What Do You Know About Jesus?
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:26-33
Text: Luke 1:32-33
Sermon Idea: To clarify the world view of Jesus as another teacher among many.
What do we know about Jesus? We know that He brought people back from the dead, He forgave peoples sins, He angered the religious leaders of his day. We also know that He was killed for claiming to be the Messiah.
When those same leaders were looking for the Messiah, they saw a great King and deliverer coming in and slaughtering the Romans to set the Jews free from oppression and tyranny.
What they got was something entirely different. Jesus told them to fear God and love their enemy. Help the poor by giving of their wealth. To love their neighbor as they loved themselves.
Because of this they wanted Him killed. They saw all the signs and wonders that He did, yet they still would not believe that He was the Messiah a lowly carpenter from a poor family.
After the Romans came in it was the Chief Priests, who were controlling the political climate of Israel not the princes of the house of Judah.
There are three things that I would like to tell you that I know about Jesus.
I. I know that Jesus is the Son of God. (v. 32a)
Some of you may wonder how I know that Jesus is the Son of God? Our text tells us that He Awill be called the Son of the Most High@ (V. 32a).
As a boy Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem for a feast and Jesus went with them as every boy His age did. On the way back to Nazareth, Mary noticed that He was not with them.
They returned to Jerusalem to find Him in the midst of the teachers, Alistening and asking questions@ (Lk. 2:46). They were Aamazed at his understanding and answers@ (V. 47). Luke tells us that AJesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men@ (V. 52).
It is here that we hear Jesus= first words, ADidn=t you know I had to be in my Father=s house@ (V. 49b)?
There is another way I know that Jesus is the Son of God. Luke tells us that He was born to a virgin. That He is God=s only Son born of a woman. There is a great difference between Christ the Son of God and us the sons of men.
During the second World War, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr. overheard a conversation between a sailor and a girl at the ticket window, while he was waiting for his plane. The sailor asked for a seat on the plane saying AI want to see my mother; I ain=t got much time.@ The woman at the window answered a little sarcastically AThere=s a war on, you know.@
At this point the General stepped forward and told the girl to give the sailor his seat. His friend that was with him replied in surprise, ATeddy aren=t you in a hurry too?@ The General replied. AIt=s a matter of rank, I=m only a general; he=s a son@ (Diffee 358)!
The difference is not merely relative but absolute. The second thing I know about Jesus is this.
II. I know that Jesus is the King of Kings. (v. 32b).
Our text once again tells us that AGod will give him the throne of his father David@ (V. 32b). For any of this to happen, Jesus first must have to come from the lineage of the house of David.
Luke traces Jesus= line back all the way to Adam, the father of the human family. Because of this, and being, the Son of God makes Jesus the King of Kings. Let=s take a closer look to get more than a surface understanding.
When Luke takes us back to Adam it is for more than just tracing a royal line as the book of Matthew does. It is to find the line of His mother Mary. In Luke 3:23 it does not say that Jesus was the son of Joseph. It says, AHe was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph.@ In Matthew 1:16 where Joseph=s line is given we see he was the son of Jacob. Back to Luke 3:23, here it says he was the son of Heli. Joseph could not be the son of two men naturally. Let=s take a look at this verse in Luke carefully. It does not state that Heli begat Joseph, so it is supposed that Joseph was his son by law (or the son-in-law). Heli is believed to have been the father of Mary.
The Davidic line goes through Nathan not Solomon (Lk. 3:31). This is very important. The Messiah must be David=s son and heir. His seed according to the flesh. He must be a literal flesh and blood descendant. Thus, Mary must be a member of David=s House as well as Joseph.
A gentleman states that his family=s heritage is very old. He states that his family can be traced to the Akings of Europe.@ He then asks another club member how old her family line was. She replies, that she doesn=t really know because the family=s records were lost in the AGreat Flood,@ all with a wry smile on her face (The Links 161).
Why are we so concerned with all these genes? They give us the key to the whole life of Christ. They show us from the very start that He was not just another man but that He descended from a royal family, and that there was King=s blood flowing through His veins. If He were not King, He could not claim the rulership of our lives. The third thing that I know about Jesus is this.
III. I know that Jesus will reign forever. (v. 33)
Again our text tells us, AHe will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end@ (V. 33). Throughout the New Testament we see the writers telling us that Jesus= kingdom shall have no end. Yet many people have not come to terms with this concept. In the opening verses of John we see clearly the eternalness of Jesus; AIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . Through him all things were made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it@ (Jn. 1, 3-5).
What Jesus taught and what He did are tied inseparably to who He is. John shows Jesus as fully God and fully man. Although Jesus took upon Himself full humanity and lived as a man, He never ceased being the eternal God who has always existed, Athe Creator . . . Preserver . . . of all things,@ and the source of eternal life. This is the truth about Jesus, the foundation of all truth. If we cannot believe this basic truth, we will not have enough faith to trust our eternal destiny to Him.
A young man thought he would have a little fun with a Salvation Army lassie who was on duty in a railroad station. He walked right on over to her.
With a tone of sarcasm in his voice he asked her to pray for him. He turned beet red as she reached up and put her hand on his head and, in the earshot of his friends and all present, said, AO Lord, make this young man=s heart as soft as his head@ (Zuck 153).
In His light we see ourselves as we really are, sinners in need of a Savior. When we follow Jesus, the true light, we can avoid walking blindly into sin. He lights the path ahead of us so we can see how to live. He removes the darkness of sin from our lives.
What do you know about Jesus? Do you know that He is, not was or is going to become? That He is the Son, He is the King of Kings, and that He will Reign forever.
Today you are faced with a decision. You must decide whether or not you are going to accept these truths or reject these truths. I would strongly urge you to choose acceptance.
Works Cited
Dongell, Joseph. John A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. Indianapolis: Wesleyan, 1997.
Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary New Testament. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999.
Liefeld, Walter L. ALuke.@ Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary. 2 vols. Eds. Barker, Kenneth L. & John R. Kohlenberger III. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999.
Martin, John A. ALuke.@ The Bible Knowledge Commentary. Downers Grove: Victor, 1997.
Radmacher, Earl, Ronald B. Allen, and H. Wayne House.
Nelson=s New Illustrated Bible Commentary. Nashville: Nelson, 2000.
The Spiritual Formation Bible New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999.
Zuck, Roy B. The Speaker=s Quote Book. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2000.
