Luke 2:21-52 are verses that might be all too easily overlooked in the Christmas season, when they ought not be. They give us a glimpse into ‘what went on’ for Jesus and even for his parents after the angels and shepherds had all gone away. They cover ‘ordinary’ matters that any Jewish couple of their time would have to observe – involving circumcision of their baby boy and more than one visit to the Temple in Jerusalem…. and it’s there in the Temple that many things unfolded that lead us to learn much more about our Saviour.

Message

Outline

• First Sunday/ last Sunday
• A post-Christmas analysis
• The next (forgotten) part of the story – in the Temple!
• See how Luke tells us of how…

1. The Law was fulfilled (v.21-24)
2. The Lord was revealed (v.25-38)
3. The Saviour was learning (v.39-52)

Pre-New Year
People of faith….
Being like Jesus…

In Luke 2:1-20, Luke sets down in writing what he had come to know about the birth of Jesus through his faithful research. After having set the scene for the event through the happenings regarding the angel Gabriel’s busy visits to Zechariah and to Mary, the spotlight then turns to the baby promised to Mary. While there are many ways to tackle this well known passage, this message explores the events that Luke recorded through the theme of journeys – 3 of them – that all have ‘joy’ in the centre of them.

Message

Outline

• The next part of this series
• Stability in an unstable world
• What we’ve seen from Luke 1
• See how Luke tells us of…

1. Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem (v.1-7)
2. The angels’ journey from heaven to earth (v.8-14)
3. The shepherds’ journey to Bethlehem and back (v.15-20)

From their journeys to yours
Finding joy….
The salvation He came to bring!

In Luke 1:57-80, we see how Luke continues the story of Zechariah who had been struck dumb for failing to believe the angel Gabriel’s words earlier in the chapter. After his tongue was loosed, Zechariah made up for lost time in declaring the praise of God, His faithfulness and power in coming to rescue His people, bringing together many of the great Old Testament themes. Zechariah’s song pointed his hearers to his own son who would be a prophet of the Lord who would prepare the way for God’s own Son who was to come.

Message

Outline

• Luke’s accurate account
• Characters in the spotlight
• Zechariah speaks and sings
• See how Luke tells us how …

1. Zechariah’s tongue was loosed (v.57-69)
2. Zechariah’s voice was lifted (v.70-75)
3. Zechariah’s son was underlined (v.76-80)

An analogy from the theatre
The spotlight turned heavenward
Join the song!

It’s possible to either over emphasise or under estimate the role that Mary had in being the birth mother of Jesus, but in Luke 1:26-56, it seems that the matter is plain. God’s choice of Mary was the right one – not because she in herself was without sin – but because she was willing to serve Him in this difficult and costly task. It’s all there in the account that Luke recorded fo Theophilus, and for all who read it these many years later!

Message

Outline

• The next instalment
• Another pregnancy
• Elizabeth – unexpected, Mary – impossible
• See how Luke tells us of…

1. God’s choice of Mary (v.26-27, 34)
2. God’s grace to Mary (v.28-38)
3. Mary’s song to God (v.39-56)

Humility
Salvation
Praise

There’s so much more to the Christmas story than the angels, the shepherds, the wise men, Mary and Joseph and the baby in the manger. The gospel writer, Luke, a careful historian, presents the story of the birth of Jesus as the part of the fulfillment of God’s plans and promises to send a Messiah to the people of Israel and so, it was into a particular time and place that Jesus came into the world. But before He came, someone else had to come -and his name was John and his parents had their own story.

Message

Outline

• Christmas approaching!
• Back to chapters 1 and 2
• Luke’s classic prologue/introduction
• See how Luke tells us of…

1. Ordinary people in the plan of God (v.5-10)
2. An extraordinary visit from an angel of God (v.11-17)
3. A less-than-ordinary response from a man of God (v.18-25)

A man in two worlds
Impossibilities: no problem to Him!
Faithlessness: can never nullify His!

Sometimes the things that happened to Jesus are quite surprising. In Luke 7:36-50, Luke tells us of hos he was reclining at a dinner party when a surprise guest entered and washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair and anointed them with her gift of perfume. The host of the dinner party was rightly shocked, but Jesus, ever one to ‘practise what he preached’, drew a lesson from it, that was no surprise – except to those who continue to trust in their own self-righteousness.

Message

Outline

• The sixteenth in this series
• Back into the narrative
• What is this Kingdom of His like?
• See how this interaction tells us of …

1. The intruder who shocked the party (v.36-38)
2. The guest who shocked the host (v.39-46)
3. The promise that shocked the guests (v.47-50)

Everyone reclining – no-one standing
The horizontal and the vertical
Gratitude. Thankful hearts.

Collisions happen. People get hurt or die. But what happens when llife collides with death? Or, to put it more exactly, when the Lord of life collides with someone who is dead? In Luke 7:11-17, the situation at Nain is sad, but the ministry of Jesus gives hope – real hope in the face of death!

Message

Outline

• The fourteenth in this series
• From Capernaum to Nain
• Collisions…
• See how this interaction tells us that …

1. Death and sorrow were heading out of town (v.11-12)
2. Life and hope were coming into town (v.13-15)
3. Joy and amazement went all over town (v.16-17)

Jesus and funerals…
An invitation to have confidence!
An invitation to trust Him!

After Jesus had completed his long teaching intensive, Luke records that he returned to Capernaum where His ministry had previously been well received. There, according to Luke 7:1-10, He was approached by the Jews on behalf of a Roman centurion – a man who had power at his fingertips, but no power to deal with disase and impending death. But this man saw that Jesus did have authority and submitted himself to One greater than he, implicitly trusting that whatever Jesus commanded would come to pass! Great faith indeed!

Message

Outline

• The thirteenth in this series
• Back in Capernaum
• The Roman centurion
• See how this interaction tells us of the ..

1. Reason why Jesus could have chosen not to help the man (v.1-3)
2. Reason why the Jews said that Jesus should help the man (v.4-6a)
3. Reasons why the response of this man is a great help (v.6b-10)

How the story ends…
The God who is too big to fail!
What Naaman discovered…

In Luke 6:43-49, Jesus is finishing his teaching intensive on how His disciples ought to live. The text is very much connected to the previous versess in which Jesus spoko of making careful and merciful judgements – especially about people – and this certainly applies in the way we are to look at others and view the reality of their profession. Words are part of it, but fruit will be the greater evidence, as will the need to be hearers and doers of His word.

Message

Outline

• The twelfth in this series
• The end of His teaching intensive
• Don’t be foolish!
• See how Jesus taught that we ought remember that …

1. Your fruit gives you away (v.43-45)
2. Your foundation may give way! (v.46-49)

Dr Smith and Dr Smith
The bottom line
Hear and do!