Pastor Mike Impact Ministries

Michael L Grooms
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Pastor Mike Impact Ministries Podcast

A daily chat with Pastor Mike and other resources to encourage listeners to connect with the Word of God and grow in their faith.

  1. Luke 3:7-14 - "What Shall We Do?"

    1 DAY AGO

    Luke 3:7-14 - "What Shall We Do?"

    John the Baptist came preaching a message of judgement and repentance. It appears that there was a movement of the Spirit of God across the land of Israel and when people heard about this wilderness preacher, they started coming by the thousands to hear him and many were willing to repent and be baptized. As we said yesterday, John first addressed the religious crowd that came to hear him, trying to find out why all the country seemed to be flocking to hear him. They were not interested in his message of repentance. They were blindly satisfied with their religious rituals and ceremonies.   So, John addressed them first and called them a “brood of vipers”. A bunch of poisonous snakes! He warned them of the judgment of the “wrath to come”. That they needed to repent like everyone else and just being a Jew wasn’t enough! John went on to say, that already the axe is laid to the root of the trees, which meant that the Messiah was here, and judgement by being thrown into the fire, was sure if they rejected Him.   Then it appears that John has a message for three different groups of people. In verse 10, “the people”, which would be the multitudes of common people that were there. In verse 12, “the tax collectors” that came to be baptized. And in verse 14, the Roman soldiers possibly were there to keep order because of the crowds. They were coming under conviction by John’s powerful preaching!   It is interesting that each of these groups all ask the same question upon getting baptized and now wanting to bear fruits that gave evidence of their repentance. Their question was, “What shall we do?” This sounds like a familiar question that was often asked in the Book of Acts. On the day of Pentecost after Peter preached his powerful message about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, in Acts 2:37, the people listening “were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"   In Acts 9:6, we see the Apostle Paul’s response when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. After he acknowledged that it was Jesus speaking to him, he asked, "Lord, what do You want me to do?” After the earthquake and the jail doors opened in Acts 16:30, the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”   What a great question! It is a sign of truly coming under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit and wonderful evidence of genuine repentance! And John had an application for each of these groups. To the people he said, “that whoever has two coats, let him give to him that hath none; and he that has food, let him to likewise" (Luke 3:10, 11). The message for the people was mercy and charity. This indirectly exposed the sin of the people, namely, selfishness.   To the tax collectors he said, “collect no more than that which is appointed you?" (Luke 3:12, 13). John the Baptist did not hesitate to deal with sin. The publicans, who were the tax collectors, were notorious for overcharging people for taxes. And to the soldiers, John the Baptist gave a threefold answer. First, “do not intimidate anyone.” Soldiers have the means to do violence to people. Secondly, “do not accuse falsely." Soldiers could be very evil to people by bringing false accusations. Roman courts readily accepted the testimony of a soldier. And thirdly, “be content with your wages”. Contentment with wages reflects an attitude that is not poisoned by materialism.   What is the Holy Spirit speaking to you about today? Will you respond, “Lord, what will you have me to do?”   God bless!

    5 min
  2. Luke 3:7-9 - "Therefore Bear Fruits Worthy of Repentance"

    1 DAY AGO

    Luke 3:7-9 - "Therefore Bear Fruits Worthy of Repentance"

    Remember we are told in Luke 3:23 that Jesus begin His ministry when He was about thirty years of age. This means that John the Baptist, who was born six months before the birth of Jesus, would have also been about thirty years old. Matthew’s Gospel tells us in Matthew 3; “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea!” And what a preacher he was! He didn’t come explaining, he came preaching! He didn’t come tickling people’s ears trying to make them feel better about themselves.   When you think about the background of John the Baptist, you will remember that he was the son of a priest, which means he would have grown up around Jerusalem and the temple. He saw and observed all the ceremonies, rituals and sacrifices being performed by the priest and the religious establishment. And what he saw was a dead religion full of corruption as the priests took advantage of the people buying sacrificial animals and other worship items when they arrived at the temple, by getting kickbacks from the sellers they allow to sell their ware there. He saw the hypocrisy of the priest and the religious leaders, and he was turned off to it. And as soon as he was old enough, he fled to the wilderness.   We are told that John most likely joined the Essenes who were down by the Dead Sea living in a small, very exclusive commune of hermit like men dedicated to making copies of the Old Testament Scriptures. You can imagine how John would have poured over the prophesies of Isaiah as the Spirit of God began to reveal to him that he was that voice that was “to cry in the wilderness and prepare the way of the Lord”. No doubt, as a boy he had been told by his father Zacharias and his mother Elizabeth about the miraculous birth of his cousin Jesus six months after he was born. And now he puts it all together and hears the call of God to go down by the Jordan River and preach!   Please get this picture as John begins to preach and the word begins to spread across the land and up to Jerusalem about this prophet wearing animal skins, eating locus and wild honey, preaching and baptizing lots of people. He was a sight to see and had a message that was changing lives. Even when people came out of curiosity, they came under conviction of their sins and entered the river to be baptized! And as more and more people came “the multitudes” began to show up, and with them came the religious leaders of Jerusalem trying to figure him out.   When the religious leaders show up, John first addresses them in his message and calls them “a brood of vipers”. Now for sure this group did not come to hear about their sins and their hypocrisy. They didn’t think they had anything to repent of. They thought their religion was enough to save them. Even Jesus would later say, “I didn’t come to call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17).   John was not afraid to call these religious leaders out first and expose them for their hypocrisy! I am convinced even today that the problem is not in the pew of our churches but in the pulpit. A pulpit full of preachers who are tickling people’s ears, scratching people’s backs, trying to explain the Bible so the people can feel like because they know the Bible they will also be in good standing with God.   But my friend, you can know the Bible from cover to cover and yet not be right with God. You can say that you have faith in all the right things found in the Bible, but James makes it clear in James 2:17-20; “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. .... This is John’s message! True faith will “bear fruits worthy of repentance”. John tells these religious people that just because they are Jews and have been born into the right family will not matter in the day of judgment. One day, “they will be cut down like a tree and be cast into the fire”.   Today are you sure you are saved? Are the fruits of righteousn

    5 min
  3. Luke 3:1-6 - “The Voice of One Crying…”

    2 DAYS AGO

    Luke 3:1-6 - “The Voice of One Crying…”

    Luke tells us that John is the fulfilment the “voice” found in Isaiah 40:3-5. It was there that Isaiah prophesied some seven-hundred years before the events in the Gospels these words: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."   The Apostle John in his Gospel tells us: “Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" He said: "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the LORD," ' as the prophet Isaiah said" (John 1:19-23).   John the Baptist knew clearly that he was that “voice” that Isaiah prophesied about. He knew what his mission was in preparing the way of the LORD! In fulfillment of that prophecy, John is that voice, a clear distinct voice, a loud voice, an articulate one! John cries, 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight. John's business is to make way for the receiving of the gospel in the hearts of the people.  To bring them into such a frame and temper of mind so that Christ might be welcome to them, and they would welcome to Christ.   Luke goes further on with the quotation than Matthew and Mark had done and applies the following words likewise to John's ministry (v. 5,6), “Every valley shall be exalted or filled”. It seems that this means the gospel of Christ will fill the low valleys of people’s hearts. In other words, the humble will be filled and enriched with grace and be exalted.   “And every mountain and hill brought low”. Speaks how the Gospel will humble the proud and bring them down. How the self-confident that stand upon their own wisdom, and how the self-conceited that lift up their own selves, will have contempt put upon them. If they repent, they are brought to the dust, but if not, they will be taken to the lowest hell.   “The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth”. Indicates that sinners shall be converted to God. Their crooked ways and their crooked spirits will be made straight. Man can’t do this himself as it says in Ecclesiastes 7:13: “Consider the work of God; For who can make straight what He has made crooked?”  Only God by his grace can make that straight which sin hath made crooked.   “And the rough ways smooth”. Only the Holy Spirit and the Gospel can deal with and remove the difficulties that hinder and discourage us in finding the way to heaven. Yes the Scripture teaches us that they that love God's law shall have great peace, and nothing shall offend them (Psalm 119:165). The gospel has made the way to heaven plain and easy to be found, smooth and easy to be walked in.   “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God." God’s great salvation through Christ shall be more fully discovered than ever, and the discovery of it shall spread to all flesh!  Not the Jews only, but also the Gentiles. Yes, everyone shall see this salvation of God in the cross of Jesus Christ. It is set before them and offered to them!  Anyone and everyone are invited to enjoy it and receive the benefit of it.   God sometimes has to break up our cold proud hard stony hearts with trials and problems and brings us low so that we might open our hearts in repentance to receive His grace, hope, peace and comfort for our weary souls!   God bless!

    5 min
  4. Luke 3:1-6 - The Baptism of Repentance

    3 DAYS AGO

    Luke 3:1-6 - The Baptism of Repentance

    Exactly what was the meaning of “baptism of repentance” and the importance of it? Though today the word baptism generally evokes thoughts of identifying with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, baptism did not begin with Christians. You do not find baptism mentioned in the Old Testament. For years before Christ, the Jews had used baptism in ritual cleansing ceremonies of Gentile proselytes. Also ritual cleaning by water was require by the priest in the Old Testament and for anyone who would enter the tabernacle or temple.   Each time I have visited Israel we always go to place called Qumran located on the west side Dead Sea just south of the Jordan River and in an area called the wilderness where John began his ministry. This is where the Essenes lived. The Essenes were copyists. It is believed that they were the ones who wrote and hid the Dead Sea Scrolls in the caves near their dwellings. At these ruins you will find their cleansing baths that were very elaborate. It is believed that John the Baptist was with this group for a period of time. It may be where the God revealed to him to begin what would be known as the “baptism of repentance”.   John the Baptist took baptism and applied it to the Jews themselves, because it wasn’t just the Gentiles who needed cleansing. Many believed John’s message and were baptized by him (Matthew 3:5–6). The baptisms John performed had a specific purpose. In Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist mentions the purpose of his baptisms: “I baptize you with water for repentance.” Paul affirms this in Acts 19:4: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”   John’s baptism had to do with repentance. It was a symbolic representation of changing one’s mind and going in a new direction. “Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River” (Matthew 3:6). Being baptized by John demonstrated a recognition of one’s sin, a desire for spiritual cleansing, and a commitment to follow God’s law in anticipation of the Messiah’s arrival.   There were some, like the Pharisees, who came to the Jordan to observe John’s ministry but who had no desire to step into the water themselves. John rebuked them sternly: “When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance’” (Matthew 3:7–8). Even the religious leaders needed to repent of their sin, although they saw no need of it.   Christian baptism today also symbolizes repentance, cleansing, and commitment, but Jesus has given it a different emphasis. When Jesus was baptized by John it was not for repentance because He never sinned. But to “fulfill all righteousness”, Jesus was baptized as the Sinless One to identify with the sinner who needed forgiveness. Christian baptism is a mark of one’s identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.   Baptism for the new believer is an act of obedience and is representative of a cleansing that is complete and a commitment that is the natural response of one who has been made new. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross completely washes away our sins, and we are raised to new life empowered by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17–21; Romans 6:1–11). With John’s baptism, a person repented of sin and was therefore ready to place his faith in Jesus Christ. John’s baptism foreshadowed what Jesus would accomplish, much as the Old Testament sacrificial system did.   In this way John prepared the way for Christ by calling people to acknowledge their sin and their need for salvation. His baptism was a purification ceremony meant to ready the peoples’ hearts to receive their Savior.   Have you identified with the Lord Jesus since you have given your heart to Him and received His forgivenes

    5 min
  5. Luke 3:1-6 - The Message of Repentance

    5 DAYS AGO

    Luke 3:1-6 - The Message of Repentance

    After the birth of John the Baptist, in Luke 1:76-80, Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, had prophesied about his son’s future with these words: “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace." So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.”   Now here in Luke 3:1-6, some thirty years later we are reading of the fulfilment of Zacharias’s prophecy as John came preaching a message of repentance. To me this is interesting, and we should ask the question, “Why a message of repentance”? We should also point out that Matthew’s Gospel also gives us this same description of John: “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matthew 3:1-2).   Matthew also informs us that the very first words that Jesus preached after His baptism and forty days of temptation in the wilderness were: “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17).   Why is repentance so important? Why is repentance the prelude to the coming ministry of Jesus the Messiah? Well, think about it. Later John would say, the Messiah, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, has come to do what? To take away the sins of the world. The ministry of Jesus the Messiah is to atone for sin, to provide the way for the forgiveness of sin, and to provide a just and righteous basis whereby our loving heavenly Father can forgive us of sin.   What could possibly keep us from receiving this glorious message of forgiveness? The answer is obvious! Not adequately appreciating that we need to be forgiven of sin. You can't be forgiven of sin if you don't believe that you have sinned and need forgiveness. Repentance is the recognition of our need for forgiveness of sin, and therefore it is necessary for the forgiveness of sin. Not because repentance brings about or causes forgiveness. We could repent until the cows come home, and apart from the saving work of Jesus Christ it would not forgive our sins.   But John makes it clear that it is necessary for forgiveness because we need to recognize our need for forgiveness before we are in a position of receiving forgiveness and trusting in the One who has purchased us forgiveness before His heavenly Father. And so, repentance is absolutely vital, and Luke summarizes John the Baptist's ministry in terms of his preaching of repentance.   Some people feel regret when they are suffering the consequences of their sin. But that is only mental. They admit that they are sorry, but usually that only means they are sorry they got caught or that their sin has hurt someone else. Then there are others who feel remorse for their sin. They shed tears as they emotionally response to their sin and ask for forgiveness. But then they never change and continue to do the same things.   Thank the Lord for true and genuine repentance! It happens when the Holy Spirit so convicts us of our sin against a Holy God that we not only feel regret and remorse but that we turn from our sin and see the full consequence of it falling on the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross! We then experience the regeneration of the Holy Spirt as we are forgiven of all our sins and by His grace we never want to sin again!   Have you ever genuinely repented of your sin! If not, why not right now ask the Lord to give you that heart of repentance and accept the Lord as your only hope of forgiveness and salvation!   God bless!

    5 min
  6. Luke 3:1-6 - "The Word of God Came"

    5 DAYS AGO

    Luke 3:1-6 - "The Word of God Came"

    Luke 3:1-6 1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; 6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.' "   Luke is presenting the historical Jesus to us as the perfect Son of Man and reminding us at the same time that Jesus is the sinless Son of God. God Himself robed in human flesh! In chapters one and two, Luke records the details of the births of John, the son of Zacharias, and Jesus, the Son of God! After a brief account of Jesus being taken to the Temple as a twelve-year-old boy, Luke now jumps forward thirty years and describes the beginning of the ministries of both John and Jesus.   When John the Baptist appeared on the scene, no prophetic voice had been heard in Israel for 400 years. His coming was a part of God's perfect timing, for everything that relates to God's Son is always on schedule (Gal. 4:4; John 2:4; 13:1). The "silent years" were nearly over. God was about to speak again, first through a prophet and then through His Son. Because of this fact and because it was so important, Luke carefully dates the event. He tells us specifically that John’s ministry began in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar was between A.D. 28/29.   In his introduction to the ministries of John and Jesus, Luke named seven different men in Luke 3:1-2, including a Roman emperor, a governor, three tetrarchs (rulers over a fourth part of an area), and two Jewish high priests. But God's Word was not sent to any of them! Instead, the message of God came to John the Baptist, a humble Jewish prophet.   So, Luke amasses all of this weight of historical evidence to document the sudden appearance of John with his rousing cry: "Repent!" An emperor, a governor, three tetrarchs, and two high priests, all to introduce the man who was, by all outward appearances, just a backwoods, desert preacher. But what a man! And what a preacher! And what a message!   Notice how John came in verse 3.  He came resembling the Prophet Elijah in manner and dress (Luke 1:17; Matt. 3:4; 2 Kings 1:8). John came to the same area “in the wilderness” near the Jordan River where Elijah had ascended into heaven in a chariot of fire, preaching and baptizing. He announced the arrival of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 3:3) and urged the people to repent. Centuries before, Israel had crossed the Jordan (a national baptism) to claim their Promised Land. Now God summoned them to turn from sin and enter His spiritual kingdom.   Keep in mind that John did much more than preach against sin; he also proclaimed the Gospel. The word preached in Luke 3:18 gives us the English word evangelize ("to preach the Good News"). John introduced Jesus as the Lamb of God (John 1:29) and told people to trust in Him. John was only the best man at the wedding: Jesus was the Bridegroom (John 3:25-30). John rejoiced at the opportunity of introducing people to the Savior, and then getting out of the way.   Yes, the Word of God came to John, and he began to preach! Today, the Word of God, (the Bible in your hands), will come to you if you will take the time to read and receive it! And Jesus, the Living Word, will come to you and abide in your heart if you will repent, believe and receive Him!   God bless!

    5 min
  7. Luke 2:41-52 - "My Father's Business"

    6 DAYS AGO

    Luke 2:41-52 - "My Father's Business"

    47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously." 49 And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"   Throughout his Gospel, Luke is reminding us of the full humanity of Jesus Christ and at the same time His deity. Here he recounts a few days of the childhood of Jesus when He was twelve years old. After Jesus and His parents had observed the Passover in Jerusalem, they had gone a day's journey from Jerusalem when they discovered that Jesus was missing. It took a day to return to the city and two more days for them to find Him. During those three days, Joseph and Mary had been very anxious” (v. 48). This word is also translated “sorrowing” or “distressed”. It is worth noting that Luke's phrase "Joseph and His mother" (Luke 2:43) suggests the Virgin Birth, while the phrase "Your father and I" (Luke 2:48) indicates that Joseph was accepted as the legal father of Jesus (see Luke 3:23).   Whether Jesus had spent the entire time in the temple, we don't know. It certainly would have been safe there and the Heavenly Father was watching over Him. We do know that when Joseph and Mary found Him, He was in the midst of the teachers, asking them questions and listening to their answers; and the teachers were amazed at both His questions and His answers.   Mary's loving rebuke brought a respectful but astonished reply from Jesus: "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" (v. 49). It can also be translated "in the things of My Father", but the idea is the same. Jesus was affirming His divine sonship and His mission to do the will of the Father. What was His “Father’s business?” John says it clearly in John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  The Father’s business is the redemption of mankind! His business is the salvation of sinners by the perfect and sinless life of Jesus, His death as our substitute, His blood sprinkled on the altar in heaven, and His resurrection!   The word “must” was often on our Lord's lips: "I must preach" (Luke 4:43); "The Son of man must suffer" (Luke 9:22); the Son of man "must be lifted up" (John 3:14). Even at the age of twelve, Jesus was moved by a divine compulsion to do the Father's will. Since Jesus "increased in wisdom" (Luke 2:52), we wonder how much He understood God's divine plan at that time. We must not assume that at the age of twelve He was omniscient. Certainly He grew in His comprehension of those mysteries as He communed with His Father and was taught by the Spirit.   Jesus is a wonderful example for all young people to follow. He grew in a balanced way (Luke 2:52) without neglecting any part of life, and His priority was to do the will of His Father (see Matt. 6:33). He knew how to listen (Luke 2:46) and how to ask the right questions. He learned how to work, and He was obedient to His parents. The Boy Jesus grew up in a large family, in a despised city, nurtured by parents who were probably poor. The Jewish religion was at an all-time low, the Roman government was in control, and society was in a state of fear and change. Yet when Jesus emerged from Nazareth, eighteen years later, the Father was able to say of Him, "Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased" (Luke 3:22).   May the Father be able to say that about us, and like Jesus, we should always be about our Father’s business of bringing lost sinners to salvation!   God bless!

    5 min
  8. Luke 2:39-47 - "The Boy Jesus"

    17 SEPT

    Luke 2:39-47 - "The Boy Jesus"

    42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. 43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; Luke, in these verses, now informs us that after the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, His presentation to Simeon and Anna in the Temple, and a short time in Egypt (Matthew 2:13-23), Jesus’ parents move Him back to their hometown of Nazareth where He grows up. We need remember that Luke in his Gospel is presenting Jesus to the world as the perfect “Son of Man” and the emphases is on His humanity. John, in his Gospel present Jesus to the world as the “Son of God” and his emphases is on His deity. The Scriptures teach us that Jesus was totally God and at the same time He was totally human. We might not understand this, but we must accept this great truth by faith because this is the only way that Jesus could die in our place for our sins!   When you think about Luke presenting Jesus in His humanity, it is no wonder that he gives us the details of His birth as a Baby, then calls Him a Child as He grows up in Nazareth, and now calls Him “the Boy Jesus” in verse 43 as he tells us the only story we have in the Gospels of something that takes place in the life of Jesus between His birth and His baptism at thirty years of age!   Luke now has another delightful story to tell. Jesus was twelve, the age in Jewish culture when a boy begins to assume the responsibilities of a man. He was ready for His first Passover. Scholars tell us that by this time Jesus education had been thorough enough, first at His mother's knee and then in the local rabbinical school. The weekly Sabbath observance would have been His joy. The Scripture written on the doorposts (Deut. 11:20) of the house had a word for Him every time He left home and whenever He came home.   Jesus soon knew His Bible by heart, and, given His flawless memory and His brilliant mind, He doubtless knew it in both Hebrew and Greek. He came to know all of the people who crowd the Old Testament page, all of the precepts of the ritual law, and all of the principles of such books as Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Jesus knew and understood the full significance of all of the prophecies and promises that God had given to the Hebrew people.   From the age of five until He was ten, His only textbook was the Bible. From ten to fifteen, He was exposed to the Mishna, the traditions of the elders, what came to be known as "the oral law" supposedly given to Moses at Sinai. His keen mind would soon sort out the good from the bad in all of that. Not until He was fifteen would He enter an academy and be taught the endless lectures of the rabbis.   So, with a full heart Jesus joined the pilgrims marching to Zion to keep the feast. People traveled to the feasts in caravans, the women and children leading the way and setting the pace, and the men and young men following behind. Relatives and whole villages often traveled together and kept an eye on each other's children. No doubt they were all singing "the songs of degrees" or “songs of accents” found in Psalms 120-134.   As the Lord entered Jerusalem, His thoughts must have been mixed indeed. Here was a city that Abraham had visited thousands of years earlier, a city where David had reigned, a city that murdered the prophets and that one day would crucify Him. And crowning Mount Moriah and dominating everything was the temple. Tens of thousands of people could find room within its courts. The Lord's eyes would constantly be drawn to it. He called it "my Father's house," although it was, in fact, being built by Herod.   I trust this gives you a picture today of the humanity of Jesus as a Baby, a Child, and a grown-up Boy, as He prepares to present Himself to the world as the only Savior for our sins!   God bless!

    5 min
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A daily chat with Pastor Mike and other resources to encourage listeners to connect with the Word of God and grow in their faith.

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