Baptist Catechism 5

Q. 5. May all men make use of the Holy Scriptures?

A. All men are not only permitted, but commanded and exhorted, to read, hear, and understand the Holy Scriptures. (John 5:39; Luke 16:29; Acts 8:28-30; 17:11)

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Introduction

This question, “May all men make use of the Holy Scriptures?”, might seem like a no-brainer to you. We are accustomed to having copies of the Scriptures written in our native language at our disposal. And it is very common for pastors today to encourage Christians to read the Scriptures for themselves. But we should remember that things have not always been this way. There was a time, before the invention of the printing press, when very few people had copies of the Scriptures in their possession. And even if someone did, it was probably written in a language that very few people knew how to read – Hebrew, Greek, or perhaps Latin. The invention of the printing press, the practice of translating the Scriptures into the native language of the people, and the Protestant Reformation changed all of that. In a very short time, people went from having very little access to Scripture to having the opportunity to read the Scriptures for themselves. If we keep this history in mind, then the question, “May all men make use of the Holy Scriptures?”, will seem more reasonable to us. 

The answer to the question is very helpful because it is true: “All men are not only permitted, but commanded and exhorted, to read, hear, and understand the Holy Scriptures.”

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“All men are not only permitted, but commanded to read… the Scriptures” 

The words, “all men”, are very important. They emphasize the need for all people – men and women, boys and girls, clergy and laymen, the educated and uneducated, rich and poor, etc – to engage with Holy Scriptures. The Scriptures are not to be reserved for a particular class of men within society or the church, but all should have access to them.

Next, our catechism says that all men are “not only permitted, but commanded…” to engage with Holy Scripture. The proof texts that are listed in our catechism are really interesting. They are John 5:39; Luke 16:29; Acts 8:28-30; and 17:11. All of these passages share this in common: they speak of men searching the Scriptures. For example, Acts 17:11 speaks of the men of Berea and says that they “ were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11, ESV)

It truly is mind-boggling to think that the Romanists decided that the Scriptures should only be read by the religious elite. The Scriptures were originally written in Hebrew and Greek. In other words, they were written in the language of the people of that day – they were written to be read! And the Scriptures themselves speak of men – common men – searching the Scriptures. Indeed, the Scriptures even encourage and command the study of the Scriptures! What a dark time that must have been when the light of Holy Scripture was hidden away within the confines of the Roman hierarchy. Praise God for the Reformation which did, among other things, bring the light of God’s Word back into the midst of the people.

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“All men are not only permitted, but commanded to hear… the Scriptures

“All men are not only permitted, but commanded and exhorted, to read, hear, and understand the Holy Scriptures”, our catechism says.  

We are to read the Scriptures, so long as we are able. 

Do you read the Scriptures, brothers and sisters? You should. May I encourage you to read the Scriptures daily? The word of God should be like daily bread for our souls. I would encourage you to read the Scriptures regularly and to read them broadly. By this I mean, we should read through the Scriptures from beginning to end, though not necessarily in that order. We all have our favorite books and passages. Yes, some portions of the Bible speak more to the soul than others. But do not forget that all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable. No part of Scripture can be called unimportant, therefore, for each part does contribute in some way to the whole. Read the Scriptures, brothers and sisters. Read them carefully and thoughtfully. Read them broadly.

And listen to them read too. Here, we are to think primarily of the reading of the Holy Scriptures by the pastor when the church is assembled for worship. Did you know that this is one of the things that pastors are called to do? Listen to what Paul says to Timothy: “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13, ESV). When ministers read Scripture they should work hard at reading clearly and in such a way that the meaning of the text shines through. When congregants listen to the reading of the Scripture, they should listen very intently, knowing that they are encountering the very words of God.

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“All men are not only permitted, but commanded to… understand the Scriptures.”

Lastly, our catechism exhorts us to understand the Scriptures. “All men are not only permitted, but commanded and exhorted, to read, hear, and understand the Holy Scriptures.” 

Understanding the Scriptures can be difficult. One of the proof texts listed by our catechism is Acts 8:28-30. That is that passage where Phillip approaches the Ethiopian eunuch who is reading Isaiah the prophet and asks him, “Do you understand what you are reading?” What was his response? “‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him” (Acts 8:31, ESV). I’m sure that many Christians have felt like the  Ethiopian eunuch at times while reading Scripture. How can I understand this unless someone guides me?

Last week I mentioned in passing the doctrine of the clarity of Scripture. I said the Scriptures have these characteristics: they are inspired, clear, sufficient, and authoritative. What do we mean when we say that the Scriptures are “clear”? 

Our confession is very helpful. In Chapter 1 para 7 we read, “All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of ordinary means, may attain to a sufficient understanding of them.” 

First, when we say that the Scriptures are clear we do not mean that all things are equally clear. Some things are indeed difficult to understand. Second,  when we say that the Scriptures are clear we mean that the main message is clear. The gospel is clear. “Those things which are necessary to be known, believed and observed for salvation” are clear.” Third, not everything is equally clear to everybody. Those who have been in the faith for a long time may have an easier time understanding Scripture when compared to those who are new to the faith. And indeed, some are more gifted, naturally or spiritually, than others when it comes to the interpretation of Scripture.    

Here is the point though. The Scriptures are sufficiently clear so that “not only the learned [literate], but the unlearned [illiterate], in a due use of ordinary means, may attain to a sufficient understanding of them.” What are the “ordinary means” that our confession is referring to? They are the means of grace, one of them being the preaching and teaching of the Scriptures. 

When the Ethiopian eunuch was having a hard time with Isaiah and said “How can I [understand] unless someone guides me?”, it was not a denial of the perspicuity of Scripture. No, for the Lord provided Phillip to minister the Word to the man so that he might understand the message of the gospel. 

We have the responsibility, not only to read and hear the Scriptures but to understand them too. Are they clear? Yes! But that does not mean we won’t have to work at understanding them. 

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Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, young and old, may I encourage you to grow very familiar with the Scriptures. Read the Word. Listen to the Word. And listen to the Word when it is preached. And when you hear the Scriptures preached, pay very careful attention. Especially pay attention to the way that pastors who are faithful to the Scriptures interpret Scripture so that you might learn how to rightly divide the word of truth yourself. Do not forget that this is how God saves us, through the ministry of the Word of God. This is why Paul told Timothy, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16, ESV) 

Q. 5. May all men make use of the Holy Scriptures? 

A. All men are not only permitted, but commanded and exhorted, to read, hear, and understand the Holy Scriptures. (John 5:39; Luke 16:29; Acts 8:28-30; 17:11)

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Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 42:1–9

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: ‘I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.’” (Isaiah 42:1–9, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 9:28-36

“Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!’ And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.” (Luke 9:28–36, 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

Glory. That is what this passage is about. It is about Christ, the Son of Man, in glory.

Look back to the previous passage. In Luke 9:26 we hear Christ say, “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26, ESV). 

Jesus is the Son of Man. This title emphasizes Jesus’ true humanity. He is the person of the eternal Son of God incarnate. So, he is the true and natural Son of God, who is also a true son of man. The title, Son of Man, also shows that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel 7. He is the Son of Man of Daniel 7:13 – the King to whom God, the Ancient of Days, has “given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13–14, ESV).

At the end of the previous passage, we heard Jesus say something somewhat mysterious to his followers. After speaking of his glorious appearance at the end of time, he said, “But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:27, ESV). 

What was the meaning of this mysterious saying? Some things are very clear. Jesus taught that only some of his followers would see the kingdom of God before they died. The question is, what is meant by the kingdom of God? Well, it is the context that clarifies what Jesus meant. He had just spoken of the glory that would one day be his. And then immediately after this saying of Jesus, we are told the story of the transfiguration. Some of Jesus’ disciples – Peter, James, and John – went up to the mountain with Jesus and they saw him transfigured. The text says in verse 29, “And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white” (Luke 9:29, ESV). And in verse 32 we read, “Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him [Moses and Elijah]” (Luke 9:32, ESV). So I ask you, what did Jesus mean when he said, in Luke 7:27, “But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:27, ESV)? He must have been speaking of this event that we are today considering – the event of the transfiguration. There on the mountain, a few of his disciples – Peter, James, and John – were given a glimpse of the glory of the eternal kingdom of God. They were given a glimpse – a preview – of the glory that would belong to Christ in the future and for all eternity in God’s eternal kingdom. 

As I have said, this passage that we are considering today is about glory – the glory of Christ the King, the Son of Man, and the glory of God’s eternal kingdom.  

We use the word glory often. And we use it in different ways. 

Firstly, we use the word glory as an adjective to describe something splendid. God is a most pure spirit. He is invisible. But he gloriously manifests himself in the heavenly realm that he made in the beginning. Those men who have been given a glimpse into the heavenly realm seem to struggle to find the words to describe what they saw (see Revelation 4:3–6). The word glory is used in that way here in the passage that is open before us. Here we see that Christ was transformed and appeared  glorious. Again the text says, “the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white” (Luke 9:29, ESV). And, “when [Peter, James, and John] became fully awake they saw his glory…” (Luke 9:32, ESV). Christ typically looked like a common man. But in this moment he appeared glorious. 

The second way we use the word glory is as a verb. God is glorious and worthy to receive all praise, and we are to give him glory – we are to live for his glory. What does this mean? Well, to give God glory does not mean that we make him glorious or add to his glory in any way. You and I cannot give anything to God that he does not already have, for he is God – he possesses all things! And you and I cannot add anything to God, for he is perfect in every way. He is most glorious. He is not lacking in glory, or any of his other attributes so that we might add to him. With God, his attributes are his perfections. To give God glory means that we acknowledge his perfect glory and seek to exult or magnify his perfect glory for others to see. To give God glory is to praise him – it is to acknowledge that he is most glorious, most holy, and most worthy to receive praise from all his creatures. So, the word “glory” is sometimes used as an adjective to describe something splendid. And sometimes it is used as a verb to describe something we are to do – we are to give all glory to God and Christ, the Son.

There is a third way to use the word glory. I think it is probably the most uncommon use of the three, but it is a very important use, biblically speaking. The word glory can also be used to describe a state of being or mode of existence. When a brother or sister in Christ dies, we might say, they have gone to glory. By this we mean they have gone into the glorious presence of God to behold his glory. More than this, we mean that they have been passed into a new state of being. They enjoy a new mode of existence. No longer are they plagued by things like sickness and sorrow, trials and tribulation, temptation and sin. No, having been translated into a state of glory, they are no longer plagued by these things. As souls, they are freed from these afflictions in heaven and as they behold the glory of God. And they await the consummation, the resurrection of their bodies, and the glory of the new heavens and earth.        

Chapter 9 of our confession of faith uses the word glory to describe a state of being. Chapter 9 of our confession is about free will. And it explains how free will operates in the various states of being that humans have exited. Adam was a human with free will who lived in an upright state of innocency. This was his state of being in the garden before sin entered the world. Life in the state of glory was offered to him, mind you. Life in glory was symbolized by the Sabbath Day. It was also symbolized by the Tree of Life. Life in glory was promised to Adam in the covenant God gave him. What did he need to do to enter glory? He had to keep God’s law. But as you know, Adam fell short of the glory of God and fell from the state of innocency and into a state of sin and death. This is the state of being that you and I were born into, given that Adam was our representative. By the way, free will is not so free in this state of being. It is still free in that we retain the ability to act upon choice. The problem is that our minds, affections, and wills are corrupted by sin and bent towards evil so that we are not able to choose God and the good, but, according to our fallen nature, we run from God and towards evil. But God is merciful. He provided a Savior. And by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, God frees us from our natural bondage to sin and enables us to freely choose Christ and to place our faith in him. Furthermore, through the regenerating and sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to more and more obey God’s law. Corruptions and imperfections remain, and therefore sin remains as we live now in this state of grace. Believers in Jesus live now in the state of grace, but what do we await, brothers and sisters? What state of being do we long to be in? We long to be in the state of glory. As it pertains to the subject of free will, it will be in the state of glory only that the “will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone…” (2LCF 9.5). 

When will we be in this state of glory? Answer: when we die, or when Christ returns. Those who die in the Lord are translated into the state of glory. Their souls enter into glory while their bodies lie in the grave. When Christ returns, the dead will be raised and reunited with their souls. Then, those in Christ will live forever in the state of glory in the new heavens and earth.

The question we must ask is, how do we get to this state of glory? One way to answer this question is to say through faith in Jesus Christ. It is only through faith in Jesus the Messiah that we will enter into glory. Adam could have entered into glory by obeying God’s law, but he sinned and fell short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23). That way to glory – through obedience to God’s law – is closed.  It is only through faith in Jesus the Messiah that we can enter into glory now. That answer is obvious to many of you. 

But today, when I ask the question, how do we get to this state of glory, I do not wish to focus on the question, what must we do to enter glory? I know that the answer to that question is clear to most of you – turn from your sin and trust in Jesus is the answer! What I mean is, how was the way to glory opened up for us? We know how the way to glory was lost – through Adam’s sin! But how was it opened up? In other words, how is it that trusting in Jesus will bring us to glory? What did he do to open up the way? It seems to me that this story about Jesus being transfigured on the mountain is very much about this. 

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The story that we are considering today is  marvelous. In Luke 9:28 we read,  “Now about eight days after these sayings [Jesus] took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.”

Notice a few things about this verse. 

One, notice Jesus’ practice of prayer. As the Son of Man, he was disciplined to pray. As the Son of Man, he drew his strength from the Father. As the Son of Man, he enjoyed communion with God. We are to imitate our Lord and be people constant in prayer as well.

Two, notice that Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him. These are the “some standing here” of 9:27 who were in this moment blessed to see the glory of the kingdom of God before they died. As you probably know, Peter, James, and John were leaders within the band of Apostles. 

Three, notice the mention of the eighth day. Though I cannot prove it, I do suspect that there is significance here. In the previous passage, Jesus revealed to his disciples what kind of Christ he would be. In Luke 9:22 we hear Christ say, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Luke 9:22, ESV). He also hinted at how he would die when he called his disciples to follow him by taking up their own crosses. And eight days after this, Christ was raised to glory on the mountain of transfiguration. I think we are to see this eight-day period as anticipation – a kind of trial run of sorts – of the sufferings Christ would experience in Jerusalem and his being raised to glory. He would eventually enter Jerusalem and suffer there and be rejected. His suffering would culminate in his death in the cross. But on the eighth day after his entry into Jerusalem, he would be raised to glory. Can you see the pattern? The pattern was established when Christ spoke of his sufferings and eight days later entered into glory temporarily on the mountain. And the pattern would find its fulfillment when Christ did actually suffer in Jerusalem, died and was buried, and was raised to glory on the eighth day – the eighth day being another way of referring to the first day of the week. Matthew and Mark say the transfiguration took place six days after the previous sayings of Jesus. There is no real contradiction. While Matthew and Mark counted the days in between Jesus’ sayings about his sufferings and the event of the transfiguration, Luke included the days of the sayings and the transfiguration in his count.  It is interesting to me that Matthew, Mark, and Luke all emphasized that about a week passed between the sayings of Jesus concerning his sufferings and death, and his glorification on the mountain. My point is that they all seem to treat this as a kind of anticipation of Jesus’ sufferings and death in Jerusalem during what is traditionally called the passion week, and his resurrection on Sunday, which is the first day of the week, also called the eighth day. 

In verse 29  we read, “And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”

Here my suspicions about this event anticipating the passion week in Jerusalem are strengthened. What did Jesus talk with Moses and Elijah about when he was with them on the mountain? He “spoke with them about his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” Here we have a reference to Christ’s death and resurrection, and also his ascension to the Father’s right hand. Christ would suffer and die, he would be buried, and then he would be raised to glory. Forty days later he would ascend in glory. This is what he spoke with Moses and Elijah about as they were glorified with him on the mountain. 

Let’s talk for a moment about Moses and Elijah. 

First of all, were Moses or Elijah present bodily, or did Peter, James, and John see a vision of them? John Calvin takes up this question in his commentary on the harmony of the gospel. 

“Were Moses and Elijah actually present? or was it only an apparition that was exhibited to the disciples, as the prophets frequently beheld visions of things that were absent? Though the subject admits, as we say, of arguments on both sides, yet I think it more probable that they were actually brought to that place. There is no absurdity in this supposition; for God has bodies and souls in his hand, and can restore the dead to life at his pleasure, whenever he sees it to be necessary. Moses and Elijah did not then rise on their own account,1 but in order to wait upon Christ. It will next be asked, How came the apostles to know Moses and Elijah, whom they had never seen? The answer is easy. God, who brought them forward, gave also signs and tokens by which they were enabled to know them. It was thus by an extraordinary revelation that they obtained the certain knowledge that they were Moses and Elijah.” John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, 310–311). 

Secondly, and I think more importantly, we must ask, why did Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus? There are a few things to say about this:

One, when Christ appeared in glory with Moses and Elijah it was to show that he was not Elijah or one of the other prophets of old, and many suspected. Who did people say Jesus was? Some said John the Baptst, others said he was Elijah, and others said that one of the prophets had arisen.   

Two, when Christ appeared in glory with Moses and Elijah at his side, it was to show that Jesus Christ is greater. Jesus is the central figure in this passage. In this moment, Jesus was exulted above Moses and Eliajah.

Three, notice how Moses and Elijah took a special interest in Jesus and his work. Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus about his departure. They conversed with him concerning the work he was about to do. They knew something about Christ and his work because they testified concerning him long before. This will become a major theme in Luke’s gospel. Luke will tell us that after Christ was raised to glory, he appeared to his disciples and taught 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). 

Four, when Christ appeared with Moses and Elijah he was showing himself to be the fulfillment and end of the law and prophets, and this the end of the Old Covenant order. He came established a New Covenant, remember, and to do away with the old.   

Five, Jesus appeared with Moses and Elijah at his side to show that the glory that belonged to Moses and Elijah was not their own glory but was owed to Christ. Moses and Elijah entered into glory because they belonged to Christ. They were associated with him, having been united to him by faith. 

Look with me now at verse 32. “Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep…” Why is it that the disciples are found sleeping during this most significant event? Perhaps to show their dullness and their inability to comprehend the true meaning of the things being accomplished in their midst. “…but when they became fully awake [they were not groggy or dreaming] they saw [Jesus’]  glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah’.”

Peter again speaks as the leader of the group. As Moses and Elijah began to depart, he spoke up! One thing that Peter certainly did not lack was boldness. He spoke up to Jesus saying, in essence, wait, don’t let Moses and Elijah leave! Why don’t we put up some tents and remain here together like this?

Don’t you love and appreciate Peter’s heart? He was blessed to behold Christ, the Son of Man, in glory. And he was blessed to see Moses and Elijah glorified in Christ Jesus, for they had testified concerning Christ and had placed their faith in him. Stated differently, Peter, along with James and John, were given a glimpse of the glory of the kingdom of God. And he wished for that glory to remain. When Moses and Elijah prepared to depart, and as the glory began to fade, he spoke up and said, wait! Don’t go. Let’s abide here in this condition. Let’s abide here in this state of being. At the end of verse 33, we find this little remark from Luke, Peter “knew not what he said.” His request was made out of ignorance.  

Look with me now at verse 34. “As [Peter] was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!’ And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen” (Luke 9:28–36, ESV).

The cloud mentioned in verse 28 must be associated with the glory cloud that appeared often in the days of Moses. It was the cloud through with God manifested his presence. The cloud led Israel in the wilderness after the Exodus. A cloud descended upon Sinai and Moses was invited to come up to receive the law. And the cloud filled the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, and later, the Temple. The cloud signified God’s presence. And here the cloud descended to sweep Moses and  Elijah away and to give honor to Christ.

The text says, “And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!’” This was the voice of God. Here, much like at Christ’s baptism, God the Father testifies to the identity of Jesus (2 Peter 1:16–21).

“This is my Son”, he said. You and I are sons and daughters of God by virtue of our creation and our redemption and adoption in Christ Jesus. But Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He is the natural Son of God. He is the second person of the Holy Trinity. He is God Almighty. 

The voice from the cloud also said, “this is… my chosen one.” If you have faith in Christ, it is because you have been graciously chosen by God for salvation in Christ. This is a reference to the doctrine of election or predestination that is frequently taught in the Scriptures. But Christ is God’s chosen one in a different sense. He was not chosen to be saved, but to be the Savior of God’s people, the Messiah, the great Prophet, Priest, and King of the elect. The prophecy of Isaiah 42, which was read earlier, is certainly behind this utterance. Psalm 89:3-4 also stands in the background. There God says, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations’” (Psalm 89:3–4, ESV). These words were uttered concerning Jesus, and not Moses or Elijah. He is the Messiah, God’s chosen one. 

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Earlier I asked, how can it be that we will enter into glory? How has the way into glory been opened up? The answer is that the way into glory has been opened up by Jesus, the Son of Man. 

Adam fell short of the glory of God – he failed to obtain that state of being, that higher form of life – by his fall into sin. He broke the covenant that God had made with him by rebelling against God in the heart and eating the forbidden tree. 

But Jesus Christ has earned life in glory. How did he earn it, you ask? He earned life in glory by keeping the terms of the covenant that God made with him. And what covenant was this? We call it the Covenant of Redemption. When the Scriptures are considered thoroughly and with care, we see that God the Father entered into an agreement with God the Son in eternity to save a people and to reconcile them to the Father. John 17 reveals this. There Jesus prays for those given to him by the Father before the foundation of the earth. The Isaiah 42 passage we read a moment ago reveals this too. The LORD speaks of the chosen one, the Messiah, saying, “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations…” (Isaiah 42:6, ESV). 

And what would God the Son have to do to redeem those given to him by the Father? He would have to assume a human nature so that he would not only be the Son of God, but also the Son of Man. And as a man, he would have to keep God’s law perfectly, suffer in the whole of life, resist all temptation, be crucified, die, and be buried and on the third day, be raised unto life in glory. And this he would do, not for himself only, but for others two. Like Adam before him, he would act as a representative of others – he would function as a federal or covenantal head. He would live, die, and be raised to a state of glory on behalf of others.

The way to glory has been opened up by Christ, the second Adam, the Son of Man, who is also the person of the eternal Son of God. And how can we enter glory? Only by being united to him by faith as our covenantal head. You and I were born fallen in Adam in a state of sin and misery. You must be born again and raised to glory in Christ.

When Jesus was transfigured on that mountain in front of those three witnesses, Peter, James, and John, it was to show what he was about to do. He was about to enter into glory, and he would do it through suffering, rejection, and death. He would die, but on the third day, which is the first day of the week, or the eighth day, he would be raised – raised to glory – raised to life incorruptible.

Do you wish to go to life in glory when you die? Do you wish to behold the beatific vision – the radiant splendor of the glory of God? Then you had better be found in Christ, united to him by faith. For he has entered into glory as a forerunner and first fruits.

And if you have been raised with Christ, then exhort you with the words of Paul, “seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1–4, ESV)

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady Luke 9:28-36
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1. What does the word Scripture mean?
2. Why are the Scriptures called “holy”? How do they differ from other writings?
3. Who wrote the Scriptures? (There are two answers to this question. Both are correct. One answer is much more important than the other!) 
4. Why does our catechism specify that Scriptures are the books of the Old and New Testaments? Go to our confession of faith, the Second London Confession, chapter 1, paragraphs 2 & 3. What do you notice about the relationship between our catechism and confession?
5. What does our catechism mean when it refers to the Holy Scriptures as our “certain rule”?
6. Why does our catechism specify that the Scriptures are our certain rule in matters of “faith and obedience”? 
7. How should this truth be applied by us? How should it change the way we think, feel, speak, and act?

Posted in Study Guides Joe Anady
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1. What does it mean to deny yourself? Why is this a requirement or prerequisite to follow after Jesus?
2. What does it mean to take up a cross? 
3. Consider the command of Christ to “take up your cross daily, and follow him” and then give special attention to the words “your”, “daily”, and “follow”. What do these words communicate about being a follower of Jesus?
4. Discuss the three reasons that Christ presents as to why denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following after him is the best decision you can make.
5. Discuss ways in which you can deny yourself and take up your cross daily. 
6. Paradoxically, by losing your life in this way, you will find it. Discuss how this is true in eternity and today.

Posted in Study Guides Joe Anady
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Baptist Catechism 4

Q. 4. What is the Word of God?

A. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, and the only certain rule of faith and obedience. (2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16,17; Isaiah 8:20)

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Introduction

To appreciate question 4 of our catechism, we need to remember question 3. 

Question three addresses the question of knowing when it asks, “How may we know there is a God?” The answer that is given is helpful both to the general question, how may we know?, and to the more specific question, “How may we know there is a God?” 

The answer given is, “The light of nature in man and the works of God plainly declare that there is a God; but His Word and Spirit only do it fully and effectively for the salvation of sinners.” So here we learn a most foundational truth. We may know things in general, and we may know that God exists in particular, because God has revealed truth to us. God has spoken both through nature and his Word. We call these two forms of revelation general or natural revelation and special revelation. God reveals himself, and certain truths about himself generally through the world that he has made. And God reveals himself, and truths about himself much more specifically through his Word. The way of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is only revealed in God’s Word. 

So then, question 3 mentions the “Word of God”, and now question 4 asks, “what is the Word of God?” The answer that is given is very basic and very important. “The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, and the only certain rule of faith and obedience.” Let us consider the answer piece by piece. 

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The Holy Scriptures

Here the “Holy Scriptures” are said to be “the Word of God”.

Scripture means writing. The writings that are being referred to here are (for the most part) the writings of men. Men like Moses, David, and Paul wrote the Scriptures that we now have. But here we are confessing that these writings are not ordinary writings — they are holy. The word “holy” reminds us that the Scriptures are from God and they are pure. 

We confess that the Scriptures are inspired by God. Did men write them? Yes, indeed. Did men choose the words? Yes, they did. Can we get a sense of their education or their personalities through their writings? Yes, I think we can. Men wrote the Scriptures. But with the Holy Scriptures, there is more to the story. These men we inspired by God. God’s Spirit moved or carried them along to write what they wrote so that at the end of the day we are correct to refer to their words as the Word of God. This is what Peter says in 2 Peter 1:20–21: “knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20–21, ESV). This is a marvelous description of inspiration. Again, “no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

The Holy Scriptures are the Word of God, and they are therefore pure. If I had the time I would expand upon the word “Holy” and the phrase “the Word of God” and explain that the Scriptures are inerrant and infallible, trustworthy and sure, clear, sufficient, and authoritative (see Second London Confession chapter 1 for a more detailed statement on Holy Scripture). 

Q: “What is the Word of God?”  A: “The Holy Scriptures… are the Word of God…” 

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Old And New Testaments

More precisely, our catechism states that “the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God…” The phrase, “of the Old and New Testaments”, is very important, for it identifies what “Scriptures” we have in mind. Not just any Scriptures (writings), but the Scriptures “of the Old and New Testaments”.

As you know, our catechism summarizes our confession of faith. And our confession of faith is more detailed on this point. The books of the Holy Scripture are listed in chapter 1, para 2. 

Brothers and sisters, I think it is important to understand something about the structure of the Scriptures. The Holy Scriptures are made up of two testaments. And what divides the Old Testament from the New? What distinguishes them? Well, it is the birth and life of Christ. Matthew 1 is the beginning of the New Testament and it begins by telling us about the birth of Jesus the Messiah. 

This is a bit of an oversimplification, but it is true nonetheless – both the Old Testament and the New testament are about Jesus the Messiah and our salvation in him. Though it is right for us to distinguish beetn the Old and New Testaments, we must not divirce them. Together, they tell one story – the story of God’s creation, man’s fall into sin, and our redemption in Jesus the Messiah. Saint Augustine once famously described the relationship between the Old and New Testament like this: “The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed.”

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The Works Of God

After saying that “the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God”, our catechism then declares that they are “the only certain rule of faith and obedience. 

Rule means standard. What is the standard for what we should believe and for what we should do? The Scriptures are. They are the rule of faith and obedience. 

What should we believe about God? To the Scriptures, we must go! What should we believe about ourselves? To the Scriptures, we must go! What should we believe about salvation? To the Scriptures, we must go! And how should we live? How should we worship? To the Scriptures, we must go! Natural revelation can help us in many ways, but it is not the rule of faith and obedience.God’s Word is, and the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God. 

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Conclusion

Do you know the Scriptures, brothers and sisters? Do you love to listen to them read and preached? Do you read them for yourselves? Do you cherish them and store them in your heart? We ought to, for the Scriptures are God’s word to us. 

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady
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Old Testament Reading: Daniel 7:13–14

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13–14, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 9:23-27

“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 9:23–27, 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

In the previous passage – Luke 9:18-22 – two important and pivotal things we said. 

Firstly, the question that has been asked many times now in Luke’s Gospel was answered. The question is, “Who is Jesus?” Peter gave the correct answer when he spoke up as the representative of the other apostles and confessed Jesus to be “the Christ of God.” So, Jesus is the Christ or Messiah promised by God from long ago. He is the anointed one of God, the great Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s people. He is the eternal Son of God incarnate. That confession made by Peter was important and pivotal in the ministry of Christ and in the Gospel of Luke. 

Secondly, immediately after Peter confessed Jesus to be the Christ of God, Jesus clarified what kind of Christ he would be. He would be a Christ who would suffer even to the point of death. He would accomplish his Messianic mission and win the victory over Satan, sin, and death, not in a glorious way, but in a humble way. He would win the victory by enduring suffering, ridicule, abandonment, and death. This, you might remember, was not the kind of Messiah that people were expecting. They were expecting a great King who would conquer in the way that kings usually conquer, that is to say, with power and glory.  But Jesus Christ would enter into glory, not by exulting himself over others, but by laying his life down as a sacrifice for many. The multitudes were expecting the Messiah to arrive, but they were not expecting a Messiah like this. Even Jesus’ disciples could not comprehend what he said about his suffering and death. It’s as if they did not have a category for this in their minds. In fact, the Scriptures say that these truths were concealed or hidden from them (see Luke 9:45, 18:34). 

So, the previous passage was pivotal. Peter confessed that Jesus is the “Christ of God” and Jesus clarified what kind of Christ he would be – a suffering servant in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 53. 

As we come now to Luke 9:23-27 we see that Christ had more to say to his followers after Peter’s profession. In response to Peter’s declaration, you are “the Christ of God”, Jesus did not only clarify what kind of Christ he would be – he also clearly stated what would be required to follow after him.    

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Deny Yourself, Take Up Your Cross Daily, And Follow Jesus

In Luke 9:23 we read, “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me’” (Luke 9:23, ESV). 

The words, “If anyone would come after me….”, mean if anyone wishes to follow me and to be a disciple of mine… Here we have a kind of broad invitation to be a follower of Jesus. But the invitation is not without qualification. You see, there are certain standards to be met to be a disciple or follower of Jesus. Hear the words of Christ again. He spoke to all, saying, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23, ESV). To be a follower of Jesus – to have him as Lord and Savior – a person must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow him. What does this mean?

Firstly, to follow after Jesus one must deny himself. 

To deny is to reject. To deny is to dismiss. Self-denial is the first requirement that Jesus mentions. If one wishes to be a true disciple of his they must first deny themselves. Stated negatively, no one can be a true disciple of Jesus if they regard themselves as self-righteous and self-sufficient. No one can follow after Jesus if they are self-centered, self-directed, self-powered, self-motivated, and filled with self-love. Of course, all of this sounds like foolishness to the world. The world would teach that the very best thing you can do for yourself is to love yourself, trust yourself, and be true to yourself. But Jesus says, “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself.”

The one who denies himself says, I am not self-righteous – I need a Savior. And I am not self-sufficient – I need God to sustain me in every way. The one who has denied himself does not make himself the center of his life but has God at the center. He is not self-directed but looks to God and to his Word to direct his steps. He is not self-powered or self-motivated but is empowered and moved by God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The one who has denied himself does not love himself supremely but loves God with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength, and his neighbor as himself.

To state the matter in another way, to deny oneself is to live no longer for the passions of the flesh and the desires of the body (see Ephesians 2:3). It is to live no longer for the world and the pleasures of this world. It is to stop making the gratification of the flesh and the desires of the flesh the motivating factor of one’s life. 

If one wishes to follow after Jesus he must first deny himself. He must take himself off of the throne of his life and invite Christ to sit there. He must remove himself from the center of the stage of his life and invite God and Christ to take center stage. So you can see that to gain Christ something first must be lost.  “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself”, Jesus says.

Secondly, to follow after Jesus one must take up his cross daily. 

What does it mean to take up a cross? A cross, as you know, was an instrument of death – a tool that the Romans used to carry out executions in the days of Jesus. We tend to romanticize the cross. The crosses that we display are clean and pleasant to look at. In reality, the cross was a rough and gruesome instrument of suffering and death. So, to take a cross upon your shoulders is to endure suffering. To take up a cross is to taste death.

In a way, the phrase, “let him… take up his cross daily and follow me” carries the same meaning as the phrase, “let him deny himself.” To take up the cross is to deny yourself. To take up the cross is to die to yourself. To take up the cross to live, no longer for yourself and for the passions of your flesh to gratify its desires, but for the Lord. The image of picking up a cross and carrying it upon your shoulders serves to illustrate the principle of denying yourself.    

But the command to take up the cross communicates more. It reveals that following after Jesus will involve difficulties. Jesus’ disciples will not be immune from suffering. We will experience the kinds of trials and tribulations of life that are common to all who live in this fallen world, and disciples of Jesus may also be called to suffer especially on account of their faith in Jesus. And the same may be said regarding death. Disciples of Jesus will, like all men and women, taste death (unless they are alive when the Lord returns). And some disciples of Jesus will die because they are followers of his. To take up the cross is to deny yourself. More than this, to take up the cross is to submit yourself to suffering and even death for the sake of Christ.  

The Scriptures have a lot to say about suffering as a Christian. Before looking at a couple of important texts, I think it should be clarified that not all Christians suffer always or in the extreme. Indeed, many true followers of Jesus have lived very pleasant lives. Rarely will Christians suffer continually. Relatively few have experienced the extreme form of suffering that is martyrdom. But some have. And it seems clear from the text that is before us that to follow after Jesus one must be willing to identify with him in his suffering. 

Listen to Paul in Romans 8:16-17: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8:16–17, ESV)

Listen to 1 Peter 2:19-21: “For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:19–21, ESV)

And listen to Paul again in Romans 5:3-6: “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:3–6, ESV)

There is a common theme found in each of these passages, and it is that when suffering for Christ’s sake as disciples of his, we identify with him in his suffering. We should not miss this connection. Christ suffered for us and for our salvation, and if we are disciples of his we ought to expect to suffer as he suffered. Jesus took up his cross, and as disciples of his, we must bear our cross too. This relationship between Christ’s suffering and the suffering of his followers is present within our text. Remember that in Luke 9:22 Jesus revealed what kind of Christ he would be, “saying, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised’” (Luke 9:22, ESV). Here he reveals what kind of disciples he will have. They are those who will “deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow him” (Luke 9:23, ESV).

I have a few observations to make about this command of Jesus to take up the cross.

One, the cross that we as followers of Jesus are called to carry is our cross. It is not the cross of Christ that we are called to carry. Furthermore, you are not called to carry my cross, and I am not called to carry your cross. Followers of Jesus are called to carry their own cross, that is to say, the cross that God has ordained for them. Listen again to the command of Jesus. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Only Christ could bear the cross that God ordained for him. Only Christ could fulfill the terms of the Covenant of Redemption to live in obedience to God on behalf of the elect and to suffer and die in their place, being raised in victory on the third day. You are not called to carry that cross, for you cannot. And neither are you called to bear the cross that God has ordained for others. Each disciple of Christ must bear the cross ordained for them. 

How prone we are to look at the crosses of others and to complain, saying, but theirs looks lighter and smoother and more pleasant than mine. Friends, you do not know what it is like to bear the cross that others are bearing. The cross of your neighbor might be heavier than it appears. And besides, we must submit ourselves to the perfectly good and infinite wisdom of God that the cross he has crafted for us is just right. The cross that he has for each one of us if perfectly suited to bring him glory and to bring us good. It thought the experience of bearing that cross that God has ordained for us that we are refined and strengthened. And it is through the experience of bearing the cross that God has ordained for us that we will, like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, enter into glory. The cross that you are called to take up and bear is your cross. And to bear it you must bow yourself low before God and submit yourself to him. Undoubtedly, some who are listening to these words today are fighting against God and his will for them and are tempted to cast off their cross. If this is you, I encourage you to submit yourself to God, for this is good and right. By faith and in love you must, “humble [yourself]… under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6–7, ESV).

Here is another observation concerning the cross that Christ calls his disciples to bear – it is a cross that is to be taken up daily. As I have said, all men and women will endure the trail of death (unless alive when the Lord returns). And some Christians have been, and will be, called to bear the cross of martyrdom. But the cross that Jesus calls all of his disciples to bear is to be taken up daily. This means that disciples of Jesus are to die to themselves daily. This means that disciples of Jesus are to patiently endure affliction daily while entrusting themselves to God and to Christ. Bearing our cross is to be a way of life for the Chriastian.

Finally, disciples of Jesus are not only called to take up their cross, they are also commanded to follow after Jesus. “If anyone would come after me”, Jesus says, “let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” All men and women will at some point in their lives bear up under sorrow and affliction, but disciples of Jesus willing submit themselves to God’s will for them, they entrust themselves to God’s loving care, and they follow after Jesus. They listen to and believe his word, and strive to obey him. They follow his example and imitate his way of life.    

So I ask you, should all men and women be invited to follow after Jesus? Yes, all men and women should be invited to follow after Jesus. Men and women need to be told about God, his perfect creation, and man’s fall into sin. Men and women need to know that they are sinners who stand guilty before God. They need to hear the good news that God has graciously provided a Savior, Christ the Lord, and that forgiveness of sins comes to all who place their trust in him. Men and women need to be invited to trust in Jesus and to follow him. More than this, they should be urged to follow him! But note this: following after Jesus comes with conditions. To follow Christ, one must turn from their sins. To follow Christ, one must deny themself. To follow Christ, one must take up their cross daily. There is a sense in which following after Jesus will cost you everything. But it is so very worth it. 

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Do This Now For Three Good Reasons

In verses 24, 25, and 26 Jesus presents three reasons why it is worth it. Notice the threefold repetition of the word “for”. The word “for” indicates that a reason is about to be given.

“And [Jesus] said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:23–26, ESV)

Let us now briefly consider each of these three reasons as to why denying ourselves, taking up our crosses, and following after Jesus is worth it.  

First, “whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for [Christ’s] sake will save it.” What is the meaning of this paradoxical saying of Jesus? Here Christ teaches that the one who holds on to their life tightly – the one who insists that they are self-righteous and self-sufficient, living in a self-directed and self-centered way, and for their own pleasure,  arrogantly and stubbornly refusing to submit themselves to God and Christ –  this one who saves his life, will ironically find that he loses his life in the end. But the one who loses his life for Christ’s sake – the one who confesses his need for Christ, trusts in Christ, and submits himself to Christ as Savior and as Lord – will find that he gains his life in the end.

Friends, you must understand this. When Christ calls you to deny yourself and to take up your cross and follow him daily – when he calls you to lay it all down – it is not so that you might lose, but gain. When Christ commands you to deny yourself it is so that you might find yourself. When he commands you to die to yourself daily by taking up your cross daily, it is so that you might truly live. This reminds of what Jesus said as recorded in John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10, ESV). It is abundant life that Christ gives to his followers. But to have it, they must first deny themselves, die to themselves, and follow after him. 

This abundant life of which Christ speaks will be experienced now and in eternity. That Christ has come to give his followers abundant life in eternity should be clear to all. He came to earn the forgiveness of our sins. He came to reconcile us to the Father. He came to give those who trust in him eternal life. But the abundant life of which Christ speaks is not only a future hope, it is a present gift and reality. Christ does want his disciples to be happy and joyous. But the way to happiness is the way of the cross. The world will never understand this. But the Christian knows. Do you wish to be happy, friends? Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Jesus. Serve God. Serve your neighbor. Do you wish to be miserable? Live for yourself. Live to fulfill your passions and desires. Live for the riches and pleasures of this world. Do this, and you will find yourself to be a truly miserable person now and for eternity. Friends, paradoxically, the way of the cross is the way of life and joy and peace. 

The second reason Christ gives as to why it is worth it to deny yourself and to take up your cross daily and follow him is that it will profit a man nothing to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit himself. Here Christ builds upon his previous statement and begins to direct our attention to the time of the end and the final judgment.

The word “profit” is interesting. It indicated that Christ wants us to do a cost/benefit analysis. He wants us to make a good and wise investment, not a foolish one. Only a fool would invest in something if he knew that tomorrow the investment would be lost. And yet most men and women spend their lives investing in things that will be lost at the moment of death. More than this, most people live in such a way that they themselves will be lost at the moment of death and at the judgment. They will be lost for all eternity. Christ is urging you to make a good and wise investment. If you lose your life now by surrendering it to Jesus Christ, you will gain your life for eternity. Those in Christ will live when they die – they will live abundantly in the blessed presence of God. Those in Christ will not be judged, but will be graciously acquitted on the day of judgment. Those in Christ will not be punished, but will live forever in the blessed presence of God in the new heaven and earth. To lay down your life and to take up your cross and follow Jesus is the best investment you can possibly make! And it is a sure investment, for it is guaranteed by Jesus Christ, the crucified, risen and ascended one. 

The third reason Christ gives as to why it is worth it to deny yourself and to take up your cross daily and follow him is found in these words: “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” Here Christ builds upon the previous two statements and directs our attention to the glory that will be his after his work of redemption is accomplished.

When Christ came for the first time, he suffered and died. But it was through his suffering and death that he was raised to glory. Stated differently, it was by bearing the cross that God had decreed for him that Christ, the Son of Man, entered into glory. 

When Christ, the Son of Man, comes again it will not be to suffer and die. When he returns, he will be in glory and with the power to judge. The prophecy of Daniel 7 that we read at the beginning of this sermon speaks of the glory that belongs to the Messiah, the eternal Son of God incarnate, the Son of Man. Hear it again. “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13–14, ESV). This glory was given to Christ at his resurrection and ascension to the Father’s right hand. When Christ, the Son of Man returns, he will return in glory, to judge, and to rule all things in heaven and earth, forever and ever, in glory. 

Will the Son of Man welcome you into his glorious kingdom when he returns, or will he be ashamed of you? Listen to the words of Jesus again: “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” Here is yet another reason why you would be most wise to deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow him. To welcome Christ, the suffering servant, as your Lord and Savior now will mean that he welcomes you into his glorious kingdom on the day of his glorious return. But to deny him in this life will mean that he denies you on the last day.    

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Conclusion

Christ then concludes by saying, “But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” This, I think, is in reference to the event that is recorded for us in the next passage – the transfiguration. In that event – the event of the transfiguration – Peter, James, and John were given a special glimpse and foretaste of the glory that was soon to be Christ’s and of the glory of his eternal kingdom.

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady
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1. What does the word “Christ” mean? What is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek word, Christ?
2. The word Christ (or Messiah)  is a loaded term. What concepts are encapsulated in this term? In other words, what were the people of God looking for in Christ (or Messiah)?
3.  Why is it difficult for people (even Jesus’ disciples at first) to accept a suffering Messiah? 
4. Is a suffering Messiah revealed in the Old Testament? (Hint: see Isaiah 53)
5. If Christ suffered, his disciples should be prepared to suffer too. See Luke 9:23-27. Discuss.

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Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 53

“Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 9:18-22

“Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’ And they answered, ‘John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.’ Then he said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ And Peter answered, ‘The Christ of God.’ And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’” (Luke 9:18–22, 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

All passages of Holy Scripture, being divinely inspired, are important. But some passages of Scripture may be regarded as especially important and pivotal given what they reveal. I consider Luke 9:18-22 to be one of these especially important and pivotal texts. 

For one, the question that has been raised in Luke’s gospel over and over again is here answered with precision and clarity. Who then is this Jesus? This question has been asked by the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus’ own disciples, and even Herod the Tetrarch. And as you know, the crowds were asking this question and had their opinions concerning Jesus’ identity. But here in the text that is open before us today, the question is answered. Jesus asked his disciples, “‘But who do you say that I am?’ And Peter answered, ‘The Christ of God.’” That is the right answer, and it is filled with meaning. 

The second reason I see this text as being especially important and pivotal is that Jesus here reveals to his disciples what kind of Christ he would be and how he would accomplish our salvation. He would suffer, die, and rise again on the third day. Jesus could not have been more direct and clear about this.  After Peter’s wonderful profession, Jesus said,  “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” 

And so we will consider this important and pivotal passage in two parts. Firstly, Peter’s answer to the question of Jesus, who do you say that I am? Secondly, Jesus’ clear declaration concerning his mission.

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Peter Professed That Jesus Is The Christ Of God 

First, Peter’s profession.

Luke 9:18 says, “Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him.” Luke does not tell us where Jesus and the disciples were. Matthew and Mark include this story in their Gospels (Matthew 16:13-16; Mark 8:27-29) and they say that Jesus and the disciples were in the district of Caesarea Philippi. This region is far to the north of the Sea of Galilee. But Luke does tell us what Jesus was doing. He was praying. 

In the previous sermon, it was emphasized that Jesus is no ordinary man. He is the person of the eternal Son or Word of God incarnate. So, he is to true God and true man. But in this sermon, I wish to emphasize that Jesus is a true man. The Son of God assumed a true human body and a true human soul. This is why we see him grow in wisdom and stature, hunger and thirst, feel sorrow and angst – and this is why we see him pray.  Jesus was a true man. And as a true man, he communed with God the Father in prayer. He brought his desires to the Father in prayer. He submitted his human will to the will of God the Father in prayer. And he was strengthened in prayer, not according to his divine nature, but in the human nature he assumed. Jesus prayed. He taught his disciples to pray. If we are Jesus’ disciples, we should be constant in prayer, brothers, and sisters.    

After praying – and perhaps he was praying for this conversation he was about to have – he asked his disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 

Who is Jesus? May I propose to you that this is the most important question a person can ask? Who is Jesus? The way that you answer this question has eternal consequences. And people have many opinions. In the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the crowds witnessed the signs and wonders that Jesus performed and they developed theories. The disciples of Jesus reported to him that some said he was “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen” (Luke 9:19, ESV). 

John the Baptist was a powerful figure. He was regarded by many as a prophet. Many followed him. But he was imprisoned and then killed. Some surmised that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead. Perhaps some thought that John had not really died.  

Others thought Jesus was Elijah. The last two verses of Malachi, the last book in our Old Testament Scriptures, say, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction” (Malachi 4:5–6, ESV). Some thought Jesus was Elijah. In truth, John the Baptist was Elijah – not literally, but he was the Elijah-like prophet whose job it was to prepare the way for the LORD. So the people were mistaken, but it is not difficult to understand why they would think that Jesus was Elijah. 

Jesus was performing signs and wonders. This could not be denied by the people. And so the people developed numerous theories about Jesus’ identity. Some said he was John the Baptist. Others said he was Elijah. And others thought he was one of the Old Testament prophets who had been raised from the dead. One thing is clear: the people held Jesus in very high esteem. None of these answers to the question, who is Jesus?, were correct. But it seems that everyone held Jesus in very high regard. The crowds recognized that he was special and unique. They recognized that he was, in one way or another, from God. 

In Luke 9:20 we read, “Then [Jesus] said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’” Friends, I think it is right for you to hear the voice of Jesus asking you this very question: “Who do you say that I am?” As I said a moment ago, this is the most important question a person can ask, and we must get the answer right, for the consequences are eternal. Peter answered correctly when he uttered the words, “The Christ of God”. Truly, this is the best answer. 

There are other good ways to answer the question, who is Jesus? It would not be wrong to say, Jesus is the Son of God incarnate. That is true! And that is important to say. Neither would it be wrong to say that Jesus is God’s great Prophet – the one of whom Moses spoke in Deuteronomy 18:15, saying, “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). Who is Jesus? He is the great Prophet of God. That is true. Neither would be wrong to say that Jesus is the Priest of God’s people – the Priest who has come in the order of Melchizedek. That too is true and important to say. In fact, Hebrews 5 answers the question, who is Jesus?  in this way, and rightly so. And neither would it be wrong to say that Jesus is the King of God’s people – he is the son that was promised to king David – the is the King of God’s kingdom who will reign forever and ever, whose kingdom will have no end. Who is Jesus? He is the eternal Son (or Word) of God incarnate, the great Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s people. This true.  

I’ve said that Peter’s answer was the best answer because the terms he used encompass all of these concepts I have just mentioned (and more). Jesus asked, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, ‘the Christ of God’”. 

The words, “of God”, in the phrase “the Christ of God” indicate that Peter knew where Jesus had come from. He had come from God. Now, I’m not sure that Peter fully grasped the doctrine of the incarnation at this point in his life. But Matthew’s account of this story helps us to see that Peter understood a lot concerning Jesus’ origin. According to Matthew 16:16, Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” First of all, what are we to make of the discrepancies between Luke and Matthew? Well, there is no real difference. Matthew reports the longer and fuller answer of Peter. Luke’s account of what Peter said is brief, and therefore, more pointed. Mark’s account of Peter’s answer is briefer still. Mark 8:29 reads, “And [Jesus] asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ’” (Mark 8:29, ESV). Mark wished to stress the word “Christ”. Luke wished to stress the word Christ and to make it known that Peter knew that Jesus was from God. And Matthew wished to include Peter’s words about Jesus being the “Son of the living God.”

The word “Christ” in the phrase “the Christ of God” is loaded with meaning. Christ is not Jesus’ last name. It is a very special title. It is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word, Messiah (see John 1:41; 4:25).  When Peter called Jesus “the Christ of God”, he meant, you are the Messiah that God had promised and that God has sent. 

Messiah (or Christ) means anointed. When used as a title Messiah (or Christ) means the anointed one. To be anointed is to be covered. And in this context, we are talking about being anointed or covered – or we might say, filled and empowered – with the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Peter confessed that Jesus is the Anointed One that God had promised and sent.  

I should tell you, if you search your English translations of the Old Testament for the word “Messiah” you will not find it unless you are reading from one of the few translations that use the word in Daniel 9:25 & 26 and Psalm 2:2 & 28. In the vast majority of cases, the Hebrew word “Messiah” is translated into English as “anointed” or “anointed one”. 

In the Old Testament, you will find that many people were anointed by God. In particular, the prophets (1 Chronicles 16:22), priests (Leviticus 6:22), and kings (2 Samuel 23:1) of the Old Covenant were anointed by God to empower them to fulfill their God-given office. But in the Old Testament Scriptures, you will also find prophecies concerning an Anointed One who was to come, a great Prophet, Priest, and King, a Savior, Redeemer, and Deliverer of God’s people. So then, the Hebrew term “messiah” is used in the Scriptures generically to refer to one who was anointed of God, be it Aaron the priest, David the king, or Nathan the prophet, but it is sometimes used in a much more specific way to refer to the Anointed One, the Promised One, the Son, and the Savior of God’s people who was to come.

Take, for example, Psalm 2:1-2, which says, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed… ” (Psalm 2:1–2, ESV). As the Psalm continues it becomes clear who this Anointed one is. He is the King of verse 6: “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” He is the Son of verses 7-12: “I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:6–12, ESV). So then, the Anointed One of Pslam 2 is a great King – a King will have the nations as his heritage – a King who will rule over the whole earth – a King who will judge the nations.

Psalm 132:17 is also important. It speaks of Jerusalem when it says, “There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed” (Psalm 132:17, ESV). So, David’s son will be the Anointed One. 

Perhaps the most famous Old Testament prophecy regarding the coming of the Anointed One is Daniel 9:25-26: “Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed” (Daniel 9:25–26, ESV). There are multiple interpretations of this passage. We will not get into them now. Most Christians agree that the anointed one verse 26 who is said to be “cut off” is Jesus the Messiah. Here we have a reference to his death on the cross. 

I’ve cited these passages because they all use the term “Messiah” in a focused and particular way to refer to the Anointed One – a King – a Redeemer – who was to come. But is also important to see that all of the anointed prophets, priests, and kings of the Old Covenant order did foreshadow the Messiah and lead God’s people to live with a sense of anticipation concerning his arrival. There were many anointed prophets like Moses, but there was a Great Anointed Prophet who would one day come. There were many anointed priests who descended from Aaron, but there was a Great Anointed High Priest who would one day come in the order of Melchizedek.  And there were many anointed kings who descended from David, but there would one day arise the Anointed King – the Anointed One of Psalm 2 – who would sit on David’s throne and rule forever and ever. The point that I am here making is that the term “Messiah” does not have to be used for the concept of “Messiah” to be present. When we take into consideration the texts that explicitly speak of a coming Messiah and all of the texts that treat the anointed prophets, priests, and kings of the Old order in a typological way, it is not at all surprising that the people of God were living with a sense of anticipation concerning the soon arrival of the Messiah in the days when Jesus was born. 

As you know, the word Messiah or the Greek equivalent, Christ, is used very frequently in the New Testament. And the New Testament emphatically teaches that Jesus is the Christ (or Messiah) promised from long ago.  

Peter knew it. And he wasn’t the only one. I think it is right to assume that Peter spoke on behalf of the other disciples as well. Remember, Jesus asked the disciples, “who do [you all] say that I am?” Peter spoke up because his conviction was strong and sure, but I hear him speaking as a leader on behalf of the others too. In fact, we should remember John 1:41. There in that text we learn that Peter was not the first disciple to be called. There were two called before him. One was his brother Andrew. And Andrew, after responding to the call of Jesus to follow him, “found his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter)’ (John 1:41–42, ESV). Andrew was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah before Peter was, but Peter is the one who made this marvelous profession on behalf of the Apostolic band: You, Jesus, are “the Christ of God”.

I hope you can see how pivotal this moment was in the ministry of Jesus and the life of his Apostles.  The question, who then is this?, had been answered and the disciples could then move forward with a new kind of clarity and resolve. Who is Jesus? He is not John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets of old. He is the Messiah of God, the eternal Son of God incarnate.  

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Jesus Clarified That As The Christ He Would Suffer

There is something else pivotal about this passage that we are considering today, and I would like to touch upon it briefly, before concluding. In our passage, we hear Peter profess that Jesus is the Christ of God, and then we hear Jesus clarify that as the Christ, he would have to suffer.

You are I are accustomed to thinking and talking about the sufferings of Christ for the simple reason that we live a long time after his life, death, burial, and resurrection. It is not hard for us to think about Christ as one who suffered, was rejected, and crucified. But this was a difficult concept for those who lived prior to Jesus’ death and resurrection to grasp, and this included the disciples of Jesus. Many were looking for the arrival of the Messiah. Most assumed he would be a powerful and victorious King. Few understood that his power and victory would be won through suffering and death. But it’s not as if Jesus was unclear. 

Look with me at Luke 9:21: “And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one…” This sounds strange to us who live after Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, for we have been commissioned to go and tell the whole world about Jesus! But there was a time in the earlier part of Jesus’ earthly ministry when he discouraged his followers from spreading the word about him until the appropriate time. Quoting again Luke 9:21, “And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Luke 9:21–22, ESV).

The sufferings of Jesus were hinted at in Luke’s Gospel when that old man, Simeon, rejoiced to see the baby Jesus in the temple, blessed Joseph and Mary, and then spoke to Mary saying, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34–35, ESV). But up to this point, not much has been said about the sufferings of Jesus. Here, in the moment his disciples confess him to be the Christ of God, Jesus makes it crystal clear that he will be a Christ who suffers, a King who conquers by laying down his life as a sacrifice for many. 

Jesus mentions his suffering for the first time here in Luke 9:22. The theme of his suffering will appear regularly in Luke’s Gospel from this point forward. Often it is emphasized that his disciples could not comprehend what he was saying. It’s as if they had a place in their minds for a Messiah, but they did not have a mental category for a suffering Messiah. 

Listen to Luke 9:44-45. Here Jesus speaks to his disciples, saying, “‘Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man [a favorite title for himself]  is about to be delivered into the hands of men.’ But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying” (Luke 9:44–45, ESV).

In Luke 17 Jesus speaks about the time of the end when he will return to judge and make all things new. In 17:25 he says, “But first [the Son of Man] must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” (Luke 17:25, ESV)

In Luke 18:31 we read, “And taking the twelve, [Jesus] said to them, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.’ But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said” (Luke 18:31–34, ESV).

In Luke 22:15 we hear Christ speak to his Apostles, saying, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15, ESV).

And finally, in Luke 24 Jesus speaks to his disciples after his suffering, death, burial and resurrection, saying in verse 26, “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” In verse 46, we hear Jesus say, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:46–48, ESV).

Friends, Peter, and the rest of the disciples were right to confess that Jesus is the Christ of God. They had a lot to learn about him, though. For one, they had to learn what it would mean to have a Christ who would redeem them and lead them by undergoing suffering, rejection, betrayal, and even death. It would be through suffering and death that the Messiah would be raised to glory. A this point in their lives, they were unable to comprehend it. They would comprehend it only after seeing the crucified and risen Lord. 

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Conclusion

I have three very brief questions to ask you by way of conclusion. 

Firstly, who do you say that Jesus is? Do you regard him as just another man? A great teacher? A great man, like John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the other prophets of Old? Or do you agree that he is the Christ of God? More than this I ask you, do you trust in him? Do you know him as Lord and Savior?

And if you answer the question, who is Jesus?, correctly, saying, the Christ of God, I must ask you, do you see him as your suffering servant? Do you know him as the Messiah – the Anointed Prophet, Priest, and King of God – who has entered into glory and accomplished our salvation through suffering and death? And do you love him all the more for it? 

Thirdly, if you know that Jesus is the Christ, and if you love and adore him as the one who suffered, died, and rose again for you and in your place, I ask, are you willing to suffer as a disciple of his? Notice, this is what Christ called his disciples to do in the passage that follows. Luke 9:23: “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady
Comments Off on Sermon: Jesus, The Christ Of God, Luke 9:18-22 Posted by Joe