Jesus Christ Son Of Man Introduction Luke 1:1-4 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. The Gospel According to Luke is a gospel that gives us a view of Christ as being the Son of Man. The Lord Jesus was God in the flesh to which all the gospels give testimony. The Lord often referred to himself as the Son of Man, a designation that emphasized his connection to the human race. He didn't merely come here to co-habitate with us, as God dwelling among us, but rather as the Son of Man, God made flesh and dwelling among us. In this gospel, it seems, the spotlight is upon the unique way in which this God/man relationship plays out. We see Jesus as a human being, as a baby born in the natural way although conceived in a supernatural way. He had a mother and a stepfather, who was his legal father, giving him rights to the throne of David as being a direct descendant. We see him interacting with the human race with love and compassion. Luke dwells on matters that are of concern to people; where did he come from; what were the circumstances of his birth; and how did those around him perceive him? It seems Luke wanted us to see Jesus as truly one of us even though he was God. He wanted us to see God in him without compromising his humanity. He also wanted us to know for certain that he was who we believe him to be. No question about it, the man Jesus was every bit a man: the man Jesus was every bit God! Though Luke was not an eyewitness to the events that he reported, he was a reliable source as he was of the first generation of the church. He had a friend named Theophilus, which means one who loves God. Luke had carefully investigated the facts reported and wrote this letter to strengthen the faith of Theophilus. It is believed that Theophilus was a Roman dignitary or at least of high position and wealth. It seems that Luke felt a certain responsibility to Theophilus; perhaps as one he was discipling. Not only is the book of Luke addressed to him but also the book of Acts. Luke was probably a Gentile by birth, well educated in Greek culture and a physician by profession. He also traveled with Paul on occasions and was therefore an eyewitness to parts of the book of Acts. He had a mind that paid attention to details and therefore we have many facts in the book of Luke about the birth of Jesus and John and the early life of our Lord that aren't reported elsewhere. These are important facts to anyone interested in the humanity of the Lord. Our God is not a detached God who cares little about the affairs of people. He came here to this realm and experienced life, as we have to live it. He faced the everyday world of the workingman, laboring as a carpenter. He suffered the struggles of life in a small obscure village called Nazareth. There is no Biblical evidence that Jesus ever performed a miracle until after his baptism in Jordan. It is believed that at some point in the early life of our Lord that Joseph died. This conclusion is drawn from the fact that only Mary appears in any of the Gospels after the childhood experiences of Jesus. It is further strengthened by the fact that Jesus assigned responsibility for Mary to John while hanging on the cross. There are many people who have suffered the loss of a dear loved one in early life; can our Lord understand that kind of loss? The answer is "yes"; he not only understands it, but also evidently experienced it. Some may wonder why Jesus would allow his earthly father to die. The fact seems to be that Jesus never used his power for personal convenience or comfort. He fully experienced everything that life has to offer, never limiting the pain or suffering, so that as our great high priest; he is touched by the feelings of our infirmities. The book of Luke presents us with a very real person, one who knew what it was to walk where he needed to go. He got hungry, tired, and bore the heat of summer days while working for a living. He experienced grief in the loss of his earthly father, was betrayed, mocked, beaten and crucified. In this book we will attempt to discover the real Jesus, the man of Galilee, the Savior of all mankind who accept him. A man among men who showed us the way to rise above adversity, stand tall in the face of danger and triumph over our enemies. Though he was God, he functioned as a man. He lived a life of faith not in who he was, though he was well aware of that, but rather in his Father who worked in him doing the work. He lived in the condition of faith, enabling him to take authority over every power of the devil. He functioned as men must function, both in the natural and in the spiritual. He had to set aside some of his divine attributes to be a man in every sense of the word, only without sin. He was born with a pure nature; he was God's one and only Son. He had the nature of God and therefore was able to show us the Father in how he conducted himself among us. Chapter One God has a Plan Luke 1:5-25 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years. Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time." Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people." To Matthew, Mark and John, the story about John the Baptist's birth was not an important story to their report. Their approach to the story of Jesus was from an entirely different point of view. But to Luke, and to all of us, it is a vitally important bit of information. We like to know the background of people we trust. We want to know where they came from and what were the circumstances that shaped their lives. John the Baptist was a key player in the story of Jesus, and knowing about his background lends creditability to his mission and words. Luke was not only writing to show us the humanity of Jesus but he was also aware of our humanity.