Well, good morning and welcome
to our continuing study in the Gospel of Luke. We've been in
chapter 3 for some time. Before we begin, for all of you
out there in Sermon Audio, I'd just like to encourage all you
listeners out there to and give a listen to the Wednesday night
message of our Pastor Norm Wells titled, Pour You Out of Blessings. One of the best messages on Christ
I have ever heard. So if you have a chance to give
that a listen, it would be worthwhile. So today in Luke chapter 3. We pass by the portion of Luke's
gospel here in chapter 3 in verses 19 and 20, which deals with Herod
having thrown John the Baptist in prison, except to say that
somehow it was for the furtherance of the gospel and the accomplishing
of the eternal purposes of God. And on the surface, it may have
seemed that Immorality and evil had won the day, but it was no
victory for they meant it for evil But God worked it for good
to save much people alive and so we turn to verse 22 today
in our study and If you just turn over to Luke chapter 3,
please and verse 22 and Now, it says the Holy Ghost descended
in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, upon Christ, and a
voice came from heaven which said, Thou art my beloved Son,
in thee I am well pleased. Now this has to do with John's
baptism in Jordan when Jesus had came to John for baptism. John said, I'm not worthy to
do that. And Jesus told him, you know,
you suffer it to be so, to fulfill righteousness. And we covered
that in our lesson on John's baptism here several weeks ago. But today we're focusing on,
this is my beloved son. Thou art my beloved son, in thee
I am well pleased. And this Holy Spirit descending
in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, it was the seal of
genuineness. It was that this was indeed the
Messiah, the Lord's Christ, the Son of God. The messenger of
the covenant whom I will send it says in Malachi in John chapter
1 the gospel of John chapter 1 verse 32 and John bear record
saying I saw the spirit descending from heaven like a dove and it
abode upon him and And I knew him not, but he that sent me
to baptize with water, that would be the Holy Spirit, sent him
to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon whom thou
shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same
as he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. And I saw in bare
record that this is the Son of God. my beloved Son, in thee
I am well pleased." I don't know how we could ever in this life
comprehend the full import and the significance of that phrase
declared by the Father from heaven as the Holy Ghost descends upon
our Lord as He came up out of the water at John's baptism.
John chapter 10 verse 30 says, I and my Father are one. And
I just don't think that we can fully ever get the full grasp
of that. And in John chapter 17, he declares
that the church, not only is he and the Father one, but the
church is one as well. And the baptism, which declared
that the messenger of the covenant had arrived, his ministry officially
begun, although he had been about his father's business from before
the foundation of the world, that he should be made manifest
to Israel. It says, therefore I am come
baptizing with water, John 1 31. And we'll look at several aspects
of this remarkable statement by the father this term beloved
and in him I am well pleased and and what is the impact and
the import of that to the church my my beloved son Hebrews 9 26
said he appeared to put away sin by the the sacrifice of himself
and The state that existed and does exist between the Father
and Son and the Holy Spirit is only relatable in eternal and
almighty terms. It always has been, always will
be, is now this state of eternal love, this agape love that we've
spoken about many times, this total love. love without measure,
love without restriction, abounding love, a love that existed and
exists forever. This attribute and characteristic
of the Triune Godhead is of utmost importance to the Church because
it's exactly how God the Father feels about the Church through
Christ, and this from all eternity. And this is so even though we
are In our natural state, a state of sin and unrighteousness here,
God sees us through the lens of the sacrificial work of His
Son, the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world,
who laid down His life, a ransom for many, gave His life for the
sheep, securing all that the Father had given Him in the covenant
of grace. It says something about the value
that God the Father places on the church, the select, the sheep
as we're called. This scripture here in Luke 3.22
said he's well pleased with the work of his son in bringing many
sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings. In Hebrews 2.10 it says, So God sees this infinite value
in His Son, and through His Son, He sees this value in the church,
in each member of it. And many scriptures tell us about
how each component of the church has a function and a value and
a use according to God's purpose. And later on in Luke chapter
12, verse 6 and 7, it says, Jesus is speaking and he says, are
not five sparrows sold for two farthings and not one of them
is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your
head are all numbered. Fear not therefore, ye are of
more value than many sparrows, the sparrows that even one of
them God does not forget." And how much more value is each member
of the church. There's great rejoicing in heaven
every time the Lord brings one of his people home every time
he regenerates one of them and they come to know Christ as their
Savior and it's revealed to them the infinite blessings that are
placed on them. The value that the Father places
on the church is nothing less than the price of the life of
his dear son. in Romans the 8th chapter, and
our pastor brought this out here so wonderfully Wednesday night
in this sermon, Pour You Out a Blessing. In Romans 8.31, what
shall we say to these things, these things of God's foreknowledge
of His predestinating, His justifying, His glorifying, all the things
that He did and does for his church. What
should we say then to these things? If God before us, Immanuel, who
can be against us? And here's the key verse, he
that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all,
how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who
shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that
justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It's
Christ that died, yea, rather than is risen again, who is even
at the right hand of God. who also maketh intercession
for us. An important verse for us to
keep in mind there, that Christ is sitting at the right hand
of God making intercession for us. Verse 35 of Romans, who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or
distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword
As it's written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long.
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For
I'm persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor any height,
nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us.
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Nothing
can separate us from that eternal love. He said, I've loved you
with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn
thee. And his dear beloved son, he
calls him my beloved son, one whom It just describes an eternal
relationship of a bond of love and total love, immeasurable
love. His dear son, that here as we
find in Hebrews the ninth chapter, appeared for no other reason. He came down from heaven for
no other reason but to lay down his life a ransom for as many
as the Father had given him. In Hebrews 9.24 it says, For
Christ is not entered into the holy place made with hands, which
are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us. nor yet that he should
offer himself often as the high priest entereth into the holy
place every year with the blood of others. For then he must often
have suffered since the foundation of the world, but now once in
the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men
once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was once
offered, to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look
for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."
That's from Hebrews 9, 24-28. He put away sin. Quoting Matthew Henry, he says,
putting away that which is above anything offensive to the holiness
of God. imputing His righteousness to
us who had none and never could obtain it by our own means. We
lost all that in the fall in our sin. And in the Beloved, the Church appears
as righteous as Christ Himself in the eyes and heart of God. Micah chapter 7 verse 19 says
he will turn again. He will turn his church. He will
have compassion upon us He will subdue our iniquities and thou
will cast all their sins into the depth of the sea. What a
What a comfort the way that the Lord regards sin through through
his beloved He is well pleased in the Son because he's the Lord
our righteousness as he's called in Jeremiah chapter Chapter 23,
verse 6 in Jeremiah, the church is called the Lord our righteousness
in Jeremiah 33, 16. In 23, 6, in his days Judas shall
be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his name wherewith
he shall be called the Lord our righteousness. And in those days
shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely. And this
is the name wherewith she shall be called the Lord our righteousness. And the Father is well pleased
in the Son, because He has achieved that for us. He is pleased in the Son because
He has gladly taken the wrath of God in our behalf, satisfying
every requirement of God regarding our sin. the holy righteousness of God
satisfied in Isaiah 53 verse 4 through 11. And again, our
pastor brought these scriptures up again in the Wednesday night
message. Pour you out a blessing. Surely
he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows Yet we did
esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. He was
wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes
we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone
astray. We've turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord
has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and
he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought
as a lamb to the slaughters of sheep before his shearers is
done. So he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and
from judgment. And who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the
land of the living. For the transgression of my people
was he stricken." There's crucial words there, important words. And he made his grave with the
wicked and with the rich in his death because he had done no
violence. Neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased
the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grieve. When
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days and
the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands. He shall
see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. totally satisfying
God the Father. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities.
And in this God says, this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well
pleased. Looking unto the Hebrews 12.2,
looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who
for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising
the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne
of God. So perfect was the Son in fulfilling
the requirements of God as to our sin that God looks at us
and never sees anything but His beloved Son in whom He is well
pleased. in Hebrews the 8th chapter verse
12, so I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their
sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Isn't that a comfort
to the church that When we're before God, He doesn't
remember anything. He doesn't remember any sins.
He doesn't remember any iniquities because He said He would not,
because He doesn't see them. All He sees is the righteousness
of His Son in fulfilling the requirements that satisfied Him. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquity." He
has carried our burdens, our sins, and paid for them. Hebrews 10, 17, and their sins
and iniquities will I remember no more. It's important so that
he puts it down twice for our comfort. Comfort ye, comfort
ye my people. Their sins have been paid for
double. And his being well-pleased in
the Son extends to the Church through Christ. As we noted from
Hebrews 12-2, Christ, the author and finish of our faith, our
Savior, our Lord, is seated on the right hand of the throne
of God. And we see from Matthew 25 that the Church is on the
right hand of the throne of glory. And they are all viewed by God
through our intercessor, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Beloved,
in whom the Father is well pleased. He said, I came down not to do
my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is
the will of Him that sent me, that everyone that believeth
on the Son should not perish, but have eternal life. All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to
me I will in no wise cast out. In Matthew, the 25th chapter,
we have this graphic picture of the great white throne judgment
that's so often talked about. In Matthew 25 31 when the Son
of Man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with
him Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and before
him shall be gathered all nations And he shall separate them one
from another as a shepherd divided his sheep from the goats And
he shall set the sheep on his right hand But the goats are
on the left Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand,
come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world. A blessing poured
out. And he goes on to list all these
things. He said, For I was hungry, and
you gave me meat. I was thirsty, and you gave me
drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in naked, and you
clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me.
I was in prison, and you came unto me. Then shall the righteous
answer him in saying, Lord, When did we do all that? When
saw we thee a-hungered, and fed thee, or thirsty, and gave thee
to drink? When saw we a stranger, and took thee in, or naked, and
clothed thee? As our pastor pointed out, we're
like those ancient ones that after they were regenerated,
after Jesus had been revealed to them, they looked at themselves
and said, woes me. I'm undone. I'm a man of unclean
lips in the midst of a people of unclean lips." And Jacob said,
few and evil have been the days of the years of my life. And
Paul said, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me? They
all had this view of their sinful past and And yet the Lord said,
you know, blessed are they that mourn shall, they should be comforted. I'll give them the oil of gladness
for mourning. All those things that takes away
those elements that we, how we view ourself and causes us to have a blessing
poured out on us. We can say, how can we be without
spot? Only in Christ. And as they say these things,
when saw we thee sick or imprisoned and came unto thee, the king
shall answer and say unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you,
inasmuch as you've done it unto one of the least of my brethren,
you've done it unto me. Come ye, blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom. Well done, thou good and faithful
servant, because Christ has accomplished it for us. And God sees us in
him in whom he is well pleased. In Ephesians, in closing as we
turn to Ephesians, the fifth chapter, and we have this picture
of this relationship between Christ and the church and the
Father. this church that God gave him
before the foundation of the world, as it's described in John
17, as thou has given him power to give eternal life to as many
as thou has given him. In Ephesians 5.25, husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave
himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with
a washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself,
a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
but that it should be holy and without blemish. And this he
has accomplished. And this is what he came to do.
This was the messenger of the covenant. He came to accomplish
that. And as he came up out of that
water at John's baptism, and that spirit, like a dove, landing
on him and abiding on him, there was a voice that came from heaven
which said, thou art my beloved son, in thee I am well pleased. Thank you for your attention.
Again, and as always from John chapter 8, if the Son make you
free, you are free indeed.