The Gospel According to Luke
Pastor Tommy Bailey
Luke 1
Descriptions of Jesus in Luke:
- The Son of God (1:35)
- Light to those in darkness (1:79)
- Worthy of worship (24:52)
- The one in whom all the scriptures find their fulfillment (24:27)
- The Son of Man who came to seek and save the lost (19:10)
- The resurrected King who ascended to heaven, is reigning now and will return again (24)
- Salvation (2:30)
1. God is at work in history and households
“To me, there is nothing more comforting than knowing that there is a God of providence who is aware not only of every one of my transgressions but of every one of my tears, every one of my aches, and every one of my fears.”
R.C. Sproul
- Zechariah – Jehovah remembers
- Elizabeth – God is an oath
- John – Jehovah has been gracious
“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings…Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers…”
Malachi 4:2–6
“It is noteworthy that the clearest promises of the Messiah have been given in the darkest hours of history.”
Charles Spurgeon
2. God is at work in darkness and silence
“God is God. If He is God, He is worthy of my worship and my service. I will find rest nowhere but in His will, and that will is infinitely, immeasurably, unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to.”
Elisabeth Elliot
“God is on the move toward us, not the other way round. In the very midst of our confusion and incapacity, we are met by the oncoming Lord.”
Fleming Rutledge, Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ
Discussion Questions
- What is your favorite Gospel and why?
- The Gospel according to Luke gives us some great descriptions of Jesus. When you think of Jesus, what words naturally come to mind? Why?
- We opened our worship with “King Forevermore” and closed with “The King in All His Beauty.” Luke describes Jesus as the resurrected King who ascended to heaven, is reigning now and will return (v. 24). How does the description of “Jesus as King” resonate with you? Why?
- Pastor Tommy said God works in history as well as households. What does it mean that we have a God who not only orders the cosmos but knows our innermost thoughts, fears and desires?
- Zachariah and Elizabeth are examples of righteousness; their reputation was that they were faithful toward God in all they did, and as such, they were considered righteous. Is your life lived in a way that there is no question about who you place your trust in?
- Pastor Tommy taught that God is at work in the darkness and encouraged us not to mistake silence for absence. What can we do in times of unrest? In times of God’s silence and life’s darkness, both cultural and personal? How can we find hope and rest? What does it mean that God’s word is as good as his activity?
- Luke joins the final prophecy of the Old Testament (Malachi 4:2-6) to the first prophecy of the New Testament about the birth of John, the second Elijah, who would pave the way for Jesus. The intertestamental period between the two prophecies was 400 years of silence. They were waiting for the coming of Messiah. Are you waiting for the return of the King with the same level of expectation?