The Person and Work of Jesus Christ by Rev. Mark Perkins Historical Introduction John 1:15, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." Know from the beginning that Jesus was and is and forever will be the Son of God. Luke 1:14, "Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught." Know from the beginning that this is the factual account of the Son of God, that this is the most widely documented life and times in history.
Know from the beginning that this factual account changes lives. It has changed mine, and it will change yours if you will listen and believe. Gal 4:45, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons." Know from the beginning that God's timing is always right, and that He sent His Son at just the right moment in human history. READ Isaiah 52:1353:12 Know from the beginning that the life of the Son of God was predicted for many hundreds of years, and know that He had a destiny of sorrow and a destiny of glory. Dramatis Personae for the Opening Act Mary: a young virgin, who is betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter. They are residents of Nazareth, a small town in the hill country of Galilee; Elizabeth: an older woman of the hill country of Judah, not far from Jerusalem, and Mary's cousin; her husband Zechariah, a priest in the division of Abijah; Wise men from the East; Shepherds near Bethlehem; Gabriel, an angel; An anonymous angel;
1 John 1:14, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
Simeon, a righteous man who waits for the consolation of Israel;
The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
Herod, the king over the Roman province of Judea an evil man full of ambition.
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Herod in many ways personifies the trouble in Israel at the time of Christ. For a long time, hundreds of years, the Jews had lived under the control of one nation or another, and they longed to be truly autonomous. It seemed like whatever
We write this to make our joy complete."
Anna, a prophetess more than a hundred years of age, and a widow for eighty four of those years a very pious woman;
HEROD THE GREAT
www.servantofmessiah.org