Sermon Archives
The Promised One
Luke 1The Gospel of Luke Part I - Who is Jesus?
J. Josh Smith
March 8, 2015
Description:
One of the primary aims for this first series of sermons through Luke is that you would know Jesus and know Him well. There are many ideas in our world today concerning who Jesus is and what He came to do. As an ambassador for Christ, it is imperative that you know who the Bible says Jesus is and are able to proclaim and defend Jesus in the world.
The first truth we saw this past Sunday is that Jesus is the promised One. As you begin the body of Luke’s Gospel, it seems odd that the man who is writing so that his audience can know who Jesus is spends so much time talking about John the Baptist right out of the gate. The reason Luke spends so much time talking about John, however, is because John shows us that Jesus is the promised One. God made a promise. Throughout the entire Old Testament promises are made about the One who will come to save His children. As early as Genesis 3:15 we hear whispers of the seed of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent. Moses, Joshua, the judges, David, every priest, prophet and king, the temple, all the sacrifices, the bronze serpent, Noah’s ark, the Passover, the wisdom of Proverbs, the message of the prophets, and every other part of the Old Testament all point forward the promised One. Jesus is the thread that weaves all sixty-six books of the Bible together.
In the Old Testament, we learn that God has made a promise. As we turn to the New Testament, we learn that God always keeps His promises. With the prophecy regarding the birth of John the Baptist, we learn that after 400 years of silence, God is on the move. John the Baptist, who came in the spirit of Elijah, is proof that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised One, the One to whom all the Old Testament pointed. He is the “sun of righteousness” who arose with “healing in its wings” (Malachi 4:2). Jesus is the promised One!
What do we take away from this? First, Jesus is proof beyond any shadow of doubt that God always keeps His promises. God has made many promises to His children, and even though there are seasons of life when it appears He will not keep those promises, Jesus provides us with hope that He will. Second, we learn that God has not and will not change His plan. All of world history until now and on into the future is unfolding according to the sovereign plan of God. We rest in the midst of turmoil because God is in control. Third, like John the Baptist, we must understand our role. We exist to point people to the Christ. Our own passions and pursuits must decrease that He might increase. Finally, as we are reminded that Jesus is the promised One, we are also reminded that He is the center of the Bible and the center of the entire created order. Human history revolves around the Christ. The question then for us is this: Is Jesus the center of my life? Do my life, my relationships, time, money, energy, priorities, thoughts, and everything else revolve around Jesus Christ? If any part of my life does not center on Jesus, then my life is misaligned. What part of your life needs realignment?
Keywords:
Gospel, Righteousness, Worship