Jim Gallagher

Luke 3:8
“We have Abraham as our father.’”

John the Baptist had a thriving ministry. We read that multitudes, or large gatherings of people, came out to hear him preach. We read that this crowd was made up of a cross section of society. There were religious people, tax collectors, and soldiers, as well as what we might call the everyday man; all of whom had come out to hear John speak.

Crowds formed the same way then as they do today. One man tells another, who tells another, and pretty soon a multitude forms. We are not told who the first people were to hear John speak, but we can imagine the message they declared to their friends, “You gotta come hear this guy speak. I listened to him, was baptized and my life has was changed.” One after another, they gathered to hear John. His message was very simple; Jesus is coming and we need to be ready. To get ready required a public declaration that they were sinners in need of a savior. Many responded by walking into the water with John to be baptized.

Not everyone who heard was jumping at the chance to respond. Some said, “I have Abraham as my father.” This essentially meant that they thought they did not need a savior. The same is true today. When a person truly meets the Lord he has a message that he cannot contain. He finds himself telling everyone he knows and inviting them to come hear the message for themselves. The problem is, although we are all equally in need of a savior, some attempt to satisfy that need with religion.

They might say “I don’t need Christ because I…”

* go to church

* was born in America

* was baptized as a baby

* am a good person

* give to charity

The list goes on and on; to which John says, ” do not even begin to say…” Those things will not save you from the righteous judgment of God. Ask yourself, do you trust in Christ for salvation? Have you made a public decision for Christ, declaring your need for Him? Or are you trusting in something else that is keeping you from full surrender to Christ?

Pastor Jim

Questions for Luke 3

1. When the word of the Lord came to John, what did he do?
2. What is required for the remission of sin?
3. Take some time now and pray, repent of your sins, and then read 1John1:9.
4. Isaiah prophesied that all flesh shall see the salvation of God. In what ways have you seen the salvation of God?
5. Verse 16 we read another reference to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Ask the Spirit to fill you right now.
6. Jesus will gather the wheat into His barn. What happens to the chaff?
7. Who did John rebuke?
8. What happened to John because of this rebuke?
9. Verses 23-38 records a genealogy of Jesus. Do you recognize any names in this genealogy?

Old Testament:
Leviticus 4- Oops
Leviticus 5- Restitution