Luke 3:23-38 - A QUESTION OF IDENTITY: Identity Established

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If you have Bibles, you'll open them to Luke as we continue our study.

Will came in to my office weeks ago and asked me if I wanted to preach on this text.

And I think the reason he asked is that he didn't want to pronounce all these names.

Well, I'm not going to either.

Because, one, I don't want this just to be a time where you're impressed with my pronunciation.

But also, you wouldn't know if I'm butchering them or not.

So, what we're going to do, I'm going to read down through verse 23.

And then skip down to verse 34.

And take up reading there.

So, here now, God's inspired word of truth.

Now, when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized.

And was praying, the heavens were opened.

And the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.

And a voice came from heaven.

You are my beloved son.

With you, I am well pleased.

And Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about 30 years of age.

And now skip on down to verse 34.

Where it says,

The son of Eber, the son of Canaan, the son of Arphakad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalel.

The son of Canaan, the son of Enoch, the son of Enoch, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

Let me pray for us as we approach this study.

Father, even in these places of Scripture where we think, you know, we just kind of skip over them.

There's nothing here.

Yet, you've given them to us for our benefit, our profit.

But there is so much here.

Father, would you, in the power of your Spirit, work through the foolishness of this man and speak to us in a way only your Spirit can.

Come and lead us not just to a knowledge of truth, but cause this truth to be planted deep within our souls.

That we might be transformed more and more into that likeness of our Savior, our Lord Jesus.

We pray in His name.

Amen.

You know, there is a lot of interest today in genealogies.

I mean, it's fascinating stuff.

There's been a program on public TV called Finding Your Roots.

Have any of y'all ever seen that?

I mean, this is great.

They take these well-known people, and this guy goes back and searches history all through their family tree,

even to doing genetic testing at the end, and telling them, you know, where all these fascinating places where they've come from.

And it really is a fascinating thing.

Even one of my kids has been very interested in our own family tree, you know, through these years.

And I want to put up a picture here for you.

Oh, no, not that one.

I guess we don't have it.

Anyway, what I was going to show you is I have a picture of my family that was taken back at the end of the 19th century.

Back in the late 1800s.

And, you know, of my great-grandfather, my great-grandfather, and my great-great-grandfather.

And I wish you could see it, but, I mean, it's of interest to me because what that picture tells me is that this is where I came from.

And I think the whole interest that we have in genealogies is that we want to know who we are.

And those genealogies tell us, you know, this is where we came from.

These are our roots.

This is how we have been shaped by all of this.

In fact, I was walking through when my mother was in the hospital a couple years ago having surgery.

And I was caring for her.

I walked down the hall and overheard a conversation in another guest's room.

And there was this old guy talking to, it was a patient, talking to one of the young girls who was caring for him.

And the conversation was going on.

And finally, he just stopped and asked her this question.

He says, who's your daddy?

And what he wanted to know was, her daddy, if he knew who her daddy was, that was going to tell him all kinds of things about her.

Whether she could be trusted or so forth.

So in some ways, when we come to these genealogies in scripture, we also look at them in a similar way.

We can't read these.

And typically, the genealogies, we have two in the New Testament.

We have others in the Old Testament, but we have two in the New Testament.

The beginning of Matthew and here in Luke.

And a lot of times, we just skip over these parts.

But these genealogies tell us something.

And the authors are trying to give us something special.

Something in particular through these genealogies.

We can't read them like we would normally read them.

You know, when I would go look at this picture, I could say, all right, that's my grandfather.

And then his father.

And then his father.

And you see the direct line.

Well, the writers in the Bible don't give us genealogies that way.

They are intentional in what they want to communicate through these genealogies.

Therefore, they're very selective in who they put in there.

And so one of the things you'll discover, if you compare Matthew and Luke,

there's two different sets of names.

Especially in between David and Jesus.

Now, we can't explain why those are different.

I can't tell you more than that.

But we know that the differences in our questions simply come because we don't have enough information.

But these writers are giving us a message.

And Luke is giving us a very specific message.

And one of the ways that Luke differs from his use of genealogy from Matthew is,

Matthew begins with Abraham and moves upward to Jesus in a very methodical, very thematic way.

There's three sets of names.

And he is trying to connect the Messiah, Jesus, as that Messiah who would come from Abraham.

But Luke doesn't do that.

Luke starts with Jesus and goes backwards.

And he doesn't stop when he gets to Abraham.

He goes all the way back to Adam.

And so what is Luke telling us here?

Luke is giving us a picture of Jesus' very first day of ministry.

He has come out of this preparation period, 30 years of growing and maturing.

And today Jesus comes and enters public ministry.

And to do that, Luke is now giving us this genealogy.

Because that genealogy is telling us so much of who this Jesus is.

And also what he has come to do for us.

So as we look at this, there's three things that I'm going to want us to see.

First, this is all about identity.

All of it is about Jesus' identity.

And therefore, it's also about our identity.

So the first thing we see is how Jesus identifies with us.

Secondly, we're going to see how God the Father, really the Holy Trinity, comes and identifies and celebrates with Jesus.

And thirdly, we're going to see what the implications are for us of that.

Look at Luke 3, 21.

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,

the question, we read this and the question comes up, and I've already been asked this question this morning,

why, if Jesus is righteous and pure, and baptism, as you heard last week, was a baptism for repentance of sin,

why does Jesus have to be baptized?

Well, you know, why baptism?

Why is this the very first thing that he does as he enters into his ministry?

Well, Jesus is not being baptized for his sake.

He's being baptized for our sake.

What he's doing, this act of baptism, is his way of saying, I'm with you.

Jesus is entering into this act.

He's getting, he's coming into this baptism to help us and identify with us right where we are.

He's not helping from a distance.

He's not just reaching down from some far place, but he has decided he has come to enter into all of the muck,

all of the mire, all of the filth, all of the pain, all of the hardness, all of the brokenness of this life.

And so, he does not just, again, help from a distance.

He enters into the worst of it.

That is why he comes and is baptized.

He takes upon himself this baptism of repentance.

Because that is what he has come to do.

He's chosen to enter into the very pit of our world.

He experiences it.

He lives it.

He tastes it.

He tastes the oppression, the struggle, and then he owns it.

It is his.

This is why the writer of Hebrews, the passage that we just read a few minutes ago,

towards the end there, he says,

He had to be made like his brothers in every respect so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

And this is an incredible thing.

And I think we miss the significance of this.

The Holy One of Israel, the righteous one, the righteous God, identifies with us.

He comes from his holy throne to us, into the muck and mire where we live.

And he identifies with us.

He takes on that identity.

He makes it his own.

And he doesn't just say from a distance, you know, I know.

But he does tell us, I know.

I've been there.

I'm there with you.

And so in that, he can help.

But we don't have a Savior who calls us to something, someplace where he's never been.

He is a Savior who has gone before us.

He is a Savior who has tasted everything.

He is a Savior who has been tempted in everything, which we'll see more of next week.

But he's been there and identifies with us.

But also in addition,

and this is the critical part,

by identifying with us,

being baptized

to identify with us,

he's not only owning our fallen state,

but it also means

he's going to be treated

as if

he were us.

Jesus,

in effect,

in his baptism,

is becoming

sin.

He is becoming

the broken,

the fallen.

And because of that,

because he is taking it upon himself

fully,

all of the wrath,

all of the anger,

all of the judgment

that God would pour out

on us

as broken sinners,

it's now going to be poured out on him.

And this is telling us

where he's going.

This is telling us

where the ministry

is taking him.

It's taking him to a place

where he

is going to suffer

the penalties

that our sins deserve.

Because here he's taking them on himself.

Secondly,

something else we have here

in this text

is

we get this picture

of the Trinity.

You know,

we don't,

when we study the Scriptures,

the Trinity is one of those

doctrines that's never

explicitly

stated to us,

but we get illusions,

we get pictures of it

all through the Scriptures,

from the Old Testament

up through the New,

and this is one of the most clear

of those pictures.

Because here,

it is,

we're given

this window

to look into

this joyous,

passionate

relationship

that is enjoyed

between the Father,

the Spirit,

and the Son.

You know,

as Jesus

is being baptized,

he comes up

out of the water

and he's praying.

I mean,

he's talking

to the Father.

But here,

he comes up

and the heavens

open.

And from the heavens

descends

a dove,

the Holy Spirit

in a bodily form

of a dove

and alights

on him

and you hear

this voice

from heaven

declaring,

it says,

this is my Son

in whom

I'm well pleased.

And then,

there's only

really one other

place where we see

that the heavens

open and God

speaks like that

and that's

on the Mount

of Transfiguration.

but here,

we're given

this window

into this

glorious union,

this relationship

that exists

between the three.

Now,

let me take a second.

This,

when we talk

about the Trinity,

we're talking

about this,

one of these

huge theological

concepts.

And I think

sometimes we think

it's kind of obscure.

How does it

even affect us?

Yeah,

it's great

for theologians

to talk about,

but

this is,

I think,

at least for me

in these

last few years,

has become

one of the most

dear theological

doctrines

that there is.

One of the things

is that

when you talk

about God

being a God

of love,

that

demands

the existence

of the Trinity.

So let's think

about this.

When Islam

talks about God,

they do

talk about

God is

a God

of love,

but they also

talk about

God is just

one.

There is no

Trinity.

There is just

one who has

existed for

all time

throughout

eternity

as one.

Now,

how does

he know

how to

love?

love?

He's never

had anyone

to love.

It's just

him.

And it's

interesting,

if you look

at the

depictions

that Islam

makes

of this

God,

they're

primarily

not a

God

of love.

Because

a God

who has

existed

alone

for

eternity

would

really

not have

an idea,

have a clue.

what love

is.

But when we

come to the

God of the

Bible,

we have

something very

different.

That God

has existed

for all

time

in

relationship.

Father,

Spirit,

Son.

And it's a

joyous,

passionate

relationship,

and they've

lived in this

love relationship

for eternity.

And therefore,

when we hear

that God

is,

that God

loves,

we can know

it's true

because it's

part of his

essence.

That's part

of all

that he is.

That's part

of what he

has done

for eternity.

Love is

at his

core.

And so,

as we talk

about the

gospel,

that's,

we talk

about a

God of

love.

love.

Because he

has loved

through all

of his

existence.

And so,

in this

scene,

what we're

given is

just a

picture,

a little

bit of a

glimpse of

the relationship

that these

three have.

And the

love and the

passion in

this love,

you see in

the statement

which is

proclaimed

from heaven

about the

Son.

And there

are three

things about

what God

says that

we need to

pay attention

to.

He says,

first,

he says,

this is my

son.

Not a

stranger,

not an

orphan,

but a

son.

I remember,

you know,

I have two

sons,

along with two

daughters,

but I remember,

you know,

when my

oldest son was

born,

and I held

him in my

hand for the

first time,

and I said,

this is my

son.

This is not

some stranger's

kid.

This is a

son who

bears my

name,

is going to

be in this

relationship with

me forever.

There's no

separation here.

There's no

divorce from

being a

son.

He's my

son.

son.

And that

says something

that I

could say

about no

one else.

And so the

father is

declaring to

Jesus that

he is now

the son.

But he

goes beyond

that.

He said,

this is my

beloved

son.

There are

sons,

and then

there are

sons.

And some

of us have

grown up in

relationships maybe

where we

didn't feel

beloved by

our fathers.

You know,

maybe we had

fathers that

were distant,

maybe fathers

that were

difficult.

maybe we

are fathers

that are

distant and

difficult.

You know,

maybe we

weren't wanted.

Maybe

somehow as

sons we

disappointed

them somewhere.

But I know

that in my

growing up as

a son,

there was one

thing that I

wanted more

than anything

else in

life,

and I

wanted my

dad to

communicate to

me and to

say to me

in no

uncertain

terms that

I was not

just his

son,

but I

was beloved.

That I

was of the

highest value

to him.

And I

would have

given anything

to have

heard that.

In fact,

I was,

in a lot of

my years

growing up,

I was just

angry because

I didn't

sense that

from him.

But imagine

the joy

of hearing

your father

saying,

you are my

son,

but you

are my

beloved.

And this

is what the

father declares

of Jesus.

But he goes

even farther.

He said,

this is my

beloved

son

in whom

I am

well

pleased.

We might be

dearly beloved,

we might be

in love by our

fathers, but you

know, down

inside, I think

sometimes we

know we

have not been

the sons that

we should have

been.

I wasn't.

You know, I

know I was,

of all three

of our kids,

I'm sure that

I was the

most difficult

of the three.

I'm sure that

I gave my

dad a lot

of grief,

and I'm sure

that he was

disappointed and

probably ashamed

sometimes of the

decisions that I

made.

They, uh,

because, I mean,

I didn't work

well, I didn't,

you know, sometimes

I talked back

to him.

My choices of

clothing style,

and particularly

in those days,

my hairstyle,

was not so

conducive to

him going to

the country

club and being

proud of his

son.

And so, in

many ways,

I think maybe

we sense a

disappointment,

and especially,

you know, here

thinking of

our Heavenly

Father.

But this is

why hearing

these words

at the end

are so critical,

because I'm

not just a

son.

Jesus is not

just a son.

He is not

just the beloved

son, but he

is the son

that gives

his father

joy.

The father

is pleased

and declares

it to the

world.

son.

And so,

now we

see, and

the spirit

is there

as well,

and so this

is the

relationship

that all

three of

these members

of the

Trinity

have with

one another.

The father

declares that

the son is

the joy of

his heart,

and he

and the

spirit come

to identify

with him

how closely

they are

identified and

connected with

one another.

So now we

come to the

best part,

I think.

The third

way of

identification

has taken

place here

is that

we now

identify

with the

son

and the

father

and the

spirit,

because we

are in

Christ.

See, the

question you

have to ask

here, why

would God

proclaim

audibly,

why would

he descend

visibly and

bodily on

Jesus like

that at

that moment?

Was it for

Jesus'

sake?

sake?

I don't

think so.

I think it

was for

our sake.

If Jesus

has identified

himself so

intimately

with us,

he does

so that

we can

now

identify

with

him.

Jesus

in his

baptism

takes

our

sin,

owns

our

sin,

takes

all of

our

brokenness

and our

fallenness

upon

himself,

identifies

with us,

and then

agrees to

be treated

as if

he were

us.

but then

he does

so

so that

we

can now

be identified

with

him

in all

of the

glory,

all of

the joy,

all of

the love

and all

the pleasure

and we

can be

treated

as if

we were

him.

Let that

sink in a

little bit.

Let me ask

this question.

It's a

question that

I know

that some

of you guys

have heard

because we

talked about

the men's

retreat.

What does

God think

of you?

What does

God think

of you?

Now I

know most

of you have

been through

Sunday

school so

you know

the answer

is God

loves me.

Jesus

loves me.

This I

know.

For the

Bible tells

me so.

Okay.

God loves

you.

But does

he like

you?

When

your name

crosses his

mind,

what's the

expression on

his face?

Is he

grinning from

ear to

ear?

Or is he

just kind

of beating

his head?

When are

they going

to ever

straighten

up?

When are

they ever

going to

get with

the program?

How long

do I have

to wait?

You ever

feel like

you're just

one big

disappointment

to your

Heavenly

Father?

And you

wonder when

the day's

going to

come where

he's going

to say,

okay,

one more

time.

we've

hit a

limit

here.

One

more

time.

I

think

that's

common

because

we

sense

the

brokenness,

we sense

the sin,

we sense

the failure.

And it's

hard for

us to

think

otherwise.

But that's

why this

particular

passage is

so important.

Because

if we're

in Christ,

we know

the answer

to that

question.

God is

ecstatic

because he

says to

us,

you are

my son,

my daughter,

my beloved,

in whom

I am

well

pleased.

How

desperately

we need

to hear

that.

But it's

not just

here.

I want

you to

look at

one other

passage in

Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:17

3,

verse 17,

which I

love.

It says,

the Lord

your God

is in

your midst.

Notice,

he's in

your midst.

He's not

distant.

He's not

far off.

He's right

with you.

love.

He's not

with you.

And that

means he

must like

you because

he wants

to be

with you.

The Lord

your God

is in

your midst,

a mighty

one who

will save.

Now look

what he

says.

He will

rejoice

over you

with gladness.

He will

quiet you

with his

love.

And look

at this

last statement.

He will

exalt

over you

with loud

singing.

He will

exalt

over you

with loud

singing.

Almost

makes us

think God's

charismatic.

He's

ecstatic.

How can

God be

that ecstatic

over us

the way

we are?

Because

if we

believe

we are

in Christ

and what

Christ has

come to do

is to

identify with

us so

fully

that he

would come

to be

treated

as if

he were

us

so that

we

could be

treated

as if

we were

him.

So this

picture of

the Trinity

is glorious

because

Jesus

is taking

me right

into the

middle of

it.

his salvation

is so

great,

so full,

so complete

that I

now

enjoy

the love,

the passion,

the

celebration

of the

Trinity

itself.

I am

the

beloved

son

in whom

he is

well

pleased

all

because

what

Christ

has done

for me.

he has

taken

my sin

so fully

and he

paid the

price.

Now I

can know

his joy.

God

is that

good news?

It's

critical.

This

identity

is critical

for us

because

it affects

everything

and we'll

see more

next week

of how

that

works out.

God

is

to

the

Lord's

table

in many

ways

this is

what we

are doing.

We are

celebrating

the

identity

that we

have in

Christ.

we are

not coming

just to

eat a

little piece

of bread

but we're

coming

to identify

ourselves

with

Christ.

So as

we eat

of the

bread

we drink

of the

cup

we are

feeding

on Christ

and we

are

declaring

that I'm

in

Christ

and I

therefore

can enjoy

all the

benefits

of being

in

Christ.

But it's

also

important

then for

us to

give you

this

warning.

If you're

not in

Christ

or if

you're

living in

such a

state

maybe

unrepentance

or you're

living in

a state

of sin

that you

know

is that

I would

ask you

that as

others

come to

celebrate

if you

would remain

in your

seats

and pray

and ask

the spirit

to come

and bring

you to

that place

of repentance

of turning

to Christ

and owning

for yourself

his sacrifice

so that you

can experience

his great

joy.

Let me

pray for us.

Holy

Father

help us

understand

this new

identity.

Help us

understand

who we

are.

Help us

to comprehend

the depth

of salvation

that has been

granted to us.

Christ

himself

through his

broken body

has taken

all of our

sin.

He has

come and

owned

our place

in this

fallen world

and has

paid the

price.

But he

has so

purified us.

He has

made us

so righteous

that we

now are

the beloved.

We are

the joy

of our

heavenly

father.

father.

And we

can know

all that

pleasure

and love

as the

son.

So as

we eat

and feed

on this

little morsel

of bread

and this

little cup

of juice

make it

a feast

of grace

and feed

our hearts

so there's

no more

hunger.

And we

come

give thanks

to you for

this in

Jesus name.

Amen.

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