In the Gospel of Luke, we encounter a King like no other. Most kings make it about themselves. They wield power, authority, and strength for their own benefit. But not Jesus.
Jesus is the King who came to serve. He laid down all His rights and privileges in love to rescue us. From His place of glory, He came all the way down to the fringes of this broken world to redeem the very people everyone else had given up on.
You see, Jesus knew the secret to the upside-down kingdom: that in giving ourselves away, we actually get ourselves back. Jesus is the Servant King who shows us the way to real abundant life. And He beckons us to come and follow Him!
This sermon begins a new series in the 3rd Gospel in the New Testament: the “Good News” of Jesus, recorded for us by Luke.
Luke is documenting for us the backstory of the coming of John the Baptist. The first prophet in Israel since Malachi, some 450 years ago. But now God is breaking the silence. He is once again on the move. His salvation is awakening.
And in this first chapter, Luke wants us to see three things. God’s salvation is:
1) Historical
Dr. Luke is acting as a first-century investigative journalist, documenting the life of Jesus from eyewitness testimony and original source material. The Gospels are a compilation of eyewitness testimony; there’s a real historical portrayal.
God’s salvation is trustworthy. We can discover it!
Have you ever seriously considered the veracity of the gospel accounts of Jesus?
The stakes couldn’t be higher. If Jesus really is the son of God who died and rose again, nothing could be of more importance!
2) Prophetic
What’s happening in these verses, without fanfare or hype, is that God is being faithful to His covenant promises.
God’s salvation is fulfillment. We can believe it!
3) Redemptive
Not only is the coming of John the Baptist of national significance for the people of God; the fulfillment of prophecy signaling the coming of the Messiah, as the Lord Himself draws near; it is also a tender moment of personal redemption.
Because Jesus comes to bring redemption. Through the cross and resurrection of Jesus, all who believe in Him experience a measure of redemption now, which is pointing to the fullness of redemption that is to come when Jesus returns to make all things new.
God’s salvation is transforming. We can experience it!
Takeaway: God’s salvation is awakening.
God is breaking the silence. In the quiet and the stillness. Salvation is drawing near. He is coming, and His name is Jesus.
Luke 1:1–25
Resources Mentioned:
- The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
- Can We Trust the Gospels? by Peter Williams
- Jesus and the Eyewitnesses by Richard Bauckham
