Among Men...None Greater

God

Luke 2:1-2

God sends the word and message for his people of the coming Messiah through a prophet who lives in the wilderness, a nobody; while the somebody’s of the day are so involved in wicked practices, striving for worldly success and rampant religious corruption (vs 2)

Principles: The greater the darkness the brighter the light

God is present with the humble and resists the proud (James 4:6)

better to be with the lowly and have God with you, than to divide the spoil with the proud and not know Jesus Christ (Prov 16:19)

What man praises God abases, and what man finds humiliating God exalts (Luke 16:15)

John the Baptist recieved the Word God needed him to preach by serving faithfully exactly where he had told him to be planted ()()

“the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness”

Luke 3:3 KJV 1900

And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

this fulfilled the promise given from Michael the Archangel and the prophecy's given by Zacharias in , fulfilling OT prophecy from Isaiah on the herald or prophet that would announce and prepare the way for the coming Messiah

Principle: God is faithful to keep his promise; this is 31 years after Michael the Archangel promised the birth of John

This is 31 years after Zacharias full of the Holy Ghost prophesied of his son fulfilling the role of the prophet Isaiah in the announcement of the Messiah

That is a lot of locusts and wild honey later ()()

John was faithful to trust God until the promise came by remaining where God had called him to be ()

Often the greater the wait the greater the power of God’s moving and fulfilling in his promise;

the greater the test of faith, the greater the answer of faith

Up to this point the Lord has not spoken through a prophet for 490 years, there has been no active word of God for nearly five centuries; the longest with possibly the exception of prior to the flood

Luke 3:3 KJV 1900

And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

primary to the hope of the Messiah is the dealing and repenting of our sin

there is no salvation without admission and acknowledgement of sin

Because of John- Jesus Got his first disciple (, 35-40)

-One is Andrew- who then goes and gets Peter

-Not the size but the Spirit

-Not the title but the Truth

-Not the prison but the Passion

-God’s currency is what are you willing to suffer for

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Who

Analytical Bible Expositor: Luke 1. The Period of the Crier (Luke 3:1, 2)

First, Tiberius Caesar. He succeeded Augustus; the sea of Galilee was for a time named after him (“Tiberias” John 6:1; 21:1). Second, Pilate. He is famous for his condemning Christ to death on the cross when he knew Christ was innocent. He ruled for ten years over Judea. Third, Herod the tetrarch of Galilee. “Tetrarch” means one fourth and is used to describe one forth of a land such as Palestine. He was the one who beheaded John the Baptist. Fourth, Philip tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis. He was a half brother of Herod. The areas he ruled were north and east of Galilee. He was not the brother whose wife was Herodias, whom Herod of Galilee married. Herod the Great had two sons named Philip, one from a wife named Mariamne and the other from his wife named Cleopatra. Fifth, Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene. This territory was north of Palestine.

Analytical Bible Expositor: Luke 1. The Period of the Crier (Luke 3:1, 2)

The character of the time. “Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests” (Luke 3:2). The character of the time could easily be ascertained by the political rulers, but it was especially shown by the high priest situation. God’s Word plainly specified that there should only be one high priest in Israel. But here there were two. The reason for this is that Rome decided who would be the high priest. Politics ruled religion. That always brings corruption. That religion was corrupted is manifested in the attitude of the religious leaders to Jesus Christ.

Where

Bethabara ()

the place of Christ’s baptism is the place where Joshua crossed the Jordan () (type of Christ)

Where David crossed the Jordan (, ) (type of Christ)

Where Elijah and Elisha crossed the Jordan () (Type of the two witnesses)

Just East of this spot is Mt Pigsah where Moses died () (type of the two witnesses)