The Life of Christ Lesson 1 Luke’s Preface/Dedication & John’s Introduction – Luke 1:1-4; John 1:1-18 The Genealogy of Jesus - Matthew 1-17; Luke 3:23-38 Prophecy of Birth of John the Baptist – Luke 1:5-25 Annunciation of the birth of Jesus – Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38 Mary’s visit to Elizabeth – Luke 1:39-56 Birth and early life of John the Baptist – Luke 1:57-80

Luke’s Introduction Luke 1:1-4 “Many” had previously undertaken an effort (who?) to … “Compile an account of the things accomplished among us” – Compile – Put together in order, arrange or compose (Thayer) Account – recital, written narrative; a digest (Strong; Caldwell) Accomplished – “carry through to the end” (Thayer) Why? Consider the needs of Christians (then and now) to have a true and accurate chronicle of our Lord and Savior. As time went on, what was happening to the eyewitnesses?

Luke’s Introduction Luke 1:1-4 What? How? Result? Credible sources (1:2) Thorough investigation (1:3) Result? Exact truth (1:4) – steadfast and firm – certain and stable. (Acts 2:36)

Before Jesus’ Birth John 1:1-4 The timing of Jesus’ identity: “In the beginning …” Genesis 1:1-5 Before created matter Before time – Jude 25 “Before the world was” (John 17:5). Eternal, unchanging (Hebrews 13:8) … Beginning – before all things and the origin of all things Col 1:15-17 And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. The Word - Rev 19:13, “And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God.” With God - 1 John 1:1-3, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life — 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us — 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

Before Jesus’ Birth John 1:1-4 The essence of Jesus identity Jesus “was God” – Not “a god” or “the God” … not of qualities but nature, essence or being. Note verse 3 “My Lord and My God” (John 20:28) Beginning – before all things and the origin of all things Col 1:15-17 And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. The Word - Rev 19:13, “And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God.” With God - 1 John 1:1-3, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life — 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us — 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

Before Jesus’ Birth John 1:1-4 Jesus relationship to God. Jesus was “with God” – distinct yet showing “accompaniment and relationship” (King) Jesus “was God” yet distinct from God. Matthew 28:19; Acts 7:55; 10:38; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 Peter 1:2 Beginning – before all things and the origin of all things Col 1:15-17 And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. The Word - Rev 19:13, “And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God.” With God - 1 John 1:1-3, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life — 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us — 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

Before Jesus’ Birth John 1:1-4 Jesus’ relationship to the world “All things came into being through Him” – “one by one, separate and particular” (Litmer) – agent versus source. (1 Corinthians 8:6; Hebrews 1:2) Came to the world – “dwelt among us” (verse 14) and came as the Light to “enlighten everyone” (cf. verses 4, 5, 9; 1 John 1:7; Colossians 1:12). Beginning – before all things and the origin of all things Col 1:15-17 And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. The Word - Rev 19:13, “And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God.” With God - 1 John 1:1-3, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life — 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us — 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

Before Jesus’ Birth John 1:1-4 Jesus’ relationship to the world Though in the world that was made through Him, the world “did not know Him” (verse 10) In Him was life – something other than simply physical life. (John 5:26 (21-29); 6:27; 10:10; 11:25-26; 20:31; 1 John 5:11-12) – a point of emphasis for John. Beginning – before all things and the origin of all things Col 1:15-17 And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. The Word - Rev 19:13, “And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God.” With God - 1 John 1:1-3, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life — 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us — 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

John 1:1-18 Jesus’ nature … Divine, eternal … (verses 1-5, 10, 15, 18) Colossians 1:15-17 Human, lived in the flesh … (1:10-11, 14, 18) Colossians 2:9, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” The Apostle does not select the adjective for “divine” (theios), found in Acts 17:29 and 2 Peter 1:3, to describe him. He rather chooses the word for God (theos). Moreover, he does not use the article (ho, “the”) to refer to him, since this would have identified him with the Father as the same Person and would have said that all of God was expressed in the Word. On the other hand, by his failing to use the article, John has been taken by some heretical cultists to express (in English translation) the indefinite article, and so to mean that the Word was “a god.” But in the NT definite nouns which precede the verb (as here) are regularly anarthrous (devoid of articles), so there is no such mplication in this passage. Furthermore, the force of this phrase is illustrated perfectly in parallel constructions like that which appears in 1 John 4:16, where the writer says, “God is love” (ho theos agapē estin). God is not “a love”; but, “God is love.” The indefinite article “a” is not assumed by the absence of the definite article “the,” either in Greek or English! (1) He is the image of the invisible God. (a) “IMAGE” - Christ is the visible representation and manifestation of God to created beings; the likeness expressed in this manifestation is involved in the essential relations in the Godhead, and is therefore unique and perfect; "he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father," John 14:9. (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers) (b) This is a “derived likeness” as opposed to other Greek words used for ‘image’ or ‘likeness’. (a) Hebrews 1:3, “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.”