The Christmas Story Series

This season, we remember the heart of the Christmas story: God keeps His ancient promises. He chooses the small, the humble, and the unexpected, and He sends His Son not as a conquering warrior, but as a baby born to an ordinary young woman, welcomed first by shepherds. The King of Heaven steps into our world in the quietest, lowliest way—because He has come for all of us.

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Sermon notes

Advent Week 1: Luke 1:26-45

Sermon: The Announcement of the Christ

First Reading: Luke 1:26–38

Part 1: When Heaven Breaks Through (Luke 1:26–28)

We begin in verses 26-28 with the divine moment: When Heaven Breaks Through.

(Luke 1:26-27 ESV) 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.

1:26 “In the sixth month”: This refers to the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Earlier in Luke 1, the angel Gabriel had already announced that Elizabeth—though advanced in years—would miraculously conceive a son, John the Baptist.

1:26 Gabriel: The name Gabriel means “Man of God” or “God is my strength.”

Gabriel as God’s Messenger

The word angel comes from the Greek aggelos, meaning messenger. Gabriel identifies himself this way when he appears to Zechariah:

(Luke 1:19 ESV) I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

This highlights both his authority (“I stand in the presence of God”) and his mission (“I was sent… to bring you good news”). Gabriel has served as a long-standing heavenly messenger, carrying critical revelation from the presence of God to His people on earth. His appearance to Mary fits this pattern perfectly.

Nazareth’s Reputation

1:26 Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth.

Nazareth, in particular, held an especially poor reputation. It was considered insignificant and spiritually unimpressive. This attitude appears clearly in the words of Nathanael:

(John 1:45-46 ESV) 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Joseph and David’s House

1:27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David: Joseph’s connection to the house of David is a vital detail. The Messiah—Christ—was promised to come from David’s royal line.

(2 Sam. 7:16 ESV) And your house and your [David’s] kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.

God promised David a throne forever, and Jesus—born under Joseph’s legal fatherhood by adoption and Mary’s physical maternity—perfectly fulfills the long-awaited promise of the Messiah from the lineage of David.

1:27 Virgin (parthenos): Luke’s emphasis on Mary as a virgin directly connects to the prophetic promise in:

(Isa. 7:14 ESV) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us].

1:27 Betrothed (mnesteuo): While we might compare this to modern engagement, Jewish betrothal was far more serious and binding, lasting about a year. During this period, the couple were legally referred to as husband and wife, yet they had no right to sexual union until the formal wedding ceremony.

1:27 Mary: We know nothing of Mary’s background other than that she was a peasant and a resident of Nazareth. Yet this is precisely the kind of place God loves to work. In His grace, He chose a young girl from a town despised by the religious elite to be the mother of the promised Messiah. God bypassed the centers of power, prestige, and religious status. He chose the humble, the ordinary, the overlooked.

Part 2: Mary, the Favored One (Luke 1:28–30)

(Luke 1:28-30 ESV) 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

1:28 “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”

Favored one in this context means:

To pursue with grace, compass with favor; to honor with blessings.

1:29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying… The appearance of an angel was overwhelming enough—but his words, calling her “favored one,” must have been even more shocking. Mary was a humble young girl from an obscure village. Nothing in her life would have prepared her to hear such an honor spoken over her.

Luke tells us she was “greatly troubled”—confused and trying to understand what this greeting meant. What was God saying? Why her?

Do Not Be Afraid

1:30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”

The first thing Gabriel tells her is Don’t be afraid! This is the same thing that happened earlier with Zechariah. This concept of not being afraid is spoken by God to His people 100-120 times in Scripture.

I think the Word of the Lord to us is Don’t be afraid. We can fear (reverence) the Lord without being afraid of Him.

(1 John 4:18 ESV) There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.

(Rom. 8:31 ESV) If God is for us, who can be against us?

If God loves us, which He does, and He is for us, which He is, then we don’t have to be afraid to come to Him. He knows you and your struggles with sin, and He wants you to come to Him for the help you need.

(Heb. 4:16 ESV) Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

**Favor (Charis) with God**

1:30 Mary, for you have found favor with God—favor—charis

A favor done without expectation of return; the absolutely free expression of the loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and benevolence of the Giver; unearned and unmerited favor.

Yesterday we moved into our new house. With my arm still recovering from rotator cuff surgery, I couldn’t be carrying furniture. I needed a favor. [Share moving help story.] They lifted what I could not lift. They did what I could not do.

That is exactly what God has done for every believer. He has done for us what we could never do on our own. That is favor—that is grace. This favor shown to Mary is the favor, grace, God offers His people.

(Eph 1:4-6 ESV) 4 In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace [charis], with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

The believer can join with Mary in having been found in favor with God. Through Christ, God has poured out His gracious favor upon us—freely, abundantly, undeservedly.

Part 3: The Incarnation of the Christ (Luke 1:31–38)

The Virgin Birth (Virgin Conception)

1:31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

This statement confused Mary a little, so she asked the question:

1:34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

Gabriel Gives the Explanation of the Virgin Birth:

1:35 “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”

This verse reminds us and points back to the Holy Spirit’s participation in creation at the beginning.

(Gen. 1:2 ESV) The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

It was at this point that the act of creation began. And it was when the Holy Spirit came upon Mary that the power of God was again creating a new man.

Mary had 23 chromosomes. Where did the other 23 come from? God created them. This is why the Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians:

(1 Cor. 15:45 ESV) “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

The humanity of Christ was created by the Holy Spirit, not procreated by sexual intercourse. The first Adam succumbed to temptation, and through him sin entered humanity. Everyone born who can trace their lineage to Adam has inherited a sinful nature. But Jesus’ bloodline doesn’t go back to Adam.

God created a new man without the sin nature. This last Adam (Jesus) didn’t succumb to temptation and wrought a victory for all mankind who believe in the gospel.

(Heb. 4:15 ESV) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Because Jesus was sinless, he was the perfect sacrifice for the entire human race. By believing in the work of Christ, we can be transferred from Adam to Christ, as the Apostle Paul says:

(1 Cor. 15:22 ESV) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

This is predicted in what is known as the protoevangelium (first gospel).

(Gen. 3:15 ESV) I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

Referring to the descendant of a woman implies that the Messiah (Christ) wouldn’t have a natural father.

The Person of the Christ

1:31 you shall call his name Jesus—Iesous (Jehovah is Salvation or Jehovah is the Savior).

1:32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

The phrase Son of God had two implications in reference to Jesus.

His divinity. The doctrine of the Trinity is difficult, but it is a clear teaching of the Bible: one God in three persons.
His humanity. In the genealogy of Jesus recorded in Luke, it says:

(Luke 3:38 ESV) the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

In the same way that Adam is referred to as God’s son because he was created by God, Jesus is referred to as God’s son. Jesus never ceased to be God, and in the incarnation, He added humanity.

1:32-33 And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

As we have seen, Jesus came from the lineage of David with a legal right to the throne. He has now been exalted to the right hand of God as King. But He is now the King of those who surrender to His Lordship.

(Col. 1:13-14 ESV) 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Second Reading: Luke 1:39–45 (ESV)

Faith is here represented as the foundation of true happiness, because it receives the fulfilment of God’s promises. Whatever God has promised, he intends to perform. We should believe whatever he has spoken—his own authority is a sufficient reason why we should believe. Let us only be convinced that God has given the promise, and then faith becomes an indispensable duty: in this case not to believe would be absurd and unreasonable—God will perform his promise, for he cannot lie.

Advent Week 2: Luke 1: 46-55

Sermon: The Magnificat

Text: Luke 1:46–55

Introduction: The Tension of Nostalgia

I love Christmas. I love everything about Christmas. I love the way it makes me feel about the past. And on the other hand, I have so much to look forward to in my life, in the future. Life is good.

But you know, wasn’t life so much simpler when we were kids? It’s hard to describe this tension—this tug to look forward to the future, but the pull of remembering what was in the past.

(play the song)

That song captures it perfectly. An adult singing a song from childhood, describing the confusions of growth and change, while the music brings the past and present together.

Hold that thought—that sense of tension between past and future—because we are going to circle back to this.

Mary’s Dilemma and Act of Faith

Now, I want to shift our focus to the song of Mary, the Magnificat, the Latin word that literally means magnifies. Like the character in the song, Mary was also in a place of radical change.

She was likely only 13–15 years old, betrothed to Joseph, when Gabriel delivered the news. It was incredibly scandalous to be pregnant before marriage. She knew the cultural and societal consequences that could happen to her.

In her urgency, her haste as it says in verse 39, she leaves quickly to find Elizabeth. I don’t believe she was doubting; I think her leaving was a display of faith. She believed God was doing these things, and she needed to confirm the promise. If true, her life would never be the same.

The Holy Spirit’s Confirmation (Luke 1:40–45)

Mary enters the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth—practically unannounced, bypassing the usual customs. And that makes what happens next even more intense.

Instead of Elizabeth being taken aback by the social disruption, she recognizes something much bigger is at play. In the moment she greets Mary, the Holy Spirit reveals something that transcends any social expectation. Elizabeth declares:

(Luke 1:42-45 ESV) “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

And this is where we finally get to see Mary recognize and express the incredible thing that God has done, not just for her, but for the nation of Israel.

The Song of Mary: A Soul Saturated with Scripture

This leads to Mary’s Song, the Magnificat.

Verses 46–50: A recognition of God’s graciousness to her.
Verses 51–55: A celebration of God’s mercy toward Israel.

The thing that should truly impress us about Mary’s song is how deeply biblical it is. She is not inventing a new language. What comes out of her mouth is Scripture. She sings and gives praise the way people of God have always sung and given praise. Mary’s song is the outpouring of a soul saturated with Scripture.

When something good in your life happens, what is your response?

For Mary, she was invited to be part of the second greatest miracle to ever happen (the birth of Jesus). The words that come out of her mouth masterfully communicate:

The faithfulness of God in the past (His provision over Israel).
The faithfulness of God in the present (the grace bestowed upon her).
The faithfulness of God in the future (His promise fulfilled).

When God does something good in your life, let it turn your heart toward His faithfulness, not just to you, but across the whole story of Scripture.

“The effect of this presentation of divine activity is to underscore the decisive work of God, dramatically in operation, and unmistakably in control of human affairs, as the advent of God’s peaceful, just Kingdom is realized.” (Joel Green)

In this moment, we get to see a glimmer of hope: God is the one moving this thing forward. Every detail is soaked in the activity of God. This isn’t just some personal miracle; she is standing in the middle of God’s greater plan to bring His Kingdom, His peace into the world.

Contrasts and Reversals: God and the Humble

Mary starts this beautiful Magnificat in verses 46–47:

Mary says, “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

What Mary is doing here is echoing the words that Hannah prayed in 1 Samuel 2:1. Both women find themselves caught up in impossible situations—Hannah with barrenness, Mary with a miraculous pregnancy. Both are lowly, overlooked women whom God suddenly lifts into the center of His redemptive story.

In verses 48–49 we see a wonderful contrast on display. We see a mighty God who has looked on a humble servant and elevated her status.

This is the pattern of God throughout Scripture: the high and holy One bending low to lift up the humble.

Mary is not praising herself; she is praising God who takes ordinary, often overlooked people and displays His glory through their lives from generation to generation.

Then, in verses 51–55, we grab our telescope and look at the greater story of what God has done through Israel. There are three phrases that stand out:

Scatters the proud (v. 51)
Brings down the powerful (v. 52)
Sends the rich away empty (v. 53)

Here is the truth: In Jesus, God overturns the values of this world—bringing down what is proud and powerful, and lifting up those who humbly depend on Him. And in doing so, He ushers in the peace His kingdom was always meant to bring.

Pride vs. Peace

Mary, as a Hebrew teenage girl, recognizes something so many of us often overlook. She sees, even in her lowliness, that God has stepped into her story in a way that redefines everything.

In our own quest for personal gain, we so often miss what is most important. Our desire for accolades, our fixation to accumulate wealth, and the pride of our opinions—whatever that thing is that’s got you trapped in a self-destructive cycle… where there is pride there can be no peace.

The reality is that God uses the least qualified person (Mary) to represent Him. The moment you stand tall in who you are and what you’ve done, God will humble you. In order to find peace in God and be at peace with God, we must lay down our self-righteousness, our ego and our pride.

God doesn’t just tear down, he also builds up. In these same verses we read of a God who fills the hungry, lifts the lowly, and meets people in their need.

Peace is not found in the lives of those who cling to their own strength, but in those who come to Him open-handed. Mary gives us a picture of the kingdom Jesus will bring:

A kingdom where God confronts everything that destroys peace and restores everything that leads to it.
A kingdom where the humble are welcomed, the hungry are fed, the overlooked are seen.

When Mary sings, she is announcing not just reversal, but restoration. Not just justice, but peace. Through Jesus, God is stepping into human history in a decisive way, establishing a kingdom where peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God making all things right.

Conclusion: The Tension Resolved

Do you remember how we started today? We talked about nostalgia, about how a song can bring the past and present together in a way that hits the heart.

In a very real way, that is exactly what Mary’s Magnificat does for us.

She is singing a song that is rooted in the past (Hannah’s song, the Psalms).
She is singing in the present (God doing something unexpected in her life).
She is singing about the future (the world being turned right-side up by the child she is carrying).

Past, present, future… all held together in one song of praise.

God meets us in that same tension—that pull between remembering what once was and stepping into what is ahead. And He speaks peace into all of it.

Mary’s song reminds us that God has been faithful before, He is faithful right now, and He will be faithful in what’s ahead.

As we step deeper into this Christmas season, may we be a people who respond like Mary. When God does something good in our lives, may our first instinct not be to cling to the past or rush into the future, but to pause… and let our souls magnify the Lord.

The same God who was faithful in your childhood, the same God who is working in your life right now, is the God who holds every tomorrow.

I know there are many of us who struggle with pride. I think so many of us deal with a prideful heart because we want to be important. But can I tell you the truth, you are already important. You already matter and you are already loved. Stop trying to prove it. The greatest cause for celebration, the whole reason for Mary worshipping, is recognizing how God proved his love for his people time and time again.

Church, we have a reason to dance. We have a reason to sing. In this whole advent season we get to wait in glorious expectation for our God who entered our world to save us.

Advent Week 3: Luke 2:1-7

Introduction to Luke

Bible Project-

I really love the way the bible project shows us a visual commentary/overview of different books of the bible. I want to share this wonderful video with you and then tear into it a bit together by way of introduction.

My teaching style

Here is the way I’m going to walk you through this book. I want to teach you the bible. That’s my heart. I want you to know your bible so well. One of my most cherished verses in the bible is what Pastor Rusty shared with us and over me last week. It’s found in

Joshua 1:8

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Sometimes in sermon writing, us pastors can get excited about a word or a point and it’s not the main word or point. So I’d like to teach you the bible first and foremost. And then I’d like to, by way of application, preach the word. I’d like to show you a few words and points that we can take with us afterwards into our everyday life. This will be my most common approach to this book. It’s the only way that I feel that we can do it justice. So you may find me saying write this down, or highlight this in your bible, etc. I’m not certain of what tools you bring with you to church. I, most times, will bring my iPad and a paper bible. I don’t hand write my notes anymore because my writing looks like Egyptian hieroglyphics. But I take notes on my iPad and sometimes I even just read my bible from my iPad because I’ve got 3 kids and don’t have enough hands to carry all the things I want to carry. I’m old school in the sense that I still prefer a paper bible, but man does crossway’s ESV and Youversion ever have a good bible app, amen? I’m not concerned with which bible you have, digital or hard copy, just that you have one and a way to take notes in some way. Not because I think I’m anything special that you need to take notes, but I believe in the work of the Holy Spirit in my life and in your life and that we should take note of where the Spirit leads us in understanding His word together; Are you with me?

Paul on Trial:

I’m going to take you on a journey with me to understand why our beloved Luke writes both Luke and Acts. See, Luke, as we have learned, is a gentile doctor. Luke is a brilliant man who loves Jesus and I believe that this happens to every Christian at some point: You stop, and look at your life, and you say, “God, how do I use all that I am for your glory?” So Luke uses his writing skills, his research skills, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, He writes some of the greatest literature known to human history. But Why? Here is the greatest theory, and I believe in it wholeheartedly and will show you from the scriptures why I believe in it.

Put your mind in the bible with me for a second; at the very end of the book of Acts. Paul is awaiting trial, not just for his life but for the sake of the gospel. The gospel is on trial, Jesus is on trial. Are you with me? Paul is in need of a document that can comprehensively share what it is that he believes and what has happened, accurately, from the moment Jesus is born, to the very moment he is awaiting trial. I believe, for such a time as this, that Doctor Luke is given a God ordained opportunity to use all that he is for the kingdom of God and writes a profound account of the life, teachings, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus who is the Christ and the birthing of the Church in all of her glory. Therefore, the Gospel of Luke, and Acts, becomes a 2 part Testimony and court document that will display Jesus and His good news for the world to see, amen? Now with that Lengthy introduction, Let’s partake of the Gospel of Luke together.

The first four verses of Luke’s gospel are one sentence in the original Greek. They are written in refined, academic, classical style. But then, for the rest of the gospel, Luke didn’t use the language of scholars but of the common man. Through this, Luke says to us, “This account has all the proper academic and scholarly credentials, use it. But it is written for common people like you and me to understand.” Luke wrote so that people would understand Jesus, not so they would admire his brain and literary skill. This is a key concept for you and I when we evangelize or share the good news, isn’t it? Would you give them Jesus? That’s what they need. Don’t share how great your brain and skills are, they don’t need that, it won’t get them into right relationship with Jesus. Give them Jesus and let his Spirit do the work, amen?

Verse by Verse teaching:

Many have taken in hand: Luke wrote his gospel knowing that many had already written histories of the life of Jesus. This may be a reference to the works of Mark and Matthew (most people think John was written after Luke), and it may also refer to other biographies of Jesus not directly inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Those things which have been fulfilled among us: The previously mentioned writings contain things already commonly known and believed among Christians of Luke’s day. When Luke wrote, most Christians already knew all about the life of Jesus, both from the oral accounts passed on by the original disciples, and by the biographies that had already been written.

With the word us, Luke put himself in the community of Christians who believed and received the accounts of Jesus’ life. Luke was a companion of Paul (Acts 16:10-11; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 1:24) and Paul called him the beloved physician (Colossians 4:14). Luke was a doctor and therefore a man of science and research, and this is reflected in his history of the life of Jesus.
ii. By every indication, Luke was a Gentile. Colossians 4:10-11 and 4:14 show that he wasn’t Jewish, because he was not included in the group who are of the circumcision. This makes Luke unique in that he is the only New Testament writer who was a Gentile.
iii. God gave this lone Gentile writer a great privilege. Because he also wrote the book of Acts (which makes up the second volume of this Gospel), Luke wrote more of the New Testament than any other human writer did (assuming that Paul did not author the letter to the Hebrews).

Main Point 1: “US”

Do you know how powerful this word is to the church? We, us. Hey, in a world fixated on pronouns right now friends, I want you to know Church pronouns. We/us. These are our pronouns. Are you hurting? Are you sick? Do you need a people to rally with you and for you? Someone to share the load, someone to do life with. A people who love fiercely, who rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Well, that is who WE are. This is a loose translation of Jesus’ words but it’s written in a way that really ministers to my heart. If you need Jesus right now, would you hear the words of the lover of your soul right now:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

This is why our pronouns matter. There’s no I or me in church. We are people that’s others focused. If you want to get technical about your letters, like when they say there’s no I in team, well there’s no I in Church. But there is a U in church. You belong in this church. And if you haven’t felt that in awhile or you never knew that, and you are here today or online, know that this church is here for you. Arms open wide like the arms of your heavenly father saying come. Be with us. You are a part of our we and us. You’re probably thinking how could you possibly know that? You are so brand new to this church. Yeah, that’s true. But I know this church to be a tangible source of the love of Jesus in my life. Through every meal, every jar of honey, every sip of elderberry syrup, every prayer, every present under our christmas tree that I didn’t deserve, the way you’ve loved and accepted my boys and my wife, the way you’ve accepted me. Yet I know the love of God. and I know the love of God because of Friends Church.

Those who from the beginning were undoubtedly the apostles, who were with Jesus from the very start. But those who from the beginning would also include people such as Mary herself, whom Luke probably interviewed in his research for this history of the life of Jesus.

It seemed good to me also: Luke was not one of those who was an eyewitness of events from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Yet he put himself in the same line as others who wrote their accounts of Jesus’ life from first-hand experience (such as Matthew and Mark), because his account was based on diligent research and a perfect understanding of events.

To write to you an orderly account: Having already read Matthew and Mark’s account, Luke wanted to give a third account with an emphasis on comprehensiveness and order. Therefore, Luke is the most comprehensive gospel. He documents the story of Jesus’ all the way from the annunciation of John the Baptist to Jesus’ ascension.

Luke is the most universal gospel. In Luke, Gentiles are often put in a favorable light- I think this might also be a form of flattery as a trial document for a gentile court who’s reading it.
Luke’s gospel is the one most interested in the roles of women, children, and social outcasts. We’ll dig into these things as the book leads us there.
The gospel of Luke is the one most interested in prayer. He has seven different references to Jesus praying that are found in this gospel alone.
Luke’s gospel is the one with the most emphasis on the Holy Spirit and on joy.
Luke’s gospel is the one with the most emphasis on preaching the good news (the gospel). This term is used ten times in this Gospel (and only once in any other Gospel) as well as fifteen additional times in Acts.

Most excellent Theophilus: Luke addressed his gospel to a man named Theophilus, but it was also written with a wider audience in mind. By his title (most excellent), we gather that Theophilus was probably a Roman government official. The fact is that we really do not know who Theophilus was, which is why there are several different theories as to who he might be. No matter how much evidence there may or may not be for each theory, the simple fact is we do not know who Theophilus was because the Bible does not identify who he was. And this leads me to a point of concern as we approach our bible as a whole, please write this one down for our learning together: Where the bible speaks, I am to speak. Amen? In its reciprocal form, which is just as trustworthy and true for us today: Where the bible is silent, we must remain silent.

The name “Theophilus” literally means “loved by God,” but carries the idea of “friend of God.”

Main Point 2: Theophilus- This Gospel is for you

This leads us to our second main point. You are theophilus. Yes, of course I believe that Luke was writing this to a man named Theophilus who was probably a Roman official for Paul’s trial, but I don’t believe God makes mistakes or that “coincidentally” the guy’s name means loved by God or friend of God. God chose and elected that very man to be on that trial. And God chose that name Theophilus for a dual purpose: the man’s name, and so that when it would be read for all of eternity as the word of God, we would be reminded that the gospel is for us! It’s for me. It’s for you. It’s for those who are loved by God, those who are the friends of God. If you are here today, friend, the gospel is for you. God wanted you to be here, and it has a dual purpose as well: You are here to hear the gospel, and you are here to respond to the gospel. We hear God’s word, and by faith, we respond to God’s word amen? This has been specifically and corporately addressed to each and every one of us and I take great joy in that.

We are going to close with this final verse and our final point together where Luke writes his why: Here is his why, why is he writing this at all?

Luke 1:4 “So that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.”

Isn’t that powerful? I want to have certainty about the things of God, don’t you? I want to know that God is with me and I want to live my life with certainty that this God cares for me. Luke is going to lay out the life and ministry of Jesus to us and I want to know that this same Jesus said and meant those things to me also. I need that in my life. You need that in your life. So by way of introduction, welcome to the book of Luke.

Advent Week 4: Luke 2: 8-20