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You're listening to Heed the Word with our pastor and teacher, Ken Davis. Pastor Ken is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel, Southwest Metro in Burleson, Texas. Please join us as we study the Gospel of Luke verse by verse.

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He spoke to Ezekiel in a vision appearing as a wheel within a wheel. He spoke to Elijah in a still small voice and he spoke to Samuel as that voice in the tabernacle which called out to him by night. He spoke in so many different ways through so many different people, at so many different stations and offices in life, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, who is the very image and the very glory of. God revealed.

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The Gospel of Luke is the third account in the Gospels of the life and teachings of our Savior, jesus Christ. As believers, there are few studies that will benefit us more spiritually than studying the life and teachings of the Master. The very glory of God has been revealed in His Son, jesus Christ and, as we just heard from Pastor Ken, the Father spoke through many different prophets regarding the coming of His Son, and everything that was prophesied came to pass 100% accurately. In this, our faith is greatly encouraged. Don't forget to stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Heed the Word, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. But for now, please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2, verse 1, as we join Pastor Ken.

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In Numbers, chapter 22,. There 1, as we join Pastor Ken. In Numbers, chapter 22, there is a prophecy that is spoken and it goes like this I see him, but not now. I behold him, but not near. A star shall come out of Jacob, a scepter shall rise out of Israel. Before Israel even entered their land, before the first of the kings of Israel had ever been anointed, before ever the temple had been built in Jerusalem, before they crossed over Jordan, or before the fall of Jericho, balaam, the son of Beor, prophesied regarding the coming of the one who would reign and rule, this star that would come out of Jacob. Now, the prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah were manifold and they were marvelous. Genesis 3.15 told us that he would be born of a woman. Genesis 12.3, 17.9, numbers 24.17, which we have read in Genesis 49.10,. They all tell us, respectively, that the Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob and that he would arise from the tribe of Judah. In Isaiah 9.7, we're told that he would be heir to the throne of David. It reads of the increase of his government and peace. There will be no end Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice. From that time forward, even forever, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this AT.

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Pearson, an associate of DL Moody's, an author in his own right, once said the Messiah must have a birthplace. Three continents Europe, asia and Africa were known to the ancient world. Asia was chosen, but Asia has many countries. One of them is indicated, a little country known as the land of promise, palestine. Here were three districts Judea, galilee and Samaria. It is Judea that is the elect one, but here again are many villages. Out of these, the favored one is little Bethlehem. To make the prediction more definite and certain, it is Bethlehem in the land of Judah. This prophecy was recorded in Micah 5.2,. But you, bethlehem, ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to me the one to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. The scriptures foretold further that he was to be born of a virgin. Isaiah 7.14 said Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel, which of course means God with us. We see the record of this fulfillment in Matthew 1, verses 18 through 25. Without leaving your place in Luke, go ahead and thumb over to Matthew, chapter 1. Matthew, chapter 1 in verse 18, we see the beginning of the fulfillment of these prophecies. It says now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows After his mother, mary, was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

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Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit, and she will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet saying behold, a virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is translated God, with us. Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord, commanded him and took to him his wife and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus. Now there are those who would suggest that the rendering in the Hebrew indicates that it was a young woman, and not necessarily a virgin, that was to give birth to the Messiah. But an apologist that I heard speaking once brought forth a very interesting point, and that was this what sign is there in a young woman having a baby? Well, there's no sign in that at all. In order for there to be a sign, there would have to be something remarkable or miraculous, and so the word is rightly translated the virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son. Luke, chapter 2, gives us even more information regarding his birth, starting in verse 1,.

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And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinus was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city, and Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife who was with child. So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered and she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were, in the same country, shepherds living out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them Do not be afraid, for behold the sign to you you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying. So it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherds said to one another Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. Now, when they had seen him. They made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child, and all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them.

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Now, today, we have email, right, we have text messaging, we have cell phones. We have lots of ways of communicating with one another very rapidly. Now, over the last quarter of this year, there have been a number of babies born in our fellowship, haven't there? And boy, I'll tell you what we found out about them. Like that, I mean within moments, there were pictures coming to some of our cell phones and we could see this little baby that had been born.

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Back in the day, before cell phones, before text messaging and before email and before cheaper long distance, they had another way of spreading the word. It was called the birth announcement. How many of you remember birth announcements, right? It's this little card that you'd fill out and you'd put the name of the baby and the day he was born and all that other information and you'd send that in the mail, right? And so you'd get it in the mail, maybe a few days after the blessed event, and you'd be like, oh, there was a baby born, right.

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Well, we have here, in Luke, chapter two, the most incredible birth announcement ever recorded. The hosts of heaven burst onto the scene, break through the fabric of time and space to declare the glorious incarnation of our Lord and Savior, jesus Christ. That must have been an awesome sight. Amen, that must have been an awesome sight. And, of course, the shepherds believed. And why wouldn't they with such a testimony?

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Now, if you received a text message regarding someone who had given birth, someone that you had been expecting, would you believe that that baby had indeed been born? I mean, if you know that there's a baby on the way and then one day, at the appointed time, you receive a message on your cell phone that says guess what? The baby has been born, are you then going to say well, I don't know if I actually believe that that baby has been born. It's probably not here yet. Would you have that attitude? Or would you say awesome, praise the Lord, the baby's been born. That is so great. Well, of course, it would be the latter. You would believe that the baby had been born because you had received the text message. Well, god has sent a birth announcement. He has sent a message in the form of text, and those who witnessed it have communicated it to us, and we can believe that the child that was long expected has indeed arrived. That was long expected has indeed arrived, but the mistake that so many make is thinking that Jesus didn't exist prior to that day. For you see, though, that was the day that he came on the scene. He had been around for a whole lot longer than that. Amen.

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In Isaiah 40, 21 through 26, the prophet writes have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood? From the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits upon the circle of the earth and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. He brings the princes to nothing. He makes the judges of the earth useless. Scarcely shall they be planted, scarcely shall they be sown, scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, when he will also blow on them and they will wither, and the whirlwind will take them away like stubble. To whom, then, will you liken me or to whom shall I be equal, says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number. He calls them all by name, by the greatness of his might and the strength of his power. Not one is missing Now.

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Luke, chapter 2, gave us a beautiful illustration of the earthly perspective on the arrival of Jesus Christ, but in my opinion, the heavenly perspective of his birth can best be found in John, chapter 1. Turn there, if you will. John, chapter 1, starting in verse 1, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. I want you to notice one thing as we begin, and that is that even here, in this first of verses, this verse that reflects back upon that which was before the beginning, jesus is spoken of in the past tense. In the beginning is the word. No, in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. Now there are those who would like to say and the word was a God, but the article does not appear in the Greek. The word was God. Now there are those who would like to say and the word was a God, but the article does not appear in the Greek. The word was God.

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Verse two he was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made. There are those that would say that Jesus is a created being. And yet if Jesus were a created being, then that would mean that Jesus had been made right. And yet verse two of John tells us that he was in the beginning with God. And verse three tells us that all things, all things, not most things, not everything, but one thing, no, all things, all things were made through him and without him.

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Nothing was made that was made In him, that is, in Jesus Christ. In him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the light that all through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. It was the true light, which gives light to every man who comes into the world. He was in the world speaking again of Jesus. And the world was made through him. And the world did not know him.

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He came to his own, who were his own? The children of Israel were his own. He came to the children of Israel, those who had received the promise from God, those who had received the promise from God, those who had received the promise of the Messiah. He came to his own and his own did not receive him. They rejected their own Messiah, the one whose coming had been prophesied in their own scriptures, the one whose birth announcement was delivered to them personally by the angelic hosts. They rejected him. He came to his own and his own did not receive him. But as many as received him to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the word, that eternal word, that word that was with God, that word that was God, that word through whom all things were created, that word without which nothing was created that has been created, that word that was the light and the life of men. That word, that same logos, that same divine expression, that word. The word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten, of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of him and cried out, saying this is he of whom I said. John bore witness of him and cried out saying this is he of whom I said he who comes after me is preferred before me. For he was before me. Now, john happens to be the older cousin of Jesus and John actually was born first. And yet John said he who comes after me was before me, speaking of the eternal existence of Jesus Christ and of his fullness. We have all received and grace for grace For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time, the only begotten son who is in the bosom of the father. He has declared him.

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Turn to Hebrews, chapter one with me. I hope you're ready for a little bit of a Bible drill this morning. Hebrews, chapter one. It's the book before James, right after Philemon. Hebrews 1.1 says this God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds, who, being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as he has, by inheritance, obtained a more excellent name than they.

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God, at various times and in various ways, spoke to the men of old by the prophets. He spoke in lots of different ways he spoke to Moses through the burning bush. He spoke to Balaam through a donkey. He spoke to Ezekiel in a vision appearing as a wheel within a wheel. He spoke to Elijah in a still small voice and he spoke to Samuel as that voice in the tabernacle which called out to him by night. He spoke in so many different ways through so many different people, at so many different stations and offices in life, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his son, who is the very image and the very glory of God revealed. You see, this world was lost in darkness. We did not know the light of life. We did not recognize him when he came.

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An artist, it's been said, once drew a picture of a winter twilight the trees were heavily laden with snow and a dreary, dark house, lonely and desolate, stood in the midst of the storm. It was a sad picture. And then, with a quick stroke of a yellow crayon, he put a light in one window. The effect was magical. The entire scene was transformed into a vision of comfort and cheer. The birth of Christ was just such a light. In the dark world, in the midst of our darkness, the light of Jesus Christ shines, and that one light, that light that changes everything. He brings hope to the most hopeless situations. We were lost in darkness and sin, but his light has come and shines in our hearts when we receive him as our Lord and Savior.

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In John, chapter 3, verses 16 through 19, jesus tells us this. He says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through him, might be saved. He who believes in him is not condemned, but he who does not believe in him is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation that light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.

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You see, darkness is not the antithesis of light. Darkness is not simply an opposite force working against light. Darkness is the absence of light. Where there is no light, what do you have? You have darkness. Can you turn up the darkness simply by trying to increase its presence? No, how do you make a room darker? By lowering the amount of light that is shining in that room. You see, jesus Christ came to this world not to bring judgment, not to bring condemnation, but to rescue us, because we were already lost and we were already condemned. We had already violated God's law, and God's word stood against us and condemned us.

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Do you ever feel like the circumstances you're going through are more than you can bear, that God is in some way punishing you? Well, consider the words of Paul. And we know that all things work together for the good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. So we learn from this verse that all things not some, but all things work together if we love God and are called according to his purpose. Just something to think about from your friends here at Heed the Word Heed the Word is the daily Bible teaching ministry of Ken Davis, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel in Burleson, texas. There's a great deal more that Pastor Ken has to share with us from the Gospel of Luke, so please join us again Now.

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