Baptist Catechism 27

Q. 27. How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?

A. Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by his Word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation. (John 1:18; 14:26; 15:15)

Scripture Reading: John 15:12-17

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.” (John 15:12–17, ESV)

*****

Introduction

We are entering into a wonderful section of our catechism wherein the work of Christ is considered through the lens of his threefold office. An office is a work to be done. And with the help of Baptist Catechism 26, we learned that Christ fulfilled three offices: the offices of a prophet, priest, and king. Here in Baptist Catechism 27 we turn our attention to the prophetic office of Christ.

Consider four things about the prophetic work of Christ the Redeemer:

First, Jesus Christ was not the first prophet of God.

Hebrews 1:1 says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets…”  So, before the birth of Jesus Christ God appointed many prophets.  Moses is to be regarded as very great.  Deuteronomy 34:10 says, “And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face…”  God spoke to Moses face to face, as it were. And Moses was faithful to communicate the word of God to the people.

John the Baptist, the relative of Jesus, and his forerunner, was also a prophet.  In fact, he is to be regarded as the greatest of the prophets of old.  Why?  Because he had the distinct privilege of announcing the arrival of the kingdom of God.  He preached, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2, ESV).  He was blessed to point at Jesus and to say, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, ESV).  In a sense, this is what all of the prophets did.  In different ways, they pointed forward to Christ and his kingdom.  But John the Baptist was blessed to announce his arrival and to prepare the way for his ministry. 

What was the job of these prophets of old?  What work did they do?  In brief, they declared the word of God to the people.  Most often, they preached the law and the gospel.  They would apply the law of Moses to the people and urge them to turn from their sins and to God.  So then, the prophets were preachers.  Sometimes, they would foretell the future.  Being inspired by God, the prophets would sometimes warn of impending judgment.  And as I have just said, the prophets would also point forward to the Messiah, the arrival of his kingdom, and to the New Covenant that he would mediate.

The second thing I would like you to consider is that long ago it was promised a great prophet would one day arise from within Israel.

Deuteronomy 18:15 is important.  Here we find the words of Moses.  He spoke to the people of Israel, 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).  As I have just said, many prophets would arise within Israel from Moses’ day onward.  But in this passage, Moses speaks of “a prophet” and says, “it is to him you shall listen.”  From that day forward the people of Israel were to live with a sense of expectation and wonder as they awaited the arrival of this great prophet.  

This leads to our third consideration concerning Christ’s prophetic office.  Though Jesus Christ was not the first prophet, he is by far the greatest of the prophets.

I’ll start by reminding you of the story found in Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8, and Luke 9:28-36 about Jesus being transfigured up on the mountain in front of Peter, James, and John.  These three disciples of Jesus saw him glorified in front of them.  And who appeared with Jesus?  It was none other than the great prophets of old, Moses and Elijah.  And do not forget what God said.  In Matthew 17:5 we read, “Behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him’” (Matthew 17:5–7, ESV).  So, over a thousand years earlier Moses spoke to Israel, 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), and up on the mountain, Jesus was glorified with Moses and Elijah at his side and God said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”  The message could not be more clear.  Jesus Christ is the great prophet of whom Moses spoke (see Acts 3:22–26).  Jesus is like Moses in that he is a prophet and a mediator of a covenant — Moses of the Old and Jesus of the New.  Jesus is not like Moses in that Moses was a servant in God’s house whereas Christ is the Son of God.  Moses was a great prophet of God, but Jesus Christ is a much greater prophet. 

Listen to Hebrews 1:1-2:  “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1–2, ESV).

Hebrews 3:5-6 says, “Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son.  And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope” (Hebrews 3:5–6, ESV).

Prophets speak to God’s people on behalf of God.  In other words, prophets reveal God and God’s will for our salvation.  Many faithful prophets lived during and before the time of Christ, but Jesus Christ is a prophet of a different kind.  He is not a servant in God’s house; he is God’s Son.  In other words, God did not merely give Christ the words to speak to his people; Christ is the eternal Word of God incarnate.  

Listen to John 1:1-3: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:1–3, ESV).  John 1:14 then says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, ESV).  And John 1:18 says, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” (John 1:18, ESV).

Can you see why I have said that Jesus Christ is a prophet of a different kind?  He is no mere man speaking the words of God to the people of God.  No, he is the eternal Son or Word of God incarnate.  One of the key purposes of his mission was to reveal the Father to us and to make known the way of our salvation.  This he has done supremely and most perfectly.   

Listen to the Word of Christ in John 15:15:  “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15, ESV).  Listen to the words of Christ in John 17:6-8.  He prayed to God, saying, “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world.  Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.  Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.  For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me” (John 17:6–8, ESV). 

The prophets of old spoke the word of God to the people of God as servants.  Jesus Christ is a prophet of a different order or kind. He speaks the word of God to us as the eternal Son who came down from the Father.  His word is the supreme word.  His word is the final word.  All prophecies uttered before and after his incarnation are from him (through inspiration) and have reference to him (he is the fulfillment).  

The fourth and final thing I would like you to consider about Christ’s prophetic work is that in this office, Christ the Redeemer meets our need.

If we are to know God truly, God must reveal himself to us.  How much more do we stand in need of God’s revelation now that we have fallen into sin?  Adam was created with true knowledge, remember?  But now that we have fallen, our minds are darkened because of sin (see Ephesians 4:18).  We need God’s word if we are to know God and the way of salvation.  Jesus Christ is the Word of God.  He reveals to us, by His Word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation, our catechism says. 

The little phrase, “by His Word and Spirit”, is interesting.  By it we are reminded of another way in which Christ is greater than any other prophet.  The prophets of old were empowered by God to speak the word of God.  But they did not have the power to enable men and women to understand or believe the words they spoke. But Christ reveals to us, by His Word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.  Not only does he have the power to deliver the message, he also has the power to open the minds and change the hearts of God’s elect to make them willing and able to believe his word. This he does by sending his Word and Spirit.  The little phrase, “by His Word and Spirit”, prepares us for what we will learn in Baptist Catechism 33 and 34 regarding effectual calling. 

*****

Conclusion

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 86

“A PRAYER OF DAVID. Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, and they do not set you before them. But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant. Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.” (Psalm 86, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 12:4-7

“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:4–7, ESV)

*****

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.

1. Introduction
   1. God’s word is amazing. I can’t tell you how often that thought comes to my mind when studying the Scriptures in preparation for preaching. God’s word is amazing. Luke’s gospel is amazing. And I particularly appreciate this portion of Luke’s gospel. 
   2. In the introduction to the previous sermon, I drew your attention to the fact that in Luke 12:1-53 Christ has his attention fixed on his disciples – the 12 Apostles and probably the 70 others as well. Luke 12:1 says, “In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy’”, etc.  
   3. Why did Christ focus his attention on his disciples? Did he not care about the great multitudes that came to see him and to hear his teaching? Yes, he cared for others besides the 12 and the 70, but it was the will and way of Christ to minister to the multitudes – yes, eventually to all nations – through his Apostles and other eyewitness. And so, while Christ often ministered to the multitudes, he especially poured into the 12 and the 70, for they would be his witnesses and special ambassadors. These men would take the gospel to all nations. These would establish churches. These would see to it that elders were appointed in every place. As you probably know, Luke’s second volume, the book of The Acts Of The Apostles, tells that story. We should not be surprised, therefore, to hear that Christ focused his attention on his disciples,
   4. Here in Luke 12:1-53, he instructs his disciples to prepare them for the work they would soon be called to do. As I said in the previous sermon, I think it is right to see these teachings as being for all Christians, but especially for leaders within Christ’s church. Here Christ warns against the danger of hypocrisy, the fear of man, covetousness, anxiety over the cares of this world, inattentiveness (irresponsibility), and people-pleasing. These heart sins are a danger to all Christians, but especially pastors and elders within Christ’s church. These are temptations that threaten to render all Christians, and especially ministers of the gospel, ineffective and unfruitful, if not worse.   
   5. As you know, Christ began by warning against hypocrisy. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy”, Christ said. We considered the sin of hypocrisy in the previous sermon. I cannot take the time to review all that was said in that sermon about hypocrisy. Perhaps a few bullet points will help to jog the memory of those who were present to hear that sermon and provide a sufficient foundation for those who were not so that we can get on with our text for today.
      1. One, a hypocrite is two-faced. A hypocrite does not live one life, but two or more. They love the praise of man and to appear righteous in public, but in reality, their hearts are filled with wickedness. The Pharisees were notorious for their hypocrisy. Christ confronted them about this, saying, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you” (Luke 11:39–41, ESV).
      2. Two, hypocrisy is, at its core, a heart problem. What the hypocrite needs is not better behavior, but a renewed heart, mind, and will. It is not the good and holy behavior in public that makes the hypocrite a hypocrite, but the fact that the good behavior in public is nothing more than a mask used to conceal a corrupted heart, words, and deeds.   
      3. Three, Jesus Christ is the only real solution to hypocrisy. Christ gives his elect a new mind and heart to make them willing and able to believe in him. Christ forgives his people and cleanses them from all unrighteousness. And Christ sanctifies and renews his people further by his word and Spirit so that they actually make progress in holiness. You see, the cleansing and transformation that Christ brings does not start with the outside, but the inside. The behavior of the true Christian changes, not because of self-effort, but because of inward renewal worked by God’s Word and Spirit. Yes, true Christians still sin, but this does not make them hypocrites. When Christians sin, it will grieve them to the heart, lead to true repentance, and further the progress of sanctification in them. Furthermore, no true Christian claims to be self-righteous in the way that the Pharisees did. True followers of Christ readily admit that are not righteous, in themselves, but stand in need of God’s grace and of a Savior. We stand right before God only because God has washed us in the blood of Christ, has clothed us in Christ’s rightousness, and is sanctifying us further by his Word and Spirit. 
   6. But this does not mean that the sin of hypocrisy is not a danger to the Christian.  If it were not a danger, then why did Christ warn his disciples about it? Hypocrisy is indeed a danger to all of us. There are many ways in which our hearts can be drawn away from a single-minded devotion to Christ, leading to a hypocritical, clean-on-the-outside, but filthy-on-the-inside, way of life.
   7. I’ve taken the time to review what was said in the previous sermon about hypocrisy for a reason. I do believe that the passage that is open before us today (Luke 12:4-7) along with the following passages (through Luke 12:53) all have relation to the warning of Luke 12:1: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” In other words, after warning his disciples against the sin of hypocrisy, Christ goes on to warn against several sins of the heart which, if allowed to remain, will lead to a hypocritical life.
      1. The fear of man, if allowed to remain in the heart, will lead to a compromised and hypocritical walk (Luke 12:4-12). 
      2. The sin of covetousness, if allowed to remain in the heart, will lead to a compromised and hypocritical walk (Luke 12:13-21). 
      3. The sin of fear and anxiety over the cares of this world, if allowed to remain in the heart, will lead to a compromised and hypocritical walk (Luke 12:22-34). 
      4. The sin of inattentiveness or negligence, if allowed to remain in the heart, will lead to a compromised and hypocritical walk (Luke 12:35-48). 
      5. And finally, the sin of people-pleasing, if allowed to remain in the heart, will lead to a compromised and hypocritical walk (Luke 12:35-48).
         1. Admittedly, these passages that I have previewed all stand very nicely on their own, but I do believe they all relate back to the warning about hypocrisy. 
   8. It is not at all surprising that the very first heart-sin that Christ addressed is the fear of man. The fear of man has, no doubt, caused many professing Christians to hesitate and even pull back from their devotion to Christ. Some who professed faith in Christ have even abandoned the faith because they allowed the sin of the fear of man to reside within their heart and consume them. 
   9. Fear is a very powerful emotion. It has the power to consume our thoughts, hijack our emotions, and drive the direction of our lives. 
   10. Here in our passage, Christ warns us about the danger of the fear of man, and he presents us with three remedies. 
2. Do not fear man
   1. Firstly, Christ commands his followers to have no fear of man because man’s ability to harm is limited.
      1. Look with me at Luke 12:4. There Christ says, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.” (Luke 12:4, ESV)
         1. Notice that Christ calls his disciples, friends. I think that is wonderful to consider. Christ is a friend to sinners. He is a friend to all who come to him by faith. And it is not we who make Christ our friend, but he who has makes us his. Christ calls his followers, friends. No doubt, his decision to call his disciples friends here was intentional. He is about to say something hard and challenging. Knowing that Jesus is our friend and that he cares for us as friends will strengthen us to receive these challenging words.
         2. When Christ says, “​​do not fear those who kill the body”, he means, have no fear of man. Do not fear man, is the general command. When Christ originally spoke these words to his disciples, he no doubt had the Pharisees, lawyers, and scribes in mind.
            1. Do not forget the predictions Christ made back in Luke 9 regarding how he would be treated by the religious leaders of the day.  He spoke to his disciples, 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).
            2. Do not forget about the conflict Christ had with the Pharisees and layers as recorded in Luke 11. He condemned them for their hypocrisy and pronounced many “woes” on them. Luke tells us, “As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say” (Luke 11:53–54, ESV).
            3. You are probably aware that these disciples of Jesus would suffer persecution and even martyrdom at the hands of these religious elites after Christ’s ascension to the Father.  
         3. It is no wonder that Christ addressed the problem of the fear of man first. If these disciples feared man and what men could do to them, they would not remain devoted to Christ for long. Very soon, the fear of man would drive them to act hypocritically as they sought to appease those with the power to persecute.
            1. Remember that the Apostle Peter slipped into hypocrisy on the night of Jesus’ arrest. A servant girl began to question his allegiance to Jesus. Peter, in a moment of weakness, was driven by the fear of man. He denied knowing Jesus, not once, not twice, but three times. And then the rooster crowed.  That story is told in Luke 22. Peter’s faith in Christ was true. The fear of man that resided in his heart drove him to put on the hypocritical mask of unbelief temporarily. Thankfully, he did remain in that state of hypocrisy. He repented and was restored.
         4. Brothers and sisters, fear is a very powerful motivator and it is very tightly linked to what we love. We fear what we love. Stated differently, we fear losing what we love. Fear will always drive us to take action to avoid losing that which we love.
            1. Now, there is an instinctual kind of fear. It is this instinctual kind of fear that moves you to run away when someone threatening approaches or to avoid certain activities and behaviors knowing that they might lead to your demise. Typically, it is perfectly good and right to listen to these instinctual fears and to seek to preserve your own life and the lives of others. In fact, I do believe the sixth of the Ten Commandments requires this. This is not the kind of fear that Christ is here addressing. 
            2. Instead, Christ is addressing a kind of fear that is deeply rooted in the heart and mind, everpresent, often unnoticed, and yet greatly impactful as it pertains to the direction of one’s life. This kind of fear (I’m not sure what to call it – convictional fear, maybe?) is not the same as the instinctual fear mentioned above. The emotion of instinctual fear will come on hard and strong to drive us either to fight or to flight when a threat arises. This other kind of fear, though often unnoticed, is always with us. And it is always determining the priorities and direction of our lives. 
            3. As I said just a moment ago, fear has a lot to do with love. The question, what or whom do you fear ultimately, and the question, what or whom do you love ultimately, will most likely receive the same answer. To give an obvious example, what do you think most people would say if you asked them the question, what do you fear most? If honest, I think most would say, death. And does this not reveal that the thing they love most is life on this earth? Some might say that losing their wealth is their greatest fear. Others might say the loss of their children. For others, it is the loss of their good reputation. And if the loss of these things is their greatest fear, does this not reveal that these things are their greatest love and treasure?   
         5. In the previous passage, Christ warned his disciples to beware of the Pharisees and the lawyers. Here he clarifies that they are not to be afraid of them. After all, Christ said, the worst thing they can do is kill you. 
            1. Let that statement sink in for a little. 
            2. Does the statement sound absurd to you? I’m sure it sounds absurd to most. Do not be afraid of man!? The worst they can do to you is kill you!? What do you mean!? But this is what Christ taught his disciples. We are to take him seriously.
            3. Think of the deeply held beliefs and convictions required to hold such a view: This life is not all there is. Death is not the end. There is something more and better for those who are friends of Jesus on the other side of the grave. The violent man – the persecutor of Christians –  can only do so much. He can defame your name, steal your possessions, throw you in prison, abuse you, and kill you. That’s all. The violent man cannot reach you beyond the grave. As pertains to love, the Christian must not love his life here on earth or the things of this world supremely. If he does, he will bristle at Christ’s command, “do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.”
         6. Persecution has a way of exposing the sin of the fear of man in the heart. When a Christ-follower is pressed to choose between faithfulness to Christ and death, or faithfulness to Christ and beatings, or faithfulness to Christ and prison, if the fear of man is deeply rooted in their heart, they will quickly deny Christ to protect the thing they most love, namely their own life and their comfort here on earth.
            1. Not long ago, some of us gathered to read a biography on the 17th century Particular Baptist Pastor, John Bunyan. Did you know that man spent 12 years in prison? He was separated from his wife and children. He suffered under very harsh conditions. Why? Because he refused to stop preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ? If Bunyan had the fear man in his heart, he would not have lasted long in his devotion to Christ. Many others have remained faithful to Christ even to the point of death. These knew that “those who kill the body… have nothing more that they can do.”
         7. But it is not only physical persecution that exposes the sin of the fear of man in the heart. Sometimes professing Christians are driven much more easily by the fear of man into compromise and hypocrisy.
            1.  How many young people have acted one way while at church and in the home and another way while out with non-believing friends? What drives them to act hypocritically except for the fear of man? If is not something as heavy as death they fear. No, they fear that they will be made fun of, ridiculed, or disliked if they do not conform to the ways of the world. 
            2. How many businessmen have compromised as it pertains to their devotion to Christ teh Lord out of fear of losing income or a job?   
            3. How many pastors have held back from declaring the truth of God’s Word out of fear of losing members or a ministry?
            4. Need I go on? Fear is a powerful motivator. If there is the fear of man and of what man can do to you embedded in your heart, hypocrisy will soon follow. 
            5. And so Christ speaks to us, saying, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do” (Luke 12:4, ESV).
   2. Secondly, Christ commands his followers to have no fear of man but to fear God instead.
      1. Look at verse 5. There Christ says, “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”
         1. What are the remedies to the sin of the fear of man in the heart? Firstly, we must come to see and truly believe that man’s ability to do us harm is very limited. The worst thing man can do is kill the body! Secondly, we must replace the fear of man with the fear of God and Christ, for, on the last day, God will judge the world through Christ the Son. Man can only affect us in this life. Once we pass from this life, man can no longer reach us. But in the life to come, all will stand before God and Christ to be openly judged (or acquitted) for all eternity. Do not fear man. Fear God instead. 
         2. Perhaps you have heard it said that everyone loves someone or something supremely. Human beings can not not love. The question is, what do we love supremely? And the very same thing may be said about fear. Human beings cannot not fear. Every human being trembles at the thought of losing their greatest love. What (or whom) should we love supremely? We ought to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And what (or whom) should we fear supremely? Our greatest fear ought to be the Lord, the thought of coming under his wrath, being cast into hell, away from his blessed presence forever, and judged by him for all eternity.
         3. You are probably familiar with Proverbs 1:7, which says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” Proverbs 9:10 is similar: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Why is the fear of the Lord called the beginning of knowledge and wisdom? Well, it is because the fear of the Lord is the first step towards a life lived according to true knowledge and wisdom. Before we can come to faith in Christ, be forgiven of all our sins, live for the glory of God, and enter into the blessed presence of God for all eternity, we must first believe that God exists and fear him.
            1. Many who fear the Lord run away from him. This is what those who are left in their sins will do. If they fear God, they will run from him because of their sin. 
            2. By God’s grace, some who fear the Lord will run towards him. This is what the elect of God who are regenerated and effectually called by God’s Word and Spirit will do. First, they will fear the Lord. After this, they will perceive that he is merciful, gracious, and kind. And seeing that God has provided a Savior, Christ the Lord, they will not flee from him, but towards the God they love and fear through faith in Christ Jesus.   
            3. Here in the text that is open before us, Christ warns his disciples  – his friends – not to fear man but to fear the Lord. This will produce within us a constant and faithful walk. Instead of living to please man and to preserve our lives here on earth, we will live to please God and to preserve our lives before him for all eternity through faith in Christ the Lord.         
   3. Thirdly, Christ commands his followers to have no fear of man knowing that God cares for them.
      1. Look with me at verse 6: “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6–7, ESV).
         1. Christ had just mentioned that man does have the ability to kill the body. Of course, this implied that the disciples of Christ would suffer persecution, even martyrdom,  at the hands of sinful and violent men. Here he comforts them by reassuring them that God will exercise a special kind of providential care over his people.
         2. Not a sparrow falls to the ground apart from the will of our Father in heaven (see also Matthew 10:29). Even the hairs of our head are numbered by God. In times of persecution, or when enduring suffering of various kinds, even the prospect of death, God’s people are sometimes tempted to think that God has abandoned and forgotten them. This is not true. God has promised never to leave us or forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5).
         3. So near is he to us that even the hairs on our heads are numbered. God does not forget or neglect the sparrows, as small and numerous as they are. And so Christ comforts his friends with these words: “Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”  
3. Conclusion
   1. Christ is the only real solution to hypocrisy.
      1. We must be regenerated and enabled to believe in Christ.
      2. Christ justifies sinners. 
      3. Christ sanctifies sinners. 
   2. Sanctification is that it is a work that must be done inwardly in the mind and heart and not merely externally in the realm of words and deeds.
      1.  Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”
      2. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” 
      3. This is why our catechism says, “Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.” Before we can truly put to death sinful deeds and actions, we must put to death sinful thoughts and emotions. 
      4. Stated negatively, those who attempt to change the way they speak and act while neglecting the renewal of the mind and heart will inevitably slip into hypocrisy. Or to use the language of Christ from Luke 11, do not merely clean the outside of the cup, but by God grace and through faith in Christ, clean the inside of the cup also. If the inside of the cup is clean, then all will be clean.   

Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 17:5–13

“Thus says the LORD: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds. Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch, so is he who gets riches but not by justice; in the midst of his days they will leave him, and at his end he will be a fool. A glorious throne set on high from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water.” (Jeremiah 17:5–13, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 12:1-3

“In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” (Luke 12:1–3, ESV)

*****

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.

1. Introduction
   1. As we prepare to give our focused attention to Luke 12:1-3, there are a few observations that would be helpful to make by way of introduction.
      1. First of all, we should remember that, in the narrative of Luke’s gospel, Jesus is now heading with his disciples toward Jerusalem. This was stressed in Luke 9. When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain he spoke with Elijah and Moses about his “departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:31, ESV). This, of course, was a reference to Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension to the Father. In Luke 9:51 we were told that “he set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51, ESV). And Jesus was clear with his disciples about what would happen there. In Luke 9:22, Christ spoke to his disciples, 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.” In Luke 9:44 Christ spoke to them again, saying, “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” Now, it will not be until Luke 19:28 that Jesus enters Jerusalem. So, with every passage we consider between Luke 9 and 19, it must remembered that Jesus is heading towards Jerusalem with his disciples and that he made it clear he would suffer there and be put to death by the elders and chief priests and scribes and be raised on the third day. 
      2. Secondly, we should remember that in the previous passage, Christ entered into confrontation with a group of Pharisees and lawyers. Christ pronounced three “woes” upon the Pharisees and three “woes” upon the lawyers. At the end of that passage, Luke tells us, “As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say” (Luke 11:53–54, ESV).
         1. I have reminded you about Jesus’ resolve to head towards Jerusalem, knowing he would suffer and be killed, and his confrontation with the Pharisees, lawyers, and scribes, so that you might imagine the tension the disciples of Christ must have felt. The atmosphere was charged with emotion, no doubt. The disciples must have felt a sense of excitement, wonderment, and even fear and trepidation.
      3. The third observation to make about our text, by way of introduction, is that Jesus here turns his attention to his disciples to train them. In Luke 12:1 we read, “In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy’” (Luke 12:1, ESV).
         1. In the previous passage, we considered Jesus’ relatively private encounter with the Pharisees and lawyers. Now we know that outside were many thousands of people. These had gathered around Jesus. They wanted to hear his teaching and to see his miraculous deeds. But even with these many thousands around Jesus, pressing in upon him, even trampling each other, Christ focuses his attention on his disciples to instruct them. He spoke to his disciples – especially the twelve Apostles, and probably the 70 – saying, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”
         2. It should be noted that Jesus’ attention remains on his disciples all the way through Luke 12:53. It is in Luke 12:54 that Christ turns his attention to the crowds. There we read, “He also said to the crowds…” So, in this section of Luke’s gospel, which runs from Luke 12:1-53, we find a series of teachings directed at the disciples of Jesus. 
         3. Clearly, Christ was concerned with preparing his disciples for the future. And for these men, the future would be filled with difficulty. The responsibility of leading Christ’s church would fall on the shoulders of twelve of these men. The seventy, no doubt, would also have a significant role to play as they served as witnesses and leaders within the primitive church. These disciples of Jesus would need to be well-trained and well-prepared. And so Christ spoke to them first, even as this great multitude pressed in upon him.    
         4. These words that Christ spoke to his Apostles and disciples are very precious. While it is true that these teachings are for all believers, I do believe they have special relevance for leaders within Christ’s church, for here Christ addresses problems and pressures that are especially encountered by leaders within Christ’s church. First, the Apostles, prophets, and evangelists of the primitive church would experience these problems and pressures. Soon, it would be pastors or shepherds and teachers who would need to be especially on guard against these things (see Ephesians 4:11-12).
            1. What does Christ warn against in this section? In 12:1-3, Christ warns against hypocrisy. All Christians must avoid hypocrisy. It is especially important for leaders within Christ’s church to beware of it, given the great damage that a hypocritical leader can cause. In 12:4-7 Christ warns against the fear of persecution and death. While persecution does sometimes fall on Christians in a general way, historically, it has been the leaders of Christ’s church who bear the brunt of it. In 12:8-12 Christ warns against the fear of man. Again, while all Christians must beware of the fear of man, pastors, elders, and teachers must be especially on guard, lest the fear of man cause them to pull back from the faithful performance of their duties. In 12:13-21 Christ warns against covetousness – a danger to all, and especially to ministers. In 12:22-31 he warns against anxiety over the cares of this life, a snare to all, and especially debilitating to ministers. In 12:32-34 Christ warns against chasing after worldly treasures, a distraction to all, especially ministers. In 12:35-48 Christ warns his people, and especially his ministers, to be dressed for action and to be about the work that Christ has called them to do. Finally, in 12:49-53, Christ warns that he did not come to bring peace on earth (now), but rather, division. All Christians must be prepared to sojourn in these last days marked by conflict and division. Christ’s ministers must be particularly prepared to lead Christ’s church through days such as these.
            2. I trust you can see, even with this cursory overview of Luke 12:1-53, that Christ directed this teaching at leaders within the church, but that everything he says to the leaders (beginning with the twelve Apostles) has application to every follower of Jesus Christ.  
2. Beware Of Hypocrisy
   1. Let us now turn our attention to Luke 12:1-3 wherein Christ warns against the evil of hypocrisy. There we read, “In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy’” (Luke 12:1–2, ESV).
      1. “Beware”, Christ says. So here he warns us about a future danger. Beware, pay attention, keep on the lookout, and be on guard, is the command.  
      2. “Beware of the leaven”, Christ says. Leaven is a substance (baking powder or yeast) that causes bread to rise. Just a small bit of leaven mixed into a ball of dough will cause that bread to rise. Leaven, though very small and invincible once mixed in, has a dramatic effect.
         1. Leaven, as you may know, is used in the Scriptures as a metaphor for the contaminating and negative effect that sinful people can have upon individual Christians and churches.
            1. It is in the context of church discipline and the need for the church in Corinth to excommunicate an unrepentant sinner, that Paul wrote, “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” (1 Corinthians 5:6, ESV). The meaning is clear. Paul was warning Corinth that if this sin and this unrepentant and heinous sinner were not dealt with and cast out of the church, this man and his vile and unrepentant sin would contaminate the entire congregation. 
            2. Paul also uses the metaphor of leaven in his letter to the Galatians. There the problem was not immoral behavior, but false teaching. In Galatians 5:7 Paul writes, “You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.”
            3. This metaphor of leaven representing sin undoubtedly has its roots in the Passover feast that Old Covenant Israel was commanded to observe from the Exodus onwards. Exodus 12:15 says, “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel” (Exodus 12:15, ESV). So, once a year the people of Israel were to remove all the leaven from their houses and they were to eat only unleavened bread for seven days. This ceremony was meant to remind Israel of the danger of sin. The ceremony was to encourage them to not only purge leaven from their houses, but to purge sin from their own lives, personally, and to be on guard concerning the contaminating effects of sin and sinful people within the community.  
         2. Dear brothers and sisters, you must beware of the leaven of sin.
            1. Do not harbor secret sins thinking they will have no effect on you or others. Sin always has an effect. Sin always brings with it consequences. Just as a little pinch of leaven worked into a ball of dough will always cause it to dramatically rise, so too a little bit of sin will have a dramatic effect on your life. Do away with the sin, dear brothers and sisters. Sweep it all away. Remove it all from the house of your soul before it rises up to consume you.
            2. And do not ignore the leavening effect that the sins of others can have on you. “Do not be deceived”, Paul says, “Bad company ruins good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33, ESV). This is a clear warning about the influence that others can have on you. Brothers and sisters, who are you allowing to influence you? Consider the music you listen to. Consider the media you digest. Consider who you spend time with and allow to have an impact on your mind and heart. As followers of Jesus, we are called to live in the world. We are not called to avoid all interaction with the ungodly. We are called to be salt and light, remember. But we should be very careful about the kind of interaction we have with the ungodly. Some interactions should be avoided altogether because they are unnecessary or inherently sinful. But when we do interact with the ungodly, we must be resolved to have a leavening influence upon them (for the sake of Christ and the furtherance of his kingdom), and refuse to allow them to have a leavening influence on us to the detriment of our devotion to Christ. “Beware of the leaven”, Christ says. 
      3. Here in our text, Christ specifically commands his disciples to “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees…” The meaning is that the disciples of Christ were to be careful not to allow the Pharisees, neither their teaching nor their way of life (which Christ had just condemned), to influence them. In particular, Christ warned his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, especially their hypocrisy.
         1. What is hypocrisy? A hypocrite is one who pretends, play-acts or makes an outward show while hiding the truth concerning who they are.
            1. To be clear, there are religious and non-religious hypocrites. I do believe that our culture is filled with non-religious hypocrites. While these have no interest in organized religion, they love to appear virtuous, and so they virtue signal, while concealing their sinfulness. 
            2. But these Pharisees were religious hypocrites. They hid behind the mask of their external religious practices. They wore religious clothes. They performed religious duties. They participated in religious ceremonies. They spoke religiously. But it was all for show. This is why Christ condemned them in Luke 11:39, saying, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools!” And in 11:42 he pronounced “woes” upon them. “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it” (Luke 11:39–44, ESV).
            3. These Pharisees were true hypocrites. They were two-faced. They were disingenuous. In public, they presented themselves as holy and pious, but it was not true. It was all for show. In reality, they were corrupt and sinful. This was such a problem amongst the Pharisees that Christ sternly warned his disciples to be on guard lest the hypocrisy of the Pharisees infect them. 
            4. The Pharisees were religious leaders. It should be remembered that many of these disciples of Jesus would be religious leaders too. Many of these disciples would be tasked with leading in religious matters after Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Christianity is a religion, friends. It involves religious practices and requires religious devotion. The trouble is not with religion. Notice Christ does not say, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is religion. No, the thing that warns against is religious hypocrisy.
         2. Brothers and sisters, I must exhort you to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Be on the lookout for hypocrisy. And while it is important to be on the lookout to be sure that hypocrisy does not infect the church, it is more crucial that you guard your own soul. Beware of hypocrisy.
            1. I do believe the best way to test for hypocrisy is to ask yourself the question, am I one person, or are there two, three, or four versions of me?
               1. Now to be clear, I am not suggesting that we must act in the same way in every realm of life. For example, when we come to worship it is right that we come with an attitude of serious joy, reverence, and awe. And when we go home to spend time with family and friends, it is not wrong to adjust our demeanor to one of light-hearted playfulness. Our behavior and demeanor should adjust to the various settings and circumstances of life. There is a time to be serious and there is a time to play. Adjusting your demeanor to fit the setting or situation is not hypocrisy – it is good and right.
               2. A hypocrite’s change is much more radical and extreme. Hypocrisy has to do with the heart and with matters of morality. The hypocrite will pretend to be holy and just in public while living an unholy and unjust life in private. A hypocrite will pretend to be a lover of God and a lover of man in public, but in reality, have no love for God or others in the secrecy of their heart and privacy of their home. 
               3. Hypocrites will be substantially different people in different places depending upon the setting and the company – they will act one way in worship, another way in private, another way at work, and yet another way at home. If someone were able to observe them in each of these realms, they would think, this person does not live one life, but two, or three, or four. Here in private, we see the true person. But everywhere else, he is a fake.  
            2. As we are thinking about the sin of hypocrisy, I believe it is important to say that sinning does not make a person a hypocrite. We all sin. We will continue to sin until Christ perfects us in glory. When a Christian sins, that does not make him a hypocrite. But if a professing Christian goes on living in sin, does not turn from it, and presents himself as a pious person in public, there we have a hypocrite.
               1. A hypocrite will be drunk on Saturday nights and in worship on Sunday mornings. 
               2. A hypocrite will use foul language Monday through Friday and use that same mouth to praise God on Sunday. 
               3. A hypocrite will look at evil images with his eyes during the week, and with those same eyes look upon Christ signified in the bread and wine and the beauty of Christ’s redeemed bride, the church, on the Lord’s Day.
               4. The hypocrite will listen to foul music and foul messages with his ears and ponder them with his mind during the week, and with the same ears and mind take in the Word of God when it is read and preached on the Lord’s Day.
               5. The hypocrite is one who claims to be a son or daughter of God and yet lives like a son or daughter of the devil. 
               6. Now, some might be wondering, just how habitual does my sin – my drunkenness, my use of foul or demanding language, my taking in of evil images, or my consumption of filthy content – need to be to push me over the line so that I am no longer a Christian sinner who is being sanctified and into the category of a hypocrite. I will tell you, if that is the first question that comes to your mind, I am concerned for you.   
                  1. I have already acknowledged that there is a great difference between a true Christian who is, from the heart, battling against sin but is sometimes (or even, often) failing and a hypocrite who is living a double life and does not seem to care. Where is that line that separates the saint who is being sanctified progressively and the hypocrite? God knows. And you probably know too. 
                  2. But the question that a true follower of Jesus Christ will ask is not how close can I get to that line (wherever it is) and still be regarded as a Christian and not a hypocrite, but rather, Lord, would you help me to run as far away from hypocrisy as possible? Lord, make me one person. Lord, purify my heart and mind so that my devotion to you is pure, sincere, and undivided (see 1 Corinthians 7:35 & 2 Corinthians 11:3). This will be the request of every true follower of Christ. 
                  3. Friends, true followers of Jesus Christ will have Christ as Lord. And if Christ is our Lord, he will be the Lord of our entire being. He will be our Lord and King in every place that we go, in every circumstance we are in, no matter the company. This does not mean that we do not act differently when we are in worship, at work, and at play. It does mean that Christ is always Lord, though. Christ is our Lord when we worship. He is to be Lord when we work. He is to be Lord when we play. He must even be Lord of our thoughts and emotions, our words spoken in private, and our private deeds. When the true follower of Christ sins against the Lord in any of these realms, it will displease them and grieve them and result in repentance. But the hypocrite will not care. The hypocrite will only care to appear virtuous and holy in the eyes of others. The hypocrite only cares about not being caught.         
               7. There is one more thing to say about hypocrisy before we move on in our text. This has been hinted at already, but it must be stated directly and clearly. Hypocrisy is not merely about behavior. In other words, the remedy to hypocrisy is not to try hard to behave better no matter where you are. Friends, if you are a hypocrite, you will not make it very far with this approach, for the roots of your hypocrisy go far deeper than your behavior. The truth is that hypocrisy begins in the heart.
                  1. These Pharisees were religious hypocrites, you see, not because they lacked self-control, but because their hearts were wicked and their minds were corrupt. You see, it was when they were in private, or under pressure, or when their reputations or prosperity was on the line, that their true self emerged. Typically, while in public, they were able to hide all of their vileness behind the mask of religious garb, religious talk, and religious ceremony. The problem was not that they needed to act more consistently according to their true natures. No! The problem was that their natures were corrupt. They were not pretending while in private, you see! That is when their true self emerged! The masks came off when they were in private! And the masks would go on again when it was time to appear in public. Christ was right. They were cups and dishes that were clean on the outside but filthy within.   
               8. There are only two solutions to hypocrisy, and one of them is no real solution at all.
                  1. Some will try to avoid hypocrisy by being “authentic”. You have probably heard people talk this way.  After behaving badly they will say, this is who I am. I’m not going to pretend to be something I’m not. I’m no hypocrite. And while it might seem better to be “authentic” than hypocritical, it will not prove to be better in the end. At least the hypocrite is somewhat held back from sin by his selfish desire to appear righteous in the eyes of others. The one who prides himself in his “authenticity” sins more openly and freely and pretends that it is somehow virtuous – after all, at least he is not a mask-wearing, two-faced, hypocrite! The truth is, both the hypocritical sinner and the “authentic” sinner will stand before God and be judged for their sin on the last day, unless they repent and believe upon Christ. Those who are “authentic” may avoid the charge of hypocrisy, but they will pay for all of their “authentic” sins on judgment day, if not found in Christ. Authenticity is no real solution. 
                  2. The only good and true solution to hypocrisy is found in Christ. The reasons for this are threefold. The first two have to do with the authentic work God does in his people in Christ Jesus. The third is about the Christian’s claim or confession.
                     1. First of all, the problem of hypocrisy is remedied by Christ through regeneration. God, by his grace alone, regenerates his people when he effectually calls them by his word and Spirit to make them willing and able to believe in Christ. The Christian life begins with regeneration. It begins when God, by his grace, gives his people a new heart and mind. Ezekiel 36:26 is about regeneration. There God says. “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Ezekiel 36:26–27, ESV). As has been said, the real source of hypocrisy is the heart. The hypocrite wants to appear righteous or virtuous, but his heart is not righteous or virtuous. His heart is deceitful and wicked. It drives him to think, speak, and do wicked things. And so men, in their hypocrisy, put on masks to hide their wickedness. But God solves the problem of hypocrisy in Christ Jesus by regenerating his people to make them willing and able to believe upon Christ and to keep his commandments.  What the hypocrite needs is not better morals, but a new heart and mind, and that is what Christ gives. This is what the Scriptures call being born again (see John 3). 
                     2. Secondly, the problem of hypocrisy is remedied by Christ through sanctification. Sanctification is growth in holiness. As has been said, in the beginning of the Christian life, God regenerates sinners by his Word and Spirit to make them willing and able to believe upon Christ. He gives them a new heart so that their impulse is no longer set towards sin. Christians strive to obey God because it is the core impulse of their renewed heart. Christians are able to obey God because they have been set free from bondage to sin and the corruption of their natures. But it is no secret that Christians still sin. The remaining corruptions of the flesh war against the Spirit (see Galatians 5:17), and sometimes the flesh wins. But God has promised to sanctify his people. This means he will renew them further. He will renew them in the whole man after the image of God, and enable them more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness (see Baptist Catechism 38 and Second London Confession 13). A Christian who, by the grace of God, has been regenerated and is being sanctified through faith in Christ and by God’s Word and Spirit, might struggle with sin and fall into, perhaps even severely for a time. But this does not mean he is a hypocrite. It means he is a sinner who is saved and is being sanctified by the grace of God alone through faith in Christ alone.
                     3. The only good and true solution to hypocrisy is found in Christ. The first two reasons I have given have to do with the work that God does in the Christian – he regenerates them to bring them to faith, and he sanctifies them progressively. The third reason has to do with the Christian’s claim or confession. At the very heart of the Christian faith is the belief that we have sinned against God, that we do not have a righteousness of our own, that we cannot justify ourselves before God by our good works or lawkeeping, that we stand in need of cleaning and renewal, and that our only hope is found in God and in the Christ he has sent. In other words, the true Christian is happy to confess that we bring nothing to the table and that Christ is everything. Our right standing before God is all of grace. Even the good works we do are enabled by God’s grace. There is no room for boasting, therefore (see Ephesians 2:8-10). And there is no need for masks.
                  3. Here is something I want you to see. It was actually the false beliefs and teachings of the Pharisees that produced their hypocrisy. Where did they look for their right standing before God? They looked to the law of God and to themselves and they taught others to do the same. The trouble is, they could not keep the law because their hearts were wicked. Their only option was to hide their sin behind their religious garb, their superficial ceremony, and their pompous pride.  
                  4. And religion that denies Christ, the new birth that only he can give, and the forgiveness of sins that only he can bring, is bound to produce hypocrisy in its adherents. Christless religion leaves men and women dead in their sins. Christless religion leaves men and women to pursue salvation through self-righteous and self-empowered law-keeping. Men and women who practice religion such as this will have to find a way to hide their corrupt hearts and their sinful deeds. Like Adam and Eve, in vain they will sow fig leaves together in an attempt to hide the guilt of their sin and their shame. But we know that the only solution is to be clothed by God with the righteousness of Christ, washed in his blood, and renewed by his Spirit.         
   2. We will consider verses 2 and 3 rather quickly. Here Christ demonstrates how utterly foolish the hypocritical, self-righteous, and Christless religion of the Pharisees is. There he says, “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.”
      1. The meaning is very plain. Not much explanation is required. In brief, Christ warned his disciples against hypocrisy by reminding them that on the day of judgment, everything will be laid open and bare, and every mask will be removed.  
      2. This hypocritical approach to religion may have fooled some people for a time, but the truth will be known on the last day when “the LORD search[es] the heart and test[s] the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds” (Jeremiah 17:10, ESV).
      3. The reality of the final judgment is a good reason to have nothing to do with hypocritical, superficial religion. A religion that merely hides your sin, conceals the corruption of your heart, a gives the impression of righteousness to others, will do you no good at all when you stand before God on the last day and are judged by him. Do not forget that “the LORD search[es] the heart and test[s] the mind…” He will “give [to] every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds” (Jeremiah 17:10, ESV). On that last day, “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.”  
3. Conclusion
   1. Friends, our only hope is Christ. Christ-less religion will do you no good at all. If you hope to stand in the judgment, to pass through it, to be openly acquitted and acknowledged to be a child of God, you must have faith in Christ. You must be regenerated by him, cleansed by him, and clothed in his righteousness. This is the purpose for which Christ came. He did not come to provide us with some pathetic and superficial religion only capable of hiding or sins from the eyes of our fellow man and producing nothing but hypocrisy. No, he came to atone for the sins of his people and to reconcile us to God through “his body of flesh by his death, in order to present [us] holy and blameless and above reproach before him” (Colossians 1:22, ESV).

Baptist Catechism 25

Q. 25. How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?

A. Christ, the Son of God became man by taking to himself a true body and a reasonable soul; being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary and born of her, yet without sin. (Heb. 2:14; Matt. 26:38; Luke 2:52; John 12:27; Luke 1:31,35; Heb. 4:15; 7:26)

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 2:10-18

“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, ‘I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.’ And again, ‘I will put my trust in him.’ And again, ‘Behold, I and the children God has given me.’ Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:10–18, ESV)

*****

Introduction

Before we dive into question and answer 25, it would be good to remember where we have recently been in our catechism. After a series of questions and answers about man’s fall into sin, question 23 asked, Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery? Answer: God having out of His mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation, by a Redeemer. Question 24 then asked, Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect? Answer: The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was and continueth to be God and man, in two distinct natures and one person, forever. There is a lot of important and weighty doctrine crammed into Baptist Catechism 24. There the Redeemer of God’s elect is named: he is the Lord Jesus Christ. And there we are also told something about his person and nature: he being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was and continueth to be God and man, in two distinct natures and one person, forever.  

I think you would agree with me that Baptist Catechism 25 asks a very natural and reasonable follow-up question: How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?  That is a really good question, don’t you think? How did this happen? Hear the answer again: Christ the Son of God became man by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul; being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin.

Please allow me to highlight a few things about this answer.

One, this answer is good and true, but mystery does remain.  The doctrine of the incarnation is filled with mystery.  We must say what the Scriptures say about the incarnation while being content to allow some mystery to remain.  How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?  Well, we can say this much, but we cannot say much more.  

Two, notice the phrase “by taking to himself”. That is a very helpful way to describe how the person of the eternal Son of God became man.  The Son did not become man by changing or transforming into man. No, he became man in that he “took to himself,” or assumed a human nature.  This is a good way to put it because this is how the Scriptures put it. Philippians 2:5-8 says, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5–8, ESV)

Three, notice that it was not the divine nature that became man by taking to himself a true body and a reasonable soul, and neither was it the person of the Father or the person of the Spirit, but the person of the Son.  It was the Son who became incarnate to accomplish our redemption. This is what the Scriptures consistently teach. John 1:14 teaches that it was the Word who “became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” It was the person of the Son who became incarnate. 

Four, when we confess that the Son of God became man we mean that the Son assumed a true human body and a true human soul.  This he did for us and for our salvation.  This is why the writer of Hebrews says, “Therefore [Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.  For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:17–18, ESV).  

Five, the Son of God assumed a true human body and soul through the virgin birth.  You may read the account of this in the opening chapters of Matthew and Luke’s gospels. Where did Jesus get his human nature? He got it through Mary. Now granted, he was miraculously conceived in her. She was a virgin, remember? Jesus was not born from Adam (or Joseph), and this is important, as we will soon see. When the angel appeared to the virgin Mary to announce that she would have a son, he said, “‘And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God’” (Luke 1:31–35, ESV). How did the person of the eternal Son of God assume a true human body and reasonable human soul? Through the virgin birth being conceived by the power of the Most High God.  

Six, notice our catechism concludes with the words, “yet without sin.”  Did the eternal Son assume a true human nature, body and soul, for us and our Redemption?  Yes, but he was without sin.  Jesus Christ was not born with Adam’s guilt imputed to him or with a corrupt nature as we were (remember Baptist Catechism 21).  The virgin birth made this possible.  Jesus was and is as we are in every respect with this one exception: he was without sin.  Because of this, he could live, die, and rise again as our Redeemer.   

*****

Conclusion

I think it would be good to conclude with the question, why the incarnation? Or, why was it necessary that teh Son of God assume a human nature? The answer was stated in the Hebrews 2 passage that was read at the start of this sermon.  Christ the Redeemer “had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Stated differently, for Christ to redeem humans, he had to be human. But no mere human could do what Christ has done. This is because of our weakness and sin. Only God has the power to redeem sinners. And Christ is the God-man. He is the person of the eternal Son of God incarnate. He assumed a human nature to redeem those with human natures. He has redeemed us body and soul. One theologian who lived long ago famously said, “what is not assumed is not healed” (Gregory of Nazianzus). What he meant was that for Christ to heal, save, or redeem us, he had to assume our nature. To bring us to God and to glory, Christ had to be like us in every respect. You and I are humans. We have human bodies and human souls. Christ was and is truly human. He had to be in order to redeem us and heal us. But he was no mere man. He was and is the eternal Son of God incarnate. And this is why he has the power to save.