Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, so began many fables and fairy tales as they captured the imagination of children and the affection of parents. But the story of Jesus Christ is not a story that begins that way, once upon a time, in a land far, far away.
The Gospel is not a cleverly devised tale produced by the Gospel writers, but it is rather an historical record of one who actually lived, walked, talked, ate, slept, laughed, cried, died, and rose again, all in the framework of a real place and a certain historical period. That is how Luke begins the third chapter of his Gospel as we divide the book.
He says, Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was teachrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was teachrarch of the region of Itria and Trachonitis, and Licinius was teachrarch of Abilene, in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John. That is Luke's way of dating and recording when this took place.
Now we would say it 28 or 29 AD, but of course they did not number the years that way in those days. And so Luke plugs us into the historical period when this literally took place. Furthermore, in this third chapter he gives to us genealogy, tracing the humanity of Jesus Christ all the way back to Adam, the Son of God. And so he identifies for us the fact that this one of whom he writes was real. He was a human being who lived, who died, and who rose again.
We are dealing with a true story as we talk about the life of Jesus Christ during the first half of this year. It is a real story about a real person. These are not myths or legends that were concocted by the writers of the gospels. Jesus Christ is different than the founder of other man-made religions. The Bible contains some of the best history from the ancient time that exists in the world today. It is trustworthy. Now between chapters 2 and 3, some 18 years pass.
These are years of quiet solitude for our Lord, ordinary living in the city of Nazareth. It was a time of proving and preparing him for his public work to come. Like a rosebud, when it firms and then swells and finally bursts into beautiful bloom. So now as we come to the third chapter, that bloom of the life of Jesus Christ bursts forth. Christ's ministry begins with three historical events that set the stage for what is about to happen.
It is those three events that I would like for us to focus on this morning. The first event is the proclamation by John preparing his way. We see this in the first half of chapter 3. Notice the authority of John, first of all. It says that the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. John was a man who was called by God, indeed who was set apart by God for his special ministry while he was yet within the womb of his mother.
The apostle John, who wrote the gospel bearing his name, says regarding this John, there was a man sent from God whose name was John. That was the authority of John the Baptist. He was not a self-created preacher. He was not one who called himself to do what he did, but he was called of God. By the way, so had everyone who was in the ministry. Then we notice regarding him his significance in verses 4 through 6.
As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord. The significance of John is that he fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. Words that were spoken hundreds of years before he was born to Zacharias and Elizabeth came to be fulfilled in his life. He had to come according to the word of God before the Messiah would come for his ministry.
He was the one who would go out and make the way ready for the coming of the Lord. Thus his significance in human history. Regarding him, Jesus said there has never been a greater one in all of the history of the world than John the Baptist. Now if we back up to verse 3, we notice what his message was. He came into all the district around the Jordan preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. A very simple, straightforward message from this prophet of God.
It was a message to be baptized. Baptism would represent repentance and would result in the forgiveness of sins. Now we know that baptism itself does never wash away sins. What does? It is the heart attitude. God is calling the people of his generation to change their hearts in their attitudes. In doing so they would be prepared for the coming of the Messiah who would be preaching to them the kingdom of God. But they had to be stirred up out of their lethargy and their sinfulness.
So he came preaching repentance. Repentance is the other side of faith. Repentance is not something in addition to faith, but it's the other side of faith. The word literally means a change of mind, but it embraces more than just a mental act. It involves also a willingness to change the life. It is a turning from sin to desire righteousness. That is why the message that John preached was applied as it was in verses 7 through 14. He calls them to bring forth works in keeping with repentance.
Fruit, he says, in keeping with repentance. And he explains to the multitudes in verses 7 through 11 what that would mean to them. In verses 12 and 13 he spoke specifically to the tax gatherers. And he said, if you are repenting of your sin, here's the result that will be seen in your life. Then in verse 14 he speaks to the soldiers. And he says, if you wish to repent of your sin and change your mind about it, here's the proof that you're genuine.
So there were very specific applications to the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Notice that Luke calls this the gospel in verse 18. So with many other exhortations also he preached the gospel to the people. Now the gospel that you and I preach today is a gospel that's more fully developed because Jesus Christ has died, has been buried, and has been raised again for the forgiveness of sins. John didn't have that information yet.
But nonetheless he preached that the Lord was coming. Prepare the way of the Lord. Repent of your sins, he says, and bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance. And the result, well, it was what you might expect. There was a general state of expectation among the people in verse 15. There was anticipation. As they heard John's message there was this building sense that something was about to happen. And they looked forward to that. Something was going to happen soon.
But then there was the inevitable question. People were wondering in their hearts about John as to whether he might be the Christ. And John answered and said to them all, as for me I baptize you with water. But one is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
And his winnowing fork is in his hand to thoroughly clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. So John denies that he is the Christ, but he points to one who is coming greater than he. And this one would come to save and to judge. He would come to bring the Holy Spirit, but also the fire of condemnation. He is the one who would clear the floor, keeping the wheat, burning the chaff.
John says I am not the Christ, but he is coming. One of those who heard John preach was Herod, the Tetrarch mentioned earlier in the chapter. On occasion John confronted him personally regarding the sin of his life, including the taking of his brother's wife, her name was Herodias. And that adulterous relationship was a stench in the nostrils of God. And Herod did not appreciate that. He did not like to be reproved of John the Baptist. Therefore he persecuted him and locked John up in prison.
So those were the results of John's ministry. There was a general building of anticipation. Something was about to happen. There were some who wondered is John the Christ? He said no, but he is coming. Then there were those who were so opposed to his message, like Herod, that they persecuted John as they persecuted the prophets before him. And so the first historical event preparing the way for what was coming was the proclamation of John the Baptist.
The second work I want you to see is the identification with sinners that we find in chapter 3 beginning in verse 21. Now it came about when all the people were baptized that Jesus also was baptized. And while he was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came out of heaven, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased. We have here a very significant event. It is the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In this baptism he identifies with sinners projecting the work that he was going to do in the cross some three years later. How was Jesus baptized? Well the question is not difficult to answer. He was immersed in the Jordan River. And elsewhere in the gospels we are given the general location where this occurred. One was preaching and there were others who were being baptized, and then Jesus came forward to be baptized.
Another gospel writer tells us that John said, No, but I have need to be baptized by you. And Jesus' response was, No John, you must baptize me. You must baptize me to fulfill all righteousness. Now what did Jesus mean by that? He certainly had no sin himself of which he needed to repent. He did not need to be forgiven because he was perfect. He had never sinned. Why then did he desire to be baptized by John who was preaching a baptism of repentance?
It is because he desired to identify with sinners. And at the beginning of his ministry, his public ministry, he took this definite step of association and identification with those who did need to be forgiven. He came that he might fulfill every righteous demand of the Holy God against sinners. Therefore he identified with sinners as he began his public ministry. By his baptism, can we not also say at least this side of the cross that he was depicting what salvation would demand?
That is, his death, his burial, his resurrection. When you and I are obedient to his Lordship and we are baptized, we are testifying of his death, burial, and resurrection and our identification with him in that saving work. On that side of the cross, three years before when he was baptized, can we not say that there was a picture in what he did? That he was even then identifying with sinners? Being willing, he is saying, by what he was doing to die for them and to be raised from the dead?
And what were the results of Jesus' baptism? The language seems to indicate that as he came up out of the water, he came up praying, immediately he was talking with God. Perhaps that was because he was freshly recognizing by what he had just done symbolically, he was recognizing the price that would be demanded of him that he might save sinners in need of forgiveness. Perhaps he came up likewise worshiping God, but the result of his praying, it says, was that heaven was opened.
Now exactly what that means, we are left to wonder and speculate, but there is some way in which God gave a special confirming revelation of his majesty and glory to his son. Heaven was opened so that Jesus and John could look into heaven. And then it says that the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove, a dove the symbol of purity and innocence. The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus in that form, signifying the worthiness of Christ.
The Holy Spirit's ministry to him from that day forward would be to equip him with all of the gifts necessary that he might publicly present himself as the Messiah. He was perfectly filled with the Holy Spirit before this, but in some special sense now the Spirit of God equips him and enables him to carry out his ministry as Messiah. And then there was a voice, a voice from heaven, the voice of God the Father. This is the first of three times when God spoke to his son.
The second time was at the transfiguration, and the third time shortly before his crucifixion is recorded in John chapter 12. And the Father says, thou art my beloved son, my son. Those are precious words. Any parent understands the emotion of those words that say my child, my son, my daughter. And here God the Father says my son. Now it is not that Jesus at this point became the Son. It's not even that at Bethlehem when he was born he became the Son. No. He was forever the Son of God.
The eternal sonship of Jesus Christ is here witnessed to by God the Father. And all of this, heaven being opened, the Holy Spirit coming, the voice of God the Father, all of this served to confirm to John the Baptist that this was indeed the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Then there is a third historical event that I point you toward. It is in the fourth chapter. Actually I just preached to you last Sunday's message. Now we start today's message. Fear not.
It says that Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, his baptism, and was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness. Mark puts it this way. He was impelled. He was thrust forth into the wilderness. And so we come to this third historical event preparing for his public ministry. It is the temptation from Satan proving his worth. Please understand that the temptation of our Savior was not to see whether he would sin. Indeed he could not sin because he was God come in the flesh.
Now the devil was deceived. He hoped that he might sin, but understand that he could not have sinned. And so the temptation wasn't that God wanted to see if his son would sin because he wouldn't and he couldn't. But the temptation was to prove the righteousness of Christ. It was to draw that out so that it might be seen and witnessed. It was to publicly expose the worthiness of Jesus Christ. Temptation through everything against the Savior. Satan used his full powers of persuasion against him.
And the Savior perfectly stood and did not yield. He proved his righteousness. He proved and manifested his worth to be the Savior. By withstanding the temptation as he did, he showed that he could act as the substitute Savior for man who is the sinner and does not stand up to temptation. That is the purpose that his worthiness to be the dying Savior might be declared. Now we need to talk about the temptations themselves, the nature of them. What is the point of each of these?
What is the issue that is involved? I'm going to perhaps oversimplify it this morning for time's sake. But notice the first one in verse 3, the devil said to him, if you are the Son of God. And the way that that is constructed indicates that he was not trying to get Jesus to doubt that. Basically, he was saying, since you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread. That was the temptation. And notice that it came at the end of 40 days when Jesus had fasted and he was physically hungry.
And so Satan comes first to tempt him to turn stone into bread that he might satisfy his hunger. I would suggest to you that the real essence of this temptation was to satisfy himself without dependence upon God. To satisfy himself without dependence upon God. Does that temptation ever come to you? Are you ever tempted to run ahead of God and to find your own way of meeting your need or your want? Rather than waiting upon God's way and God's time? That's what this was.
Jesus responded by quoting from the word of God. It is written, he says. When you see those three words, what you are really looking at is a devastating weapon. A sword that Jesus wields powerfully and thrusts into Satan, wounding him. It is written, says Jesus, man shall not live on bread alone. And then as Luke recounts it, he leads him up and shows him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
The devil said to him, I will give you all this domain and its glory for it has been handed over to me. And I give it to whomever I wish. Just time out for a moment. Notice that Jesus does not rebuke Satan for saying this. Because there is some truth to it. He is the God of this age. And he is the one who does give glory and to give power to those who are his instruments. All within the framework of God's sovereign plan, mind you.
But nonetheless, this is one of the tools and the trades that Satan makes. Fame, power, and glory. Death, you worship before me, he says, it shall all be yours. Perhaps the point of this temptation is that Jesus knew that one day it would all be his. Satan is a usurper. God gave to the first Adam back in the garden the right to rule the earth and to subdue it. But Satan stole that birthright. And now may employ it as he suggests that he does.
But one day the last Adam, Jesus Christ, is going to regain what the first Adam gave up. He will take the scroll in his hand, as we see in the book of the Revelation, and will begin the work of reclaiming this earth for God. And he will eventually rule over it all. And all of the kingdoms and all of the glory of the earth will be his. That's God's plan. But the point here is this. Satan was tempting Jesus to achieve that goal in a way other than God's.
Basically, he is saying, you can avoid all of the suffering that God has planned. If you will simply bow down and worship me, I will give it to you right now. Such a deal. Then you don't have to go through the suffering. And Jesus' response to him is absolutely devastating. Once more he takes the sword of God's word and plunges it into the devil. And he says, you shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only.
Jesus turned his back on this temptation, willingly taking the suffering, knowing that in God's time and God's way the glory would come. Do you ever face temptation to short circuit God's plan? To avoid the suffering? To take the easy way? That's what Jesus avoided. Then we come to the third temptation. He led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, if you are the son of God, throw yourself down from here. And then the devil gets real spiritual.
He begins to quote from the Old Testament in Psalm 91. Perhaps I should say misquote because as you know he leaves out a significant phrase from one of the verses. But nonetheless here the issue is that he is challenging, he is tempting Jesus to challenge God in a presumptuous manner. He says, cast yourself down from here. The Jewish rabbis taught the tradition that Messiah would appear on that pinnacle. Perhaps that's why Satan took Jesus to that pinnacle.
And now being on the pinnacle he says, cast yourself down from here. In the sight of all of these religious leaders, show yourself that you're the Messiah. After all, doesn't God promise to keep you from stumbling and dashing your foot? And so he is tempted to challenge his father God by being presumptuous. Not an act of faith here that the devil tempts him to, but an act of presumptuanity. And Jesus again draws the sword. You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.
The devil was well wounded when he had finished every temptation he departed from him until an opportune time. Now the Gospel writers makes it clear that the devil had pestered Jesus for all 40 days in the wilderness. It wasn't that he waited until the end of the 40 days and came with three big ones. For the whole 40 day period he was constantly nagging at Jesus. Until now he culminates the temptation with these three. And having failed, he goes away to wait what is called an opportune time.
The results of the temptation are these. Number one, Satan's most intensive assault could not find a blemish in the holy character of Jesus Christ. Not a single place could be found in him where evil was. There was nothing within Jesus to respond to these solicitations to sin. His nature was absolutely unblemished and holy. A second result is that Jesus was proven perfect in his obedience as God's son. God's son, if you will, in the Old Testament, Israel failed in the test in the wilderness.
But here we have God's incarnate son in the wilderness who does not fail. He is proven perfect in his obedience and is worthy to go on to do his work of redemption. Then a very wonderful third result is that now that he has ascended into heaven, our Savior can act as a sympathetic high priest because he has been tempted in every way like we have been, yet without sin. Those verses from Hebrews that we read earlier this morning in the service point to that truth.
Dear friend of mine, today as you sit there and you face temptation as we all do, understand that there is one in heaven who understands you and he understands what you're going through and he knows the temptations. In every point like you, he himself has been tempted but he hasn't given into it. Therefore, not only is he sympathetic to you, but he is able to help you and you may find in him mercy, that is, forgiveness when you've blown it.
When you can find grace to help you in the hour of need, he can enable you to overcome that temptation, to be the victor over the same devil that he defeated. That's my need today. Is it yours? Is it yours also, the need to find mercy? To find forgiveness through the cleansing of his precious blood? It is to find the work of God erasing from the record of my life those occasions when I have yielded to sin. We have a Savior today who is able to do that, to wipe it clean. He'll do it for you.
Are you standing in the midst of a hot battle with the devil? Where you are facing a sore trial to walk away from God, to take things into your own hands, to do it your way, to be presumptuous. There is one who stands in heaven today as a high priest who is able to give you grace, favor, that you don't deserve in this time of need in your life. What we need to do is to bow the knee to him.
Like John of old, we Christians have the privilege of being his ambassadors in the world, of going before him as it were, and calling people to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, what a marvelous privilege we have to be today as it were his forerunners, to go into that office building, to go into that plant, into that school classroom, to go into that neighborhood, and to be the forerunner of the Lord, and to declare the gospel, the forgiveness of sins. What a privilege is ours.
Oh, that we might do that this week. That men and women might understand that there is a Savior who's come, who understands, who's been victorious, who's died and been raised, and who's in heaven today able to save. That's the best news in the world, and people need to hear it. Let's be faithful. Let's be faithful even though it may bring us persecution. Let's be faithful to declare that message.
But I return again to my point, that this one who came and identified with sinners came and identified with you. And he who won the battle over Satan won it for you. Will you today receive what you need from him? Let's bow together. With our heads bowed, our eyes closed. Is there one here today who's never trusted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord? In the guilt of your life, the stain of your sin overwhelms you.
And you know you stand before a holy God today without a hope in the world except for Jesus. He is God's provision for you, my friend. However badly you may have blown it, however many pieces your life may be broken into, Jesus Christ is your answer. If you will bow the knee and receive Him today, repenting, believing, He will save you. He will save you now. Only trust Him today. Is there some child of God who likewise has blown it?
You know you're saved, but you've yielded to the enemy, and you've walked away from the Lord in disobedience. And today that long arm of God has reached you and is drawing you back. Won't you come? Oh Spirit of God, I pray that every one of us today will be able to respond to this message as we ought, and some need to come publicly and indicate what their decision is. Give them courage and grace to do that, I pray. In Jesus' name, amen.