Why Jesus Came to Israel First — Luke 1 Explained

Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. And good afternoons, good to have everybody back in for another taping, and my, we've got so many new ones here today that I'm just at a loss for words, and I just appreciate the effort that you always put in to get in here, because as I've told the people before the cameras start, I just couldn't do this without a good group in front of me. For those of you watching on television, in case you've never caught our program before, we're just an informal Bible study. I'm not associated with any particular group. We have no one underwriting us. We've just always, as the announcer said, taught Bible studies in homes and various other places, and we try to reach across all the denominational lines. We don't attack anyone. We just simply teach the Word as I see it. And again, I always like to remind folk, I don't expect everyone to agree with me on every point, but basically all I like to do is help people read the Bible in a way that they understand. You know, so many read it, and they don't really see what they're reading. In fact, it happened in one of our classes here just a couple weeks ago, and he was a professional man. He's got several degrees behind his name. And just for example now, we're going to look at chapter 1 where we were looking, but before we do that, I should have done this sooner, but I've got my whole family here today, and I was hoping I could get them all on camera, but my youngest one's got two little babies. But anyway, I'm going to start over here with my oldest son, who works with me in the ranching, Greg, and his wife Jeanette, and no telling where their little one is. He's over there by my son-in-law. Well, then down the line is Tara, my oldest grandchild, and then my daughter Laura, my son-in-law Jerry, and then Jerry and Laura's other little boy, Zachary. And then way in the back row is my youngest one. They're here from Washington State, and consequently this will probably never happen again, Todd and Kim and their two babies. So I just had to do that because folks will write in and ask about the family, and the once or twice I did show somebody, they appreciated it. So I'm just thankful that they're all here and they're a part of it. Oh, well, she's been on so often, I don't have to introduce her. But on the other hand, put her on camera a minute, guys, because we haven't had her on for a long time. A lot of people will say, well, which one is your wife? So I've told a couple people over the phone, well, she's the one who finds the Scripture references for the camera, guys, so she isn't always up front. All right, so much for that. Again, I guess I should always announce that all these past programs are available on videotape, booklets, so if you're interested, just give us a call on our 800 number, and we'll give you instructions on how to order and so on and so forth. But I'm always pressed to get right into the book, because after all, that's why we're here. All right, now if you will turn with me to Luke chapter 1. We've been coming in in the last several programs to the New Testament, to Christ's earthly ministry. And as I said several weeks ago, you know, I think the average church person, whether they're believers or not, has somehow gotten the idea that as soon as you get into Matthew chapter 1, this is Christianity. And that's not the truth. I mean, this is not yet Christianity. This is still an extension of God dealing with the nation of Israel based on all those Old Testament covenants and promises. And Christ is going to come on the scene, as we're going to see here now in Luke chapter 1, as the angel announced it, not with the message that He's going to the cross to die for the sins of the world, although that certainly is in the mind of God. Don't think for a minute it isn't. But He's going to come first and foremost to fulfill the promises made to the nation of Israel. And so it's all Jewish, with some exceptions. And as we come through, we'll point them out. And remember, too, that it's all under the Law. The Temple is still operating, and even these people who become believers and followers of Christ, they don't shed their Judaism. They still keep up their Temple worship. They still maintain the Law and everything else, because no one has said anything about, you're not under Law until somewhere's down the road. Now, that's why we've always been emphasizing, you see, that the Bible is a progressive revelation. God doesn't just all of a sudden tell the Old Testament people everything that's coming. Now, there's a lot of prophecy, but He doesn't tell them everything until it's the appropriate time. All right, now I'd like to have you look with me then, if you will, at Luke chapter 1, where the angel is announcing to Mary about what is going to happen. And that'd be in Luke chapter 1, dropping down to verse 30. Now, this is just another little introduction as to why Christ is making His First Advent to the nation of Israel. All right, verse 30. The angel said unto her, that is, unto Mary, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, shalt call his name Jesus. Now watch it, verse 32. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. Now, where's that coming from? Old Testament promises, see? All right, now read on. And he, this Son that will be born, he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his, what's the next word? Kingdom. You see why I'm always talking about the kingdom? The Bible does. And here the angel says, and this kingdom over which this Son is going to rule and reign shall be, how long? Without end, forever and ever. But now all of this is based then on what God had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And then of course, as further ramifications of that, you have the law given to Moses. Then as David comes on the scene, why he is promised that out of him will come a genealogy that will lead to the king. All right, now this is all coming into fulfillment. Now, just turn over the page, at least in my Bible, and in the same chapter, Luke chapter 1, and we looked at this a few weeks ago, but I've learned that you just have to keep repeating some of these things before they soak in. Now in Luke chapter 1, dropping all the way down to verse 67, here we're dealing with the father of John the Baptist, Zacharias, and he was an active priest working there at the temple, and he had been stricken dumb during the gestation of Elizabeth, but now he's all of a sudden gotten his voice back, and the Jews realize that something supernatural is taking place here. And so now Zacharias, in verse 67, was filled with the Holy Ghost, or the Holy Spirit. Now whenever the Bible speaks of someone as being filled with the Spirit, everything they speak is going to be God-directed. And I always like to point that out, especially in these verses, that this is not just the wishful thinking of a good patriotic or religious Jew. These are the very expressions of God Himself concerning the nation. Now look what he says. Blessed, verse 68, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. Are there Gentiles in that? No. See, he's dealing with the Jew. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed His people. Now remember, this is all an extension of the Old Testament, and all up since Abraham. My, it's so plainly put that God, when they were in slavery in Egypt, and it was time for the Exodus, and you remember when the first, I think, three or four plagues had taken place, the Jews came unto them just like the Egyptians. But then all of a sudden, God says, I'm going to put a division between My people and Egypt. And that division just kept getting wider and wider, and God kept emphasizing that these covenant people, these Jews, these Israelites, were not to co-mingle with the Gentiles. They were to be a separated people, see? They were not to intermarry. They were to have nothing to do with those pagan Gentiles around them. They were never told to go and evangelize them. Now keep that in mind, because you see, this is going to carry all the way into the New Testament. And I've always said that even in Acts chapter 10, now this shakes people up, but I can't help it. Even in Acts chapter 10, when the Lord, through the tremendous vision of that sheep that He had let down before Peter, and told him to kill and eat, what was Peter's answer? Not so, Lord, why? I have never eaten anything common or unclean. Why did Peter say that? Well, he was a law-keeping Jew, see? And he wasn't about to break the law by eating something that wasn't kosher. And then as he gets to the very threshold of the house of Cornelius in Acts chapter 10, just before he goes in, what does he tell Cornelius? Now he says, Cornelius, you know, even you Gentiles know, that it's an unlawful thing for me, a Jew, to keep company with you of another nation. See? But, he says, God has shown me. Well, of course, God had something else now in store. He's now going to turn to the Gentiles. But up until that time, it was predominantly only His covenant people. Now let's read on. Verse 69 of Luke chapter 1. And He hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David. Now do you see how Jewish this is? As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the age began, that's the Old Testament, of course, that we, the nation, should be saved from our sins. No. From their what? Enemies. See? From their enemies. Those very same nations and tribes that were surrounding them then, as they do now. See? And that's why Israel is in such a quandary. They want peace, and yet how can they have peace when everybody all around them has sworn statements in their governmental archives that they'll not rest until they're driven into the sea. That's their situation tonight. They know that those people around them are their enemies, and yet they want peace. All right? It's always been this way in the mind of the Jew. Verse 71, reading on, that we might be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us. To perform the mercy promise to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant. Now, verse 73, what covenant? The oath which He swore to our father Abraham. Now, I'm going to put it on the board until you see it in your sleep. What was that promise that God made to Abraham in that covenant back in Genesis 12? That one day they would become a nation of people out of Abraham and Sarah, and then He would put them in a geographical area of land. That's why we call it the promised land. And then at some future day He would come and be their government, as it's spoken of in Isaiah chapter 7, I think, 7 or 9, and their government would be epitomized in the King, the Messiah. Now, that's the Abrahamic covenant brought down into a nutshell. And that out of that covenant then all these other things of the Old Testament are going to be coming out. And so this is exactly what even Zacharias is still resting on. This covenant that God made with Israel. But by the time Zacharias is speaking they are a nation of people. They are in the promised land. They've got their temple. They've got their priesthood. But they're looking for the what? The King, see? Now the King, of course, the other word is the Anointed One or the Messiah, or the Greek word for the Messiah, this is the Hebrew, the Greek word would be the Christ, see? And so when you speak of Jesus Christ you're actually saying Jesus the Messiah. And it's out of those Old Testament promises that He now comes. All right, now then, come back with me to where we left off in our last program, and that would be Matthew chapter 4. Remember we went through Christ's appearance and His baptism, and He is about to start His earthly ministry. Now I'm going to keep emphasizing this as we come through the Gospels that the reason for all of His miracles, the reason for all of His preaching and teaching is to prove to the Jew of His day that He was that promised Messiah. Now this is the whole scope of His ministry. I'm going to throw you a curve, honey. Let's go to another verse for the moment. Come all the way over to chapter 11. I'll leave it in Matthew. Matthew chapter 11, let's begin at verse 2, because I think this says it as plainly as Scripture can say it. Matthew 11, beginning with verse 2. Now when John, that is the Baptist, had heard, where? In prison. Now always try to project yourself into these people's shoes. Here John the Baptist announced the coming of the King, was that preacher of repentance and baptism, and saw, I think, quite a few come to his preaching. He was there at the baptism of Christ Himself, saw all the things that attended it, and now where is he? In prison. Now how would you feel? Well, John felt the same way. Is He really the Christ? Because if He is, what am I doing here? All right, now look at it. Verse 2. Now when John had heard in prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, in other words, two of his close associates, and they said unto him, that is to Jesus, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Now watch this so carefully. Go and show, I always like to bring this down to our contemporary vernacular, what do kindergarten kids like to do? Show and tell. All right, what's the purpose? Well, to make an impact on their fellow little students of what has been happening to them. See, that's the whole idea. All right, you've got the same thing here. Jesus says to these disciples of John, you go back and show and tell. See, you go back and show those things which you do hear and see. Now Jesus rehearses. Verse 5. The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor having the gospel preached to them. And what was that supposed to tell John? He didn't have to look for another. He is the Christ, even though you are in prison. Now, just carry that all the way through then, his earthly ministry. Everything that Jesus says and does is to prove to the Jew of his day that He is this promised King. Now, the reason I put the word government in it, let's come back. I told you it's in Isaiah, and we've looked at these verses over and over, but like I said, repetition is the mother of learning. And it'd be in Isaiah chapter 9. I know we looked at them in our last taping, maybe not the last program, but I'm sure it's in the last few programs. And here is the promise of that part of the covenant. Isaiah chapter 9, and drop right down into verse 6. 6 and 7. Very well known verses. Isaiah 9, verses 6 and 7. Where the prophet writes again to the nation of Israel, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and they, what? The government, see? And the government shall be upon His shoulder. Now, who is this going to be that's going to be the government? Look at it. The Wonderful, the Consular, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, the Christ, see? And then look at the next verse. And of the increase of His government, His rule, His reign, there shall be no end. And so this is exactly, now if you can come back to Matthew, this is exactly now then why Jesus starts His ministry with a miracle, and of course He ends it with the greatest miracle of all, and that was the resurrection, when He rose from the dead. But all of these things were to prove to the nation of Israel that He was the fulfillment of it. Alright, now I'm not going to have time to do what I intended to do, so I'm going to go on over to another little later verse, and that would be in chapter 5. Chapter 5 of Matthew. I'm sorry, I probably left you in Isaiah. But come back to Matthew again. Chapter 5, and now drop down to verse 17. Chapter 5, verse 17. Think not, and this is Jesus speaking, think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to what? Fulfill, see? Fulfill what? All these covenant promises. Basically now, this one. Because these two have already come on the scene. They've already become a nation. They're already in the promised land. But this hasn't happened yet. And so He's coming now to bring in that kingdom, and that government, that rule, and that reign for which He had been prepared. And so He says, nothing is here to destroy, but to fulfill. All right, now by contrast, and by comparison. Now I'd like to have you turn with me to Paul, if you will, and come all the way back to 1 Timothy. 1 Timothy, chapter 1. And again, I'll bring you down to verse 15. 1 Timothy, chapter 1, verse 15. Now this is not a contradiction. Paul isn't flying into the face of what Jesus said back here in Matthew. But what is it? It's a further revelation, see? Something else has now been added, according to what we've had in the Gospels. All right, 1 Timothy, chapter 1, drop down to verse 15, where Paul says, "...this is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to be the King of Israel." See, it doesn't say that, but He came into the world, why? To save sinners, see? What a difference, and yet not different, it's an extension. See, first He came to be the King. All right, what happened? Now back up a few pages, if you will, to Romans. Romans, chapter 11. When He presented Himself as the King, He did everything He could to prove He was the King, what did Israel do? They crucified Him. They set away with Him. But that didn't stop God. That didn't interrupt Him. It was already preconceived in the very councils of the Godhead before eternity ever began. God wasn't caught by surprise. But now you see in Romans, chapter 11, Paul says it again so clearly. Let's look at verse 7 first. What's then? "...Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for." Well, what was that? The King and the Kingdom. Oh, they wanted it, but they didn't recognize it, see? And so they missed it. And they didn't get what they were seeking, but the election, in other words, those that did believe, they understood it, and they weren't very many when compared to the whole. But what happened to the rest of them? They were blinded. And the rest were blinded, see? All right, now then you come on down to verse 11, where Paul, and remember, Paul writes just as much by inspiration as Isaiah or Daniel or Matthew or anybody else. And now Paul says, "...I say then, have they," the nation of Israel, "...stumbled that they should fall?" In other words, that God would just do away with them. And what's the next word? God forbid, in the King James, I'll prefer the word, "...banish the thought." But rather, "...through their fall," in other words, through their rejecting all these promises, "...through their fall, salvation is come." Now to whom? The Gentiles. See that? So when I'm teaching back here in the Old Testament that it's Jew only, Jew only, Jew only, with a few exceptions, so many people say, well, God wasn't fair. Yes, He was. He wasn't being unfair, because He knew what those Gentiles would have done with His offer of salvation. He knew they trampled it underfoot for 2 ,000 years already, and so He says, I'm going to do something different. I'm going to deal with just one little nation of people, and I'm going to bring them to the place where I can use them to go back to those Gentiles. But even the favored nation failed. And so now what does God do? Oh, He goes to those Gentiles without the nation of Israel. See, and this is what Paul is trumpeting. He's just proclaiming it to the Gentile world. Yes, the Jew had those promises. They rejected them, and God had to send them out into a dispersion, and He's turned to the Gentiles with this tremendous plan of salvation based not on temple worship, not on keeping the Law, but telling the world that when Christ died, He paid the sin debt, and we're going to see that in our next program. I wanted to do it in this half hour, but we didn't get there, and that is His temptations. And again, why did He go through the temptations? To prepare everything for our salvation. See that? All right, so now then, here it is, that because they've been set aside, salvation has come to us Gentiles. But don't subscribe to the thought of so much of Christendom tonight that God's all through with the Jew. No, He isn't. Look at this next verse, verse 12. Now, if the fall of them, in other words, because they rejected their Messiah, if the fall of them be the riches of the world, that is, the Gentile world, how much more their fullness after the Gentiles have received the riches of it. In other words, what Paul is saying, yes, God had to set them aside. They rejected it, and now He's turned to us with this free gospel of grace. Faith plus nothing. But He's still going to come back to the Jew. Les Feldick Ministries, Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, OK, 74552. That's Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, OK, 74552. Through the Bible with Les Feldick is viewer supported, and your gift is appreciated. Thank you, and be sure to tune in next time for Through the Bible with Les Feldick.