Luke 3:14-21
Best is yet to come
1. be content.
2. understand your role
3. truth is truth
4. 3 & 1
Today’s bible study; we are picking up with today with the last questions given to us via a soldier.
verse 14
14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?”
So he said to them, “Do not [c]intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
1. 1. Be Content
Story of Mexico and the police. I was extorted for 100 dollars for window tinting. It was an adventure to say the least.
False accusations/hackers, crooks:
Beware: asking for your bank account so they can make sure you’re getting your stimulus package money.
people hack into a computer and informed someone of something they were not even doing and they had to pay a fine in order for their computer to return back to its normal state.
During this time,
*Government stimulating the economy.
*Interests rates are at 0.
*Time to rebuild and not be about taking from others.
*Pray that this timely reset would be good for everyone.
15 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, 16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”
2. Understand your role
I believe this is one of most humble, beautiful and direct explanations of a man under authority and then dropping the Holy Gossip on it.
John was not the leader, anointed savior, or the Christ.
He told them his mission, baptizing with water,
He was the Forerunner, not the Toyota version, but the real version
He went before as prophesied,
John’s mission= to prepare the way and also point.
John Is saying the next guy after me is so great that I can’t even come close to his feet and loosen his sandal strap.
That’s how holy his feet are.
Remember the story of Moses in Exodus? God told Moses to take off his sandals.
Moses goes up to the mountain to meet with God, Moses was told by God to take off his sandals because where he was standing is Holy Ground.
Or how about Joshua when he was confronted with incarnate Jesus?
Let’s read these 2 verses.
Exodus 3:5-5 Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”
Joshua 5:15-15 Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.
This new guys feet is the Holy of Holies now. His feet are Holy because he is God on earth. Jesus is the Word and the Word became flesh.
Baptism of holy Spirit and fire
Let’s talk about this now:
Steven Cole comments and I quote: Steven Cole - 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.
I found this to be interesting. One reason I don’t like the thought for thought interpretation of the bible.
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. (Jon Courson's Application Commentary)
These are 2 different things baptism and the baptism with fire being illustrated.
John tells us that one person delivers us from hell and one person alone.
18 And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his [d]brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.
3. Truth is truth
John spoke up against Herod.
This leader did not like his truth shown to him.
What was the truth that J the B revealed? Glad you asked
He was in fact her half-uncle, because her father, Aristobulus, and he were both sons of Herod by different wives. Herod Antipas, on a visit to Rome, seduced her from his half-brother and married her. She was at one and the same time his sister-in-law, because she was married to his half-brother, and his niece because she was the daughter of Aristobulus, another half-brother.
People need to hear the truth.
need to remove the speck in our own eyes before we remove the plank.
Sin is sin
It’s one thing to sin and repent and not do it anymore,
It’s another thing to sin and keep sinning and not change your ways.
Sadly most Christians have done it.
Let’s not muddy sin and cover it up.
Let’s wash in the Word and if we can’t handle it, ask for prayer and accountability for it.
Make sure it’s sin also, not what we think is sin. Pray before we also know about what going on so we can have a heart of love for the sin. Our goal is restoration and healing not poking and prodding.
Galatians 6:1
Brethren, if a man is [a]overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Confronting people is always hard.
People don’t want to hear about their own sin
If you love someone who is sinning and or doing something harmful to themselves.
Pray about it and ask God to show you how to love them
Don’t forget, you can’t change people. But God can!
21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
4. 3 & 1
All the people who came were baptized. What an outreach. This is such an amazing visual of the God head, the Trinity as we believe it now. Showing itself independently and corporately to us and them.
1. Jesus is there
2. Holy Spirit is there
3. God’s voice rings out.
Why is this so important to us Christians today?
I believe that there is one God Who exists in three persons, one in substance, co-eternal and co-equal. Our finite minds cannot fully explain the Trinity. No explanation can adequately portray the power and intricacy of this unique relationship.
Theologians have long been troubled by Jesus’ allowing himself to be baptized by John.
Baptism was for sinners, right?
Why, then, did Jesus do it?
He did it because he is both God and human—
he underwent baptism and even death as only a human could;
he lived a sinless life and rose from the dead as only God could.
This baptism by John in the Jordan River was another step in his identification with us sinful people;
the arrival of the dove signifies God’s approval.
Jesus would officially begin his ministry as God’s beloved Son walking the dusty roads of Israel.
When you are hurting, depressed, broken, remember:
You have a Savior who understands your humanity.
When you sin, remember:
He has paid the price for your disobedience and he loves you.
Side note:
When’s the last time you studied a dove and the graceful way it flies?
Did you know doves when they mate, they mate for life?
They fly together and do life together.
The dove is what Noah sent out of the Ark to see if there was dry land.
The dove is the symbol of a large church affiliation.
Because of Jesus our heavenly father thinks the same thing of us.
One of my goals is to hear the Lord say to me when I enter into heaven is found in
Matthew 25:21
His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.
But even as we talk about this
God is well pleased with us because of Jesus.
Jesus is the bridge for us to have peace with God
Jesus was the perfect, sinless sacrifice that was acceptable to atone for the sins of the world..
I believe that Jesus is the reason God has a similar outlook on us.
He is well pleased with you.
Sometimes all of us maybe don’t think we are doing good enough by the Lord
Anyone else think like that?
One perspective to think about is this
When you take your eyes off yourself and focus on Jesus,
You can see the grace of God more and see really how much he genuinely is pleased in you.
Your relationship is not based on your work for God
Your relationship is based on the finished of work of Jesus.
That why God is well pleased with His Son, our God and King and Savior
Jesus finished the work for us all to be have the right relationship with God
God is well pleased with you
Say it, God is well pleased with me
Say it, God is well pleased with me
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