Get 30 FREE sermons.

DOUBT AND UNBELIEF (2)

by Zach Terry

Scripture: Luke 1:5-25
This content is part of a series.


Title: Doubt and Unbelief
Series: Birth Narrative Series (2 of 6)
Scripture: Luke 1:5-25
Author: Zach Terry


INTRODUCTION: As you will remember last week, we looked at the context into which Luke's account of the life of Christ occurred.

-We looked at the Political Context and the 6 different authority structures that existed in the 400 years since the completion of the OT culminating in the rule of Rome and it's puppet King Herod the Great.

-We looked at the Social Context, the unrest of the Jews under Roman occupation, the emergence of the Samaritan culture, and the linguistic shift from Hebrew to Aramaic and Greek.

-Finally we saw the Religious context with the emergence of the Synagogue system and the anticipation that Messiah's coming may be near.

Messianic Expectation - Daniel 9:25 tells us that from the issuing of the decree in 444BC, 483 years later you should expect Messiah the Prince to come and die as the atonement for the people.

They knew the time was very close, and we can read in even secular Literature from that people from all across the Roman Empire were anticipating a great leader to arise in Judea. Which explains the arrival of the magi we will look at in a few weeks.

Prophetic Expectation - Remember we said last week that there had been no authoritative prophetic voice in 4 centuries. The last thing God has said to His covenant people is recorded at the very end of the book of Malachi.

Malachi 4:5-6 (ESV)

5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction."

So two figures that the people were anticipating - Messiah, and this Prophet like Elijah who would go before him and prepare the way. So imagine the sense of anticipation, religious fervor, and hope that existed as these story begins in ...

There are 18780 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.

Price:  $5.99 or 1 credit
Start a Free Trial