Gospel Luke study

³⁸ Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. ³⁹ So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them. ⁴⁰ At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. ⁴¹ Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah. ⁴² At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. ⁴³ But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” ⁴⁴ And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea. (Luke 4:38-44)
Last time we saw Jesus teaching and casting out demon in the synagogue. Here he went to Simon Peter’s house, where Peter’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever. Some people asked Jesus to heal her, and Jesus rebuked the fever, and it left her. This word “rebuke” is the same word used to rebuke evil spirits and storms (Luke 8:24). Jesus rebuked the spirit of infirmity. We see that after Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law, she immediately got up to serve them, a very good response.
At sunset, many sick people were brought to Jesus, and Jesus laid his hands on each one, healing them. He also cast out demons from many people. The demons, the evil spirits knew that Jesus is the Son of God, the Christ, and they cried out. Jesus rebuked them, forbidding them to speak. Jesus wanted people to believe in Him through His teachings and His deeds, not through evil spirits.
Because Jesus had healed the sick and cast out demons, the crowd wanted to keep him from leaving them the next day. Jesus said that he must preach the gospel in other cities, for this was the purpose of his mission. He was not sent to preach the gospel in just one city, but in all the cities.
May God bless you and your family!

³¹ Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. ³² They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority. ³³ In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ³⁴ “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” ³⁵ “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. ³⁶ All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” ³⁷ And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area. (Luke 4:31-37)
Last time we saw Jesus being rejected in his hometown Nazareth. Here we see Jesus going to Capernaum in Galilee, preaching on the Sabbath, and the crowds were amazed because his words had authority. In the parallel passage in Gospel Mark, it says that he taught with authority, not like the scribes, who were teachers of the law at that time and they taught without authority. In the synagogue, a man was possessed by a demon. Demons are evil spirits. In the spiritual world, there are God and angels, there are also the Devil and the evil spirits. The evil spirit knew that Jesus was the Son of God, but Jesus wouldn’t let him speak; with a single word, he cast the evil spirit out of the man. The crowd was astonished because Jesus had the authority to cast out the demon, and the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.
Jesus not only cast out demons himself, but he also gave authority to his disciples so that they could cast out demons in his name.
Many years ago, a couple from China attended our church. Later, they moved to a place far from the church and stopped attending the church. Afterwards, the wife practiced Qigong, a kind of Chinese meditation, but was possessed by the evil spirit. She asked our preacher to cast out the evil spirit, the evil spirit was cast out, but returned. Later, the preacher advised her to be baptized and committed her life to the Lord. After her baptism, the Holy Spirit lived in her heart, and the evil spirit never came back. Her husband was baptized at the same time. I’ve known her husband for many years.
May God bless you and your family!

¹⁶ He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷ and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” ²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹ He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” ²² All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. ²³ Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’” ²⁴ “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. (Luke 4:16-24)
Jesus was born in Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth. Here it says that he read Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth, and the people marveled at his gracious words. But they said, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” Joseph was a carpenter, and Jesus was also a carpenter. They only saw Jesus from a human perspective. In the parallel passage of the Gospel of Mark, it says that Jesus taught in the synagogue, they marveled at his wisdom and the miracles he performed, but they did not believe in him. They heard that the Lord Jesus performed miracles, healed the sick, and cast out demons, but they did not believe in him, did not believe that he was the Son of God, the Christ. Therefore, the Lord Jesus said: No prophet is accepted in his own hometown. So the Lord Jesus did not perform many miracles in his own hometown, because even if he did, people would not believe. The Lord Jesus performed many miracles and wonders in other places, and many people believed in him. May God bless you and your family!

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” 5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” 9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. (Luke 4:1-11)
This passage tells us that after Jesus was baptized, he was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Jesus fasted for forty days and nights. Fasting means abstaining from food, but does not necessarily mean abstaining from water. Fasting can be complete Fasting or partial Fasting. Complete fasting means not eating any food, but it can also be abstaining from some food, such as only eating vegetables and fruits, or abstaining from sweets or other delicious foods. Long fasting needs to be guided by the Lord. Fasting is often linked to prayer, and it can enhance the effectiveness of prayer. Here, it is said that after Jesus fasted for forty days and nights, he became hungry, and the devil came to tempt him, saying, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread!” This was an attempt to use spiritual power to satisfy personal needs. Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” This quotes Deuteronomy 8:3. Then the devil made him stand on the top of the temple in Jerusalem, saying, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully.” Here, the devil also quoted the scripture.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, (Psalm 91:11-12)
These two verses say that God will guard you in all your ways, not that God would protect you even if you jumped off the top of the temple as the devil claims. We see the devil abusing the Bible, wanting Him to tempt God. Therefore, the Lord Jesus answered, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” This is a quote from Deuteronomy 6:16. The devil then took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. He said to him, “All this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me.”
19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. (1 John 5:19)
The evil one here is the devil Satan, a fallen angel, and the world is under his control. Therefore, he told the Lord Jesus that all the kingdoms of the world and and their splendor could be given to him if he would bow down and worship him. The Lord Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:13 and Deuteronomy 10:20, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” We see that the Lord Jesus used biblical verses to resist the devil’s temptations.

²¹ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” ²³ Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. (Luke 3:21-23)
This passage is about the baptism of Jesus. John the Baptist preached the baptism of repentance, people confessed their sins, repented, and were baptized. Jesus who is sinless identified with the sinners, and also accepted John’s baptism. During Jesus’ baptism, the Trinity appeared simultaneously. As Jesus was praying, the Holy Spirit descended on him in a bodily form like a dove, and a voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” The dove represents purity, gentleness, and peace. This voice from heaven was the Father speaking, confirming Jesus’ authority and identity. Jesus’ baptism marked the beginning of his ministry.
¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” ¹⁵ Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. ¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17)
In this parallel passage, Lord Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. John tried to stop him, because Jesus was more powerful than John and He would baptize people with the Holy Spirit and the fire. Lord Jesus said to John, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” What does this mean? Jesus is both God and man. He is the Son of the Trinity God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As a human being, he needed to fulfill the Father’s command for all people. Jesus’ baptism was not for his own sins; Jesus who is sinless took on the sins of the world. In his baptism, Jesus identified with the sinners, bearing their sins, ultimately satisfying the righteous requirements of the law.
May God bless you and your family!

² During the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³ He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴ As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. ⁵ Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.⁶ And all people will see God’s salvation.’” ⁷ John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ⁹ The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” ¹⁰ “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. ¹¹ John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” ¹² Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” ¹³ “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. ¹⁴ Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” (Luke 3:2-14)
Here we see that God’s word came to John the Baptist in the wilderness. He went to the area around the Jordan River and preached the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. That is, if people repent and are baptized, their sins will be forgiven by God.
The voice of one crying out, “In the wilderness prepare the way for God! Make straight in the desert a highway for our God!” (Isaiah 40:3)
This is a prophecy about John the Baptist in the book of Isaiah of the Old Testament. He would prepare the way for God in the wilderness and make straight in the desert a highway for God. He was the forerunner of the Lord Jesus, preparing the way for His coming.
But 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?(Matthew 3:7)
This parallel passage in Matthew, John the Baptist addressed with harsh words to many Pharisees and Sadducees. Later in the Bible, we knew that these people fiercely opposed the Lord Jesus, even sought to kill Him and ultimately crucified Him.
John also told them to bear fruit consistent with repentance. Repentance in the original Greek means a change of mind, a fundamental change of mind, a fundamental change of mind that leads to a change of behavior. John told them to bear fruit consistent with repentance. When the crowd asked him what they should do, John told them what they should do to repent.
I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:8)
John the Baptist baptized people with water, but the Lord Jesus baptized them with the Holy Spirit. This means that they receive the Holy Spirit at baptism, and after baptism, the Holy Spirit come to dwell in them. May God bless you and your family!

⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. ⁴² When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” ⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰ But they did not understand what he was saying to them. ⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:41-52)
Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem every year for the Festival of Passover, when Jesus was twelve years old, he also went. After the Passover, they returned to Nazareth, unaware that Jesus was still in Jerusalem. Later, they went to Jerusalem again and found Jesus in the temple. Jesus sat among the teachers, and the people were amazed at his wisdom and his answers, and his parents were also amazed. When his mother asked him why he had done this, he said, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” The Lord Jesus is the Son of God, and He had to be in his Father’s house, to be about the Father’s business. At the time, Mary did not understand what the Lord Jesus meant, but she kept all these things in her heart. Other scriptures also mention that Mary kept the things in her heart when she did not understand them.
¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16-17)
These two verses say that that all things were created through the Lord Jesus. He is the Creator, not created. He co-created all things with God the Father, and therefore, at the age of twelve, he had already a lots of wisdom. He is both divine and human, and as a human being, he needed to grow in wisdom and stature, and he was obedient to his parents.
³ Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. ⁴ Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” (Mark 6:3-4)
From the age of twelve until his baptism, trained disciples and preached the gospel, the Bible doesn’t record much about Jesus. It mentions that he was a carpenter, and there is verse mentions that his father is also a carpenter. The Lord Jesus was not respected in his own town, so he went to other places to preach, performing many miracles, and many people believed in him.
May God bless you and your family!

²² When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord” ), ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” ²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: ²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. ³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation, ³¹ which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: ³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”  ³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2:22-35)
Here we see that Mary and Joseph went to the temple in Jerusalem to present the baby Jesus to the Lord, in accordance with the Old Testament law. In Jerusalem there lived a man named Simeon. He was righteous and devout, and he longed for the coming of Israel’s Comforter, Israel’s Comforter mentioned here is the Lord Jesus. He received a revelation from the Holy Spirit, knowing that before he died he would see the Christ appointed by the Lord. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he entered the temple and happened to meet Jesus’ parents carrying their child in to do for him what the custom of the Law required. This encounter was no accident; it was guided and arranged by the Holy Spirit. Upon seeing the infant Lord Jesus, Simeon praised God and said, “For my eyes have seen your salvation.” The Lord Jesus is God’s salvation. His coming would bring salvation to the world, saving the people from their sins. Just as Simeon had said, the Lord Jesus is the light of the Gentiles, the light of the world. Simeon then said to Mary, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” This was Simeon’s prophecy, and we can see these were what happened later in the Bible. The Pharisees and many Jews fell because of their unbelief in the Lord Jesus, but the Lord Jesus raised up many disciples who believed in Him. He was slandered, persecuted, and finally crucified, His mother Mary was very sad, just as Simeon had predicted, sword would pierce Mary’s soul too.
As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Romans 9:33)
This verse in the book of Romans says that many Jews fell because of their unbelief in the Lord Jesus, but those who believe in Him will never be put to shame; they will receive God’s salvation.
May God bless you and your family!

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,  and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. ²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. (Luke 2:8-21)
Here we see that after the Lord Jesus was born, angels appeared to the shepherds and announced the good news. Shepherds were of relatively low social status, and the good news of birth of the Lord Jesus was first announced to them. God gives  grace to the humble and favors the lowly. When the angel appeared to them, they were afraid, but the angel told them not to be afraid. As we saw earlier, when the angel appeared to Zechariah and Mary, he also told them not to be afraid. However, demons are different. When they appear to people, they don’t tell them not to be afraid. The angel told the shepherds that the Lord Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem. A manger is a feeding trough for animals, a humble place. Upon hearing the good news, the shepherds believed and obeyed, and hurried to Bethlehem, where they found Joseph, Mary, and  baby Jesus in a manger. Seeing him, they spread the angel’s words concerning the child. Returning, the shepherds glorified and praised God, because everything they had heard and seen was just as the angel had told them. We see the shepherds’ faithful response. They acted immediately upon hearing the angel’s message, telling others and glorifying and praising God. Here we also see that the angel’s message portrays Jesus as the Savior, the Messiah, and the Lord. The word “Messiah” comes from the Hebrew word “Mashiach,” meaning “the anointed one.” In ancient Israel, when a person was appointed to an important position (such as king, priest, or prophet), a ceremony was held in which sacred anointing oil was poured on their head. This “anointing” ceremony symbolized their selection by God and the granting of  authority and mission. We also see that after eight days, the child was circumcised. According to the Old Testament, a child must be circumcised eight days after birth. He was named Jesus, a name given by the angel to Mary and Joseph.
May God bless you and your family!

¹In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register. ⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (Luke 2:1-7)
In this passage we see that there was a census, and everyone went to their own cities to register. Joseph, a descendant of David, went from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea, the city of David, to register with Mary, his betrothed wife. While they were there, the time came for Mary to give birth, and she gave birth to the Lord Jesus in a manger, because the inn was full. The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, was not born in a palace, but in a manger. A manger is a feeding trough for animals, a humble place.
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. (Micah 5:2)
This Old Testament passage prophesied about the Lord Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Here we see the Holy Spirit inspired those in authority to conduct a census to fulfill God’s purpose and bring about the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecy of the Lord Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.
¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. ²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). ²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.  (Matthew 1:18-25)
This passage is the parallel passage about the birth of Jesus. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him that his fiancée’s would bear a child from the Holy Spirit and that he should name him Jesus. The name “Jesus” means that he would save his people from their sins. Here we see that God can speak to people through dreams, but not all dreams are from God. Some come from God, some from demons, and some from oneself.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14).
The verse in the book of Isaiah of the Old Testament prophesied that a virgin would conceive and bear a son, and that his name would be called Immanuel, which means “God with us.”
No one has ever gone into heaven except

⁵⁷ When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. ⁵⁹ On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, ⁶⁰ but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” ⁶¹ They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” ⁶² Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³ He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” ⁶⁴ Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. ⁶⁵ All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. ⁶⁶ Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him. ⁶⁷ His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: ⁶⁸ “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. ⁶⁹ He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David ⁷⁰ (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), ⁷¹ salvation from our enemies  and from the hand of all who hate us—⁷² to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, ⁷³ the oath he swore to our father Abraham: ⁷⁴ to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,  and to enable us to serve him without fear ⁷⁵  in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. ⁷⁶ And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, ⁷⁷ to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, ⁷⁸ because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven ⁷⁹ to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” ⁸⁰ And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel. (Luke 1:57-80)
This passage is about the birth of John the Baptist. They would name him Zechariah after his father. His parents would name him John. This name was given by the angel. After Zechariah named his son, his mouth immediately opened. Previously, Zechariah became mute due to his disbelief in the angel’s words, just as the angel had predicted, his mouth would open after his son’s birth. Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, began to prophesy, saying “He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David” This prophecy refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. From a human perspective, the Lord Jesus is the descendant of David, the horn of salvation, he would save his people from their sins. He also prophesied: “ to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham”
¹⁶ and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷ I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, ¹⁸ and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”(Genesis 22:16-18)
When God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac, Abraham obeyed, believing that God would resurrect his son. However, God sent an angel to stop him and swore to bless him, making his descendants as numerous as the stars of the