REDEMPTION At HAND-V—Luke 1:67-80
TOUCHING REDEMPTION
Attention:
All Twelve of Seven:
The farmer's son was returning from the market with a crate of chickens his father had entrusted to him, when all of a sudden the box fell & broke open. Chickens scurried off in different directions, but the determined boy walked all over the neighborhood scooping up the wayward birds & returning them to the repaired crate. Hoping he had found them all, the boy reluctantly returned home, expecting the worst.
"Pa, the chickens got loose," the boy confessed sadly, "but I managed to find all twelve of them."
"Well, you done a good job, son," the farmer beamed, "because you only left with seven."
REDEEM—To purchase or exchange in order to make something/someone what it should be...with continuously lasting results from a point in time forward.
God initiated the redemption of His people thru John’s birth.
Redemption is touched/at hand thru God’s visitation.
When is/was God’s redemption realized?
Signs that God’s redemption is at hand.
Previously we had found that Redemption is at hand when God initiates/gives...
1. INSIGHT(:67)
2. BLESSING(:68a)
3. PRESENCE(:68b)
4. STRENGTH(:69)
5. WATCHMEN(:70)
6. FULFILLMENT(:71-74a-b)
7. SERVICE(:74c-75)
8—Redemption is at hand when God initiates/gives...
FORGIVENESS(:76-77)
Explanation:(:76-77)Air/Pathway/Spotlight/Funneling/Focus/Spotlight/Dedicated Way
:76—“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,”
The focus now shifts to John(Elijah) rather than Jesus(Savior), but only as John’s ministry relates to the coming Messiah.
John, the newly circumcised & named one, will be known abroad as “the prophet of the Most High.” His being the mouthpiece of God will be apparent.
John’s purpose & giftedness in God is that He prophesy concerning God’s planned/ordained redemption in Jesus(Messiah).
John’s destiny is to go before/prior to/under the watchful eye of the Lord. He is to prepare the way/path God will take in His Messiah. John will prepare God’s ways for the sake of others/Israel/mankind.
“His lifestyle was a living, visual protest to self-indulgence & self-centeredness.”—John MacArthur
Forerunner/Harbinger:
Mal. 4:5-6—“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great & dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come & strike the earth with a curse.”
Mat. 11:11-15—“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, & the violent take it by force. For all the prophets & the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Mat. 17:10-13—“And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus answered & said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first & will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, & they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.”
Lk. 1:16-17—“And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit & power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ & the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
How will the Lord’s “ways” be “prepared”?—In effect, the mountains will be leveled & the valleys will be raised & the crooked ways be made straight. God’s “ways” will be made easily accessible. Even in the midst of secular popular thought, & governmental intervention intent on destroying, God’s truth will be disseminated at the expense of both John & Jesus.....
Who/What gives you breath/air/freedom to speak & do?—The accepted “ways” of the Lord!
“Called”—kalew—Future Passive Indicative—1) To call—1a) To call aloud, utter in a loud voice, 1b) To invite; 2) To call i.e. to name, by name—2a) To give a name to—2a1) To receive the name of, receive as a name, 2a2) To give some name to one, call his name, 2b) To be called i.e. to bear a name or title (among men), 2c) To salute one by name. Kalew denotes to cry out for a purpose. Strong—To "call" (properly, aloud, but used in a variety of applications, direct or otherwise).
“Prophet”—profhthv—Noun Masc.—Strong—A foreteller ("prophet"); by analogy--An inspired speaker; by extension--A poet.
From—pro—a primary preposition; “Fore”, i.e. In front of, prior(figuratively--Superior) to—&—fhmi—To show or make known one's thoughts, i.e. Speak or say.
“Most High/Highest”—uqistov—Adverb—1) Highest, most high—1a) of place--The highest regions, 1b) of rank--The most high God. Strong—Highest, i.e. (masculine singular)--The Supreme(God), or (neuter plural)--The heavens. Used 13X.
“Go on/Go”—proporeuomai—Future Middle Deponent Indicative 2nd-Person Sing.—1) To send before, to make to precede; 2) To go before one—2a) Of a leader, 2b) Of a messenger or a herald. Strong—To precede (as guide or herald). Used 2X
“Face”—proswpon—1) The face—1a) The front of the human head, 1b) Countenance, look—1b1) The face so far forth as it is the organ of sight, & by it various movements & changes) the index of the inward thoughts & feelings, 1c) The appearance one presents by his wealth or property, his rank or low condition—1c1) Outward circumstances, external condition, 1c2) Used in expressions which denote to regard the person in one's judgment & treatment of men; 2) The outward appearance of inanimate things. Strong—from prov & wq(the visage, from optanomai); The front(as being towards view), i.e. The countenance, aspect, appearance, surface; by implication--Presence, person.
“Prepare”—etoimazw—Aorist Active Infinitive—1) To make ready, prepare—1a) To make the necessary preparations, get everything ready; 2) metaph.—2a) Drawn from the oriental custom of sending on before kings on their journeys persons to level the roads & make them passable, 2b) To prepare the minds of men to give the Messiah a fit reception & secure his blessings. Strong—To prepare.
“Ways”—odov—Noun Fem.—1) properly—1a) A way—1a1) A traveled way, road, 1b) A travelers way, journey, traveling; 2) metaph.—2a) A course of conduct, 2b) A way(i.e. manner) of thinking, feeling, deciding. Strong—apparently a primary word; A road; by implication--A progress(the route, act or distance); figuratively--A mode or means.
:77—“To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins,”
John will remove the walls/hindrances to God’s salvation so He is able to reveal a knowledge of that salvation thru Messiah.
The key to unlocking the “knowledge of this salvation” is forgiveness of sins committed(against God & man).
John’s baptism was indeed a “knowledge of salvation” by means of “the remission of sins.” His constituency, thru the physical outward act of baptism, openly declared the fact that they were sinners in need of salvation they themselves could not provide. Thru John’s baptism personal sin was declared the hindrance which kept them from God. John declared that he himself was NOT the light itself—the One who would remove sin’s condemnation—but was there to bear witness of the True Light(Jesus)(Jn. 1:6-9).
God will initiate the “remission”/forgiveness of sins.
This remission/forgiveness will come only thru Messiah Jesus.
1Kgs. 8:46; 2Chron. 6:36—[as an aside in Solomon’s prayer]—“...(for there is no one who does not sin)...”
Eccl. 7:19-20—“Wisdom strengthens the wise More than ten rulers of the city. For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin.”
Acts 4:10-12—[Peter to the rulers of the people & elders of Israel after bringing healing to a man lame from his mother’s womb]“let it be known to you all, & to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
“Give”(See :74)—didwmi—2nd Aorist Active Infinitive—
“Knowledge”—gnwsiv—Noun Fem.-Accusative Sing. Fem.—1) Knowledge signifies in general intelligence, understanding—1a) The general knowledge of Christian religion, 1b) The deeper more perfect & enlarged knowledge of this religion, such as belongs to the more advanced, 1c) Especially of things lawful & unlawful for Christians, 1d) Moral wisdom, such as is seen in right living. Gnwsiv denotes knowledge by itself, sofia denotes wisdom as exhibited in action, gnwsiv applies chiefly to the apprehension of truths, sofia adds the power of reasoning about them & tracing their relationships. Strong—Knowing(the act), i.e. by implication--Knowledge.
“Salvation”—swthria—Noun Fem.-Genitive Sing. Fem.—1) Deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation; 2) Salvation as the present possession of all true Christians; 3) Future salvation, the sum of benefits & blessings which the Christians, redeemed from all earthly ills, will enjoy after the visible return of Christ from heaven in the consummated & eternal kingdom of God. Strong—feminine of a derivative of swthr[Deliverer] as (properly, abstract)noun; Rescue or safety(physically or morally).
“By/In”—en—Preposition—1) In, by, with etc.. Strong—a primary preposition denoting (fixed)position(in place, time or state), & by implication--Instrumentality(medially or constructively), i.e. A relation of rest(intermediate between eiv[into, unto, to, towards, for, among] & ek/ex[out of, from, by, away from]).
“Remission/Forgiveness”—afesiv—Noun Fem.-Dative Sing. Feminine—1) Release from bondage or imprisonment; 2) Forgiveness or pardon, of sins(letting them go as if they had never been committed), remission of the penalty. Strong—Freedom; figuratively--Pardon. Used 17X.
“Sins”—amartia—Noun Fem.-Genitive Plural Feminine—1) equivalent to amartanw—1a) To be without a share in, 1b) To miss the mark, 1c) To err, be mistaken, 1d) To miss or wander from the path of uprightness & honor, to do or go wrong, 1e) To wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin; 2) That which is done wrong, sin, an offense, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act; 3) collectively,--The complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many. Amartia meant originally the missing of a mark. When applied to moral things the idea is similar, it is missing the true end of life, & so it is used as a general term for sin. It means both the act of sinning & the result, the sin itself. Strong—A sin(properly abstract).
Argumentation:
1Cor. 10:12-13—“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
Mat. 7:13-14—“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate & broad is the way that leads to destruction, & there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate & difficult is the way which leads to life, & there are few who find it.”
This does not mean that the way is either cryptic or hidden or like solving a puzzle, but that God’s way is a dedicated way. The way is found in Christ alone!
Lk. 13:23-30—“Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter & will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up & shut the door, & you begin to stand outside & knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ & He will answer & say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ “then you will begin to say, ‘We ate & drank in Your presence, & You taught in our streets.’ “But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ “There will be weeping & gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham & Isaac & Jacob & all the prophets in the kingdom of God, & yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east & the west, from the north & the south, & sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there are last who will be first, & there are first who will be last.”
**Mat. 6:12, 14-15—“And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.”.....“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
**Acts 17:30-31—“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
**Rom. 3:20-28—“Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law & the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all & on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned & fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just & the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.”
**Eph. 4:32—“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.”
**Col. 2:13-15—“And you, being dead in your trespasses & the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities & powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”
Illustration:
*Attributed to Dr. Charles Stanley—tells this story from his seminary days. He writes: “One of my most memorable seminary professors had a practical way of illustrating the concept of grace for his students. At the end of his evangelism course he would hand out the exam with the caution to read it all the way through before beginning to answer it. This caution was written on the exam as well.
As we read through the exam, it became unquestionably clear to each of us that we had not studied nearly enough. The further we read, the worse it became. About halfway through, audible groans could be heard throughout the lecture hall. By the time we were turning to the last page, we were all ready to turn the exam in blank. It was impossible to pass.
On the last page, however, there was a note that read, ‘You have a choice. You can either complete the exam as given or sign your name at the bottom & in so doing receive an A for this assignment.’ Wow! We sat stunned. Was he serious? Just sign it & get an A? Slowly, the point dawned on us, & one by one we turned in our tests & silently filed out of the room. It took the rest of the afternoon for me to get over it. I had the urge to go back & check with him one more time to make sure he was serious. When I talked with him about it afterward, he shared some of the reactions he had received through the years as he had given the same exam.
1)There were always students who did not follow instructions & began to take the exam without reading it all the way through.
2)Some of them would sweat it out for the entire two hours of class time before reaching the last page. Their ignorance caused them unnecessary anxiety.
3)Then there were the ones who would read the first two pages, become angry, turn in their paper blank, & storm out of the room. They never realized what was available. As a result, they lost out totally.
4)One fellow, however, topped them all. He read the entire test, including the note at the end, but he decided to take the exam anyway. He did not want any gifts; he wanted to earn his grade. And he did. He made a C+, which was amazing considering the difficulty of the test. But he could have easily made an A.”
A car accident that is your fault—No malice or intent but your fault/Thru car insurance comes a removal of the infraction, i.e., the car is fixed, the damage is repaired!/FORGIVENESS
Test-driving a car before purchasing/Certain allowances are granted by the dealership supposing you will buy the car/FORGIVENESS
A Dedicated Route in truck driving/When I worked driving a flatbed for CT, certain drivers were designated to deliver only to Lowes Home Improvement Stores—called a Dedicated Route/Meaning that the driver had no other obligations except to get product to & from Lowes stores/DEDICATED WAY
God’s Dedicated Route is to offer you personal forgiveness of sins by means of His only-begotten Son’s voluntary, substitutionary, death in judgment for your sin.
Application:
?Is Redemption at-hand thru God’s FORGIVENESS in you?
?Your Redemption at-hand in Jesus?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The boy who caught all twelve of seven chickens!!
Action:
Redemption is at hand when God initiates/gives...
8. FORGIVENESS(:76-77)
1. INSIGHT(:67)
2. BLESSING(:68a)
3. PRESENCE(:68b)
4. STRENGTH(:69)
5. WATCHMEN(:70)
6. FULFILLMENT(:71-74a-b)
7. SERVICE(:74c-75)
Pt. 8 only! presented 02/07/2016pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
