Mar 24
31
Old Testament Reading: 1 Chronicles 22:6–10
“Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the LORD, the God of Israel. David said to Solomon, ‘My son, I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the LORD my God. But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth. Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever” (1 Chronicles 22:6–10, ESV).
New Testament Reading: Luke 10:23-24
“Then turning to the disciples he said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Luke 10:23–24, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that I am not opposed to the idea of breaking from a sermon series to preach a special, topical, sermon on what is traditionally called Easter or Ressurection Sunday, but rarely do I. The reason is that I often find the text before us to be perfectly well suited for the theme of Ressurection Sunday. There is a sense in which the whole Bible is about Jesus and the redemption he has accomplished for us by his obedient life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection. We do not need to run only to those passages in the Gospels that speak directly of Christ being raised from the dead on the third day to contemplate Christ’s resurrection and its significance. And so it is with Luke 10:23-24. This passage provides us with a wonderful opportunity to reflect upon Jesus Christ and the great work of redemption that he has accomplished..
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Christ Spoke To His Disciples In Private
In Luke 10:23 we are told that Jesus turned to his disciples and spoke privately to them. This shows us that the things Jesus said and prayed as recorded in the previous passage were said and prayed openly and publicly for all to hear. It was in public that Christ commanded his disciples to “not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20, ESV). It was in public that Christ prayed aloud to the Father, saying, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Luke 10:21–22, ESV). While we agree that the doctrines of unconditional election and effectual calling are to be handled with care, we cannot go along with those who think these doctrines are to be hidden away from God’s people and from the world. No, Christ spoke openly about these truths. It was only after speaking openly about the fact that the names of his disciples were written in heaven and that they were his disciples because it was the will of the Father to reveal the truth about Jesus Christ to them (though they were humble and lowly), that he then turned to his disciples and spoke to them in private.
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The Disciples Were Blessed To See What They Saw In A Physical And Spiritual Sense
And what did he say to them in private? “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!” In this moment, Jesus pressed his disciples to contemplate just how blessed they were. I picture Jesus looking intently into the eyes of his disciples when he spoke these words. Blessed are your eyes to see what you see.
I think there is a double meaning here. There must be.
First, these disciples were blessed to see what they saw (and to hear what they heard) in a physical sense.
They saw with their own eyes the Son of God incarnate. And they heard with their own ears, the voice of the eternal Word of God made flesh. Not many were given this privilege. How many people saw Jesus of Nazareth, the eternal Son of God incarnate, with their eyes, and heard his voice with their ears? Thousands? Tens of thousands maybe? Not many when compared with the total number of people who have ever lived. These disciples of Jesus saw him and heard him. They were uniquely blessed to have walked so closely with him.
Not only did these disciples see Jesus, but they also saw the miraculous deeds he performed. With their own eyes, they watched him calm the wind and the waves. With their own eyes, they watched him cast out demons and heal the sick. With their own eyes, they saw him raise the dead. A few of these disciples saw him transfigured on the mountain. All but one of them would see him raised from the dead.
And these disciples did not only see Jesus, they heard him. With their own ears, they heard him claim to be the Son of God, the Son of Man, the long-awaited Messiah, the Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s eternal kingdom. With their own ears, they heard him say, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. With their own ears, they heard Jesus’ blessed teaching.
It was crucial that these disciples of Jesus saw what they saw, and heard what they heard, for they would serve as witnesses. They would be called to testify, as John did, saying, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, ESV).
These disciples of Jesus were truly blessed to have seen what they saw with their physical eyes and to have heard what they heard with their physical ears, but they were especially blessed to see and to hear Jesus with eyes and ears of faith. Of the tens of thousands who laid their eyes on the Son of God incarnate or who were blessed to hear his gospel and his teachings, how many truly recognized who he was and received his word as true? Hundreds? Maybe thousands?
All but one of these disciples of Jesus were doubly blessed. They saw Jesus, the eternal Son of God incarnate, with their physical eyes, and by God’s grace, they perceived him to be the eternal Son of God incarnate – the Messiah – the great Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s everlasting kingdom – with eyes of faith. It was this spiritual perception that Jesus rejoiced in when he prayed to the Father, as recorded in Luke 10:21, saying, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Luke 10:21–22, ESV).
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The Disciples Were Blessed To See What They Saw Redemptive Historically
When Jesus spoke to his disciples privately, saying, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!” (Luke 10:23, ESV), there was a double meaning. They were blessed to see and to hear Jesus in a physical sense, and they were especially blessed to see and hear him in a spiritual sense, with eyes and ears of faith. But in verse 24 the emphasis shifts to the physical and historical. In verse 24 we hear Christ say, “For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:24, ESV).
I love this saying of Jesus. It reveals a lot.
One, it reveals that many saw Jesus with eyes of faith before he was ever born, and they longed for his arrival. How did they see Jesus before his birth? They did not see him in his flesh, for he was not yet incarnate, but they could see him, spiritually speaking, as they received the Word of God concerning him by faith. Many had received and believed the promises of God that a Savior would come, a Deliverer who would crush the head of the Serpent who deceived Eve, and through her, Adam. Many had received and believed the promises of God concerning the arrival of the Messiah, the anointed Prophet, Priest, and King, of God’s eternal kingdom. Those with spiritual eyes to see also saw Jesus prefigured in many ways. For example, the faithful of old understood that when Abraham took Issac up on the mountain to sacrifice him, knowing that the Lord would provide a substitute, that was a picture of Christ and the substitutionary atonement he would one day make. The faithful of old understood that the blood of the Passover lamb that was spread upon the doorposts of the Hebrews to shield them from the angel of death that was sent to judge Egypt was a picture of Christ. God’s elect could see that Moses and the Exodus that was accomplished through him was a picture and preview of one greater than Moses and an Exodus greater than the one worked through him. I could go on to talk about all of the different ways that Jesus the Messiah was prefigured or foreshadowed in the Tabernacle, its sacrifices, and its priesthood. We could also look at Joshua and the conquest of Canaan. We could consider King David and his kingdom, among other things. The point is that God’s people could see Jesus before he was born. They did not know him by that name. They did not know what exactly he would be or what he would do. But by faith, they could see him. By faith, they knew he would come. And they longed for him. This is what Jesus meant when he spoke to his disciples, saying, “For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:24, ESV). It was because they could see and hear Christ by faith that they desired to see Christ in the flesh and to hear the good news of the kingdom that he would bring.
Two, this saying of Jesus reminds us that, although many were longing for the arrival of the Messiah, great men especially desired to see him. Hear again the word that Christ spoke to his lowly disciples: “For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:24, ESV). By faith, great men longed to see Jesus and to hear the good news that he would bring. And this shows us how great Jesus and the work that he has done truly is. King David was a great man, revered by the people. But King David revered King Jesus (see Psalm 110). King David longed for the day when the Messiah would be born from him to establish the everlasting kingdom that was promised to him (see 2 Samuel 7). The people revered the prophets – men like Moses and Elijah. These were great men. But Moses and Elijah revered Jesus. These great men of old were used by the Lord as mouthpieces through whom the word of the Lord was delivered to the people, but they longed for the arrival of the Great Prophet, the eternal Word of God made flesh. Moses spoke of him when he said, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen…” (Deuteronomy 18:15, ESV). Moses longed to see him and hear him. This was true of all the prophets of old. And do not forget how interested the prophets Moses and Elijah were in Jesus when they appeared with him on the Mount of Transfiguration. As great as these men were, and as powerfully as they were used by God, they pale in comparison to the glory of Christ. When these prophets were alive on earth, they desired to see and hear the things that these lowly disciples of Jesus were seeing and hearing.
The New Testament has a lot to say about this. 1 Peter 1:10-12 is especially beautiful: “Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look” (1 Peter 1:10–12, ESV). That passage says it all, doesn’t it? The prophets of old saw Christ and the salvation he would accomplish by faith, but they could not see him as clearly as we do. They searched the Scriptures and inquired to know who the Christ would be, when he would come, what exactly he would do to accomplish our salvation (notice they knew he would suffer), and how he would enter into glory. They saw Christ clearly enough to trust in him and to be saved by him, but they longed for his arrival. They would have given anything to see the Messiah with their own eyes and to hear his words with their own ears, but the time was not yet.
The faithful and true prophets and kings of old lived with a sense of anticipation and longing for the Messiah, but when the Messiah came into the world, it was the will of the Lord that the truth about him be hidden “from the wise and understanding and revealed… to little children…” (Luke 10:21–22, ESV). These disciples of Jesus were humble and lowly. They were like little children when compared to the prophets and kings. Many of them were fishermen. None of them were of noble birth. By God’s grace, they were granted the privilege of seeing and hearing the things that the faithful prophets and kings of old longed for.
Three, when Jesus spoke to his disciples privately, saying, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:23–24, ESV), he was continuing to open the eyes of his disciples to the reality that they were living at the crossroads of human history. They were blessed to be given a front-row seat to observe the accomplishment of the redemption and the establishment of the kingdom that God had promised long before.
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What These Disciples Of Jesus Witnessed Was The Fullment Of The Scriptures
I’ve devoted an entire sermon to these two verses because I see them as crucial to the story that is told in Luke’s gospel. We have not taken a step back from Luke’s gospel in a while to remember the big story being told here, but I think we should do so now.
We should remember that Luke stated his purpose for writing this gospel in the beginning. He wrote this orderly account of the life of Christ so that we would “have certainty concerning the things [we] have been taught” (Luke 1:4, ESV). His object is to convince us that Jesus is the Messiah, that he has accomplished redemption, and established God’s everlasting kingdom. And how has Luke gone about this task? How has attempted to convince us and make us certain that Jesus is the Christ and that we have salvation through faith in him? Well, he has told us about the things that Jesus said and the things that Jesus did. As it pertains to the words of Christ, we find in Luke’s gospel a record of Jesus’ teachings and his claims concerning himself. He claimed to be the Messiah, the Son and Man, and the Son of God. He claimed to be the King of God’s eternal kingdom. And as it pertains to the works of Christ, Luke has reported the many miraculous things that Jesus did. He calmed the wind and the waves, cast out demons, healed the sick, made the lame walk, and the blind to see. He even raised the dead. Soon we will come to the account of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection from the dead. Indeed, Luke’s report of the words of Christ coupled with his report of the works of Christ is convincing on its own. Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the great Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s kingdom, and he demonstrated that his words were true by the mighty works and wonders that he performed (see Acts 2:22). But there is something even more profound about Luke’s approach. He does not merely present us with brute facts concerning the words and works of Christ. No, as he reports on the words and works of Christ he also shows them to be in fulfillment of the promises, prophesies, types, and shadows contained within the Old Testament Scriptures.
Luke hinted at this approach in the first verse of his gospel when he mentioned that others had “compiled a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us” (Luke 1:1, ESV), and that he intended to do the same. The word “accomplished” is interesting. It can be translated as “fulfilled”. Jesus of Nazareth did not merely do and say things, he accomplished and fulfilled things. What did he accomplish and fulfill? He accomplished God’s mission for him which was decreed in eternity. And what did he fulfill? He fulfilled all of the prophecies and promises, types and shadows, that were given by God to his people from Adam’s day onward.
In Luke’s gospel, we do find a historical record of the words and works of Jesus, but it is so much more than that. From beginning to end, the facts about what Jesus said and did are presented to us in such a way that they are shown to be a fulfillment of things revealed by God previously. Luke accomplishes this in many ways. Sometimes things are stated very directly. For example, in Luke 1:54-55 we are told that Mary, the mother of Jesus, concluded her song of praise in response to all that was revealed to her by saying, “[God] has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever” (Luke 1:54–55, ESV). Mary knew that this child that was to be born to her was in fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham long before. Sometimes the connections between the promises of God and their fulfillment in Christ are more subtly delivered, as Luke alludes to passages in the Old Testament, or presents us with themes from the Old Testament, or tells stories in such a way that they are reminiscent of stories and figures from the Old Testament. We could spend a very long time walking through Luke’s gospel making note of all of the ways that Luke connects Jesus Christ, his person, his words, and his works to the story of redemption that is told in the Bible from Genesis 1:1 onward. Throughout Luke’s gospel, we find quotations, allusions, and echoes from the Old Testament, and all of them find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
I’ve attempted to show you this throughout our study of Luke’s Gospel, but I draw your attention to it now because here in Luke 10:23-24 we find an account of Jesus pressing his disciples with the truth that he came to fulfill promises previously made. Again, I picture Jesus looking intently into the eyes of his disciples, when he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:23–24, ESV). In other words, Christ was here in this moment pressing his disciples with the idea that he came to fulfill all of the expectations, hopes, and desires of God’s faithful ones from generations past. Where did those expectations, hopes, and desires come from? They came from God’s word! God gave his word to Adam and Eve that a son would one day be born who would crush Satan (see Genesis 3:15). God gave his word to Abraham that this son who (was first promised to Adam and Eve) would descend from him to bless people from every tongue, tribe, and nation and to reclaim the earth. God gave his word to Judah, that this king of God’s eternal kingdom (that was promised to Adam and Abraham) would descend specifically from him (see Genesis 49:8-10). And God gave his word to King David that this son (promised to Adam, Abraham, and Judah) would be born from him. The Lord promised David, saying, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12–13, ESV). A careful consideration of the Old Testament Scriptures will help us to understand why the expectations of God’s people were raised very high. They were looking forward to the arrival of this son that was promised to Adam, Abraham, Judah, and David. They were longing to see him and to hear the good news that he had been “raised up”, in fulfillment of the promises made to King David, and that God’s eternal kingdom and the temple had begun. The expectations of God’s elect were raised very high, and Luke wants us to know that Jesus Christ is the one who meets all of those expectations. He is the son of Adam, Abraham, Judah, and David whom the Lord has “raised up” to “establish [God’s] kingdom” and to build “a house for [God’s] name”, and that God will “establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (see 2 Samuel 7:12–13).
As Luke tells us about Jesus of Nazareth, his person, and work, and shows him to be the fulfillment of prophecies and promises previously given, he tells us another story too, and that is the story of the disciples of Jesus coming to grips with all of this progressively.
When the disciples of Jesus decided to follow him, all but one of them did so sincerely. And yet we can see in Luke’s gospel that their understanding of Jesus’ true identity and the significance of his person and work developed over time. To illustrate, though most of them followed Jesus sincerely from the start believing him to be the Messiah, when he calmed the wind and waves by the power of his word, “they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” (Luke 8:25, ESV). Clearly, they knew that Jesus was the Messiah, but they had not fully grasped his true identity. It was in Luke 9:20 that Jesus pressed his disciples with the question, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered on behalf of the group, and he answered correctly, saying, “The Christ of God” (Luke 9:20, ESV). But it was after this that more was revealed to Peter, James, and John concerning the true identity of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (see Luke 9:28-36). And here in our text for today, Jesus seems to press them further. Its as if he said, I hope you men know how very blessed you are to see what you see and to hear what you hear. Prophets and kings longed for this, and you have it. And this story about the disciples of Jesus progressively coming to grips with the true identity of Jesus continues to the very end of Luke’s gospel. Did the disciples of Jesus know that he was the Messiah and follow after him sincerely from the start? Yes, they did, except for one. But did they comprehend the true identity of Jesus and the full significance of the work he would do from the start? No. Their knowledge of him increased with time. They saw Jesus truly from the start, but the eyes of their hearts were enlightened progressively as they walked with him. And when were their eyes opened fully? It was not until they saw him raised from the dead and in his glorified state.
As you probably know, Luke’s gospel concludes with an account of this. Although Christ warned his disciples over and over again that he was going to Jerusalem to suffer and die, they could not see it. It’s as if they did not have a category for the sufferings of Christ in their minds. And so, although Jesus was very direct about his eventual sufferings and death, they could not grasp it. therefore, when Jesus died, his disciples were perplexed and despondent. Their eyes were opened to the true identity of Christ and the work that he came to accomplish only after he suffered, died, and was raised from the dead.
It was after Jesus was raised that he met with those two disciples on the road to Emmaus. It is interesting, Luke tells us that when Jesus drew near to them, at first “their eyes were kept from recognizing him” (Luke 24:16, ESV). But he spoke with them. He ministered the word of God to them, saying, “‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:25–27, ESV). It is in Luke 24:29 that we read, “they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:29–32, ESV). Luke then tells us that something very similar happened in Jerusalem as Jesus appeared to more of his disciples who were assembled there.
When were the eyes of the disciples fully opened to comprehend the true identity of Jesus and the full significance of the work that he came to accomplish? Only after he suffered, died, was buried, and was raised in glory on the third day. It was only then that they were able to see clearly how God would deliver his people from sin and death through Jesus the Messiah, and this was revealed to them, remember, through the ministry of the word of God and in the breaking of bread.
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Conclusion
When Jesus turned to his disciples and spoke to them privately, saying, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:23–24, ESV), he wished to further awaken them to the fact that they were doubly blessed. Not only could they see Christ with eyes of faith like the elect of God who lived before them did, but they were blessed to see him in the flesh with their very own eyes and to listen to his words with their very own ears. By that point in time they had seen and heard marvelous things, but they would witness greater things even still, for these men would behold the risen Christ in his glory.
You and I are not doubly blessed in the way these original disciples of Jesus were, for did not witness the incarnation or Christ raised from the dead, but we are very blessed indeed, for we live after the accomplishment of our redemption, under the Covenant of Grace ratified in Christ’s blood, and in the inaugurated and eternal kingdom of God, of which Christ the son of Adam, Abraham, Judah, and David is King. And we have the word of the eyewitness to enable us to see Christ clearly and to comprehend the significance of his life, death, burial, and resurrection.
I trust that most of you here today have already turned from your sins and have placed your faith in Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins and to receive the gift of life eternal. If you have not, I pray that the Lord would draw you to himself by his word and Spirit. For those who have faith in Christ, I pray that your knowledge of him would increase as we gather Lord’s Day after Lord’s Day to consider the word of God and to break bread.
The prayer of the Apostle Paul found in Ephesians 1:15-23 is a fitting conclusion to this sermon.
“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:15–23, ESV)
