(Through the Bible) Luke - Part 1 — Zac Poonen

Luke's Purpose and Historical Accuracy

Okay, let's turn to God's word again. We turn now to the gospel of Luke and As I said in the very first words of these Gospels. I try to understand What the gospel writer is trying to emphasize? We saw in Matthew.

He was in the very first sentence. He said about Jesus being the son of Abraham the son of David. And he was emphasizing to the Jews that he came from that line in Mark's gospel. He said I'm talking about Jesus the Son of God and we see those tremendous demonstrations of power in the Gospel of Mark described in great detail and in Luke His burden is to give us an accurate record of As far as possible of everything right from the time of Jesus conception I mean his coming into Mary's womb and His resurrection all the way and everything that preceded it also and even to some extent what followed after his Resurrection towards the end of Luke's gospel.

And that's what he says it seemed fitting for me. Verse 3 Having investigated everything carefully from the beginning to write it in consecutive order most excellent. Theophilus. Now Luke was the one writer of Scripture who was not a Jew.

All the others were Jews all 64 books written by Jews except Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles which are also written by Luke. Luke was a Gentile a Greek and He both these books Luke and the Acts of the Apostles are written to a man called Theophilus who was a Greek.

It's a Greek man writing to a Greek man. He's not particularly Trying to quote scripture like Matthew does to prove this is fulfilling that scripture this is fulfilling that scripture, but he's trying to demonstrate How Jesus came to earth as a man and How he lived and Fulfilled God's purposes.

The Holy Spirit in Luke's Opening Chapter

Now it begins with the foretelling of John the birth of John the Baptist. You read here about Zacharias and Elizabeth Verse 6 they were both righteous people walking blamelessly in all the commandments of the Lord and requirements of the Lord they had no child and And This angel comes to Zacharias and tells him about John the Baptist saying when John the Baptist you'll have a child your wife will have a child and he you must give him the name John and he will be great in the sight of the Lord verse 15 and He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while in his mother's womb.

Now there is a verse About being filled with the Holy Spirit. You go to the end of the book of Luke again you read about Being filled with the Holy Spirit. They were waiting there to be endued with power.

So here you find this emphasis you know that this baptism in the Holy Spirit is Emphasized at the beginning of the first five books of the New Testament. You shall be baptized the Holy Spirit is the beginning of Matthew it's the beginning of Mark the beginning of Luke.

You find it in Luke chapter 3 again and also in John and in Acts of the Apostles the first five books in the New Testament Begin with an emphasis on being baptized in the Holy Spirit that teaches us the tremendous importance of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant and It also shows us that if there is one thing that devil will try to counterfeit.

It'll be the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and we see plenty of counterfeits today. Supposing the devil wants you never to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. What will he do? I know what he would do if I were in the devil's place.

This is what I would do. I Would give you some type of counterfeit emotional experience and convince you that you're baptized in the Holy Spirit. You will never seek for the baptism of the Holy Spirit forever for the rest of your life and I've got what I wanted.

What I wanted was that you should never seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit. How did I succeed in doing it? By giving you some emotional tickling in your body or emotions and making you convinced that you got it without any power.

Without any strength to overcome in life or to minister, and I see millions of people like that now quite satisfied defeated lovers of money living for the world. But they say we speak in tongues, and we I got an electric shock down my spine and all these type of stuff.

The devil has convinced them. I say examine what type of experience you had did you get power? Otherwise, it's worthless. This is God's work. It's not something that you work up. Think of this verse in his mother's womb.

He'd be filled with the Holy Spirit. Do you think he was carrying in his mother's womb waiting to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Did somebody exhort him over there? No God filled him. It's the work of God if we submit to him he does it if a God can fill a Helpless child in a mother's womb and fill it with the Holy Spirit.

Why can't he fill you and me? Don't go for these counterfeits that you see today. Go to the scriptures and don't be satisfied. You know in my life. It took me 10 years To be convinced and I said Lord.

I will never be satisfied with a counterfeit. If I don't get the genuine thing I'll wait 10 years and it was worth it. When you get the genuine thing it changes your life. Don't ever be satisfied with a counterfeit.

Don't be satisfied with some pastor telling you yeah, yeah, you're filled. He was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb and The result is he'll be great in the sight of the Lord. That's just in passing.

Let me go on. You go on to verse 35 where the Holy Spirit comes to Mary and tells her. The angel comes to Mary and tells her about the Holy Spirit to it's very interesting the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit.

See the angel came to Mary and Mary said how can this be verse 34? I'm a virgin. How can a virgin have a baby. He said the Holy Spirit will come upon you and Power notice Holy Spirit and power always it's like that Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit's come upon you acts 1 8 you shall receive power acts 10 38.

God anointed the Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power. Holy Spirit and power go together. What is the evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit power? That's what Jesus said and Here the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and power came upon her and that is how Jesus came into her womb and It's exactly the same.

I remember when God met with me and baptized me in the Holy Spirit. This is the passage the Lord brought to my mind that the Spirit of God has come upon you now Just like he came upon Mary to produce Jesus in her to produce Jesus in your life and that set a guideline for me throughout my life as to what the purpose of the Holy Spirit coming upon me was to produce Jesus in my life and Just like it took time for that body to grow inside Mary's womb.

It will take time in my life for the character of Christ to become more and more manifest in me. I keep put that keep that before you as a Guideline and then the Lord spoke to her through the angel verse 37.

Nothing will be impossible with God or no word that God speaks will be without power. That's a lovely promise. Nothing is impossible with God or another translation of it is. No word that God speaks will be without power.

If God has spoken a word That is power in it. Let there be light. It's not just a word light comes. Let the earth come up out of the waters the earth comes up. Sin shall not have dominion over you. Romans 6 14 it'll happen.

If you believe no word from God is without power if you take it as the Word of God. If you think it is just Paul's idea or some preachers idea then of course you will not have power because you don't believe it's the Word of God.

From the beginning of my Christian life. I have never doubted that this is God's Word. I've never tried to analyze to find out whether this is God's Word like a lot of people do and waste their life. I Believed it's God's Word and gone to it and proved in all these years of my life that no word from God is without power.

Now you be careful when you go analyzing scripture and You don't get any power. Take it as God's Word, and you will experience the power of God. Jesus never questioned the Old Testament. He was not bothered what all the critics and theologians said he believed it and he experienced its power.

Today today the devil is leading so many people astray from that that instead of believing it and experiencing power They go around with all their cleverness. Trying to analyze and listen to what this person said and that person said reading this book in that book and Waste their life without the power of God, which way do you want to live?

You want to live doing all that or you want to believe it? Experience God's power and live a useful life before you leave this earth. I would recommend that course of action to all of you. No word from God would be without power and Mary submitted to that word and said behold the bond slave of the Lord verse 38.

Let it be done according to your word. I believe that's how we must submit when God comes and says something to us, which we know will bring tremendous reproach upon us. I'm a great admirer of Mary even though I'm not a Roman Catholic because I believe she was such a godly woman.

God looked all over Palestine. To find one young woman probably 18 19 years old. Who was really godly? And he found one. God didn't make a mistake. She knew that the whole village Will be spreading stories about her when she becomes pregnant without getting married and she was willing to suffer that reproach.

To bring forth the body of Christ from her body. Now apply that to your life. You want to build the body of Christ in your village, but you want honor? Forget it. It'll never happen if you're willing to suffer reproach.

Then it'll happen a lot of people want to build a church and they want honor and That's. I've seen people who try to do that. Nothing happens. They build a congregation not the body of Christ. But if you want to build the body of Christ, it is always coupled with reproach.

Misunderstanding wagging tongues gossip. That's what Mary faced in Nazareth, but the result we didn't make a difference to her. She brought forth the body of Christ. And so it is today those who serve the Lord when they seek to bring forth the body of Christ in a locality.

There'll be wagging tongues gossiping misunderstanding criticism. Jealousy all types of things. Let it all be there. Ultimately the body of Christ will come forth. It's always connected with reproach as we see right from the very first thing now.

Faith, Scripture, and Accountability in Luke 1

I want you to notice one other thing here. Do you know that Zacharias and Mary asked almost the same question. Zacharias asked the same angel verse 18. How can this be? I'm an old man. My wife is advanced in years.

Mary also asked the same question. How can this be? Why is it Zacharias was punished with being dumb and Mary was not punished. When both of them responded initially in unbelief have you ever thought about that.

There was a reason. Because two things first of all Zacharias had an example before him of an old man and an old woman who got a child Abraham and Sarah. So there was no reason for his unbelief if he knew the scriptures.

Mary did not have an example before her of any virgin in the history of the human race producing a child. So that's why she was not struck down. Secondly Zacharias was an old man who had studied the scriptures from childhood.

Mary was a young girl to whom more is given more will be required. You know that if you are an older person God expects much more from you than from some young girl. So and if there's an example ahead of you, and you have not followed it.

You're more guilty Than if another person does not have an example in front of them. That's why I say these people under the law. They didn't have an example today. We have an example in Jesus. So there's some things we can learn from that.

Let's move on to verse 74 when John was born Zachariah prophesied in saying that the Lord has now come through this son of mine. To grant us that we will be delivered from the hand of our enemies and serve him without fear.

Those enemies are our sins which enslaved us. That now Jesus has come. John the Baptist is the forerunner for that and the Lord is preparing us. You know Zachariah was prophesying here because it says here.

He was filled with the Holy Spirit verse 67. It's remarkable remarkable how many times the Holy Spirit is mentioned in? In The very first chapter Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit verse 41 and Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit.

It's just filled with the Holy Spirit filled with the Holy Spirit filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke enjoyed writing about it because he also wrote Acts of the Apostles about a lot of people who are filled with the Holy Spirit and It says it didn't begin in the Acts of the Apostles it began with John the Baptist Elizabeth Zachariah Etc and the Spirit of God coming upon Mary.

So the Holy Spirit is the answer and the main factor in New Covenant life and He delivers us from the hand of our enemies were 74 and Brings us to the place where we can serve God Without fear in the entire Old Testament history 1 ,500 years.

They serve God with fear the fear that if I don't obey I'll get punished. You read Deuteronomy 28. I'll get sickness. I may get madness. I'll get poverty. I'll be defeated by my enemies and all that fear.

And now was coming a new age Where we could serve God without any fear out of love. Zachariah prophesied that I want to ask you today. Have you entered into the enjoyment of that of serving God without any fear?

That's why Jesus often said fear not fear not. Now we go to chapter 2 and verse 7. She brought forth her first Born child and laid him in a manger, and there were some shepherds staying out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night.

The Remnant Prepared for Christ's Coming

Now we see here in These early chapters in chapter 2 you read about the shepherds. Later on verse 25 you read about Simeon and Later on you read in verse 36 about a prophetess called Anna. Who were the people who knew about the coming of Jesus Christ to that manger in Bethlehem?

Four groups of people. First the shepherds. Second the wise men from Iran or somewhere there. Third an old man who was Filled with the Holy Spirit. Again it says about him in verse 25 that the Holy Spirit was upon him.

And fourth a prophetess who for years and years and years and years Was fasting and praying up to the age of 84 verse 37. She never left the temple, but served night and day with fasting and prayer. So they're very different type of people shepherds ordinary people out there.

But God-fearing people wise men belonging to another country not even knowing scripture. Simeon filled with the Holy Spirit and a godly older man and a woman. This is a picture of the remnant Whom God had prepared in Israel to be prepared for the coming of his son and It is a picture of the remnant in these days Whom God is preparing all over the world.

For the coming of his son his son is coming again, you know that. And Who are the people who did not know about it. Herod Hannes Caiaphas the leaders the religious leaders. They studied the Bible every day and they were at praise and worship meetings.

But they did not know anything about the coming of the Messiah and even today There are multitudes of people in Christendom who are not ready for the coming of Jesus. But there is a remnant it's important that you and I be in that remnant and It's very interesting that out of these four groups of people Three of them are significant for their activity at night.

One the shepherds were watching their flocks at night. The wise men traveled at night watching the star. Do you know that they could not travel during the day in their long journey? Why? Couldn't see the star.

They have to wait for the night to start their journey again. You can't see stars during the daytime. I don't know what he ever thought of that. Their activity was at night. Third Anna was fasting at night and praying at night.

Those who are part of the remnant are people Who seek God in the night seasons? I believe that When other people are sleeping They are seeking God. They are the ones to whom God reveals things that he never reveals to other lazy people who just look for a comfortable life and Say I believe the right things and I'll be alright.

Okay. You can live like that if you want. But if you want to be part of God's powerful remnant who got understanding of the times in which they live who got revelation from heaven. Be one of those who seek God with fasting praying praying to God at night and Seeking him studying his word trying to know him.

Willing to break with every custom tradition and everything and you will get revelations like Simeon got which other people didn't get. You may be a unknown heathen like these wise men. You may come from a heathen background and God can reveal Christ to you like he revealed to Sadhu Sundar Singh Who knew nothing about the Bible and he sought God?

He was like one of those wise men from the east who sought God and God revealed to him without any knowledge. And you can be like that too. God Calls people like that in our country the remnant and a lot of so-called Christians who live their comfortable life and want an easy life are not ready for the coming of Christ.

Christ's Humble Birth and the Servant's Calling

It's like that in the first coming it's going to be like that in the second coming and we read further. Something about the Way Jesus was born here. You know there was no room in the inn we know that story and He was born in a manger now I believe that This is something that God permitted.

He was born in a verse 7 chapter 2 says he was born in a cow shed in the little trough where the cows eat. You know they had to come all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem to Because they had to register that's because God allowed Caesar to pass an order like that all for the sake of his son being born in Bethlehem and So Joseph and Mary otherwise Jesus would have been in Nazareth the prophecy said he's to be born in Bethlehem.

So God makes Caesar in Rome pass an order at the same time that all people must go for their senses now even in India. They take a census, but they never say when you take your senses. You must go your to your hometown.

To me. It's quite a silly rule if you're just counting the people why do they all have to go to their hometown? But anyway, that is God's sovereignty making sure that Joseph and Mary arrive in Bethlehem and Jesus will be born there and She did not deliver on the way that could not happen because God's prophecy had to the prophecy had to be fulfilled but By the time they came to Bethlehem there was no room there in the inn and I believe God purposely delayed them.

So that by the time they came there all the rooms in the hotel were booked, and I believe that Mary did not complain. When she had these difficult circumstances in which to live. Do you ever complain?

When you have difficult circumstances in which you have to be I? Mean if you found that Mary was complaining and telling Joseph I told you we should have started two days earlier here you'll end up here.

Without any room for me to stay. No privacy and only this cow shed I have to give birth to. Can you imagine this murmuring complaining attitude and the Son of God being born into that type of thing? That's why God doesn't didn't choose any of the other women in Palestine.

They were all the grumbling complaining types. Why did he pick on Mary. Because he knew that she was a humble person who would be quite satisfied with whatever? God provided for her if it's a cow shit.

It's a cow shit, and I don't believe she was complaining and blaming her husband for being late or not starting earlier. Because in God's sovereign purpose. Do you think it would have been difficult for God to keep a room empty for them by the time they came to Bethlehem?

Not at all. He who runs the universe could have easily kept a room for them in Bethlehem without any problem. He wanted his son. To be born in a cow shed. To show this world that all the things that the world considers great are rubbish and garbage in his eyes.

Think of the shame of being born in a cow shed. I've never in my life Met a human being who was born in a cow shed. None of us were born in cow sheds. Even if we were not born in air-conditioned hospitals.

We were at least born in a clean room in a home with a certain amount of privacy that our mothers had. But Jesus had come to serve Humanity and one just understand this principle because it's how we have to serve the Lord.

He who comes to serve others Must descend below them in order to serve them. Did you get it? He who wants to serve others must descend below them in order to serve them and That's why he had to be born in a stable.

With the cows and the donkeys because he had come to save all humanity. What type of servants of God do we see today? Exactly the opposite. We see preachers who want to live every above everybody else.

You can't meet them unless you go through a secretary. What type of servant of God is this the Jesus have a secretary who fixed appointments for him. I say I'm sorry I don't agree with that. I Jesus was below everybody whose servants have secretaries.

Have you ever heard of a servant having a secretary? It's Maharajahs and lords and chairman and directors who have all that Jesus was a servant. You never needed. You could go to him anytime Nicodemus could come and see him at night.

He came below everybody. I want to say to all of you brothers and sisters if you want to serve God make Jesus your example and don't ever follow these other examples that you see today if you want to serve God come below everybody and Remain there.

Jesus started there and at the end of his life. Where was he at the end of his life? He was at the feet of his disciples washing their feet. He started in a cow shed and he ended at the feet of his disciples and said I said Lord Jesus Please help me to go that way all my life.

You pray that prayer. No matter how much God uses you no matter how anointed you are say Lord Jesus. Please keep me at the feet of your disciples till the end of my life. I Never want to sit on anybody's head.

This is the Servant of God whom the father has shown us as an example to follow you had to be born in a cow shed. Okay, we move on to verse 34 on what Simeon made a prophecy saying this child is appointed for the fall and the rise of many people in Israel and For a sign to be opposed and a sword will pierce Your own soul to the end of the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.

He was showing here the type of ministry that Jesus would have and that's important for us to see. Because today the body of Christ the church has to have the same type of ministry. The way Jesus lived on earth is the way today.

The church is to live. That's why the church is called the body of Christ, which was the first body of Christ this one. He in his earthly body lived in a certain way in In simplicity. Serving other people going underneath never once they tried to make him a king.

He said no, I don't want to be a king. He was a servant of everybody. The church the body of Christ must be like that today. Elders in a church must be like that today a servant of everybody. Don't ever try to be an elder.

If you want to lord it over people forget it go and join some secular Multinational company and you can lord it over as many people as you like. But when you come to the church of Jesus Christ and you want to be a leader you have to be a servant you have to get underneath everybody and We see here that Jesus was a sign verse 34 to be opposed.

That means if you are building the body of Christ and you are a leader in the body of Christ. You are going to be opposed like Jesus was till the end of your life. Religious people like Pharisees will oppose you this is true and The through that as they oppose you.

The thoughts verse 35 of their hearts will be revealed they will discover what a lot of jealousy there is in them because of Jesus ministry and When God blesses a church other people will see what a lot of jealousy they will have in their heart.

Because of what God is doing here. This is how Jesus went and this is how the church in the last days the remnant will also go. Okay, we move on to verse 47 to 52 about the time when Jesus went into the Jerusalem and you know Joseph and Mary left him behind and When they went back, this is the one incident mentioned of what he did when he was 12 years old.

It says here he was aunt amazed. I mean he was asking questions and listening to them to the teachers was 46 and Asking them questions and they were amazed at his understanding and his answers amazed at his explaining what these scriptures meant and That teaches us that at the age of 12 Jesus knew the scriptures so well, and do you know that Jesus didn't have a Bible at home.

There were no Bibles those days there was a these were scrolls written on parchment and things like that and It was very expensive to have a copy of the Old Testament. That would be one in the synagogue.

How did Jesus know the scriptures by the age of 12? They would go to the synagogue and here and In the schools in those days, they taught the scriptures. So it was only by listening and if you went to school and you didn't pay attention and you went to the meetings in the Synagogue you didn't pay attention by the age of 12.

You'd know nothing like most of the others. But Jesus listened as a young boy. He listened carefully when you went to the meetings understood the scriptures so thoroughly. Without having a Bible at home.

So well that he could ask other people questions. I Tell you this is one of the most shameful things that I've seen among Christians today they have not only one version, but umpteen versions of the Bible in their house and They still don't know the Bible.

That's amazing. Can you imagine the depth of laziness in today's Christians and they all want to serve God and They think just somebody lays hands on their head and they mumble some words and they say oh now I'm anointed I'll go out and serve God and what happens nothing.

You can't build the body of Christ there if you don't study the word. God could not even use his own son if he didn't study his word now. Let me tell you this those of you who are too lazy to study the scriptures I can prophesy to you.

God will never use you. I don't like saying that but it's true and Equally I can say to you those of you are diligent to study the scriptures and diligent to be filled with the Spirit God will mightily use you.

So from your earliest days when you're converted get into the word get into the word. Almost all the Bible knowledge. I have today. I studied in the first seven years after I was converted. Get into the Word of God get to know God's mind.

Study it study it study it study it day and night not just to Pass some examinations study it study it study it to know God. To know God himself to understand God's ways. How diligently people study to pass earthly examinations.

How diligently people work in their business to promote their business. If Christians had even five percent of that much diligence to study the Word of God. Their lives would have been so effective, and I'm not saying study the Bible in an academic type of way so that you know The verses where they are you may not have a good memory.

That doesn't matter. The important thing is to know God through his word. There are a lot of people who know the Bible very well who are useless then God is not able to use them. What's the use of that Bible knowledge?

It's waste get to know God through his word. Get a fire in your hearts through his word. Jesus is an example at the age of 12 and The other thing we see in Jesus is an example at the age of 12 is not only he knew his word.

Knew the word thoroughly. But he had a tremendous burden and passion for the father's business. He says in verse 49. Did you not know that I must be in my father's business? Now a lot of people who know the word.

They know the word for their own honor. It's not for the father's business. You know like some places. I in Bangalore. This is very common. They have Bible competitions memory competitions. And they what they are checking up is whether you know where the semicolons are and whether the commas are and where the full stops.

Are what a waste of time studying where the commas and semicolons and the full stops in the King James Version are. It's all crazy. Only an idiot will waste their time studying all those things. I Say that's all for honor.

I say you must know God through his word and have a passion to for the father's business. Otherwise your life will be wasted. Your life will be thoroughly wasted. I've seen lots of people like that who know the Bible their life is wasted.

Because they don't have a passion for the father's business the Holy Spirit does not fill them. So you must have a passion. I Have got a business to do on earth. I Came to earth for a certain business.

And that's not just to produce a family and to work somewhere and earn a living. It's to do my father's business before I leave this earth. I have to finish it. I Hope you'll have that passion and it doesn't matter to me whether I live in a hut or a palace.

It doesn't matter whether I sleep on a comfortable bed on the floor. It doesn't matter whether I get martyred and killed. I Have to complete my father's business before I leave this earth. Oh I wish there were more people like that in India like that who like Jesus at the age of 12.

Who knew the word and you had a passion for his father's business. What a message there is in those verses we go on to Chapter 3. We read about John the Baptist here. It's a wonderful verse first one in two.

John the Baptist and the Word of God

It's always a great excitement to me when I read this. Have you read these two verses together. John 3 Luke 3 verses 1 and 2? In the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar, he was the greatest man in the world at that time.

Pontius Pilate he was the greatest man in Judea. Herod he was the greatest man in Galilee. Philip he was the greatest man in Iturria. Licinius he was the greatest man in Abilene Annas and Caiaphas they were the greatest people in Religious religious Israel.

The Word of God bypassed all these people and came to one unknown man in the wilderness called John the Baptist. I'm really excited by that that the Word of God bypasses all these great secular men and also the great religious priests and Preachers and everybody and comes to a man who is seeking God alone in the wilderness.

Oh God Give me your word. It's the same today. The Word of God bypasses all the great people. The bypass all the great people in Christendom and it can come to you. If you're like John the Baptist getting alone with God.

And saying Lord open my eyes that I may understand your word and He's not in a hurry a time comes when he comes forth. It says in chapter 1 verse 80 he was in the deserts John the Baptist until the day of his public appearance.

One day God said okay John I've taught you enough go and preach. He preached for a very short time. But all Judea came to listen to him because he was a prophet of God. So that's what we see in chapter 3 and now we move on to Verse 8 to 13 something about John the Baptist ministry.

Let me mention briefly here. John the Baptist ministry was very fiery and very practical. He did not baptize everybody who came to him. Some people came to him, and he said bring forth fruits fit for repentance.

Otherwise I won't baptize you. I Will not just baptize anybody any Tom Dick and Harry who says I want to be baptized. I want to see whether there's fruit for repentance. I don't want. I'm not counting statistics here.