November 20, 3012 God The Weaver

God the Weaver Luke 3:1-6 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar — when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God's salvation.’” LUKE is known as an historian, a man of education, and you can see how he frames John the Baptist’s preaching in the context of historical events in Judah and Israel. He wants his reader, Theophilus (see chapter 1), to know the events he describes are real. Knowing how John’s ministry corresponded to Roman rule, Luke’s friend and many, many gospel readers since then have been able to believe that Luke was, indeed, (Luke 1:3) “carefully investigated everything from the beginning” and he has written an orderly account of what had happened. And what happened? God’s salvation promise to the world takes a giant step forward as John declares the kingdom come. He preaches God is moving mountains of despair to make the way smooth to life. He is straightening the highways for clear paths to salvation. Luke carefully records the Kingdom is about to come. It’s True! God weaves his salvation into history and into your life.