Part 4 // Jesus and John: Birth to Manhood // Mike Bickle // Studies in the Life of Christ

well in this session for we're going to look at a John the Baptist's and Jesus from birth right up until they begin their ministry at about age thirty and one really remarkable thing that sticks out is how many supernatural events happened at the beginning of the story and then there were thirty years of almost nothing that's recorded supernatural it's like the purpose began with a bang thirty years waiting on the promises no sign of them everything is according to natural order where's the the power where's the angels where's the visitations and after 30 years the next installment of the story begins and set one reason that God often speaks about his purposes and let's sometimes decades or generations passed because when the fulfillment happens he wants it to be clear that nobody manipulated the situation in the present tense it was validated and established decades or generations earlier where nobody could manipulate the narrative or reinterpret it because it was set clearly by a Holy Spirit many years in advance and the thing that we get from that is that sometimes there's some of you in this room many of you are too young for this to have happened yet where you have a promise from the Lord ten years go by 20 years go by 30 years go by and you say Lord what happened and the Lord says read the story of Mary and Elizabeth John and Jesus out that's how it happens so don't give up on the storyline because the Bible makes it clear this is how God establishes his prophetic purposes well we're going to start in Luke chapter 1 and we're just going to be briefed on some of these passages because we only have a short in here and we've got a lot of passages to cover about four chapters so we'll just miss some of it Luke chapter one Luke gives his purpose and his purpose here in Luke chapter one verse one he says now many people have taken in hand to set an order a narrative he's saying many people have written the story of Jesus they've written the narrative there were possibly hundreds of stories that were circulating verse two he says and some of those went back to the eyewitnesses that were there from the very beginning from the angelic encounters with Mary and Elizabeth and Jesus's early days as well as the beginning of his ministry at age thirty and Luke says I went back to the eyewitnesses and I interviewed them verse three he says I wanted to write an orderly account so he gave a thorough investigation Luke is the only author of a book of the Bible that was not Jewish he was Greek he was a Gentile he was a medical doctor and so he's writing this orderly account having given a deep investigation eyewitness interviews he went back and talked everybody and I have no doubt that Mary and many of the Apostles wrote down many of the events after they happened I don't believe they were all just speaking out of memory because when an angel visits and when God speaks audibly and glorious things happen I urge you to write it down with precision don't trust your memory and let a few years ago by write it down that's one thing I've learned over the years and really value I journal everything the Lord says to me at least I try to I like to write it all down and the situation around and many times I'll look at it and it really makes a difference paragraph B Gabriel the story begins now is that Luke starts with introducing John the Baptist his parents and the first supernatural event is Gabriel he things have been silent for 400 years since the last prophet Malachi in the Old Testament there was a 400 years from the last time God spoke to Israel that's recorded and suddenly the silence is broken Gabriel appears from the throne of God and visits a couple in Jerusalem and again there's a flurry of supernatural activity that happens for about a year and then they go back into 30 years where it goes back to normal again as though though that year of supernatural activity maybe and going to turn out to me anything but we know the end of the story that Jesus fulfills at all and now there's 2,000 years delaying from the fullness of everything that Jesus was promised 2,000 years since his earthly ministry and death and resurrection well Gabriel visits John the Baptist's father Zechariah in the temple now Zechariah was a priest and he lived in the area of Jerusalem just a few miles down the road in Judea and what happens is that the priest of Israel they were divided into 24 divisions all the priests came from Aaron you know Moses and his brother Aaron all the descendants of Aaron are the priests and over time David divided Aaron's descent descendants into twenty four different categories 24 divisions and every year I mean every week one of those divisions would come to Jerusalem because there's 24 divisions that means 24 times 248 and so 48 weeks a year about twice a year each division would come to Jerusalem they would serve in the temple and it was a great privilege and it was like going to the capital to the temple where the glory of God was I mean it was an amazing amazing thing to do so we'll pick up the story here verse 5 there was in the days of Herod now this is Herod the Great and Herod the Great died history makes it quite clear he died in BC 4 so this is just right before 4 BC so it's probably about early 6 BC it's a year or two before while here - still living and so again history makes it pretty clear many many sources that he died in 4 BC so in the days of Herod a certain priest Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth verse sex Luke makes it clear they were both righteous they were godly people didn't mean they were sinless but they were devout and they were really sincere for the Lord but they had no children and one of the reasons that Luke wants to really establish that they were godly and righteous and blameless because some people had this idea that if they didn't have children there were a curse or they did something wrong and Luke makes it clear he goes now their baroness had nothing to do with their character or anything to do with that they were both advanced in years we don't know how old verse 8 now he's serving as a priest before God because he's one of the 24 divisions of the priest they remember there's 24 different divisions twice a year every division went to Jerusalem again so that covers the 52 weeks a year approximately and they would cast lots because in every division of priests there were hundreds of priests so that guess let's and one guy got to go into the holy place one guy out of the hundreds so maybe once in a lifetime this happened verse 9 and they cast the Lots to the hundreds of priests and Zechariah sees group and the lot fell to him he got to go from the outer court into the holy place to burn the incense he would go there and bring fresh coals and put them on the altar of incense of the holy place right by the the the Holy of Holies right next to it again for a priest to be able to go in the holy place this was really a special privilege maybe happened once in your lifetime verse 10 there's a whole group of people on the outside Zacharias is friends and family I mean he gets to go in I mean it's amazing and they're praying they're praying on the outside there's this drama is building because his whole company of people like when he comes out what was it like going in the holy place I mean it's the only place in the earth that God called the holy place very rare well Zacharias goes in in verse 11 Gabriel appears to him now right now we only know he's an angel but in a few verses he identifies himself as Gabriel the Archangel and Gabriel said to him verse 13 don't be afraid you know normally when an angel visits in the biblical record the first thing they say is don't be afraid there must be a reason for that he says don't be afraid because he's absolutely shocked to see this you know this angelic being filled with the glory of God and then he gives him kind of the shock of his life he goes your prayers herb your wife Elizabeth will bear son now Zacharias is going wait you know art I'm just making up because we don't know the age were 80s that that hasn't been on our prayer list for 40 years what do you mean our prayer is heard we haven't prayed that prayer for years and years and this is a very important verse on prayer passage on prayer because you can pray prayers that God hears and he approves of them and releases them in the spirit in the sense of he approves of them but they may not show up in the natural for many years but they've been heard and approved by God and often in the delay even devout people give up on the prayers because they think because they've given up and they've forgotten that God has forgotten the prayer and God's given up on it says you're going to have the child you cried out for in your 20s and 30s and 40s and whatever 50s whatever it was John is shocked and he says and the angel goes on Gabriel verse 15 he'll be great in the sight of the Lord do you know that you can live in a way that God considers great you can have responses to God that God calls great there's more in the Bible on that it's not just limited to prophets like John Jesus said in Matthew 5 anyone that will obey the Lord and teach others to God will call their lifestyle great I love this passage I go I want to put my name on this passage I don't want to be like John the Baptist's and I want to fulfill my own calling but I want to live in a way that God calls my choices were great and he goes on to describe John and his forerunner ministry that's like Elijah verse 18 I'm tempted to go on that but this isn't really about John the Baptist this is we're talking more about Jesus here in this series verse 18 so Zacharias he looks at Gabriel and says how shall I know and Gabriel is like look at him right in the eye and says well I'm Gabriel that's how you know the age of verse 9 says I'm Gabriel I stand in the presence of the Most High God he sent me here there's been 400 years since Malachi the last prophet of the Old Testament since there's been a prophetic word recorded this autumn move your heart what do you mean how do you know because I just told you he goes well here's going to be the sign verse 20 you're going to be mute you want to sign that will be the sign if you don't believe when the Lord visits it's like prophetically he's saying well then you'll lose your testimony for a short time some people think it's kind of cool to be cynical and not believe and you don't want to be go Abul but if the Lord establishes something and you don't take hold of it the Lord there's a responsibility in this and this really accents of course this is a major encounter Gabriel visiting but John's going to learn I mean as Zacharias is going to learn that when there's a special privilege when God intervenes there's a responsibility to hold on to it and a lot of folks they lose what God has said over the years well Gabriel I mean as a cariah's he became mute and that prophetically he was losing his testimony because he wouldn't take hold of the prophetic word God gave him now he was only knew for seven four nine months but still that woke him up and that I look at that and I say I don't want to be mute I don't want to lose my testimony for a day and Gabriel makes it clear it's because he didn't believe my words verse 21 so the people there's this crowd of people praying outside they can't wait for Zacharias to get out so they can say hey what was it like in there in the holy place I mean who gets to go in the holy place and they marvel because Zacharias is waiting so long it goes on and on they says wait you're just supposed to you know minister at the altar of incense and shouldn't take this long then when he came out verse 22 he couldn't speak check her eyes what was it like we can't understand you speak up Zechariah what Zechariah knows Elizabeth Sakurai's come on what's going on hmm that's funny but this is a real discipline of the Lord on him and it's got a message in it we don't take lightly when God intervenes verse 24 now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived and she hid herself for five months she's like you know again she's an elderly woman if she's pregnant she's thinking I don't need I got to make sense of this somehow now her husband is mute so nobody knows what's going on at home he can't say a word she's hiding so her relative marry because they're down in the area of Jerusalem Mary lives up north in Galilee and Nazareth she hasn't heard into the news because nobody has because Elizabeth has hidden herself let's go on to top of page 2 so now Luke moves the story line over to Jesus's parents Joseph and Merritt of course Joseph is his stepfather so to speak now Lucas says I've thoroughly investigated let's take the story line to the main character so it's up north about 70 80 miles up north in Galilee in this kind of a very insignificant town of Nazareth I mean Nazareth is famous now because of Jesus's association but in that day it was a poor little insignificant village verse 26 in the sixth month that is the six month after Elizabeth has been been with child for six months and we find out that in verse 36 it makes it clear Gabriel comes a second time to visit I mean two visits in six months the last visit was to Daniel the last visit in the scriptures five hundred years before this Gabriel visited Daniel on two occasions in his in his ministry and now Gabriel visits twice in a six-month period this is remarkable again you think these are going to pick up on a big momentum and we don't know that after a year of a flurry of prophetic activity it's going to seemingly go silent for the next thirty years because God has established his purpose and he intends that the people would take it seriously and take root and count on it and their faith would be established so he sent the angel Gabriel to this little out-of-the-way city up in Galilee Nazareth I mean just a poor broken-down city with no honor and matter of fact later on one of the gospel stories they says what good thing could come out of Nazareth it would say a town that had a reputation for not being very good they thought Nazareth oh my goodness what could come out of that because it had a bad reputation well that's where Mary was raised and she's a verse 27 a virgin and she's betrothed to a man named Joseph now we know that when they're betrothed that that's a legal arrangement because when a man and woman were betrothed or engaged we used the word engaged they were legally married when they made the covenant of engagement though they did not live together they did not have any sexual involvement but they were legally married together they were legally married though they did not live together and typically was about a one-year wait as a rule so there's this virgin and she's engaged to a man named Joseph the angel visits Gabriel says rejoice highly favored one the Lord is with you verse 31 you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus and he will be great he will be great and he will be called the son of the highest and the Lord will give him the throne of his father is David now this is the greatest prophecy for anyone in Israel the prophecy of the Old Testament that a man would come and sit on David's throne and rule the whole earth forever and restore the horse I mean it was the biggest most glorious most prominent prophecy in all of Israel a man would come and live forever people couldn't figure that part out he's gonna live forever okay how's that work you know but okay we believe it the Prophet said it we'll figure it out when we get there they didn't realize it was a man that was fully God and fully man that wasn't made clear to the Old Testament prophets verse 33 he'll reign forever over the house of Jacob which means Israel the house of Jacob is is another term for the nation of Israel verse 35 the Holy Spirit the angel Gabriel said now here's that what's gonna happen Mary she's just probably you know eyes big it's kind of like overwhelmed like what are you saying he says the Holy Spirit's going to come on you and the Holy Spirit will overshadow you and that's how she became pregnant this is the miraculous conception right here she's conceived she conceives a child because the Holy Spirit is the is the enabling power that causes this to happen and the Holy One born to you he will be called the Son of God so Gabriel is saying God is his father I mean here's this young gallon or probably in her teens this is just inconceivable that this could be being said to you God is his father he'll be called the son of his name will be Jesus Gabriel told you Mary that he'll be called the Son of God he'll be called the son of the highest right there in verse 31 he'll be called Emmanuel he has several different biblical names that are attributed to him now Mary didn't ask for a sign but Gabriel says that might give you one anyway he goes your relative or in verse 36 Elizabeth and she's thinking my relative we don't know what it an't we don't exactly know what but but Mary know she's elderly he says Gabriel says she's conceived Mary's going my goodness this is these are two very unusual conceptions a matter of fact she's in the sixth month of her pregnancy now again Elizabeth's hiding so nobody knows and then the Gabriel says one of the most dramatic important statements I think this is going to be one of the one of the key prophetic declarations in the and the generation the Lord returns this declaration from Gabriel nothing will be impossible with God nothing will be impossible of God when I will read the endtime storyline it is so outside of the realm of human understanding and I have one declaration over it I'm going to agree with Gabriel nothing is impossible with God nothing in a human situation if God says that this was the ultimate miracle of history right here and what's going to happen when Jesus returns again there's going to be an unfolding of miraculous events and even the body of Christ is there looking towards that day they're kind of a they know it's going to get a little different but we'll love it it's going to be so radically outside of the realm of business as usual of normal human history when all of these things come they'll only be I mean there will be one really important declaration nothing is impossible with God we're going to have to declare that like Mary declared it undoubtedly in her heart over and over Mary said Behold she said yes Here I am I happened the handmaiden of the Lord and that's the response God wants when he gives a an assignment or when he calls us to believe something he doesn't want us to retreat and unbelief I mean if it's really him I mean he makes it clear attempt he wants us to say the handmaiden of the Lord Here I am so be it be it unto me according to your word that's what that's what the Lord is pleased by that response paragraph d so verse 39 Mary she with haste rises up and she goes north because she lives up I mean she goes south she lives up in the north in Galilee down to the hill country of Judah which is just outside of Jerusalem it's about probably about eighty miles south you know she's gonna go to Jerusalem little bit further past Jerusalem this young woman now again most scholars think that she's in her late teens I mean who does she tell this story to hey Dad I'm going to go on an 80-mile trip I mean they didn't have highways they didn't have cars they didn't have they didn't have the patrol man to guarantee your safety is very dangerous traveling 80 miles in that time without all kinds of protection we don't know who she went with but that's a pretty dangerous track trip back in that day takes about probably four to five days if she's really moving fast you know 20 miles a day I mean she's really going for it well verse 41 she gets deliverance house and Mary Elizabeth how are you doing when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary heard the voice of this young woman the baby six months in the womb jumps little John jumps he leaves cos yes that's a head I know that I know where this is going and when Mary greeted her the Holy Spirit touched Elizabeth I mean there's even a correlation to learn here you can speak words by the grace of God and you could stir up the prophetic spirit and other people that's what's happening here Mary speaks and the anointing of the Spirit comes on Elizabeth of course there's a very dynamic moment here but the principle is still there but a prophetic word often stirs the grace of God in the anointing of the Spirit on another person verse 42 she spoke out with a loud voice this is Elizabeth blessed are you among women verse 43 why is this been granted to me that the mother of my lord should come to me this is staggering she knows that the couple-week year-old you know the little the baby is that well I don't know the term is but you know what I'm saying the newly conceived geez in her womb it's only been a few weeks now she knows that he is the Lord I mean this is the same revelation that Peter had when he looked at Jesus and said you're the Christ and Peter said flesh and blood didn't tell you that that's not human reasoning you didn't get that from someone else God told you that well Elizabeth is catching this by the spirit and Mary's only been pregnant a few weeks at the most and she says that's my god that's the Lord in your womb it's a remarkable statement she said as soon as you the voice of your greeting when you came in my house and said hello Lizabeth my baby leap for joy verse 45 she goes blessed it is she who believed the things God told her and she could go on and say Elizabeth I know my husband is under the discipline of God he has been for six months I mean he hasn't said a word for six months you're blessed because what you're believing is more intense than what we're believing I mean what we're believing is here we are elderly we're having a child what you're believing is that God impregnated you and he's and your child is gone she said how are you buying this I mean the same Gabriel visited my husband and he could eat it and he didn't take hold of it like you did beloved there is something blessed about a heart that when it really hears from God it lays hold of it and I've over my years of watching this I've seen a lot of folks hear from God and one two three four five years later they've already let go of it two decades later they have long forgotten it but it was really God who encountered them blessed is the woman that believes when the Holy Spirit visits I've had a couple of supernatural experiences pretty extreme ones angelic couple angelic encounters and a few other pretty intense encounters with the Lord over 40 years and let me tell you you can have those encounters and they're so moving but 10 years later you look back and you go oh man know what happened I buzzed it would happen but just doesn't feel like it did when it happened 10 years later and 20 years later and 30 years later and let me tell you you are blessed if you take hold of the word God speaks to you and you don't let it go to the side because you don't feel the same power of it as the years unfold paragraph e top of page 3 well Mary the Spirit comes on her and she offers this prophetic soul I mean first Mary greets Elizabeth Elizabeth prophesies now Mary prophesized back this is a very well-known the prophetic song they manage the Magnificat and that term comes from the Latin word magnifies and this is a very famous prophetic song but this is a psalm to study to imitate how to respond in faith these are phrases we can say back to God in our own situation in part she starts off verse 46 Mary says my soul magnifies the Lord remember she's little been pregnant a couple weeks she's buying into this she goes my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior now God isn't going to tell Joseph for a while she is gonna none of her family is going to be told by the Lord that we know of and she is saying hey God is going to work this thing out now again historically we look back and say hey well she you know Jesus was her child but think about it in the reality of it she is going to go through this intense hour of stigma and even when Jesus was in his public ministry 30 plus years later they said to him oh yeah we know the story you were born in fornication in John chapter 8 you were born you mother was in sexual said we heard the story from the elders of Nazareth the story stayed a lot it was only 30 years but she declares she says Lord I know you're going to work it out I know it's impossible to conceive of it happening and if it does happen I'm going to bear stigma for quite a while but you know what I'm Yours I rejoice in the calling I say yes to your leadership I accept the assignment don't care how impossible looks don't care the stigma that goes with it don't care how much I'm going to be misunderstood and all of those were real in Mary's life verse 48 for the Lord has regarded the lowliest state of his maidservant now she's living in this real rough not highly educated economic City it's a again it's a city with a bad reputation and she doesn't have an education she doesn't have money and a lot of folks they think well if I have if I know all the right people if I'm just educated the right way I got the right social status got the right economic abilities she goes I don't have any of those verse 48 I'm I'm poor uneducated peasant girl with a poor family but you know what if God said it I believe it he looked at my lowest state I can't qualify for this but I'm in and Belov it if the Lord tells you he's gonna use you to do this to that or give you a billion dollars or whatever believe him say well I don't know how to do that just if he says it it's real if it's really from him I love that verse 48 he has regarded my lowly estate he knows I don't have the qualifications to do this verse 49 but he was mighty has done great things for me let's go down to verse 53 he has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent away empty now he's the Lord's not against rich but what happens as Mary says sometimes the rich people they think they can buy their favors and they think that because of their status they might be able to buy God's favor but my son is not going to be moved by anybody's money and their in terms of a deal if the rich are hungry they're going to receive but if they're not hungry and they're trusting their status they're going to be turned away empty it's a pretty bold statement for a young gal and her and the spirit of prophecy she goes but I know my soul is hungry I ask you are you hungry if you're hungry to go deep in God to be a part of what God's doing I got a good word for you the Lord fills the people that are hungry Jesus would say it later in Matthew chapter 5 the Sermon on the Mount blessed are the hungry those that hunger for righteousness God will satisfy verse 56 now Mary remained there for three more months you know Elizabeth's been pregnant six months three more months makes nine so we assume she's there for the delivery and the birth of John that that only makes sense and when you read this the Magnificat this prophetic song that she gives the one thing that strikes me is how well Mary knew the Old Testament as a teenage girl she is quoting there's I think one scholar said I haven't got all the verses down in my memory right now but sixteen or seventeen references to Old Testament prophecies here in this entire if you read the whole thing she was a young woman in a poor little out-of-the-way town who knew the Bible as a 1617 year old girl possibly maybe younger maybe a little bit older nobody knows but I'm impressed by the way she would just flow with her knowledge and revelation somebody's as well was the Spirit gave it to her typically when a person prophecies they might have a phrase that's completely out there but often the Holy Spirit will use the word that you've laid hold of and you that as some of the platform he uses to release the prophetic word in and through you so now Mary returns three months pregnant she's back in Nazareth she's made that 80 mile walk back home or a mule whatever and now she's three months pregnant so they're not they don't get the story they you know she's like oh boy Elizabeth gets it but nobody at home gets it especially not Joseph now another thing I want to point out I have written here in paragraph three the bottom of page three that mary says my spirit rejoices in God my Savior and the idea that Mary is acknowledging her need of a savior because in the in the Catholic doctrine they say Mary was sinless there's no testimony biblical testimony to that at all that she was sinless that Mary needed salvation like everybody else did that's the glory of the story that God is intervening and participating with people like us that's the point of a story not the whole point but that's one of the main points ok paragraph the next thing that happens is John is John's birth we're going to skip that and then after John's birth paragraph G his father sings his song and he sings as prophetic song of praise the Benedictus and that's a well-known prophetic song as well and in this song the part I want you to see is particularly in verse 74 I mean all of it really but I want you to see verse 74 because we get insight into Jesus's ministry in his heart through these prophetic songs the prophetic song of Elizabeth the prophetic song I mean the prophetic statements of Elizabeth Mary Zacharias and Simeon they all give us insight into Jesus's heart these prophetic Oracle's are around at the time of his birth but verse 74 I love it that God is going to grant that we are delivered from the hand of our enemies that we would serve God without fear all of our days paragraph three underneath this Jesus is ministry it's not all that it's about but but it's core to what it's about he came to destroy the works of the devil to liberate us from all of our enemies forever beloved this is a most remarkable storyline we have a God one of his goals primary goals in salvation is to free you from every enemy that touches your life spiritually all the demons all the sin all the judgment all of us gone physically perfect health resurrected body forever financially gold is so abundant you walk on streets of gold relationally everybody in perfect unity and joy in love for billions and billions of years living in Garden of Eden cot type conditions Jesus came to deliver us from everything that's against us and he came number four so that we would live we could serve God with no fear with confidence we're not afraid of God in the negative sense spirit of condemnation we're not afraid of a devil we're not afraid of challenges we live with confidence without fear that is one of the things that right here in this song that is being highlighted about the Ministry of Jesus top of page four so now John the Baptist is born there's now Mary's three months pregnant she's back in Galilee the story picks up now it's Matthew picks up the story from here John the Baptist has just recently been born verse 18 Matthew now he's taking a approached in Luke but he's telling us parts that Luke doesn't tell us of the story verse 18 Matthew chapter 1 now the birth of Jesus was as follows after Jesus's mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph now this is before they came together this is speaking sexually she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit but verse 19 Joseph is shocked by this he says you've been gone three months you come back after three months we've been engaged and you're pregnant you're telling me God did it I want to get a hold of this Elizabeth I don't know your family that well I want to figure out what's going on down there one thing that I don't like in terms of my life with the Lord I don't like that the Lord waits til five minutes till twelve to give the information five minutes to midnight he could have given Joseph to dream a long time ago he gonna give Joseph the dream before Gabriel came and says hey Joe she's gonna need your help I'm gonna visit her next month but just get ready don't say nothing to her the Lord visits just in time but in my flesh it's five minutes till midnight I go Lord how about ten minutes to midnight that's just be a little bit nicer but he comes I mean it's months afterwards Mary is free-falling Joseph is free-falling I mean Mary believes but she's going Lord Kelly come on just tell him I don't know what she's really saying that's what I would be saying verse 20 I mean Joseph and verse 19 is once the divorcer verse 20 the angel the Lord appears in a dream Joseph son of David I mean even that term son of David I mean in other words the prophecy was about Mary's son the real son of David saying Joseph you're in with a great story here don't be afraid takers your wife for that which is conceived in hers by the holy spirit and Joseph is in this dream going hell on earth how's this happening this is a I'm hearing this well here's the very here's the absolute verification he'll brave for the son you'll call his name Jesus now I don't know how this worked I look forward to talking to them one day I marry Gabriel told you to name him Jesus did you hold the name secret until Joseph had the dream or did you tell Joseph and then the dream the angel says hey it's even the name that your fiancee told you that is the real name and that was the confirming word right there Joseph goes well yeah in this dream I'm getting the name that Mary told me I could just mare imagine Mary telling the story but he's gonna be his name as Jesus because he's going to save his people from their sins and we know that the name Jesus is the new testament name the Old Testament aim is Joshua God is Jehovah is the savior he saves saves us from our sins saves us from our enemies all of that is included he goes in verse 22 in the dream the angel says you know that verse in Isaiah chapter 7 about the Virgin your fiance is the fulfillment the ultimate fulfillment of that verse from Isaiah chapter 7 I believe there was a partial fulfillment back in Isaiah's day with it with a has the king but in it in a partial way the ultimate fulfillment is your fiance the woman that you're betrothed to and so he quotes the prophecy from Isaiah chapter 7 verse verse 14 okay let's look at a paragraph Jay all the way to paragraph J so now a few more months come by they're up in Bethlehem I mean I mean they're in Nazareth few more months ago bites towards the end of Mary's pregnancy you know it's month seven month eight something like that we don't know exactly we're back in Luke chapter two Luke picks up the story from where Matthew we just left off it came to pass again Mary's now pregnant six seven eight months something like that and all of a sudden the word comes out the word comes forth there's a decree there's a census the Roman Empire is going to force all the Jews to go to their the city of their forefathers everyone has to go to the city of their forefathers now joseph has had the dream now from the angel and he's going well my forefathers were from Bethlehem oh my goodness this is amazing and the government is now demanding we go to the city of our forefathers for the for the government census for taxation reasons and Joseph is going this is amazing because the prophecy the Old Testament prophecy Mike of chapter five verse two very famous one the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem Mary you're seven or eight months pregnant we gotta go to Bethlehem I mean God's moving on the government to set this in motion beloved there is no political obstacle that God cannot overcome to do his will you know sometimes we look at the government we look at the elections that we think that that the kingdom of God is in the balance of who's in power in Washington or whatever city of the earth I mean they have their impact but there's a king on a throne at the right hand of the Father who's over everything and he can move all the kings of the earth that will I mean I could imagine Merritt she goes with my great great grandfather is David - and my city is Bethlehem and he goes where so is that that's my city let's get all of our family histories and you put altogether and go back 2,000 years and David and Bathsheba were the great-great-great great-great great-great grandparents of Mary and Joseph a thousand years before and they did the whole history they go and the government is making us both go back to Bethlehem this is intense and I'm seven eight months six months pregnant it's the timings perfect the journey is going to be intense but the timing is right so verse three they all register to go to their own City Joseph left up north and Nazareth and he went down south to Bethlehem Bethlehem is only about five miles from Jerusalem so it's down kind of near where Elizabeth lived verse six and while they were in Bethlehem the nine months were completed so that's why we know that this census was was set in motion you know just a few months earlier because while they're down there the nine months for her delivery comes she brought forth her son they wrapped even the swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the end here is God intentionally identifying with the poor I mean the God who has son I mean there is no Palace worthy of his of his throne to be in but he's born in a manger that's what he looks that's what he's identifying with the human race the poor okay look at paragraph K table page five well now they're down there in Bethlehem they're down there and the Bethlehem they've had the baby in the lying there in the manger there's some Shepherds out in the field now I think one of the reasons God visited the Shepherd's out in the field he wanted to give a supernatural validation to a group of people that were not in the Family Circle of Mary and Joseph I mean completely outside a whole other sphere of people in a whole other city so they're not around Nazareth these Shepherds they don't know anything about Nazareth they don't know anything Joseph so it's a the Lord is doing this for many reasons undoubtedly but one of the reasons is that he's validating his purpose and confirming it by another group of people that have no relationship no reason to back up the story except for the angels appeared to them and again there's so many points to make with every one of these passage of Scripture but I'm just making just the simplest points verse 9 the Shepherd's are in the field an angel stands in front of what's one angel to start with these shepherds we don't know how many and the glory of God shines around you know maybe it's five or ten of them you know the Christmas stories is one or two guys but it could have been five or ten or twenty of them who knows the glory of God shines around these guys are going home like goodness this is intense the angel says but they always say it first don't be afraid because these guys are absolutely terrified good news is coming good news it's great joy but it's not just for the Jewish people it's for all people that's the key phrase there because this was new because many of the Jews imagined it would mostly and only be for them but it's for the whole world and this is this is new the good news has a new dimension to it verse 11 there's born to you this day in the City of David course they're out in the field they know the city of Davis Bethlehem is just you know mile down the road or whatever they're very familiar with the local geography he's a savior he's the Christ Christ means the Messiah he's the Messiah The Anointed One he's the one the prophets prophesied this will be the sign to you you'll find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger and they're thinking a babe in a manger that isn't really yeah and he's the savior of the world and Jim a major really that's a little bit disconnect just go you'll see verse 13 the other angels got so excited that all of a sudden among to toot of angels appear I mean it's like the veil lifted and they were all shouting glory to God it's happening it's real it's happening in time and space God became human he's born and the angels declare these two great statements world peace is coming beloved I have good news for you world peace is coming and when it comes it's going to be here to stay and there's not going to be a coalition of Nations to bring it to pass it's going to be a Jewish King returning on a white horse to bring world peace I promise you world peace is coming to stay and I promise you nobody else will get anything close to any kind of global stable world peace besides him he's the only Bob person able and worthy of it but not only world peace coming the utopian dreams of the human heart are going to happen good will that whatever you can dream of the scripture says in first Corinthians - I has not seen ear has not heard it's never entered the heart of a man the depth of the glory he's prepared I mean you take Spielberg and Walt Disney and ten other guys put them all together the best dream they could come up with they can't touch where this thing is going goodwill is coming to the earth the utopian dreams of the human heart are coming well these first 16 these guys got so excited these Shepherds they ran where's that you know let's go to that manger there was the babe just like the angel said verse 17 these shepherds told everybody they told everybody and everybody that heard Marvel they're sitting here telling me an angel appeared shined the glory on you guys and then a host of angels and then they really were in the manger really the guys yes it's a know 10 of them 15 of them whatever we all saw this is true I mean the word goes everywhere thirty years later the stories are still being told now some of you if you're 20 you think thirty years later oh my gosh I mean will I even be alive yes thirty years ago was only 1986 I tell a lot of stories from 1986 that was a minute ago those stories were going everywhere they're prophetic stories the whole cities has been remember back when those guys came through as they said those angels came things sure got quiet for 30 years well a man was about to march into Jerusalem thirty years later Jesus the son of David he didn't go it didn't deed the purpose wasn't derailed because it went quiet for 30 years well let's go on to paragraph in the bottom of page five there Simeon and Anna there in the temple there and the Spirit of God falls on Simeon now you could read the notes there it's it's about six weeks after the baby's been born Jesus had been born it's a little over about six weeks later they go to Jerusalem from Bethlehem it's only five miles they're going to present him at the temple because that's what the Jewish law that's what the Old Testament all said to do so they went to present him I skipped over that and a couple paragraphs earlier that I skipped over so they're in the temple for that reason in verse 27 the spirit I mean Simeon comes into the temple led by the spirit he walked right over to this young couple with this baby this six week old baby and same in verse 28 took the baby his arms said my eyes have seen the salvation of God you know Mary and Joseph is going this this is I mean we know it's real but this really is real I mean we know it's real but this is amazing how do you know Simeon well the Holy Spirit told me he's not just gonna bring the glory of God to Israel he's gonna fill the whole earth all the Gentiles all over Asia Africa all the islands everywhere the glory of God is going to be established by his leadership verse 30 set for Simeon looks this elderly man he looks at this young you know seventeen 18 year old girl or younger probably marry this young teenager with his six year old week old baby and he says let me tell you verse 34 young lady this child is destined to the rise to the fall and the rising of many oh that's that's a that's kind of a cryptic ominous statement his personhood the fact that he's come to the earth many will fall because of him because he's going to require allegiance to him and they don't want him and that's going to be their fall their downfall but many when he all calls for their allegiance they will say yes and they will rise they will rise beyond anything they could imagine they'll live in the New Jerusalem one day they'll rule the earth with him one day they'll rise in a way they can imagine and those that fall will fall to a level they cannot imagine when they resist him to the end it's called the lake of fire Sammy and says yours your son is destined to cause this to result two groups of people Mary's listening she's I just never thought of it that way he goes well let me tell you another thing Mary your son will be a sign that will be spoken against he will have many more enemies than he has friends well how could this be he's the son of David Gabriel appeared the angels appeared yes it's true Mary but he will have many more enemies than he will have friends many in Israel and many in the nations will stand against him with all of their might I mean we know in the book of Revelation all the kings of the earth will come against him they said he'll be spoken against Matthew chapter 10 verse 34 Jesus says I came and when I came I'm bringing a sword and there's going to be opposition and many will hate me they don't want my leadership they don't love my father though they have a rhetoric about loving God they don't love my leadership then he looked at Mary and he said Mary I have to tell you this because the Holy Spirit rest on me a sword will pierce even your own heart what a sword will pierce your heart marry this glorious son who you love which is the glue most glorious they can imagine there will be pain and challenge and setbacks that you can't imagine will be involved and you're going to feel it see we would imagine that if Gabriel appeared Elizabeth the Gabriel appeared a second I have two times in one year hadn't peered at five hundred years two times in one year angels appear the wise man come came all of these stories is for dreams that Joseph had that we didn't highlight but he had four prophetic dreams in the process of this few week pair of this a year to period four major prophetic dreams you'd think your son is God and he's gonna rule the earth pretty good the difficulty that Mary went through is just intense I mean Mary's husband Joseph died a few years later so and Mary has seven or eight children the Gospels make it clear that she had four sons and a number of daughters so she's widowed with seven or eight children and Nazareth who loved her son because her son had great favor when he grew up he had favor with God and man he's the most popular guy and as they turned on Jesus and wanted to kill him then the nation turned on him want to kill him then they killed him and Mary's going wait I thought this thing was an anointed person it is but it's in context to a dark world with enemies and a raging devil and God wins but there will be challenges setbacks you got to stay hold of this thing you got to take hold and keep hold of it and the thoughts of many are going to be revealed like I said before that Jesus offends the mind to reveal the heart he says and did did many things that people go wait a second what and Jesus says if you really love me you'll find a way to make sense of what I just said if you don't really want me you'll find a way to throw me overboard because I'm saying that's offending your heart is your mind is only going to reveal your heart your thoughts will come to the surface and when Jesus did all these different things I mean many people said he's an impostor and Jesus says you got plenty of information to get rid of me if you want to and another group says but we love you this has to be right he says you got plenty of information to follow me if you want to but I'm not changing anything it's me on my terms well top of page six we're not going to go through it worship team come up but the star I just got to mention the star I love the star I think the star the wise men are following the Magi the wise men my opinion and it I've read it from other sources it-it's not original with me I think the star was not a literal star in the sky because it was moving and it rested over the house and led the Wiseman right to the house I think it was the glory of God like in the wilderness when the Shekinah glory of God like a pillar of fire and the cloud and the fire it moved and directed Israel in a bright and shining light my guess is that's the star that they're following that rests over the house I don't think a star you know like Venus came down to the earth and rested over a house I don't think that's what it's talking about I think it's the glory of God in the brightest way and it's literally following leading the wise men and you know the story well and they gave the three prophetic gifts the gold frankincense and myrrh which spoke of his kingly ministry his priestly ministry and his death on the cross and then the very end I wish I wouldn't taken so long on the other stuff but Jesus goes to Jerusalem at age 12 it is such a great story but the whole part is his human process comes out he didn't skip the human process he really grew up and understood little by little and he dealt with all the issues that people deal with and he grew an understanding in favor with God in people in terms of circumstances blessing on his circumstances well amen let's stand before the Lord and let's tell Jesus we love you we love you Jesus Jesus we love you now for the next number of weeks I'm going to take those that are taking the class I think today we have those that start with the name a to D something like that I'm not sure how Kathy organized that we have a Q&A in about 15-20 minutes so we're going to be upstairs and only those students according to you know who you are and then everywhere can have a different group up there for from you are all things and to you are all things you deserve to glow me and you're worthy of it all and you're worthy of it all Oh for from you [Music] you deserve the glory I'm gonna invite people to come forward the Lord is giving you the avatar a clear prophetic word and promise and you are worthy the enemy has come to attack it or even the very delay of it has made it a challenge from you and you just imagined it would happen easier and faster but it's being challenged and delayed in a way you didn't imagine [Music] you were the other what if I didn't come forward what asked for spirit of faith to touch you from her slumber to be driven away far away from you in this hour you deserve the glory and you're worthy [Music] sure worthy of it [Music] and to thanks Hugh deserves the club Lord you gave us prophetic words but the delay is longer than we thought of the challenges are greater than we imagined by Lord we say what Mary said be it unto me according to your word I believe you what I say I'm not gonna let go I'm not gonna let it fall around I believe your promise and others that are any kind of leadership the internship or I'll help you or the vicious base or FCF anywhere button come on up [Music] this event prophesied blessed are you because you believe marry blessed that you don't let go of this world that's what believe means it means not letting go with the time we fold keep on keep on believing [Music] keep on keep on [Music] we'll keep on keep on believing [Music] we'll keep on keep on believing [Music] be unto me according to you for our rejoice in the Lord I say thank you feel dorky I don't doubt your word I say thank you keep on keep on [Music] okay long leaving [Music] but I asked you for spirit of faith the holy spirit come in stir up our faith give us faith afresh tonight [Music] he's gonna turn it on just wait and see it may not be easy he's gonna make everything there may be a delay just I assure you every devil is a liar you see he's gonna make everything beautiful just and die [Music] what I asked you for the spirit of prophecy I asked you for the renewal of the Holy Spirit right now in this room right now what I asked you for confirmation of words given in the past I asked you for a fresh confirmation of prophetic promises of the back he's gonna turn it all around just away and say he's gonna make just time he's gonna turn it on just wait and see he's gonna make beautiful Justin time it's just a matter of time I asked for fresh infusion clarity [Music] knew the promises again [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] just don't [Music] no quit [Music] Hongki [Music] you win just [Music] Oh Holy Spirit come and overshadow your peoples industry release the fire of the Holy Spirit of this room Lord we ask release your fine release your fire and overshadow your people by power presto [Music] Oh or we just invite your wind your very breath Holy Spirit you wanna be overcome by come arrest on us and breathe into have you [Music] long let's breathe on the again just I go [Music] commemorate on our hearts again just love and commemorate so we scare it [Music] every 7th Lord gives to those that are hungry jesus said blessed are those who hunger for they shall be satisfied he was talking smoothly Lord we hunger for more we hunger for your fullness [Music] blessed are those who hunger so what you what ghost Cree's our hunger make us home what we believe there must be more and the ceiling they've become the floor we are hungry we are home you never give up I'll never give up never gave up cuz if you set it up if you said it I believe they've done to me a quart way down on me [Music] according to world [Music] we stand asking for we won't one again we won't let go we're holding onto you promises [Music] [Applause] [Music] the face oh yes and a [Music] Hamas's oh yes [Music] [Applause] promises are yes and amen amen [Music] the shares are yesterday [Music] promises are yes and amen amen your promises yes and amen so put your hand up on my booty your booty your hand what are your [Music] Hey [Music] let me see and let me [Music] love then me [Music] I put [Music] remember fresh-ground fresh wind tonight just hungry [Music] they will be [Music] [Music] [Music]

Channel: Mike Bickle Official

Views: 1,313

Rating: 4.7894735 out of 5

Keywords: ihopkc, International House of Prayer, Mike Bickle, Jesus, Life of Christ, Christianity, Christian, Religion, Prayer Room, Prayer

Id: f1DvXe-aD-Q

Length: 75min 52sec (4552 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 14 2017