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DAVID'S EMAIL BIBLE STUDY:
A.
BACKGROUND...After a summer hiatus we are back, looking at LUKE'S Gospel. Luke was a physician who joined up with St. Paul midway through Paul's career. A Greek convert to Christianity, he brings a Doctor's/Scientist's investigative mind to the story of Jesus. Even before he gets to the main narrative Luke tells his readers that he carefully studied the reports and stories and documents already available in order to get to the truth. Luke's motive is to convince "Theophilus" (Luke 1:3) that Christianity is a worthy, truthful, and important advance of spiritual knowledge. Luke also wrote ACCTS of the Apostles, the story of early Christianity from Pentecost through the missionary travels of St. Paul, about the first 30 years of Christianity.
C. SUMMARY: After explaining why he wrote the book, Luke tells the story of the birth of John the Baptist. John's parents were childless and elderly, and his father Zechariah was a priest at the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The angel Gabriel informs him that his wife, Elizabeth, would have a baby who would grow up to "prepare the way of the Lord" (verse 17). Doubtful, Zechariah is struck dumb 'till the birth. Elizabeth does get pregnant, thanking God for the miracle.
D.
KEY POINTS:
1. DNA, spiritual and blood. The Gospels, including Luke, carefully explain that Jesus is the long-awaited "Messiah/Christ" of the Jewish people. He comes from the bloodline of King David. And in today's scripture, the way of Jesus is prepared by his cousin, John, a direct descendant of Israel's priesthood all the way back to Moses's brother, Aaron. Each time Jesus' life checks off a box (i.e., Palm Sunday, born in Bethlehem, buried in a borrowed grave, whipped and tortured, etc) the argument becomes more persuasive that Jesus is not just another "holy man" or good person, but the true Messiah. Luke goes into depth about the birth of John the Baptist first because it was believed that the Messiah would be preceded by an impressive person whose own ministry would "prepare the way of the Lord". Thus, when John grows up to be "John the Baptist", that work clearly prepares the way for Jesus, fulfills ancient prophecy, and further stamps Jesus as Messiah.
2.
ANGELS. "Angel on my shoulder... voice of an angel... guardian angels... our better angels" are popular phrases about angels. Angels populate the Bible from beginning to end. They primarily bring a message from God designed to prod, push, announce, or warn. In the CHRISTMAS STORY it is an angel who tells Zechariah that his elderly wife will give birth to John the Baptist; who tells Mary about her virgin birth; who tells Mary's husband, Joseph, what is happening and not to be upset; who tells the Shepherds where to find the Holy Family. BUT - what are angels? In brief, angels are supernatural (not of our "natural" order of things) who serve God as needed. They are part of God's ongoing effort to communicate with humanity. God's challenge is the same as any parent's, teacher's, or coach's: how do you effectively get through to someone? We don't communicate with a 5 year old the same as a 15, 25, or 75 year old. Likewise, as humanity "ages" God's efforts change. What one age experience as angels or visions may later be called "inspiration" or "nudges" or "intervention". The faithful see God's hand at work. The skeptical write it off as luck, chance, indigestion. The more the disbelief, the more new ways are found. In today's scripture Zechariah is in the Temple (literally God's house) serving as a priest (literally as God's go-between with humanity), he is in conversation with an angel AND STILL can't believe the angel's message (verses 18-20). So the angel tries another method - he silences Zecheriah for 9 months, a physical proof of their spiritual encounter. We humans always try to explain away God's presence. God is always having to prove that presence.
3.
QUESTION: How open are you to God's "nudge"? How do you experience it, know it, test it? If God needed to get a message to you, what would it take to get through?
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