BIBLE REFLECTIONS
Discover and re-read our previously featured Bible reflections
Christmas Message
We trust and pray that all who read this message will experience the rich blessing of God at this time of year.
Luke's Gospel (chapter 2 verses 1-20) gives us Luke's account of the birth of Christ. Below we have shared the verses which deal with the message of the angel.
Luke 2 verses 10 -12: 'And the Angel said unto them, " Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger ".'
In the Steps of the Saviour
In our Christmas message we looked at the Lord Jesus's Birth, as told in Luke chapter 2.
Here we will consider a little of His Baptism.
This is recorded for us in Luke chapter 3 verses 21-22 (see also Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11 and John 1:29-34).
'Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized,
and praying, the heaven was opened,
And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him,
and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.'
He is Risen!
His Passion: The Passion of the Christ.
Hundreds of years before the Cross,
the prophet Isaiah wrote these words in Isaiah 53 v 5:
"But 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. "
Peter, one of the apostles, echoed this truth when he wrote of Christ:
"Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree."
1 Peter 2 v 24
In the Steps of the Saviour 2
The Steps of the Saviour
We have already looked a little at the Saviour's birth. We have looked at the Saviour's baptism. Today we will ponder the Saviour's battle.
We read in Luke 4 that, after His baptism, the Saviour was full of the Holy Spirit and he was then led by the Spirit into the wilderness. It was there that He came under attack by the Devil:
'And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
being forty days tempted of the devil.
And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.'
In the Steps of the Saviour 3
The Saviour's Book
' And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up:and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day,and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. '
The passage under consideration in this article is Luke 4 v 16 - 30.
A portion from this scripture is shown above.
We can divide the passage as follows:
The Place ... Nazareth.
The Prophecy ... Isaiah (often referred to as 'The Gospel of Isaiah').
The Portion ... Isaiah 61 v 1-2.
The Proverbs ... Luke 4 v 23 and Luke 4 v 24.
The People & their response ... They reject the Saviour.
The Path ... He continues on His way.
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In the Steps of the Saviour 4
The Saviour's Blessings
' And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.
And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.
Luke 4 v 33 - 35
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In our previous meditation we discussed The Saviour's Book.
We noted that this was the Old Testament book of Isaiah;
that He read from chapter 61 v1-v2 and He stated that He was the fulfilment of that prophecy.
Let us follow Him further in the Gospel of Luke and see ...
The Saviour's Blessings.
In the Steps of the Saviour 5
for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:
Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
Luke chapter 7 v6 -v9
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By the time we come to Chapter Seven of Luke's Gospel, we have followed the Steps of the Saviour from a village in Galilee to the house of Levi, then through the grain fields and up into a mountain.
Having descended, He now enters into Capernaum.
In The Steps of The Saviour 6
And he cried, saying, 'Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.'
And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace:
but he cried so much the more, 'Thou son of David, have mercy on me.'
And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him:
and when he was come near, he asked him,
saying, 'What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?'
And he said, 'Lord, that I may receive my sight.'
And Jesus said unto him, 'Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee'.
And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God:
and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
Luke Chapter 18 v32-28
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All throughout the Gospel of Luke we have seen the Saviour dispensing physical blessings and spiritual blessings;
His blessing have been abundant.