"The Greatest Story Ever Told" Series

Greeting:

Good morning everyone

Hope everyone had a great holiday week last week

I hope you can come back tonight and join us as we continue our study on Elders

Lesson Text:

Luke 2-6

Introduction:

Do you have a favorite story?

One that you can recall and almost tell verbatim from memory just as it occured?

Maybe one of those glory days moments from when we were younger…

Maybe a story of a family member or loved one...

Maybe its a favorite fictional story or childhood story we all grew up hearing.

Maybe it is in fact a biblical story.

Whatever type story it may be, its a story we remember well and we love to tell.

The next few Sunday mornings Lord willing, I want to retell a story.

But not just any story.

But a true story.

And I have to admit I have a slight issue with the word story..

I want to clarify that in this series when I say the word “story” I am not referring to just a story like Winnie the Pooh…

But a true, factual, inspired story.

An account, a biblical account…

The most important story we are ever told.

So don’t take that word lightly when we use it, and don’t think we aren’t paying the respect and honor due.

A story we find in four different Biblical accounts.

Each of the gospel writers provides for us an account.

An account of a very true story that all of mankind should know by heart.

A story so true, and a story so powerful...

A story that can change lives…

The story of Jesus.

“The Greatest Story Ever Told”

This is going to be our title of a lesson series we will look at over the next few weeks Lord willing.

Our goal is to look at scripture and see the greatest story of all time unfold before us.

A story we would all do well to know, to appreciate, and to live out in our lives.

In this series we are going to break it up into three lessons.

His life, his death, and his resurrection.

We are going to look at each of these and how in every way of Jesus’s life the greatest stories were told.

I believe those three things when put together, tell us this great story to the fullest.

Lesson: His Life

This morning we are going to look at the first lesson of the series and focus on “His Life.”

We know that his life is a very broad subject and we could cover so much about his life.

Including the future lessons on his death and resurrection, but I want to focus on his life up to those points.

One of my favorite passages about Jesus and his life comes from John.

John 21:25 ESV

Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

John tells us the world could not contain the books that could be written regarding the things Christ done.

But this morning I want to spend the new few minutes looking at some of the stories we are told...

This morning I want us to look at two main parts or stories if you will of his life.

The Greatest story ever told of his birth and early life, and then The Story of the Greatest 3 Years Ever Lived..

His Birth and Early Life

We can look all throughout scripture and see of Jesus fulfilling the prophecies that were prophesied about his coming.

And we can see the he in fact was born a miraculous birth on earth for us.

Luke 1:26–38 ESV

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Can you imagine being Mary and Joseph?

Being told you are going to have this miraculous birth?

Knowing you’re not married, knowing what others might think or say..

There was severe punishment at this time for women who had a baby in this way, unmarried or with another man…

So I am sure the were afraid…

Who would truly believe a virgin birth could take place like this?

Yet it did…

The greatest story of a birth ever told…

Luke 2:1–14 ESV

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

We may know of some pretty amazing stories concerning children being born in todays time, but….

Do we know of a greater story of a birth ever told than this one?

A true miraculous birth.

And not a birth that just results in just anyone being born..

But a very important someone being born.

Jesus Christ, the King being born.

Luke tells us that this day a Savior is born unto us.

A birth that would save the world.

Scripture tells us that this was the very reason Jesus came to earth.

Luke 19:10 ESV

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

He came to save us from our sins.

We can continue on with his story and find out Jesus even from a young age had a purpose.

He knew he was here for a reason…

Luke 2:41–52 ESV

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

Any parent ever left their kid somewhere before?

That sounds like something I would do. I would forget my head if it wasn’t attached sometimes.

But could you imagine not just leaving your kid, but making it a whole days journey away just to realize you forgot him.

And then even on top of that, the kid you left, is Jesus.

Imagine telling that story to your friends.

Again, isn’t this the greatest story ever told…

We read those amazing words spoken by Jesus when he is found.

He says, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

Scripture tells us that at 12 years old Jesus is about his Father’s business.

It said he increased in wisdom and stature in favor with God and man…

Jesus Christ was devoted to a life for us even at an early age…

The Greatest Three Years Ever Told

When we come to Luke 4 we enter in to what I would argue is the greatest 3 years of life ever recorded.

I say this due to Luke 3:23

Luke 3:23 ESV

Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age…

And most scholars all agree he was around 33 hen he died.

So all of these stories , miracles, and teachings we read about happened in this time period.

Do you know of a greater time period than that?

In todays time we think of what maybe a President or elected official gets done during his or her “term in office”…

And we may judge them based off what they accomplished

I would say no one can argue Christ has accomplished more in these three years than anyone could ever imagine…

We can continue on in our story.

All good stories have a few key components don’t they?

They consist of a plot, most of the time in that plot a hero or protagonist and then the bad guy or the antagonist.

Luke 4 begins with the temptation of Jesus and we see that idea shown there.

Luke 4:1–2 ESV

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.

I think its so amazing that the first account we read of Jesus after his young age is this account in each of these Gospels.

As soon as he was baptized he was lead out to the wilderness for 40 days, where he would be tempted by Satan.

Can you imagine that?

Forty days you have been out in the wilderness fasting and here comes the devil tempting him.

Like the devil often times does, he tempts Jesus when maybe he is at his most vulnerable…

Yet what does Jesus do?

He wins…

No way anyone else endures that.

Isn’t that the greatest story of self control ever told?

We in a way, are shown the whole story of the life of Christ off the bat.

Good versus evil, Jesus being victorious over Satan, his temptations having no power upon him.

But this is only the beginning…

Luke 4:14 tells us after this is over, Jesus returns back to Galilee to begin his ministry…

We continue on…

In the remainder of Luke 4 we can see Jesus do many amazing things and this is only the beginning!

He heals a man from a demon, he heals Peter’s mother in law, he heals many others as well.

He goes on to preach and teach in the synagogues too.

Luke 4:42–44 ESV

And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Jesus said I was sent for this purpose.

This was a man on a mission.

Jesus was here to teach and preach to mankind and he let nothing come in the way of stopping him.

He was rejected, ridiculed, mocked, and as we know even killed for this teaching that he tell us about in the very beginning of his ministry.

What other story can we know where we see that amount of dedication?

Someone that fulfills his mission knowing it’s going to lead to death

I don’t know of any…

As we continue on in the greatest 3 years…

We can see in all the gospels, not just Luke, all that Jesus did.

He spent every single moment teaching, preaching, healing, and preparing the way for his people.

Just as Jesus said back when he was just 12 years old, “He is about his Fathers business..”

When we look back through history and see all that he did, no one else can even come close.

The number of people he healed, saved, taught, and loved…

Far more than the number of anyone else.

This is the reason that these 3 years are so vital to “The Greatest Story Ever Told.”

I would encourage everyone to read through the gospels and just read about all the amazing things Jesus did.

For times sake we can’t do that this morning but I do want to look at one more

I want to wrap up this lesson this morning by setting the stage for next week Lord willing.

Next week we are going to look at his death and the crucifixion story.

But this morning I want to look at one last story…One that Jesus told.

A story he told of the end of his life and the end of these three years we are looking at this morning…

Jesus three different times for tells of the end of his life

Mark 8:31–33 ESV

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Mark 9:30–32 ESV

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Mark 10:32–34 ESV

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

Jesus tells the apostles a story three different times.

A story that Scripture tells us they didn’t understand

He tells them about the end of his life and how he must die..

And they failed to realize that they just heard The Greatest Story Ever Told.

The Mark 9:30-32 account sums it up well…

We touched on this last week but every time I hear or read this I’m left amazed

Amazed how someone knowing what’s going to happen to them, never gives up or fails to follow through

Again, I know no other story like this…

But this last story told by Jesus sets the stage for us next week

Conclusion:

Remember back to the start of the lesson

Everyone has a story they know and remember and love to tell

I want to encourage us as we go through this study to feel that way this story

I want us to love the story of Jesus

I want us to tell the story of Jesus

This morning maybe you’re not a Christian

I want to encourage you to become one.

Or maybe we are and wandered away.

Everything we look at in the story of Jesus happened so that we could know him

And not just in him but live again with him.

Let’s not waste the greatest story ever told.

Obey the gospel or come back home today