Study Questions Luke 3 verses 7 to 13

In this passage we meet John the Baptist the prophet sent by God to prepare the hearts of the Jewish people to receive Jesus as their Messiah.

There hadn’t been a prophet in Israel for about 400 years – so John’s entry onto the scene caused quite a stir – and some people wondered whether he might be the Messiah (verse 15). But John made clear that he had only come to prepare the way for Jesus

John did this Luke tells us, “by preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” He urged the Jewish people to start living their lives under God’s direction and guidance – and to show their decision to do this was genuine by the change in their lives.

John’s message of repentance and believing in Jesus is still very relevant today – especially in this season of Advent.

• 1.    Why does John call the crowds coming to him a “brood of vipers (verse 7)?” (John 8 verse 44 may be helpful).
• 2.    Why does John say there is wrath to come? What is your understanding of how people will be judged? Matthew 25 verses 31 to 46 may be helpful.
• 3.    John urged the people to repent in order to escape judgement. What does repentance mean?  Why should a person who has repented “bear good fruit?” How would you define good fruit?
• 4.    Why did John baptise people with water and what did it signify?
• 5.    What do you think John means by saying that Jesus will baptise people with the Holy Spirit?
• 6.    John talks about judgement again in verse 17 (the bad news). Why is it so important for us as Christians to appreciate the reality of the judgement that is to come? What should our response be?
• 7.    John “proclaimed the good news to the people” (verse 18). What is this good news? Do you have a friend or neighbour you can share it with?
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Luke 3 verses 7 to 18

So we find ourselves once again in the season of Advent when we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus – God made flesh – as a tiny baby 2000 years ago in Bethlehem.

But Advent is also about preparing ourselves to be ready for Jesus’ second coming – and today’s passage from Luke’s gospel can help us to do this.

In it we meet John the Baptist the prophet sent by God to prepare the way for the Jewish people to receive Jesus as their Messiah.

And this morning I’d like to look at what John was saying and why it’s still relevant to us today.

I’m sure many of you – like me – feel that the times we’re living in can seem quite dark with the rise of ISIL and the threat of terrorism – and millions of refugees fleeing conflict around the world.

And closer to home as we read the papers we seem to be surrounded by bad news – economic problems, child abuse, corruption and scandals – the list goes on.

Although as humans we have advanced technologically – we don’t seem to have advanced much morally.  

So what is mankind’s problem? Why don’t we seem to be able to just live in peace with each other and treat others respectfully and kindly.

Well John puts his finger on our problem in verse 7 when he calls the crowds that come to him “a brood of vipers”.

Let me explain. Satan is portrayed in the bible as a snake - for instance in Genesis when he tempts Adam and Eve. So John is effectively calling the Jewish people children of the devil.

It’s not the most endearing term of greeting - but it summarises an essential truth about mankind. Many people assume that we are all children of God, but actually this is not our default position.

Unfortunately – like the Devil – we all rebel against God and seek to please ourselves. And we all have within us – however nice we may be – the ability to hate and hurt people.

We all – despite our best intentions – can be greedy and unkind and selfish. And even if we don’t act upon them - we can have really unpleasant thoughts and feelings towards others.

So, the root of mankind’s problem is that all of us – however well we manage to control it - have within us what the bible calls our sinful human nature.

I don’t know if perhaps some of you do bowling – not ten pin bowling – but bowling on a green.

Well bowls are perfectly round on one side and slightly oval on the other - so that when you roll them, they will always curve slightly as they come to a halt. 

However hard you try, you won’t be able to get them to roll perfectly straight.

And we - because of our sinful human natures - however hard we try can’t live perfectly straightly. We all fall short of the two great commandments to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbour as ourselves.

And it’s our sinful human natures that create a barrier between us and God.

Unlike us - God is perfectly holy and without sin – and Heaven where he rules and reigns is a perfect place.

Although He loves us – and yearns for us to be reconciled to Him – it is our sin which comes between us and Him and blocks us from knowing Him.

This is why the prophet Isaiah says for instance; “It's your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.”

But being cut off from God isn’t our only problem. Because God is perfectly just and fair he can’t turn a blind eye to the consequences of our sin and say ‘there there, never mind it doesn’t matter.’

When children are abused and innocent civilians are murdered it matters very much. When lives are damaged by hatred and selfishness it grieves God immensely – and there is a price to pay.

And this is what John the Baptist is talking about in verses 9 and 17 when he talks about the judgment that is to come.

When Jesus returns one day to judge the earth – a separation will occur between those who bear good fruit and those who don’t – between those who chose in their lives to side with God and work to extend his kingdom - and those who didn’t.

And for those of us who are Christians – this is something that we really need to take on board. Seeking to share the gospel with our friends and neighbours isn’t an optional extra for the keenies.

It’s essential – because one day judgement will come – and we need to do all we can to encourage and help those around us to make their peace with God.

And this is why John urges the Jewish people to repent.

In some ways the word repent has negative connotations but it’s a very positive thing.

Its realising that we’ve been going in the wrong direction and then making the decision that with God’s help - we want to live differently in the future - to go in the right direction – and to do our best to live life God’s way under His direction 

and guidance.

Let me try and illustrate what I mean.

Imagine a situation where someone’s child – a child they love very much, goes off the rails. Perhaps they get involved with drugs – or perhaps they fall into some other pattern of behaviour that starts to wreck their lives.

The parent does all he or she can to help restore that child to a healthy life style. 

Perhaps if the child has debts, they offer to pay them off – and they offer them accommodation and food; and they offer to pay for the best doctors and therapists to try and help them.

In short the parent does everything they can to provide an escape route from this destructive life style – but ultimately the child must decide whether they choose to accept this escape route or not .

So John is trying to get the Jewish people to realise the condition of their souls – and the judgment that awaits them - and to sincerely change the direction of their lives. To submit their lives to God and seek to live in a way that pleases Him.

And as they do this John baptises them in the river Jordan. This is a symbolic washing away of their sins – to indicate that God has forgiven them and made them spiritually clean.

But of course for their baptism to have true meaning and significance - their desire to change and live in a right way must be genuine - and their lives should then demonstrate that change.

As with my analogy – if the imaginary child I was talking about says OK – I really want to kick the drink or drugs or gambling or whatever – but makes no real effort – and won’t take their medication or turn up for counselling sessions, then one would have to question whether their apparent change of mind was sincere.

So in verses 10 to 14 John gives practical examples of the types of things the people should be doing if they really have repented.

Notice that in all these examples the changed behaviour of an individual has a positive knock on effect to those around them.

So the person with 2 coats helps someone else who has none; and the tax collector improves the lives of those people on his round by not taking too much money from them. And the soldier no longer harasses and bullies others.

Life around the changed individual improves for those they come into contact with, and people can see that they are starting to bear good fruit.

In the last few verses of today’s gospel reading, John the Baptist announces the coming of the one he had come to prepare people’s hearts to receive.

The one whose sandals he says he is not worthy to untie.

Jesus - the Messiah – the one foretold by the Old Testament prophets who would come to save all people – both Jews and Gentiles – and that includes each one of us sitting here today.

Jesus was born 2000 years ago as a tiny baby in Bethlehem - to save you and me from our sins.

He himself lead a perfect life – a life without sin – and then – because he loves us - offered that perfect life on the cross for our sakes.

And the apostle Peter tells us that he bore our sins himself in his body on the cross. All our sin and wrongdoing was put onto Him.

And he was punished and died in our place so that God would no longer have any reason to be angry with us. God’s anger at our sin was poured out on Jesus on the cross.

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah explains perfectly why Jesus died on the cross. He writes – “he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray; each of us has turned to our own way;

and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Like the parent in the story I told - God loves us tremendously – but He knows we will all inevitably go our own imperfect way in life and need rescuing.

And he Himself through the cross – in the body of Jesus - has done everything to rescue us from our sin and its consequences for ever.

And this is the gospel – the good news that Luke refers to in verse 18. But like that errant child we must each decide whether we want to be rescued or not.

We can choose to keep walking towards the judgement that will inevitably occur when Jesus returns – or we can choose to change direction and walk instead into the loving arms of our heavenly father – who longs for us to be reconciled to Him.

Let’s close with a time of prayer.

Perhaps there are some of you here today who would like to make your peace with God – who would like to be reconciled to Him.

If that’s you, just repeat the prayer I’m going to say now silently in your heart. I’ll say one line at the time and then pause for you to repeat it.

Father God I want to be reconciled to you.

Please forgive me for all that I’ve done wrong in my life and the people I’ve hurt.

Lord Jesus thank you for dying on the cross for me so I can be forgiven.

I want you to be my saviour and my God.

Lord Jesus I invite you into my life.

Please come by your spirit to be with me for ever.

Thank you Lord. Amen.

Isaiah 50 - Relationship Reliance Resolve

Today’s Old Testament passage is the third of the four so-called "servant songs" in the second part of Isaiah, which we’ve been looking at recently.

Written around 680 BC the “Suffering Servant” which these passages speak about, point to Jesus, the Messiah - the one foretold in many Old Testament passages – who would save God’s people – both Jews and Gentiles.

We see this particulalry clearly in the fourth song of chapters 52-53 where the servant is wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities – which points to Jesus offering himself upon the cross for our sins.

And today’s passage prophesies Jesus’ suffering in the run up to his crucifixion – being flogged and insulted and spat at.

However this morning I’d like to talk about three things which I think we see clearly in this passage as the servant fulfils his God given role.

And they are things which we as Christians need to emulate if we are to fulfil our God given roles. These three things all begin with the letter R – and the first one is Relationship.

The servant clearly has a very close relationship with God – who wakens him morning by morning and teaches him – so that he in turn will be able to teach others.

Having a relationship with God – is at the very core of what it means to be a Christian. As I said a few weeks ago – God isn’t looking for us to come to church and perform religious rituals.

God wants a relationship with us. He is looking for people who recognise their need for Him and who want to live their lives with Him – His way.

Who will freely come to Him and offer Him their time and their love and their service. Who will talk to Him during the day and share the ups and downs of life with him.

Coming to church is then just an extension of that ongoing relationship – and an opportunity to worship Him and to offer Him ourselves and our service.

We’re currently looking at the subject of prayer in the Thursday house group at Duncan and Kerry’s and the course gives links to some useful on-line video clips.

I watched one of these and it was about a man who had become a Christian – but who had quite a demanding job and told his pastor that he simply didn’t have the time to pray much.

His pastor told him that if he didn’t spend time praying, his Christian life would remain stunted – and that he should try and make this a priority – and really that this should be something which wasn’t a chore but which was enjoyable.

The man took his pastor’s advice seriously. He decided that he’d set his alarm clock half and hour early and he bought himself a rocking chair – because he’d always liked them – and he positioned it in his favourite spot in the house with a view of his garden.

He then spent this half hour every morning sitting in his rocking chair with a nice cup of coffee reading his bible and talking to God.

The pastor said he met this man again a few months later and he couldn’t believe the change in him. He’d always looked a bit stressed but he looked much more relaxed and happy – and clearly his relationship with God had deepened enormously.

And the man’s wife said that he had become much calmer and more patient with the children.

Sometime later this man decided that he’d give up his day job – and work as an administrator for his church. He became a real pillar of the church and was much loved.

Several years later when he died – his wife said that right up until he’d gone into hospital - he was still getting up and spending time each morning with God in his rocking chair.

Isaiah tells us that morning by morning God wakens his servant who listens to him. Perhaps there is a lesson for us here?

And our relationship with God is so important – because it will determine our fruitfulness.

The deeper the soil of our relationship with God – the more fruit we’ll produce. If our relationship with God is shallow – like shallow soil – our fruitfulness will be limited.

Isaiah 40 verse 31 says – “those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Like the man with the rocking chair we need to choose to put time aside to simply be still in God’s presence – and talk to Him.

So my first R is Relationship. My second R is Reliance. The servant in this passage is totally reliant on God. The Lord God helps me he says therefore I know that I shall not be put to shame.

And of course Jesus was totally reliant on God the Father to guide him and God the Holy Spirit to empower him.

Paul tells us in his letter to the Philippians that Jesus – although he was God - made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

As God – before he was confined to a human body – Jesus was omnipresent (he was everywhere) - he was omniscient (he knew everything) – and he was omnipotent (he was all powerful).

But when he was born into this world as a human baby – he let go of these things. He was confined to a human body. He knew only what he learned and what His Father revealed to him, and he relied on the Holy Spirit to empower him.

He then modelled for us – a life of faith – a life lived in reliance on 

His Father to guide him and the Holy Spirit to empower Him to do the miracles he did.

And we too need to rely on God in order to live as Christians. We need to rely on God to help us live rightly – and to help us to love and reach out to others.

Jesus said – apart from me you can do nothing. Apart from him – relying on our own strength - we will continue to sin and to find that we repeat the same patterns of behaviour that we don’t like.

But as we acknowledge our weakness and cry out to him to help us to change – he will then help us.

And of course apart from Him we can’t bear fruit. We can’t open people’s eyes to believe in him. We can’t touch people’s spirits and lift them.

We can’t heal people or remove fear from them or drive away the evil spirits that oppress them.

But Jesus can – and he can work through us to do these things if we will offer ourselves to him in faith.

I like praying with people who are seeking God’s help – but there is nothing useful I can say or do – unless God works through me to touch the life of the person I’m praying with in some way.

And as I’ve said before, when Campbell and Ayline and I pray for people to be healed at the communion rail – we of ourselves have absolutely no power to heal anyone.

Only God can do this – so if you do experience healing please realise that God has touched your life because He loves you – and give your thanks to Him.

And Campbell and I are totally reliant on God to touch people’s lives as we preach. We can come up with all sorts of clever or entertaining words to say – but unless the Holy Spirit takes these words and imparts life to them – they will fall to the ground like dust.

So as Christians – like the servant in this passage who relies on God - we need to ask God each day to fill us with his life and His love – so that with His help we can live rightly and seek to impart that life and love to others.

So my first R was Relationship. My second was Reliance, and my third is Resolve.

The servant in today’s passage is not rebellious and doesn’t turn backwards; rather he sets his face like flint – and is utterly resolved to do God’s will – whatever it costs him.

And of course we see this resolve with Jesus particularly in the Garden of Gethsemane – as the time of his crucifixion approaches.

As I said at the start of this sermon - today’s passage is a prophecy about the suffering that Jesus will endure and humanly speaking of course he doesn’t want to go through the agony of the cross – so he prays “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Jesus is being totally honest with his father. He knows that his journey to the cross is inevitable – but he also knows that a time of terrible suffering is about to come upon him – so he prays.

But he has resolved in his heart to do God’s will – “not my will but yours be done.”

And we as Christians need to be determined and resolved to continue to walk with God – whatever life throws at us.

All Christians go through times of testing when life goes pear shaped and God seems very distant. And these times can be really awful and we can be at a complete loss to understand what’s going on – and why God is allowing it.

In his first letter Peter says these (trials) have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, 

glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.

So when as Christians we go through hard times – our faith is being tested to prove that it is genuine – and if we persevere and continue to trust in God - we will eventually come out on the other side.

All we can do is follow Jesus example – and be honest and pray – but at the same time be resolved to keep trusting in God.

And rather than becoming downcast and negative – although it’s much easier said than done – ideally we should try to remain positive and thankful to God.

And we can thank God because we know that He loves us and will never leave us or give up on us. We know that in all things He is working for our good and we know that He won’t allow us to be tested beyond what we can bear.

We can pray - ‘Lord I don’t understand what’s going on and why I am going through this – but I thank you that you are always with me and that you understand everything.

‘I thank you because you love me and because you are working for my good and for the good of those I love. Lord help me to get through this as I continue to trust in you.’

So to conclude, in today’s passage from Isaiah about the suffering servant – we see a little portrait of Jesus – and we see something of his Relationship with God the Father, his Reliance on God the Holy Spirit and his Resolve to fulfil his God given mission to lay down his life for mankind.

And these 3R’s are key ingredients for all Christians – 

Relationship, Reliance and Resolve.

In the name of the living God. Amen.