The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ.

Session 3: Early Years

Beatitudes from previous weeks

A.    Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven”

1. We take nothing of our own take our place humbly in the will of God.

B. Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”

1.     Although, we are human we have something the world cannot provide…The very presence of God.

2.     If we take the first beatitude to heart, we realize our complete insufficiency. (Ps. 40:12. Rom. 7:24)

3.     Comfort takes precedence over mourning in the Kingdom.

4.     When we do not have to sorrow, but we enter into the sorrow of others.

5.     This must be actualized to be understood. “Go and do thou likewise”.

C.    This Week’s Beatitude: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”.

1.     Defining Life in the Kingdom. -Where God wholly reigns.

2.     “Meek” - patience, humility, long-suffering, an absence of pride, pretense, and aggression, (strength under control.) Also, bear in mind the order and placement of the first three beatitudes.

3.     Psalm 37:11 “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.”

4.     Psalm 25:9 “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his ways”

5.     Psalm 149:4 “For the Lord takes delight in His people, He crowns the humble with salvation”.

6.     Matt: 21:5 (cf. Zech 9:9) “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” 

7.     We know what awaits us. Dr. Elwell - “All’s well that’s end’s well”. If we know the end is well, then live your life in light of the future”.

8.     “O ye’ of little faith”. (Martin Luther. “Lord I believe, Help my unbelief”)

D. Birth Announcements from on High.

1.     Angel promises the birth of John to Zechariah (Luke 1:5-25).

2.     Angel promises the the birth of Jesus to Mary (Luke 1:26-38).

3.     Mary visits Elizabeth. (Luke 1:39-56).

4.     Angel appears to Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25, Isaiah 7:14).

5.     John the Baptist.

I. Jesus Birth and Early Years (review).

1.     The Birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-20).

2.     Jesus’ circumcision (Luke 2:21).

3.     Jesus presentation at the Temple. (Luke 2:21-40).

4.     Wisemen from the East. (Matt. 2:1-12).

5.     Escape to Egypt/Herod’s Fury. (Matt. 2:13-18).

6.     Summary of Jesus’ childhood (Luke 2:52).

II. The Beginning of Jesus’ Public ministry.

A.    Overview:

1.     Preaching of John

2.     Jesus baptism

3.     Temptation

4.     John’s testimony to Jesus

5.     Jesus’ earliest disciples

6.     Marriage feast at Cana

7.     Short trip to Capernaum

8.     1st cleansing of the Temple at Passover.

9.     Jesus’ disciples begin baptizing.

10. John the Baptist put in prison

11. Jesus arrives in Galilee

12. Jesus’ rejected at Nazereth

13. Stays in Capernaum.

B.    John the Baptist. (Matthew 3:1-12, Mark 1:2-8, Luke 3:1-20, John 1:19-28)

1.     A Strange sight

a.      wore the clothes of an ancient prophet, shocked his audience, he was out of context, calling people to remember.

b.     dressed like Elijah of Old.

2.     Seen as the fulfillment of prophecy

a.      Malachi 3:1 “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty”

b.     Isa.40:3 “A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”

3.     Chose a specific lifestyle

a.      Opposite and different from his day.

b.     Gave up normal circumstances and any luxury - no family, no home.

c.      Gave up normal food - ate only the poorest diet that occurred in a natural state, locusts (“carob tree beans”?).

d.     Distance himself from civilization - (it is fallen, he placed himself at a distance).

4.     John’s Message

a.      Prepare the Way.

b.     Anti-Temple message - Repent and be baptized (i.e. the temple is not needed to cleanse you from sin, and repentance itself as forgiveness of sin). See Mark 1:4.

c.      Anti-nationalistic message - Your ancestry is not of value,  all equal under the sight of God and in need of repentance.

d.     I am not the Messiah! - be prepared, He (the messiah) will bring in the Kingdom.

e.      Preaching near the end of the Age - Matt 3:10 “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire”

f.       John’s essential message:

n      Repent

n      Confess sins publicly

n      Be baptized

n      Ethical behavior (cf. Matt 3:8)

5.     In Jail, he has his disciples ask Jesus “Are you the one to come?” He’s not completely aware. (He was also aware that Jesus had the power to free him!)

C.    Jesus’ Baptism

1.     Matthew 3:13-17 “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.  14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.  17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

2.     Jesus acknowledges that the sin is not his own, but this must be done to “fulfill” all righteousness.

3.     Jesus later refers to his death as “Baptism” - (Mark 10:38,39. Luke 12:50).

4.     God “ratifies” this in verse 3:17. This is the 1^st of only 3x in the Gospels were we see the Father speaking!

a.      At Jesus Baptism -  Matt. 3:17

b.     At the Transfiguration - Matt. 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-10, Luke 9:28-36.

c.      Before the Cross (and prior to Gathsemene) - John 12:28.

D.    Jesus Temptation in the Wilderness. (Matt.4:1-11, Mark 1:12,13, Luke 4:1-13).

1.     Occurs immediately after baptism. (correlation? Commit to God-Response from Satan)

2.     3 Temptations - (relates to the Kingdom and the decision He just made)

a.      turn the stones into bread - (be a humanitarian Messiah). Establish a Kingdom based on filling human need alone- Why Not!. Jesus’ reply we are more than bread, on every word from the mouth of God.!

b.     cast yourself on these rocks - (do a miracle!) - frequently, when crowds press Jesus for miracles, he says No!. He knew He could establish a Kingdom on this basis - But that in essence will thwart God’s rule.

c.      Join with Satan and be King - (compromise, join w/Satan). Let’s collude, Set up the Kingdom, but on different rules.

d.     Jesus’ defense is Scripture! (Deut. 8:3, 6:16, Deut 6:13).

n      Caution, Satan also used Scripture - (Ps. 91:11,12).

E.     Jesus begins to call disciples. (John 1:35-51).

1.     He knew them for some time, and also waits before the work begins.

2.     Jesus’ prepared the groundwork - not a “sudden” call. Even in His own life, worked 30 years. (Again, applies to us.)

F.     Marriage Feast at Cana. (John 2:1-11)

1.     Jesus’ not against this joyful celebration, an embracing of our human condition.

2.     Mary’s word’s in John 2:5, some of the most profound wisdom in the Bible “Do whatever he tells you”.

3.     After this a short trip to Capernaum.

G.    Passover (27 A.D.), and cleansing the Temple. (John 2:12-24)

1.     Jesus kicks over tables in the Court of the Gentiles.

2.     John 2:20 “It has taken 46 years to build this temple”. Temple building started in 19 B.C.

3.     Jesus referring to the new temple “His body”.

H.    Jesus and Nicodemus -  John 3:1-21

1.     John 3:3 No One can see the Kingdom unless he is born “anew” or “from above”. “?????????????????”  -

2.     John 3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.  ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” -

3.     In a real sense, the establishment of the Kingdom is God’s work.

4.     This is one of the very first speeches on entrance into the Kingdom.

5.     John 3:7 “You should not be surprised at my saying”.

I.       Jesus and the Samaritan Women - John Chapter 4.

1.     Jesus breaking many conventions.

a.      taking a route through Samaria

b.     talking with women, including Samaritan women.

c.      re-affirms a new order of worshipping in “Spirit and Truth”

2.     John 4:23-24 “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

J.      Jesus rejected at Nazareth. (Luke 4:16-32)

1.     Jesus enters Nazareth on Sabbath, and enters a synagogue “as was his custom”.

2.     Jesus reads Isaiah 61:1,2a. He stops at first part of Verse 61:2. Leaving off the part about vengeance. No one grasps “suffering servant” element of Messiah.

3.     Jesus stopped and did not read what they wanted to hear. He is defining Messiah, His role, His Kingdom. The cross is our crown. “In dying we live”, In giving up ourselves, we gain ourselves”, etc.

4.     “Set the oppressed free” from Isa 58:6.

5.     Jesus then cites two examples. Elijah and Elisha (I Kings 17:8-16, 2 Kings 5:1-14). The prophets in the instances cited aided Gentiles. Jesus’ clear implication that not only his prophetic message was subject to rejection by Israel. As verse 28 states “When they heard this, they were furious”.

6.     Luke 4:29,30 “They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff.  ³⁰ But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.”

7.     He calls to their attention. This prophecy is fulfilled in Him!.