Preparing the way of the Lord. Next Lesson: 28 - THE PROMISE http://www.slideshare.net/lsotorv/28-the-promise (hilite+rightclick+open)

1. The MessengerKNOWING
27

2. - What was God’s promise
to humankind?
Genesis 3:15
- Who was the seed
of the woman?
- Has He come yet?
- What did God reveal to the last prophet
before the years of silence?

3. Malachi 3:1
“Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare
the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek,
will suddenly come to His temple, even the
Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,” Says the LORD of hosts.

4. - Who is coming?
- Who is he announcing?
- Is it the seed?
- Is it God himself?
(before Me)
- Who is the messenger?

5. Luke 1:5-25
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a
certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of
Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her
name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous
before God, walking in all the commandments and
ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no
child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were
both well advanced in years. So it was, that while he
was serving as priest before God in the order of his
division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his
lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple
of the Lord.

6. Luke 1:5-25
And the whole multitude of the people was praying
outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the
Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the
altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was
troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to
him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is
heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and
you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and
gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will
be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither
wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the
Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

7. Luke 1:5-25
And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the
Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit
and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers
to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of
the just, to make ready a people prepared for the
Lord.” And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I
know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well
advanced in years.” And the angel answered and said
to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of
God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these
glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able
to speak until the day these things take place,

8. Luke 1:5-25
because you did not believe my words which will be
fulfilled in their own time.” And the people waited for
Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the
temple. But when he came out, he could not speak to
them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in
the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained
speechless. So it was, as soon as the days of his service
were completed, that he departed to his own house.
Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and
she hid herself five months, saying, “Thus the Lord has
dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to
take away my reproach among people.”

9. - What is the name of the Angel?
- In whose name is he talking?
- What happened to Zacharias for doubting?

10. - What should we learn from him?
- Are there consequences for doubting God?
- Can God lie or deceive us?

11. Luke 1:26-31
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by
God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin
betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the
house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And
having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly
favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you
among women!” But when she saw him, she was
troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of
greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be
afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And
behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth
a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.

12. - What sixth month is the scripture referring to?
- Is it about Elizabeth pregnancy?
- Is it other angel or the same?

13. - What did Mary find before God?
Grace
- How do we please God?
With Faith
- Why did God choose her?
From the house of David

14. - Is God fulfilling His promise?
- How long did it take Him?
4000 years
- Is God in a hurry?

15. Luke 1:32-33
He will be great, and will be called the Son of
the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the
throne of His father David. And He will reign
over the house of Jacob forever, and of His
kingdom there will be no end.”

16. - What does it mean to be great?
- Does it refer to the power given unto him?
- Who is the Highest? Is it God?

17. Isaiah 9:6-7
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder. And
His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of
the increase of His government and peace there will
be no end, upon the throne of David and over His
kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment
and justice from that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

18. - For whom is the promise?
- What was the promise?
A child
- Who were those names given to?
- Can anyone hold all those noble titles?
- Over which throne is He going to reign and for how long?
- Is there a relation with the promise made to David?

19. Luke 1:34-35
Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be,
since I do not know a man?”
And the angel answered and said to her, “The
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of
the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also,
that Holy One who is to be born will be called the
Son of God.

20. - Did Mary doubt by asking?
- How could she become pregnant?
- Who worked in Mary?

21. - The Holy Spirit, the Highest (Father) and the Son of
God are the same who created man in the beginning?
- What are they doing with Mary?

22. - Why they didn’t use a human father?
- Is there anyone without sin?
- How can the child be Holy?

23. - Who is his father?
- Is God fulfilling the promise given to Adam?
Genesis 3:15
- Is this child the seed of God?

24. John 1:1-4
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. He was in the
beginning with God. All things were made through
Him, and without Him nothing was made that was
made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of
men.

25. John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

26. - Who is the word?
- Can we see the word? Can we see the spirit?
- How it was this word becomes flesh?
- Did God take on human form?

27. - From whom do we take
our blood heritage?
- Our fathers?
- Who was Jesus father?
- Why did God choose Mary?
- Wasn’t she born in sin
like everyone else?
- Why is Jesus Holy?

28. Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the
world, and death through sin, and thus death spread
to all men, because all sinned.

29. - Who begets?
- The Woman or man?

30. Luke 1:36-38
Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived
a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for
her who was called barren. For with God nothing will
be impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the
maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to
your word.” And the angel departed from her.

31. - Why did the angel tell Mary about Elizabeth?
- Was he encouraging Mary’s faith?
- How did Mary respond? Did she doubt?
- Had God the right to work in Mary’s life?
- Did Mary subject her will to Gods?

32. Luke 1:57-64
Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be
delivered, and she brought forth a son. When her
neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had
shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her. So
it was, on the eighth day, that they came to
circumcise the child; and they would have called
him by the name of his father, Zacharias. His mother
answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”

33. Luke 1:57-64
But they said to her, “There is no one among your
relatives who is called by this name.” So they made
signs to his father—what he would have him called.
And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying,
“His name is John.” So they all marveled.
Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue
loosed, and he spoke, praising God.

34. - Was the word of the angel fulfilled?
- Is this boy the messenger that God promised 400 years ago?
- What did Zacharias say after this?

35. Luke 1:67-71
Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy
Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited
and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn
of salvation for us in the house of His servant David,
as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who
have been since the world began, that we should be
saved from our enemies and from the hand of all
who hate us,

36. - Was Zacharias speaking for himself?
- Is prophesying speaking the word given by God?

37. Luke 1:72-76
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers and
to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He
swore to our father Abraham: To grant us that we,
being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve Him without fear, in holiness and
righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the
Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord
to prepare His ways,

38. - What was Zacharias talking about?
- Which oath is he referring to?

39. Genesis 22:16-18
“By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because
you have done this thing, and have not withheld
your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you,
and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as
the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on
the seashore; and your descendants shall possess
the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the
nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you
have obeyed My voice.”

40. - Who was the promised seed
that would bless all the nations?
- Who sent John and what for?

41. - Who was he preparing the way to?
God
- Why was a preparation of the way needed?

42. - Is God’s desire for us to repent?
- What is repentance?
- How can I come back to Him?
- Must I agree with God?
- What was the message of the messenger?

43. Luke 1:77-79
To give knowledge of salvation to His people by the
remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of
our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has
visited us; To give light to those who sit in darkness
and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the
way of peace.”

44. - Was Israel looking for salvation or deliverance?
- How did they feel about the Roman occupation
of their land?
- Were they waiting for their Messiah?

45. - Did they understand the meaning of salvation?
- Why God remit our sins?
- Is it not by His tender mercy?
- How was John raised?

46. Luke 1:80
So the child grew and became strong in spirit,
and was in the deserts till the day of his
manifestation to Israel.

47. - How do you live
in the dessert?
- Was he getting
prepared in the spirit
for the task given to him?
~
- How did Joseph take
Mary’s news?

48. Matthew 1:18-19
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows:
After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
before they came together, she was found with
child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband,
being a just man, and not wanting to make her a
public example, was minded to put her away
secretly.

49. - What would we have done in the same circumstances?
- What did Mary deserve according to the law?

50. Deuteronomy 22:13-14
“If any man takes a wife, and goes in to her, and
detests her, and charges her with shameful conduct,
and brings a bad name on her, and says, ‘I took this
woman, and when I came to her I found she was not a
virgin,’

51. Deuteronomy 22:20-21
“But if the thing is true, and evidences of virginity are
not found for the young woman, then they shall bring
out the young woman to the door of her father’s
house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death
with stones, because she has done a disgraceful thing
in Israel, to play the harlot in her father’s house. So you
shall put away the evil from among you.

52. In light of the law,
- What do we observe in Joseph?
- Did he love her?
- Was he a good man?

53. Mark 10:17-18
Now as He was going out on the road, one came
running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good
Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No
one is good but One, that is, God.

54. - Why was Joseph a just man?
- Did he believe God?

55. Romans 4:1-5
What then shall we say that Abraham our father has
found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was
justified by works, he has something to boast about,
but not before God. For what does the Scripture say?
“Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him
for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages
are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who
does not work but believes on Him who justifies the
ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.

56. - Was Joseph one who
believes God?
- What did Abraham
believe in?
- Was it the seed
promised by God?
- Who justifies the sinners?
- Is it by works or faith?

57. Matthew 1:20-25
But while he thought about these things, behold, an
angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying,
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you
Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of
the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you
shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people
from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the
prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child,
and bear a Son, and they shall call His name
Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

58. Matthew 1:20-25
Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the
angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his
wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth
her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

59. - What was Joseph thinking?
- Did he know?
- Was he aware of the promise?
- How did God communicate with him?
- Through a dream?

60. - Did Joseph doubt Mary’s story?
- Could he be worthy to be the stepfather of the Messiah?
- Who was this child?

61. Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son,
and shall call His name Immanuel.

62. - What is the meaning of this name? God with us
- What is the relation with the tabernacle?
and shall
call His
name

63. - What is the meaning of the name Jesus?
Savior
- How many Titles bear this child?
Wonderful,
Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace

64. - Did Joseph believe the angel?
- What did he do when he wake up?
- Is obedience a sign of belief?

65. WHAT DID WE LEARN TODAY?
- God announces the fulfillment of His promise to Adam
through the Angel Gabriel.
- To an old and barren woman was born the most important
prophet: John the Baptist.
- There is consequences in doubting the Word of God.
- God’s desire for us is to receive His provision of love
so that we might be saved from the coming judgment.
- Faith is required to believe Him and to receive
the gift of His Grace.
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66. The
Promise
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