04-17-2022 – “Resurrection Sunday Demonstrates Eternal Life”

Bible Text: various | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Links from Our Website:

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April 17, 2022
“Resurrection Sunday Demonstrates Eternal Life”

Today is the Day of Good News, the Best News! Jesus Christ was crucified on Friday (paying the penalty for our sins); and on Sunday, He rose from the grave (demonstrating His authority to provide eternal life).

There have been more paintings, songs, and books produced about Jesus Christ than any other person who has ever lived. Why all this attention given to a Jewish carpenter from Nazareth?

The OT records hundreds of prophecies about Jesus Christ [the Messiah, the Savior], most of these written between 500-1000 years before His birth, telling how He would be God in the flesh, born in a manger in Bethlehem to a young Jewish virgin, and His Father would be Alright God. He would die on a cross as payment for man’s sins; most of His own people (the Jews) would reject Him; but many Gentiles (non-Jews) would believe in Him.

The NT records the fulfillment of all these prophecies; the greatest being, His death and resurrection, which declared Him to be both God and Savior.

(See Acts 2:22-24,

22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know–

23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.

24 But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

Acts 2:36;

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ–this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Romans 1:1-4).

1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures,

3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh,

4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,

Christianity stands or falls on the truth of Christ’s resurrection! But He would have to die, if He was going to then rise from the dead.

Read John 19:31-35,

31 Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

32 So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him;

33 but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.

John 19:38-42…

38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body.

39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight.

40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.

41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.

42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Jesus died on a Friday and was placed in a tomb, but on Sunday morning His body was missing. If He did not rise from the grave, someone took His body. What do the Scriptures say?

Read Matthew 28:1-15…

1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.

2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.

3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.

6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.

7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

8 And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.

9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.

10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

11 Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened.

12 And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,

13 and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’

14 And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.”

15 And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

The Jewish Leaders wanted Christ’s body to stay in the tomb, a missing body could be perceived as a resurrected body

(Please turn to Matthew 27:62-65).

62 Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate,

63 and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’

64 Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”

65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.”

The Roman Guards would have no reason to steal the body, they were stationed there to make sure it stayed put; moving it or allowing it to be taken, was punishable by death; therefore, they made sure Christ’s body remained in the tomb, at all costs, against all foes; but then, they had never seen one of God’s mighty angels, like the one who rolled away the stone.

The Disciples wouldn’t move His body and falsify His resurrection; for if they knew Jesus did not rise from the grave, they had no hope of eternal life; it would be better for them to quickly and quietly get out of town, and never again mention their relationship with Jesus of Nazareth.

So why did the Disciples continue to proclaim the risen Lord, if it indeed were not true? Why did the Jewish authorities bribe the Roman Guard to spread the “stolen body” story, if it were true?

The only reasonable explanation is that Jesus rose from the grave, just like He said He would.

Jesus told His disciples, on several occasions, that He would be arrested, put to death, and on the third day He would rise from the grave. He told them He would return to the Father; but that He would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell them, and at a future time, He would come back to gather all Christians to be with Him in heaven, forever.

Jesus told them:

Matthew 16:21,

21 From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.

Matthew 17:22-23,

22 And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men;

23 and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved.

Mark 8:31,

31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Mark 9:31,

31 For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.”

Luke 9:22,

22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”

Luke 9:44,

44 “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”

Just days before Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time, He came to Bethany to comfort His friends Mary and Martha, for their brother Lazarus had died. Jesus said to them

(John 11:25-26),

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,

26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Please turn to John 11:38-53…

38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.

39 Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

42 I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”

43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”

44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.

46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.

47 Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs.

48 If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,

50 nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”

51 Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,

52 and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

53 So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.

LAST PASSOVER:

Matthew 26:1-5,

1 When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples,

2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.”

3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas;

4 and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him.

5 But they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people.”

John 14:1-3,

1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.

2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.

3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

John 14:29,

29 Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.

POST RESURRECTION:

Luke 24:44-48,

44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day,

47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

48 You are witnesses of these things.

After His resurrection, before ascending back into heaven, Jesus appeared to many of His followers:

Mary and other women near the tomb

(Matthew 28:9-10)

9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.

10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Two disciples walking to Emmaus

(Luke 24:13-32)

13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.

14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place.

15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.

16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.

17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad.

18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?”

19 And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people,

20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him.

21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.

22 But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning,

23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive.

24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.”

25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!

26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”

27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

28 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther.

29 But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them.

30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them.

31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.

32 They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”

Peter

(Luke 24:33-34)

33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them,

34 saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.”

10 disciples, Thomas absent

(Mark 16:14;

14 Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen.

Luke 24:36-43;

36 While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.”

37 But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit.

38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?

39 See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

41 While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”

42 They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish;

43 and He took it and ate it before them.

John 20:19-25)

19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

23 If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”

24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

11 disciples, Thomas present

(John 20:26-31)

26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”

27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;

31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

7 disciples by the Sea of Galilee

(John 21:1-14,

1 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way.

2 Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.

3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

5 So Jesus said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.”

6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea.

8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.

9 So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread.

10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.”

11 Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord.

13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise.

14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.

John 21:25)

25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

The apostles just before His ascension

(Acts 1:3-26)

3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.

4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me;

5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;

8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.

11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.

13 When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

15 At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said,

16 “Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

17 For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry.”

18 (Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.

19 And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

20 “For it is written in the book of Psalms,

‘LET HIS HOMESTEAD BE MADE DESOLATE,

AND LET NO ONE DWELL IN IT’;

and,

‘LET ANOTHER MAN TAKE HIS OFFICE.’

21 Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us–

22 beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us–one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

23 So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias.

24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen

25 to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”

26 And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

Paul records other appearances

(1Corinthians 15).

The 12 Disciples

(1Corinthians 15:5)

5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

500 disciples

(1Corinthians 15:6)

6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;

James

(1Corinthians 15:7)

7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles

Paul

(1Corinthians 15:8;

8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

Acts 9:1-8;

1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,

2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;

4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,

6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”

7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.

8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.

Acts 18:9-10;

9 And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent;

10 for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.”

Acts 23:11)

11 But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.”

The Bible declares everyone guilty of sin, deserving punishment; but God, in His great love for us, has provided forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Everyone who trusts and believes in Him, receives God’s unmerited favor, God’s G R A C E, expressed in and through the sacrificial death and sovereign resurrection of God’s Son

(Romans 3:23-24;

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

Romans 6:23;

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8;

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 8:1;

1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 10:9-10,

9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Romans 10:13).

13 for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.

When you repent of your sins, trusting in Jesus Christ’s death to provide forgiveness for your sins, you are saved.

Christ’s resurrection demonstrates His sovereign power and authority over sin, death, and judgment; He alone provides eternal life.

The only reasonable explanation for the empty tomb is the one that is repeatedly revealed in Scripture:

Jesus Christ rose from the grave, by His own divine power and authority

(John 10:17-18), Jesus declared,

17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.

18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

Revelation 1:8,

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1:17-18,

17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,

18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

1John 5:11-13

11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is God’s greatest demonstration of eternal life; Jesus Christ is the Resurrection and the Life; and therefore, everyone who believes in Him will live forever, and although we may physically die, we will, at that very moment, come into the presence of the Lord.

Resurrection Sunday celebrates eternal life for everyone who believes in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Lord and Savior: crucified, resurrected, and coming again to take all those who belong to Him to be with Him in heaven, forever.

And therefore, we can earnestly proclaim,

He Is Risen!

He is Risen indeed!

He lives, He lives,
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives:
He lives within my heart.

Pastor Mike
>’(((><

04-10-2022 – “The Messiah Presents Himself to Israel”

Bible Text: Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-46; John 12:12-19 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale |

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April 10, 2022
“The Messiah Presents Himself to Israel”
Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-46; John 12:12-19

Today we begin what is called Passion [Holy] Week, it is set off by our Lord entering Jerusalem on Sunday, while the people praise Him; but five days later, on Friday, the people will cry out for His death, after which, He will be crucified and laid in a tomb, but on Sunday morning, one week from when He entered Jerusalem, He will rise from the dead, just like He said He would!

There is much in Scripture about Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem (Matthew 21-28, Mark 11-18, Luke 19-24, John 12-20). Out of a total of 89 chapters that comprise all four Gospels, about 1/3 of them are devoted to this one-week period of Jesus’ life!

When I taught through Mark’s Gospel, I prepared 20 sermons on this one-week period of Jesus’ life; in Matthew’s Gospel, I prepared 22 sermons; and in John’s Gospel, I prepared 30 sermons on Passion week.

This week is highly charged and extremely important, because it contains God’s greatest expression of love for mankind, i.e., sending His own Son to die as payment for all our sins, then raising Him from the grave to provide eternal life.

Apart from Creation Week, when everything was made that has been made, the crucifixion and resurrection of God’s One and Only Son, are the most marvelous, majestic, and miraculous events that have ever happened.

There are many OT prophecies fulfilled by the Messiah during Passion Week, here are a few of those.

None of the bones of God’s Lamb were to be broken. (1400 B.C.)

Exodus 12:46…

46 It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to break any bone of it.

His hands and feet will be pierced. (1000 BC)

Psalm 22:16…

16 For dogs have surrounded me;

A band of evildoers has encompassed me;

They pierced my hands and my feet.

Lots will be cast for His garments.

Psalm 22:18…

18 They divide my garments among them,

And for my clothing they cast lots.

He will be given vinegar to drink.

Psalm 69:21…

21 They also gave me gall for my food

And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

He will be despised, forsaken, led like a lamb to the slaughter; He will be pierced for and put to death for our sins (700 BC)

Isaiah 53:1-12…

1 Who has believed our message?

And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,

And like a root out of parched ground;

He has no stately form or majesty

That we should look upon Him,

Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

3 He was despised and forsaken of men,

A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

And like one from whom men hide their face

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,

And our sorrows He carried;

Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities;

The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,

And by His scourging we are healed.

6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,

Each of us has turned to his own way;

But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all

To fall on Him.

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He did not open His mouth;

Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,

And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,

So He did not open His mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away;

And as for His generation, who considered

That He was cut off out of the land of the living

For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?

9 His grave was assigned with wicked men,

Yet He was with a rich man in His death,

Because He had done no violence,

Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

10 But the LORD was pleased

To crush Him, putting Him to grief;

If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,

He will see His offspring,

He will prolong His days,

And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

11 As a result of the anguish of His soul,

He will see it and be satisfied;

By His knowledge the Righteous One,

My Servant, will justify the many,

As He will bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,

And He will divide the booty with the strong;

Because He poured out Himself to death,

And was numbered with the transgressors;

Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,

And interceded for the transgressors.

He enters Jerusalem on a colt. (500 BC)

Zechariah 9:9…

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

He is just and endowed with salvation,

Humble, and mounted on a donkey,

Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

He will be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver

[Exodus 21:32].

32 If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give his or her master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

Zechariah 11:12…

12 I said to them, “If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!” So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages.

His friends will desert Him.

Zechariah 13:7…

7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,

And against the man, My Associate,”

Declares the LORD of hosts.

“Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered;

And I will turn My hand against the little ones.

He will rise from the dead.

Psalm 16:8-11…

8 I have set the LORD continually before me;

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;

My flesh also will dwell securely.

10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;

Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.

11 You will make known to me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

He will ascend back into heaven.

Psalm 110:1…

1 The LORD says to my Lord:

“Sit at My right hand

Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

Next Friday at 3 pm, we’ll study the events of the day of Christ’s crucifixion; and next Sunday, we’ll study what the Bible tells us about His resurrection.

Today, I will read mostly from Mark’s Gospel, the most succinct narrative among the four accounts; but I will also cite information from the other accounts, so as to provide a more complete picture of Passion week’s events.

Read Mark 11:1-3…

1 As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples,

2 and said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.

3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ you say, ‘The Lord has need of it’; and immediately he will send it back here.”

Jesus and the 12 approached Jerusalem, coming near Bethphage [“house of unripe figs”], a small town near Bethany (the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus

(cf. John 11:1)

1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

on the SE side of the Mount of Olives.

The Mount of Olives is just across from the Temple Mount; it was there that Jesus taught about End Times Events (cf. Matthew 24). And it was here Jesus ascended back into heaven

(cf. Acts 1:9-12),

9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.

and it is here that He will return to the earth

(cf. Zechariah 14:3-5).

3 Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle.

4 In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.

5 You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!

Jesus sends two of His disciples into Bethphage to acquire a young donkey; telling them that if anyone asks why, tell them “The Lord has need of it,” evidently the people knew Jesus, for He had visited there several times; they also knew that He was referred to as “The Lord.”

Read Mark 11:4-6…

4 They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it.

5 Some of the bystanders were saying to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”

6 They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission.

The disciples find the donkey and are given permission to untie it and take it

(Matthew 21:2)

2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me.

records that there was also a mare with a colt.

Read Mark 11:7-10…

7 They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it.

8 And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields.

9 Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:

“Hosanna!

BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;

10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;

Hosanna in the highest!”

The people’s display is based on the ancient practice

(cf. 2Kings 9:12-13)

12 They said, “It is a lie, tell us now.” And he said, “Thus and thus he said to me, ‘Thus says the LORD, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’”

13 Then they hurried and each man took his garment and placed it under him on the bare steps, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king!”

of showing homage to a new king; the people seemed to express acceptance of Christ as the Messiah, and King of the Jews.

Matthew 21:5

5 “SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION,

‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU,

GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY,

EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.’”

The people were excited, throwing down their outer garments and

(cf. John 12:13,),

13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.”

palm branches; these are symbolic of their hope and desire for the Messiah-King to come and free them from their Roman oppression.

The people shouted

(Mark 11:9)

9 Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:

“Hosanna!

BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;

“Hosanna!” meaning “Save!” The actual Hebrew word is Hosha’na, is a contraction of the words “save” and “please,” this is a shout of prayerful expectation, exhibiting adoration, praise, and joy to the One who has come to save them, e.g.,

Psalm 118:25-26,

25 O LORD, save us;

O LORD, grant us success.

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD,

from the house of the LORD [i.e., heaven] we praise you.”

The people are acknowledging that God has indeed come down from heaven in this Jesus [Immanuel], to save His people.

John 1:1-3,

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

John 1:14,

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:18,

18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

Jesus came down from the Father, to show us the Father, to save us! Jesus’ name means “God saves,” or “God’s Salvation.”

In Mark 11:10

10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;

Hosanna in the highest!”

the people praise the coming Davidic Kingdom when the Messiah-King will rule on earth for 1000 years.

The Jews were waiting for the Messiah to come and liberate them from their Gentile oppressors [the Romans], just as God had done when He set the Hebrews free from Pharaoh in Egypt.

The Jews believed the Messiah would bring prosperity and peace, and that He would sit on the throne of David; but they didn’t understand that at His first advent, He would free them from the penalty of sin, and at His second (future) advent, He would sit on the throne of David the Shepherd King, for the Bible says Jesus is

The Good Shepherd;

(cf. John 10:14,

14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,

The Chief Shepherd

1Peter 5:4,

4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Matthew 21:10-11,

10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?”

11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Read Mark 11:11a…

11a Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple;

Jesus goes to the Temple, and He looks around the inner and outer courts; nothing is hidden from His eyes, and what He sees enrages Him.

Matthew 21:12-13;

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.

13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a ROBBERS’ DEN.”

Luke 19:45-46

45 Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling,

46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER,’ but you have made it a ROBBERS’ DEN.”

tell us, Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple; He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.”

Read Mark 11:11b…

11b and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.

Mark tells us, as does

Matthew 21:17,

17 And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

that Jesus returned to Bethany (with His disciples, “the twelve”) for the night, as it was getting late, and no doubt, it had been a very long day.

There is so much more taking place during the rest of Passion Week; as Jesus pours out His love for Israel, teaching them (mostly on Monday and Tuesday) what the Father wants them to know; Wednesday seems to be a day of rest, without recorded events, and Thursday Jesus spends Passover with the Twelve.

During the long evening of the Passover (John 13-17), Jesus makes it clear to His disciples that He is the Lamb of God who will be sacrificed, and it will be His blood that will be shed for the sins of the people.

Next Wednesday night we will study what the Bible discloses about that last Passover, when Jesus unveiled the New Covenant through His death.

Next Friday, Good Friday, we will study what took place when Jesus was arrested, beaten, falsely tried and convicted, flogged almost to death, and then executed by crucifixion, fulfilling God’s gracious and merciful plan to save us.

Romans 3:23-24,

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

Romans 5:8,

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6:23,

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:1,

1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:13,

13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation–having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 2:8,

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

Jesus took upon Himself our punishment, making full payment for all sin for all people, for all time. The most important decision you will ever make, will be in response to what was forever accomplished during Passion Week.

Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt with the people praising Him; but by the end of the week, they rejected, reviled, and then crucified Him.

Jesus Christ enters your life when you genuinely believe in Him for salvation.

1Corinthians 15:1-4,

1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,

2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Romans 10:9-10,

9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Romans 10:13,

13 for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

Romans 10:17,

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

1John 5:11-13,

11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Do you have the assurance of salvation? If you don’t, then I urge you, right now, right here, be reconciled to God in Christ. Everyone who repents of their sin, believing in God’s Son for salvation, will be saved.

God turns no one away, He will never leave or forsake you, and He will bring you into heaven where you’ll spend eternity with Him and with all those who belong to Him, by faith in Jesus Christ.

Pastor Mike

>’(((><

04-03-2022 – “Prepare the way of the Lord”

Bible Text: Luke 3:1-6 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Luke |

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April 3, 2022
“Prepare the way of the Lord”
Luke 3:1-6

Luke 3:1-6

1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. 3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,

‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD,

MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.

‘EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED,

AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW;

THE CROOKED WILL BECOME STRAIGHT,

AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH;

AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD.’”

Read Luke 3:1-2a…

2a in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,

Luke begins this chapter by naming seven men, and giving a timeframe, to set the historical background for the beginning of John’s ministry.

The fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar would have been A.D. 26, because Tiberius became co-regent with Augustus (the previous Caesar), in A.D. 11.

John would have been about 30 years of age in A.D. 26, because he was just 6 months older than Jesus, and Luke tells us

(Luke 3:23),

23 When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli,

Jesus was about thirty years of age when He began His ministry.

The next man mentioned is Pontius Pilate, appointed governor of Judea by Tiberius Caesar, in A.D. 26. Pilate served until A.D. 36, when he was removed, because of his inability to maintain control of the Jews.

Luke now moves to Herod and his brother Philip; two of the sons of Herod the Great (who died in 4. B.C., when Jesus was about two years of age).

The Herod mentioned in

Luke 3:1,

is Herod Antipas, who ruled the region around Galilee until A.D. 39. His brother Philip ruled the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis (northeast of Galilee); it was Philip’s wife (Herodias) with whom his brother Antipas had an adulterous affair and was confronted by John, leading to John’s death.

The third local ruler was Lysanias (not much is known about him), he ruled the area of Abilene (northwest of Damascus).

The five men we have just talked about were Gentiles, now Luke records two Jewish high priests: Annas and Caiaphas. Annas was Israel’s high priest from A.D. 6 to A.D. 15, when he was removed from office by Valerius, the man who became governor of Judea after Pilate was removed.

Annas’s son-in-law, Caiaphas was Israel’s high priest from A.D. 18 to A.D. 36. Just like previous presidents of the United States retain the title of “Mr. President,” even after they leave office, so it was with Israel’s high priests. In fact, according to Mosaic law (cf. Numbers 35:25), high priests served for life.

Annas was well connected to prominent and powerful Jews, and also Gentiles (who could benefit him). Annas was the family patriarch of the men who had ruled the high priesthood in Israel for 20 years, and as such, he held much power over the people (after Annas’s removal as high priest, five of his sons and one of his grandsons served as high priest, and now his son-in-law was high priest).

One thing that Annas and Caiaphas had in common was their hatred of Jesus, Who had (two times) disrupted their very lucrative business in the temple

(cf. John 2:13-16;

13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.

15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;

16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.”

Matthews 21:12-13).

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.

13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a ROBBERS’ DEN.”

Another thing they had in common was their greed. They were both receiving a share of the money paid by the people who came to get an approved animal for sacrifice; they also got a share of the fees the money changers were charging to exchange foreign currency, as the temple tax had to be paid in Jewish currency.

Annas’s greed was so well known that the outer courts, where the sacrificial animals were sold and the money changers were ripping people off, became known as the Bazaar of Annas, i.e., Annas’s own private enterprise.

Read Luke 3:2b-3…

2b the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;

The desolate and barren wilderness area of Judea stretched from the western hill country of Judah to the Dead Sea in the east, and then went north to the Jordan River valley. That is where John, under the power of God’s Spirit, stepped out and began calling Israel to repentant.

As I mentioned last week, we don’t know anything about John’s childhood or young adulthood. Luke tells us, at John’s circumcision, after Zacharias prophesied about the ministry his son would have

(Luke 1:80),

80 And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

We know his parents were “advanced in years”

(Luke 1:7),

7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.

and it is likely they died while he was young. But when it was time for him to step out onto the world stage and fulfill his mission Luke says, “the word [rhema] of God came to John.”

God called-out John to ministry, just as He had the prophets to the Old Testament (cf.

Jeremiah 1:1-2;

1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,

2 to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

Ezekiel 1:3;

3 the word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of the LORD came upon him.)

Hosea 1:1;

1 The word of the LORD which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

Joel 1:1;

1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel:

Jonah 1:1;

1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying,

Micah 1:1;

1 The word of the LORD which came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

Zephaniah;

Haggai 1:1).

1 In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,

“The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Micah, Zephaniah, Haggai.”

John went from being an unknown, to being a Prophet of God, proclaiming the word of God, breaking God’s silence with Israel, calling the people to repent of sin.

Israel had turned the special relationship they had been given with God [as His called-out people], into a legalistic, ritualistic religion based on human works.

During Jesus’ first sermon (Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7), He made it clear that religious rituals and law-keeping will not save anyone, because God’s standard for relationship with Him is perfect holiness.

Eternal relationship with God

(cf. Matthew 5:1-12)

1 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.

2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

is granted to those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who are gentle, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who are merciful, those who are peacemakers, those who are persecuted because of Christ; they will inherit the kingdom of heaven, for they are sons and daughters of God.

The prideful and showy public displays of praying, fasting, tithing, and giving to the poor, as the religious leaders of Israel exhibited, were nothing but outward acts, reflective

(cf. Matthew 7:13-14;

13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.

14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:21-23)

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’

23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

of those who are on the broad road that leads to death and destruction in hell, rather than the narrow path (that only a few find) that leads to life and exaltation in heaven.

Jesus made it clear that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, those who realize they are damned apart from the saving grace that has come through God’s Son.

The Jewish people knew forgiveness was promised through the prophets.

Jeremiah 31:34,

34 They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Psalm 32:1-2,

1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,

Whose sin is covered!

2 How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,

And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

Psalm 32:5,

5 I acknowledged my sin to You,

And my iniquity I did not hide;

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”;

And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.

Psalm 130: 3-4,

3 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

4 But there is forgiveness with You,

Isaiah 1:18,

18 “Come now, and let us reason together,”

Says the LORD,

“Though your sins are as scarlet,

They will be as white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson,

They will be like wool.

Micah 7:19,

19 He will again have compassion on us;

He will tread our iniquities under foot.

Yes, You will cast all their sins

Into the depths of the sea.

Zacharias had prophesied

(Luke 1:76-77)

76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

For you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS;

77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation

By the forgiveness of their sins,

that John would declare forgiveness from God, to all who acknowledge their sin and repent, to receive forgiveness.

Ezekiel 18:30-32,

30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct,” declares the Lord GOD. “Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you.

31 Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel?

32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord GOD. “Therefore, repent and live.”

Romans 12:9,

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor [hate, turn away from] what is evil; cling to [follow, do] what is good.

Repentance is to turn away from sin and turn toward God.

Biblical repentance is to turn away from sin and turn toward God for salvation; This kind of repentance is not just about regret, guilt, or shame; but it strongly implies making a decision to turn around, do an about face, and head in a new direction; to hate life apart from God, and to love life with God, through Christ.

1Corinthians 1:18-21,

18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

19 For it is written,

“I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE,

AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.”

20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

2Corinthians 7:9-11,

9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.

10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

11 For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.

True repentance that brings salvation is a willful response to the Holy Spirit’s conviction in your heart

(John 16:8-9),

8 And He [the Holy Spirit], when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;

9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me [Jesus Christ].

John the baptizer was

(cf. Luke 3:3)

3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;

The baptism of John was not Christian baptism symbolizing the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; because Christian baptism was not instituted until the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit of God came upon and indwelled the 120 believers in Jerusalem; after which, Peter began to preach.

Acts 2:21,

21 ‘AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’

Acts 2:36-38,

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ–this Jesus whom you crucified.”

37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”

38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

At the time of John’s appearance in Luke 3, there was no baptism for Jews in Judaism. However, the Jews did baptize Gentile converts to Judaism, Gentiles who wanted to turn from their pagan worship and idolatry to serve the God of the Jews, the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth.

The Jews who came out to John

(cf. Matthew 3:6),

6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

Jews were acknowledging that they were sinners just like the Gentiles they despised. But it would seem most of those being baptized were not truly repentant, for we know the nation of Israel later rejected their Messiah [Jesus Christ], and put him to death on a cross.

Matthew 3:7-11,

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;

9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

10 The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Water symbolizes a desire for a clean conscience, i.e., to acknowledge your sins, to publicly state you have sinned against God and are seeking God’s forgiveness.

The Holy Spirit symbolizes spiritual birth into God’s family, as a genuine believer who is marked and protected by God’s Spirit.

Fire symbolizes judgment, for those who reject Christ do not have the Holy Spirit in them, they are condemned to the Lake of Fire.

Read Luke 3:4-6…

4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,

‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD,

MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.

5 ‘EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED,

AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW;

THE CROOKED WILL BECOME STRAIGHT,

AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH;

6 AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD.’”

Seven hundred years before John was born, this prophecy was made about him

(pp. Isaiah 40:3-5).

3 A voice is calling,

“Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness;

Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

4 “Let every valley be lifted up,

And every mountain and hill be made low;

And let the rough ground become a plain,

And the rugged terrain a broad valley;

5 Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed,

And all flesh will see it together;

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

We have already studied how John fulfilled this prophecy, calling out people to acknowledge their sin before God and to repent, for John was, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight’”

But look again at

Luke 3:5,

5 ‘EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED,

AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW;

THE CROOKED WILL BECOME STRAIGHT,

AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH;

This seems rather obscure at first reading, but further study brings to light the meaning. When a prominent person was traveling on a long journey, perhaps in country unknown to him; he would send messengers out ahead to make sure that the roads were safe and free of danger and debris, i.e., to fill in holes, and remove obstacles, so that their master could pass through without incident.

That is exactly what John did for his Master! He prepared the people for the coming Messiah! Calling them to genuinely repent, confessing their sins, and turning their hearts back to God, so that they might “see the salvation of God,” Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Lord of all, but the Savior only of those who believe in Him.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and that He alone provides forgiveness for sin and eternal life?

John 3:16,

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

No wonder Jesus said

(John 14:6),

6 I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father

[i.e., no one is forgiven, no one receives eternal life,

no one gets into heaven] but through Me.”

There is only one way to be saved

(2Corinthians 5:20-21),

“Therefore, [as an] ambassador for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through [me]; [I] beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. [God the Father] made [God the Son] who knew no sin to be sin on [your] behalf, so that [you] might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

1Timothy 2:3-4,

“This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Remember what Peter proclaimed in

Acts 2:21,

“And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord [for the forgiveness of sin] will be saved.”

Have you done that?

Romans 10:9-10,

“if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Romans 10:13,

“Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Pastor Mike
>’(((><

03-27-2022 – The New Covenant

Bible Text: Luke 1:72-80 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Luke |

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March 27, 2022
“The New Covenant”
Luke 1:72-80

Last week we read

(Luke 1:67-71),

67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,

69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us

In the house of David His servant–

70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old–

71 Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES,

And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US;

where Zacharias is praising God for returning to Israel in order to offer salvation to all who will repent and believe in the Messiah, just as God had foretold through the prophets.

We also studied about the covenant God had made with David to be fulfilled on the earth during the Millennial Kingdom, a time of peace, prosperity and long life for all.

The Jewish people were looking for the long awaited Messiah to arrive. In their mind, He would conquer their Roman oppressors, initiate His earthly kingdom by sitting on His throne in Jerusalem, and He would restore Israel to the glory it had before it turned away from God, at which time, God departed Israel and remained silent for 400 years, until now.

Read Luke 1:72-75…

72 To show mercy toward our fathers,

And to remember His holy covenant,

73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,

74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,

Might serve Him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

Today we begin with the covenant God made with Abraham, a covenant that would eternally bless both Jew and Gentile, through faith in God’s Son, made effectual by His sacrificial death and sovereign resurrection.

The covenant we are talking about is found in

Genesis 12:1-3,

“Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Hebrews 11:8-9,

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;

This covenant was not just about peace, prosperity, and long life on earth of the remnant of Israel; but instead, this promise was made to Abraham’s spiritual descendants (Jews and Gentiles] who, like Abraham, were looking far beyond any earthly fulfillment, and were

(Hebrews 11:10)

10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Abraham, along with all genuine believers from all time, will live together with God in the new heavens, new earth, and new Jerusalem, where there will be no more crying, or mourning, or pain, or death, for all of eternity.

The Abrahamic covenant, through circumcision, set Israel apart from all the other nations in the world (Genesis 17), as we studied about last week. But was the blessing of that covenant based on the act of circumcision? No, it wasn’t, it was based on faith.

Romans 4:9-13,

9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;

11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,

12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.

13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Romans 4:16-17…

16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

17 (as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.

Jesus declared

Galatians 3:6-9

6 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.

8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.”

9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.

Galatians 3:26-29

26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

In a sense, the blessing of salvation came through the Jews, as Jesus declared

(John 4:22),

22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.

And Paul writes

(Romans 1:16),

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Salvation comes through the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah, but the reason for the genealogies given in Matthew 1; Luke 3, is to set forth the human lineage through whom the Messiah [Jesus Christ] would come. He would be God in human flesh [Immanuel], He would be God’s Salvation [Hebrew, Yeshua; Greek,-Jesus], He would be God the Son, Lord of all but Savior only to those who believe in Him.

True salvation has always been by faith, not by blood line, not by nation, not by religious ritual, and not by law-keeping

(Romans 1:17),

17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.

The promise given to Abraham, that would be fulfilled through Jesus Christ, was meant to be an eternal covenant.

Three times in Genesis 17

Genesis 17:7

7 I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.

Genesis 17:13

13 A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

Genesis 17:19

19 But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.

God says this is to be an everlasting covenant for Abraham’s descendants [meaning all people, Jew or Gentile, who have obedient faith in God, and have been approved by God; like those recorded in the Hall of Faith, that we studied about

(Hebrews 11:1-38),

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

2 For by it the men of old gained approval.

3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.

6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;

10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.

12 Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE.

13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.

15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.

16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;

18 it was he to whom it was said, “IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED.”

19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.

21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,

25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,

26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.

27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.

28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.

29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.

31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.

32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,

33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,

34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;

36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.

37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated

38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.

e.g., Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Samson, David.

The writer of Hebrews goes on to say

(Hebrews 11:39-40),

39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

Look at those last two verses again: all believers who lived before the coming of Christ, like those listed in Hebrews 11, looked forward to the promise, i.e., the coming Savior; where as, all believers who lived after the coming of Christ, like us, look back at the promise fulfilled in the death and resurrection of God’s own Son.

Old and New Testament believers receive forgiveness for sins and eternal life, made effectual in Christ

(Ephesians 2:8-10),

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

(pp. 2Corinthians 5:17)

for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Read Luke 1:76-80…

76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

For you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS;

77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation

By the forgiveness of their sins,

78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,

With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,

79 TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH,

To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

80 And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

The fulfillment of the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants is realized through salvation in Christ; for neither of those covenants can provide forgiveness for sin. And so, we now turn our attention to the New Covenant.

Please open your Bible to

Hebrews 8:7-13;

7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.

8 For finding fault with them, He says,

“BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD,

WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT

WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH;

9 NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS

ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND

TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT;

FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT,

AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD.

10 “FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL

AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:

I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS,

AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS.

AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD,

AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

11 “AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN,

AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’

FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME,

FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM.

12 “FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES,

AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.”

13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

Hebrews 9:15,

15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Hebrews 9:27-28;

27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,

28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

Hebrews 10:1-18…

1 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.

2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins?

3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year.

4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,

“SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED,

BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME;

6 IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE.

7 “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME

(IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME)

TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’”

8 After saying above, “SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them” (which are offered according to the Law),

9 then He said, “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second.

10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;

12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD,

13 waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.

14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,

16 “THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM

AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:

I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART,

AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM,”

He then says,

17 “AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS

I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.”

18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Every person since Adam and Eve (except for John the baptizer and Jesus), has been born in sin. The reason is we are displeasing to God is not because of our behavior, attitude, or speech; those are only symptoms of a much deeper and eternally deadly problem, sin

(cf. Romans 3:10-12;

10 as it is written,

“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;

11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,

THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;

THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,

THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”

Romans 3:23-24;

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

Romans 6:23;

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8,

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 8:1).

1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Luke 6:45,

45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

The problem that condemns us is our unregenerate hearts, as

Jeremiah 17:9-10 declares,

9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else

And is desperately sick;

Who can understand it?

10 “I, the LORD, search the heart,

I test the mind,

Even to give to each man according to his ways,

According to the results of his deeds.

The New Covenant conquers sin, through the shed blood of God’s Son.

Everyone will be judged for their sinful words and actions, because those things give evidence of a heart full of sin, bringing eternal condemnation (except for those who are in Christ).

And since neither the Abrahamic or the Davidic Covenants can provide a person with victory over sin, God provided the New Covenant that conquers sin, through the shed blood of God’s own Son.

All through the Old Testament the Israelites declared obedience to God, and yet they continued to disobey God because of sin.

Joshua 24:15-18,

15 If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

16 The people answered and said, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods;

17 for the LORD our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did these great signs in our sight and preserved us through all the way in which we went and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed.

18 The LORD drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. We also will serve the LORD, for He is our God.”

The Law given to Moses cannot be perfectly kept by any human, because the law of sin is working in us

(see Romans 7:14-25).

14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.

15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.

17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.

22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,

23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.

24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

See Luke 1:76-77…

76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

For you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS;

77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation

By the forgiveness of their sins,

Zacharias was a genuine believer, a priest who understood what the prophets had written, that all the covenants and promises given to Israel would be fulfilled by the Messiah, who was to come.

Zacharias had the Holy Spirit in him as he spoke this prophecy about his own son, John, through whom God would bring an end to 400 years of silence with Israel (actually between Himself and all of humanity).

John the baptizer would come on the scene to point people to Christ; to call them to confess their sins and seek forgiveness. The Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants could not change a person’s heart attitude toward sin, so God provided a New Covenant through the shed blood of Christ. Everyone who repents and believes in Him will be saved; that is what the New Covenant promises.

God chose to show mercy to hopeless and helpless sinners like you and me, in order to provide forgiveness, righteousness, and justification from God.

Notice again in Luke 1:78-79…

78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,

With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,

79 TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH,

To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

God’s tender mercy is expressed to us through His sending of the Sunrise from heaven, “To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

2Corinthians 4:4-6,

4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.

6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

The only way to have peace with God is to have the Peace of God,

as Jesus promised

(John 14:27),

27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

(Galatians 5:22-23),

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

(Philippians 4:7),

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Zacharias’s prophecy of praise toward God, ends in

Luke 1:79. After which, Luke tells us,

79 And the child [John] continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

We are told nothing in the Scriptures about John, from the time of his circumcision to the beginning of his short public ministry, that began near the Jordan River.

See Luke 3:2-4,

2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;

4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,

‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD,

MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.

What we do know is that John came to prepare the hearts of the people for the New Covenant, not a covenant of ancestral heritage and privilege, nor a covenant of religious rituals, laws, and acts of piety; but a covenant of mercy and grace from a faithful God who loves us so much, that He came down from heaven, put on the flesh of a man, and let His enemies kill Him, so that He could satisfy the righteous judgement of God on all sin, by paying the full penalty for all our sins.

Acts 2:21-24,

21 ‘AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’

23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.

24 But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

The New Covenant in Christ, promises that Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and all genuine believers from all time, will live together with God in the new heavens, new earth, and new Jerusalem, where there will be no more crying, or mourning, or pain, or death, for all of eternity.

How you respond to God’s New Covenant, made effectual through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, will determine where you spend eternity.

1John 5:11-13,

11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Everyone who repents of their sin and believes in God’s Son is saved to eternal life in heaven, because all their sins (past, present, future) are forgiven; and therefore we are justified, being consider holy and righteous by God. Have you done that? Don’t leave where you are right now, without knowing that you have eternal life.

Pastor Mike Hale

03-20-2022 – “The Covenant Through David”

Bible Text: Luke 1:57-71 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Luke |

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March 20, 2022
“The Covenant Through David”
Luke 1:57-71

Read Luke 1:57-58…

57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son.

58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.

Last week we read

(Luke 1:13-17),

13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.

14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb.

16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.

17 It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

And so, Elizabeth gave birth to a son, and her family and her neighbors were rejoicing with her. Gabriel’s announcement to Zacharias broke 400 years of silence between God and Israel; for John would be filled with God’s Spirit, to be set apart as the forerunner of the Messiah (who would bring redemption to all people who believe in Him).

Read Luke 1:59-63…

59 And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father.

60 But his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.”

61 And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.”

John is 8 days old, and required to be circumcised according to the Abrahamic covenant

(cf. Genesis 17:9-14),

9 God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

10 This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.

11 And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you.

12 And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, a servant who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants.

13 A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14 But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

through which God set Israel apart from all the other nations in the world.

Circumcision also provided the benefit of decreasing the possibility of bacteria being transferred from man to woman; it is a fact that Jewish women have lower rates of cervical cancer and other diseases, then do women in other cultures, and this is attributed to the fact that all Jewish husbands are circumcised.

The practice of naming a son on the day of his circumcision is not an Old Testament requirement, but had become common place, perhaps because Abram [exalted father] received his new name Abraham [father of a multitude] on the same day he was circumcised

(cf. Genesis 17:5, 23).

5 “No longer shall your name be called Abram,

But your name shall be Abraham;

For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all the servants who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the very same day, as God had said to him.

To honor Zacharias, some of his friends and family wanted to name the baby after him, but Elizabeth objected, saying the baby would be called John [God is Gracious]. However, some of the friends and neighbors were adamant that the baby be given his father’s name; so they made (face and hand) signs to get Zacharias’s attention, who then asked for a tablet (small wooden wax covered tablet: sort of an etch a sketch) upon which he wrote down that his son would indeed be called John.

Read Luke 1:64-66…

64 And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God.

65 Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea.

66 All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.

Zacharias hadn’t been able to hear or speak for nine months. Note: The word translated “mute”

(Luke 1:22),

22 But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute.

is used repeatedly in the NT and is often translated “deaf,” so it is likely that Zacharias couldn’t hear or speak.

At the moment Zacharias wrote down that his son would be called John, Zacharias began to speak again, giving praise to God. The people there were awestruck and somewhat fearful of what all this might mean.

The word about John spread throughout the hill country of Judea, as they considered all the things that had happened over the past nine months: the angel Gabriel appearing in the Holy Place to Zacharias; Zacharias becoming deaf and mute because he didn’t believe Gabriel’s announcement that Elizabeth, although barren, would become pregnant with a son who would be the forerunner of the Messiah, and then Zacharias, able to speak and hear again after naming his son John, just as Gabriel had said

(Luke 1:20),

20 And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

Read Luke 1:67-69…

67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,

69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us

In the house of David His servant–

This is awesome! Zacharias, filled with the Holy Spirit of God, prophesied [prophesy = to declare or speak forth, to proclaim and explain] the very Words of God. But, think about this: both his wife Elizabeth

(Luke 1:41),

41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

and his son John

(Luke 1:15),

15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb.

were already filled with the Spirit of God. God’s presence had again come to Israel indwelling these three servants, the first “trinity” family..

The words of Zacharias’s prophecy declare the wonderful truth that God is again blessing Israel, and has come

(Luke 1:68)

68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,

to redeem His people through the long awaited Messiah. Israel believed the Messiah would free them from their bondage under Rome, just like God had freed their ancestors from slavery in Egypt.

Israel expected the Messiah to set up His kingdom on earth and to fulfill all the blessings promised through David and Abraham; but the Jews totally overlooked the fact that those promises would not be fulfilled until the New Covenant was established, i.e., the forgiveness for all sin, for all people, for all time, made effectual by the shed blood of God’s own Son, to all who would believe in Him.

John the Baptizer would preach repentance, calling the people to confess their sin, for the Messiah would come and pay the full and final price for the sins of the whole world. Jesus Christ

(Luke 1:69)

69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us

In the house of David His servant–

would be God’s horn of salvation from the line of David.

A horn of salvation is an OT picture of a powerful conquerer, like a wild horned beast lowering its head to drive out God’s enemies and protect God’ people.

2Samuel 22:3,

69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us

In the house of David His servant–

Psalm 18:2,

2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;

My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 92:10,

10 But You have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;

I have been anointed with fresh oil.

Micah 4:13,

13 “Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion,

For your horn I will make iron

And your hoofs I will make bronze,

That you may pulverize many peoples,

The Messiah would come through the line of David

(Jeremiah 33:14-15),

14 ‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth.

The Messiah would fulfill the Davidic Covenant by restoring Israel to its former glory, before it turned away from God, resulting in God leaving Israel without any message or messenger from Him for 400 years.

God was now speaking to Israel again,God’s favor had returned to Israel, and would be realized through the Messiah, the Horn of Salvation, God’s Son who would live among the Israelites, and then go to the cross to pay for their sins with His own blood, in order to redeem all those who would believe in Him.

Read Luke 1:70-71…

70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old–

71 Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES,

And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US;

God had spoken through the prophets concerning the covenant He made with David

(2Samuel 7:8-13),

8 “Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel.

9 I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth.

10 I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly,

11 even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you.

12 When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom.

13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

Isaiah goes on to declare that the Lord will restore the faithful remnant to the land promised them through David

(Isaiah 65:8-9),

8 Thus says the LORD,

“As the new wine is found in the cluster,

And one says, ‘Do not destroy it, for there is benefit in it,’

So I will act on behalf of My servants

In order not to destroy all of them.

9 “I will bring forth offspring from Jacob,

And an heir of My mountains from Judah;

Even My chosen ones shall inherit it,

And My servants will dwell there

(Isaiah 65:18-25)

18 “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;

For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing

And her people for gladness.

19 “I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people;

And there will no longer be heard in her

The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.

20 “No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days,

Or an old man who does not live out his days;

For the youth will die at the age of one hundred

And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred

Will be thought accursed.

21 “They will build houses and inhabit them;

They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

22 “They will not build and another inhabit,

They will not plant and another eat;

For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people,

And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands.

23 “They will not labor in vain,

Or bear children for calamity;

For they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD,

And their descendants with them.

24 It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

25 The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the LORD.

Zacharias is full of praise as he goes on to proclaim that the Millennial Kingdom will be a time

(cf. Luke 1:71)

71 Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES,

And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US;

when God will deliver believing Israel from her enemies and from all who hate them; a time when the remnant of Israel and the Gentiles living among them will experience peace, prosperity, and long life.

The Millennial Kingdom will not occur until the Church has been raptured, and the Antichrist then rises up to rule the world during a seven-year period; after which, the Lord will return to the earth to bring judgement upon all the unbelieving; only then will the remnant of believing Jews (alive at that time), along with believing Gentiles, be ushered into the Millennial Kingdom where the Lord will rule on the throne of David for 1000 years.

John the Baptizer, as the forerunner of the Messiah will, at the Jordan River, declare Jesus to be God’s Son and Savior

(John 1:29),

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

(John 1:33-34),

33 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’

34 I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

See Luke 1:70-71 again.

70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old–

71 Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES,

And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US

Zacharias could not have known that Israel would openly reject and brutally execute its own Messiah, its Savior-King, who would be born about 6 months after the time of Zaharias’s Prophecy being given here.

Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, as was Elizabeth, and their son John. Zacharias was praising God and prophesying about the coming Messiah who would deliver Israel from all her enemies.

Zacharias, like most of the religious Jews at that time, believed the promises of the Covenant God made with David would be realized at the time of the Messiah’s arrival; and you know, they would have been, if Israel had received Him, but they didn’t, they rejected Him and then they crucified Him.

In A.D. 70, Jerusalem was burned, the Temple destroyed, over one million Jews were [put to death be the sword, and those who survived were enslaved and/or dispersed all over the world; and the Jewish people were not allowed to return to Jerusalem until A.D. 1948.

The promises of the Davidic Covenant will not be fulfilled in Israel until the Lord returns to the earth, this time as a conquering warrior (cf. Revelation 11, 19), not as a vulnerable child, like His first arrival. At His next advent, the remnant of Israel who believe in and receive Christ as Lord and Savior, will enter into the Millennial Kingdom where they will enjoy the fulfillment of God’s promises made to David on their behalf, for the 1000 years on the earth; after which, they, along with all believers from all time, will live together with God and enjoy the new heavens, new earth, and new Jerusalem, where there will be no crying, or mourning, or pain, or death, for all of eternity.

Our God is an awesome God, a faithful God, a loving God to whom belongs all praise and honor and glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Pastor Mike
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03-13-2022 – “God’s Divine Announcement to Zacharias”

Bible Text: Luke 1:15-25 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Luke |

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March 13, 2022
“God’s Divine Announcement to Zacharias”
Luke 1:15-25

Read Luke 1:15…

15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb.

Zacharias is told that his son John will be great in the sight of the Lord.

John is an important herald

(Matthew 11:11a),

“Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist!”

Think about that for a moment. Remember when we studied (Hebrews 11) some of the great heroes of the faith? Jesus is saying that John is the greatest man who has ever lived up to his time, i.e., John would be considered greater than Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Wow!

John’s greatness is evaluated by God, “in the sight of the Lord.” Think about that. John would be the forerunner crying out to Israel that the Messiah had indeed come, and God was again actively interacting with the Nation of Israel.

John was born to a very common family living in the hill country of Judea. He had no formal education, as far as we know, and it is said that

(Luke 1:80)

80 And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

John’s clothing was made out of camel’s hair, held in place with a leather belt; and what did he eat? Locusts and wild honey. John wasn’t trying to start a new trend in fashion or food

(Luke 3:4),

4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,

‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD,

MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.

John was all about directing attention to and revering Jesus Christ, the Messiah, God’s Son

(Matthew 3:11),

11 I baptize you with water for repentance, but He [Christ] who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

(John 1:30),

30 This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’

Gabriel announces that John will drink no wine [lit., straight from the wine press] or liquor [lit., wine that was fermented, alcoholic]. This is significant, in that it means John will be set apart, like one taking a Nazarite vow

(Numbers 6:1-4),

1 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to the LORD,

3 he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh or dried grapes.

4 All the days of his separation he shall not eat anything that is produced by the grape vine, from the seeds even to the skin.

much like Samson

Both Samson

(cf. Judges 16:17)

17 So he told her all that was in his heart and said to her, “A razor has never come on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I will become weak and be like any other man.”

and Samuel

(cf. 1Samuel 1:11),

11 She made a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.”

were Nazarites their whole lives.

Gabriel’s announcement is that John would be great in the sight of the Lord, i.e, in the sight of God

(cf. Luke 1:6).

6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.

When a person confesses Christ as Lord, repenting of sin, that person is indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God

The truth is, Jesus Christ, as God in human flesh, is declaring approval of John, and no one can be approved by God unless their sins have been forgiven. So, in a sense, God imputed righteousness to John, as Gabriel declares, “[John] will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb.”

When a person confesses Christ as Lord, repenting of sin and trusting Jesus alone for salvation, that person is filled with the Holy Spirit of God, being marked as God’s own possession

(Ephesians 1:13-14),

13 In Him [Christ], you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him [Christ] with the Holy Spirit of promise,

14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

That happened to me on August 1, 1978, when I was 3 weeks shy of being 29 years old, God’s Spirit took up residence in me. That means for almost 29 years of my life I did not serve the Lord. Each of you who belong to Christ, experienced the indwelling Spirit of God at the moment you repented, believed, and began to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

John was filled with the Spirit of God from the time that he was conceived in his mother’s womb. John’s whole life would be lived under the guidance, leading, and power of the Hoy Spirit. Wow!

Read Luke 1:16-17…

16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.

Gabriel goes on to say that John’s ministry and preaching will be so powerful that it will cause unrepentant sinners to turn back to God.

Later in this chapter, at John’s circumcision,. Zacharias prophecies concerning his son John,

(Luke 1:76-77) saying,

76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

For you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS;

77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation

By the forgiveness of their sins,

John is destined to proclaim the gospel of God’s grace, the good news of forgiveness of sins through the One and Only Savior, Jesus [lit., God’s Salvation] who is the Christ [lit., the Holy One of God], Immanuel [lit., God with us].

John would preach repentance

(Mark 1:4-5),

4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

John’s purpose was to expose the sinful hearts of the people, calling them repent and believe in the Lord for salvation. That is exactly what we are suppose to be doing today.

2Corinthians 5:17-21,

17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,

19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

John would come as the forerunner of the Messiah, “in the spirit and power of Elijah.” The Jews believed that God would send a messenger before the Day of the Lord’s judgement and the Messiah’s coming to set up His kingdom

(Malachi 3:1),

1 “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts.

(Malachi 4:5-6),

5 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.

6 He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”

John was not Elijah.

John was not Elijah of the OT resurrected, nor was he the final Elijah who would come about 3.5 years before the return of Christ to the earth.

See Matthew 16:28-17:13…

16:28 “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

17:1 Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.

2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.

3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified.

7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.”

8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.

9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”

10 And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

11 And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things;

12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”

13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.

John appeared about 3.5 years before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, fulfilling part of the prophecies given by Isaiah and Malachi concerning the forerunner of the Messiah.

In Matthew 17, Jesus seems to be saying that not only has an Elijah-like Prophet already come (in the form of John) preparing the way for the Lord; but in some prophetic way another Elijah will come again in the future, appearing in the middle of the 7 years of Tribulation and proclaiming the Word of God for the 3.5 years before the Coming of Christ for judgement (cf. Revelation 11, 19).

Read Luke 1:18-25…

18 Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”

19 The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

20 And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

21 The people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in the temple.

22 But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute.

23 When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home.

24 After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying,

25 “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men.”

Zacharias now responds to the angel, expressing his doubt concerning what he has been told. Immediately the angel rebukes Zacharias and declares, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God!”

Gabriel came from God to bring Zacharias the “good news” that a special son was going to be given to him. Gabriel isn’t just any angel, he is God’s primary messenger angel; one of only two angels who are actually named in the Scriptures (the other being Michael, the Archangel).

Because of Zacharias’s disbelief, Gabriel causes him to be mute, and tells him he will not be able to speak until these things have been fulfilled

(see Luke 1:57-64).

57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son.

58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.

59 And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father.

60 But his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.”

61 And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.”

62 And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called.

63 And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished.

64 And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God.

After Zacharias was made mute, he went outside where the people had been waiting for him to give a benediction, which would have been something like

(Numbers 6:24-26),

24 The LORD bless you, and keep you;

25 The LORD make His face shine on you,

And be gracious to you;

26 The LORD lift up His countenance on you,

And give you peace.’

But Zacharias couldn’t speak, instead he was trying to use hand motions to tell the people about Gabriel being near the altar of incense.

Luke tells us that after Zacharias had finished his priestly duties, he returned home. We are not informed as to how he may have told Elizabeth the news that she was going to be pregnant and they would have a son who would be named John [God is gracious].

The angel’s good news became a reality, for we are told that soon Elizabeth became pregnant, and she remained in seclusion for five months. Why was that? Probably because she was barren and too old for a pregnancy, and most likely people would not have believed her; at least not until it was very obvious that she was indeed pregnant.

Notice again Luke 1:25,

25 “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men.”

As I mentioned last week, for a Jewish couple not to be able to have children was considered a curse, as if the sins of either the husband or the wife, or both, had brought God’s judgement upon them; but now through God’s intervention, any disgrace that might have been experienced was completely removed and only the joy of the good news and their gratefulness toward God remained.

Zacharias and Elizabeth were just common people of humble means who were faithfully serving the Lord; they were unable to have children, and at that moment God intervened by sending Gabriel with the Good News.

The Good News isn’t that an aged couple who had been barren, have become pregnant with a son who is to be named John [lit. God is gracious].

The Good News is that John is the one chosen by God to announce the long awaited arrival of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Lord and Savior; and everyone who believes in and receives Him will be saved.

Pastor Mike
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03-06-2022 – ”God’s Grace Revealed”

Bible Text: Luke 1:5-15 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Luke |

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March 6, 2022 – (AM Insert)
”God’s Grace Revealed”
Luke 1:5-15

Isaiah 40:3,
“A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.’”

This prophecy is recorded in all four Gospel Accounts

(pp. Matthew 3:3;
3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said,

“THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,

‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD,

MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!’”

Mark 1:3;
3 THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,

‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD,

MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.’”

Luke 3:4;
4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,

‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD,

MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.

John 1:23).
23 He said, “I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Israel rejected knowing God through faith; they turned to sacrifices, ceremonies, and laws, instead.

Hebrews 11:1-3,
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

2 For by it the men of old gained approval.

3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

Hebrews 11:6
6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

God called Israel as His nation; but Israel hardened itself toward God; God departed Israel for 400 years.

John’s birth marks God speaking to His people again, for John would be the forerunner of the Messiah.

Read Luke 1:5a…
5a In the days of Herod, king of Judea

Herod, king of Judea, was merciless, insanely jealous, even murdering his family members.

Read Luke 1:5b-7…
5b there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.

7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.

Zacharias was a priest, his wife Elizabeth was also from a priestly family.

Note: The priesthood was made up of 24 divisions for Temple service (cf.

1Chronicles 24:1-19);
1 Now the divisions of the descendants of Aaron were these: the sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.

3 David, with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to their offices for their ministry.

4 Since more chief men were found from the descendants of Eleazar than the descendants of Ithamar, they divided them thus: there were sixteen heads of fathers’ households of the descendants of Eleazar and eight of the descendants of Ithamar, according to their fathers’ households.

5 Thus they were divided by lot, the one as the other; for they were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God, both from the descendants of Eleazar and the descendants of Ithamar.

6 Shemaiah, the son of Nethanel the scribe, from the Levites, recorded them in the presence of the king, the princes, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the priests and of the Levites; one father’s household taken for Eleazar and one taken for Ithamar.

7 Now the first lot came out for Jehoiarib, the second for Jedaiah,

8 the third for Harim, the fourth for Seorim,

9 the fifth for Malchijah, the sixth for Mijamin,

10 the seventh for Hakkoz, the eighth for Abijah,

11 the ninth for Jeshua, the tenth for Shecaniah,

12 the eleventh for Eliashib, the twelfth for Jakim,

13 the thirteenth for Huppah, the fourteenth for Jeshebeab,

14 the fifteenth for Bilgah, the sixteenth for Immer,

15 the seventeenth for Hezir, the eighteenth for Happizzez,

16 the nineteenth for Pethahiah, the twentieth for Jehezkel,

17 the twenty-first for Jachin, the twenty-second for Gamul,

18 the twenty-third for Delaiah, the twenty-fourth for Maaziah.

19 These were their offices for their ministry when they came in to the house of the LORD according to the ordinance given to them through Aaron their father, just as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.

but after the Babylonian captivity, only 4 divisions returned to Judah

(cf. Ezra 2:36-38).
36 The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973;

37 the sons of Immer, 1,052;

38 the sons of Pashhur, 1,247;

Those 4 divisions were then divided into 24 divisions; within which, Zacharias was assigned to the division of Abijah for his priestly service.

Zacharias and Elizabeth kept the commandments and were pleasing to God, yet they were barren.

Read Luke 1:8-10…
8 Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division,

9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering.

Zacharias has the duty to burn incense at the altar, just outside of the Most Holy Place.

Note: The Most Holy Place, was where God met with the High Priest of Israel on the Day of Atonement, in order to seek forgiveness for the sins of the Nation of Israel.

Read Luke 1:11-14…
11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.

12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him.

13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.

14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

An angel appeared to Zacharias, who was frightened; the angel tells him Elizabeth will give birth to a son, to be named John [lit. God is gracious].

Note: The last time an angel appeared to a priest was to Zechariah, in a vision some 500 years before.

This news from God’s angel was awesome, John would be a living example of God’s Grace returning to Israel.

Read Luke 1:15…
15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb.

God departed from Israel over 400 years before this event.

JOHN WILL BE GREAT IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD! Notice, he is not to drink wine or liquor [strong drink].

Leviticus 10:9,
“Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die—it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations.”

John will be filled with the Holy Spirit before he is born.

This meant God was returning to Israel, not in a pillar of smoke, or a pillar of fire, or as a presence in the Most Holy Place; but in the flesh of Jesus the Messiah. And the one to announce the beginning of the Messiah’s Ministry would be John, this son of Zacharias & Elizabeth, who would declare

(John 1:29),
“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord for the forgiveness of sins will be saved.
If you aren’t sure, ask God right now to forgive your sins and become your Savior. He turns no one away!

Pastor Mike

02-27-2022 – “Introduction to Luke”

Bible Text: Luke 1:1-4 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Luke |

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February 27, 2022
“Introduction to Luke”
Luke 1:1-4

Luke was not one of the Twelve Disciples, he was not an apostle, nor was he a prophet; and yet, God gave him the responsibility and propensity to write the most comprehensive Biblical account of the life of Jesus Christ, and to also write the most complete narrative of the birth, growth, and dispersion of the Church of God (from the early 30’s to early 60’s A.D.), mostly following the life and travel of Peter and Paul.

The Gospel According to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles were written sometime between A.D. 60-62; they make up more than 25% of the New Testament. Luke is the undisputed author of both works, yet doesn’t refer to himself by name, in either one.

Luke’s name is only recorded three times in the New Testament

(Colossians 4:14),

14 Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas.

(2Timothy 4:11),

11 Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.

“Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service,”

(Philemon 23-24),

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.

Read Luke 1:1-4…

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us,

2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word,

3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus;

4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.

Luke a Gentile, avoids terms unfamiliar to non-Jews.

Luke writes to Theophilus [Latin], Theophilos [Greek], Theo means God, philus/philos means friend; so this Friend of God is a Gentile, a non-Jew.

You will notice, as we read through Luke’s Gospel Account, he avoids using Aramaic and Hebrew terms that are common to Jews, but he does explain Jewish customs, and some of the geography of Israel. This book would definitely find its way into the hands, hearts, and minds of Gentiles, those not familiar with Judaism.

In Colossians 4:10-11,

10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him);

11 and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me.

lists some believers “who are from the circumcision,” i.e., Jewish Christians;

Paul lists some fellow believers “who are from the circumcision,” i.e., Jewish Christians.

Then in Colossians 4:12-17,

12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.

13 For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

14 Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas.

15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.

16 When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea.

17 Say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”

he lists believers who are not part of the circumcision, i.e., they are Gentile believers,

and in Colossians 4:14,

14 Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas.

as mentioned earlier, we find Luke listed with the non-Jews.

In Luke 1:1-2,

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us,

2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word,

Luke says this is “an account of the things accomplished among us just as they were handed down to us, by those who were eyewitnesses and ministers of the gospel from the very beginning.”

On the day of His resurrection Jesus appeared to His disciples

(John 20:19-21),

20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

Before Jesus left His Disciples to go back to the Father

(Luke 24:44-53),

45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day,

47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

48 You are witnesses of these things.

49 And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.

51 While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.

52 And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

53 and were continually in the temple praising God.

After Jesus had been lifted up into heaven, the Disciples

(Acts 1:12-26), (summary version):

“returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers”

Acts 1:12-26

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.

14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

15 At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said,

16 “Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

17 For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry.”

18 (Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.

19 And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

20 “For it is written in the book of Psalms,

‘LET HIS HOMESTEAD BE MADE DESOLATE,

AND LET NO ONE DWELL IN IT’;

and,

‘LET ANOTHER MAN TAKE HIS OFFICE.’

21 Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us–

22 beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us–one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

23 So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias.

24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen

25 to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”

26 And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

(cf. Matthew 13:55).

55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said, ‘Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus

(cf. Psalm 41:9;

9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted,

Who ate my bread,

Has lifted up his heel against me.

(cf. John 13:18).

18 I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’

For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry.’ (Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his homestead be made desolate, And let no one dwell in it’; and, ‘Let another man take his office.’ Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us— beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.’ So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias. And they prayed and said, ‘You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’ And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.”

Luke was not an eyewitness, but he had talked with, investigated, evaluated, and recorded the testimony of many who were eyewitnesses, e.g., Peter, Paul, Matthew, John, Mark, and no doubt, many other not so well known witnesses, whose testimonies have been lost.

1John 1:1-3,

1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life–

2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us–

3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

Luke 1:3

3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus;

Luke 1:3 says Luke, “having investigated everything carefully from the beginning,” wrote it out, “in consecutive order.” With the Holy Spirit moving Luke along, using Luke’s natural attributes and training (as a doctor) to examine the evidence and accurately record his findings, God’s Spirit was making sure every word written by Luke was exactly what God wanted to be revealed to us.

2Peter 1:20-21,

“But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

1Corinthians 2:12-13,

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,

13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

2Timothy 3:16,

“All Scripture is inspired by God [God-breathed] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.”

Not only is Luke’s narrative accurate, but it is mostly written chronologically (from start to finish) concerning Jesus’ birth, circumcision, boyhood, baptism, public ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, appearances to His followers, and His ascent back into heaven.

There are some narratives in Luke’s Gospel, where he expounds on an event or teaching, but for the most part, this is an orderly account of the life of Christ written down and given to a man named Theophilus.

Luke would have assumed that his narrative would be read and shared, so that all who heard it

(Luke 1:4),

4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.

“may know the exact truth” about God’s sovereign plan to send His own Son to serve as full payment for our sins.

Luke understood that redemption from sin’s curse was for everyone who repents and believes in Jesus Christ for salvation.

Acts 10:34-48,

“Opening his mouth, Peter said: ‘I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)— you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.’ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues [languages that were not there own] and exalting God. Then Peter answered, ‘Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?’ And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.”

God shows no favoritism concerning salvation

(Galatians 3:26),

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,”

Galatians 3:28,

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

So, what do we know about Theophilus? As already mentioned, he was a Gentile like Luke. Because Luke addresses him as, “most excellent” Theophilus; he would seem to be a man of importance, e.g., this same title of respect (most excellent) is recorded by Luke

(cf. Acts 23:26;
26 “Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings.

(cf. Acts 24:3;
3 we acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness.

(cf. Acts 26:25)
25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth.

when speaking of Governors Felix and Festus.

Evidently, Luke cared deeply for this man, who was perhaps a new convert or maybe an unbeliever who showed interest in the things of God; either way, Luke wanted to make sure that Theophilus [Friend of God], and anyone else reading this narrative, would have an accurate and orderly account of the life and ministry of Christ, so that they might believe, be saved, and become a true “friend” of God.

John 15:15,

“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”

But isn’t it just like our loving God to employ His Spirit to empower Luke, a traveling companion of Paul, to care so deeply for an unknown man named Theophilus, that Luke writes a lengthly historically chronological narrative and theological work, to this one man.

And yet, by God’s providence, Luke’s Gospel Account has now reached around the world with the divine message of salvation through Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

John 20:30-31,

30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;

31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

May we, each one of us, care enough, like Luke, to share this message with anyone and everyone who will listen: Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior and Lord, was sacrificially put to death as payment for our sins, He was then buried, but on the third day He came out of the grave alive, in order to sovereignly demonstrate that He alone has authority to forgive sins and grant eternal life, and that He is coming back to get all those who believe in Him, to be with Him forever, in heaven.

And all God’s people said, Amen!
Pastor Mike
>’(((><

02-20-2022 – Those of Whom This World Is Not Worthy

Bible Text: Hebrews 11:30-40 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Hebrews 11 |

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February 20, 2022
“Those of Whom This World Is Not Worthy”
Hebrews 11:30-40

Previously in Hebrews 11:1-29, we read about people of faith who trusted God to have a plan and purpose for their lives. These people stepped through their fears and stepped out in faith; God blessed them and provided what they needed in this life, while also promising that they would receive eternal life in heaven.

These people weren’t all great, but they did have faith in God, and so God sets them apart as examples for us.

Read Hebrews 11:30-31…

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.

31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.

God’s people are finally ready to enter and conquer the Promised Land, and the very first city they come up against is Jericho.

Joshua sent two men to spy in Jericho; they were hidden by Rahab a prostitute, who feared the Lord

(Joshua 2:10-11),

10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

11 When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

Rahab helped the spies escape and return to Joshua, where they gave their report. God instructs Israel (cf. Joshua 6) to march around the city once a day for 6 days (seven priests carrying seven trumpets march in front of the Ark of the Covenant). On the 7th day they march around the city 7 times with the priests blowing their trumpets, after the 7th time around the priests blow long blast on the ram’s horn and the people shout… the walls then fell down and outward, away from the city.

Note: Several archeological excavations were done in Jericho in the 19th and 20th centuries in which much has been discovered; most amazing, the walls on the hillsides seem to have fallen out, not in, creating a ramp for the Israelites to easily enter the city.

God’s people then went into the city and killed every person in Jericho, except for Rahab and her family

(cf. Joshua 6:17,

17 The city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the LORD; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.

(cf. Joshua 6:25),

25 However, Rahab the harlot and her father’s household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

for Rahab feared God and helped the Israelites rather than obey her king.

Read Hebrews 11:32…

32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,

Now we are given a list of six faithful believers: Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and Samuel, and the category of prophets.

Gideon was a man of weak faith, when the angel of the Lord came to him with a promise to help him defeat the Midianites Gideon asked for “signs” 9putting out a fleece) to confirm God’s presence and power, to affirm that God would indeed give him victory

(cf. Judges 6-7).

Gideon was very reluctant to go against the armies of Midian, but he finally let go of his fears and trusted God.

Gideon started out with over 30,000 fighting men, but God quickly lowered that number, first to 10,000, then down to just 300 men; for the Lord did not want Israel to be able to boast about their victory over the Midianites and the Amalekites. God used Gideon and 300 men with trumpets, pitchers, and torches to drive Israel’s enemies out of Canaan, even though their number was said to be too numerous to be counted.

Barak was the commander of Israel’s army when the Canaanites had oppressed Israel for about 20 years. The Canaanites had 900 iron chariots when Barak was called to fight them. Deborah was judge over Israel at this time and God was with her, so Barak ask her to go with him.

Deborah went with him and God brought a great rainstorm that turned the ground into thick mud, causing the chariots to get bogged down. Barak and his men attacked, pursuing and killing all their enemy, and this lead to 40 years of peace in Israel

(cf. Judges 4).

Samson had godly parents and supernatural strength; but Samson despised these blessings, until God took away his great strength. He was captured and blinded, but Samson turned back to God who allowed him, in his death, to kill 3,000 of Israel’s enemies

(cf. Judges 13-16).

Jephthah mother was a prostitute and his own brothers ran him off from home so he wouldn’t get any inheritance; not a great start. Jephthah fell in with and became leader of a group of renegade warriors; but when Israel was threatened by Ammonites, Jephthath was asked to lead Israel’s army against them.

Jephthath vowed to consecrate the first thing to come out of his house, when he returned from battle, to God (and it ended up being his daughter). God had given him victory in battle, so he offered his daughter to perpetually be in God’s service. Jephthah became Israel’s Judge and he ruled for six years

(cf.Judges 11-12).

David was a shepherd boy, the youngest son of Jesse, and as a teenager he defeated Goliath, the enemy of Israel. As a man ee was mighty in battle, trusting God for protection and power. David became king over Israel, and even though he committed adultery and murder, he was a man with a heart after God; in fact, it will be upon his throne (the throne of David) that the Lord will rule on the earth during the millennium kingdom

(cf. 1Samuel 16-1Kings 2).

Samuel was both a prophet and a judge of Israel. He obeyed God, but his sons, who were delegated to follow him as judges, were corrupt and they perverted justice; so the people demanded a king. Samuel listened to God and anointed the first king of Israel, Saul, and in his farewell speech, Samuel warned the people to give up idols and serve the one true God

(cf. 1Samuel 1-3).

Hebrews 11:33-35a…

33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,

34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;

Although names aren’t mentioned here we know many of whom the author is speaking: Daniel was saved by God from the lions (cf. Daniel 6). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were saved from the flames of the furnace (cf. Daniel 2-3). David escaped Saul, who repeatedly tried to kill him (cf. 1Samuel 23-24).

Isaiah (cf. Isaiah 41-42) and Jeremiah (cf. Jeremiah 32-33) acknowledged their own weaknesses and cried out to God, and He strengthened them.

The widow of Zarephath (cf. 1Kings 17) and the Shunamite woman (cf. 2Kings 4) had sons who were raised from the dead by Elijah and Elisha.

God uses people of faith, strengthening us in our weaknesses so that the power of God may work in us.

When people step out in faith, trusting God, they are able serve God, doing whatever He calls them to do, these faithful acts sometimes become legends, stories that generations will talk about.

Hebrews 11:35b-38…

35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;

36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.

37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated

38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.

The second part of verse 35 says these people of faith experienced mocking, scourging, and imprisonment; they were tortured, put to death with the sword; and they went about in sheep and goat skins, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated, wandering in deserts and mountains. living in caves and holes in the ground.

Jeremiah was chained and stoned; tradition tells us Isaiah was brutally sawed in two by the wicked king Manasseh. Elijah and Elisha wore animal skins and wandered the earth as men who had no earthly home.

Looking at the history of God’s people, there is a long list of those who suffered for their faith, not that they enjoyed suffering, but they endured it out of love and devotion toward God. These people were looking forward to an eternal inheritance in a heavenly home.

Hebrews 11:38

38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.

says the world was not worthy of these people; and that these faithful servants were worthy of something far greater than what they experienced here.

We may, at times, feel like we are living under a curse rather than a blessing; evil is all around us, and the enemies of God in this corrupt world seem to be having victory; but we must keep our eyes on Jesus.

We are to follow Jesus, by faith, trusting Him to protect and provide, now and forever.

Hebrews 11:39-40…

39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

For seven weeks now we’ve studied people of faith, sinful people who struggled, often failed, but as they lived out their faith, seeking to obey God, they pleased Him and He counted them worthy of mention here in the Believer’s Hall of Faith, Hebrews 11.

These men and women are godly examples, and although, while they lived on this earth, they didn’t receive all God had promised until they died, or were caught up, like Enoch, to be with God, forever.

That is what we look forward to, the hope that we have is made possible through the sacrificial death and sovereign resurrection of God’s Son.

These OT Believers listed in the Hall of Faith, didn’t have a knowledge of Jesus Christ, they didn’t have the written Word of God, they didn’t have the indwelling of God’s Spirit; and yet they had saving faith

(Hebrews 11:1-3),

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

2 For by it the men of old gained approval.

3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

Hebrews 11:6,

“And without faith it is impossible to please [God], for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

The Hall of Faith has been and is continually being filled with faithful believers throughout the ages.

If your name was written here in chapter 11, what would be said about you? What example of faith are you leaving for future generations?

Yes, you are flawed, you have failures, we all do; you are a sinner, we all are. Every person listed in this chapter is a sinner who was saved by God’s grace, a flawed person who often failed God. But God never failed any of them, and He will never fail you.

What you need to consider is this, are you trusting God, really trusting God, to watch over, provide for and protect you each and every day? Are you seeking to know and to do that which pleases God? If so, your name is written in the Book of Life, because you are in Christ.

Whatever your situation, whatever you station in life, you have the opportunity, like those recorded in the Hebrews 11, to honor God with your life while setting an example for others to follow.

Everyone who belongs to God by faith, has overcome sin, death, and judgement, in and through Jesus Christ.

1John 5:1-5,

1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith.

5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Psalm 1:1-3,

1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

Nor stand in the path of sinners,

Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit in its season

And its leaf does not wither;

And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Psalm 37:3-5,

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;

Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD;

And He will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD,

Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

Proverbs 3:5-6,

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart

And do not lean on your own understanding.

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will make your paths straight.

1Corinthians 15:58,

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

1Thessalonians 5:16-18,

16 Rejoice always;

17 pray without ceasing;

18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:17,

17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:23-24,

23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,

24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

Philippians 4:4-9,

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:12-13,

12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:19-20,

19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

20 Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Pastor Mike
>’(((><

02-13-2022 – “Faithful Men: Isaac to Moses“

Bible Text: Hebrews 11:20-29 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Hebrews 11 |

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February 13, 2022
“Faithful Men: Isaac to Moses”
Hebrews 11:20-29

Read Hebrews 11:20…

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.

See Genesis 25:21-34;

21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived.

22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.

23 The LORD said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb;

And two peoples will be separated from your body;

And one people shall be stronger than the other;

And the older shall serve the younger.”

24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

25 Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau.

26 Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.

27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents.

28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished;

30 and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom.

31 But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.”

32 Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?”

33 And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Genesis 27:1-40…

1 Now it came about, when Isaac was old and his eyes were too dim to see, that he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” And he said to him, “Here I am.”

2 Isaac said, “Behold now, I am old and I do not know the day of my death.

3 Now then, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me;

4 and prepare a savory dish for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die.”

5 Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game to bring home,

6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, saying,

7 ‘Bring me some game and prepare a savory dish for me, that I may eat, and bless you in the presence of the LORD before my death.’

8 Now therefore, my son, listen to me as I command you.

9 Go now to the flock and bring me two choice young goats from there, that I may prepare them as a savory dish for your father, such as he loves.

10 Then you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.”

11 Jacob answered his mother Rebekah, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man and I am a smooth man.

12 Perhaps my father will feel me, then I will be as a deceiver in his sight, and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing.”

13 But his mother said to him, “Your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.”

14 So he went and got them, and brought them to his mother; and his mother made savory food such as his father loved.

15 Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son.

16 And she put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.

17 She also gave the savory food and the bread, which she had made, to her son Jacob.

18 Then he came to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”

19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. Get up, please, sit and eat of my game, that you may bless me.”

20 Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “Because the LORD your God caused it to happen to me.”

21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come close, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.”

22 So Jacob came close to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.”

23 He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.

24 And he said, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he said, “I am.”

25 So he said, “Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, that I may bless you.” And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank.

26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come close and kiss me, my son.”

27 So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he blessed him and said,

“See, the smell of my son

Is like the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed;

28 Now may God give you of the dew of heaven,

And of the fatness of the earth,

And an abundance of grain and new wine;

29 May peoples serve you,

And nations bow down to you;

Be master of your brothers,

And may your mother’s sons bow down to you.

Cursed be those who curse you,

And blessed be those who bless you.”

30 Now it came about, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had hardly gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

31 Then he also made savory food, and brought it to his father; and he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.”

32 Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?” And he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”

33 Then Isaac trembled violently, and said, “Who was he then that hunted game and brought it to me, so that I ate of all of it before you came, and blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.”

34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!”

35 And he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and has taken away your blessing.”

36 Then he said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob, for he has supplanted me these two times? He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”

37 But Isaac replied to Esau, “Behold, I have made him your master, and all his relatives I have given to him as servants; and with grain and new wine I have sustained him. Now as for you then, what can I do, my son?”

38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” So Esau lifted his voice and wept.

39 Then Isaac his father answered and said to him,

“Behold, away from the fertility of the earth shall be your dwelling,

And away from the dew of heaven from above.

40 “By your sword you shall live,

And your brother you shall serve;

But it shall come about when you become restless,

That you will break his yoke from your neck.”

Isaac believed he was blessing Esau his favorite son, when he was really blessing Jacob, the favorite son of Rebekah. The Lord had said that Esau would serve Jacob, and Jacob, the younger son, would become the son of blessing.

Isaac disobeys what God told him and tries to bless Esau; Rebekah tells Jacob to lie to his father and steal his blessing. In the end, Esau sells his birthright for a bowl of soup. And yet God uses this dysfunctional family to bring blessing to us!

God sovereignly determined to work through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve tribes of Israel as the nation of God’s called out people (but specifically through the tribe of Judah) through whom came Jesus Christ the Lord.

————Jews and Arabs————

Malachi 1:2,

“I have loved you,’ says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have You loved us?’ ‘Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?’ declares the Lord. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob,’”

(the Twelve Tribes of Israel), the promise was originally made to Abraham

(Genesis 17:7),

“I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you…”

Romans 9:11-15,

“For though the twins [Jacob and Esau] were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ Just as it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’ What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’”

Rebekah’s pregnancy with twins was rough, there was a wrestling match going on inside her womb, and she asked, “why am I this way?” The struggle was symbolic of the antagonism that would exist between her two sons.

Isaac favored Esau, Rebekah favored Jacob; but God’s sovereign plan to bless Jacob’s descendants over those of Esau, took precedent over Isaac’s love for his firstborn son. God’s blessing [according to the rights of first born sons] should have gone to Esau, but God divinely favored Jacob over Esau. God’s sovereign hand directs the affairs of men, fulfilling God’s purposes and plans.

Abraham’s firstborn son (through Sarah’s Egyptian maid Hagar) was named Ishmael [lit. God hears]; but it was through his son Isaac [lit. one laughs], that God made His covenant

(see Genesis 16:1-2,

1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar.

2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

Genesis 16:4-12,

4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight.

5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the LORD judge between you and me.”

6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight.” So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.

7 Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.

8 He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from and where are you going?” And she said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”

9 Then the angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority.”

10 Moreover, the angel of the LORD said to her, “I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count.”

11 The angel of the LORD said to her further,

“Behold, you are with child,

And you will bear a son;

And you shall call his name Ishmael,

Because the LORD has given heed to your affliction.

12 “He will be a wild donkey of a man,

His hand will be against everyone,

And everyone’s hand will be against him;

And he will live to the east of all his brothers.”

Genesis 16:15-16;

15 So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.

16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Genesis 17:21).

21 But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.”

God’s promise to Israel came through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and even though neither Isaac nor Jacob were firstborn sons, they received the blessing from and covenant with God, according to God’s plan and purpose, His will.

The Jews’ covenant relationship with God came through their patriarch Abraham (note: God’s Word calls them Hebrews 18x’s OT, 3x’s NT; Jews 67x’s OT, 161x’s NT; Israelites 6x’s OT, 2x’s NT).

All true Christians have a relationship with Abraham through Christ

(Galatians 3:29),

“if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”

Our eternal relationship with God is based on Christ, not some ancestral bloodline, culture, or religion; but instead, the sovereign work of God

(John 1:12-13),

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God,”

(John 3:6),

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

Jacob’s name means “deceitful” or “heel-catcher” [lit. One Who Takes the Heel]. We know that Jacob’s name was later changed to “Israel”

(cf. Genesis 32:28),

28 He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.”

meaning, “he struggles with God” or “God’s fighter.” Jacob’s descendants are the son’s of Israel to whom the Land of Canaan (Palestine) was given, by God.

Esau [lit. hairy] became the father of the Edomites [lit. red people]

(cf. Genesis 36:8-9),

8 So Esau lived in the hill country of Seir; Esau is Edom.

Descendants of Esau

9 These then are the records of the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir.

a people “whom the Lord has cursed”

(Malachi 1:3-4).

3 but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.”

4 Though Edom says, “We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the ruins”; thus says the LORD of hosts, “They may build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the wicked territory, and the people toward whom the LORD is indignant forever.”

Saul fought against the Edomites; David actually conquered them, for a time; but there continued a smoldering hatred between the Jews and the Edomites

(Genesis 27:41).

41 So Esau bore a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

After the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D, the Edomites disappeared from history, bringing an end to the descendants of Esau.

*Interesting note: All Arabs, following Mohammed’s example, claim descent from Ishmael the firstborn son of Abraham; and yet the Arabs have fought against the Jews relentlessly for over 4000 years; against their own ancestral brothers who came from the line of Isaac, through Jacob (who was Ishmael’s nephew).

————Jews and Arabs————

Read Hebrews 11:20…

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.

By faith Isaac finally believed the revelation which God made to him concerning the future destinies of Esau and Jacob. True faith will eventually bow to God’s plan and purpose and act in accordance to God’s will. Although our faith is not perfect, because we are just sinners saved by grace, the object of our faith (Christ) is perfect.

Clearly, it Isaac’s faith wasn’t perfect, but ultimately, he believed God, and accepted Jacob as the one to be blessed with regard to things to come.

Read Hebrews 11:21…

21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

Jacob trusted God and worshipped Him to the very end. In this passage we are told about Jacob’s blessing the sons of Joseph

(see Genesis 48:8-19).

8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?”

9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.”

10 Now the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.

11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well.”

12 Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed with his face to the ground.

13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him.

14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn.

15 He blessed Joseph, and said,

“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

16 The angel who has redeemed me from all evil,

Bless the lads;

And may my name live on in them,

And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;

And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.

18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.”

19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

Again we see a younger son being blessed over the first born, birth order and human favoritism cannot thwart God’s plan; God works through whom He choses.

At the very end of his life, Jacob continues to anticipate the fulfillment of God’s promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and himself, and even though Jacob never saw their ultimate fulfillment, in the end his dysfunctional and fractured family received and passed on God’s blessing to us.

Read Hebrews 11:22…

22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.

Joseph believes that God is going to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt and he wants his bones to be taken out when they go

(see Genesis 50:22-26).

22 Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years.

23 Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees.

24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.”

25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.”

26 So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.

More than 350 years later Moses brought Joseph’s bones out of Egypt into the wilderness

(cf. Exodus 13:19);

19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.”

it would be several more decades before Joseph’s bones would come to rest in the land of Promise, finally to be buried by Joshua in Shechem

(cf. Joshua 24:32);

32 Now they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph’s sons.

this land having been promised to Abraham’s descendants by God

(cf. Genesis 12:6-7).

6 Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land.

7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.

These witnesses to God’s faithfulness (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) trusted God for what they could not see, even at the very end of their lives, they continued to believe that God would be faithful to His promise; they are role models for us in the way we are to live out our faith.

God is faithful to fulfill all His promises, even though we may not see them in our lifetime; but ultimately, when all the people of God are gathered together, it shall be finally realized.

Read Hebrews 11:23…

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

Moses’ parents trusted that God would effect a deliverance for their son, that God would save him, even though Moses grew up in the house of Pharaoh, and even though it was Pharaoh who ordered the slaughter of all those Hebrew boys. Moses’ parents fully believed in God and they trusted Him with their son.

Read Hebrews 11:24-28…

24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,

25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,

26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.

27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.

28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.

After Moses grew up he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, for he determined he would not be identified with Egypt, or with the power of Egypt, but instead he would be identified with the people of Israel, no matter what it cost him.

We are told here that he chose to be associated with his people in their suffering; and although he could have had an easy life, he chose to identify with the Hebrew people, with God’s called-out people.

Moses could have had a life of pleasure and privilege if he would have been willing to follow after the gods of Egypt, but he refused to live like those who rejected the true God. Moses would rather be disgraced and suffer, by remaining true to God, then to have the riches and privilege as a son of Pharaoh.

Moses had every opportunity to be satisfied with the things that this life provided him, and yet he refused to be captured by the treasures of this world.

Hebrews 11 gives us an example to encourage us not to become drawn toward and/or satisfied with the temporary comforts and pleasures of this world, for God is providing us with an eternal and heavenly reward.

Notice again Hebrews 11:27,

“By faith [Moses] left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.” The true strength of Moses’ faith is that he believed in the reward that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in a sense, Moses had seen [believed in] “Him who is invisible.”

Moses should have been scared to death at the thought of going up against the Pharaoh of Egypt, the most powerful man in his part of the world. But Moses feared God so much that he had no fear of any man.

Notice again Hebrews 11:28,

“by faith Moses kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.”

The destroying angel of God came over Egypt and killed the firstborn males (human and animal) in all the houses that did not smear lamb’s blood on their doorpost. Moses trusted that God would fulfill His promise not to destroy the firstborn of Israel; Moses obeyed God, instructing the people to smear blood from the Passover lamb on the doorposts of every house.

Notice how living faith is displayed not just by believing, but also by responding to God’s word, believing what God says; and, of course, in this case faith involved looking for an eternal reward, one not seen, and revering God, who cannot be seen.

If you don’t fear God more than you fear those in the world, and seek God’s pleasure more than the world’s pleasure, you will become captivated by the world.

Jesus commands us to love one another, to love our neighbor, and even to love our enemies; He also commands us not to love the world or to become captivated by the things of this world

(cf. 1John 2:15-17).

15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

God’s blessing is the greatest reward in this life

(Philippians 4:12-13,

13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:19-20).

19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

20 Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Truth be told, if we do not recognize and receive the love of God in this world, we will not see heaven; but we’ll spend eternity apart from the love of God, in hell.

Read Hebrews 11:29…

29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.

The people of Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry land; the Egyptians who were chasing them, were drowned.

As we have studied in Hebrews 11, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses, all had a personal faith that was expressed through personal obedience and perseverance, they were God’s men, living out their faith on earth while trusting God for their future in heaven.

If you belong to God through Christ you will seek to be a person of obedient faith

(James 2:17),

17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

“faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”

Titus 2:11-14,

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

1Peter 2:9-10,

“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Pastor Mike
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