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The Book of Luke, Luke’s Conclusion - Lesson 14Debut – making ones first appearance in society or before the public after proper preparation has been made. Debutant – A man making a debut as an actor or speaker appearing for the first time before the public Debutante – feminine of debutant – much preparation prior to showing oneself to society John, son of Zacharius and Elisabeth of the hill country of Judea, after attending the school of the desert, and called to be the forerunner of the coming Messiah, presented by the Holy Spirit to make ready a people prepared for the Lord is presented.. Luke 1:80, And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing (exhibiting or presenting himself) unto Israel.
Verse 80 serves as the conclusion to Luke’s account of the birth and childhood of John the Baptist.
In my opinion, it is the key to understanding our text:
Here, Luke gives us his reason for including the account of John’s childhood, even though his public ministry was to begin many years later.
There are several important elements in this very brief concluding statement.
(1) This statement summarizes the entire period of John’s life prior to his public ministry.
In less than 30 words, approximately 30 years of John’s life are characterized.
(2) This statement speaks of John’s physical, but especially of his spiritual growth during his growing-up years.
Luke tells us that John “became strong in spirit.”
(3) This statement speaks of John’s preparation for public ministry.
While John’s physical and spiritual growth is of great importance to his own walk with God, Luke’s purpose is to inform us that he was being prepared for the day of his public appearance, for the time of his public ministry as the forerunner of Messiah.
In other words, John’s spiritual growth was essential for his spiritual ministry.
There had to be a time of preparation if God’s calling was to be carried out.
(4) Finally, and most importantly, Luke informs us that John was being prepared for his public ministry in solitude.
John’s spiritual growth and development, Luke tells us, took place “in the deserts.”
John’s living in the desert was not accidental to his spiritual growth and development, but that it was a fundamental part of his growth process.
Luke, as a meticulous and thoughtful historian, was a man who thought in terms of processes, and who saw history revealing continuity, because behind it all God is bringing about His purposes and fulfilling His promises.
Thus, for Luke, the ministries of John and Jesus did not commence at their public presentation, but at the time of the announcement of their births.
Luke is concerned that we see the formulating factors in their ministries, which took place in their earliest years, as well as the ministries, which resulted.
And so while the other gospel writers begin with the public proclamation of John’s message, Luke begins with the angelic announcement of John’s birth, and with the experiences in John’s life, which shaped him spiritually, in preparation for his ministry.
Luke informs us of several preparatory factors in the life of John, even in this very brief account of his birth and childhood.
First, Luke tells us of John’s calling, as indicated by the announcement of Gabriel, before the child was even conceived.
God’s purpose for John was announced, even before his conception, so that his parents might raise him in the light of those purposes, thus helping to prepare him for this ministry.
Proverbs 22:6, Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
In olden times this was the common way in a family and that way predetermined the way for the son or daughter and it was to follow in his father’s or mother’s footsteps.
So appropriate preparation was done to see to it that those feet fit in the father’s shoes.
Second, John was filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth, so that his spiritual growth would be enhanced, during his childhood, in preparation for his ministry.
Finally, John was prepared for his ministry by being separated from his family, his culture, and the religious system of Israel.
John’s early preparation is not something novel or unique.
We will see from the next chapter of Luke that Jesus was also being prepared before and after his birth, for the ministry which God had called Him to perform.
In the Old Testament, the accounts of men like Joseph, Samuel, David, and Jeremiah (Jer. 1:5), show that God was working in their early lives to prepare them for later ministry.
Other texts, such as Psalm 139, indicate that God’s preparation begins in the womb.
So, too, in the New Testament, Paul spoke of his calling before his birth (Gal. 1:11-17).
Gal 1:15, But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace….
He also reminded Timothy of the preparation which God had worked in his life through his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5-7).
Here, however, Luke makes a special point of the fact that John’s growth and development involved a separation, from his family, from his culture, and from the Jewish religious system, of which he could have been (indeed, should have been!) a priest, like his father.
Let me very quickly point out that I believe there were many positive contributions to John’s growth and development which came from his parents, family, society, and religious system.
No doubt there is a great deal of Elizabeth and Zacharias in John.
But this is not Luke’s emphasis.
Luke chooses to emphasize the separation of John from his “world,” not his identification with it.
When he was given the name “John,” rather than “Zacharias” God was indicating to all who were involved that John would not be carrying on his father’s name, nor his work.
Think of the ways in which John became very different from his father, which was symbolized by his non-family name.
Zacharias was a priest; John was a prophet. John was a Nazarite; his father was not.
Zacharias lived among the people; John lived in the solitude of the people.
Zacharias was a part of the old religious system; John was not—he stood apart from it.
Zacharias, as evidenced by his psalm of praise, spoke as an Israelite, but John, being removed from typical Israelite life and the religious system of the day, was able to see the errors which had developed:
What participant in any system will call those in the system vipers? He would not be in the system long!
Luke 3:7,8, Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, ‘We have Abraham to our father; for I say to you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham”
Zacharias, as a part of the religious system, identified with it, while John was able to stand apart from it and to see its many errors and perversions (cf. John 1:19ff.).
I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. One voice all alone but with God.
The boldness and clarity with which John spoke out against the evils of his day was, to a great extent, the result of John’s separation from the system and its sins, which he condemned.
Thus, Luke would have the reader to know that separation from his society, even from his parents, played a key role in John’s preparation for ministry.
As we consider the preparation of John for his ministry, I believe that we find a very important principle underscored here, which is just as relevant to us and just as important in our preparation for ministry as it was for John.
The principle is this: To represent Christ, we must stand apart from sin and from the world, which hates Him.
If there is one thing which characterized John it was that he was a man who was set apart.
He was set apart by his calling before his birth, by his unusual birth, by his life as a Nazarite, by his name, and by the time that he spent in the desert, where he lived apart from his “world,” where he wore distinct clothing, and ate very different food.
It was his separation from his “world” which gave him eyes to see its sins, to stand firmly against them, and to speak out boldly in condemning them.
The Bible is clear that separation is just as essential for Christians today, if we would serve God as we should, and live up to whatever calling we have.
Separation was essential for God’s people in the Old Testament.
For example, we read,
Exodus 19:5-6, Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
Lev. 11:45, For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
God chose Israel to represent Him, to reveal His holiness to the other nations.
In order to do this it was necessary for the Israelites to stand apart from the evils of their day.
They were not to live like the Canaanites or the other peoples of the day.
Thus, God gave them a special calling, a special covenant, and special commandments which, if obeyed, would set them apart from the nations.
This same holiness, this same separation, is required of New Testament saints as well:
1 Pet. 1:14-16, As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
1 Thes. 4:3-7, For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; 5Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: 6That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 7For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
Holiness in the life of the Christian, that is, separation from sin, is necessary for several reasons;
Holiness is required if we are to represent and reflect a holy God to men.
We cannot be God-like if we live in sin, but only if we live apart from sin.
We must be holy, we must stand apart from sin in order to be sensitive to sin, to recognize it and to sense how evil and offensive it is to God.
And we must stand apart from sin if we are to condemn sin and to be a voice for God to lead others to forsake sin.
John’s separation from sin was essential to his personal walk with God and to his ministry.
So, too, our separation from sin is also essential.
While there is no Biblical command for us to isolate ourselves for a time as John did we are to be similarly separated unto God.
Separation includes separation from sinful thinking.
There is a sinful “mind,” a wrong way of looking at things and thinking about things.
The natural “mind” is “set on the things of the flesh” and leads to death (Rom. 8:6) because it is hostile toward God
Rom. 8:7, …the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Therefore we must be “renewed in the spirit of our mind” as we are told in Rom. 12:2.
Our minds must be separated to the washing of the mind by the Word of God.
Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2
2 Timothy 2:15, Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Amplified Bible: Study and be eager to do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [righly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.
Woodworking example – measure twice and cut once.
Not only must we separate from sinful thinking but also we must separate from the desires of the flesh.
We must separate from only doing what we want to do to doing what God wants us to do.
The only way to overcome these inclinations and to live righteously is to “walk in the Spirit,” to walk according to the promptings and the power of the Holy Spirit of God
Rom. 8:1, There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Separating our minds and our bodies to God will separate us from the world.
You think biblically and act biblically and the world will leave you in the dust.
Old things will past away, all things will become new.
John was called to be the forerunner of Christ, he was called to ready the people for his coming.
And the preparation for that mission began with separation and it is no different for any calling of God. If we are to be used God will only use a man or woman who is separated from sin and unto Him. |