The Son Who Pleases the Father | Luke 3:21-4:13

Who do YOU say Jesus is? 
 
How you answer that question reveals what you believe about Jesus. And what you believe about Jesus determines your eternal destiny. And yet, even for those who have been Christians for some time, question arise and sometimes doubts linger. That’s ok! Luke welcomes your doubts, and doubters are welcome at High Pointe.  
 
Luke wrote his gospel to reassure Theophilus about the things he had been taught (Luke 1:4). Just as Luke want Theophilus to have confidence in what he’s learned, so too do your pastors. In Luke 3:21-4:13, Luke answers the question of Jesus’s identity to reassure us of who Jesus is and what he has done for us. Jesus is the obedient Son who overcame sin and temptation to accomplish our salvation. 
 
Jesus is the Beloved Son of God (3:21-22)
At Jesus’s baptism, the Father affirms Jesus as the beloved Son. By affirming Jesus as the beloved Son, the Father reveals Jesus is his promised King, anointed by the Spirit, as Isaiah 61 prophesied), who will restore Israel and rule in the promised eternal kingdom with righteousness, justice, and peace. 
 
By receiving John’s baptism, Jesus identified with sinful Israel, showing that he would be the suffering servant who would redeem Israel.  
 
What difference that all that make for us? 

• TRUST – God is faithful to his promises, and we can have confidence he will do all he says. At his baptism and the Father’s affirmation, we see the fulfillment of the promises in Psalm 2, 2 Samuel 7, Isaiah 42, and Isaiah 61. We can trust God to keep his promises. 

 

• Question: In what or whom are you trusting as you face hardship and suffering? 

 

• SUBMISSION – Since Jesus is God’s king, we must all bow down to him. You may bow down now, in faith, or bow down later, in judgment, but all will bow down. 

 

• Question: Who or what is your “king”? We all live under authority. The question is what authority? 

 
Jesus is the Human Son of Adam (3:22-38)
Not only did Jesus identify with sinful Israel at his baptism. By placing this genealogy between Jesus’s baptism and temptations, Luke highlights that Jesus identified with all sinful humanity. Jesus’s genealogy shows where he came from, his “kin.” It’s a mixed bag: Perez (born out of sexual immorality), Boaz (married to a Gentile). David was an adulterer, Jacob a liar, Noah a drunk, and Adam a rebel. This is who Jesus came to save! And that includes you and me. 
 
What difference does that make for us? 

• IDENTITY – By faith in Christ, the Beloved Son, we become adoptive children of the Father. It doesn’t matter how bad our family tree is. Our past is irrelevant. In Christ, we are sons and daughters of God. That is our identity, and it doesn’t matter what anyone things of us. 

 

• Question: Where are you rooting your identity? Do you care too much about what others think about you? 

 

• COMFORT – We may also find comfort that because Jesus was the fully human son of Adam, he knows everything we face. He sympathizes with us in ever way. He was even tempted in every way as we are, yet he did not sin. This is important because had Jesus sinned, we would still be in our sins and face God’s judgment. 

 

• Question: Where are you looking for comfort? Life is hard, and we all want someone to identify with us. 

 
Jesus is the Obedient Son of God (4:1-13)
By placing Jesus’s genealogy before these temptations, Luke wants us to read them in light of Genesis 3. Jesus was led by the Spirit to confront and do battle with Satan in order to reverse the curse that Adam’s sin introduced into the creation. Jesus is the promised seed from the woman (Genesis 3:15) who crushes the serpent’s head. 
 
Jesus was tempted to doubt God’s provision, but he trusted God’s word (Luke 4:3-4). Jesus was tempted to seek the crown of the king without the cross of the suffering servant if he would only bow down and worship the devil, but he believed the worship of God is worth the suffering of the cross (Luke 4:5-7). Lastly, Jesus was tempted to test God’s promise of protection, but he did not need to prove God’s love and protection (Luke 4:8-13). 
 
What difference does that make for us? 

• FORGIVENESS – Because Jesus was the obedient Son, we are forgiven because he not only fulfilled all righteousness, but he also received God’s judgment at the cross. Again, without Jesus’s obedience, we would still be in our sins. But because of Jesus’s obedience, we can find forgiveness through his blood by faith in him. 

 

• Question: How are you dealing with your sin? All sin must be judged. It will either be judged in Jesus or in hell. But all sin will be dealt with. 

 

• FIGHTING THE DEVIL, TEMPTATION, AND SIN – And because Jesus was obedience, all who believe have the same Spirit who led Jesus in the wilderness and sustained him in the midst of temptation. So, in the strength of Jesus and the power of the Spirit, by faith and through his word, we can fight the devil, temptation, and sin as Jesus did. 

 

• Question: How are you fighting temptation and sin? Read Ephesians 6:10-20. As you face each day, remember that “Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). 

 
Adam was tempted by the devil in the garden and disobeyed God. We are all born sons and daughters of Adam disobeying God. Jesus, our elder brother, identified with us in our humanity. He obeyed where we disobeyed, and he received God’s judgment in our place. And because of that, we have forgiveness of sins. 
 
Bring your questions and doubts. It’s ok. But Luke wants you to know who Jesus is and what he had done for all who believe in him. Be encouraged. Rest assured. Follow Jesus. 

Opportunities to Serve and Grow at High Pointe
(For Opportunities to Serve at High Pointe, click HERE)  

Women's Morning & Evening Bible Study Resume TODAY Wednesday, January 29 
 

• Morning Bible Study | Wednesdays, January 29 – April 9 | 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM 
  • Join us for an inductive study of the New Testament books of 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John. For registration and questions contact Mary Delk or Jeanette Heflin. 

 

• Evening Bible Study | Wednesdays, January 29 - April 30 | 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM 
  • Join us for an inductive study of the Old Testament book of Amos. To register, click here. For questions, please contact Susan Horton or Marilyn Waters. 

 
Children and Student Ministry Volunteer Luncheon | Sunday, February 2 (TODAY is the last day to register) 
We'd like to show our appreciation to those who volunteer in children's and youth ministry by providing lunch and a time of fellowship for you and your family on Sunday, February 2, just after the morning worship service. We plan to begin serving lunch in the fellowship hall at noon. Register by January 29. Click here to register.  
 
High Pointe Parenting Seminar | Saturday, February 8 | 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Raising children can feel overwhelming as you try to navigate the many voices telling you what to do and not to do, but God has already given you everything you need to be faithful parents. Children don’t need perfect parents. They need a perfect Savior, and you already have everything you need in Christ, the only perfect one.
 
In this parenting seminar, Juan and Jeanine Sanchez want to provide a down-to-earth, practical guide for parents that will help them move from survival mode to joyful, Christ-dependent parenting. For every parent who may be exhausted and discouraged, they can take heart from the simple, biblical principles Juan and Jeanine will share from Scripture. Register here.
 
Life Classes | Sunday at 9:00 AM
Life Classes are meant to equip High Pointe for life as a Christian. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity and join us. Childcare is available for ages 8 months through Pre-K. This session, we are offering the following classes from January 26 to May 25: 

• Evangelizing through Mark: A class designed to equip you to share the gospel using just the book of Mark. Together, we’ll discover how simple Bible study can become a powerful tool for engaging coworkers, neighbors, and friends with the message of the gospel. 
• Discipling Through Ephesians: Together, we'll explore how the book of Ephesians provides a simple yet profound model for discipleship. We’ll discover the richness of our union with Christ and the beauty of our unity as His Church, equipping us to be and make more mature disciples of Christ. 
• Spanish Life Class | Los Atributos de Dios: La vida entera de una persona es afectada por quien adora.  Para adorar adecuadamente al Dios de la Biblia, debemos tener una comprensión correcta de Sus atributos.  Conocer Sus atributos de acuerdo con Su propia revelación en las Escrituras nos permitirá realmente conocer a Dios y comprender mejor las Escrituras. 
• Youth Life Class | The Pentateuch: We will follow the storyline of the first five books of the Old Testament. Students will discover God's plan for humanity as it unfolds through Abraham, Moses, and Israel. The aim of the class is to help teenagers learn how to read, study, and apply the first major section of their Bibles.
• Kid's Life Class (K-5th grade): This course will be for children K-5th grade, using The Gospel Project, a study that helps kids dive deep into the big story of the Bible as God's plan to rescue His people through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Sunday AM Preaching Schedule: Pray regularly for the ministry of the Word at High Pointe. Also, prepare for our gatherings by reading the sermon text, thinking it through, and asking questions about the text before Sunday. Here is our (tentative) preaching schedule designed to help you prepare for Sundays:  

• January 19 | Luke 3:1-20 | What Does Repentance Look Like? | Pastor Juan 
• January 26 | Luke 3:21-4:13 | Lead Us Not into Temptation | Pastor Juan 

 
Begin praying as you prepare to gather with us this Sunday at 10:00 am.
 
Gospel Partner of the Month: The P Family (High Pointe Members)
The P family are preparing to go wherever the Lord may send them. Due to security concerns, we will not share a lot of public information. So, we encourage you to get to know them so that you may pray for them. Also, they are in the final stages of raising support. So, if the Lord leads you to give to them above and beyond your regular giving, they will be encouraged.
 
If you would like to sign up for their newsletter, please fill out this form.
 
On-Call Pastor
To better care for you, High Pointe, we have an “on-call” pastor available for emergencies after office hours and on weekends. To reach the on-call pastor, call 512-837-7725, extension 1.