Luke's Gospel 2025 - Sermon Notes by Pastor Dwayne Beavers of Harvest Fellowship, A Calvary Chapel

The Greater One Has Come Theme: Greater Than I Text: Luke 3:15–38 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, 16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire. 18 And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison. Introduction: Have you ever met someone who left you in awe — someone so gifted, wise, or powerful that you instantly knew they were operating on ...

  Prepare the Way: The Heart of Repentance Luke 3:1–14 “John the Baptist Declares Today!” Have you ever scrambled to get ready for a special guest—maybe your boss, a distant relative, or a respected leader? We clean the house, fix what’s broken, and prepare everything just right. We want our space ready for someone important to enter. That’s exactly what John the Baptist was doing in Luke 3. He wasn’t preparing a house, but hearts. His mission? To get people ready for Jesus—not with fluff or fanfare, but with a clear and urgent call: repent . John’s message was powerful, and it’s just as relevant for us today: 👉 True repentance produces fruit. 👉 God calls us to prepare our hearts so that Jesus can change our lives—forever—for His purpose. 1. The Mission of John the Baptist (vv. 1–6) Luke opens by listing leaders like Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod, and the high priests Annas and Caiaphas. It was a time of corruption and darkness—both politically and spiritually....

  Amazed Luke 2:41–52 I remember back in the 80s and 90s, it was popular to ask, “Have you found Jesus?” Eventually, some of us started replying a little sarcastically, “I didn’t know He was lost!” Of course, Jesus was never actually lost. He always knew where He was and what He was doing. But there was a moment in history when Joseph and Mary might’ve thought, “We had one job—and we lost the Messiah!” Let’s look at Luke 2:41–52 and unpack what this story means for us today. A Glimpse Into Jesus' Childhood This passage gives us the only glimpse into Jesus’ boyhood years. At twelve years old—just a little younger than most of our youth group—Jesus stays behind in the temple during Passover, and His parents don’t notice until a full day’s journey away. That might sound shocking, but this wasn’t neglect. It was normal in their culture to travel with a large group of relatives and assume the children were with someone trusted. Still, when Mary and Joseph realized Jesus wasn’t ...

  “Istant Redemption, As Defined by God, Not by the Past: The Story of Anna” Luke 2:36–38 We’ve journeyed through Luke 2 and seen God work in powerful, personal ways. From answering Zechariah’s long-standing prayer to young Mary’s bold faith, the Holy Spirit has been highlighting people we might not expect—the faithful, the elderly, the quiet, the overlooked. And today, we meet Anna . She only gets three verses in all of Scripture, but what we find is a woman of substance , strength , and spiritual authority . At 84—or possibly 105, depending on how the Greek is read—she’s still living on mission. And she teaches us that we don’t have to be defined by our past. We don’t have to be defined by our pain. Anna was defined by God’s calling , not her trauma. Grace in the Temple Anna’s name means grace , and her life is a portrait of it. We learn she was from the tribe of Asher—likely a prosperous family. But after just seven years of marriage, tragedy struck: her husband died. No c...

  “Simeon, Salvation Has Come” (Luke 2:21–35) At Harvest, we love baby dedications. It’s a moment when parents stand before the church body and say, We will raise this child in the faith of Jesus. And in turn, the church surrounds that family in prayer and support, blessing their commitment. But today, in Luke 2, we’re looking at what might be the strangest baby dedication in history . When Simeon prays over baby Jesus, some parents might have wanted to say, Uhh, thanks... now can we have our baby back? Seeing Jesus When Others Missed Him We’re living in a time when more and more people walk into churches, hear Jesus preached, and walk out saying, “I didn’t really get much out of that.” That’s not a new problem—it’s exactly what was happening when Jesus first came. In Luke 2, Jesus—God in the flesh—is right there in front of people. But Caesar didn’t care. The philosophers weren’t interested. The religious leaders were too absorbed with themselves to notice. But Simeon didn...

  The Savior of the World – Reflections from Luke 2 By Pastor Dwayne Beavers Every year around Christmas, we turn to Luke 2 and hear the familiar story of Jesus’ birth. But the message of Luke 2 isn’t reserved for holiday services—it speaks to us every day of the year. It’s more than a tradition; it’s the foundation of our faith. As we journey through Luke, we see that God often works through ordinary people—Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds—empowered by His Spirit to accomplish extraordinary things. Now, in this passage, the focus shifts to the arrival of Jesus, the Savior of the world. Luke 2:1–3 “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered…” Luke is a master of detail. Like a historian or a courtroom witness, he provides dates, places, and people. This is not a fairy tale. There is no “once upon a time”—it’s “It came to pass…” Jesus was born in real time, in a real place, under real world events. H...

Finishing Luke Chapter 1: The Birth of John the Baptist We’re finishing Luke Chapter 1 today. We began with Zachariah in the temple, where the angel announces he will have a son, John, who will be the messenger that the Messiah has come. In doubt, Zachariah responds, “My wife is too old for that to happen.” Because of his doubt, the angel silenced him until the birth of his son, John the Baptist (Luke 1:18-20). Zachariah’s prayer for a child, long thought forgotten in old age, reminds us that God hears every prayer. Zachariah’s name means “God Remembers” (Luke 1:13). At the beginning of the chapter, Zachariah was operating in unbelief—just as we all have at some point. Each of us had to go from unbeliever to believer and put our faith in the work of Jesus. Some are still wrestling with that decision because of friends, family, hurts, loss, the American Dream—many things distract us from truly looking to Jesus as our eternal Savior. Whether distracted or all in, it doesn’t c...

  Through the Bible: Mary — Faith that Magnifies Last week we began our journey in the Gospel of Luke, looking at Zachariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist. We saw how God never forgets our prayers, how He keeps them secure in heaven, and how in His perfect time, He answers. We also reflected on how Jesus seeks the lost and saves those who cry out—and how we've been called to that same mission. Today, we move into a passage that's often saved for Christmas sermons. But instead of viewing it through the lens of a nativity scene, I invite you to look at it differently—with fresh eyes. Step away from the halos and holy cards and see these people for what they really were: ordinary individuals called by God to be part of His extraordinary plan. Mary: More Than a Manger Scene Luke, the physician and careful historian, is believed to have interviewed Mary personally. What he records is not just theology—it's testimony. A young girl and a young man—Mary and Jos...

Welcome to our journey through the Bible. Today, we begin with the third Gospel account— The Gospel of Luke —a uniquely detailed and compassion-filled portrait of Jesus Christ. If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like when God sees and seeks the forgotten, Luke’s Gospel is your answer. Authorship & Background The Gospel of Luke is believed to have been written by Luke, the beloved physician and companion of the Apostle Paul. He is also the author of the Book of Acts, as both are addressed to the same recipient, Theophilus (Luke 1:3, Acts 1:1). That connection, along with his precision in recording events, suggests Luke was not only medically trained but a skilled historian as well. Interestingly, Luke is the only Gentile author of Scripture , making his contribution even more powerful—because God uses all nations to tell His story. Written roughly 25 years after Jesus’ resurrection , Luke offers an orderly and intentional narrative "so that you may know the certaint...