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Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 3
Cole has an interesting note - How should we interpret this baptism of the Spirit and fire? There are several views. There is only one preposition (“with,” Greek, en) governing the two words (the NIV is incorrect in repeating “with”), so that it refers to one baptism. Thus it seems to me that this baptism must apply to one group, those who respond to the gospel. The Holy Spirit regenerates these people and progressively purges them from their sins by His purifying fire. The unquenchable fire of verse 17 refers to the eternal punishment of those who reject the gospel. Alexander Maclaren (Expositions of Holy Scripture [Baker], Luke, p. 76) explains it this way, “Either we shall gladly accept the purging fire of the Spirit which burns sin out of us, or we shall have to meet the punitive fire which burns up us and our sins together. To be cleansed by the one or to be consumed by the other is the choice before each of us.” (Pointing People to Christ Luke 3:15-22) Jon Courson - John preached a message of severity in order that Jesus might come and present a message of serenity. John called for holiness in order that Jesus could give a message of hopefulness. John shone a convicting light in order that Jesus might share comforting love. In other words, John embodied the purpose of the law by showing people they were sinners in need of a Savior. (See Jon Courson's Application Commentary) Mightier (2478)(ischuros from ischuo = to be able) is an adjective which means strong, powerful, mighty (usually referring to inherent physical strength), able, forcible. Ischuros denotes places “stress on the actual power that one possesses rather than on the mere principle of power." It is notable that ischuros is used in the Septuagint to refer to God in Jer 32:18+ which says "O great and mighty (Lxx = ischuros) God. The LORD of hosts is His name." And in Jeremiah 33:3+ He invites Israel to "Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty (Lxx = ischuros) things, which you do not know.’ Luke 3:1-18 Just A Messenger I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming. —Luke 3:16 Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s restaurants, appeared in more than 800 television commercials. He offered his homespun humor and “old-fashioned hamburgers” to a worldwide audience. Viewers saw him as friendly, funny, believable, and caring. In spite of his popularity, though, Thomas always said he was “the messenger, not the message.” That’s a good word to remember as we speak about Christ to our friends and family. While our behavior should always be consistent with what we say, our goal is to point others to Jesus and not to ourselves. The apostle Paul said, “We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bond servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5). John the Baptist knew that his role was to be a messenger for Christ. When people flocked to hear John preach, and to be baptized as a sign of their repentance, many wondered if he was the promised Messiah. John told them, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose” (Luke 3:16). Through our words and actions, we testify of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We are His messengers, but He is the message. FOR FURTHER STUDY How Can I Break The Silence? We witness best for Christ when we say the least about ourselves. Luke 3:17 "His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Winnowing fork: Jer 15:7 Mt 3:12 Will thoroughly: Mic 4:12 Mt 13:30 But He will burn up: Ps 1:4 21:9,10 Mk 9:43-49 Luke 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 3:15-22 Pointing People to Christ - Steven Cole Luke 3:15-17 True Repentance: God's Highway to the Heart- 3 - John MacArthur Luke 3:15-17 True Repentance: God's Highway to the Heart- 4 - John MacArthur WINNOWING THE GRAIN SEPARATION OF RIGHTEOUS FROM THE WICKED John uses an agricultural metaphor to present to his hearers an unshakable, unmistakable and unforgettable picture of separation. First the harvested stalks of wheat would be threshed by oxen dragging heavy timbers over the grain which would result in separation of the chaff (pix) from the kernels of wheat (pix). This combination would then be winnowed. Winnowing is the the act of separating grain from chaff by throwing it in the air allowing the prevalent breezes off of the Mediterranean Sea to carry away the useless, lighter husks (chaff) and allowing the heavier, valuable wheat to fall to the ground. It is also used to remove weevils or other pests from stored grain. Winnow in our English dictionary means to remove from a group until only the best are left. Interesting! In Biblical terms only the "best ones" are only those who are in Christ. In this agricultural land, John's picture left no one guessing what he was saying. They knew he was describing a separation and it was not of literal wheat but of human beings! His winnowing fork (ptuon) is in His hand to thoroughly clear (diakathairo) His threshing floor (halon) - His...His...He refer to Jesus Christ. Thoroughly clear (diakathairo - only use) indicates that this purging or separation is absolute and complete and there will not be a few "husks" of unbelievers (so to speak) on the threshing floor mixed in with the valuable, believing "wheat"! How sad that people created in the image of God will end their life on earth as nothing more that "chaff" to be burned and tormented forever and ever, regardless of how powerful they were, how many degrees they had after their name, how many humanitarian causes they established, how many books they wrote, etc, etc. Outside of Christ, they are eternally worthless chaff! Woe! John presents a vivid picture of the future judgment of Messiah Who will leave not a trace of chaff (cf Ps 1:4+). His separation (winnowing) of the the wheat (repenters) from the chaff (non-repenters) is thorough and final as the chaff will be thrown into the Lake of fire and brimstone (Rev 20:15+). Even in the Old Testament we see a description of the thoroughness of the removal of the chaff by the Messiah as recorded in the book of Daniel... “You (DANIEL SPEAKING TO NEBUCHADNEZZAR) continued looking until a Stone was cut out without hands (= SUPERNATURAL = MESSIAH AT HIS SECOND COMING), and IT struck (SEPTUAGINT = PATASSO = SAME VERB IN Rev 19:15! THIS IS NOT A COINCIDENCE!) the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold (ALL ELEMENTS OF THE GODLESS GENTILE NATIONS) were crushed all at the same time (BY THE STONE THE MESSIAH AT HIS SECOND COMING!) and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. (CF "HE WILL THOROUGHLY CLEAR HIS THRESHING FLOOR!") But the Stone that struck (SEPTUAGINT = PATASSO) the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth (JESUS ESTABLISHES HIS MESSIANIC KINGDOM). (Daniel 2:34-35+) Compare John's description in the Revelation - From His (JESUS') mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations (STRIKE IS SAME VERB PATASSO USED IN DANIEL 2), and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Rev 19:15-16+) Isaiah 63:4+ “For the day of vengeance (UNBELIEVING "CHAFF") was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come (BELIEVING "WHEAT" - in this context of Isaiah 63:1-6 referring the believing remnant of Israel). Daniel 12:2+ speaks of this time of future separation of the wicked from the redeemed. Marvin
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Cole - Pointing people to Christ requires confronting their sin. As we have seen, John’s message is summed up as “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3). Repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ are at the heart of the gospel. A person who does not see and feel himself to be a sinner has no reason to need a Savior. If I came up to you and said, “I have great news! The governor has just offered you a pardon from prison,” you would not be very thrilled with that news, and you might even be offended. Why? You are not guilty of any crime deserving of prison. But, if you have just been convicted of a serious crime and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, my announcement would be the most welcome news you could imagine. If you walk up to a person who is not a Christian and say, “I have great news! God loves you and Jesus Christ died for your sins,” the person will not appreciate your message and he might even get offended. He will think, “Of course God loves me! God is love and I’m a basically loveable person! But as for this sin stuff, I’m only human and I have my faults, but I’m not that bad of a person. Why do I need Jesus to die for my sins?” How do you get a person who thinks of himself as basically good to see the utter sinfulness of his own heart so that he will see his need for the Savior? God’s method is to preach His perfect Law to the sinner so that he sees how utterly he has failed to keep that Law. “Through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” so that a man sees that he is accountable before God (Rom. 3:19, 20). Thus the Law becomes “our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). We see in Luke 3:19 that John the Baptist preached the Law even to Herod Antipas. Herod had divorced his own wife and seduced Herodias, the wife of his half-brother, who was also his own niece. By so doing, he was guilty of both adultery and incest. John confronted Herod with this violation of God’s Law, along with other wicked things that he had done. We don’t know if John did this in a private interview with Herod, through a sermon when Herod was present in the audience, or if John’s public rebuke of Herod in his absence got back to him. But John boldly proclaimed that the ruler was under the same Law of God as the common person. Sadly, Herod did not respond with repentance, but rather added to his many sins by locking John up in prison and later executing him. But in spite of the consequences, John didn’t soften the message, because he knew that neither Herod nor anyone else would come to Christ unless he was first convicted of his sin. Herod’s treatment of John should alert us to the fact that we may not be warmly welcomed when we bring up the matter of a person’s sin. But even so, we must remember that we do no one a favor by tiptoeing around the sin issue. Modern evangelicalism has fallen into the trap of marketing the gospel as the way to have a happy life, but we often minimize or sidestep the serious nature of sin. But until a person comes under the conviction of the Holy Spirit so that he sees that he is justly guilty before God, he will not appreciate God’s grace that was shown to us in the cross of Christ. Being forgiven little, he will love Christ little. The Bible tells us that sinners are “darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness” (Eph. 4:18, 19). Obviously, we cannot break through all the defenses that sinners have erected to justify themselves as they continue their course of sin. Only God by His mighty power can break through their hardened hearts and reveal Christ to their souls. He does it primarily through His Word, both written and preached. Thus one of the best ways you can confront a sinner with his sin is to get him to read the New Testament. He won’t be five chapters into Matthew until he reads that if he has been angry with his brother, he has broken the commandment not to murder. If he has lusted after a woman in his heart, he has broken God’s commandment against adultery. You can also give him tapes of sermons by preachers who preach God’s Law. We have an excellent video in our church library, “The Ten Cannons of God’s Law,” by Pastor Ray Comfort, that will help you understand how to use God’s Law in your witnessing to bring people to conviction of sin. But remember, you are not really pointing a person to Jesus Christ unless you help him to see that he is a guilty sinner, under the just condemnation of God’s holy Law. (Luke 3:15-22) Luke 3:20 Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison Lu 13:31-34 2Ki 21:16 24:4 2Ch 24:17-22 36:16 Ne 9:26 Jer 2:30 Mt 21:35-41 22:6,7 23:31-33 1Th 2:15,16 Rev 16:6 Luke 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 3:15-22 Pointing People to Christ - Steven Cole Luke 3:18-20 The Legacy of John the Baptist - John MacArthur JOHN IMPRISONED BY HEROD ANTIPAS Herod - refers to Herod Antipas (see note). Herod also added this to them all - This is "evil addition" compounding his other evil deeds! Herod should have listened to John, repented and received forgiveness ("subtracting" so to speak from his sins rather than adding to them). Darrell Bock writes "Herod's response to the exposure of his sin is instructive. He does not face the sin and take responsibility for it; he strikes back, taking advantage of his authority to do so. Such a response is all too familiar. Herod will use all the authority at his disposal to silence the voice of conviction, for eventually he will execute John. Sin confronted but unchecked often becomes sin multiplied and magnified. Defensiveness in the face of sin is inevitably self-destructive. Unfortunately, the damage often extends beyond the one who is sinning. (See Luke) He locked John up in prison (phulake) - This passage is clearly not in chronological sequence in regard to John's ministry. For example, we know from Mt 3:13-16 that Jesus came to John to be baptized, which is the event Luke describes next in Lk 3:21-22. Obviously John could not have been locked up in prison and at the same time baptized Jesus in the Jordan River! In fact it was actually later that John was imprisoned. And so we are not surprised to see Luke mention John again in Luke 7:17-20. As mentioned above, although John receives little mention after the inception of Jesus' ministry, John’s ministry did overlap with His Lord for about six months. Mark is more chronological in describing the later imprisonment and martyrdom of John. (Mark 6:17-30) As John
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Cole says "It had been 400 years since there had been a prophet in Israel, calling the people to spiritual renewal and reform. Bad times abound, but times are especially bad when there is no word from the Lord. Those who knew God and waited for the consolation of Israel must have despaired at times. But they knew that what they needed was not better politicians. They needed a word from God. (Good News for Bad Times) Henry
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Cole writes "salvation explains more specifically the way in which men will see God’s glory, namely, through His saving work in Jesus Christ. God is glorified when people are reconciled to Him through the atonement Christ provided on the cross." (Sermon) NET Note - A quotation from Isa 40:5. Though all the synoptic gospels use this citation from Isaiah, only Luke cites the material of Isa 40:5–6. His goal may well be to get to the declaration of Isa 40:6, where all humanity (i.e., all nations) see God’s salvation (see also Luke 24:47) What does it mean to see the salvation of God? This speaks of course of the Savior, Christ Jesus, through Whom salvation would be made possible for all men. Simeon (Lk 2:25+ when he took the infant Jesus in his arms - Lk 2:27-28+) has an excellent "commentary" on seeing the salvation of God... For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel.” (Lk 2:30-32+) I Howard Marshall basically agrees writing "The Messianic salvation will appear in and with the coming of the Messiah [My]. What Simeon had seen in 2:30 would be seen by everyone." (Scroll to page 100 of The Gospel of Luke) Bratcher says "It means that they will see how God will save them or they will see the Savior that God will send them." Flesh (4561)(sarx) in this context refers to flesh and blood mankind, humanity, human beings, men. Sarx in Luke's writings - Lk. 3:6; Lk. 24:39; Acts 2:17 = "Mankind"; Acts 2:26 = "my flesh"; Acts 2:31 = "His flesh to suffer decay." Salvation (4992) (soterios/soterion from soter = savior) is an adjective which refers to that which is pertains to the means of salvation = bringing salvation, delivering, rescuing. Soterios describes the act of delivering or saving from great danger or peril and of healing, protecting and preserving. Soterios - 5x in NT - Lk. 2:30; Lk. 3:6; Acts 28:28; Eph. 6:17; Tit. 2:11 Steven Cole makes 3 observations on all flesh shall see the salvation of God. A. SALVATION IS FROM GOD. “The salvation of God” means that God is the originator and provider of salvation. Luke has already used this particular word in 2:30, where Simeon holds the baby Jesus and proclaims, “My eyes have seen Your salvation.” What we are saved from is our sin and the impending judgment of God because of our sin. Thus a key element in salvation is the forgiveness of sins (Lk 3:3; see Luke 1:77+). Since only God can forgive sins, and the Bible is clear that He does it only by His free grace, no man can save himself by earning it through any amount of good deeds or human merit or effort. Salvation comes totally from God who planned it before the foundation of the world, announced it through His prophets, and sent His messenger John and His Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. The great British preacher, Charles Spurgeon, tells of the time, just months after his conversion at age 15, when it dawned on him that his salvation was totally from God. He was sitting in church when, he says (Autobiography [Banner of Truth], 1:165), The thought struck me, “How did you come to be a Christian?” I sought the Lord. “But how did you come to seek the Lord?” The truth flashed across my mind in a moment—I should not have sought Him unless there had been some previous influence in my mind to make me seek Him. I prayed, thought I, but then I asked myself, How came I to pray? I was induced to pray by reading the Scriptures. How came I to read the Scriptures? I did read them, but what led me to do so? Then, in a moment, I saw that God was at the bottom of it all, and that He was the Author of my faith, and so the whole doctrine of grace opened up to me, … and I desire to make this my constant confession, “I ascribe my change wholly to God.” Writing to his father about this experience, he said, “I trust that I feel sufficiently the corruption of my own heart to know that, instead of doing one iota to forward my own salvation, my old corrupt heart would impede it, were it not that my Redeemer is mighty, and works as He pleases” (ibid., p. 115). Salvation by man’s efforts or merits does not have the power to change the corrupt human heart. But God is mighty to save. The only message that will bring relief to this evil world is the message that salvation is from the Lord. B. SALVATION REQUIRES FACING THE BAD NEWS ABOUT YOURSELF, THAT YOU ARE A SINNER, ALIENATED FROM THE HOLY GOD. “John came preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” God’s message to a lost and hurting world begins with the issue of sin. Jesus taught that when the Holy Spirit came, He would convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). Until people are brought before God in His holiness and wrath against all sin, they do not realize their desperate situation. They justify themselves by comparing themselves with others, and they think that God will be tolerant on the day of judgment. So they assume that all will be okay on that day. In a great section in his Institutes of the Christian Religion ([Westminster Press], 3.12.1), John Calvin argues that we can never be justified before God by our own good works. He points out that before we compare ourselves with one another and so acquit ourselves, we need to remember that we will one day stand, not before a human court, but before God’s heavenly court. He asks: How shall we reply to the Heavenly Judge when he calls us to account? Let us envisage for ourselves that Judge, not as our minds naturally imagine him, but as he is depicted for us in Scripture: by whose brightness the stars are darkened [Job 3:9]; by whose strength the mountains are melted; by whose wrath the earth is shaken [cf. Job 9:5-6]; whose wisdom catches the wise in their craftiness [Job xamine the deeds of men: Who will stand confident before his throne? Luke’s quote from Isaiah 40:3-5 shows us in figurative language the problem that sinful human hearts have in receiving the King of kings and His salvation. Isaiah pictures the scene when a king announced that he would visit a remote village. The rocky, twisted, up-and-down mountain trail was good enough for the villagers, but it was not suitable for the king. The village needed to get a road crew out there to straighten out the path, to fill in the ravines and level the mountains in the way, to remove the rocks and fill in the potholes, so that the king had a smooth, straight road for his arrival. It’s a spiritual picture. If we just have to do with one another, we can tolerate the twisted, rocky, potholed ways of our heart. But if the King of Glory is coming, we’re in big trouble! Our hearts are full of ravines of sin and impurity. There are mountains of pride and self-righteousness in the way. We walk the crooked paths of deceit and falsehood. There are the rough, rocky, and potholed roads of greed, jealousy, self-will, blame, and disobedience. The King doesn’t travel on those kinds of roads! Don’t misapply the analogy. It is not teaching that you must remove every trace of sin and corruption before you can receive the King into your life. That would be impossible! But the Holy Spirit must convict you of the awful sinfulness of your heart, so that you recognize your desperate need for God’s salvation. You must face the bad news about yourself as a sinner before you can welcome God’s gracious salvation. C. SALVATION PROMISES THE GOOD NEWS, THAT IF YOU WILL REPENT AND BELIEVE IN CHRIST, GOD WILL FORGIVE ALL YOUR SINS. Repentance and faith are often linked in Scripture and are the flip sides of the same coin. Repentance has the main idea of turning (Luke 1:16, 17+) or changing one’s thinking and behavior. It involves recognizing our sin and alienation from God so that, rather than continuing in the same direction of self-will and disobedience, we turn back to God and appeal to His mercy. Faith is the hand that receives God’s mercy or grace. Faith lays hold of Jesus Christ as the perfect Substitute who died for our sins. Forgiveness means that God releases us from the penalty of our sins because His Son Jesus bore that penalty for us, and we are trusting in Him. Thus in summarizing the gospel message to the disciples after the resurrection, Jesus said, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46, 47+). Repentance and faith are not something you must do to earn salvation. The shed blood of Christ merited salvation for every sinner who will lay hold of Him. Repentance and faith are God’s gracious gifts that enable us to receive His mercy. J. C.
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Cole - The way Luke presents Jesus’ baptism minimizes John’s role (he is not even mentioned) and even downplays the baptism itself. Rather Luke emphasizes that after the baptism, while Jesus was praying, heaven was opened, the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove, and a voice came out of heaven affirming, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” The fact that Jesus would even submit to baptism signifies that at the outset of His ministry, He identified Himself with the sinners He came to save. Luke emphasizes Jesus’ prayer life, which shows His dependence as the Son of Man on the Heavenly Father (there are seven references to Jesus praying in Luke: 3:21 [baptism]; 5:16 [growing fame]; 6:12 [choosing the 12]; 9:18 [just before Peter’s confession]; 9:29 [Transfiguration]; 11:1 [before Lord’s Prayer]; and, 22:41 [Gethsemane]). The fact that heaven was opened shows that in Jesus, God was breaking into human history. The Holy Spirit’s descent as a dove probably points to the gentleness and purity of the Spirit, and also shows the Holy Trinity united in the launching of Jesus’ ministry. The affirmation of the Father from heaven relates to two Old Testament texts: Psalm 2:7, where the Father says of Messiah, “You are My Son”; and, Isaiah 42:1, “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.” (Note the clear reference to the Trinity in this Old Testament passage!) The Father’s being pleased with His beloved Son assures us that He is satisfied with His offering Himself on the cross for our sins. If we are in Christ, the Beloved, then we are accepted in the presence of the Holy God. When you bear witness, always bring people back to the exalted person and work of Jesus Christ. If they bring up objections or questions, answer them briefly if you must, but steer the conversation back to Jesus Christ. If we lift Him up, He will draw men to Himself (John 12:32). (Pointing People to Christ Luke 3:15-22) Related Resource: See comments on Jesus' baptism in Mark 1:9-10 OTHER HEAVENLY OPENINGS - As Stephen was about to be martyred he declared "Behold, I see the heavens opened up (dianoigo) and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:56+) In Acts 10:11+ Peter "saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground." In the Revelation the apostle John writes "And I saw heaven opened (anoigo), and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war." (Rev 19:11+, cf also Rev 4:1+, Rev 11:19+) It is interesting to note Isaiah's prayer for divine intervention, which some think will be the type of prayer that the redeemed remnant of Israel will be praying during the Great Tribulation days, the Time of Jacob's Trouble/Distress (Jer 30:6+). "Oh, that You would rend (Lxx = anoigo) the heavens and come down, That the mountains might quake at Your presence" (Isa 64:1) Luke emphasizes Jesus’ human nature. Jesus was born to humble parents, a birth unannounced except to shepherds and foreigners. This baptism recorded here was the first public declaration of Jesus’ ministry. Instead of going to Jerusalem and identifying with the established religious leaders, Jesus went to a river and identified with those who were repenting of sin. When Jesus, at age 12, had visited the Temple, He had understood his mission (Lk 2:49). Eighteen years later, at his baptism, He began carrying it out. And as Jesus prayed, God spoke and confirmed His decision to act. God was breaking into human history through Jesus the Christ. (Life Application Note) One might ask but why did Jesus who was without sin need to submit to John's baptism, which we have called a baptism of repentance? We have to be honest and say we don't know with absolute certainty. Luke does not explain why Jesus submitted. The fact that the Father declares "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." would strongly support that Jesus had no need for repentance. In Mt 3:15 Jesus said “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” He was praying (present tense - continually)(4336)(proseuchomai from pros = toward, facing, before [emphasizing the direct approach of the one who prays in seeking God’s face] + euchomai = originally to speak out, utter aloud, express a wish, then to pray or to vow. Greek technical term for invoking a deity) in the NT is always used of prayer addressed to God (to Him as the object of faith and the One who will answer one’s prayer) and means to speak consciously (with or without vocalization) to Him, with a definite aim.
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Cole - Many people these days are turning to financial counselors for advice and help with investments. An article I read on this urges the reader carefully to check out a potential advisor’s credentials before you allow him any knowledge of or access to your money. It makes sense, if your money and future security are at stake, to have some good reasons to trust the person giving you advice. If it makes sense to check out the credentials of a financial advisor, it makes even more sense to be sure about the credentials of one to whom you entrust your eternal destiny as your Savior from God’s judgment. While all of the Gospel accounts, and even all the Bible, serve to establish the credibility of Jesus as the promised Messiah and Savior, Luke focuses on three lines of evidence prior to introducing the beginning of Jesus’ ministry: (1) The testimony of John the Baptist and of God the Father and the Holy Spirit at Jesus’ baptism (Lk 3:15-22); (2) the genealogy of Jesus (Lk 3:23 38), which we’re considering in this study; and, Jesus’ victory over Satan’s temptations (Lk 4:1-13). Luke’s purpose in putting the genealogy here is to show how ...The genealogy of Jesus shows Him to be God’s promised Savior for all people. (The Genealogy of Jesus Luke 3:23-38) Warren