And I'm going to turn to Luke chapter 3. Luke chapter 3. I'm going to look at that passage that we read together. It's on page 1030.
Stick it in your Bibles. And so we're going to jump around quite a bit this morning.
Now, when you come to a passage like this, there are two approaches really that you could take.
And one we could call it the about me approach. And if you do that, you can get two sermons out of it.
The first sermon would focus really on verses 21 and 22. And it would be about the importance of being baptized.
And the first point would be from verse 21. Well, we should be baptized because Jesus is baptized.
Point two would come from verse 22. There's a threefold blessing that comes to those who are baptized.
There's a special touch of the Holy Spirit. There's a knowledge of the love of God. And there's the pleasure of God.
And then you could skip the genealogy, couldn't you? You could skip that from verse 23, really, to 37.
And go straight to chapter 4, verses 114. Genealogies are a bit like appendix, aren't they?
Very often people think, well, they're best totally ignored or even removed completely.
And that's what people think about genealogies.
So we come to our second sermon in chapter 4.
And it would be a three-pointer. It would be a strategy for avoiding temptation.
The point in verse 1 would be, be filled with the Holy Spirit.
And then the second then would be, from verse 2, be alert in times of weakness.
Jesus was hungry.
And then point 3 would be, immersed in the Bible. Jesus quotes the Bible.
And the conclusion to that three-point sermon, be filled with the Spirit, be alert in times of weakness, and quote lots of the Bible,
would be, if you follow that procedure, the devil will leave you, verse 13.
Now, any of that, some of that, very little of that, is true.
But there are sermons out there like that.
But let me tell you, I am absolutely convinced that that has got nothing to do with Luke 3 and 4.
Except in a very broad sense that we might come back to.
And the passage, although I talked about the Trinity in verse 22,
the passage is not actually a theological discourse on the Trinity.
There's lots of reformed preachers that take it like that.
What is Luke about?
Luke is about God.
The Gospel of Luke is about God and his purpose for the whole world.
Through John the Baptist and Jesus, Luke's project is to give us certainty about these things, isn't it?
That is why Luke has written the book.
Just flip back to Luke chapter 1.
He has written to give Theophilus, this guy, an orderly account,
so that, verse 4, you may know the certainty of things that you've been taught.
It's not about how great baptism is.
It's not a doctrinal treatise on the Trinity.
It's not about a handy way to resist temptation.
To take it that way throws us back on technique or ritual rather than Jesus.
So the second approach I want to take this morning,
is the first approach it's about me,
and the second approach is it's all about Jesus.
It's about Jesus.
The reason why I'm taking a bigger chunk this morning is there's one big theme.
There's one big theme that unites the whole chapter,
and it flows from the earlier chapters of Luke.
Now John has just finished his work of preparation,
but in verse 20, Herod has locked him up.
Herod has put him in prison.
In verse 21, Jesus makes his first public appearance.
And our section here, from 321 to 413,
is concerned with Jesus' preparation, if I can put it like that.
Preparation for the start of his public ministry in the synagogue.
So from 14, verse 4, you see Jesus comes out in public.
He starts to teach.
Now, crassly, if you want to put it like this,
this section is a little bit like when you've left home,
and you've gone off to university,
or you're faffing around doing little jobs,
before you get your professional qualifications,
and you start your job proper.
Your career.
That is a crass description of what is going on.
But that is what is going on.
It is about the qualifications of Jesus to do the job.
To do the job he's called to do.
So what is the big theme of the passage?
You don't need to be a rocket scientist, do you?
Look down at the theme.
It is there.
It is Jesus, the Son of God.
So verse 22, you are my Son.
Verse 23 to 37 seems to have one big theme, doesn't it?
Which I think you can guess.
And the devil, verse 3 and verse 9.
It's there, isn't it?
That's the theme.
The climax of the baptism.
You are my Son.
The genealogy.
It is concerned with what?
Fatherhood?
No, it's not concerned with fatherhood.
It is all concerned with sonship.
And it comes to conclusion with the great declaration,
the Son of Adam, the Son of God.
Jesus is the Son of Adam, the Son of God.
And then as we move into chapter 4,
where does the devil attack?
His challenge is once again on the sonhood of Jesus.
So in verse 3 and in verse 9.
And it's been there right since, this theme has been there right since the beginning of Luke's Gospel.
So it just came back to chapter 1, verse 35.
The angel answered to Mary and said,
The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.
Now we should expect, shouldn't we, as we read Luke's Gospel,
the connectedness.
Because we know, don't we, as we've just seen from Luke 1,
that Luke isn't writing randomly.
He's not writing a memoir of just different memories.
He is writing an orderly account.
So if our passage is about the revelation of Jesus as the Son of God,
what does it say about it?
Now we're going to jump around a little bit, a lot more than we usually do.
So tuck that piece of paper into Luke 3 as a bookmark.
That is base camp, alright?
My first point is this,
Jesus is the unique Son of God.
How are we to understand the baptism of Jesus?
Well, the best way to understand the baptism of Jesus
is to let the Bible,
and particularly let Luke himself,
interpret it for us.
We allow the Bible, don't we?
The Bible is a self-interpreting book.
It helps us.
If it is God who is speaking,
there is no higher authority for interpreting it.
We must allow God to interpret his own words.
Now how does Luke record the words of Jesus?
And the apostles,
so that we can understand this baptism?
Accompanied, isn't it,
by the visible descent of the Holy Spirit,
and the audible voice of God the Father.
So look at chapter 4 and verse 18.
Jesus speaks himself.
Jesus says,
as he begins his public ministry,
chapter 4 and verse 18,
the Spirit of the Lord is on me.
It's a reference back, isn't it?
To the baptism.
Because he has anointed me.
And he goes on to describe his task.
The baptism is an anointing for Jesus' work.
Now let's go to Acts chapter 10.
Right?
Acts chapter 10,
which is on page 1104.
Page 1104.
Let's hear the sound of leaves rustling.
Alright?
Acts chapter 10,
and verse 37 and 38.
Peter is speaking.
And he's preaching after the first Gentiles have believed the gospel.
And this is what he says.
He says,
You know what has happened throughout Judea,
beginning in Galilee,
after the baptism that John preached.
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.
So Luke,
in both volumes,
he wrote Acts,
records Jesus and Peter saying about the reception of the Spirit at his baptism,
it is about an anointing.
So the question is,
what kind of anointing is it?
And the answer lies in Luke chapter 3,
verse 22.
You are my son,
whom I love.
With you I am well pleased.
Now we've become youth to this in Luke's gospel as we've read it.
But what Luke does is really interesting.
He doesn't quote in full and exactly passages from the Old Testament.
But he echoes.
He echoes in order to set up lots of connections.
So as we read Luke's gospel,
we think,
that reminds me,
that echoes,
that echoes.
Always follow those trains of thought if you can.
Alright?
There are two main connections,
two main echoes here.
So the first is in Psalm 2.
Okay?
Let's go there.
Psalm 2.
Which is on page 543.
Page 543.
What happens in Psalm 2?
I hope you know it.
The earthly rulers,
they get together and they plan
and they conspire against God,
against the Lord.
And against who else?
The Son.
The Anointed One.
And in verse 6 of Psalm 2,
God has installed this king,
his son,
on Zion,
my holy hill.
And God addresses,
he speaks to this king,
in verse 7.
And he says to them,
he says to him,
he said to me,
you are my son.
Today I have become your father.
And again in verse 12,
this king,
this anointed king,
is described as God's son.
And it makes total sense
against the background
of the Old Testament.
Where God's king
is anointed as a prophet
to speak the words of God.
And he receives the Holy Spirit
to do his job.
So let's go further back.
Let's go back to 1 Samuel,
chapter 16.
1 Samuel,
chapter 16.
When I get there,
I'll tell you the page number.
It's page 287.
Page 287.
1 Samuel,
chapter 16,
and verse 13.
Samuel is anointing
king David.
So Samuel took the horn of oil,
his horn containing oil,
and anointed him,
poured it upon him,
in the presence of his brothers.
And from that day on,
the Spirit of the Lord
came upon David
in power.
So back to Luke chapter 3.
Can you see the same pattern?
John
baptises Jesus,
who receives the Spirit,
and is called God's son.
So the baptism of Jesus
is a coronation ceremony.
The anointing ceremony.
The baptism of Jesus
is where he is publicly anointed
as God's ruler
and king.
Now let's deal with the other echo.
Okay?
Maybe it's not such a clear echo to you,
but it's there.
It's in Isaiah chapter 42,
and verse 1.
Okay?
Isaiah chapter 42,
and verse 1.
Which is on page 727.
Maybe you're thinking,
I don't know my way around
the Bible very well.
Now is a great time to start,
isn't it?
Alright?
They can teach you the song
in Club 16.
Isaiah 42,
and verse 1.
It's on page 727.
And the prophet Isaiah
begins to speak
about his servant.
And these chapters
unfold what it's going to mean
for the servant of the Lord.
And he reveals
that he will be the one
who will suffer
and die in the place
of God's people.
And the New Testament
is very, very clear
that the suffering servant
is Jesus of Nazareth.
And so the prophet Isaiah,
speaking on behalf of God,
said,
Here is my servant
whom I behold,
my chosen one
in whom I delight.
I will put my spirit
on him.
And he will bring justice
to the nations.
Can you hear the echoes?
You are my son
whom I love.
With you I'm well pleased.
God's king, Jesus,
is also his servant
who will ultimately
suffer for the salvation
of his people.
And God has put
his spirit upon him.
Luke 3
is all about
Jesus
as God's suffering
servant king.
Now,
if you were here
last week,
you may remember
John's task for Jesus.
So let's just go back
to that in Luke 3.
And in verse 17 to 18,
there's that great passage
of what Jesus will do.
His winnowing fork,
that fork is in his hand
to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat
into his barn.
But he will burn up
the chaff
with unquenchable fire.
He's going to sort out
who are his
and who are not.
And with many
other words,
John exhorted the people
and preached the good news
to them.
Although verse 17
doesn't sound like
good news to us.
But Jesus is saying,
Luke is saying,
how can he be the one
who separates the wheat
from the chaff?
How can he be the one
who delivers God's people?
And baptizes them
with the Holy Spirit.
And yet,
on the other hand,
judges those who refuse
to come to him.
And he consigns them
to everlasting fire.
Who is Jesus?
How can anybody on earth
have claimed
to have that kind of right?
Well,
you've got to understand
his identity,
haven't you?
Verses 17 and 18
set up the end
of chapter 3
and the start of chapter 4.
I searched for an illustration
for this,
but I really struggle
with it.
The only illustration
I can give you,
I was at
Cardiff Amherst Park
once before the
Millennium Stadium
watching the Army
seconds play the Navy
or something ridiculous
like that.
I don't know why I was,
I can't remember
why I was there.
But I was watching this game,
it's quite a good game,
it was one of those games
where you really
couldn't care less
who won,
you tried to work out
how many friends
you've got in the Army
or the Navy.
But there was,
at one point,
a streaker
who ran on the pitch.
There were only
about 300 people there,
but the military police
were there.
I was thinking,
what on earth
are the military police
doing at Cardiff Amherst Park
in a rugby game?
And the military police
ran on the pitch,
tackled him
like they should,
quite roughly,
and man-armed him
off the pitch.
Anyway,
what were the military police
doing at Cardiff Amherst Park?
Surely the military police,
their domain
is only
on a military base,
isn't it?
Well,
that's what I thought.
But the person
saying next to me
told me that,
bizarrely,
they could police
rugby matches
played by the Army
and Navy.
You see,
it's a rubbish illustration,
really,
but what it's saying to you
is it's saying
the domain of their authority
was far greater
than I imagined.
I thought they could
only have authority
on the Army base,
but it turns out
they can have authority
where,
I can't remember
exactly where,
but they could certainly
have it on that rugby pitch.
And that is Jesus.
His authority
is far,
far greater
than you and I think.
The domain
of His authority
is far greater
than you and I think.
Their identity
of those military policemen,
it covered them
to do the job
in a far,
far greater way
than I thought.
And this identity
of Jesus
as the unique
Son of God
equips him
for this task
of baptising
the faithful
with the Holy Spirit
and baptising
the unfaithful
with fire.
He has authority
as God's Son
to do it.
He is the final ruler
of heaven and earth
and He has the ability
as the suffering servant
to deliver His people
from the unquenchable
fires of judgment
to the fire
that will never end.
And in being baptised
He demonstrates
His commitment
to God's purpose.
So it's saying to you
trust Jesus.
Trust Jesus
because He is
thoroughly equipped
for spirit
and fire
baptism.
You've got no reason
to doubt Him
this morning.
If He is God's
unique Son
He can do
all that He's asked
to do.
He can rule
the nations.
He can sift
the wheat
from the chaff.
But equally
do not pass Him
off lightly.
Don't pass Him
off as a naive
teacher of the
pre-modern age.
Luke tells us
Jesus is the
unique Son
of God
who has come
to rule
His rightful
domain.
But Luke
wants us to know
more about the
nature of the
Son of God.
So secondly
let's look at the
second part of our
passage and see
that Jesus is the
obedient Son of God.
Verse 23
to chapter 4
verse 13.
Jesus is the
obedient Son
of God.
Now we've seen
echoes of this
already before in
Luke.
It's exciting.
The genealogy
it's not an
appendix is it?
That you either
ignore or you
remove.
The genealogy is
absolutely crucial
to God's purposes.
Genealogies in the
Bible do not
function as
precise family
trees.
So as you look
at the genealogies
in Matthew and
Luke and other
places they are
chopped and
arranged to make
particular points.
So let's just
imagine for a
moment that I
was going to
try and establish
the purity of
the Welsh line
in my blood.
I'm from Wales
but let's try and
imagine we were
going to establish
the purity of
the Welsh line
in my blood.
Well if we were
going to write a
genealogy of that
and draw up a
big family tree
there are certain
things that would
have to go
wouldn't there?
My father is
English and so
Jewish and so
that whole family
line would have
to go.
Let's say my
great grandfather
was married three
times.
Well you would
choose wouldn't
you the wife
that best preserves
the Welsh blood
and excludes the
other two.
My mother tells
me that there is
a distant relative
on her side who
was born in
Monmouth which
isn't really Wales
at all and so
we'd get rid of
him.
We'd exclude him.
The point is
not precision
but to establish
the point you're
after.
Now Luke is
precise in this
genealogy he
gives us but
that isn't what
we should be
reading him for.
When you come
to genealogies
you've got to
think what is
the point that's
being taught
here.
So here it's
obvious isn't
it?
It's got a
climax.
Verse 38.
Can you see
it?
The son of
Seth.
The son of
Adam.
The son of
God.
Who is
Jesus?
Draw the
family tree.
Follow the
line.
He is the
son of
Adam.
The son of
God.
Now how
can that
be?
Well the
account of
his temptation
explains what
Luke is up
to.
And to
understand it
we've got to
plunge right back
into the Old
Testament.
So this is the
most exciting
part of the
sermon.
Let's go back
into the Old
Testament.
Let's go to
Genesis chapter
2.
The thumb in
Luke 3.
Genesis chapter
2.
Now you know
this.
Genesis 2
verses 16
and 17.
They're in the
garden aren't
they?
And what
happens?
God puts
Adam on
probation.
Call it
a covenant
of works.
God puts
Adam on
probation.
And in
chapter 2
verse 16
he says
Adam you are
free to
eat from
any tree
in the
garden.
But you
must not
eat from
the tree
of the
knowledge
of good
and evil
for when
you eat
of it
you will
surely
die.
Looks like
the three
comes along
doesn't it?
And we
know what
happens.
The devil
comes in
the form
of a
serpent
and he
tempts
Adam
and Eve
and they
give in.
And Adam
and Eve
choose to
disobey
God.
And God
curses them
and he
exiles them
from the
garden and
his presence.
And so
Luke
Luke wants
to present
Jesus as
another Adam.
Another
son of God
who will be
tempted by
the devil.
And he won't
be tempted in
the garden of
Eden where
everything was
going for him.
Where everything
spoke to him
about the
goodness of
God.
Where everything
pointed him
to keep being
obedient because
of the perfect
environment that
God has provided
you.
No, he is
tempted in
the wilderness.
And yet he
doesn't
disobey.
He doesn't
give in.
He is the
son of God
isn't he?
Like Adam
who was
tempted by
the devil but
this time
he was
obedient.
Can you see
how major
the issue
is in
chapter 4?
The whole
of human
history hangs
on this
encounter.
But as we
come to
chapter 4 we
discover another
dimension.
To Luke
the count.
There's
echoes out
there.
Echoes,
echoes,
echoes.
So the
experience of
Jesus is
deliberately
described in
terms that
would remind
them of
Adam but
even more
so would
remind them
of Israel's
experience.
So Jesus
finds himself
in the
desert near
the Jordan.
Ring any
bells?
And the
number 40
is used.
Ring any
bells?
It's used to
evoke in
verse 2
memories of
Israel's 40
years in
the wilderness.
And also
when Jesus
speaks to
the devil
of course
he's speaking
the Bible
but where
in the
Bible?
Deuteronomy
6-8.
So look with
me at
verses 3
and 4
of chapter
4.
What is
going on?
If I
spoke to
you
if I
said to
you this
morning
in a
Scottish
accent
there's
been a
murder
there's
been a
murder
what would
that remind
you of?
Anybody
tell me?
Taggart
isn't it?
Alex
Ferguson
No,
Taggart
isn't it?
If I
spoke to
you in
Elizabeth
Beethan
English
and I
started
mentioning
daggers
and ghosts
and blood
and Scotland
I would
be alluding
to Macbeth.
We do
that don't
we?
People do
that in
comedy shows
or in
films.
They allude
to something
by the way
that they
speak.
If I
was
putting on
an
American
accent
and I
had a
big brown
overcoat
and I
said
just one
more thing.
Who would
I be
alluding
to?
Columbo.
If I
could think
of any
more
international
applications
I would
be speaking
of
and that
is what
is happening
here.
The
illusions
of chapter
4 drive
us back
to Deuteronomy
6-8.
How do we
understand the
temptation of
the Son of
God to
turn the
stone into
bread?
Is
Satan
hitting a
hungry man
where it
hurts?
Well let's
go to the
Old Testament
and let's
go to Deuteronomy
chapter 8.
I think this
is the last
one.
Deuteronomy
chapter 8.
It's on
page 187.
And Moses
says to the
people,
I read from
verse 2,
Moses says to
the people,
page 187,
Deuteronomy
chapter 8,
remember how
the Lord your
God led you
all the way
in the desert
these 40
years to
humble you
and to
test you
in order to
know what
was in your
heart.
whether or
not you
would keep
his commands.
He humbled
you causing
you to
hunger and
feeding you
with manna
which neither
you or your
fathers have
known to
teach you
that man
does not
live on
bread alone
but every
word that
comes from
the mouth
of God.
Your clothes
did not wear
out and your
feet did not
swell during
those 40
years.
Know then in
your heart
that as a
man disciplines
his son so
the Lord your
God disciplines
you.
What's
happening in
chapter 4
of Luke 4?
In the Old
Testament God
made his
people hungry
to test
them and to
teach them
that they
should depend
on God's
word as he
calls them
once again
as his son.
So the devil
attacks Jesus
the son of
God.
It is an
attack on his
obedience and
his trust in
God.
So when Satan
asks Jesus to
worship him
in verse 7
and he tests
God in
verse 9
Jesus responds
with an answer
from Deuteronomy
6 to 9.
He responds
with an answer
that a faithful
Israelite would
have given
in those days.
We know
don't we?
We know the
tragic story of
Israel in the
Old Testament.
We know
tragically that
Israel desired
bread more
than they
desired God's
word.
They worship
other gods
than the true
God and they
constantly test
him.
And we know
that we do
that too.
Israel
failed
God's
test.
Israel just
like Adam
failed
God's
test.
And they
experienced
God's curse
and exile.
But all of us
have experienced
that too.
And so John
the Baptist
at the beginning
of Luke's
gospel in
chapter 3
which we
looked at
last week
quotes the
prophet Isaiah
to say
that Jesus
now comes
to deliver
his people
from exile.
Jesus
Luke wants
you and I
to know
is the
second Adam
or the
last Adam.
Jesus is
the true
Israel.
Jesus is
the true
son of God.
And when
he is
tested
he triumphs
through
obedience.
Adam was
tested and
failed.
Israel was
tested and
failed.
Jesus was
tested and
succeeds.
In verse
30 of
chapter 4
in Luke's
gospel when
the devil had
finished all
this tempting
he left him
until an
opportune
time.
He succeeds.
And that
brings you and
I enormous
comfort this
morning.
If we
trust in
Jesus.
If we're
believers.
Because you
and I are
very much
aware of
our sin
and our
failure
aren't
we?
Before
God.
And we
face
temptation
to sin
and we
give in.
And maybe
this morning
you are
weary of
giving in
to temptation.
And you're
wondering is
it worth
to continue
struggling
on?
Now let
me ask
you what
is your
security
when you
fall
prey to
temptation?
Do you
do
whether
you
want
to
admit
it
or
not?
What is
your
security
then?
What do
you do?
It's a great
test of our
Christianity and
our Christian
war.
What do
you do
when you
fall into
sin?
Do we
resolve not
to do it
again?
You think
I was
tired.
Next time
when the
temptation
comes I'm
going to be
more alert.
And it
won't happen.
Well if
that's been
your strategy
so far
you know
as well
as I
do
the sense
of utter
despair
that when
you are
most alert
you still
give in
to certain
temptations.
And the
comfort which
Luke gives
to you and
I this
morning is
not to
develop some
kind of
technique
from chapter
four but
it is the
certainty that
Jesus the
unique son of
God is
also the
totally
obedient son
of God.
And we
trust him
in our
fight against
sin.
And far
from rushing
for the
latest
technique
we hide
in the
obedience
of Jesus.
And the
answer to
your struggle
with temptation
and my
struggle as we
struggle with
it with our
whole lives
is to
realise
just how
great
Jesus is.
That is the
answer.
And maybe
we've got a
very small
view of
Jesus.
And that
is why
we so
often go
back to
techniques
or our
own
resolve.
Hand-me-down
ways of
handling
temptation.
And the
answer is to
realise just
how great
Jesus is.
That he is
the unique
son of
God.
He is the
unique and
obedient son
of God.
And the
answer to a
great temptation
is a
great Jesus.
Jesus.
A great
Jesus who
has been
completely
obedient.
But if
that is
true for
those of
us this
morning who
call ourselves
Christians,
it's got to
be true for
those who
don't call
yourself a
Christian.
Maybe you're
listening and
you think,
well what has
this got to
do with me?
And you're
too aware that
you, well
you are very
aware, aren't
you?
You're aware
that you do
things that you
don't want to
do.
And you're
aware in your
life as we
all are that
you can't do
things that you
want to do.
And maybe
there's a sense
isn't there,
you've reached
that point in
your life where
there's a sense
of slavery
at work in
you.
Now how do
you deal
with that?
Well you
probably know
don't you by
now that you
cannot deal
with that
yourself.
You can go
to counselling
and go to
the shrimp
but that will
not deal
with it.
Here is
God's solution
in Luke's
Gospel and
it is more
amazing than
you can ever
imagine.
God's unique
son, his
anointed ruler
and suffering
servant comes
and he lives
a life of
perfect obedience
and he offers
that life to
God on your
behalf at the
end of the
Gospel.
And trust
him and you
can be certain
God will
forgive you.
And you will
not undergo
the baptism of
fire which is
promised in
verse 17 of
chapter 3 but
you will be
baptized with
the Holy
Spirit into
the very
life of
God which
he promises
to those who
trust him.
So the
small answer
at the end
of this
Bible chasing
that we've
done this
morning,
the small
message is
this,
trust
Jesus.
Trust
Jesus.
To every
single one
of us.
However you
would describe
your relationship
with God,
trust Jesus.
Because it is
only his
obedience
which is
adequate
to cover
your
disobedience.
obedience.
It is
only his
unique
son.
As the
unique
obedient
son of
God.
That alone
is adequate
to cover
you.
As you
find yourself
cursed and
exiled from
God outside
of him.
Because we
too like
Adam and
like Israel
have failed
the test.
Trust Jesus
and in
him know
the
certainty
of
forgiveness.
And in
Robin
Weeks
gives
this
illustration
Gresham
Meech
is the
great
theologian
in the
1920s
started
Westminster
Salmonie.
He was
on his
deathbed
and he
telegrammed
his friend
and colleague
John Murray
and his
words were
the active
obedience
of Christ
no hope
without it.
There is
no hope
without the
active
obedience
of Christ.
Let's
go.