האמת שבכאב פרק 1#

(soft music) - Hi friends, I'm Annie F. Downs. Let's read the Gospels. The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament in the Bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These are the stories of Jesus Christ's life on earth, the friendships, the parables, the sacrifices, the meals, the miracles. So here is how it works. I'll read three chapters to you. You can listen or read along in your own Bible or online, and then I'll pray, and that's it. So today is day 16, and I'll be reading Luke chapters one through three. And this month I'm reading from the CSB version. (soft music) Luke one. Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us. So it also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable theophilus. So that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed. And the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah's division, named Zachariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both were righteous in God's sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord. But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years. When his division was on duty, and he was serving as priest before God, it happened that he was chosen by Lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. At the hour of incense, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. When Zachariah saw him, he was terrified and overcome with fear. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zachariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you will name him John. There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and will never drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother's womb. He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the Spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people." How can I know this, Zachariah asked the angel, "Fry him an old man, and my wife is well along in years." The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news." Now listen, you will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you do not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time. Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zachariah amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. When he did come out, he could not speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was making signs to them and remained speechless. When the days of his ministry were completed, he went back home. After these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said, "The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people." In the six months, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary, and the angel came to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman, the Lord is with you." But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. Then the angel told her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God." Now listen, you will conceive and give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the most high, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end. Mary asked the angel, "How can this be since I have not had sexual relations with a man?" The angel replied to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you. Therefore, the Holy One to be born will be called the son of God and consider your relative Elizabeth, even she has conceived a son in her old age. And this is the six month for her who was called childless, for nothing will be impossible with God. See, I am the Lord's servant," said Mary. May it happen to me, as you have said, then the angel left her. "And those days, Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah where she entered Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped inside her and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women and your child will be blessed. How could this happen to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her." And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior, because He is looked with favor on the humble condition of His servant. Surely from now on, all generations will call me blessed, because the mighty one has done great things for me. And His name is holy. His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him. He has done a mighty deed with His arm. He has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts. He has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich way empty. He has helped to serve in Israel, remembering His mercy to Abraham and His descendants forever, just as He spoke to our ancestors. And Mary stayed with her about three months. Then she returned to her home. Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth and she had a son. Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her His great mercy and they were joist with her. When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day, they were going to name him Zachariah after his father. But as Mother responded, "No, he will be called John." Then they said to her, "None of your relatives has that name." So they motioned to his father to find out what he wanted him to be called. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they were all amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free and he began to speak praising God. Fear came on all those who lived around them and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard about Him took it to heart, saying, "What then will this child become?" For indeed the Lord's hand was with Him. Then his father, Zachariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied. Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and provided redemption for his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets in ancient times. Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of those who hate us. He has dealt mercifully with our ancestors and remembered his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham to grant that we, having been rescued from the hand of our enemies, would serve him without fear and holiness and righteousness in his presence all our days. And you, child, will be called a prophet of the most high, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. Because of our God's merciful compassion, the dawn from on high will visit us, to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace. The child grew up and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. The first registration took place while Corineus was governing Syria, so everyone went to be registered each to his own town. Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth and Galilee to Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shown around them and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid. "For look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy "that will be for all the people. "Today in the city of David, "a savior was born for you, "who is the Messiah, the Lord. "This will be the sign for you. "You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth "and lying in a manger." Suddenly, there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven and peace "on earth to people he favors." When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherd said to one another, "Let's go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, "which the Lord has made known to us." They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph and the baby who was lying in the manger. After seeing them, they reported the message, they were told about this child and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherd said to them. But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. The shepherd's returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told. When the eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived. And when the days of their purification, according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice, according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel's consolation and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God and said, "Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant and peace as you promised. For my eyes of senior salvation, you have prepared it in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel." His Father and Mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and told his Mother Mary, "Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed, and a sword will pierce your own soul that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." There was also a prophetess Anna, a daughter of Fannul of the tribe of Asher. She was well along in years having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage and was a widow for 84 years. She did not leave the temple serving God night and day with fasting and prayers. At that very moment, she came up and began to thank God and to speak about him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had completed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God's grace was on him. Every year, his parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. When he was 12 years old, they went up according to the custom of the festival. After those days were over, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming he was in the traveling party, they went a day's journey. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days, they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all those who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you. Why were you searching for me?" he asked them. "Didn't you know that it was necessary for me to be in my father's house?" But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother kept all these things in her heart, and Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people. Luke 3. In the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetraarch of Galilee. His brother, Philip, tetraarch of the region of Iteria and Trachonitis, and Lysanius, tetraarch of Abelene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas. God's word came to John, the son of Zechariah, and the wilderness. He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, a voice of one crying out in the wilderness, prepare the way for the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low. The crooked will become straight, the rough ways smooth, and everyone will see the salvation of God. He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, "Brute vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath, therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance, and don't start saying to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our Father. "For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. "The axe is already at the root of the trees. "Therefore every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down "and thrown into the fire." What then should we do? The crowds were asking him. He replied to them, "The one who has two shirts must share with someone who has none, "and the one who has food must do the same." Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He told them, "Don't collect any more than what you have been authorized." Some soldiers also questioned him. "What should we do?" He said to them, "Don't take money from anyone by force or false accusation "and be satisfied with your wages." Now the people were waiting expectantly, and all of them were questioning in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah. John answered them all. "I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I am is coming. "I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. "His winnowing shovel is in his hand to clear his threshing floor "and gather the wheat into his barn, "but the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out." Then along with many other exhortations, he proclaimed good news to the people. But when John rebuked here at the Tetra, because of Herodius, his brother's wife, and all the evil things he had done, Herod added this to everything else. He locked up John in prison. When all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. As he was praying, heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved son. "With you, I am well pleased." As he began his ministry, Jesus was about 30 years old and was thought to be the son of Joseph, son of Heli, son of Mathatt, son of Levi, son of Melchai, son of Janai, son of Joseph, son of Mathias, son of Amos, son of Nehum, son of Esly, son of Nagai, son of Moth, son of Mathias, son of Simeon, son of Joseph, son of Joda, son of Jonan, son of Risa, son of Zaruba Bell, son of Shel Tiel, son of Nehri, son of Melchai, Son of Ady, son of Cosm, son of El Madem, son of Erre, son of Joshua, son of Eloyaser, son of Giorum, son of Mathatt, son of Levi, son of Symeon, son of Judah, son of Joseph, son of JoanÕs son of AlaaKim. Son of Malia. Son of Minna. Son of Matatuh. Son of Nathan. Son of David. Son of Jesse. Son of Obaid. Son of Boaz. Son of Salman. Son of Naishon. Son of Aminidab. Son of Ram. Son of Hezran. Son of Perez, Son of Judah. Son of Jacob. Son of Isaac. Son of Abraham. Son of Tara. Son of Nayor. Son of Syreg. Son of Ryu. Son of Pelig. Son of Eber. Son of Shilah. Son of Canaan. Son of Arfaxid. Son of Shim. Son of Noah. Son of Lamek. Son of Methuselah. Son of Enoch. Son of Jared. Son of Mahalalel. Son of Canaan. Son of Enoch. Son of Seth. Son of Adam. Son of God. That is Luke. The chapter is one through three in the CSB. Let's pray together. Jesus, I'm just such a fan of Luke and how he writes and what we get to hear today, the way he researched and dug into the story so that he could retell them well. And I want to be like that too. Jesus, I want to know scripture so well that I can retell the story with ease so that others would believe, which is what Luke instructs us at the beginning of the book, is so we can believe what we've been taught. And so God would you increase our ability to retain what we hear and what we read so that we can retell it so that others may believe. We love you, Jesus. Jesus's name we pray. Amen.