The Gospel According to Luke
Pastor Jim Thomas
Luke 2
- God turned the tide against darkness with the proclamation of the angels. (Luke 2:10-12)
- God turned the tide against silence when He spoke about the hope of redemption through the aged prophet and prophetess. (Luke 2:21-38)
- God turned the tide against fear when Jesus spoke for Himself and clarified His mission. (Luke 2:49)
- God continues to turn the tide of redemption history by speaking through His Word, the Holy Spirit, and the church.
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:20
“If we want to participate in this Advent and Christmas event, we cannot simply sit there like spectators in a theater and enjoy all the friendly pictures. Rather, we must join in the action that is taking place and be drawn into this reversal of all things ourselves.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God Is In the Manger
“The central miracle asserted by Christians is the Incarnation. They say that God became Man. Every other miracle prepares for this, or exhibits this, or results from this.”
C.S. Lewis, Miracles
“‘Immanuel’ means the ideal has become real, the absolute has become a particular, and the invisible has become visible. The incarnation is the universe-sundering, history-altering, life-transforming, paradigm-shattering event of history.”
Tim Keller, Hidden Christmas
“Luke has told us in the angel’s words who Jesus is, and in the prophet’s words who may benefit from his message; and now in the words of the Child himself, we learn that to grasp the fullness of this message of salvation we shall need to follow the one who already knows God as his Father, as he prosecutes his Father‘s plan through the whole gospel story in order to bring us into the same relationship.”
Michael Wilcock, The Message of Luke
Discussion Questions
- Review the Bonhoeffer quote. As Christians, we can become desensitized to the incarnation as we get lost in the busy Christmas season, which, at its worst, takes the focus from Christ and on materialism. While reading the story of Jesus’ birth in Luke are there parts that seem strange or supernatural? Pastor Jim said, “Some of us have gotten so bored and dull we’ve lost our sense of wonder.” How can we refresh those perspectives to be more like Mary, Simeon, Anna and the Shepherds?
- God turned the tide against fear when Jesus spoke for Himself and clarified His mission. “Why are you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my father’s house” (Luke 2:49). Pastor Jim said, “Jesus wants you to know God as Father.” Do you see God as your father and if so, how does that affect your worldview and mission?
- Jesus is at the same time more exalted and more humble than human expectation. How do we see examples of both on display in Luke 2, and what does it mean for our salvation that we have this paradoxical savior (born as a baby from a poor family in a lowly manner while also being King of the universe)?
- Why would God reconcile himself to man by coming to us as sinless? How does this contrast to Adam’s relationship to humanity? (Hint: Romans 5:12-21)