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LUKE CHAPTERS 1 & 2 KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel Lk 1,1-4 (77c) Thy kingdom come >> Hunger for the essence of God >> Hunger for His truth – Luke carefully recorded the story of Jesus, so neither he nor anyone else would forget what happened throughout Christ's ministry. Without writing it, in time we would distort the truth until we ended up remembering something that never happened. Luke both gave time for everyone to digest what happened and wrote in a timely fashion, so he didn't depend on a distant memory as his source. (147a) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Remember Jesus’ miracles – Luke is saying that he was not the only one who had attempted to document the events that happened that has become our gospel. He trusted a number of people who declared their account, whom he personally knew, who had a good reputation as faithful witnesses and lived righteous and holy lives, who had a faith in God, who believed the truth and knew what they believed. They brought to him segments of the story that Luke wrote, who saw and heard the Lord in person, so the things that have been written for our benefit have come from trustworthy witnesses. Lk 1,1-3 (208h) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Personal relationship >> Being the friend of God >> Relationship with God by the Spirit Lk 1-2 (144d) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> The Church bears witness of Jesus >> It bears witness of His word – The word “they” refers to eyewitnesses, the original apostles, who were present at Christ's crucifixion. His disciples were Luke’s source for writing this Gospel. Since he could not query the Lord Himself, he sought those who were with Him from the beginning. These things were not written as opinions but eyewitness accounts, and of course the Gospel of Luke dovetails with the other three gospels, telling a different version with a different emphasis, yet corresponding with them. Jesus was the headwaters of God’s word, who came and spoke the words that His Father had given to Him. Jesus had no opinions; He only testified of His Father. Since these men have taken so many precautions to transcribe the events that occurred, why then are there so many religions in the world and so many denominations in Christianity? Why do people prefer their own opinions over the Scriptures? It is time to bury our opinions and pick up the word of God. (255c) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> God’s word is Spirit >> Jesus is the word of the Spirit >> Jesus is the manifested word of God Lk 1,5-10 (81c) Thy kingdom come >> Prayer >> The priesthood >> Ministering to God – Going back to the Old Testament and reading the Scriptures that pertain to the old covenant priesthood, it was given to the tribe of Levi (hence the Levitical Priesthood). No one else had a right to the priestly office given only to the sons of Aaron. He was the first of Israel's priests, being a Levi and brother of Moses. The priesthood, however, restricted the Levites of other rights that the eleven tribes of Israel enjoyed, such as, the Levites could not be landowners or merchants, nor were they allowed to war; the priesthood was his inheritance from the Lord. Their restrictions were offset by the privilege of the priestly office. It is also true with us; we too are restricted from indulging in sin, but our restrictions are offset by the privilege of knowing God. The modern-day Christian resembles the tribe of Levi, called by God as the Royal Priesthood, and the burning of incense represented prayer. The Golden Altar of Incense was located in front of the Most Holy Place, so the priests had to walk past the seven candlestick Menorah and the Table of Showbread to manage the incense. Its position in front of the Holy of Holies suggests that prayer is the means of entering this mysterious place with God. His presence is the privilege of all His children in the new covenant, further suggesting that new covenant people are a type of high priest, meaning that all are welcome to fellowship with God in the inner sanctum of His temple, and not just once a year but anytime through prayer. Therefore, the Church spiritually represents a single tribe of Israel, the tribe of Levi. Lk 1,5-7 (192g) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Result of putting off the old man >> Gain by losing >> Waiting for God to do it His way >> Being patient to receive something better – The story of Zacharias and Elizabeth sounds similar to Abraham and Sarah waiting for God to open her womb to bear fruit that would result in the glory of all Israel. However, just when it counted most, Zacharias fumbled. He asked the wrong question to the angel of the Lord that came and spoke with him inside the temple while he was performing his priestly duties. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 1,8-20 (203b) Denying Christ >> Dishonor God by your unbelief – People love to make decisions; it’s how most define their freedom, but when Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth, could not conceive a child on their own, they needed a miracle from God, and when God took over, He made the decisions to the point of deciding when she should conceive and what to name the child. It is possible that Zacharias quit praying before this angelic encounter in the temple, yet God honored his request, remembering him and his wife's prayers from years past and had every intension of answering them from their first importune. Since God is eternal, according to his perspective, his answer to prayer was timely, but according to Zacharias and Elizabeth, He was late. Obviously Zacharias moved on and discovered himself ill-prepared. No doubt he was bitter by then, expressing his bitterness to the angel, but the angel was not interested in listening to his bitterness. When the angel spoke to Zacharias it sounded like mockery in his ears instead of music. If we give up, it does not mean that God will never answer our prayers, but it may mean that we will not be able to handle the responsibility of answered prayer. If we pray in faith, God promises to answer our prayers, and faith will be necessary. Lk 1,8-10 (147f) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Divine works of God >> Spiritual manifestations – It says that the whole multitude of people were in prayer outside the temple at the hour of the incense offering. This event occurred in the presence of all Israel, so what happened to Zacharias was not hearsay. God is always careful to make sure there are many witnesses involved in what He does, in order that everything may be confirmed. God never does anything in a corner or in the dark; He never expects us to simply believe Him without proof that what He is saying is true. Lk 1,10-20 (75e) Thy kingdom come >> Motives >> Being manipulative >> Questioning God’s judgment – Zacharias asked the angel, Gabriel, "How shall I know this for certain? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." Compare it with Mary's question to the same angel in verse 34, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" There are many similarities between these two questions, but there is one glaring difference: Zacharias attacked the angel's authority, while Mary merely asked for a scientific explanation into the miracle of the virgin birth. Zacharias was asking for authoritative proof that Gabriel's words were true, as though having a visitation from an angel weren't authoritative enough. His question came from a foolish, unbelieving heart, while Mary's question came purely from curiosity, and Gabriel was more than willing to fill in some of the details about the things that were about to happen to her. Gabriel probably would have thought it strange if Mary hadn't asked any questions. Lk 1,11-20 (15e) Servant >> Angels are messengers from God >> They are sent to impart information – Angels are very effective messengers, since they have power to execute judgment if their message is not believed. Angels sometimes mask their identity to look like people. This can be just as effective when it depends on an internal conviction rather than a visual display to disclose the message. There are two things that are always present in an angelic visitation: fear and the words “fear not.” Therefore, if you have an angelic visitation and you have no fear of him, that is a bad sign because an angel’s presence is apparently fearful. Conversely, if the angel makes you afraid but does not allay your fears, that is just as bad a sign, because it indicates the angel wants you to be afraid. In both cases the angelic visitation shows evidence that he did not come from God, and you should not trust him. Demonic entities want to either flatter you or fill you with fear. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 1-12 (88i) Thy kingdom come >> Fear of God >> Fearing the power of God is the beginning of wisdom Lk 1,13-17 (8f) Responsibility >> Prepare to interact with God >> Law prepares you for the Spirit – John the Baptist was a forerunner for Christ, who paved the way for His ministry. His message was essentially, ‘Get ready because here He comes!’ He carved the mindset into the people of Israel that their messiah was about to make His debut into the world, though Jesus had been with them for nearly thirty years, suggesting that the transformation that took place after His baptism and subsequent anointing cannot be overstated. The ministry of John the Baptist was similar to the ease of relearning something as opposed to learning it for the first time; the knowledge John set in place prior to Jesus’ ministry was like setting off charges in front of a giant icebreaker, so that when the ship hit the ice, it would crack, letting the ship pass. The knowledge had already been seated, so all that was needed was a refresher course, and the knowledge would return. This is what John the Baptist did for the Lord: he taught the people about their coming messiah, so when he came, he had prepared the people’s minds to receive Him. However, as we know Israel did not receive their messiah, but that was neither the fault of Christ nor of John the Baptist, but of the false teachers of Israel leading the people's minds astray. Lk 1-15 (113j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Filled with the Holy Spirit -- This verse goes with verses 40-45 (132j) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> Filled with the Spirit >> Drink in the Spirit – The Bible equates being filled with the Holy Spirit with the effects of drinking alcohol, except instead of dulling the senses, the senses are heightened to the things of God. John the Baptist never drank a drop of wine or liquor in his life. That did not make him better or more righteous than others, but excluded the possibility that he was drunk during his ministry. John's whole purpose and ministry was to introduce Israel to God’s Anointed One, being the translation of the name “Christ”. It was important for John to never know the intoxication of alcohol, so that no one would misconstrue his anointing with being drunk, but more importantly so people would correctly associate his ministry with a pair of men who will come in the last days, the Two Witnesses, one who will have a ministry similar to that of Elijah the prophet, who John the Baptist also emulated. (191a) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Baptism >> Immersed in His Spirit -- This verse goes with verses 40-45 Lk 1-17 (33d) Gift of God >> God is our Father >> Kingdom belongs to the children of God – Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mat 18-3,4). Children are expected to have attitudes of submission and humility. Children are smaller than their parents, who must obey their orders, who need leading and guidance, just like we need God. The ministry of John the Baptist was to help Israel revert to their childhood innocence, back to a time when they had a compliant attitude. The path of righteousness is hard to find, because we are inclined to doing evil. We need spiritual leadership to show us the way, even though in our hearts we think we know better. (59a) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> Spirit of Elijah is coming / John the Baptist was like Elijah – Comparing Elijah with John the Baptist, can we confidently say that Elijah was a forerunner for Israel? Actually no, Elijah's purpose was to restore Israel to faith in their God; he was not a forerunner for anything. Ever since his ministry, though, God has been using Elijah as a forerunner for that which is to come. It says that John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah. This obviously means John the Baptist was not literally Elijah. We know this for certain, but many people believe that Elijah himself must return as one of the two witnesses prophesied in Revelation chapter eleven, even though we have the example of John the Baptist being born and therefore not Elijah himself. Now that we have this example of John the Baptist, it becomes much clearer that someone will come after him in just the same way. That is, the two witnesses will not literally be Moses and Elijah, but will have similar anointings, whose purpose will be to restore the Church to faith in God. As John the Baptist introduced Christ, so the two witnesses will introduce this same Jesus to His millennial kingdom that is shortly to come. (90c) Thy kingdom come >> Keeping the law >> Law is our tutor >> It prepares your heart to receive Christ – John the Baptist was a key component in preparing the way for Christ's ministry. Like ships that travel near the polar regions, John broke the ice as it were for Christ to follow behind him. He prepared people's hearts to receive the message and ministry that Christ brought. John's message revolved around the law, which became the platform of Christ's message and ministry that revolved around faith and love. This indicates that without remaining complicit to the law we cannot believe in God or live for Him. It also indicates that Jesus didn't want to preach about the law and about faith, because it would have confused the people. This way, they were separated into two covenants and two ministries: John preaching the end of the old and Jesus preaching the beginning of the new. Their ministries showed the differences and similarities between law and faith, and showed that one overshadowed the other, so there is no need to follow the law if we follow Christ, since He was the fulfillment of the law. However, the one who refuses to follow Christ has inadvertently chosen to follow the law, and is thus subject to its condemnation whenever the law is broken, because the law never promised to pardon anyone, only to condemn the one who violates it. (95h) Thy kingdom come >> Attitude >> Having an obedient attitude >> Ready to do God’s will KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 1,18-20 (20f) Sin >> Nature of sin >> Seeking a sign – Zacharias didn’t ask the angel why he was in the temple, his very presence indicated that something unusual was happening, since nobody else was authorized to be there, so why did Zacharias doubt the angel? Later, the Pharisees would ask Jesus for a sign, and Jesus told them that there would be no signs given to them for the same reason, because His presence was the sign, suggesting that Jesus’ presence in the flesh was startling to the Pharisees, just as startling as unauthorized personnel in God's temple! The people noticed Zacharias’ delay, so he must have had a lengthy conversation, not a mere brush with an angel. When he finally emerged, the people realized he had seen a vision, for he kept making signs and was unable to speak. (96n) Thy kingdom come >> Having a negative attitude about sin >> Having a rebellious attitude – Zacharias was being foolish, especially since Gabriel met him in the house of the Lord, in the temple, in a place that was holy to the Lord. He assumed that when he entered the temple he would be alone with God. Anyone found loitering in the temple without the authority of the priests was grounds for being stoned to death, so when he saw the angel, he should have known that this was a special encounter. Zacharias couldn’t help expressing his bitterness to the angel, because this is how he had grown accustomed to talking to the Lord. Zacharias was tired of waiting for a son; he quit believing, yet God was gracious to him and answered his prayer anyway, because God is good to us. (167h) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world) >> The carnal mind does not receive the things of God >> It does not believe the word of God – The difference between an angel of God and a demon posing as an angel of light is the difference between a beautiful mountain scene with a crystal clear stream running through it, and a picture of one. We know when we are not standing in front of a mountain scene because the picture is on the wall and we are in the house. So there are things we know that demons try to make us ignore. They want us to think they are real when we know there isn’t a mountain like that within a thousand mile radius of us. It seems a daunting task to deceive someone like this, but the success rate of demons to deceive mankind is amazingly high. People believe lies because they want to believe them. Zacharias talked back to the angel and said to him, “How can I know this for certain…?” In other words, Zacharias asked the angel how he can be sure he was not standing in front of a picture? The angel essentially answered, ‘You idiot, I am standing in the presence of God!’ (181b) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Rebellion >> Rebelling against God >> Rebelling against the witness of God – This was not a good question that Zacharias asked Gabriel, a mulish question laced with doubt. He could have appeared to someone else, but he appeared to Zacharias because he was a good man, yet he questioned the angel’s authority. Even the best of us have doubts. We express our sins to the Lord every day, and He hears us, but this angel was not interested in hearing any of it. This shows how much greater and more compassionate God is than angels. We are supposed to take our sin and doubts and unbelief with us to prayer, only to ask forgiveness for them and for help to rise above them, not to use them to pray. Zacharias was an old man and had been waiting for God a long time, yet the angel did not accept this as a fair excuse for the way he talked back to him. We can remain faithful through long periods, but when the moment finally came to receive answer to his prayers, Zacharias went into self-destruct mode. He still received what he asked, but with a penalty for his doubts. It must have amazed the angle to hear Zacharias say this to him, and notice that Gabriel attached his rebuke to the offending body part that Zacharias used to sin, which was his tongue. It is one thing to talk to his wife about his doubts, but quite another to express his unbelief to the angel. Zacharias essentially said to Gabriel, ‘You made me wait my whole life you jerk,’ but the angel would hear none of it. Once the moment came for his prayers to be answered, that was the time to believe. (199b) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Frustrating the grace of God >> Frustrating Jesus >> Frustrating the Father Lk 1-19,20 (26k) Sin >> Consequences of sin >> Curse >> Deeds that return to the doer >> God’s blessings are a curse if you don’t walk in them (104f) Thy kingdom come >> Pure in heart shall see God >> Shall see the Father >> Being in the presence of God Lk 1-19 (69d) Authority >> Righteous judgment (outcome of discernment) >> Righteous anger >> God is angry at sin – The angel didn't have to think long about Zacharias' response, but judged him promptly for his unbelief. Judgment and discernment are often found together because they are the inverse of each other. The knowledge of the Holy Spirit is a type of judgment in itself. If you are able to judge the truth in a person's heart, we must be careful not to condemn him, but correct him with a gentile spirit and with reverence toward God. Even then it will feel like boulders falling on him. The litmus test of our discernment is whether we can discern both good and evil. If we can only discern evil, then chances are we are merely seeing the reflection of our own sin in another person. Lk 1-20 (214dd) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing transcends our comprehension >> God’s time is none of our business -- This verse goes with verse 35 Lk 1,21-25 (81g) Thy kingdom come >> Pray without ceasing >> Study the word through continuous prayer – Zacharias didn’t have a vision; an angel literally appeared to him (v11). He met with him in the temple while maintaining the incense, representing prayer. God speaks to us either while we are in prayer or because we have been in prayer, but if we pray without ever reading the Bible, then apparently we are praying to a god other than the God of Israel. Both the word of God and prayer are represented in the same room of the Jewish temple of worship; hence, putting these together becomes the foundation upon which we build our relationship with God. In order to get to the Golden Altar of Incense Zacharias had to first walk past the table of showbread, which represents the word of God. That is, Zacharias came across the table of showbread first, meaning God has the Bible in higher priority over prayer, for what good is it to pray to a god we don’t know? The fact that the symbols of the word of God and prayer resided in the same inner room suggests that we pray according to Scripture. What happens if God gives us a vision and we don’t obey it? Look at Zacharias; he became mute! The angel decided if Zacharias was unwilling to believe the angel that he has nothing to say, and that he shouldn’t say anything until the baby was born. God didn’t want to hear his voice again until the promise was fulfilled. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 1-22 (117i) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Seeing visions Lk 1-24,25 (3i) Responsibility >> To the Family >> God addresses both genders >> Women leaders – Elizabeth kept herself in seclusion and dedication to her faith in God for five months and spent day and night in prayer, because of what the Lord had done for her; so when she rejoined her community, she was showing. She wanted to be completely prepared when her son was born to have the capacity to understand what was happening. She was preparing both for her ministry and her son’s. It says that the Lord looked with favor on her, meaning she already had a strong faith in God, and now she was dedicating her life to that faith, trying to understand what God would do with her son, John the Baptist. She was an old woman; she knew she wouldn’t be alive when he became an adult and entered his ministry, and so she wanted to know what God would call him to do. Throughout this five-month period the Lord probably revealed everything to her, and what terminated this five-month prayer closet experience was Mary, the mother of Jesus. Lk 1,26-35 (30j) Gift of God >> He favors you by His gracious choice of you – The angel said something to Mary that is common to all angelic visitations, “Do not be afraid.” Apparently, it is not in the interest of demons to say this. If God sends an angel to you, he will invariably make this statement: “Do not be afraid.” The angel’s gaze supported the things he said to Mary, for Gabriel looked at her with a countenance of absolute faith and confidence as one who knows the presence of God, this essentially lacking in humans. He looked at her in a way that whatever he said would be the truth and she could stake her life on it. Mary’s response to all this was, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord, be it done according to your word.” That is all the angel wanted to hear, then departed. He must have left Mary’s side wishing there were more people like her in the world, a woman so full of faith and understanding about God. The angel just told her that the Holy Spirit was about to overshadow her and she would conceive in her womb a child, and she didn’t give him any guff. Mary’s life dramatically changed and it was such an easy transition for her; she became "the mother of our Lord." It was almost like she was preparing all her life for this. God works with people throughout their lives, weaving the circumstances together to engender a certain result, and the way we interpret our lives plays a part in the working of God to accomplish His purpose, using key people who are full of faith and trust in God. (110g) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Born of the Spirit by the truth >> Conceived by the Spirit of truth – The Father’s plan was executed at the crucifixion of Christ. When He overshadowed Mary and she conceived, the resulting child was the Son of God. The angel’s greeting really got Mary’s attention. He appeared to both her and Zacharias, giving them an opportunity to express their faith. “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” These words coming from an angel of God would get anyone’s attention, like winning the lottery. He spoke very positive words to her, and then Mary replied to the angel with a question, just as Zacharias, only Mary’s query did not involve questioning the angel’s authority as Zacharias did. On the one hand, her question had a similar tone, but there was something intrinsically present in Mary’s question that was lacking in Zacharias, Faith. She asked, “How could this be since I am a virgin?” It was a question of physics, ‘how can I conceive if I have never known a man?’ This is a completely valid question, because it was not based on fear or doubt. Normally, when a man suddenly appears in a woman’s house while she is alone and tells her that she was about to conceive a child, it instills fear, but she had no fear because of the disarming mannerism of the angel, but also because of the exquisite faith that Mary had in her God. Gabriel explained how this was going to happen, adding to Mary’s confidence, which confirmed her faith, being totally vested in the spiritual transaction that would take place within her womb. On the other hand, there was something lacking in Mary that was present in Zacharias – a long history of waiting for God. There was another intrinsic difference between these two; Zacharias was getting his prayers answered, whereas Mary’s visitation was not an answer to prayer. Lk 1,30-35 (64h) Paradox >> Anomalies >> Weaknesses of God >> God subjects himself to human frailty >> His weakness is stronger than men – Gabriel’s answer to Mary's question became the great revelation regarding the person of Jesus Christ. From this point she was called the Virgin Mary, though she had other children by natural means through Joseph, but her first-born was conceived before she knew a man. God Himself overshadowed her, causing her to conceive, so the offspring had the genetic makeup of our heavenly Father. He wasn’t half-God/half-man; that is not how genetics works. One side of His face did not look like His Father and the other side like His mother. Genetics is an amalgamation of genetic material from the father and the mother, a mixing of information from both parents. This yields a different result each time, producing siblings with different characteristic from the same parents. This is because of the way the male and female chromosomes combine to form a new organism, being unique in each case. Therefore, Jesus was not half God and half man, but totally human as a result of His mother and totally God as a result of His Father. This suggests something unique did happen in Mary’s womb. Jesus' Father was not human, and therefore many traits He inherited from Him could not mix with complementary traits from His mother, because she lacked them. Being totally human and totally divine are equally critical to our understanding of the Son of God. The fact that God's DNA meshed with Mary's proves that man was truly created in the image of God. The Father was no doubt caring for the way the two chromosomes combined to create the first cell (zygote) that became the fetus that became the child, who became the man Christ Jesus. The Catholics have visited this subject more than any other religious group; they tried to comprehend who was Jesus Christ in the flesh and came to many of the same conclusions. Was he truly human? Their answer was a resounding ‘Yes!’ Was He divine? Their answer was a resounding ‘Yes!’ He was exactly both, the only divine man who ever lived in fallen, human flesh, yet without sin. His whole life was a paradox in the sense that he never committed a sin, though he lived in a body of sinful flesh. (75g) Thy kingdom come >> Motives >> Being manipulative >> Questioning God from a good heart – Mary questioned the angel from a good heart. Her question could be thus translated, ‘Are you going to send some guy to me I don’t know?’ The angel’s answer has raised implications that have bemused mankind to this day. (141c) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Old Testament bears witness to the new >> It bears witness to Jesus >> Prophesy about Jesus’ ministry >> Jesus as the Son of God – Jesus’ title, Son of God, is by far the most important three words in the Bible. The angel said, “For this reason the holy child shall be called the Son of God.” For this reason, alludes to the Most High overshadowing Mary, resulting in conception, though she had never known a man. Moreover, Hebrews compared Jesus to a man called Melchizedek, Heb 6-19,20, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” In the next chapter it says this Melchizedek had neither father nor mother nor genealogy, “Having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually” (Heb 7-3). We know Jesus had a mother (Mary), so we can’t say he didn’t have genealogy, though He lacked genealogy from His Father, and so this becomes a half-truth. How can the writer of Hebrews say that Jesus was without genealogy? He can because it says He was “made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.” Essentially what the writer of Hebrews was saying is that He wasn’t conceived like a regular person, but suddenly appeared in Mary’s womb, Jesus Christ who also appeared to Abraham, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” They asked Him how He could meet Abraham, and He answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am” (Jn 8,56-58). This is what Hebrews is saying about Melchizedek that He has always existed throughout past eternity, so this term Son of God did not have its origins as the son of Mary but before that, hinting at one of the great mysteries of the Bible. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 1-30 (23m) Sin >> Poverty (Oppression) >> Fear of the unknown >> Fear the appearance of angels – The angel told Mary not to be afraid. The angel did not want Mary to be afraid of him, because fear is the opposite of God. Therefore, when angels show themselves to people for the purpose of advancing the administration of God, they always give as their salutation this phrase, “Do not be afraid.” The fact that angels always say this suggests that their presence evokes fear, meaning they are clearly not of this world. They may have similar anatomy, but a simple observation would reveal that they are bathed in the glory of God, and there may be other aspects about them and around them that are unusual. If we think everything unusual is a threat, imagine how babies must view the world when they are first born and everything is foreign and unusual to them. It is hardwired in us to think the things we don't understand are a threat. The human body is immersed in weakness; perceiving the unknown as a threat is the body’s defense mechanism to keep us safe. (30e) Favor With God (Key verse) (57c) Paradox >> Opposites >> The more you love the less you fear – Paul said that demons pose as angels of light, and fear belongs to Satan, but the angel appeared to Mary for the purpose of advancing the Kingdom of God. For Mary to be afraid of him would have been counterproductive, so the angel allayed her fears before proceeding with his message. The angel said, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” To hear an angel tell us this would go a long way to allay our fears. Neither Mary nor anyone else in the Bible who saw an angel ever questioned whether it was a demon posing as an angel of light. Therefore, when we see a genuine angel, we will know it. If we see a demon, we may not be able to identify it as such, because they are deceitful; so if there are any doubts, don’t trust the vision. If it is a demon, it will appeal to our fleshly weakness to believe a lie and attempt to flatter us or fill us with fear, but a real angel would not do this. It may have been flattering for Mary to hear that she has found favor with God, but his appearance and his words, “Do not be afraid,” identified him as God's messenger. Lk 1,31-35 (253e) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Father >> Jesus has all the internal qualities of the Father >> Jesus is the Son of God >> Declared the Son of God by angels and believers Lk 1-32,33 (243o) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> There shall be no end to His increase >> He shall reign forever and ever – Most people will interpret this phrase, "No end to his kingdom", to mean an eternal kingdom, which is true, but in light of other passages in the Bible, there is room to say that it also refers to an infinite kingdom. Lk 1-33 (243f) The Eternal Kingdom Of God (Key verse) Lk 1-35 (214dd) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing transcends our comprehension >> God’s time is none of our business -- This verse goes with verse 20. It was time for God to stand from His glorious throne and do a work which man would not understand even if it were described to him. Nobody told God when it was time to go to work. When God sowed His seed in Mary and she conceived a child through the Holy Spirit, that moment was most holy to the Lord, not just the conception and not just the child born to her but the moment itself was holy. God considers the times in which He works to be holy. When Jesus’ disciples asked Him about the times and epochs, they never got an answer. Jesus said in some cases that He didn’t know, but in other cases He flatly denied their request, one of the few instances this happened, simply because God’s time is none of our business. God is eternal; He has always existed and He always will, and He has all the time anyone could possibly imagine, yet He is very stingy with it, knowing we would orchestrate our lives around the events, partying until the very last minute and then repenting just in time. (254f) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is the life of the Spirit >> Jesus is the substance of God’s life >> Jesus is the manifestation of God’s life – There is one major distinction between us and Jesus, and that is the fact that we have a human soul, whereas the soul of Christ was the Spirit of God. We born-again Christians consist of a body, a soul and the Holy Spirit, whereas Jesus consisted of just body and Spirit; that is, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was born with Him as His soul. For this reason Jesus was able to know the thoughts of God in a way that we never will. Not even in heaven will we be able to discern the thoughts of God like Jesus will, because the Spirit of God within us is diluted with our own spirit. When we are born-again, the Holy Spirit takes residence in our hearts and mixes with our soul to become one Spirit with Him (1Cor 6-17). From that point we are capable of knowing the thoughts of God, but we will never have the intimacy that Jesus has with His Father, because the spirit we use to interface with God is a mixture of ourselves and Him, and in this life we are tainted by our sinful nature, whereas Jesus’ Spirit was pure, nor did He ever commit a sin in His flesh. See also: Jesus Christ (His spirit is the Spirit of God); Jn 14-10; 254i Lk 1-36,37 -- No Entries Lk 1-38 (12i) Servant >> Attitude of a bondservant – This is a perfect example of how important it is to bring balance to the scriptures. We know that Catholics worship Mary, "The mother of God," and she is rightly so, though she is not to be worshiped. However, because the Catholics worship her, the other religions swing the pendulum the other way and rarely mention her at all, which is almost equally wrong. I think Protestants have missed out on some amazing truth about Mary by ignoring her, mainly that she was truly a faithful servant of the Lord. Notice that she never doubted the angle of the Lord when he spoke to her about bearing the Son of God. This was a tremendous act of faith on her part that we often forget because she made it look so easy. She simply believed God at His word, which is what faith is all about. The Scriptures do not reveal her as a screw up, though she was not perfect, she was one who was truly pure in heart. Lk 1,39-45 (107j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> The Church is of the truth >> God’s people can discern the truth – John the Baptist could discern the presents of Jesus before he was born, and note also that the fetus used his mother's ears to hear, though we don't know if this is the case with every pregnancy. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 1,40-45 (113j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Filled with the Holy Spirit -- These verses go with verse 15. There is clearly a spiritual as well as a physical connection between Mary, Elizabeth and their fetuses, which has something to say about the anointings that will drive the ministries of these two men later in their adult lives, and has something to say about God’s plan to use them in very specialized ways to change the world. (191a) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Baptism >> Immersed in His Spirit -- These verses go with verse 15. When John came to full knowledge of the truth, the anointing continually led him into the ways of the Lord and into the mind of Christ and prepared him to reveal the Son of God to the world, and to blaze the trail ahead of Christ. The truth was second nature to John the Baptist, because the Holy Spirit was with him from the very beginning of his life. Lk 1-43,44 (135j) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Sins of the body >> Abortion >> God loves the fetus >> The fetus is a living person – What Elizabeth heard had a direct affect on the fetus she was carrying in her womb. The question is: did it have to do with Elizabeth’s faith in God regarding Mary and the interplay between mother fetus, or did the sound of Mary’s voice from the outside world affect the child? What I’m asking is, did Elizabeth’s body release certain chemicals associated with her faith in God, triggering a response from the anointing that God had already bestowed upon little John the Baptist, or was she a passive spectator in the middle of two anointings communicating with each other? The answer is both the faith of Elizabeth and the special person in her womb that came prepackaged with an anointing reacted to Mary’s voice. How could a fetus leap in its mother’s womb for joy? This happened long before John the Baptist could know anything. It wasn’t John leaping in Elizabeth’s womb but his anointing, the spirit of Elijah. This demonstrates that his anointing was inextricably grafted to him, conjoined as it were from the very beginning, so the Holy Spirit was doing the work of John the Baptist even before he was born. Lk 1,46-48 (173a) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Catholicism >> Scripture that contradicts the catholic faith >> Relationship between Jesus and His mother >> Jesus is our savior, not Mary – Elizabeth called Mary “the mother of my Lord.” God was the Lord of Elizabeth, and Jesus is God cloaked in human flesh. The Catholics got this one right, calling Mary ‘the mother of God.’ How they mean it, though, is not right, for when Mary said, “All generations will count me blessed,” the Catholic Church has gone too far and has worshipped Mary and even prays to her. Mary in every sense was one of the great people of this world, but in no way has God ever called anyone to worship another person other than Christ. He taught us to pray in His name, not Mary’s. On a limited basis we can say that Mary was literally the mother of God, only on physical terms. In 1Cor 15-50 Paul said, “…flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God…” Therefore, Mary’s role as the mother of God has ceased. She is not considered the mother of God in eternity, for in heaven she is just another beneficiary of Jesus’ blood sacrifice. That does not make her any less one of the great women of the Bible, but she doesn’t have the status that the Catholics give her, for they teach that Mary is just one step below Jesus, which is ludicrous; Mary was just as much a sinner as the rest of us. Even as a righteous woman, who believed in God her whole life, she still is a sinner. She needed Jesus to forgive her with the rest of us. (176k) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> False doctrine >> Extremes >> Truth is never found in your thinking on either extreme of any subject – We know that the Catholic Church has raised up Mary as an idol and has carved statues and prayed to her, and we know that these things are not the will of God. It is idolatry. The Protestant Church does not worship Mary or pray to her, which is admirable, but does the Protestant Church count her blessed? Can we give Mary the honor that she deserves? Talk to most Protestants about Mary and they will shy away from any discussion about her, thinking that she is off-limits because of how the Catholic Church has unduly glorified her. Protestants largely overlook Mary; for some don’t even want to mention her name, but this is not how we interpret Scripture. We don’t go to the opposite extreme of those we know are wrong, because the truth isn’t there either. The truth is almost always in the middle, and it is always in the Scriptures, and this passage says, that all succeeding generations will count her blessed, and if we don’t count her blessed, then we must ask why not. We will need to find the middle road, obviously not the road of Catholicism that worships her and certainly not the road that ignores her. When we recognize Mary as one of the great women of the Bible, chosen to carry the Son of God, to deliver Him and then raised Him from a baby to a man, realms of truth comes cascading our way. Mary and Joseph influenced Jesus just like all parents influence their children. God the Father made sure His Son was born to good people who raised Him right. (234b) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> Seeking the glory of His favor – Mary knew her name would be immortalized in the manuscripts that would follow the events that were sure to occur concerning her firstborn son. She was a godly young woman full of faith, and for this reason God chose her to bear His Son. Godliness was a simple matter of following her conscience and doing what she knew was right, and placing the proper emphasis on all aspects of her life. She had a zeal for God that led to devote her life to the truth, and God tested her by the very child that she conceived, having become pregnant without ever knowing a man. Lk 1-48 (77h) Thy kingdom come >> Tapping into the power of God through humility >> The high position of a humble servant – God selected Mary from the many Jewish women who came from the tribe of Levi. This was a prophecy that Mary spoke, using phrases that the Old Testament used, such as, “My soul exalts the Lord.” That sounds like something from the Psalms, and “God our savior” is a phase Paul used six times, which also originated from the Old Testament. Mary was an Old Testament believer, and the child within her would inaugurate a new covenant in His own blood, and so we could say that Mary was the pivotal point between old and new covenants. Lk 1-49,50 -- No Entries KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 1,51-55 (61f) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> God’s people give birth to Christ—Israel (to Bethlehem’s baby) / the Church (to His second coming) – Some people do things for God that has limited effect, hoping He will accept their offering, but Israel has done things for God that He specifically wanted them to do, so that His acceptance is intrinsic to their work, and He uses them to minister to every person on the planet. This cannot be said about any other people or nation. Lk 1,51-53 (49a) Judgment >> Nations are destroyed >> Israel judged as an example for us (56j) Paradox >> Opposites >> He who exalts himself shall be humbled – It is impossible to overstate the ministry of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in giving birth to the Son of God, Jesus, the person who is responsible for everything that exists. It says that in one day God created the great expanse, and then He devoted another whole day to creating the earth, putting just as much time and effort into this one planet as He did to the rest of the universe, no wonder life doesn’t exist anywhere else in the cosmos. Everything we see and know, felt and heard, God has made through the child that would be born to Mary. (57d) Paradox >> Opposites >> God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble – Mary’s exhortation was about the Old Testament God of Israel regarding all the things that are written about Him in their ancient manuscripts by Moses and the other prophets, how He delivered His people, humbled kings and nations and exalted Israel, his servant. He was kind to the poor and gave the rich what they deserved for disregarding the poor, and He has given help to Israel in remembrance of His mercy. All these things that Mary spoke about God applied also to the fetus that was growing in her womb, for the child that would be born to her was the same person who did all these things. Her baby was Israel’s God, the God of heaven, who sits on His lofty throne beside His Father, whose name is I AM. The Father never does anything without His son but performs all His works through Him, who in turn has delegated all His authority to His creation. This is how God has always worked, and He will forever continue this way. For this reason His name is the Word of God, whose speech enables the Father to perform His works through Him, thus establishing a witness and a testimony of Himself, so all of creation can see and believe in the Father through the Son. Lk 1-51 (22n) Sin >> Pride comes before a fall Lk 1-53 (249e) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Wealth >> True perception of wealth >> Do not trust the carnal perception of wealth >> Do not depend on wealth Lk 1-56 -- No Entries Lk 1,57-64 (77m) Thy kingdom come >> Being Humble Before God >> Exalting God through humility – Throughout Elizabeth's pregnancy Zacharias could not speak, because he used his mouth foolishly when he spoke to the angel. Zacharias knew he was an angel based on his appearance and by the fact that no one was allowed in the temple but him while he dressed the incense, removing the ashes and adding more to the Golden Altar of Incense that resided in front of the curtain draping the entrance to the Most Holy Place. Zacharias actually back-talked the angel questioning his authority. His eminence proved that what he was saying was true. There was no reason for Zacharias to doubt the angel; he had no defense; he spoke and then regretted it, but then he repented and God returned his voice, and he used it to glorify God. Lk 1-62 (63h) Paradox >> Anomalies >> Sarcasm >> Ignoring the truth to convey the truth – The angel of the Lord, when he was displeased with Zacharias, did not say that he would become deaf but said, “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” (v20). The angel determined that Zacharias didn’t need his mouth to speak during the pregnancy, so he muted him, though he could hear just fine, yet his pushy, nosy neighbors wrote on tablets to communicate with him. We tend to communicate with people in ways they communicate with us. Lk 1-63,64 (114e) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Obeying the Holy Spirit >> Obeying the revelation from heaven >> Obeying the revelation by putting away the flesh – We see that the angelic host was in control of the ministry of Christ from the very beginning, starting with John the Baptist. They were in the background always maintaining the circumstances and guaranteeing all things go as planned. Once the time came eight days after birth to circumcise the child, the parents were ready to give him a name among the sons of Israel (v59). For Zacharias and Elizabeth there was nothing to discuss. They never conferred with each other about the name of their baby, because they already knew his name even before his conception, given by the angel, and since the angels named him John, how angelic was John's ministry? Relatives, friends and neighbors attempted to name the child themselves after his father, but their thinking was not in line with God's plan. Lk 1-65,66 (221e) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world >> God hides from the mind of man >> He hides the truth from man’s understanding – All the people were in great anticipation as to what kind of person John the Baptist would become, but after so many years had past people tended to forget. It was decades until John’s ministry finally began, but he made the wilderness his home, so he wasn’t even around to remind them of the ministry that would one-day surface. Conversely, Mary tried to conceal the peculiarity of her conception, and for this reason she and Joseph were quickly married, so no one could do the math and discover Mary’s secret. On the one hand, everyone anticipated what would come of John, though he hid from their ignorance, and on the other hand no one suspected anything from Jesus, yet He proved to be the Messiah. Therefore, God calls His prophets when people’s expectations are lowest. He likes to catch people off guard, but those who are faithful in Christ know what is coming and are never surprised, because they have their eyes trained on heaven with an ear to the ground and can hear what the Spirit is saying. Lk 1-65 (88g) Thy kingdom come >> Fear of God >> Fearing God's judgment is the beginning of wisdom >> Fear the consequences of your disobedience KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 1,67-79 (46e) Judgment >> Spiritual warfare >> Subjecting your flesh >> Being fearless in battle – The age of grace was meant as a time of peace for Christians, whom God would never call to war, unlike Israel during the Old Testament. In that age God used Israel as a club to bludgeon the nations who served other gods, who did not know the ways of the Lord or His laws, who corrupted the earth by serving demons, polluting the human gene pool and the earth itself, spilling innocent blood. Their hearts had turned to stone beyond correction, their sinful ways contagious, unchecked would have spread throughout the world to every nation and taken over God’s creation to establish hell on earth. God’s vision of Israel was a band of mercenaries designed to destroy those who were destroying the earth. Instead of God taking matters into His own hands like he did in Noah’s day, He worked with Israel, raising up Abraham first, who became the father of His mighty nation, which later fell under bondage to the Egyptians. God delivered them with a mighty hand, hardening pharaoh’s heart and then judging him more severely, dealing out retribution for the cries of faith that bleated in His ears during the centuries of their enslavement, pioneering for Israel a reputation they would take to the inhabitants of Canaan, their promise land, invoking fear in their enemies before they uprooted them. In stark contrast, after using Israel to smite the nations, God sent His Son to die on a cross as a means of forgiving sin for the cause of peace in hope of leading the course of man by his heart instead of by the sword, as a shepherd instead of as an adjudicator. God has salted the earth with the gospel of Christ, written in His own blood. Those who would take the truth into the world seek to preserve the human race. God built a Church and laid a foundation of mercy through His Son that they might live in peace with one another and become an example to the world of God’s greatness and glory, but in these last days, man’s heart has turned back to stone. There is nothing else God can do, which will ultimately precipitate the fulfillment of endtime prophecy, along with all the horror that is predicted, because man has lost his fear of God. See also: Great Endtime Revival (Jews will manage the gospel) Two Witnesses - God's Adjudicators; Jm 5-17,18; 151e Lk 1,67-75 (29e) Gift of God >> God is our advocate >> Delivered from wicked rulers – “You shall be called the prophet of the Most High.” Zacharias got this from the angel who spoke to him in the temple. Zacharias is voicing the hope of Israel in their Messiah come to deliver them from their enemies, whereas his own son, John the Baptist, was a prophet who will contradict many of the things Zacharias was saying here. Contrary to this hope, John will be introducing the savior, not of Israel only, but of the entire world, who will kick off a 2000-year age of grace that the scholars of Israel completely missed in their Old Testament writings. Once Jesus entered His ministry, the people expected Him to save them from their enemies, the Romans, but Jesus was commissioned to save mankind from their greatest enemy, sin. Jesus intends to grant the people’s hope one day, articulated in Zacharias' exhortation, “salvation from our enemies,” fulfilling it at the end of the age, 2000 years later, establishing His millennial reign. Zacharias was incognizant of the coming age of grace, which temple worship was designed to illustrate, that the Levitical priesthood had practiced since God instituted it in the days of Moses. In fact, Zacharias was busying himself with these things during his encounter with the angel. It is not surprising that he overlooked such a significant era, since he hadn’t been seeking the Lord with his whole heart in response to God deferring his prayers for a son. It is also not surprising that the entire nation of Israel had overlooked God’s plan to sacrifice their Messiah with their own hands; it was virtually impossible to wrap our heads around such a thing. Who in their right mind would lay hands on the Prince of Peace? Jesus' cross illustrates what sin does to people. Lk 1-74,75 (29e) Gift of God >> God is our advocate >> Delivered from wicked rulers Lk 1,76-79 (149j) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Authority of the rhema given to evangelism >> Being prepared by God personally Lk 1-78,79 (112c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Light >> Jesus’ light overcomes darkness >> The light of His truth (119k) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Curse of sin is broken >> Curse of ignorance is broken (184e) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Darkness >> God controls darkness >> Darkness is the absence of light Lk 1-80 -- No Entries _________________________________ LUKE CHAPTER 2 KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 2,1-20 (221a) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world >> God hides from man’s ignorance >> God hides from those who are not looking for Him -- These verses go with verses 40-52. It is ironic that Jesus came to show us a better way, born in a manger. He was born in the place of animals, while the noble-minded stayed in the motel. There were practical reasons for being born in a stable; for one, it didn’t attract attention. Only those whom God directed knew where to look for Him. Those who would search for Him to destroy Him would look in king’s palaces and consult people in high places. The humble setting of the birth of our Lord was quaint, the infant child lying in His mother’s arms with hay built around her, the cattle bowing for a better look and the shepherds entering with joy of heart. At Christmas time reminiscing our Lord, we know that no matter what circumstances may befall us, there is always reason for joy. The rich and powerful, the governors who lived in luxurious homes slept in their beds that night, incognizant of the evening’s miracle. Only the lowliest of society were invited by angels; those who tended sheep entered a familiar odor with livestock where they found the will of God in an enchanted stable. To this day only the lowliest of society come and visit their king in His infancy through the recognition of Christmas. We can find the will of God in some of our own barn-like situations, dire places, where God may lead us, places with hope and potential for miracles and love. The magi later found Jesus too, the three wise men. What made them wise was not their uncanny knowledge that someone significant was being born or their success in locating the child, but after seeing the child and laying their gifts at His feet, they did not report Him to their king who wanted to destroy Him. Only God could protect something so delicate and valuable as the baby Jesus in a world of evil that wanted to rid itself of His perfection and beauty. Lk 2,1-7 (37e) Judgment >> Judgment of God >> Jesus’ humanity >> He was part of the lineage of David – In Lk 20,41-44 Jesus made this statement: “‘How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son?’ For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’ Therefore David calls Him Lord, and how is He His son?" Jesus admitted He was a son of David, though Joseph was not His real father, who was from the house of David. Joseph made Jesus’ lineage appear unbroken, though it was indeed broken by His real Father, who was not from the bloodline of David at all, but was in fact David’s creator, trumping Joseph's input! Nevertheless, the Scriptures give Jesus the bloodline of David, a descendant from the tribe of Judah (Heb 7-14), making us conclude that Jesus received this status by proxy through his stepfather. Why is Jesus’ genealogical line important? His lineage identifies Him as the son of man, so we know about his physical origins. He didn’t simply appear from nowhere, so it seems. It is ironic that the Bible takes such great pains to document the bloodline of Christ dating all the way back to Adam in an unbroken genealogical chain, but then is broken at His own conception, rendering His bloodline seemingly irrelevant. It is relevant though, in that if He weren't the Son of God, He would have been Joseph's son, who came from the root of David. Mary was from the tribe of Levi; we know this because her cousin Elizabeth was a Levite (Lk 1-5), and it was customary for Israelites to marry within their respective tribes (Num 36,6-9). This would be particularly true in Mary's case in that God would have chosen someone to be the mother of His Son whose lineage complemented Israel's marriage laws. However, this only extends the irony, literally giving Jesus priestly blood through Mary, befitting His role as the Great High Priest (Heb 10-7). However, instead of having Davidic royalty through Joseph, our Great High Priest, came in the Order of Melchizedek - on the basis of "an indestructible life" and not on the basis of the Levitical priesthood. That is, Jesus descended from Judah legally through Joseph, biologically through Mary and literally through Almighty God. Lk 2,1-5 (87k) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Obey authorities – There was no point in taking a census in places on the earth where nobody lived. The fact that Caesar ordered a census of the inhabited earth was essentially polling his entire kingdom, meaning that Rome controlled the whole world during the time of Christ. Jesus, who will become king of the inhabited earth during the Millennium, was born into a Roman world empire. He disallowed his kingship to infringe on Caesar’s kingdom then, but at His second coming, He will find Rome in control of the inhabited earth again, and this time He will impose His kingship on the Roman empire to establish His millennial reign on earth, which will extend into eternity. The Bible teaches that the millennium is the beginning of Christ's eternal kingdom, after which He will create the new heavens and the new earth, where His kingdom will resume, and it will reflect the characteristics of His millennial kingdom, except that sin will be done-away and there will be no need for a rod of iron to rule His kingdom. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 2,5-20 (39l) Judgment >> The essence of life defeated the essence of death – Satan was destined to fail at the very onset of Christ's birth. Being frightened by a little baby in swaddling clothes; the devil used King Herod to kill all the male children in Bethlehem two years old and under in an attempt to destroy the child (Mat 2-16). He knew he had a better chance of defeating Him as a baby than to let Him grow up and contend with Him as a man. Satan also knew that God was protecting the child, and that any efforts to destroy Him would invariably end in failure. So in his heart Satan knew that when Christ appeared in the flesh as the son of Mary, at that instant he was doomed! God sent His Son to the earth not only wrapped in swaddling clothes, but also in our sinful nature to fight a war between His perfect spirit and His fallible body (Heb 4-15). He appeared vulnerable to Satan, who rules the world through man's flesh, who has a running track record of deceiving the hearts of men at his own whimsical discretion. When he failed to trick Jesus during His temptations in the desert to use the power of God for His own selfish purposes, Satan deceived himself and killed Him anyway. God, through His eternal plan, lured Satan, the so-called master of deception, into the trap of his own deceit and tricked him through his own blinding hate to lay his hands on Christ, who never once bowed His knee to Satan's power. Jd-6 says, "Angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day." NASB When Satan reached out and touched the perfect Son of God, he crossed over a spiritual line; that is, he abandoned his proper abode (Jd-6) and interpolated his power where there was no sin, and thus forfeiting his position as guardian of the law of sin and death among those who would believe in Jesus’ sacrifice as atonement for their sin. Satan has only two modes of operation: deception and murder. When deception failed, he had only one weapon left. His initial rebellion in heaven caught up with him when his own darkness blinded his eyes to the consequences of approaching the cross of God's holy Messiah, the apple of His eye. The substance of evil that invokes waywardness in the world died when he strayed from his own empire of darkness and touched the embodiment of life and righteousness, the antithesis of his own nature. 1Cor 1-25 says, "The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." Jesus in His greatest weakness not only overpowered the devil, but even beat him at his own game. (This was an excerpt from the book Temple of God Made without Hands.) Lk 2,8-16 (32a) Gift of God >> God is our Father >> Grace >> God’s grace seeks man – The shepherds went with great joy, knowing they were chosen of God to witness this wonderful event and found the child laying in a manger just as the angels had told them, knowing before they set eyes on Him that this was an exceptional night and what they were going to see was of great importance. Their story was recorded for all generations after them to read and rejoice with them in their moment, and it all began with the statement, “Do not be afraid.” If we can allay our fears, we too can go search for the Christ-child, who dwells in every believer and find Him peacefully resting and awaiting our attention. Lk 2,9-11 (125e) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Joy is the result of partaking of the Holy Spirit >> Joy of the revelation of Jesus Christ – The angel said, “Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people…” Where did that joy go? Look at the world today; it is in so much turmoil, and there are so few people serving the Lord. Have we become so sophisticated that we no longer need such a person as Jesus born in a manger? We want all the pomp and circumstances and to be materialistic; we want all the conveniences of life and be comforted day and night. We want this world to give us everything we have, but Jesus came to give us something better, the forgiveness of sin and the hope of eternal life. Lk 2-9 (215j) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> Suddenly >> The Kingdom of Heaven appears suddenly >> Angels appear without warning -- This verse goes with verse 13 Lk 2-10 (23m) Sin >> Poverty (Oppression) >> Fear of the unknown >> Fear the appearance of angels – This is the Christmas story when the angels appeared to the shepherds and told them of our Christmas child, and they went and found Him just as the angels said. The angels preceded their message with the words, “Do not be afraid.” The angels of God have evoked fear in everyone to whom they have appeared, but have always told them not be afraid; they do not want people to fear them, because fear is the tactic of Satan. If Satan can make us afraid, he has us in the palm of his hand, and can do whatever he wants. 1Pet 3-6 says, “You have become [Sarah's] children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear,” suggesting there are some things that simply invoke fear as a knee-jerk reaction in our flesh, but we don’t need to be frightened. We may feel fear, but we can train our minds through the Holy Spirit to walk in the light of Christ instead of fear's darkness. Whenever an angel tells someone not to be afraid, they suddenly quit being afraid. Their encouragement calms our physiological reaction to fear, and studying the angel’s face, they notice there is no fear in him. When they see he has no fear, they realize their divine appointment is non-threatening. The angel's expression in conjunction with his salutation is calming, allowing the angel to impart his message. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 2-12 (147f) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Divine works of God >> Spiritual manifestations – The angels told the shepherds that the sign would be a woman given birth to a newborn son lying in a manger. The child was more than a sign; He was the very substance of their query. Had the angels not told them to look for him, they would have overlooked Him, just like so many people today. The unbelief in the world today would blow off such an angelic visitation as an aberration or perhaps a spoonful too much porridge. When the shepherds discovered Mary and Joseph and their son, they knew He was more than another child born into the world, but one of prominence proven by the authority of angels. Nowadays, for angels to put people in pursuit of a query would have to offer them a treasure map to a pot of gold; then they would go to the ends of the earth in search of it with every waking minute, but to look for a baby born in a stable, forget it. The fact that it is lying in a manger means that it was born to poor people, and why would they want to see a poor person’s baby? Now if it were born to royalty, they might find their way into a gated community and knock on the castle door in hope of gaining notoriety with prestigious people, but what would they expect to gain from finding Jesus? The shepherds had faith in the angel’s message. This was a great mystery the shepherds wanted to explore, knowing when they found their treasure, they would not be disappointed. Lk 2-13 (215j) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> Suddenly >> The Kingdom of Heaven appears suddenly >> Angels appear without warning -- This verse goes with verse 9 Lk 2-14 (38b) Judgment >> Blood of Jesus >> God judged man through the blood of His son – Looking back to the Old Testament it doesn’t appear that God was very pleased with mankind in that His solution to sin was always to destroy the offending nations. During the flood He destroyed all of mankind except a single family of eight people. When He saw that the world was going the way of Noah’s day again, He would have do something, so He raised up Israel as His mercenary nation which He used to smite the nations. The Bible speaks of the Nephilim in the days of Noah, described as men of renown, and living in the land of promise during Israel's day prior to sending them to cleanse their land of wickedness, indicating that the Nephilim are a sign of God’s impending judgment. The common interpretation of them is: the outcome of demons having relations with women. They could also be the giants of the philistines. The land was covered in innocent blood and people worshipped demons, so it is surprising to hear that God was pleased with mankind. What was the angel really saying here? God was pleased with man as He viewed us through the cross. For those who would believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and receive His Holy Spirit as a pledge of their eternal inheritance, God said He was pleased with them. Lk 2,15-20 (14l) Servant >> Ministry of helps >> Helpers fill in the gaps >> Messengers help in communications Lk 2-16 (253cc) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Father >> Jesus has all the external qualities of the Father >> Outward appearance of Jesus Christ – We have heard many wonderful insights about the incarnation of Christ regarding God's willingness to become a man. Since then man has never been the same, but has anyone thought about the permanent changes this has caused God? The Bible teaches that the Son of God has always existed but never mentioned in what form, but we now know His form. Jesus went to heaven in a man’s body, and He remains in that form to this day and will remain forever in the form of man, but that was not His form before the incarnation. We also know that man was made in the image of God (Genesis 1-26), but the incarnation made God in the image of man. Both man and God since the creation have grown closer together to become one. That is, the little baby in swaddling clothes lying in a manger permanently identified the Son of God literally as a human being. Prior to Mary’s conception of Christ, He was more like God and less like man, but now He is more like man and still as much God. When He humbled Himself to our status, He became one of us, which was not true before His conception. There is a verse that hints at this: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich” (2Cor 8-9). This is really a great verse in that it speaks of a blending of attributes to show that God has become like us so we might become like Him. See also: Jesus Christ became like us that we might become like Him; 1Cor 6-16,17; 61b Lk 2-19 (82f) Thy kingdom come >> Three elements of prayer >> Our approach >> Meditation -- This verse goes with verse 33. “Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart,” referring to Jesus and all the things that people were saying about Him. She received visitations from angels, who told her that she was chosen above all the women in Israel, that she would be the one to bear God’s Son and raise Him to adulthood, and it says that she believed the Lord. We include what we believe into our perception of reality, whether it be true or not. We can believe a lie, and it becomes part of our reality, and it usually turns against us. This is the reason God wants us to dedicate our lives to His word, so we believe the truth. Whatever we believe, we act on it; and if we don’t act on it, it proves we don’t really believe it. When the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary that she would raise the Son of God, Mary believed him. She didn’t doubt it later but continued believing, so when these things came to pass, she understood what was happening, because she had incorporated the angel’s message into her life, and for this reason she was able to properly interpret the things that were happening to her and around her. The most amazing thing about Mary, she became pregnant without knowing a man, and it became the proof that she would use for the rest of her life that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, and she meditated on the things she believed. Lk 2,21-24 (90d) Thy kingdom come >> Keeping the law >> Law is our tutor >> It takes Jesus’ place until He arrives -- These verses go with verses 39,40. Every firstborn male was holy to the Lord for Jesus’ sake. When it was finally turn for Him to be firstborn through Mary, the law, which was given thousands of years earlier and millions of firstborn males preceding Him, made Jesus holy to the Lord according to Israel's Law, in addition to being the son of man and the Son of God. Lk 2-21 (190h) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Circumcision >> Circumcision is a sign of obedience >> Circumcision is a sign of believing – They didn’t officially name the child until He was circumcised, suggesting that circumcision identified the boy as an Israelite, and outside circumcision the child had no identity. This was the significance of circumcision to an Israelite. The New Testament teaches circumcision as the old covenant sign of faith (obedience); God commanded it of Abram, after which He renamed him Abraham. It was God’s pledge to Israel that they were His people and it was Israel's pledge to God that they would obey Him according to the Law of Moses. He was circumcised first, and then they gave Him the name Jesus. He was of Hebrew origin and a child of Abraham of the house of David, the son of man according to his mother and the Son of God according to His Father, but the fact remains that Jesus' identity was set by the Father before He was conceived in the womb. Furthermore, the moment the angel spoke His name in Mary’s ear His identity was sanctified in His mother’s heart. To Israel Jesus’ identity began at His circumcision, to His mother at his conception, and to God He existed in eternity past. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 2-22 (104f) Thy kingdom come >> Pure in heart shall see God >> Shall see the Father >> Being in the presence of God Lk 2,25-34 (106f) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Attaining the hearing ear >> When He speaks and what He says – When Jesus was born, they took him into the temple to be circumcised, and Simeon was there to meet Him. The Lord told him to rendezvous in the temple and there he would meet the one he had been seeking his whole life, and he was not disappointed though Jesus was just a baby. He totally fulfilled all Simeon's hopes and dreams though he never heard a word from Jesus' mouth. Simeon was a man of prayer and a man of the word, having committed his life to God probably at an early age when the Lord revealed these things to Him in his youth and promised they would come in his lifetime. There were no signs to be observed that this particular child was the King of Israel. He only knew the witness of the Spirit in his heart that this baby was the Christ; he had become so attuned to the Holy Spirit that there was simply no question in his mind about the child. God sets us on a course where we must walk and live by faith in Him, and when we do, we reflect His nature. No other attribute of man makes us more like God than faith. It says that in the beginning God created man in His own image (Genesis 1-26); people have questioned the meaning of this verse ever since. Faith has significance to God that we probably don’t fully understand, and we probably never will, and Simeon walked in a God-like faith throughout his life. The Spirit was upon him, meaning he had an anointing to help him hope to see the Messiah. God had given him something to believe and the power to believe it, which finally manifested in his old age when he held Messiah in his arms, the person for whom he had waited his whole life to touch. The anointing identified the child to him. To the human eye there was nothing about Simeon that was significant, nor was he recognized for any notable achievements; he didn’t perform great signs; he didn’t move mountains, but to God and to the myriads of angels that reside around His heavenly throne Simeon was a man of greatness, because God spoke a word in His heart and Simeon believed Him. He held onto that word throughout His entire life, yet not a single thing was produced by all that faith. His only accomplishment was to hold a baby in his arms, and he received a recommendation from the gospel of Luke. How many people would sacrifice their entire lives for that? Simeon is not mentioned in any other gospel, making it seem that a life of faith is hardly worth a short blurb, but in heaven Simeon’s reward will be great. Lk 2-25,26 (109c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelations of the Holy Spirit >> Things revealed by the Spirit – It is likely that God spoke this word to Simeon when he was in his youth and made him wait his whole life before He would finally see its fulfillment in the Lord’s Christ, and Simeon had the wisdom to understand that Messiah might not be an adult. In a similar way God may have spoken to us, yet how often do we miss the promise that God has for us because we have misinterpreted our vision? We may be seeking its fulfillment, but we need wisdom to know in what form it may come. The fact that Simeon knew He was the savior also of the gentiles suggests he was a prophet. Salvation coming to the gentiles was a major revelation that became the driving force of Paul’s ministry that he used to turn the world upside down for Jesus (Eph 3,1-12; Act 17-6), but Simeon knew about it decades earlier. Lk 2,27-33 (105k) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Led by the Spirit to the truth >> Spirit will lead you to Christ – Simeon was recorded in the Scriptures because of his great faith. There are people who have been chosen to do great things for God, and there are others like Simeon whose calling was merely to wait. Waiting sounds like a passive thing to do, but a cat waiting for the mouse to emerge from its hole is on the alert, and to be on the alert plays an active role. Simeon was not passively waiting for the Kingdom of God but actively looking for the signs that would lead him to the leader of Israel and of God's eternal Kingdom. This knowledge accumulated throughout his life after the Lord gave him a shard of truth in his youth and continued speaking to Him, adding to it little by little, so that by the time he was old he knew the signs of His coming. Throughout his life he listened for the word of God. There were those who spouted, making themselves sound important, but Simeon saw through them all. Waiting for God involves denying self; it doesn’t count as waiting if we exploit our evil passions and desires in the meantime. Waiting for God is a matter of denying our fleshly impulses that we might tune our ears to hear His voice. Lk 2,30-32 (117k) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Seeing through the eyes of your spirit >> Light illumines your spirit Lk 2-33 (82f) Thy kingdom come >> Three elements of prayer >> Our approach >> Meditation -- This verse goes with verse 51. Mary had an angelic visitation; then she conceived a child in her womb; then she journeyed to Bethlehem; then she gave birth to the Son of God; then the wise men came to their house offering gifts; then they had to run for their lives to Egypt, and later they settled in Nazareth. All these things she treasured in her heart, knowing that Jesus would not mature to become a normal adult man, because it was not a normal pregnancy, and she treasured in her heart all the things people were saying about Him. An infant only eight days old at His circumcision, Simeon greeted them in the temple, and they were in Bethlehem at the time. By the time they settled in Nazareth, Jesus was already a young boy, and it says He remained in subjection to His parents, and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 2-34,35 (199j) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Rejecting Christ >> Unwilling to receive Christ >> Rejecting Christ as the Messiah – Based on Simeon’s prophecy, it appeared that he knew Israel would not receive their Messiah. Routinely, the world rejects all things from God, because it doesn't know Him, but hates God; the real lord and master of this world is Satan. Jesus called him the god of this world, because he has held more control over the world than God ever since the fall of Adam. God is not interested in outright controlling people, but the devil doesn’t mind. Satan seeks loyalty to the sinful passions and desires of man's flesh, whereas God seeks loyalty to His word in man's heart, and since it is easier to obey the flesh than the Spirit, Satan usually wins the person. Satan places a little pressure on one end of the fulcrum, which puts tremendous pressure on the other end, so that man has almost no choice but to obey his flesh. Satan and man’s flesh are unified, so that whatever the devil wants man to do he will almost always eventually do. Coming into a world like this, with the joy of bearing a Son who would become Savior of the world also came with sorrow from Israel's rejection of Him. (229i) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Partaking of Jesus’ suffering >> The sin nature partakes of Jesus' suffering – This was a sobering summary of everything God spoke to Simeon about the Christ throughout his life. It was no reason to celebrate, but it was the truth. It didn’t sound like something a person would want to spend his whole life in waiting, but this was God's plan of redemption for mankind. Simeon understood God in all His ways, but he stood alone, and there are some who understand God in our day this way, and they too stand alone. The masses who make grandiose claims about their faith are no closer in their estimation of God than Israel in Simeon's day. Had he been younger, he would have followed Jesus. He understood Messiah's purpose and ministry as one of the few that did, which was something not even His twelve closest disciples could boast, until he rose from the dead. This ministry of Christ would be filled with pain and misery, not only for Himself but also for everyone who would believe in Him for eternal life. (244j) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Literal manifestation of God’s word >> His cross is the manifestation of truth – Jesus commands us to take up our cross and follow Him, whatever cross we bear. Whatever pain, misery and suffering that believing in Jesus causes, we are called to endure it. Simeon picked up his cross and followed Jesus before He was even born. Everybody else was waiting for a glorious kingdom to come; meanwhile Simeon stood alone, knowing what hardships the Christ would suffer and bring to Israel, a gut-wrenching, costly era coming that would last for centuries, but it would also be filled with hope of eternal life. Lk 2-34 (201d) Denying Christ >> Jesus is an offense >> Truth offends error >> The word offends peoples’ sinful lifestyles Lk 2-35 (68l) Authority >> Discernment >> Judging truth and error >> Perceiving false reasoning – Simeon spoke this prophecy to Mary, the mother of Jesus, eight days after He was born and said that a sword would pierce her heart, and this happened as she stood in front of Him and watched Him bleed to death on a cross, tortured by the extreme flogging He received and by the nails in His hands and feet and by the ill-will that mankind had for this perfect man. It was like shoving a sword into her heart. The cause of Jesus’ crucifixion, why they murdered Him, was from of the thoughts of His enemies that He revealed to them. Nothing was hidden from Him; He told them everything that was in their hearts, and they hated Him for it. He brought their wickedness into the light, which is the number one thing that darkness hates the most. Jesus spoke many parables and great truths, but He spoke those things to His disciples. The only thing Jesus said to His enemies pertained to their darkness. He exposed them, and it earned Him a cross. Lk 2,36-38 (120l) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Contentment >> Content with your way of life >> Content with remaining single Lk 2-36,37 (100k) Thy kingdom come >> Devotion >> In your ministry to God >> Devoted to prayer – This woman did not determine in her own mind to live a life of devotion to this extent without the Holy Spirit motivating her. With God compelling her came wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. This woman had the mind of God, who was willing to follow Him into a level of commitment to prayer that she could not have otherwise sustained in her own strength. Since God controlled her devotion, how much more did He control the fruit that she produced from her divine unction? She was literally compelled by the Spirit to serve and worship God, elected by Him to place his glory on her. She prophesied over the redemption of Jerusalem for the sake of all Israel and the world, but what kind of redemption was Israel seeking? They wanted deliverance from Roman rule, but this woman knew God’s plan went far beyond physical redemption of Israel from their natural enemies. God’s aim was to redeem the whole world from a spiritual enemy residing too close to the human experience to see it, too close even to believe it. Lk 2-39,40 (90d) Thy kingdom come >> Keeping the law >> Law is our tutor >> It takes Jesus’ place until He arrives -- These verses go with verses 21-24 KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 2,40-52 (221a) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world >> God hides from man’s ignorance >> God hides from those who are not looking for Him -- These verses go with verses 1-20. Jesus used man’s willful ignorance in the things of God to hide in plain sight behind man’s spiritual blindness, skirting around His generation to fulfill the purpose of God until He ascended back to His Father. A blind spot exists at the center of our vision due to the absence of light-detecting photoreceptor cells at the center of the retina, and the brain automatically fills in the area to make it appear that we don’t have a blind spot. Jesus didn’t have to hide at all; He just lived a normal life and that is all it took to remain incognito. He was God in human flesh who didn’t have to disguise Himself, for God in heaven acts the same way that Jesus did on earth. The divinity of Christ was so subtle that not even His own brothers believed He was the Christ. They didn’t recognize anything about Him that was particularly unusual; He was just a good brother to them. The word that summarizes Jesus before His ministry is unassuming, and for this reason He was overlooked; Even His own parents overlooked Him at times. Likewise in our own experience, if we don’t brag about our gifts, no one will ever notice them, because nobody is looking for them. When He entered His ministry, even then He didn’t brag, but He did put His gifts on display. Jesus may have been unassuming, yet He is sitting on His Father’s throne at the right-hand of His power, on a panicle that cannot be overlooked. An unassuming man on His Father’s throne is a person we can trust with the power of God, as one we can rightfully worship, except that most people’s sinful flesh won’t let them, though they are happy to worship antichrists. The disciple, James, was first to be martyred, thrust through with a sword by King Herod’s men, and then shortly after the king died of worms subsequent to receiving the glory of man, being called a god. Mankind is more willing to recognize a godless sinner than to recognize God in the man Christ Jesus. Lk 2-40 (89i) Thy kingdom come >> Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom >> Increasing in wisdom -- This verse goes with verse 52. Jesus, prior to His ministry, wasn’t that different from Simeon and the prophetess women, for the grace of God was upon them too, but those similarities were eclipsed by the anointing that Jesus received the day He entered His ministry. The level of anointing that God bestowed on His Son was a function of two qualities: His sinless life and obedience to His Father. These characteristics qualified Him for the fullness of the anointing that was so strong it would have killed anyone else, but if we could hold it in our hearts, it was the power to raise the dead. God the Father laid upon Him the full breadth of the anointing, laying it upon a platform of zeal that Jesus was willing to use only for the glory of His Father. (137g) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Maturity >> Maturing in Jesus is hard work >> Maturity is the process of growing -- This verse goes with verse 52 (229b) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Kingdom grows by itself >> Growing In Numbers Corresponds With Spiritual Growth >> Kingdom grows in strength KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 2,41-52 (12n) Servant >> Jesus serves mankind >> Jesus is the son of man – There are so many reasons God sent His Son to be clothed in our skin. The contrast between heaven and this world must have been intense, and there must have been persecution throughout His life by contrast with Himself and the world. When people wanted Him to compromise, Jesus stayed strong, and when He was tempted, He resisted. When He was making all the right decisions, He found Himself alone, though He was completely undetected by His friends and relatives in His hometown as the son of man. None of them ever suspected that He would be the Messiah, so He blended into humanity, because they weren’t looking. They never stopped to be amazed at this boy, this teenager, this young man and this adult, who always chose to do the right thing. He was no doubt considered a good son, but that was the extent of it. To hold this secret, being Israel’s Messiah and the very Son of God from the age of accountability, probably when the Father revealed it to Him, He held that secret in His heart all those years and never took advantage of the fact or to bragged to His friends. (223j) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Miss God >> Missing the train >> Miss the invitation from God Lk 2-43,44 (178b) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Presumption (Hinduism) >> Presuming the facts about the circumstances >> Presumption is not founded on facts – Jesus didn’t acknowledge that His parents left Him; in His mind it was a non-issue, addressing only the fact that the temple was the last place they looked. ‘Why wouldn’t you come here first?’ He asked, as though saying, ‘Don’t you know the first thing about me yet? After all the things you have seen and heard about Me, after discovering that I was not in the caravan, why wouldn’t you come straight to the temple and look for Me there?’ He didn’t bring up any other fault, suggesting it was the only one that mattered. There was no anxiety in Jesus; at the age of twelve this event didn’t seem to bother Him. He was happy to be wherever His Father wanted Him at any given moment. Lk 2-46,47 (62d) Paradox >> Anomalies >> Being clever >> Answer with wisdom (112a) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Wisdom of the spirit – How much time did Jesus spend reading the Bible? When His parents discovered that He wasn't with them and went looking for him, when they found Him in the temple He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (v49), suggesting that this is what He did mostly at home: frequent the synagogue. The Bible says that Jesus is the word of God. Didn’t He need to read the Bible in order to know what it said? Jesus Christ was a vessel of God’s word to be filled, so when He read the Scriptures it found a perfect home in His heart. When Jesus spoke to the teachers in the temple, could we say that He knew the word of God better than they? Did He commit more passages to memory or recite them verbatim more than the teachers of the temple? It is possible He knew the Scriptures better than them, but He was not a monk. Later He became a carpenter, suggesting that he devoted Himself to things other than the Scriptures. When His ministry began, what made Jesus excel in God's word was not just the knowledge of Scripture, but His understanding of it through the Spirit. Jesus may have been talking to people who could quote more passages than He, but Jesus could tell them what it meant. He didn’t have just another interpretation of the Bible; His understanding of Scripture was the truth, and His truth amazed His audience. Lk 2,48-50 (18f) Sin >> False Judgment lacks evidence >> Accusing God Lk 2-49 (142f) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Having a good reputation >> Jesus’ reputation – Most Bible scholars claim that we cannot know much about Jesus when He was a boy, yet His mastery of the Scriptures should at least in part answer that question. He spent just about every free minute studying the Scriptures in the local synagogue, which was the Jewish version of church, from the time He was able to read until His ministry. He also played like all children; He was a healthy, active person all His life. He became so well acquainted with the Scriptures that when conversing with the Pharisees and Scribes and Sadducees and chief priests He blew their minds even at a young age. Someone might say that His ability came from the fact that He was the embodiment of God’s Word; true enough, but He was also limited to human flesh. He wasn’t born with this knowledge, nor did He acquire it through some gift of clairvoyance; rather, He acquired it in the same way that we acquire knowledge, through old-fashioned hard work and rigorous study. A dead giveaway of this is to remember the answer that Jesus gave to His mother when they went looking for Him, "Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?" KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 2-51 (82f) Thy kingdom come >> Three elements of prayer >> Our approach >> Meditation -- This verse goes with verse 19. Leaving Jerusalem and returning to Nazareth they realized they had forgotten their son. They left without Him, and it says they spent many days in Jerusalem looking for Him and couldn’t find Him, and so they finally turned to the temple to tell the priests to look for a boy who was lost and found Him talking to the notables of society. He had been there the whole time, and Jesus said to them after His parents scolded Him, ‘Why didn’t you look here first,’ and Mary treasured all these things in her heart. This statement Jesus made to His parents indicates that this is what He did at home in Nazareth. He spent every free hour in the local synagogue, pouring over the Scriptures. Some days the book of Isaiah would be there, and they would take the scroll and move it to another synagogue, and they would get Jeremiah or some other prophet. He poured over the Old Testament to such an extent that He had virtually memorized it all. He had an aptitude for it, because He was the word of God (Rev 19-13). Mary knew where to look for her Son in Nazareth; when He wasn’t home, she knew He must be at the synagogue; but when they went to Jerusalem they couldn’t find Him, and He accused them of not knowing where to look. They spoke to Him with an accusing tone, but they were the ones who left Him. Lk 2-52 (89i) Thy kingdom come >> Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom >> Increasing in wisdom -- This verse goes with verse 40 (137g) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Maturity >> Maturing in Jesus is hard work >> Maturity is the process of growing -- This verse goes with verse 40 See next page