“Pleasing Dad”
(Luke 3:16-22)
Dr. Richard S. Koole
Chapel Pointe
August 23, 2009
I. Introduction
A. Trying to please your dad
1. Dads can be hard on kids
a. Motivation may be good, but methods hurtful
b. Critical of how they do things
2. Example
a. Looking at dad for approval
3. Often lasts a life time
a. Longing to hear “I’m proud of you son”
4. Some of you are hurting today
a. Feel like you have let your father down
5. The unique relationship between God the Father and God the Son
a. The continuing popularity of “The Shack”
1. Loved or condemned
2. Attempts to explain that unique relationship
b. Much I will never understand
c. But there is one thing about which I am absolutely certain
1. One thing about their relationship
2. The Father was well pleased with his son
6. I’ll show you why in a couple of minutes
II. Review
A. The party at the Jordan
1. The voice crying in the wilderness
*Repent...the Kingdom of heaven is at hand
2. The positive response of the people
B. John warns the Pharisees and Sadducees
1. Called them a “brood of vipers”
2. The ax at the root of the trees (v.10)
*fruitless trees cut off
C. Jesus was now 30 years old (Luke 3:23)
1. The clock about to start ticking on his public ministry
a. Three unprecedented years
2. But first a most important event in front of:
a. John the Baptist
b. The crowds being baptized
c. The larger crowds watching
d. The Pharisees & Sadducees
3. Would accomplish two things
a. Jesus would be declared by God to be the Savior
b. Jesus would publicly declare His willingness to pay for our sins
4. What an incredible day
a. John stood in absolute awe
b. He more than all the rest knew who Jesus really was
c. He would later say (John 1:20-34)
(29) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (30) This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ (31) I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” (32) Then John gave this testimony; “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. (33) I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ (34) I have seen and I testify that he is the Son of God.”
5. Let’s take a look at that great event
III. Text
A. The Question (Luke 3:15)
1. What was going through everybody’s mind?.....v.15
a. Whispers through the crowd
b. What would happen next?
(15) The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.
2. Waiting to see the “moon launch”
a. Sleeping on the beach
b. One million others
c. Growing impatient
3. The Jews had waited a long time
a. For the long promised Messiah
b. Finally some action
1. Multitudes flocking to the Jordan River
2. A man with a magnetic draw
3. Seemed to speak for God
4. Was John the promised one Savior?
(Luke 3:15) The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.
a. Logical conclusion
b. Got people to repent
c. Charismatic power
5. He must have been flattered
a. Hard to let this opportunity go
b. His humble reply
6. One of a number of critical questions in this passage
a. Was John the Messiah?
b. If he wasn’t…who was?
c. Why did John have to baptize Jesus?
d. How did John baptize Jesus?
e. How did God announce that Jesus was the one?
f. Was the Father pleased with his son?
B. The Answer (Luke 3:16-20)
1. Wait till you see the real deal!
a. I’m just a peon compared to him
b. Not worthy to untie his sandals
2. John uses baptism to illustrate the difference (v.16)
(16) John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
a. John
1. With water
2. A symbol of repentance
3. Acknowledging they were sinners
b. Jesus
1. With the Holy Spirit
2. With fire
3. The three-fold baptism
a. John’s water baptism
1. Symbolized repentance
2. The first time the nation had done so
b. Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit
1. Now happens at salvation
2. Source of power
c. Jesus’ baptism of fire
1. Fire represents judgment
2. Examples
3. Sodom and Gomorrah Gen. 19:24
4. Korah’s rebellion Num. 16:35
5. God is called a “consuming fire” Dt. 4:24
6. God’s fury is like fire Lev. 4:4
7. God’s fire shall burn them up Malachi 4:1
8. Hell’s fire Mt. 5:22-24, Mk. 9:43, Lk. 3:17
9. Rev. 20:10 “And the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
10. Rev. 20:15 “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
4. John also explains what Jesus will do (v. 17)
(17 ) His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
a. Separating the wheat from the chaff
1. “His winnowing fork”
2. Smash the wheat
3. Toss it in the wind
4. The chaff is blown away
5. Later it is burned
b. The Pharisees and Sadducees exemplified the chaff!
4. The rest of the sermon (Luke 3:18-20)
(18) And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.
a. How one would pay for their sins
b. Would reconcile them with God
5. Trouble with Herod
(19) But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, (20) Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
a. Already alienated the religious leaders
b. Now he goes after the King
1. He called out his sin
2. Later in Luke
c. Must have been quite a sermon!
d. John’s ministry was very brief but memorable
e. He wouldn’t back down
6. Now God confirms the Messiah
a. The one who could save them from the fires of judgment
C. The Confirmation (Luke 3:21-22)
1. The Sign of Baptism (Luke 3:21)
(21) When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too.
a. Matthew adds some insights
(Matthew 3)
(13) Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. (14) But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (15) Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
b. “Then Jesus came from Galilee” (Matt. 3:13)
1. He was now 30 years old (Luke 3:23)
2. John was 6 months older
*his cousin
3. Jesus came down to the water while the others were being baptized (Luke 3:21)
c. Down “to the Jordan River”
1. About a 60 mile walk
d. Jesus came “to John”
1. John recognized his cousin
*knew he was special
2. But he didn’t know how special
e. John initially refused to baptize Jesus (Matt. 3:14)
1. Jesus didn’t need to “repent” for his sins
*John had never seen his cousin sin!
2. John felt he needed to be baptized by Jesus
f. Jesus told John to baptize him (Matt. 3:15)
1. John submitted to His authority
2. John must have wondered why
a. Note the “emphatic pronouns” in v.14
verse 14..... “And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I have need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”
b. Note the Gettysburg Address
1. “by the people, for the people, of the people”
Theories on why Jesus was baptized...
1. That was when the incarnation occurred
2. That was when Jesus figured out who He was
3. His mother and brothers urged Him to do it
*from the Apocrypha
*the Gospel of Hebrews
4. All are wrong
Why was Jesus baptized?
To identify with sinners
a. “baptizo” means to identify with
1. When we baptize
2. People publicly identifying with Christ
b. Jesus was identifying with sinners
1. Even though he was without sin
2. He was numbered with the transgressor (Isa. 53)
To symbolize His death, burial and resurrection
a. He went down into the water
1. “baptizo”
a. “to cover wholly with a fluid”
b. “to dip as to stain something”
c. (Lk. 16:24)
*”Lazarus dipped his finger”
*”bapto”
2. He went into the water
1. the Ethiopian eunoch of Acts 8:38
2. “because there was much water”
3. “Came up out of the water” (Mt. 3:16)
b. Symbolized his death, burial and resurrection
c. Immersion was the only way until the Middle-Ages
1. Even by Roman Catholics
2. Thomas Aquinas (1274)
In immersion, the setting forth of the burial of Christ is more plainly expressed, in which this manner of baptizing is more commendable.”
3. The Council of Ravenna in 1311 declared sprinkling permissible
4. The Reformers kept the practice
2. The Spirit of God (Luke 3:21b-22a)
(21) When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened (22) and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove…
(Matthew 3)
(16) As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. (17) And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
a. Then the Heavens were opened to Him (Jesus) (Matt. 3:16)
b. Only Jesus saw into heaven
d. An occasional peek
1. Paul in II Cor. 12:2
*the 3rd heaven
2. Rev. 4, 11, & 19
3. Stephan in Acts 7:56
e. The dove.....the Holy Spirit
1. “like” a dove
2. Luke 3:22 “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him.”
f. Why a dove?
1. Characterized peace and gentleness
2. The sacrifices
a. the rich....................a bullock
b. the middle-class.......a lamb
c. the poor....................a dove
g. Confirmed that Jesus was the son of God
1. the “sign”
John 1:29-34
(29) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (30) This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ (31) I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” (32) Then John gave this testimony; “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. (33) I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ (34) I have seen and I testify that he is the Son of God.”
3. The Son of God (Luke 3:22b)
And as he was praying, heaven was opened (22) and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
a. Note the Trinity...
b. The Father attests to the acceptability of Jesus
c. The Father sent Jesus the Holy Spirit for power
1. Even Jesus needed the Holy Spirit
2. We’ll see why next week
d. The crowds must have been frozen in awe
1. The word spread quickly
2. God has spoken
e. Some time later, Andrew ran for his brother Peter
1. (John 1:41) “We’ve found the Messiah!”
IV. Summary
A. What a scene to behold...
1. John down in the water
2. Down walks Jesus
3. Everything stops
4. As Jesus is baptized...
5. The dove descends
6. That thundering voice
a. “This is my son!”
7. The world would never again be the same
8. And all of Hell shuddered
B. Lessons
1. The deity of Christ and the reality of the Trinity
2. The need for the Holy Spirit is emphasized
3. John warns of coming judgment
4. Satan immediately tries to stop Jesus
a. The temptation of Jesus began immediately after this
6. How Satan attempts to side-track you
C. Have you found him?