Jesus: God Who Came to Earth 4

Big Idea: Only Jesus can save you.

Scripture: Matthew 3:1-6, 13-17; Luke 1:5-24, 39-45, 57-65; John 1:26-29; Luke 3:1-22

Memory Verse: “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” -Philippians 2:13 ESV

Word Up!: Only Jesus saves!

This week’s lesson introduces the parents of John the Baptist, namely Zechariah and Elizabeth. This godly elderly couple had been unable to have children. Zechariah had prayed that the Lord would graciously give them a child.

In God’s timing and in answer to those prayers, God sent the angel Gabriel to Zechariah to say that his prayers had been answered and that the child to be born to them would be called John. There would be much joy, gladness, and rejoicing at his birth (Luke 1:13-14). The angel Gabriel further explained to Zechariah that God would use John - who would be filled with the Holy Spirit - to turn many people back to God. John was to be a herald to proclaim the coming Savior, Jesus Christ. Zechariah did not believe the word of God through the angel Gabriel and was thus, by God’s will, unable to speak until the child was born.

The Bible doesn’t tell us much about John as he grew up but we do know that he grew “strong in spirit” and lived in the desert until he was about 30 years old. He was very unique in his appearance, diet, and his calling (Luke 1:80). God had a calling on his life even before he was born.

God has a calling and a purpose for each of our lives as we learned in our memory for today in Philippians 2:13. Another supporting verse is Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Like John, we are to point others to Jesus (Matthew 5:16). People were coming to John to be baptized by him in the Jordan River to show that they believed God and truly turned to Him (repented). Jesus came out from the crowd and asked John to baptize Him. Jesus is our sinless Savior. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29b). Jesus is called the Lamb of God because He is the perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus was baptized by John in order to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:13-15). Jesus obeyed His Heavenly Father and when Jesus came up out of the water, immediately the Heavens opened and the Spirit of God in the form of a dove rested on Jesus. God the Father spoke from Heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17).

Hebrews 1:1-2 says, "a Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son."

Will you trust in Jesus who came to take the punishment for your sin?

John 20:31 says, "but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name."