We continue a series entitled, The Man Who Won’t Go Away, this morning. Normally when someone dies, their impact on the world immediately begins to recede. Over the past few days, Baltimore Oriole manager, Earl Weaver died. As did advice columnist “Dear Abby.” If someone’s legacy will outlast their life, it usually becomes apparent when they die. Think about the tragic death of Heath Ledger, the actor who played the Joker in the movie, The Dark Knight. His influence has decreased since his death, rather than rise. Yet, Jesus inverted this normal human trajectory. Jesus’ impact was greater a hundred years after his death than during his life. It was greater still after five hundred years. After a thousand years his legacy laid the foundation for much of Europe. After two thousand years He has more followers in more places than ever. Again, if someone’s legacy will outlast their life, it usually becomes apparent when they die. On the day when Alexander the Great or Caesar Augustus or Napoleon or Socrates or Mohammed died, their reputations were immense. When Jesus died, his tiny failed movement appeared clearly at an end. Nevertheless, Yale historian Jaroslav Pelikan wrote: “Regardless of what anyone may personally think or believe about him, Jesus of Nazareth has been the dominant figure in the history of Western Culture for almost twenty centuries. If it were possible, with some sort of super magnet, to pull up out of the history every scrap of metal bearing at least a trace of his name, how much would be left?” The empire of Rome, where Jesus was born and was murdered, long ago crumbled to ruins. Yet, the number of people who swear allegiance to Jesus and call him Lord has grown through the centuries. This one solitary life has done more to inspire hope and love in our world than anyone.
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli (He lie), 24 the son of Matthat (Ma thought), the son of Levi, the son of Melchi (Mel chi), the son of Jannai (Ja knee i), the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias (Matt a thigh us), the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli (S lie), the son of Naggai (Nag e i), 26 the son of Maath (Ma oth), the son of Mattathias (Matt a thigh us), the son of Semein (Sa may ein), the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan (Joe ann en), the son of Rhesa (Rhe sa), the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel (Shawl teal el), the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi (Add die), the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam (El madam), the son of Er (Air), 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat (Ma thought), the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim (Eli a kim), 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna (Men na), the son of Mattatha (Ma ta tha), the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala (like Salad with the a), the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan (Canaan), the son of Arphaxadm (ar fax add), the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel (Ma ha e el), the son of Cainan (Canaan), 38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. (Luke 3:21-38)
It may not be immediately obvious to you, but Luke is put together this part of his Gospel, in order to answer the question: Who is/was Jesus Christ? Who was He REALLY? For the next few minutes, I want you to think deeply about Jesus Christ. I want you to see the significance of this one Man in ways you haven’t considered before.
If you were new to our nation and wondered why Abraham Lincoln was recently featured in a movie. If you had asked me about his significance in being featured on the penny and the five dollar bill, I would respond by telling you of his role in the Civil War. I would talk about the tragedy of slavery and how he held the country together when real threats work to rip it apart. You wouldn’t understand the scope of Lincoln’s significance if you didn’t understand his the events of his day and how they affect us today. Neither will you fully grasp the significance of Jesus’ life if you don’t realize He did more than die for on a cross.
Jesus is special; Jesus is unique. I know a lot of guys but I wouldn’t spend every Sunday morning singing about them. Who is/was Jesus Christ? Who was He REALLY? What makes Him so special? Believers throughout the centuries have believed that Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man in one person, and He will be both fully God and fully man forever.
Luke describes the uniqueness of Jesus in two ways: Luke first tells us the story of Jesus’ baptism and then Luke gives us Jesus’ family history. First, Luke’s story of Jesus’ baptism. Luke is the only writer to tell us Jesus’ approximate age (Luke 3:23). Jesus was now a grown Man as thirty was thought to be the age of maturity in Jewish culture. The serene, quiet years of Jesus’ early life have now passed away for the stormy public years that lie in front of Him. We find Jesus waiting on a great multitude of people who were waiting to be baptized by Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist. Luke reduces the details of Jesus’ baptism to a minimum. Unlike Matthew and Mark, Luke doesn’t even tell us who baptized Jesus. Luke doesn’t focus on why Jesus was baptized.
Second, Luke shows us Jesus at prayer. Luke tells us simply that when Jesus prayer, heaven itself opened. That Jesus prayed isn’t all that significant... most everyone prays at some point in their life. What is unusual is what happens when Jesus prays: “the heavens were opened” (Luke 3:21). You need to see that what the Bible is portraying for us is not a private experience inside Jesus’ inner mind. Instead, “the heavens were opened” was visible to everyone there. This was a visible display of God for all to see. We need to understand that Jesus’ prayer life was not like the ordinary person. And already we see that Jesus was not like the ordinary person. “…and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 2:22b).
Flash Forward for a minute. Later Luke will tell us another key event in Jesus’ life was tied to prayer: “And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:39-44).
GOD’S VOICE
After the heavens opened, “the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove...” (Luke 3:22a). If you were there that day, I think you might have sensed this One in front of you was special and unique. John baptized dozens of people the Baptist, but it was only One of them that God’s voice spoke openly for all to here: “...and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22b). There are three times we hear God’s voice audibly in the pages of the New Testament. And each time God’s voice is heard, we hear Him speaking about the importance of Jesus. We hear Him speaking of how special Jesus was to Him. Jesus’ identity is on display here. From eternity past to eternity future, God is most pleased with His Son.
There are only four voices in Luke’s Gospel to declare Jesus to be the Son of God:
1) angels (Luke 1:32,35); 2) demons (Luke 4:41, 8:28); 3) Satan (Luke 4:3,9); 4) and God (Luke 3:22, 9:35). Luke is writing to show you the significance of Jesus’ real identity.
Later, Luke will show us that Satan meets Jesus in the desert. Here in the desert, Jesus successfully fends off Satan’s attacks. The attacks have to do with Jesus’ identity and Jesus’ uniqueness. “The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God...” (Luke 3:3a). Satan attacks Jesus on the same question in Luke 3:9. So here are three successive narratives all aimed to show you Jesus’ uniqueness. Here God’s voice is heard in front of everyone long before Satan attacks. Jesus’ uniqueness is this: where Adam failed, Jesus succeeded.
1. Why Should I Care About a Boring List?
For many of you the list found in today’s passage has no more spiritual significance than reading the Yellow Pages. A list of seventy-seven names, (seventy-eight if you include God’s name) many of which we can’t even pronounce. As one pastor commented on this list as “dudes who sound like Jedi knights.” Thirty-eight of the sixty-seven names are not found anywhere else in the Bible. Why does the Bible include lists of family members so frequently? Why is this long list found here? And Why Should I Care About a Boring List?
We believe every word of the Bible to placed there intentionally by God Himself. God wasn’t haphazard when He put together the contents of the Bible. So, Bible-believing Christians come to the Bible with a presupposition – there’s gold in those pages if you dig for it.
A genealogy is a record of a person’s ancestral descent, or their family. There are only two genealogies in the New Testament, one in Matthew 1 and this one in Luke 3. Luke’s list differs from Matthew’s list of Jesus as Luke begins with Jesus and works back through time, until Luke arrives at the first man, Adam. Luke’s list is longer and is less clearly structured than Matthew’s. Matthew begins his narrative with Jesus’ family tree while Luke places his list between the stories of Jesus’ baptism and Satan’s temptation of Jesus in the desert. So why does the Bible have this list? You need to see the connection between God’s voice speaking the words, “my beloved Son” and this list. This list comes directly after hearing these words. Luke is wanted you to see the connection because he wants you to know who Jesus really is. Luke places Jesus’ family here to underscore Jesus’ credentials.
Today, we think different. If I wanted to call attention to someone, I would tell you they played in the NFL. I would tell you of their economic success, they run a business with over 100 employees. I would tell you they served as a Senator of Texas. Or if I really wanted to impress you, I would tell you this person won American Idol. But Jesus’ pedigree acted as part of His credentials. Genealogies were a big deal for the Jewish people; Jewish families commonly kept private family records. We read about the return of the Jewish people to their homeland in Nehemiah 7:5, 64-65. Anyone who sought to be a priest but whose names were not found in the registered genealogies was excluded. Remember that if you lived during these days, you probably lived where your parents lived, where your grandparents lived, and where your great-grandparents lived. Genealogies were significant because they communicate a person’s social’s standing and status. A person’s family line, if it was prominent, conveyed his importance. And Jesus’ family tree shows His pedigree.
Against the common notion that these words are boring and irrelevant is to see their importance. Jesus’ family line travels through many of the Old Testament luminaries such as Solomon, David, Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham. All Jewish people took great pride from descending from on the great patriarchs such as Abraham. Again, this family tree is important because it shows Jesus’ pedigree, His credentials. It’s important to point out where Luke’s family tree stops. Notice that Jesus is connected not only to “Abraham” in verse thirty-five but also to “Adam” in verse thirty-seven. Had Luke only connect Jesus to “Abraham,” the father of the Jews, then have failed to know something of Jesus’ significance. Luke heightens Jesus’ worth by telling us that Jesus is not only connected to “Abraham” but also to “Adam.” See Matthew stops his list by connecting Jesus to “Abraham.” Matthew wanted Jewish people to know of Jesus’ Jewish pedigree. But Luke goes further.
Remember, there are four gospels; these are biographical sketches of the life of Jesus. Each of these four are true as they tell the story a bit differently. Each tells the story of Jesus with different emphases for audiences. The Bible is put together thinking like a missionary: how do we explain Jesus to these people and these people and these people? Tell them all the same thing, but tell it in a way that makes the most sense to them. And this is the significance of Luke. By connecting Jesus to “Adam,” the father of the whole human race, we begin to sense the significance of Jesus. Jesus isn’t just a Jewish Messiah, instead, He is relevant to the whole human race. Again, Jesus’ uniqueness is this: where Adam failed, Jesus succeeded.
2. His Identity is Your Identity
Since the nineteenth century, atheists have agued that talk about God is really no more than talk about ourselves. God, so the thought goes, is merely the projection of human thoughts and desires. While talk about God is rooted and grounded in our view of ourselves, God is far more than a projection of our own thoughts and desires. Yet, this line of thinking was right on one level. You really cannot know yourself, until you know God.
This weekend is a three-day weekend for many of us. It’s a three-day weekend because of the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King is known for tireless work to end racism in our nation. Early in King’s life, he quit his job as a laborer in the Atlanta Railway Express Company because the foreman insisted on calling him by the “n word.” But one of the features that distinguished King from others before him was his belief in the universal sinfulness of all humans – no matter their race. It is common to assume that southern blacks readily saw whites as sinful but it was much less common to recognize that leaders like King also acknowledge the inherent sinfulness of black southerners. In King’s beliefs, humans were made from one blood. Therefore, all of us are racists to some degree. But it’s not just racism that marks us on this weekend.
The news, for want of other real stories, has perpetuated the confessions of Lance Armstrong for upwards of a week now. Armstrong is the popular cyclist who has had his seven Tour De France titles stripped away because of doping. Over the course of the past several evenings, Armstrong’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, was the latest tell-all. After admitting to 4.3 million people that he had even lied to his son, Armstrong tells us that he lost $75 million in endorsements in one day. One by one, his sponsors called to end their associations with him: Nike; Trek Bicycles, etc. “That was a $75 million day,” Armstrong said. So was there a moral to his story? “I can look at what I did,” he said, “Cheating to win bike races, lying about it, bullying people. Of course, you're not supposed to do those things. That's what we teach our children.” Armstrong paused to compose himself before a final mea culpa. “I just think it was about the ride and losing myself, getting caught up in that, and doing all those things along the way that enabled that,” he said. “The ultimate crime is, uh, is the betrayal of those people that supported me and believed in me.”
That’s the story of sin in our lives – we lose ourselves. We lose ourselves in the greed of winning or in the ugly feelings of superiority because of the color of our skin. Our identity is lost along the way and we long to truly find ourselves. Through Jesus’ family tree, Luke reminds us to Adam, the first man, who represents all of us. We remember the story of Adam well. In the perfect garden, a place where nothing dirty or evil was present, Adam fell into the first sin and doomed us all. But here is the Second Adam – Jesus. Instead of being placed in the Garden of Eden, Jesus finds Himself in the desert. Instead of being surrounded by perfection, Jesus is surrounded by nothing but hardship. But unlike the first Adam who failed, the Second Adam succeeded. And the Second Adam’s success was due to His identity. Jesus’ identity is shown as we hear the voice of God splitting open the skies. Jesus’ identity is shown as we see Him pray and we see the Holy Spirit land on Him as a dove. Jesus’ identity is shown as we research Jesus’ family tree. And Jesus’ identity is shown as we see Him fend off Satan’s attacks - the very attacks that were driven to distort Jesus’ special identity. You see, our identity is tied up in His identity. We’re like Adam – just like Adam. You know yourself. You know your true inner self. You know as well as I do that if you were placed in the perfect Garden that you would have damned all of us, just like Adam.
But Jesus’ is unique, He’s special. For unlike Adam, who faced Satan and failed. Jesus faces Satan and succeeds for all of us. Jesus was 100% human. He was and is the special Son of God Where Adam failed, Jesus succeeded. Jesus achieves victory not only for Himself but for those who trust in Him. And this is the Gospel – Jesus does for you what you cannot do for yourself. Jesus does for us what we could not do for ourselves.
I know a lot of guys but I wouldn’t spend every Sunday morning singing about them. My identity is tied up in His identity.When I find Him, I find me.
