Luke Review

First, we see that Luke was told by eyewitnesses about the things that he was writing.  The facts about Jesus's life were not just stories someone had heard, but were reported by those who had witnessed them.  We must acknowledge them as truth and not just made up stories if they are to have meaning to us.  We then see that God not only spoke to Mary and Joseph, but to Zacharias and Elisabeth before them about the coming birth of a son.  No birth is accidental, but is from God.  Zacharias, being old doubted the angel and asked for a sign, and the sign was that he as made mute until the baby was born.  We should never doubt God and ask for signs.  Their son was to be called John, who became John the Baptist.  We have the facts of Mary becoming pregnant before Joseph and she were married, and the angel appearing to her to tell her to not be afraid, that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Messiah.  Still, we must acknowledge that she was but a woman, and was not some sort of god herself.  Joseph was also given assurance that Mary had done nothing wrong and that he was to marry her and become the earthly father of Jesus.  They both put their faith in what God had told them, and so must we.  After the birth of John, Elisabeth and Zacharias both said that he would be named John, as they had been instructed to do.   Zacharias had to write it on a tablet because he was still mute, but as soon as he did, he could speak again.  When we obey God, He will always fulfill His promises to us.  We learned that God could move a nation to fulfill His word, since He used Caesar to get Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus.  We also have an account of the lowly shepherds being the ones who were told of Jesus's birth and them coming to find out for themselves about the truth of what they were told,and we must do the same if we are to become followers of Christ.  Then, we know of the purification of Jesus according to the law of Moses and the proclamation of Simon, a devout man of God, about what Jesus was to do, and that was to bring salvation to all who believed in Him, both Jew and Gentile.  God sent Jesus to redeem not just certain people, but all who put their faith in Him.  We only have one account of Jesus when He was growing up, and that was when He was about twelve and Mary and Joseph lost Him, only to find Him in the temple.  If we lose sight  of Jesus today because we are so busy, hopefully we can find Him in God's house if we go there.