare record saying this sign confirmed Jesus as the Son of God, the promised Messiah.

     It is interesting to note the title Messiah only appears twice in the Bible with both found in Daniel chapter nine where we read:

     “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”

     The title messiah means “anointed one.” Speaking of the coming Messiah, Psalm chapter two says: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh.”

     Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed one. We, of course, call Jesus the Christ. The name “Christ,” meaning “anointed,” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew messiah. There are over 500 instances in the New Testament where Jesus is referred to as “the Christ.”

     Immediately following his baptism Luke says he was “full of the Holy Ghost” and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. And in our text today we shall note following his temptation our Lord returned from the wilderness in the power of the Spirit into Galilee. It is important to take note of what John the Baptist says of Jesus in the gospel of John chapter three. Speaking of Jesus, John said: “For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto him.”

     The picture of Jesus set forth by the title Messiah, the Christ, the anointed One, is that of the perfect Spirit filled man. Although Jesus was God incarnate, he came in the form of a servant. Thus, he chose to perform his earthly ministry as the anointed servant of his Father. He ministered in the power of God the Holy Spirit.
 
     Now look at our text: Luke 4:14-30.
 
14And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

15And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

17And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

22And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

23And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

24And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

25But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

26But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

27And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

28And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

29And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

30But he passing through the midst of them went his way.”
  
   Now look again at verse fourteen: Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee. He taught in their synagogues and the people spoke well of him. His fame began to spread through-out the region. It is important to remember Jesus was anointed to deliver the Word of God to the people. Those who heard him speak experienced the convicting work of the Spirit in their hearts. They wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth.
 
   Jesus spoke with the unction of the Spirit. Jesus communicated the love of God for a lost and broken world. He preached a message of hope as he came to heal the broken hearted and declare deliverance to the captives. He preached in the power of the Spirit and his anointed words opened the eyes of the spiritually blind and sat at liberty those who were bruised. He came with the good news that it was the day of God’s favor. A day of God’s grace, indeed, it was the acceptable year of the Lord!

    And so, he came to his hometown of Nazareth where he was brought up. Look again at verse sixteen. It says he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as his custom was. That is very interesting. All during his youth Jesus attended synagogue. Then in his young adult years this habit persisted. We might take a lesson from our Lord’s example. If gathering around the Word of God was important to our Savior, then it ought to be important to us!

   Now, as set forth in our text on this occasion Jesus stood up to read from the book of Isaiah. Look again at verses eighteen and nineteen containing the words which Jesus read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

    He then closed the book as every eye in the synagogue was fastened on him. Jesus then declared unmistakenly, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” My friends, Jesus was telling his hometown crowd, “I am the Messiah. I am the one of whom the prophet spoke!”

     And how did they react? They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” My friends, Jesus was telling them plainly he was NOT Joseph’s son, rather, he was the promised Messiah. I need to issue a warning to each of you today. Be careful. When you are confronted by the Holy Spirit, who convicts the heart of the sin of not believing on Jesus, it is time to repent. Instead of rationalizing unbelief it is time to bow the knee!

     Now look again at verses 28-30:

     “And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way.”

​     Why did they become so angry? They became angry because Jesus told them they were in the same spiritual condition as where the people of Elijah’s day and the people of Elisha’s day (Cf. 25-27). Jesus was saying to them, if you don’t believe upon me then you are going to miss the blessing.

      Please open your Bible to Luke chapter four. Our text today is found in verses 1-13.

     Before I read the text and pray allow me to introduce this section of Luke’s gospel by reminding you of the unique person of Jesus the Christ. From the moment of his conception, through-out his life and ministry, on the cross, in the realm of the dead for three days and nights, at his resurrection and currently in his ministry as our great High Priest at the right hand of the Father, Jesus was and is the God-man.

     He is fully God and fully man in one person as he faces Satan in the wilderness. Thus, the outcome of his temptation, or testing, was never in doubt. He was altogether holy and undefiled. He was sinless in his human nature as the last Adam, and he was not liable to sin as touching his Divine nature. He was and is the impeccable Christ.

     Next, in a moment we shall see the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested by Satan. Why? It is Satan who must be defeated on the testing ground of obedience to God. The Scripture says, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

     Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh (that is, he was fully a man although without sin) to condemn sin in the flesh. His sinless life prepared him to be the perfect sacrifice for sin as our substitute on the cross. Thus, the Spirt drove him into the wilderness to face Satan. And by the time that experience was over, Satan knew he was in trouble. He was facing the Son of God who came to crush his head just as the Lord said back in the Garden of Eden.

     Now look at our text: Luke 4:1-13.
 
“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:

For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.”
 
 
    One of the first things that ought to be obvious from our text is the reality of Satan. Satan is the great deceiver. Furthermore, Satan is the enemy of your soul and if you are not saved, he holds you in bondage to death. However, our Lord came to destroy Satan’s power to hold us in bondage to death. This he would do by his sinless life and subsequent vicarious death on the cross.

    Now our text says Satan attempted to deceive our Lord by casting three temptations into his thinking. Satan is making his bid to lead the last Adam into disobedience to God the Father.

     Perhaps the first test seems harmless. After all, what was wrong if Jesus proved he was the Son of God by working a miracle, and what is wrong with eating bread when one is hungry?

     The problem is our Lord was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to resist Satan and not yield to him. He must conquer the tests put forth by Satan. He must be tested to prove he cannot and will not succumb to disobedience. His obedience to the Father is the proof he is the Son of God, not some miracle performed at the whim of God’s adversary.

     Next, Satan presents a test that is quite insightful as to how he ensnares many men. He invites the Son of God to bow the knee to him so as to gain the kingdoms of the world, but he was rebutted by the obedient heart of the Son of man who said, “. . . it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” 

     Sadly, many a man today sells his soul for a piece of this world. Satan is glad to give you the world if you refuse to worship the true and living God. Be careful my friend. If you do not bow the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ in essence you are bowing the knee to Satan. It may not seem that obvious to you, however, the spiritual reality set forth in Scripture is very clear. You are either a child of God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, or you are of your father the devil.

     Finally, Satan takes Jesus to Jerusalem and once again questions his identity as the Son of God. Again, he tests Jesus by inviting him to cast himself down from the pinnacle of the temple and proceeds to quote scripture in his bid to lead our Lord into disobedience.

     Satan said, “For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

     I need to point out to you that Satan is masterful at twisting and misapplying scripture. Sometimes he blatantly denies the truthfulness of Scripture, or he may cast doubt on the trustworthiness of Scripture, but he is also a master at instigating and promoting Scripture out of context. He causes men to wrestle with the Scripture to their own destruction.

     Our Lord was too wise for his craftiness and rebuked Satan soundly saying, “It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” Jesus was victorious over Satan and did not disobey his Father during these tests, nor did he ever disobey his Father.
 
     While the greater lesson of the temptation of Christ is to show us we have a sinless Savior who could die as our substitute, we can learn from his example. As noted in our text, Jesus meet each test by quoting scripture. This is a very important lesson we need to learn. In each case our Lord quoted Scripture to resist Satan. Likewise, we must fortify ourselves with the truth of Scripture to stand against the wiles of the devil. We must resist Satan with the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God!

     Before I pray let me mention several things about this most important genealogy. To do so allow me to quote the late Dr. Henry Morris’ comments on this section of Luke’s gospel. He writes:

     “Joseph was clearly the son of Jacob (Matt. 1:16), so this verse (he is referring to verse 23) should be understood to mean “son in law of Heli.” Thus, the genealogy of Christ in Luke is actually the genealogy of Mary, while Matthew gives that of Joseph. Actually, the word “son” is not in the original, so it would be legitimate to supply either “son” or “son-in-law” in this context . . . the two genealogies show that both parents were descendants of David—Joseph through Solomon (Matt. 1:7-15), thus inheriting the legal right to the throne of David, and Mary through Nathan (3:23-31), her line thus carrying the seed of David . . .”

     Both genealogies are essential documents authenticating Jesus as the rightful heir to the throne of David. Furthermore, both are necessary to confirm Jesus as the promised seed of Abraham through whom all the families of the earth would be blessed. Furthermore, Luke’s genealogy is unique in that it traces our Lord’s family tree all the way back to the first man Adam.

     So, this genealogy has two bookends if you please. In verse 23 Jesus born of Mary the daughter of Heli is the last Adam. In verse 38 we have the first Adam created directly by God from the dust of the ground.

     In the interest of time, I am not going to read aloud the entire genealogy. However, we are going to glean some more important truths from this family tree before we are done today.

     Look again at verse 23 which says, “And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli.” Please note the careful language from Luke who points out that Jesus was not the actual son of Joseph. Rather, “was supposed” by those around the family to be the son of Joseph. Of course, Joseph was the legal, guardian father of Jesus and unless those around them were aware of the unique circumstances surrounding the birth of Christ, they simply would have assumed Jesus to be the son of Joseph.

     However, Luke has already documented the miracle conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary by the mighty work of the Holy Spirit in her body. And in that miracle, it pleased the Father to cloth the eternal Word with human nature. Thus, from the moment of his conception in the womb of Mary Jesus was (and remains today) the God-man. Our Lord is truly God and truly man in one person.

     Next, I want you to observe the natural flow of this family tree. We have a backward procession from the father of Mary (Heli) all the way back to King David. Look at verse 31: “Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David.”

     Of course, David is a well-known person of history. Now let’s continue. As we proceed backward from David we move eventually to our next well-known person in history, namely Abraham.  Look at verses 33 and 34: “Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor.”

     Now as we continue moving backward from Abraham we end up in verse 38 which says: “Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.”

     As you can clearly see, Luke’s genealogy presents Adam alongside numerous other historical individuals (Abraham, David, etc.) in order to link him as a real person to Jesus, so Adam cannot be interpreted symbolically. Luke clearly understood Adam as a real, historical person who was foundational to understanding the history of Israel and the coming Savior of the world (cf. Luke 24:47).

     I want to say without apology to all of you:  if you come across a Bible teacher who refuses to accept Adam as a real historical figure please understand he is confused and his thinking is no doubt contaminated by the rudiments of this world. I am teaching you today to never compromise the Biblical truth that Adam is the literal head of the human race. We are all descendants of the first man Adam. In his gospel account, Luke, a trustworthy historian (who claimed perfect knowledge from above - Luke 1:1–4), traces Jesus’ genealogy all the way back to the first man and father of all mankind, Adam.

     Our text today also compels us to embrace another important truth. From this text we can arrive at an approximate date for the age of the earth and universe. Remember, we have the family tree of Jesus recorded here that goes all the way back to the first man. We know this is the year 2024. We are approximately 2000 years from the time of Christ. Furthermore, we know from Jesus back to Abraham covers about 2000 years. And finally, we know from Abraham back to the first man Adam there is another 2000 years. Can anyone here add 2000+2000+2000?  What does that add up to?  6000 years is correct.

     Thus, we are compelled to conclude Biblical history accounts for only 6000 years. Since Genesis chapter one details the creative activity of the only true and living God, and since Adam appears on the earth just six days from the beginning, the age of the earth is approximately 6000 years. That’s a long time by the way!

     So where does the pagan concept of millions of years come from? It does not come from the Bible. Furthermore, it does not come from what we know to be true from observational science. So where does it come from? It comes from those who reject the Word of God and who reject the documented creative activities of our Lord in the authoritative history book of the universe—the Bible.
 
     Now I want to close by returning to a statement I made at the beginning of this message. This text has two bookends if you please: the first Adam and the last Adam. Listen now as I read to you from 1 Corinthians 15 where the Scripture says:

     “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.”

     My friends, all those who believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, all those saved by personal faith in the Lord Jesus, are destined to be like him. We shall bear the image of the heavenly. All the saved, all the ransomed of the Lord, are destined for glorification! The apostle Paul said, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

     Christ, the last Adam, is coming and he “shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” I ask you today, do you believe he is coming? Do you understand we shall be changed? Do you understand we will meet our saved loved ones again? Do you understand the last Adam came to rescue us from the bondage of death produced by the disobedience of the first Adam?  Do you understand the last Adam, our Lord from heaven, through his death on the cross has destroyed him that held the power of death, that is, the devil? Do you understand our resurrected Lord has conquered death and we are now marching toward the glorious day when death will once for all be banished and cast into the lake of fire?

​     Somebody ought to be happy! Somebody ought to be ready to shout! Somebody ought to be ready to join the apostle Paul saying “thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” I will take an “amen” right there!

     Before we pray and focus on these two verses a brief review is in order. You will recall John the Baptist said to all the people, “I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.”

     I call your attention to John’s warning that Jesus will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. The word “unquenchable” indicates the eternal retribution experienced in hell never ends. Two things immediately come to mind as this truth presses upon our minds.

     First, the absolute holiness of God comes into view. Sin is an offense to our most holy God. His just and holy nature compels him to punish sin. In as much as sin is the offense of an infinite God the retribution for sin can never be fully satisfied. Hell is an eternal penitentiary. The appropriate suffering experienced there is unquenchable.

     Next, we have a low view of sin. Over time unrepentant men warm up to sin as the conscience becomes seared. We gradually justify what God condemns. Many get to such a sad place the can no longer blush when confronted with their sin.

     I should hasten to say as we journey through the gospel of Luke, we shall come to our Lord’s clearest teaching on the suffering that exists in hell. Wheat represents the saved, and chaff represents the lost? Which are you? Only those who confess Christ and thus follow him are saved. I trust you will be of serious mind today. 
 
     Now look with me at Luke 3:21-22:
 
21Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
 
22And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
 
     With the reading of these verses, we come to the climax of the ministry of John the Baptist. Remember, John was the forerunner of Messiah. He prepared the way of the Lord, that is, he prepared the people for the arrival of the Messiah. His main responsibility was to literally point out and identify the Messiah.

     As John ministered to the people, he told them the day was soon coming when he would identify the Messiah. That day arrived as John saw Jesus coming into view. Immediately John cried out, “Behold, the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.”

     The Jewish audience who heard John refer to Jesus in this manner certainly understood the offering of lambs in sacrifice to the Lord. They knew the father of their nation, Abraham, once took his only son Isaac to a mountain to offer him in sacrifice as directed by the Lord. As the two traveled toward the place of sacrifice Isaac famously said, “My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.”

     My friends, Abraham’s words became prophetic and many years later when John the Baptist cried out, “Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world,” God had indeed provided himself a lamb for a burnt offering.

     The Jews not only had the prophetic word of Abraham, but they knew what it was to offer the Passover lamb each year as prescribed by the Lord through Moses. They knew the blood of the Passover lamb delivered them from death in Egypt and set them free from bondage to Pharoah.

     Now they turn their gaze upon Jesus as John cries out, “behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.” John’s description of Jesus with this title had to arrest the thinking of the people. This is the Messiah, yet John speaks of his death as the Lamb of God.

     John knew Jesus was destined to fulfill the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah who said of the coming Messiah, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter . . . for the transgression of my people was he stricken . . . it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin . . . he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

     Thousands upon thousands of times the Jews offered lambs in sacrifice to the Lord under the old covenant. Yet not one of those sacrifices could once for all take away sin. Those sacrifices only pictured the work of Christ as the lamb of God who by his sacrifice would once for all take away the sin of the world.

     And so, the Scripture says:

     “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”

     Hear me today. The Lord from heaven came into this world and took to himself a human nature in the person of Jesus the Christ. A body was prepared for him that he by the grace of God could taste death for every man. At his baptism, the Son of God openly committed himself to the will of his Father. His baptism was the first step on the journey that led to the cross.

     And Jesus being baptized the heaven was opened and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove and rested on him. Then came a voice from heaven, “Thou are my beloved Son; in thee am I well pleased.” Amen.
    
     The Father was pleased that day and Jesus proceeded to obey his Father in every way becoming obedient to death, even the death of the cross. My friends, upon that cross he who knew no sin, he that was the lamb of God without spot or blemish, became our sin bearer. He was slain and has redeemed us to God by his own precious blood.

​     And one day we shall join the chorus in heaven numbering ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands declaring worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Amen and Amen!

   Before I share the message let’s take a few minutes to review. Luke says the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. This is John the Baptist the forerunner of the Messiah. We noted that John’s ministry fulfilled the words of Isaiah in chapter forty of his prophecy.     

   We also have noted the content of John’s powerful preaching as he called the people to repent. He insisted they bring forth fruits suitable for repentance. He insisted they turn away from the false security of a false hope. Not one of his people possessed a right standing with God simply because they were the physical descendants of Abraham. You will recall we applied this truth to our own lives. We must beware lest we embrace a false hope. Remember, no one is saved until the heart repents and turns to the Lord for mercy and grace found in the Lord Jesus Christ.

   As we shall see from our text today, as the people responded from the heart to John’s message they asked the question, “What shall we do then?” It is interesting to note the people listening to the preaching of the Apostle Peter on the Day of Pentecost asked the same question when they said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do?

   Peter told them to repent and to confess Christ in baptism. This they did and some three thousand souls were saved that day.

  The convicting work of the Holy Spirit brings us to a place of repentance. In that state of mind we ask the same question, what shall I do then?  Let me say this as clearly as I can: you are repentant when you are ready to obey the Lord. Those who repent are ready to obey the gospel as it is made plain to them.
 
     Now look with me at verse ten as we read our text:
 
     Luke 3:10-20:
 
10And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

11He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

12Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

13And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

14And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

15And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;

16John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

17Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

18And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.

19But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

20Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.
 
   Now look again at verse eleven. In this verse John is illustrating to the average person how to demonstrate real repentance. He says if you have two coats, then give one to him who has none. Likewise, if you have food, then give to him that has none.

   This is fruit demonstrating genuine repentance. Once the heart is set right by repentance, then we are ready to love others. The Apostle John says it this way in his first epistle where we read:

   “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

     May I say you need to demonstrate genuine faith by showing love to one another.

   Next, John said to the publicans (the tax collectors), to collect no more than that which is ordered by those who appointed you a tax collector. In other words, John is saying show me the reality of your repentance by turning away from the practice of sin. In the case of the tax collectors John is saying their fruit unto repentance was to stop stealing from the people.

    May I ask you a question? Do you practice sin? Is there a particular sin standing between you and true repentance? May I say your fruit unto repentance is to turn away from that sin. I wonder, what sin is keeping you from coming to Christ? Can I ask you a heart-searching question? Are you willing to go to hell and perish under the weight of eternal damnation because you refuse to let go of sin? Think about that.

    Next, look again at verse fourteen. The soldiers came to John. I take these men to be gentiles in the Roman army of that day. Certainly, Israel had no standing army as they were subject to Rome at that time. The soldiers came to John and said, what shall we do?

    John told them what fruit unto repentance looked like in their life. He said do no violence to any man, do not falsely accuse any man, and be content with your wages.

   Clearly, John the Baptist insisted when true repentance occurs there must be a change of heart that deals with the sins characterizing one’s life.
 
   Now I want to close with a very interesting passage from Matthew’s gospel connected to the ministry of John the Baptist. Listen closely:
 
23And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
 
24And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
 
25The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
 
26But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
 
27And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
 
28But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
 
29He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
 
30And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
 
31Whether of the two did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
 
32For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.”
 
   Sadly, the same crowd that resisted the preaching of John the Baptist also fought against the Lord Jesus.  The did not repent under John’s preaching, nor did they repent at the preaching of the Son of God.
 
   Now listen closely as I finish. Which of the two sons in our Lord’s parable picture you?  Are you like the first son who said, “I will not do what you are telling me,” but you changed your mind and repented and obeyed.

   Or are you like the second who said, “Oh, yes, I will do what you say”, but then did not. Are you the second son? Do you say, “Oh, yes, I will serve you Lord”, but then you never repent. Think about that. There must be fruit unto repentance. Otherwise, we are like the second son. I encourage you to search your heart and be of serious mind. If you have failed to repent and do not have a new heart surrendered to obedience, then humble yourself today and call on his name. He will grant forgiveness and a new life in Christ will begin.

     We are looking at Luke chapter three beginning at verse seven. Luke 3:7-9:
 
“Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”
 
     As we consider the content of John’s preaching, we first note how multitudes came to listen to him and to be baptized by him. However, John insisted they participate for the right reason; they could not simply come because it was the popular thing to do; furthermore, take note that John refused to allow the size of the crowd to diminish his message. John the Baptist never catered to a crowd; he was never concerned about losing the ear of his audience because of the clarity of his message.

     Preachers can learn a lot from John the Baptist. Those called to preach the Word of God must never focus on the crowd. Rather, they must focus on faithfully giving out the Word of God. As far as how many want to listen or how big the crowd ends up being no faithful minister of the gospel can allow interest in those things to effect his faithfulness to preach the whole council of God.

     Next, note John’s warning concerning the wrath of God. John says, “who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” With this question John most definitely calls attention to the wrath of God that is coming. In light of God’s certain judgment coming upon a lost world the question needs to be asked: who has warned you to flee the wrath to come?

     I would ask you the same question. Has anyone warned you to flee the wrath of God that most certainly will fall upon the unrepentant? Have you ever allowed this truth to confront your heart? Are you concerned about facing the wrath of God because you are unrepentant?

     Listen carefully to the Word of the Lord found in Isaiah chapter thirteen:
 
6Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. 7Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt: 8And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. 9Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel (fierce) both with wrath and fierce (raging) anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. 10For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. 11And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

   The New Testament clearly teaches the wrath of God destined to fall upon the unrepentant. Consider the comforting teaching for believers in Romans chapter five, but listen for the word wrath as I quote this passage. The Bible says:

6For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
 
     If you are saved, then you are saved from the wrath to come. Said another way by John the Baptist in John chapter three verse thirty-six: “he that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.”  Think about that. If you are lost the wrath of God hoovers like a threatening storm cloud ready to burst forth upon you with wind and destruction!

    In Revelation chapter fourteen we read of the angel having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth,
 
7Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 8And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 9And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
 
     My friends, the just and holy wrath of God is real. Has anyone warned you to flee the wrath to come? I hope you are in the ark of safety today. I hope you will flee the wrath of God to come by repenting and confessing the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.

     Now look again at verse eight. John insisted they bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. Then he deals with a very dangerous situation. Please notice John refused to allow the people to rest in a false security, a false hope. The crowds he preached to were Jews in his homeland. They were all a physical descendent of Abraham. However, a physical descendent of Abraham counts for nothing unless one repents.

     Likewise, in our day many people possess false hope. Many people think they are going to heaven when they die, but tragically they are lost. Heaven is not their eternal home. Why? Because they are not bringing forth good fruit. There is no fruit of repentance in their life.

    And so, John says, “and now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.” Later in this chapter John the Baptist says that Jesus will thoroughly purge his floor and gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
     My friends, the wrath of a holy God is destined to fall upon all who refuse to repent and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ. How do you stand with God? Are you ready to meet him?  Do you have a repentant heart?
  
     Now listen closely as I finish. There is a reason Jesus endured the cross. Jesus endured the cross to deliver us from the wrath to come. The old hymn says:
 
Christ our Redeemer died on the cross
Died for the sinner, paid all his due
All who receive him need never fear
Yes, He will pass, will pass over you.
 
When I see the blood, when I see the blood, When I see the blood,
I will pass, I will pass over you.
​
Amen!  The blood of Christ delivers all who believe upon him from the wrath to come.

     Please open your Bible to Isaiah chapter forty. I want to read this text in a few moments. The reason we need to visit this passage is to see the connection between the record of the gospels and this amazing prophecy.

     With that said, let me quote from each of the gospels that identify John the Baptist as the fulfillment of Isaiah 40, verse three. Matthew 3:1-3 we read:
 
1In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
 
2And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
 
3For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
 
Mark 1:1-4 says:
 
1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
 
2As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
 
3The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
 
4John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
 
John chapter one says:

6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
 
7The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
 
8He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light . . .
 
19And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
 
20And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
 
21And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
 
22Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
 
23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
 
Luke 3:3-6:
 
3And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
 
4As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
 
5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
 
6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
 
     All four gospels document the partial fulfillment of Isaiah chapter 40 as it relates to John the Baptist. As is the case with all Bible prophecy, Isaiah’s prophecy is remarkable. Over 700 years before the birth of John the Baptist and the birth of our Lord, Isaiah predicted both events with unexplainable accuracy. May I remind you: only our infinite God knows the future and could make infallible predictions in his written word. Historical events already fulfilled in Bible prophecy serve as a confirmation of the inspiration and authority of Holy Scripture. Only the foolish mock and neglect this book. Only the foolish would neglect so great salvation taught in this book.

     I trust you will listen with a hungry heart as I continue this message.

 
     Now look with me at Isaiah chapter forty, verse one. Isaiah 40, verse one. I am going to pause with brief comments on certain verses as we read this text together.

     Beginning at verse one, the Word of God says:
 
1Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
 
2Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.
 
     These two verses speak of a future day when Jerusalem and Israel shall be comforted. The day will come when her warfare is accomplished and her iniquity is pardoned. Now we come to Isaiah’s prediction fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist:
 
3The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
 
4Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
 
     Verse three speaks of the preaching ministry of John who prepared the way of the LORD. Pay close attention to Isaiah’s reference to Jesus as “our God.” My friends, Jesus is the LORD from heaven. John made straight in the desert a highway for our God! As we continue to read this text Isaiah turns his attention to events yet to unfold in history. Verse five says:
 
5And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
 
6The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
 
7The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
 
8The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
 
9O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
 
10Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
 
     This verse speaks of our Lord’s second coming. Now look at verse eleven:
 
11He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
 
     And what assurance do we have that the prophecies of Isaiah shall come to pass. The rest of the chapter speaks of the mighty power of the living God who in time will bring every word to pass. Look at verse twelve:
 
12Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
 
13Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
 
14With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
 
15Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
 
16And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
 
17All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity . . .
 
21Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
 
22It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
 
23That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
 
24Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
 
25To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
 
26Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
 
27Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?
 
28Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
 
29He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
 
30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
 
31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
 
     My friends, as we are discovering in Luke chapter three, the Lord God in fulfillment of his word raised up John the Baptist. He worked his will in the earth at our Lord’s first coming and he is working his will in the earth as we approach our Lord’s second coming. 

      Please open your Bible to Luke chapter three, verse one. Our text today is found in verses one through nine. Luke 3, beginning at verse one.
 
    In a moment when we read this text you will immediately notice the detail with which Luke establishes the historical setting existing at the time of these momentous events. As often as possible I like to emphasize in your thinking the fact your Bible is a history book. In fact, it is the authoritative history book of all history books. It is quite shortsighted and altogether deficient to attempt a proper study of history apart from a careful, respectful study of Scripture.

     It has been said that those who are ignorant of history are destined to repeat it. May I say more importantly, those ignorant of the history recorded in the Bible may be destined for much worse. The history of the Bible begins with an authoritative record of the creation, the fall of Adam, the entrance of death and the curse into the very good creation and a subsequent global flood in the days of Noah. Furthermore, the post flood world experienced the judgment of God at the Tower of Babel whereupon mankind’s language was confused. Shortly thereafter God called a man named Abraham with whom he established a covenant through which the whole world would be blessed.

     In time through Abraham the Messiah, Christ the Lord, came as pertaining to the flesh. As seen already in our journey through Luke’s inspired text the forerunner of Messiah was born, and Christ was born of Mary. We come now to the season in which the Father prepares the nation of Israel for the official recognition of Jesus as the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

     May I ask you: do you trust this history? If you are unwilling to listen, or for any other reason you are ignorant of this history, then you are headed for a lost eternity. Nothing could be more serious than having an attitude of heart that is ready to hear the message of the gospel. Do you scoff and mock the Bible? Do you ignorantly categorize it as a book of myths? Do you turn away in unbelief? Do you esteem the words of men more than the words of God in the Bible?

     I wish I could shake you and wake you to the frightening reality that faces you. Many of you are in the snare of the enemy. Many of you are blinded by his lies and deluded by the deception of false spirituality. Indeed, if the light or the understanding you think you have is actually darkness, then how great is that darkness! Beware my friend. If you refuse to accept the historical record of God’s Son recorded in the pages of Holy Scripture, you will surely perish.
     
     Now look with me at Luke 3:1-9:
 
1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
 
     Notice the historical details Luke records for us. These details are all collaborated by secular historians. Now look at verse two:
 
2Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

3And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

4As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

7Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

9And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
 
     Now pause with me and take careful note of the phrase “and the word of God came unto John.” Remember this is John, so named by the angel who appeared to Zacharias announcing the birth of the forerunner of Messiah. This is the man who was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb. Although born into the priesthood, John never served in Jerusalem. Rather, as he came of age he separated himself from the flow of normal Jewish life and lived in the wilderness.

     He was in an obscure place until the day the word of God came to him. G. Campbell Morgan, noted Bible teacher in Great Britain who traveled widely as a Bible teacher in the United States between 1919 and 1929, makes this insightful comment on this phrase as it relates to John. He writes:

     “The Greek preposition is epi; and it ought to be rendered, “The Word of God came upon John.” The force of the preposition is that of pressure from above. The word of the Lord came upon him, pressed down upon him from above. Here is the qualification for preaching. The message of God comes upon a man. It is a great thing that he be prepared in every way; but preparation leaves a man unable to preach until the word of the Lord falls upon him. That is the keynote to the marvel of this ministry.” (Unquote)

     We might say John’s experience was like that of Jeremiah the prophet who said, “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” When the word of the Lord presses upon the preacher he cannot forbear. He cannot be silent. He can say, “I’m done with preaching, and I will not speak any more in his name.” But the call of God, you might say the pressure from above stirring the heart like a burning fire, is relentless. The result is the preacher at some point cannot refrain from speaking but must carry the word of God to all who will listen.

     So, John is under the weight of the call of God. He knows the Lord. He has walked with the Lord. In some ways, no doubt, he prepared himself for the day when he would confront his nation with the message of repentance and the news of the imminent arrival of the Messiah. He is devoted to the Lord and is filled with the Spirit. And finally, he is released by the timing of the Lord whom he served. And so Luke says, “the word of God came unto John.”

     I wish I could have heard his first sermon. John didn’t shoot blanks. His preaching hit the mark. From the first time he spoke heaven was behind him. This is the prophet who bridged the Old Testament era to the coming New Testament era. This is the man of whom Jesus would later say of woman there was never born one greater than John the Baptist.

     The word shut-up in his bones flowed with the witness of the Spirit of God as he thundered the message of repentance in all the country round about Jordan. This prophet of God is breaking up the fallow ground and preparing a people ready to receive the coming Messiah. He was fearless and pointed. He preached to the common man, but his message resounded into the halls of the government when he openly rebuked Herod’s adultery with his brother Philip’s wife.

     He demanded fruit unto repentance. He rebuked the idea of following God while harboring unconfessed sin in the heart. John’s Spirit filled preaching insisted men get right with God and prepare to bow the knee to the coming Messiah. John’s fame spread until thousands went out of Jerusalem and Judea to hear him preach and many humbled their heart and immersed themselves in repentance of which his baptism spoke.

     Many mused in their heart as to whether John was the Messiah, however, he quickly dispelled such an idea saying one mightier than I comes whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose. We shall see John introduce the Messiah to Israel and to the world in a future message, but now as I close look again at verse nine:

      “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”
​

Luke 2:39-52
 
     Please open your Bible to Luke chapter two, verse thirty-nine. Our text today is found in verses thirty-nine through fifty-two. We complete chapter two of our journey through the gospel of Luke with a wonderful insight into the childhood of Jesus.

     Before we read this passage, I need to mention two events in the early childhood of Jesus not mentioned by the gospel of Luke. After our Lord’s dedication in the temple, wise men from the east visited the Christ child while Joseph and Mary were still in Bethlehem. After the wise men departed, the Lord warned Joseph in a dream to take the young child and his mother Mary and flee into Egypt. As you may recall, Herod sought to destroy the baby Jesus. However, the Lord protected his Son and hid him in Egypt until the death of Herod.

     After Herod’s death an angel of the Lord appeared again in a dream to Joseph instructed him to take the young child and his mother back to Israel. When Joseph arrived back in Israel the Lord guided him through another dream to turn aside into Galilee. Luke picks up the narrative at that point in verse 39 saying, “they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
  
     Now look with me at Luke chapter two verse thirty-nine. The Word of God says:
 
39And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
40And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
42And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
43And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
44But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
45And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
46And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
47And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
48And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
49And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
50And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
51And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
 
     Now look with me at verse 40 which says, “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”

    This statement summarizes the first twelve years of our Lord’s life. First, the baby Jesus grew. This speaks of his physical body. He developed just like any healthy child does today. Remember, when the Father sent his Son to come and live among us he prepared him a body (Hebrews 10:5). In the person of the promised Messiah, it pleased the Father that in him should dwell all the fulness of the Divine Nature in bodily form (Colossians 1:19).

    From the moment of his miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, Jesus has been the God-man. He was truly God and truly man when Mary laid him in the manger. He was truly God and truly man through-out his childhood. In his childhood he learned obedience. In that humble estate although God who spoke the worlds into existence, he had to learn his first words as a baby. Humanly speaking he had to learn and grow.

    I’m sure you have heard of childhood prodigies. Some gifted children display very high intelligence and giftedness in childhood. May I say, Jesus was the ultimate childhood prodigy. Remember, he was without sin. As the last Adam he possessed perfect humanity. He was not subject to the curse as it relates to fallen human nature. Death did not work in his human body. Jesus grew to maturity however he never grew old. At age 30 when he began his public ministry Jesus had no blemish in his body, no premature gray hair, etc.

   Next, verse 40 says he waxed strong in spirit and became filled with wisdom. He grew spiritually and mentally. As well, verse 40 says the grace of God was upon him. Certainly, in the context of referring to Jesus, this speaks of God’s favor upon his only begotten Son. If our heavenly Father watches over you and I, how much more did he watch over his only begotten Son? As he grew from childhood toward adolescence there was never a moment when he was out of the Father’s care.

   As we approach Luke’s account of Jesus in the temple at age twelve, there is something we need to pause and reflect upon. At a point in his childhood before we see him in the temple at age twelve, our Lord became aware of who he was. The limitations of his cognizant skills as a young child faded until the consciousness of his identity as the Son of God filled his understanding. There was a point in his physical development when Jesus understood Joseph was not his Father. I don’t think his mother had to tell him that. Clearly by age twelve Jesus understood exactly who his Father was.

   Look with me again at verses 41 through 49:
 
41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
42And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
43And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
44But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
45And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
46And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
47And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
48And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
49And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
 
    Take careful note of what Jesus said in verse forty-nine. Jesus at the tender age of twelve knew the Father sent him. Already Jesus lived in submission to the will of his Father. In the gospels Jesus speaks of his Father continually. Over one hundred times in the gospel of John alone Jesus references his Father.

    For example, Jesus said: “For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth . . . That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him . . . And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day . . . And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” Amen.
 
     My friends, Jesus grew up before the Father as a tender plant. In time he came to maturity awaiting his appearance to the nation of Israel at the baptism of John the Baptist. He completed his public ministry and proceeded to submit to his Father’s will in the Garden of Gethsemane. He went on to the cross where he was smitten of God and afflicted. My friend, the blessed Son of God went to the cross for you. For that purpose he came into the world. Please think about that carefully. 

     Have you accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior?  If not, put your trust in him today.

Before I read the text, I want to quote from an article on the Wallbuilders website entitled, “Is America a Christian Nation?” It is a lengthy article, so I have time for just a portion which reads as follows:
 
Constitutional law professor Edward Mansfield (1801-1880) acknowledged (the following):
 
In every country, the morals of a people – whatever they may be – take their form and spirit from their religion. For example, the marriage of brothers and sisters was permitted among the Egyptians because such had been the precedent set by their gods, Isis and Osiris. So, too, the classic nations celebrated the drunken rites of Bacchus. Thus, too, the Turk has become lazy and inert because dependent upon Fate, as taught by the Koran. And when in recent times there arose a nation [i.e., France] whose philosophers [e.g. Voltaire, Rousseau, etc.] discovered there was no God and no religion, the nation was thrown into that dismal case in which there was no law and no morals. . . . (in the case of) the United States, Christianity is the original, spontaneous, and national religion.
 
Founding Father and U. S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall agreed. He said:
 
With us, Christianity and religion are identified. It would be strange, indeed, if with such a people our institutions did not presuppose Christianity and did not often refer to it and exhibit relations with it.
 
Christianity is the religion that shaped America and made her what she is today. In fact, historically speaking, it can be irrefutably demonstrated that Biblical Christianity in America produced many of the cherished traditions still enjoyed today, including:
 
A republican rather than a theocratic form of government;

The institutional separation of church and state (as opposed to today’s enforced institutional secularization of church and state);

Protection for religious toleration and the rights of conscience;

A distinction between theology and behavior, thus allowing the incorporation into public policy of religious principles that promote good behavior but which do not enforce theological tenets (examples of this would include religious teachings such as the Good Samaritan, The Golden Rule, the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, etc., all of which promote positive civil behavior but do not impose ecclesiastical rites); and

A free-market approach to religion, thus ensuring religious diversity and security for the rights of religious conscience.
 
Consequently, a Christian nation as demonstrated by the American experience is a nation founded upon Christian and Biblical principles, whose values, society, and institutions have largely been shaped by those principles. This definition was reaffirmed by American legal scholars and historians for generations5 but is widely ignored by today’s revisionists.
American Presidents (also) Affirm that America is a Christian Nation
 
Notice a few representative statements on this subject by some of the forty-three previous presidents:
 
The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were. . . . the general principles of Christianity.7 JOHN ADAMS
 
[T]he teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally….impossible for us to figure to ourselves what that life would be if these teaching were removed.8 TEDDY ROOSEVELT
 
America was born a Christian nation – America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture.9 WOODROW WILSON
 
American life is builded, and can alone survive, upon . . . [the] fundamental philosophy announced by the Savior nineteen centuries ago.10 HERBERT HOOVER
 
This is a Christian Nation.11 HARRY TRUMAN
 
Let us remember that as a Christian nation . . . we have a charge and a destiny.12 RICHARD NIXON
 
Today our nation is struggling as Christian influence has diminished. On a national level we are not so much governed by the fear of God as was past generations of Americans. Should the Lord delay his coming the only way we can prolong days of freedom in America is to return to the Lord. Now may we pray . . .
 
Now look with me at Deuteronomy chapter six, verse one (read 6:1-15):
 
1Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:
2That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
3Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
4Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
10And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,
11And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;
12Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
13Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
14Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;
15(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
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     It is obvious from this reading Israel’s national prosperity depended on obeying the commands of God. The nation was to love the Lord. They were to fear God and to keep his commandments. In so doing they would secure national prosperity and prolong their days in the land.

     America would do well to follow this example. We must beware lest we forget the Lord and serve other gods. Sadly, many within our borders are at war with the concept of the Judeo-Christian ethic upon which the freedoms of the American Republic rests. Thus, since the early 1990s the nation has engaged in an intense culture war that rages on today. Clearly the nation is divided. Today there is no national consensus for civil government upon which Americans are united. This is the fruit of a fundamental change that has occurred in America over the past 100 years or so.

      Ed Vitagliano writes, “For well over a century, secular progressives (the ungodly) in the United States have worked tirelessly to alter the very nature of our Republic. In all of the ways that count the most, they have very nearly succeeded. Moreover, they never asked most Americans for permission to do so . . . Like an invasive virus, this new ideology—alien to our Founding Fathers—spread throughout the bloodstream of American power in the early 1900s. Progressive ideas captured not only law schools—producing critical, progressive U.S. Supreme Court decisions by mid-century—but also many Christian seminaries.”

​     I encourage you to read this booklet (The Progressive Threat to the American Republic). The content of this message will help you discern why we are facing a battle for the future of freedom in America. The better you discern what is going on in America the better equipped you will be to stand up and fight for a free Republic.