June 16, 2009
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Luke by Pastor Nishida - Luke 1-3
Luke 1
12/16/2007
Luke 1:1-4 The message from the introduction was about the Greek word for those used to communicated the Word of God. It is the word for galley slave, an unseen fellow who worked the oars in a ship. Those who contributed to the compilation of Luke's gospel were not particularly interested in standing out or having their names remembered, but rather in the advancement of the Word.
12/30/2007
Luke 1:5-25 Zacharias and his wife were old, so he had trouble believing when he was told by an angel that he would have a son. The angel struck him dumb as a sign to help him believe. God has sense of humor, perhaps. If ya can't say something good, don't say nuthin' at all. God's prophecies always come to pass in time. Ah, the element of time is where we struggle. We must actively decide to wait for God's answers, even moment by moment, because they will certainly come.
1/13/2008
Luke 1:26-38 (Part 1) This lesson compared the reactions of Zacharias and Mary to the message of the angels that came to each of them to announce that they would have sons. Historically Zacharias has been viewed negatively because he had trouble believing and asked the angel for a sign, which he received in that he was unable to talk until his son John was born. We see in the Bible that others have asked for signs and were not criticized, so asking for a sign may not be a bad thing. Mary's reaction to the angel's words have been viewed as positive in that she asked how she could cooperate to bring about something that seemed impossible. The essential point here, however, is not the reaction of these two people to the angel's words. It is God's sovereignty in choosing these two individuals to be a part of His eternal plan to bring salvation into the world. He did not ask their permission, but rather told them what was going to happen. It had nothing to do with the quality of their faith, but everything to do with God's zeal and sovereign to accomplish His eternal purposes. See Isaiah 9:6-7 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he 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...The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this."
1/27/2008
Luke 1:26-38 (Part 2) The words of the angel Gabriel to Mary were examined. She was told what to name the child that she would have and who He would be. He would be great, the same expression used in Psalm 135:5, which refers to the greatness of God Himself. He would be the "Son of the Highest," son of the only God. He would be given David's throne, the one promised to the Messiah in II Samuel 7. The child to be born would be the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14, and his name would be called Immanuel, that is God with us. David and Mary had both been told that "God was with" them. We are told so, too. In Matthew 1:18-25 Joseph is told that Immanuel will happen with this child. In Matthew 18:19-22 we are promised that Jesus will "be with us" if two or three are gathered in His Name. In Matthew 28:20 Jesus promises to be "with us" to the very end, even the end of the world. Is this not something to be joyful about? If we do not have joy, is means that we are immature spiritually and do not really understand all of the riches of the Immanuel Principle.
2/3/2008
Luke 1:26-38 (Part 3)
Mary asks how it can be possible for her to cooperate with God's plan when she has no husband yet. Gabriel assures her that if God has said that it will happen, that it will absolutely happen. Mary responds by declaring that she is available as a vessel for God's use so that the words and promises of God may be fulfilled. Compare Isaiah's attitude in Isaiah 6, when God asks who will go for him, and Isaiah says, "Here I am, send me." Compare the attitude of Moses, which was not so good. Moses said, "God, I can't do this, send someone else." Even if he was an unwilling vessel, he was a vessel that was used nevertheless. God was with Mary and with Moses and used them both because His presence was with them. It is not our own strength that matters, but the fact that God has promised to be with us to work out His sovereign plans. At the end of Matthew, Christ promised to be present with all believers until the end of the world.
2/10/2008
Luke 1:39-56 (Part 1) This deals with Elizabeth's words to Mary. The contents of the angel's message that she would have a son and that her son would be God and the promised Messiah must have been difficult for Mary to accept, and Elizabeth's pregnancy would be a sign of confirmation. Mary went to see Elizabeth "with haste." When Elizabeth met Mary, she declared Mary as the mother of her Lord, that is, she actually made a confession of faith in Christ as God and Messiah before He was born. John, the child that she was carrying also moved within her and through the Holy Spirit also bore witness. Isaiah 55:8-11 declares that God's Word does not return to Him void. This is true in general, but in the context of Isaiah 55:3-5 God's Word there is a prophecy that all nations would come to Jesus the Messiah, and that God promised an everlasting kingdom through His work. Have we made a confession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, as Elizabeth did? If we have, then we also receive the blessing.
2/24/2008
Luke 1:39-56 (Part 2) Next deals with the Magnificat, the song that Mary sung in praise to God. How do we "magnify the Lord?" It is very easy to magnify ourselves and think that we can impress God and manipulate Him into moving on our behalf by our service, giving, Bible study and other activities done in an effort to "improve the quality of our faith." It is also easy to magnify ourselves by dwelling on the the attention that we receive from others. We may also magnify something else in God's place, another person, or another organization to which we mistakenly give priority. What does it really mean to "rejoice in God my Savior?" This is a rare expression, and is found in Nehemiah 8:10, where we are told that the "joy of the Lord" is our strength. Romans 5:1-11 also gives us an important clue to the meaning. It is not that we feel happy when God answers a prayer the way we planned or desired. When we truly understand and believe all that God did for us in the saving work of Christ on the cross (His work, His plan, His salvation), we truly rejoice in the fact that God IS, and he has already done everything necessary for our salvation before we understood or believed in it.
3/2/2008
Luke 1:39-56 (Part 3) The first reason that Mary rejoiced was in "God her Savior." Her second reason for rejoicing was for the great things that God had done and would do. The birth of the child that she would carry would be an even greater event than the salvation God demonstrated in the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. Hosea 11 tells us that Israel had been unfaithful and thus violated God's holiness. This stirred God's heart to judgement, but we read that God's heart was also stirred towards mercy. His Holiness recoils from the filthiness of idolatry, but He reminds us that "He is God and not man." The holiness that humans imagine results in the destruction of the offender. God's holiness is expressed in the fact that He also is faithful to keep his covenants. For God to break a covenant, He would have to offend His own holiness. God had made promises to Abraham and David, and both of these promises would be fulfilled in Jesus. Gentiles who had been outside of the promise would also become true sons of Abraham in a new covenant that would come through Christ.
3/16/2008
Luke 1:57-66 This passage is quite straightforward and is concerned with the birth and naming of John the Baptist. John's father Zacharias had been rendered unable to speak because he expressed unbelief in the angel's words that he would have a son, "until the day these things are accomplished." What are "these things?" Since Zachariah was able to speak after, in obedience naming his son John against established tradition, this must be the event to which the angel referred. John is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew name Johanan, which means "God is deep in mercy." Zacharias must have had some form of communication with his wife Elizabeth and also with Mary when she visited them for three months. He must have been thinking about all of the events in relation to the Old Testament. and understood that the child that Mary carried was the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham and to David, and that this child was an expression of God's mercy. He understood why his own child must be called John, "God is deep in mercy." Zacharias offered concrete proof of his understanding by his obedience, and his mouth was opened to express the song of praise that had been crystallizing in his mind.
3/30/2008
Luke 1:67-75 Zacharias prophesies about all that must have been on his mind during the time he was struck silent. The first part of his prophecy is about the child that Mary is carrying. He speaks in the "prophetic perfect" tense, as if the events of which he speaks have already happened. Although Zacharias speaks out of his own knowledge, the Holy Spirit is also speaking through him, adding deeper layers to his words. Zacharias shows that he understands the words that the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary, and that the child Mary would bear was the One that God had promised. He praises God for the salvation provided to Israel (and to all sinners). God remembers the promise that He made to Abraham, and just as he saved the nation of Israel out of the land of Egypt, he will also save us, who are prisoners of Satan's kingdom out of our slavery for the purpose of creating a new spiritual Israel that will worship Him in holiness and righteousness.
4/6/2008
Luke 1:76-80 Zecharias next speaks about his own son, John the Baptist, who would prepare the way for Jesus by telling people about salvation through the forgiveness of sins. John would work for Jesus in fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3-5. This was not to be a salvation that would solve all of one's financial, physical, situational or political problems. Man is not to live by bread alone, but according to the words of God. It would be a salvation of peace with God through the forgiveness of sins. John 10:22-29 tells us that Christ's sheep know his voice. Because of God's tender mercy, they are able to recognize and accept the salvation offered to them, and are enabled to believe through God's providential and sovereign Holy Spirit. They are given understanding that they are living in darkness, and realize that they are now given light to see the right path, and will follow on that path after their shepherd, Jesus. As Christians, we are in a way called to do a similar work to John in preparing the path for others. But we must also remember that it is actually God's work done in His own sovereign manner. As in Acts 18:1-11, we are called to speak without fear because God Himself is behind us to do the real work.
Luke 2
4/13/2008
Luke 2:1-7 We finished the "birth of John the Baptist" story, and now turn to the birth of Jesus. The two men mentioned here, Augustus and Quirinius were actual historical figures. According to the text, it would appear that contrary to tradition Mary and Joseph actually had a place to stay and were not desperately running from door to door only to be sent back out into the street by nasty innkeepers. It may have been that they were staying in a temporary kind of shelter, just as people in Japan use school gymnasiums to stay in after a natural disaster or an evacuation. There would have been no privacy, so it may be that Joseph and Mary voluntarily retreated to an attached room in the structure while Mary gave birth. Pastor Nishida said he was sorry if that ruined our impression of the Christmas story. Augustus had declared himself "savior of the world." The point that Luke will be emphasizing is that Jesus is the Savior of the world and not Augustus.
4/20/2008
Luke 2:8-20 (Part 1) Here we have the angels announcing Christ's birth to the shepherds, and the shepherds went to Bethlehem right away and then spread the message. But were they really qualified to spread such important news? Perhaps they were not the most educated ones around. Would not it have been better to entrust such an important message to the priests or scribes of the day? This message was of much more importance than a mere UFO encounter. They would have needed some kind of basic knowledge. A possible answer to this question can be found in Numbers 28:1-8, which is about the required morning and evening sacrifice of a perfect lamb as a burnt offering. These lambs were needed every day and probably raised outside Jerusalem. It may have been that these very shepherds were involved in raising these perfect lambs, which was all the more reason for them to be watching over them at night. They must also have had some contact with the priests who sacrificed these lambs. They knew what sacrifices were all about. They did understand the message that the Lamb of God had finally come, and were able to spread it with joy. Our understanding of the message is shown in the joy with which we pass it on.
4/27/2008
Luke 2:8-20 (Part 2) "Glory to God, and on earth, peace, goodwill to men..." God is to be praised in Heaven for sending Christ to be born and bringing salvation to the earth. Grace and peace is directed at undeserving man. It is a declaration of peace between man and God, and man and man. Luke 10:2-4 tells us that we are to pray that God be glorified when we say "hallowed be thy name." Only those who are at peace with God can truly glorify His name. We are also to pray for an increase in the number of those who offer such praise to God. We are also urged to forgive others as we have been forgiven. This is peace between man and man. The Lord's prayer is actually a response to the angel's request.
5/4/2008
Luke 2:8-20 (Part 3) The response of the shepherds to the angels' message was action. The response of the people who heard their message was joy. Let's look at Mary's response. She, rather than marveling, pondered all these things in her heart. From the visit of Gabriel the angel, her visit with Zacharias and Elizabeth to the words of the shepherds, she totally preserved in her memory all that she had heard and experienced. Nothing was forgotten. She must have wondered to herself how all of these events were connected and what they meant. This is the same thing that believers are to do with scripture. We are to read and meditate on it, and listen to what the voice of the Holy Spirit would have us understand. As in Psalm 1:2, we are to keep, to hold, to preserve and to meditate on God's word, and to ponder it all in our hearts.
5/25/2008
Luke 2:21-24 Here we see that the Law was kept in every aspect of Jesus's life, even when he was a baby. There were rituals for the cleansing of the mother after childbirth in Leviticus 12:1-8 and a sacrifice for the firstborn in Exodus 13:1-6. Jesus kept the entire law, but we are unable to do this. See Romans 5:12-22. Adam had a contract with God but broke it and placed himself under the rule of sin. Christ also stood in the place of being in a contact relationship with God, but kept it totally and fully. Under this new contract, a "new Adam," Christ would keep the contract completely and they become the sacrifice for those who couldn't keep it. We may think that Adam's sin has nothing to do with us, but this is also saying that Christ's death has nothing to do with us, either. Because Jesus kept the law in full we are not justified by our imperfect works, but by faith in His perfect righteousness.
6/1/2008
Luke 2:25-39 (Part 1) Simeon had been promised by God that he should not see death before he saw the coming of the Messiah. He took the child Jesus in his arms and began to praise God that he had finally seen the child that would bring the revelation of God and salvation to the world. He was to be the glory of Israel and a revelation to the Gentiles. Where did Simeon get the part about the Gentiles? From Isaiah 42 Jesus would bring a light to the Gentiles and take away their darkness. It is only Jesus that reveals true light to the Gentiles. This type of "special revelation" sounds exclusive, but it is what the Bible says. There are some things that cannot be known simply by what is observed, or "natural revelation." If one were to observe Pastor Nishida, one might assume that his favorite fruit is mikans, because that is what he eats most of the time. However his favorite fruit is actually peaches, but to know that he has to actually reveal it. He has to tell you directly. We can observe many things from the world of nature, but this does not tell us all we need to know about God. This is why he tells us about himself accurately in the Bible and in the person of Jesus Christ.
If one stubbornly persists in believing one's observation over what Pastor Nishida says about his favorite fruit, then one is actually calling Pastor Nishida a liar to say that he prefers peaches over mikans. In the same way, we tend to give priority to our own observations and so-called common sense to what God tells us in the Bible. To truly have our darkness taken away we need to have correct knowledge of God as he reveals Himself in the Bible. We cannot trust or have faith in someone that we do not know. Deepening of faith comes from deepening in the knowledge of God through the reading of His Word. Just as we are pleased when we are understood by another, God is pleased when we understand Him.
6/8/2008
Luke 2:25-39 (Part 2) Joseph and Mary marveled at Simeon's words of blessing, because he says that the Gentiles are to be included in the salvation that the child Jesus would bring. In fact, Simeon's words even contain judgement for Israel. Those who thought they were standing firm in their own works and that they could gain righteousness and salvation by keeping the law would stumble and fall. They would speak against Christ and reject the forgiveness of their sins through His work on the cross. (Isaiah 8:14-15, Romans 9:30-33, Acts 13:38-46) Those who knew that they couldn't keep the law and needed forgiveness would be raised up.
Simeon than prophesies that Mary's heart would be pierced by future events, namely the death of Jesus on the cross for the sins of the world. All this talk of "falling" and "piercing" does not sound like much of a blessing! But the time would come that just as surely as Mary's heart would be pierced to see Jesus die on a cross, it would be blessed when He would rise from the dead. From Mary's eyes the death of Jesus would look like a tragedy, but from the eyes of God it was part of His plan to save sinners eternally. At the annunciation Mary had declared herself God's bondservant. When she did this, she also accepted all of the trials that she would encounter along the path that she had consented to walk.
We will have trials, too, and will have to walk through them, but we are not walking alone. God has promised that His Holy Spirit is always walking with us, and will cause all things to work together for good. All trials will turn out to be blessings. Living the Christian life is learning to see all things from God's viewpoint and to realize that He is always walking with us.
6/15/2008
Luke 2:25-39 (Part 3) Anna is an old widow who devoted her life to worship, prayer and work in the temple. Like Simeon, she also had a message for Mary and Joseph, but it is not really recorded. Could this perhaps be because her words were about the same as Simeon's? It is recorded that she gave thanks to God and then spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption. It is safe to suppose that Anna continued her work in the temple. Could it be that she continued speaking to all about the Christ child for the remainder of her life? Could it be that God gave her new work to do at the age of 84? Anna is an example of the value of older ladies in the church. She is a model of faith and a spiritual mother of faith. She had faithfully believed God's Word all her life, and expressed that belief throughout her life. She believed in a living God who works in history and is not silent.
6/22/2008
Luke 2:40-52 (Part 1)This is about young Jesus in the temple. His family had gone to Jerusalem for the Passover and he had been mistakenly left behind by his parents, who finally found Him sitting with the teachers in the temple. He had placed Himself in a position of learning, and the teachers were amazed at his understanding of spiritual truths. Philippians 2:6-8 and Hebrews 5:7-9 tell us that although Jesus was God, He came to live as a man and went through all of the processes that man must go through. He learned submission, just as we must learn submission. Jesus had wisdom from above. How is this gained? It does not simply fall from Heaven when we pray for it. We must read and meditate on the Bible, and gather to learn about it. Amos 8:13 warns of a famine of God's Word and the sad results of it. We can really see the results of this famine for the Word of God in Japanese society. We need to continue to read, gather to learn about and meditate on God's Word, and to bring others in to learn, too.
7/6/2008
Luke 2:40-52 (Part 2) When Jesus's parents found Him in the temple, they did not understand Him why he had worried them so. Jesus answered them that it was only His natural duty, assignment and responsibility to be involved in His Father's work at the temple. It was his natural place, and as God, where he always should have been. But even so, He returned to Nazareth with his parents and "was subject to them." This was also in keeping with the commandment to honor one's parents, which Jesus kept. His parents did not understand Him or His work, but still he placed Himself under them and served them. He continued this as a life pattern as we can read in Philippians 2. He displayed perfect meekness and humility even as a child. Hebrews 5 tells us that Christ learned about suffering and obedience.
This is an example to us. In Mark 10:35-45 we read that the disciples discussed who would be greatest in the Kingdom of God, and were told that they should strive to be the greatest servants. The disciples did not understand Christ's heart, yet He continued to serve them. Ephesians 5:21 commands us to serve each other, and Galatians 5:13 tells us that we are saved to have the freedom to serve each other. When we place ourselves under those who don't understand us, it is we who gain the understanding of their needs and how best to fill them. This is not something that we can do naturally by our own efforts. We need to be willing to allow God to change us into one "loved by God and man" just as Jesus was.
Luke 3
7/13, 7/20/2008
Luke 3:1-6 John the Baptist came preaching a message of how to avoid the judgment of God. His work was to turn the hearts of the people back to God through being forgiven of their sins by repenting and turning from sin. John's preaching is the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 40:3-5. The literal message was in the context of Israel returning to their land after exile because of their sin. The spiritual message is that there is a way back to God for all sinners from the exile of sin. The road back to Jerusalem was in disrepair and in need of preparation, but Israel returned. Just as this surely happened, God absolutely prepares a way back to Himself for the restoration of the state of "Immanuel" - "God With Us." God cannot be where sin is, so we must all be washed and cleansed of it to be in His presence. We may all be walking different paths, but God prepares a path back to Himself for everyone. The path prepared is the one that John preached about - repentance of and forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. Christ was the final sacrifice for sin. There is no need for any further animal sacrifices to be made. All that is needed to return to God has already been done for us. All we need to do is walk the path that he shows us to come back to him. He will use anything or anyone to show us that path anytime and all the time. You don't have to clean yourself up first, just come and be washed.
8/3/2008
Luke 3:7-9 John the Baptist's coming had been predicted in the Old Testament by the prophets Malachi and Isaiah. John preached a baptism of repentance leading to forgiveness and salvation. Sin, defined as "missing the mark" has two aspects. One is the resulting guilt of the act of lawbreaking itself, and the other is the resulting broken relationship with God. The guilt of sin needs forgiveness and the relationship needs to be restored. John preached that all the people needed to do was to return to God through baptism and that their sins would be forgiven and the relationship restored. This was shocking to the Jews who were used to coming to God through a system of sacrificing animals. John offered no animal sacrifice, only washing. But when people come wanting to be baptized, John is very harsh with them, calling them a "brood of vipers." How do the people react to this? Their reaction will show if they are actually snakes, whose father is Satan, or if they are really God's children. The people say that "Abraham is our father, so we are all right," trusting in their ancestry. John tells them that their ancestry contributes nothing to their salvation. They also cannot obtain salvation merely by going through a ceremony. There must be a response and a change in their lives. Matthew 7:15-20 tells us a Biblical principle that says that as a tree will certainly bear fruit, the results of a person's changed heart will certainly be visible outwardly. What is inside a heart, good or bad, will always be visibly expressed. If a person has truly repented and received forgiveness and salvation, then the promised indwelling Holy Spirit will certainly cause a response in that person that demonstrates good fruit. The fruit of obedience is evidence of salvation. In Genesis 1:26-28, we read that God made us in His image and made a contract with Adam to rule over the earth. Those who return to God receive this same contract anew, and we can become all that God intended us to be. God returns to us the responsibility of ruling over the realms over which He gives us responsibility.
8/10/2008
Luke 3:10-14 John called the people who came to him for baptism a "brood of vipers." Their response to the Gospel of repentance that John is preaching will determine whether or not this is true. The people, tax collectors and solders all responded with a common question, "What shall we do?" The were aware that they needed change in their lives and that they needed to be turned around and headed in another direction by God Himself. John tells them that they need to make changes. We see other instances of people asking this question, "What shall we do?" in the New Testament. In Acts 2:14-40, those listening to Peter's sermon are "cut to the heart" and ask what they should do in response. Paul asks it on the road to Damascus in Acts 22:1-11. We see it again in Acts 16:16-34 when a jailer asks the question of Paul. What is our response when confronted with the Gospel? Do we ignore it and prove ourselves children of Satan, or do we respond by asking God what we need to do to repent, receive forgiveness and salvation and to bear fruit suitable to the changes that have been made in our lives?
8/17/2008
Luke 3:15-18 Those who want to go through John's baptism only for the purpose of escaping judgement are still a "brood of vipers," because they are insincere and want no real change in their lives. God demands changes and they helps to bring them about, and it is only those who desire to repent and be changed who are His children. John's baptism of water was a visible symbol of the actual inward baptism of the Holy Spirit. The two baptisms mirror each other. They are different, but both are important. They are both beginnings of walking in the Spirit an of bearing fruit. It is also after we actually receive forgiveness and salvation that we begin to realize the depth of our sin, and how wonderful it is to walk in a life of having been forgiven. This is spoken of in I Peter 1:3-7. We will indeed bear fruit that will be kept safely and incorruptible in Heaven for us, where there is neither moth nor rust.
8/24/2008
Luke 3:18-20 Herod's attitude - John had also directly or indirectly called on Herod the tetrarch and ruler of part of the country to repent of his improper marriage to his brother's wife Herodias. Herod's response to John's preaching was not only to ignore the Gospel, but also to silence John by putting him in prison. Matthew 13 tells us the parable of the sower and how different people respond to the Gospel message. Some heard the Gospel but didn't bother trying to understand it. The faith of others collapsed under trials, and others were distracted and pulled away by riches and worldly cares. Which response did Herod have? And, how do we react to trials or distractions? Have we not all been guilty of failure in these areas at some time? Maybe we feel that our fruit is not all that it could be. We can escape this situation by doing something that Herod refused to do. He would not ask "What should I do?" but rather attempted to silence the words of God spoken through John. We must ask, "What should I do?" and then listen to the answers found in God's Word, the Bible. We must confess that we have stumbled because of persecution and the riches and cares of this world. We must ask God what we need to do to stop stumbling, what we need to do to bear more fruit for Him. We cannot get answers without spending time reading and meditating on His Words. Don't shut the words out. Listen to them, let your heart be pierced and ask God what you must do.
9/7/2008
Luke 3:21-22 This is about the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. Why does a sinless Jesus submit to a baptism of repentance when He has nothing of which to repent? The usual answer is that Jesus totally identified with sinners and this baptism shows His humility in this respect. Pastor Nishida examined what actually happened to Jesus at His baptism by calling attention to two Old Testament passages, Psalm 2 and Isaiah 42. When Jesus was baptized, God the Father spoke from Heaven to say that this was his beloved son with whom He was well pleased. God was actually quoting Himself in using language from Psalms and Isaiah. Psalm 2 was probably read at the coronation of King David. Coronation ceremonies included anointing with oil, a symbol of God's Holy Spirit and Christ's baptism was a kind of coronation ceremony as Messiah and King over an eternal kingdom. Compare the language of Psalm 2 and Revelation 19:11-15. In Revelation we see Jesus reigning as King, and both Psalm and Revelation mention Him ruling over the nations as judge with a rod of iron. Do we come to Jesus as the humble, meek King now, or will we stand before Him in judgment later? The choice is ours.
9/14/2008
Luke 3:23-28 We read that Jesus was about 30 years old at this time. Numbers 4:1-3 tells us that Levites worked in the tabernacle from 30-50 years of age, and that 30 was the age at which a man took on real responsibility. Why is a genealogy of Jesus is also included here? There is another genealogy of Jesus at the beginning of Matthew that begins at Abraham and emphasizes that Jesus is a descendent of Abraham and David, and thus came in fulfillment of the Abrahamic and Davidic contracts that God made with the Jewish nation. The genealogy in Luke goes all the way back to Adam, and then to God Himself. When speaking to Gentiles, one must go back to Adam from whom all men came. Adam's sin affected not only the Jews, but all men everywhere. In Genesis 3: 15 God promises that from the woman would come a savior who would defeat Satan who deceived man, and led him to sin and death. We see this beginning to happen in the very next part of Luke in the temptation of Christ, and we see it fulfilled when Satan is finally defeated in Revelation 12:9.
What was Adam's response to this promise of a savior that would be born of the woman? He gave her a name. Considering what she had done, Adam might have named her "stupid," "foolish" or "death." But, he named his wife "Eve" or "Life." This shows that he believed God's promise that woman would eventually bring forth victory and life. This was Adam's confession of faith. What is God's response to Adam's confession? He makes clothes from the skins of animals. God established the principle that showed the wages of sin was death through the symbolic death of an animal, and promised that He would send them a savior to die in their places. Being clothed in the skins was also a symbol that their sins had indeed been forgiven. Their punishment would be taken by another. All they had to do was to believe, confess their belief and live in thankfulness. This is the kind of God that we have, who expresses His grace even in the first pages of Genesis, crossing all boundaries to offer forgiveness to all.
