Old Testament Reading: Jonah 1:17–3:2

“And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, saying, ‘I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’ The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God. When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!’ And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land. Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.’” (Jonah 1:17–3:2, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 11:29–36

“When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, ‘This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.’” (Luke 11:29–36, 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

Jesus Christ is the light of the world. This is what he claimed. In John 8:12 we hear Christ say, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12, ESV). Jesus Christ is the light of the world because he is the eternal Word of God incarnate. He reveals the Father to us and the way of man’s salvation. He is the Messiah, the only Redeemer of God’s elect. He is the way, the truth, and life. No one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6). Jesus is the light of the world, but this does not mean that everyone will perceive him as such. Many are blind, spiritually speaking. Just as a man who is physically blind cannot perceive the light of a lamp when it is brought into a dark room, neither can those who are spiritually blind perceive the light of Christ, the eternal Word of God incarnate. But some will perceive his light. This is because God has mercifully healed their blindness so that they might see the light of the Son of God. 

This reality, that some will perceive the light of Christ whereas many will not, is observed throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry as recorded in the gospels. In Luke, we find a record of the teaching of Jesus and his performance of many miracles. His teaching was full of light and life. His miracles functioned as signs that shined brightly to illuminate the truthfulness of his words and to verify his claims. Christ healed the sick, cast out demons, and even raised the dead to shine light on the fact that his words were true and that he was from God. Some could perceive the light of Christ. Twelve Apostles followed after him (but one was a devil). Around the twelve there were seventy disciples. And around the seventy, there were many more who could perceive that Jesus was the Son of God incarnate, the Messiah, and the Redeemer who came down from heaven. But there were many others who, though they heard the same words and witnessed the same signs, could not perceive him to be the Son of God. Note this: it was not the light that was different. The light that shined upon those who received Jesus as Lord and those who rejected him was the same. The difference was in the eye of the beholder. By the grace of God, those who perceived Jesus to be the Messiah, the Redeemer of God’s elect, and who followed after him, had eyes to see. Those who rejected him did so because they could not perceive his light, being blinded by sin. 

Here in Luke 11, we find two startling examples of this blindness.  In Luke 11:14 we are told that Christ cast a demon out of a man who was mute. As a result, “the mute man spoke, and the people marveled” (Luke 11:14, ESV). This miracle pressed the people to come to a conclusion about Jesus’ identity. And it is important to remember that this wasn’t the first miracle performed by our Lord. By this point, Jesus had delivered many teachings and performed many miracles to show that his words were true. Undoubtedly, those who heard his words and witnessed his deeds increasingly felt the pressure to decide which side they would take. In fact, Christ warned of this in Luke 11:23, saying, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Luke 11:23, ESV). Once you hear about Jesus, his words, and his works, you cannot remain neutral. You are either for him or against him.  

By this point in Jesus’ ministry, three types of people emerged. Some were decidedly for Jesus. They were his disciples. Some were decidedly opposed to him. These are the ones who began to say, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons” (Luke 11:15, ESV). These, if you remember, could not deny that Jesus performed the miracle. But so hardhearted were they – so blinded by their sin – they had to find some way to reject him. And so they claimed that his power to cast our demons came from Satan. Christ answered their accusation in the passage we considered last Sunday. But there was another group. They did not follow Jesus, and neither did they go so far as to attribute his works to the power of Satan. They remained somewhere in the middle. They, “to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven” (Luke 11:16, ESV).

It is to this group that Jesus turns his attention in the passage that is open before us today. First, (in verses 29-32) Jesus speaks a condemning word. After that, in verses 33-36, he warns his audience to be careful how they perceive him lest the light they have received be darkness in them. 

Let us walk through the text together this morning beginning with the condemning words of Jesus. 

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Jesus Condemns Our Evil Unbelief (vs. 29-32)

In verse 29 we read, “When the crowds were increasing, [Jesus] began to say, ‘This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign…” (Luke 11:29a, ESV).

When Christ spoke of “this generation” he was referring to the people alive during his earthly ministry, particularly the adults. When he called them an “evil generation, ” he condemned them for their unbelief. Clearly, he was not referring to his disciples, but to those who did not believe him or follow after him. Many such people lived in Jesus’ day. They heard his words and witnessed his deeds, yet remained in unbelief. 

Notice that Christ especially condemned them because they sought a sign. This rebuke delivered by Jesus reminds us of what is written in Luke 11:16. After Christ cast the mute demon out of a man, some in the crowd said, ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,’ while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven” (Luke 11:15–16, ESV). As you can see, the problem was not that the people desired to see a sign to know that Jesus was who he claimed to be. The claims of Jesus were extraordinary. In a sense, it is right for men and women to seek to be convinced even by signs. And Jesus was not opposed to performing signs and wonders. His conception and birth were miraculous. His earthly ministry was marked by the working of signs and wonders. He healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, fed great multitudes, and calmed the stormy sea by the power of his word. The problem was not that people desired a sign to be convinced Jesus was who he claimed to be, the Messiah, the Son of God incarnate. No, the problem was that they were never satisfied. Though the multitudes heard his words, they did not really hear him. And though they witnessed his mighty deeds, they did not really see them. And so they refused to repent and remained in their unbelief. 

No doubt, Jesus’ generation was evil. Very few were blessed to “hear the word of God and keep it!” (see Luke 11:28). But the same is true of our generation. There are many in our generation who toy around with Jesus. Many are interested in him. Many, like the crowds mentioned in verse 29, follow after Jesus superficially. Some are looking for a sign. Many in our day and age are desiring an emotional experience. But few “hear the word of God and keep it.” Yet this is what true followers of Christ will do. True followers of Christ will “hear the word of God and keep it.” They will receive Christ as the Messiah, the Redeemer of God’s elect, and the King of God’s kingdom and they will trust and obey him. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments”, Christ says (John 14:15, ESV). If you are toying with Jesus – if you are following him superficially and insincerely – I must exhort you to stop.  If Christ is to be your Savior he must be your Lord. Those who have Christ as Lord and Savior will not follow him in an uncommitted way, seeking one more sign or one more experience. No, those who have Christ as Lord and Savior will trust and obey him.

“When the crowds were increasing, [Jesus] began to say, ‘This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation” (Luke 11:29–30, ESV).

What do these words mean? What is the “sign of Jonah” that Christ refers to here?

To know, we must first remember the story of Jonah. Jonah lived nearly 800 years before the birth birth if Christ. He was a prophet, that is to say, a man of God called to preach the Word of God. For a time, Jonah was a rebellious prophet. God called him to go to the city of Ninevah – a city known for its wickedness and injustice – to announce that judgment was soon coming, and to call them to repentence. He did not want to go because he despised the Ninevites. They were enemies of God’s people, and so he ran away from the call of God. He boarded a ship and began to sail in the opposite direction. But the Lord stopped Jonah. “But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up” (Jonah 1:4, ESV). It was made known that Jonah was running from the Lord and that this storm was a result of his rebellion. You may recall that the sailors reluctantly threw him overboard to appease the wrath of God. Jonah was swallowed by a great fish. After three days, the great fish brought him back to the shore and vomited him on the dry land. This story is told in Jonah chapters 1 and 2. And in Jonah 3:1 we read, “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.’ So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, ‘Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’ And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them” (Jonah 3:1–5, ESV). This is the story that Jesus referred to when he said, “No sign will be given to [this generation] except the sign of Jonah.”

Secondly, to understand Jesus’ words we must see that Jonah was a type of Christ. The Old Testament Scriptures contain many types that find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ.  What is a type? It is a person, event, institution, or some other thing, recorded for us in the Old Testament Scriptures that, when we look back upon them, are seen to have a prophetic, forward-looking quality to them,  finding their ultimate and escalated fulfillment in the person, work, or reward of Jesus Christ. Types are, 1)  historical persons, events, institutions, or things mentioned in the pages of Holy Scripture. 2) Types are analogical. In other words, there is something about the historical person, event, institution or thing that corresponds to Christ, his person, work, or reward in an anological way. The principle is, this historical person, event, institution, or thing found in the Old Testement functioned as an analogy of that which we see in Christ. 3) Types always point forward to and anticipate the antitype. 4) There is always escalation as we move from the type to the antitype. The type was real. The type may have been very great. But the antitype – Christ, his person, work, and reward – is greater. 5) The relationship between the type and antitype is seen more clearly as we look back upon the type now that the antitype has come. 

This principle of typology might sound strange to your ears. In reality, it is everywhere in the pages of Holy Scripture. In fact, apart from this principle of typology, you will have a difficult time fully appreciating the Old Testament and its relationship to Christ. Jesus Christ taught that the law, the prophets, and the Psalms (that is to say, the whole of the Old Testament) find their fulfillment in him (see Luke 24), and one of the ways in which the Old Testament Scriptures point forward to Jesus Christ, his person, work, and reward is through typology. 

The Scriptures clearly teach this. In Romans 5:14 Paul tells us that Adam “was a type of the one who was to come” (Romans 5:14, ESV). The Greek word translated as “type” is τύπος. One Greek dictionary provides this definition for the word: “a model or example which anticipates or precedes a later realization—‘archetype, figure, foreshadow, symbol’” (Louw Nidam 592). Adam was a type of Christ. Adam was a model or anticipation of Christ. Adam foreshadowed Christ. How so? Adam was the federal head or representative of the Covenant of Works. When Adam sinned, all sinned in him. And Christ is the federal head or representative of the Covenant of Grace. He lived, died, and rose again in the place of others. All who are united to Christ by faith receive his benefits. As Paul says elsewhere, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22, ESV). Adam and Jesus Christ are very different in some respects. But they share some important things in common. Adam was a type of Christ.

You must see that typology is a deeply biblical principle. Jesus Christ, his person, work, and reward, was revealed before he was born, and this revelation is recorded for us in the Old Testament Scriptures. There we find explicit prophesies concerning him. And there we also find prophecies in the form of types. The more we grow familiar with the Scriptures, the easier it will be for us to see these types and to perceive how they find their fulfillment in Christ. 

Consider, for example, the story of Abraham offering up Isaac his son on the mountain and the ram that God provided as a substitute (see Genesis 22). Isaac was a type of Christ and that event anticipated the offering up of the Son of God as a substitute for sinners. Issaic and the ram were types. Jesus Christ is the antitype. Jesus is much greater. 

Consider also how God delivered the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. He poured out ten plagues. The tenth was the death of the firstborns of Egypt. God’s people were shielded from death by the blood of the lamb spread upon the doorposts of their homes. The blood of the Passover lamb typified (anticipated) the blood of Christ. The Passover lamb was great. Jesus Christ, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, is greater. The redemption that God worked for Old Covenant Israel through Moses was great. The redemption that Christ has accomplished for elect Israel is much greater.    

The Old Testament is packed full of types of Jesus Christ. His person, works, and earned rewards, are the antitype to them all. Consider the priest-king Melchizedek. Consider the great prophet of God, Moses. Consider the Exodus. Consider the mana from heaven, the water from the rock, and the snake lifted up from the earth on the pole for the salvation of sinners. Consider the Tabernacle and later the Temple. Consider the sacrifices offered up there by the priests of Israel. All of these people, institutions events, and things were pregnant with meaning. There was something analogical about this. They had a prophetic quality to them. They were forward-looking. They anticipated the arrival of someone and something greater. He is Christ the Lord, the great Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s people.   

Now, what does this have to do with Jonah and the “sign of Jonah” of which Christ spoke? Answer: We must see that Jonah was a type of Christ. Jonah was a prophet of God. Christ is the prophet of God who has come down from heaven. Jonah was to call the people of Ninevah to repentance. Christ calls all of the nations of the earth to repentence. Before calling Ninevah to repentance, Jonah was in the belly of a great fish for three days. He descended into the deep abyss. But that was not the end of him. He saw the light of day again after the great fish gave him up and deposited him back on the shore. From there, he completed his mission. Christ, the great prophet of God, would also descend. After his death on the cross, his body would be placed in the grave. His soul would descend to Sheol. But the Lord raised him up. Sheol could not keep him. The grave could not restrain him. On the third day, he was raised. From there, he would carry out his work of calling the nations to repentance through is disciples. Jonah was a type of Christ. The death, burial, descent, and resurrection of Jesus Christ were anticipated and foreshadowed in Jonah’s experience in the belly of the fish and in the depths of the sea. Jonah was a type. Jesus is the antitype. But Jesus is much greater. Jonah was, for a time, a rebellious prophet. Jesus is ever faithful and true. Jonah was taken into the belly of a great fish and resurrected from there – a marvelous and miraculous thing, no doubt. But the body of Jesus Christ was taken down in the grave and his soul into Sheol. It was from the grave and Sheol that Christ was raised. In this way, he defeated death for his people and set captives free. Finally, Jonah went on to minister the Word of God to the people of Ninevah, calling them to repentance. Jesus Christ is effectually calling his elect from every tongue, tribe, and nation through the preaching of the gospel and by his Spirit. He will bring many sons and daughters to glory. Jonah was a type of Christ. Christ is the antitype. Christ is much greater than Jonah.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 is a very interesting text. Would you turn there with me? Here Paul the Apostle writes to Christians in Corinth, saying, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4, ESV). Let me ask you, what Scriptures did Paul have in mind when he said that “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…” What Scriptures? Paul was referring to the Old Testament Scriptures. Christ died, was buried, and was raised from the dead on the third day, “in accordance with” or we might say, in fulfillment of the Scriptures, that is to say, the Old Testament Scriptures. Paul’s view was that the Old Testament – the Scriptures written many hundreds of years before Christ was born – revealed that the Messiah would live, die, be buried, and rise from the dead on the third day. So then, Christ is present in the Old Testement. The gospel of Jesus Christ can be found there. Brothers and sisters, let me ask you, where in the Old Testament do we find prophesies that point forward to the resurrection of the Messiah from the dead? There are many texts:

Psalm 16:10-11 is about the Messiah. It says, “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:10–11, ESV). So, the soul of Messiah would not be abandoned or left in Sheol. His body would not be left to decompose in the grave. This is about the resurrection of Christ. 

Isaiah 53:10 is also about the Messiah. It says, “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…” This is about the suffering and death of the Messiah. But the text goes on to say, “he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53:10, ESV). After suffering and death, there is life. This is about the resurrection of Christ.

Also, Hebrews 11:19 shows us that the story about Abraham offering up his son Isaac on the mountain is to be interpreted as a type (or parable) of the resurrection of Abraham’s greater son, Jesus, from the dead. There the writer of the book of Hebrews says that Abraham “considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking [παραβολῇ], he did receive him back” (Hebrews 11:19, ESV). So, that event in the life of Abraham and Isaac functioned as a kind of parable of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the son of Abraham, the son of David, the Son of God. 

Add to this the fact that God promised King David a son whose reign and kingdom would never end (see 2 Samuel 7:13). Furthermore, in Psalm 110:4 it is revealed that this son of David, who is also David’s Lord, would be a “priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4, ESV). The writer to the Hebrews makes much of this when he says that Jesus is our great High Priest, “not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life” (Hebrews 7:16, ESV). When you combine these texts that speak of the Messiah’s everlasting rule and unending priesthood with the texts that teach that the Messiah must suffer and die, it is clear that the Messiah would have to be raised from the dead. 

There are many passages in the Old Testament that prophesy, in one way or another, about Christ’s resurrection. But notice this: In 1 Corinthians 15:4 Paul the Apostle does not only say that Christ died, was buried, and rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. No, he says that Christ “was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…” So the question is, where does the Old Testament teach (prophesy) that the Messiah would be raised on the third day? Answer: nowhere, explicitly, but in the story of Jonah, typologically. 

In fact, other texts hint at the third-day resurrection. Some have noticed that the third day is often emphasized as a day of importance in the Old Testament Scriptures. John Gill, in his commentary on 1 Corinthians 15, says, ​​”The Jews take a particular notice of the third day as remarkable for many things they observe, as of the ‘third day Abraham lift up his eyes’, Gen. 22:4; of ‘the third day of the tribes’, Gen. 42:18; of the third ‘day of the spies’, Joshua 3:16; of the third day of the ‘giving of the law’, Exodus 19:16; of the third day of ‘Jonah’, Jonah 1:17; of the third day of them that came ‘out of the captivity’, Ezra 8:15; of the third day of ‘the resurrection of the dead’, as it is written, Hosea 6:1-2.” By the way, Hosea 6:1-2 says, “Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him” (Hosea 6:1–2, ESV). John Gill goes on to say, “that among the remarkable third days they [the Jews] take notice of, are the two instances of Isaac’s and Jonah’s deliverances, which were Scripture types of Christ’s resurrection.” We are to remember that Issac was delivered from the altar up on the mountain when God provided a substitute. He was received back as if from the dead. And this deliverance came on the third day of their journey (see Genesis 22:4; Hebrews 11:19). And Jonah was delivered from the belly of the fish and from Sheol, metaphorically speaking, after three days. These, Gill says, “were Scripture types of Christ’s resurrection.” He is right. 

Paul says that Christ was “raised from the dead on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…” Where is the third-day resurrection prophesied in the Old Testament?  Nowhere, explicitly, but in the story of Jonah (and Isaac), typologically. Where did Paul get this idea to interpret these Old Testament Scriptures in this way? We may say, from the Holy Spirit as he carefully examined the Old Testament Scriptures. I think we can also say that Paul was greatly helped by the teaching of Jesus Christ, who said, “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40, ESV), and in Luke 11:29 Christ says, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah” (Luke 11:29, ESV).

What did Christ mean when he said, “no sign will be given to [this generation] except the sign of Jonah”, and “For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation” (Luke 11:30, ESV). Here Christ was foretelling his death, burial, and resurrection. Christ had shown the people many signs. He worked many miracles to show that he was the Messiah, the Son of God incarnate, the King of God’s everlasting kingdom and that God’s kingdom was present with power. But the people were evil. They were not satisfied. They wanted more and more. And so Christ said, here is the ultimate sign from heaven they will receive. Like Jonah, I will die, descend into the grave and Sheol, and from there I will arise to call men and women to repentance and faith and to warn of impending judgment.  

Christ goes on to condemn the heard-hearted unbelief of his generation. In verse 31 we read, “The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here” (Luke 11:31, ESV).

The queen of the South is the Queen of Sheba. There is a famous story found in 1 Kings 10:1 and 2 Chronicles 9:1 about this Queen – a Gentile Queen – who heard of the wisdom of Solomon, King David’s son, and traveled a great distance, all the way from Arabia,  bringing with her many gifts, to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

I do have the time to tease out the typological significance of this story. I trust you can see it. King Solomon was King David’s son. King Jesus is the greater son of David. The wisdom of King Solomon was very great. The wisdom of King Jesus is much greater. Solomon, the son of David, was a type of Christ, the Son of David. Jesus is much greater. And when the Queen of Sheba traveled thousands of miles to hear the wisdom of King Solomon, it was a foreshadowing or anticipation of the day when God’s elect from all the nations of the earth would flock to King Jesus to hear his word and keep it (see Luke 11:28). In other words, the Queen of Sheba’s journey was typological. 

Here, Christ uses the story of the queen of the south to condemn the Jews who remained in unbelief. This Gentile Queen heard rumors about the wisdom and glory of King Solomon, a mere man. And so she traveled thousands of miles to meet him and to sit at his feet, as it were, to hear him, bringing with her many gifts to pay homage to him. But these Hebrews had someone far greater than Solomon in their midst and they could not see due to the evil in their hearts. And so Christ condemned them with these words, “The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here” (Luke 11:31, ESV). I do not take this to mean that the queen of the South was saved. The wisdom she heard from Solomon was mere worldly wisdom, as far as I can tell. But she will rise up at the judgment in the midst of those Hebrews who rejected their own Messiah and condemn them by her actions. I do believe the idea is that Christ will point to her and say, here is that Gentile Queen who perceived the wisdom of Solomon and traveled great distances to be in his presence, but you – you who should have known better – you who saw the signs and wonders I performed – you who heard my words and beheld my glory – you saw me but you did not see me. You heard me but you did not hear me. You toyed around with me and only wished to be entertained. This is how the Queen of Sheba will condemn the wicked generation of Hebrews who rejected their own Messiah.

And then Christ says the same thing about the men of Ninevah who repented at the preaching of Jonah. Verse 32: “The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.” 

The same observations can be made about the men of Ninevah. They were Gentiles. They did not have access to the Scriptures, the covenants, and promises like these Jews did. And they only encountered the preaching of Jonah. And yet they repented at the preaching of Jonah. Something far greater than Jonah had arrived. And yet these, who should have known better, would not receive him. So, “The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it… (Luke 11:32, ESV).

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Jesus Calls Us To Perceive Him Correctly And To Receive Him (vs. 33-36)

Verses 33-36 can stand alone. An entire sermon could be devoted to these words of Jesus. I have decided to include them in this sermon because they seem to go with the previous passage. Notice that there is no break in the text itself. Your English translation of the Bible may have inserted a section heading in between the previous passage and this one, but it seems like these words were the conclusion of Jesus’ speech that began in verse 29. I interpret these words of Jesus to be a call (and a warning) to perceive him correctly. It will not take long for me to explain the meaning. 

In this passage, Jesus claims to be the light of the world. Light symbolizes truth. Jesus is “the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him” (John 14:6, ESV). Jesus is the light world, but for light to benefit people, it must be well received.  

The light of a lamp will not benefit anyone in a dark room if someone covers it with a basket. And yet that is what these unbelieving multitudes were doing with Jesus. His light was shining very brightly in a world filled with darkness. But these men hated the light because their hearts were evil. And so they put a basket over the light of Christ. “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons”, they said (Luke 11:15, ESV). Or, they asked for just one more sign from heaven. And so Christ warned them, saying, “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light” (Luke 11:33, ESV). The light of Christ shines brightly in the world. Instead of being covered (or suppressed) it is to be received into the mind and heart and elevated within so that it will give light to your house, that is to say, your soul.

The same principle is communicated in a different way in verse 34. “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness” (Luke 11:34, ESV). This is a very beautiful and profound analogy. If you are in a dark room and someone brings a candle in, the light of that candle will serve you well. The light will enter your eye and illuminate the room so that you might perceive how things really are and walk accordingly. At least this is true assuming that your eye is healthy and not diseased. If your eyes are bad, the light that is brought into the dark room will not benefit you in the least. Notice, in both scenarios the light is the same. Those with good and healthy eyes will perceive the light and benefit from it. The light will enter the eyes and bring illumination to the whole body. You are experiencing this right now, aren’t you? Your eyes are open, and so long as they are good and healthy, the light in this room is filling you. The light is illuminating you and enabling you to perceive the reality of the world around you so that you might walk according to the truth. But if you were to close your eyes, you would immediately understand what Christ means when he says, “but when [your eye] is bad, your body is full of darkness” (Luke 11:34, ESV). When you close your eyes, darkness envelopes you, doesn’t it? The light is there, but your eyes are closed, and so you cannot perceive it. And all of this has spiritual meaning. 

The light of Christ shines brightly in the world but it will not be perceived by those who are spiritually blind. And so it was with these men who remained in their unbelief. The glory of Christ shone brightly in front of them, and yet some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons”, while others asked for one more sign from heaven. And Christ warned them, “Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light” (Luke 11:35–36, ESV).

This, friends, is an exhortation to perceive Christ correctly and to receive him as the light of the world (see John 8:12) – the way, the truth, and the life (see John 14:6) through whom we must go to come to the Father. And we know that the ability to perceive Christ correctly is itself a gift from God. 

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Conclusion

I’ll conclude now with two brief points of application. 

The first is for those who do not yet know Christ as Lord and Savior. I must warn you, as you listen to the Word of God read and preached, the Light of Christ is shining brightly before you. You must be careful how you perceive him. You must “be careful lest the light in you be darkness” (Luke 11:35, ESV). Do not be like those who attributed the miracles of Christ to the power of Satan. Do not be like those who played around with Jesus, requesting just one more sign from heaven. No, you must receive this Jesus if you are to be saved by him. Do not put his light under a basket. Do not close your eyes to suppress his light so that you might remain in the darkness of your sin. No, you must receive the light of Christ. You must open your eyes and see that Jesus is Lord – he is the Savior God has provided. If you can perceive this, it is because God has opened your blind eyes. If you cannot perceive it, I must exhort you to cry out to God for mercy. Like the deaf man of Mark 7:32, ask Jesus to give you ears to hear his voice. And like the blind men of Matthew 9:27, ask the Lord to give you eyes to see the light of his glory. Pray that God would give you eyes to see and ears to hear, and then hear the word of God and keep it. “Blessed… are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28, ESV).

To those who do know Christ as Lord and Savior, I say, you must continue to grow in your knowledge of Jesus Christ – his person, his work, and the rewards he has earned for you. As you grow in your knowledge of him, your faith in him will grow stronger too. And as you grow in your faith, your hope will grow stronger. And as you grow in your faith and hope, your love for God and others will increase. And where must we go to grow in our knowledge of Christ? It is to the Scriptures we must go, the Old Testament and the New. 

This point of application, to grow in the knowledge of Christ, must not be disregarded as simplistic and superficial. Some of you are entangled with sin. Some are plagued with doubts and anxieties. The remedy is Jesus. We must know Jesus. And if we know him by faith, we must grow in our knowledge of him so that our faith, hope, and love would be strong and true.

Listen, if you have Jesus as Lord and Savior – if you are united to him by faith – it is because “God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6, ESV). But we are not to stagnate, dear brothers and sisters. No, we are to grow in our knowledge of Christ. And so I pray for you as Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesus. “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:16–23, ESV).

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 11:14-28

“Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. But some of them said, ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,’ while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.’ As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!’ But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’” (Luke 11:14–28, 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

Although this passage of Scripture raises many questions, the main message is clear. Beyond the physical realm that we perceive with our natural senses, there is a spiritual realm. In that spiritual realm, there is a kingdom of darkness that wars against God and oppress men. And clearly, a part of the mission of Jesus Christ was to overthrow this kingdom of darkness, to set captives free, and to bring them into his kingdom of light. These basic truths are wonderfully displayed in the text that is open before us today. But let us now walk through the text together to be sure that we understand its meaning. Afterwards, I will make a few suggestions for application. 

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A Miracle Performed By Jesus: A Mute Demon Cast Out

In verse 14, it is reported that Jesus cast out a demon. There we read, “Now [Jesus] was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled” (Luke 11:14, ESV). 

This is not the first time in Luke’s gospel that we have heard about Jesus casting out demons. It seems to have been a regular part of his earthly ministry (see Luke 4:33, 4:41, 8:2 & 8:27). And we should not forget that Christ gave his twelve apostles and the seventy disciples who followed him the power to cast out demons too (see Luke 9:1 & 10:17). This activity of casting out demons was not a rare occurrence but was a central part of Jesus’ earthly ministry.  

Demons are spiritual beings. They are fallen angels. Amongst the fallen angels, there seems to be a hierarchy. Satan, or Lucifer, is their chief. And the Scriptures speak of these demonic forces as having dominion over the world. As you know, Satan and his minions took dominion when man rebelled against God and fell into sin by listening to the voice of Satan. Christ has come to defeat Satan and to overthrow his kingdom of darkness, and Paul says, “[God the Father] has delivered [those who have faith in Christ] from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son…” (Colossians 1:13, ESV)

Luke 11:14 says that Jesus was casting out a demon that was mute. The meaning is not that the demon was mute, but that the demon inflicted this man with muteness, that is, he took away the man’s ability to speak. The man was bound and oppressed. He could not use his tongue for its designed purpose, to give thanks and praise to God.  

Some might wonder, is all muteness the result of demon possession or oppression? And what about other ailments? Are all physical ailments to be blamed on Satan and his demons?  Yes and no. Yes, in that all afflictions result from man’s fall into sin. Before sin entered the world, there were no afflictions like this. And if we remember the story of man’s fall into sin, we will recall that it was Satan who tempted Adam to sin through Eve. When Adam rebelled against God as King, he submitted to Satan as king. And so all of the sufferings we see in this world are the result of man’s fall into sin, and Satan’s kingdom of darkness has much to do with that. But this does not mean that every ailment is the direct result of demon possession or oppression. When Adam fell into sin, even the physical world was corrupted. Romans 8:20-21 puts it this way, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:20–21, ESV). When Adam fell into sin, humanity fell with him into an estate of sin, misery, and death. It is not only our souls that are fallen, but our bodies too. Our bodies are imperfect. We sometimes experience injuries and ailments. All will experience death. And so Paul spoke of the body and its common afflictions in this way: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16–18). Though illness, physical defects, and death were not natural when the world was first created, they are a part of the natural order now that man has fallen into an estate of sin and misery.  

Is all muteness the result of demon possession or oppression? No. But this man’s muteness was. So Jesus cast out the demon that was afflicting him with muteness, and “when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled” (Luke 11:14, ESV). The people marveled. That is important to see. This miracle, like most of the miracles that Jesus performed, was not done off in a corner somewhere. And it was indisputable that a miracle had been performed. The man was mute. Everyone knew it. And then his tongue was loosed when Jesus cast the demon out, and everyone could see it. The results were clear, obvious, and indisputable. 

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An Accusation Against Jesus: He Casts Out Demons By Beelzebul 

That no one, not even the enemies of Jesus, could dispute that a miracle had been performed is made clear by the dispute that then arose. In verse 15 we read, “But some of them said, ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons’…” (Luke 11:15, ESV). Notice they did not say, he does not really cast out demons, but rather, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons”.

The word Beelzebul means lord of flies or fly-god. It was common in the days of Christ for the Jews to refer to Satan by this name. This is a fitting name for Satan, isn’t it? Satan is a lord of filth. He is a lord of flies. 

The enemies of Jesus could not deny that he cast out demons. But instead of submitting to his word and receiving him as the Messiah, the Son of God, and the King of God’s kingdom, they doubled down in their opposition to him and attributed his works to Satan. That he was performing miraculous deeds, no one could deny. These opponents of Jesus were pressed into a corner, therefore. They had to explain these miracles. And as time passed, they found themselves with only two options. They could acknowledge that he was from God and that he was doing the works of God, or they could say that he was from Satan and was doing the works of Satan. Some of the opponents of Jesus were so hard-hearted in their opposition to him that they chose the latter of the two options. ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons’…”, they said. 

Notice that others were still on the fence. In verse 16 we read, “While others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven” (Luke 11:16, ESV). Many people live this way. They are interested in Jesus. They are open to the possibility that he is who he claims to be – the Messiah, the Son of God incarnate, the King of God’s eternal kingdom. They do not oppose Jesus, but neither do they receive him. They are waiting for a sign. But in fact, the signs have already been given. The accounts of Jesus’ miracles are recorded for us in the pages of Holy Scripture, especially the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 

So, among those who had not followed after Jesus were two kinds of people. There were those who had begun to attribute his miraculous deeds to Satan – “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons”, they said. But some wanted to see just one more sign from heaven – they wanted a little more evidence to prove that Jesus was the son of God.

You should know that Jesus responded to both of these groups. First, in verses 17-23 he deals with the accusation that he casts out demons by the power of Satan. And then in verses 29-30, he addresses those who were requesting more signs from heaven, a text we will come to next Sunday, Lord willing.         

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Jesus’ Response: The Kingdom Of God Has Come Upon You

Jesus’ response to the accusation that he cast out demons by Beelzebul begins in verse 17 and runs through verse 23. 

First, Jesus counters their claim by pointing out its absurdity. A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, he says. 

Beginning in verse 17 we read, “But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul” (Luke 11:17–18, ESV).

The argument Jesus presents is rather simple. Kingdoms and households that are divided will quickly fall. Why would Satan, the king of this kingdom, war against his own kingdom? The theory that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of Satan was absurd. Satan is committed to holding on to his kingdom and advancing it. Why would he war against his own?

In verse 19 we read, “And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges” (Luke 11:19, ESV). There are two predominant theories as to who Jesus was referring to when he asked, “by whom do your sons cast them out?” Both theories share this in common: Jesus must have been referring to fellow Jews.

Some believe Jesus was referring to the Jewish exorcists who were active in the days of Christ. Josephus, the Jewish historian, makes mention of Jews who had the power to expel demons (see Josephus’ Antiquity of the Jews, 8.45-46). Whether or not these Jews had the power to cast out demons in the days of Christ is beside the point. If Jesus was referring to these Jewish exorcists when asked, “by whom do your sons cast them out?”, then his argument would go something like this: Why do you praise your sons (your fellow Jews) when they cast out demons (or attempt to do so in the name of the Lord or the patriarchs) but condemn me? And according to this view, when Christ says, “Therefore they will be your judges”, he means, your commendation of them and your condemnation of me for the same act of casting out demons proves your bias, and you stand condemned by them, therefore. Many commentators, including Calvin, hold to this view.

In my opinion, a more natural reading of the text is to interpret Christ’s question, “by whom do your sons cast them out?”, as a reference to Jesus’ own disciples – the twelve and seventy – who had been given authority to cast out demons in Jesus’ name. The disciples of Jesus were all Jews, so he referred to them as “your sons”. According to this view, Jesus argues against the accusation that he casts out demons by Beelzebul by pointing to his twelve apostles and seventy disciples and asking, what about them? They have demonstrated that they have the ability to cast out demons. By whom do they – your sons, and my disciples – cast them out? And what is the answer? They cast out demons in the name of Jesus Christ and not Beelzebul. 

You see, I do believe that this is what opened Jesus up to these accusations. When the Jewish exorcists attempted (pretended perhaps?) to cast out demons, they would do so, not in their own name, but in the name of the Lord, or in the name of some patriarch. But Jesus did not cast out demons in the name of the Lord. Rather, he cast them out by his own power and authority, for he is the Lord, the eternal Son of God incarnate. These enemies of Christ could not bring themselves to confess him as Lord, and so they had to find a way to explain this power he possessed. They could not believe that he possessed this power in himself, and because he did not cast out demons in the name of the Lord or in the name of Abraham or Moses, their only option was to accuse him of colluding with Satan. So, after Jesus highlighted the absurdity of thinking that Satan was warring against himself, he pointed to his disciples – the twelve and the seventy – and asked, then what do you say about your sons, your kinsmen according to the flesh? By whom do your sons cast the demons out? By whose power and in whose name do they do this work? And what is the answer? They were given the ability to cast out demons by Jesus Christ the Lord and in his name. This argument is very powerful, I think. You see, it is all about power. Where is the power coming from? Some of the Jews claimed the power was coming from Satan. But Jesus demonstrated that the power was coming from himself when he pointed to the twelve and the seventy and drew attention to the fact that they were casting out demons in his name. Furthermore, it seems to me that Jesus’ words, “Therefore, they will be your judges”, fit much better with this interpretation, for it is the disciples of Christ, and not the Jewish exorcists, who will participate in the final judgment (see 1 Corinthians 6:2). And so it is my opinion that when Jesus asked, “by whom do your sons cast them out?”, he was referring to his own disciples – the twelve and the seventy – to whom he had given this power and authority (see Luke 9:1 & 10:17).  

In verse 20 we read, “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20, ESV). This is a marvelous saying. As I came to this verse in my sermon preparation, the thought occurred to me that an entire sermon could easily be devoted to this one saying of Jesus, for there is a lot of theology crammed into these words. Let us be content to consider this saying of Jesus briefly and in context.

First of all, it is here in verse 20 that Jesus reveals what was truly happening. The non-believing Jews were very wrong to attribute the works of Christ to Satan (in Matthew’s gospel, this is called blasphemy against the Holy Spirit)  At first, Christ denied their accusations. Satan’s kingdom is not divided. And his disciples cast out demons, not in the name of Beelzebul, but in the name of Jesus. Now here in verse 20, Christ reveals the truth. He was casting out demons by the finger of God. 

Secondly, it is important to know that the “finger of God” is an anthropomorphic way of speaking about the Holy Spirit. God does not have an arm, a hand, or fingers. He is a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions (see 2LCF 2.1). But an arm and fingers are attributed to him in an analogical way to help us understand how God works. When Christ says in luke 11:20, “it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons”, he means, it is by the Holy Spirit that I cast out demons. 

This interpretation is supported by three observations:

One, if we compare this passage in Luke with the parallel passage in Matthew’s gospel we will see that the finger of God is the Spirit of God. Matthew tells us the same story, but in his account, Jesus says, “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matthew 12:28, ESV). So Matthew helps to clarify Luke. The finger of God is the Spirit of God. 

Two, we may see that the finger of God is the Spirit of God by paying attention to the context. We should remember that in Luke 11:13, at the end of the previous passage, Jesus presented the Holy Spirit to us as the greatest of all possible gifts. Why? Because it is by the Holy Spirit that God distributes the benefits of the redemption that Christ has earned to his elect at the appointed time. Christ the Son has earned our redemption, but God the Father effectually calls his elect to repentance and faith in Christ by his Word and Spirit. And God further sanctifies his elect by his Word and Spirit too. God the Father is eager to give good gifts to his children (that is what we learned in the previous passage). And the very best gift that we can receive is the gift of the Holy Spirit and the many gifts and blessings he bestows.

Friends, you must know that our redemption is the work of the Triune God. God the Father sent the Son to accomplish our redemption, and the Father and Son send forth the Holy Spirit to apply the redemption that Christ has earned to the elect of God at the appointed time. This is how the Triune God works in the world. God the Father created the heavens and earth through the Son (or Word) and by the Holy Spirit. And when it comes to the accomplishment and application of our redemption, the same is true. God the Father redeems his elect through the Son and by the Spirit. Notice the order of things. The Son proceeds from the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. This order of procession that we see in the works of God agrees with the eternal processions of the persons within the Godhead. The Father eternally begets the Son, and the Father and Son eternally breathe forth the Holy Spirit. I bring up the context here because I do believe this passage is related to the previous one. In the previous passage, the Holy Spirit is mentioned as the greatest gift that God gives. And here in this text, we find Christ delivering a man from demon possession by the finger of God, that is to say, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Three, we may see that the finger of God is a reference to the Spirit of God in the analogy itself. In Isaiah 53:1, Jesus Christ the Son of God is referred to as the arm of God. We read the text earlier. That passage is about the Messiah. It begins, “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he [the Messiah] grew up before him like a young plant… etc.” It is through the Son that the Father has accomplished our redemption, and so the Son is called the arm of God. But it is the Spirit of God who applies the redemption that Christ has earned to the elect of God in due time. It is the Spirit who sets us free from bondage (see Romans 8:1ff). It is the Spirit, working in concert with the Word, who convinces us of our sin and misery, enlightens our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renews our wills. It is the Spirit, working in concert with the Word, who persuades and enables us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the Gospel. It is a fitting and beautiful analogy to refer to Christ as the arm of God (as Isaiah 53 does) and to the Spirit as the finger of God. Just as a man accomplishes his work through the strength of his arms and with the finesse of his fingers, so too God accomplishes his work through the strength of the Son and by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit. And just as it is the hands and fingers of a man that come into direct contact with his work (whatever it is) to mold and shape it and to bring it into being, so too it is the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Triune God, who carries out the plans and purposes of God in creation and redemption to bring them into being. God the Father created and redeems his creation through Christ the Son and by the working of the Holy Spirit. And so, the Holy Spirit is called the finger of God.

I do believe it is important for us to see that when Jesus Christ cast out demons, he did not do it as a mere man standing apart from God, calling on the Father to bring deliverance through the Son and by the Spirit. No, he cast the demons out by his own power and authority, for he is the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Or to use the scriptural metaphor, Jesus Christ is the strong arm of God extended to accomplish our redemption. And when he cast out demons he did it by the power of the Holy Spirit, which for him, may be likened to an arm extending a hand and touching with a finger. 

That the people were astonished at Jesus’ ability to cast out demons in his own name and with his own power and authority has already been expressed in Luke’s gospel. In fact, in Luke 4:31-37 we find the first account of Jesus casting out a demon, and in that text we read, “And [the people] were all amazed and said to one another, ‘What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!’” (Luke 4:36, ESV). You see, this is the thing that people were struggling to comprehend. They were familiar with the approach of the Jewish exorcists attempting to free men and women from demon oppression by calling on the name of the Lord or using the names of great men like Abraham or Moses or by employing incantations. But never had they witnessed anything like this. Jesus spoke with power and authority all his own. For him, casting out evil spirits was as simple as stretching out the hand and touching with the finger. 

The third thing to notice about this wonderful statement of Jesus found in verse 20 is the conclusion he reaches: “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20, ESV). In other words, Jesus was saying, when you see me casting out demons by my own authority and in my own name, and when you see my disciples casting our demons by the authority I have given to them and in my name, it does not mean that Satan’s kingdom is divided against itself, but that another kingdom – the very kingdom of God – has arrived with power and is now overthrowing the kingdom of Satan to bring it to an end.

Dear brothers and sisters, do I need to remind you of all the promises of God found in the Old Testament that pointed forward to a redeemer who would one day arrive to do this very thing, to crush the head of Satan and set captives free? I rehearse these things with you so often I trust that many of these promises will come immediately to mind. Do I need to remind you of the first promise of the gospel found in Genesis 3:15 regarding the offspring of the woman who would drop his wounded heal on the head of the serpent? And do I need to remind you of how that seed of the gospel, once planted in the ground, did spout and grow as human history unfolded? Should I remind you of the great promises given to Abraham, of the redemption worked for Israel through Moses to deliver them from Egyptian bondage, and how that exodus anticipated a greater exodus in the future? Need I remind you of the promises made to King David regarding a Son whose enemies would be made his footstool, who would reign forever over a kingdom that would never end? I trust that you are very familiar with the concept that, because of these precious and very great promises, God’s people were living with a sense of expectation. They were eagerly awaiting the arrival of this King of God’s Kingdom, the one who would deliver them from their enemies, the greatest enemy of all being Satan himself. When Christ said, “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20, ESV), he meant, if you see me casting out demons and overthrowing Satan’s kingdom by my own power and authority, does it not show you that God’s kingdom and the King of God’s kingdom promised from long ago has arrived and that I am he?

In verses 21-22, Jesus provides us with an illustration to make all of this very clear. There we read, “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil” (Luke 11:21–22, ESV). 

Who does the strong man of verse 21 represent? Satan is the strong man. He is fully armed. His kingdom is not divided. He is fully committed to guarding his palace to keep his goods safe. Where is his palace? His palace is this fallen world. And what are the goods he is eager to keep? The goods are the souls of men. And now I ask you, who is the one stronger than the strong man? He is Jesus Christ. He is the eternal Son of God who descended from heaven and became incarnate. And why did he come? For what purpose was he sent? His mission can be stated in these terms. He came to attack the strong man, Satan, to overcome him, to take away his armor, in which he trusted, to plunder his palace, and divide the spoil.

Jesus made it very clear at the beginning of his earthly ministry that this was his mission. In Luke 4:16 we read, “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing’” (Luke 4:16–21, ESV). 

As we consider the ministry of Jesus as it is recorded for us in Luke’s gospel, it is clear that the liberty Christ has come to bring is not earthy, but spiritual and eternal. Stated differently, Christ did not come to free Israel from Roman occupation but to overthrow the kingdom of Satan and to establish the eternal kingdom of God.   

In verse 23 we find a warning. There Christ says, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Luke 11:23, ESV). This saying of Jesus can only be properly interpreted in light of what Jesus has just taught about the presence of the kingdom of God and the impending overthrow of the kingdom of Satan. It’s as if Christ said, given that this is the reality – given that I have come as the King of God’s kingdom to overthrow Satan and his kingdom, to bind him, to take away his armor, and to plunder his house – whose side are you on in this war? If you are not with me, you are against me. Whoever does not gather with me scatters. And this is true both of angels and men.     

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Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, I will begin to move this sermon to a conclusion by offering three suggestions for application. It will be in this application portion of the sermon that I will also give you my interpretation of Luke 11:24-28. 

First, I do believe this passage should wake us up to the reality of the spiritual world and the spiritual battle that rages around us continually. Of course, there is a danger in growing fascinated and fixated on the world of angels and demons, and I must warn you about that. The Scriptures warn about the danger of seeking out encounters with the powers of darkness (see Galatians 5:19-20, Revelation 21:8, Revelation 22:15). The Christian is to abhor what is evil and cling to what is good (see Romans 12:9). The Christian is to resist the devil knowing that he will flee from us (James 4:7). When I say that this passage should wake us up to the reality of the spiritual world and the spiritual battle that rages around us continually, I do not mean that we are to seek out encounters with the spiritual world. Rather, I encourage you to think of this world as not merely physical. Beyond the physical, there is a heavenly and spiritual realm. God is Spirit. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Man is not the only rational being created by God. God created angels in the beginning too. Some kept their upright place. Others rebelled against God. The story told in Scripture regarding man’s fall into sin and our redemption in Christ Jesus is all intertwined with the spiritual realm. One thing we have learned from our passage today is that Christ came to redeem us from the domain of darkness and to transfer us into his kingdom of light. While there is danger in growing overly curious about the spiritual realm, there is also danger in living on this earth as if the spiritual realm and the spiritual battle do not exist. This is why Peter warns us, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8, ESV). And this is why Paul says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete” (2 Corinthians 10:3–6, ESV).

Secondly, let us take part in the mission of the overthrowing of Satan’s doomed kingdom of darkness and the advancement of Christ’s everlasting kingdom of light. And how are we to take part in this mission? Answer: we are to obey the commission that Christ has given to the church as recorded in the pages of Holy Scripture. And what is the commission that Christ has given to the church? We are to “Go… and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” This we are to do knowing that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given” to Christ. This we are to do knowing that Christ is with us “always, to the end of the age” (see Matthew 28:18–20). And how are disciples of Jesus made? They are made through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ and by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit. And how are these disciples taught to observe all that Christ has commanded? It is through the ministry word of God within the church of God.  

You know, some might assume that because Jesus cast out demons and because his twelve apostles and seventy disciples cast out demons, we the church, who live now after Christ’s ascension to the Father’s right hand, are to devote ourselves to the casting out of demons too, but this is false. Those who devote themselves to healing ministries and deliverance ministries overlook the simple fact that there was something extraordinary about Christ’s ministry and the ministry of his apostles and other eyewitnesses of his resurrection. Christ cast out demons as a sign that the kingdom of heaven was now present with power. And his apostles – the twelve and the seventy – were granted this power for the same reason. But the church was given no such mission. The church, consisting of professing and baptized believers, is called to devote itself to preaching and teaching of the Word of God (the Word of the Apostles), to the administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and to prayer. The only offices appointed within the church are the offices of elder and deacon. The office of Apostle has ceased. And so too have the miraculous gifts that were given to them (and to the other eyewitnesses). There are no healers, there are no miracle workers, there are no exorcists appointed to this work within Christ’s church. The mission of the church is clear. Disciples of Jesus are to be made to the ends of the earth. These are to be baptized. These are to be taught to obey Christ. Christ has given pastors or elders and deacons to the church to lead in the accomplishment of this mission. 

So, is God still delivering men and women from the domain of Satan’s dark kingdom and transferring them into the kingdom of his beloved Son today? Yes (see Colossians 1:13). But how does he do it? Not through exorcists and exorcisms but through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit. It is only when men and women respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ in faith and repentance that they are rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the beloved Son. This redemption is accomplished by God the Father, through Christ the Son, and by the Holy Spirit. When Christ performed this extraordinary miracle of casting this mute demon out by the finger of God, it was a sign or demonstration of what he would do through the ordinary ministry of the Word of God through his church to the end of the age. It by means of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ that God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, delivers men and women from Satan’s grasp and ushers them into the kingdom of God where Christ is King. 

In fact, I do believe this is what verses 24-28 are about. What good will it do a man, ultimately, if he is delivered from demonic oppression – that is to say, if the demon that oppressed him is evicted from his house, and his house is swept clean and put in order for a time – if Christ the King does not take up residence within that house through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit? What will the man be left with except a clean and orderly, but empty, house? Christ tells us that the evicted spirit will “passes through waterless [desert-like] places seeking rest, and finding none it [will say], ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then [it will  go] and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first” (Luke 11:24–26, ESV). 

This is a strange and mysterious text, but I believe the meaning is clear. Christ, the one who is stronger than the strong man, overcomes the strong man, that is, Satan and his demons, not merely to evict them from the hearts and souls of men to leave the men in a cleaner and yet empty state, but to take up residence within in them as King. Friends, Christ the King did not come to merely clean your house but to take up residence within it, to possess it as King, and to guard it forever. Christian “do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, ESV). Christ did not come to merely expel Satan and his demons and to clean up the world, he came to redeem the world and to possess it as his own, to the glory of God, and this includes your own heart. It will do you no good in the end if Satan is expelled from the throne of your heart for it sit empty. No, that void will be quickly filled with demons and your own sins (perhaps the seven deadly sins). To be redeemed, Satan must be expelled, and Christ must sit down upon the throne of your heart as Lord and King to rule you and keep you as his own forever. 

And this is what is urged in verses 27-28. “As [Christ] said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!’” In other words, your mother is blessed. “But [Christ] said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’” (Luke 11:27–28, ESV).

And so our passage concludes with a call to trust in Jesus and to obey him as King. That is my third point of application. Having considered these truths about the great work of redemption accomplished by God the Father, through Christ the Son, and applied by the Holy Spirit, let us turn from our sins, trust in Christ the redeemer, to have him as King. Christ is our only hope. He is the one stronger than the strong man who is capable of rescuing us from the dark and oppressive domain of Satan to keep us as his own in the blessed kingdom of God, forever and ever, Amen.  

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 32

“A MASKIL OF DAVID. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (Psalm 32, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 11:5-13

“And he said to them, ‘Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:5–13, 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

I do love this portion of Luke’s Gospel. Here in Luke 10:25-11:13, we learn a lot about the Christian life. According to the Great Commission, the church is to be about the task of making disciples of all nations through the preaching of the gospel. Those who turn from their sins to trust in Christ are to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And these baptized disciples are to be taught to observe all that Christ has commanded. 

And what has Christ commanded? What is the law of Christ that his followers are to be taught to observe? Answer: Disciples of Jesus are to keep God’s ever-abiding and unchanging moral law and the positive laws that Christ has added under the New Covenant – laws about the worship of God, and laws about the government of his church. The moral law, as you know, is summarized within the Ten Commandments. And the Ten Commandments are further summarized by the two great commandments, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27, ESV). Disciples of Jesus are to keep God’s law, not to be saved, but because they are saved. We are to obey God’s law, not to earn God’s love and favor, but because he has freely and graciously bestowed his love and favor upon us. Christians are to keep God’s law, not in thier own strength but with the strngth that God provides. God has regenrated his people and he gives them his Holy Spirit to make them willing and able to keep his commandments. 

Luke brought these two great commandments to the forefront of his gospel through the story of Jesus’ interaction with the lawyer as recorded in Luke 10:25-29. After this, we find the Parable of the Good Samaritan, which helps us to understand what it means to keep the second great commandment, to love neighbor as self. And after this, we find a story about the sisters, Mary and Martha, followed by Jesus’ teaching about prayer. As I have said in previous sermons, I believe that the story about Mary and Martha and Jesus’ teaching about prayer is meant to teach us something about what it means to love God and to stir us to do so from the heart. 

What did we learn about loving God with all the heart, soul, strength, and mind from the story about the sisters? Those who love God truly will love Jesus Christ. Those who love God will sit at the feet of Jesus to receive his teaching. The lawyer stood to put Jesus to the test (Luke 10:25). But Mary sat at Jesus’ feet to listen to his teaching. Furthermore, those who love God will serve Jesus and his disciples as Martha did. But in that story about the sisters, we are taught that sitting at Jesus’ feet to receive his Word takes precedence over devoting ourselves to service. Both Mary and Martha are to be commended. The Christian is to imitate Mary in her sitting and Martha in her serving. But sitting at the feet of Jesus to receive his teaching is the good portion that must not be neglected. Our service of Christ must flow from our communion with him. Considered in terms of the two great commandments, the command to love God is first and greater than the command to love neighbor. Neither should be neglected but the order must be maintained.

And what have we learned about loving God with all the heart, soul, strength, and mind from Jesus’ teaching about prayer? We have learned that those who love God will commune with him in prayer. More than this, Christ has taught us how to pray. He said, “When you pray, say, ‘Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation” (Luke 11:2–4, ESV). This prayer, which is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer, is to function as a pattern or guide for us. Here the Lord directs us concerning the things we should pray for and in what order. Brothers and sisters, the Christian life is to be a prayerful life. And if we wish to pray well, we must not neglect this prayer that Christ has given to us as a pattern or guide.

Notice, that after Jesus presented his disciples with this pattern for prayer, he taught them more about the practice of prayer. Here in Luke 11:5-13, Jesus instructs us concerning the perspective we are to have while praying. Teach us to pray, was the request. First, Christ presented a model or pattern to follow. But here in the passage that is open before us today, Christ teaches us about the perspective we should have in prayer. What should we think and feel about God as we approach him in prayer? Does he hear us? Does he care for us? Is he eager to help us? These are the kinds of questions that Jesus answers here in this passage. 

Stated differently, I do believe that the main objective of this passage is to teach us to draw near to “draw near to God, with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, [who is] able and ready to help us…” (see Baptist Catechism 107). In a way, I see this teaching of Jesus, as found in Luke 11:5-13, as an explanation of what it means to pray to God as Father. If it is true for those in Christ Jesus that God is our Father in heaven, how then should we pray? What kind of mindset or perspective should we bring to prayer? Should we think of God as being distant? Should we think of him as disinterested? Should we feel as if we are a nuisance to him? Should we think that if we are to get what we want from God we must pester him with our prayers as if to twist his arm? No, when Christ taught us to pray to God as our Father in heaven, it was an invitation to “draw near to God, with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, [who is] able and ready to help us…” This is implied by the name “Father” (Luke 11:2). Here in the passage open before us, Jesus explicitly teaches this.  

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When You Pray, Draw Near To God, As Children To A Father, Who Is Able And Ready To Help Us

I have drawn three points from this text. The first is this: When you pray, you must draw near to God, as children to a Father, who is able and ready to help us. 

Good fathers love to give good gifts to their children. Good fathers are accessible to their children. Good fathers are delighted when their children approach them for assistance. Good fathers will give good gifts to their children according to their ability. And your heavenly Father is a good Father.  He is ready and willing to give good gifts to his adopted children. And he is able. I wonder, is this your perspective? When you pray, do you see God like this? Do you know him to be your good Father in heaven, who is ready and able to give good gifts to you, his beloved child?

Jesus teaches us to pray with this perspective by presenting us with a couple of illustrations. 

The Story Of The Impudent Friend

First, in verses 5-8 we find a story about a man in need approaching a friend for assistance. Jesus asked his disciples, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’…” (Luke 11:5–6, ESV). 

Can you picture the scenario? A man has a friend arrive at his home unexpectedly. This friend of his has been on a long journey and he is hungry. The right thing for this man to do is to receive this friend of his into his home to feed him and show him hospitality. By the way, we should not forget the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the story about Martha serving Jesus and his disciples as they journeyed. The importance of showing kindness and hospitality to those in need in obedience to the second great commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself, has just been stressed in Luke’s gospel. And so, this man’s need was real. His friend had come to him. It was necessary to show him hospitality. And he did not have daily bread to share. And so he went to another “friend” to ask for help. 

In verse 7 we find the response of the “friend” who was awakened at midnight. He answered from within the house, “Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything?” 

Notice a few things about this story. One, the reluctant friend was sleeping. He was tired. He was warm in bed. Selfishly, he did not want to be disturbed. Two, as was common in those days, his family in bed with him. To get up to fetch his friend some bread would disturb the whole household. Certainly, it is understandable that he was somewhat annoyed with the request. Three, nevertheless, I think most people would respond to this story by saying, some friend this is! With friends like this, who needs enemies? And that, I think,  is the point. Though it is true that we humans grow tired and sleepy and can sometimes be selfish and self-serving, most would happily jump out of bed even at midnight to meet the legitimate need of a friend. If we are shocked by the selfish and begrudging response of this friend – stated differently, if we would expect more kindness and generosity from a friend – how much more should we expect kindness and generosity from our Father in heaven?

The story does not end here, though. Jesus goes on to say in verse 8, “I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs” (Luke 11:8, ESV). The word impudence means shamelessness. The idea here is that the man shamelessly knocked and knocked, asked and asked until his selfish and begrudging friend finally got out of bed to meet his need. 

Friends, the point of this story is not that God is like this “friend”, as if he were annoyed by the prayers of his people, begrudging, and withholding, and that if we wish to get anything out of him then we must pester him with our prayers until he finally gives in. No! The meaning is the opposite. God is not like this friend. He does not sleep or slumber. He does not grow tired or weary. He is not selfish but is most generous and kind. He is not begrudging but is most benevolent. He does not withhold but freely gives good gifts to his beloved children. If we are willing to persist with impudence in asking a selfish friend to meet some need of ours, how much more should we persist in prayer with our Father in heaven?

This is the point that Christ makes in verse 9, saying, “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Luke 11:9–10, ESV). Notice the repetition. It is there for emphasis. And notice how open our access is to the Father and how generous he is said to be. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” 

This story that Jesus tells about the two friends and their midnight encounter teaches us to be persistent in prayer. And this is not the only place in Scripture where we are taught to be persistent in prayer. Christians are to “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2, ESV). We are to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, ESV). We “ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1, ESV). Yes, we are to be persistent in prayer. And this story about the impudent friend encourages us to do this very thing. But more than this, I do believe that this story is meant to affect our perspective of God in prayer.  God is not like this sleepy and selfish friend! No, he is our Father in heaven. He never sleeps or slumbers. He is ready and able to give good gifts to his children and to help us in our need.   

Good Fathers Give Good Gifts

This brings us to the second illustration. In verse 11 Jesus asks, “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11–13, ESV).

I trust you can see why I said this entire passage is about the perspective we are to have of our Father in heaven. Most earthly fathers, sinful as we are, are eager to give good gifts to their children. If a child asks his earthly father for something good and reasonable like a morsel of bread, a fish, or an egg, he will gladly and freely give that good thing. No earthly father would give something dangerous or damaging instead. This is even true of very wicked men. Even they, though they might be very cruel to others, will show kindness to their own children.  “How much more”, Jesus says, will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” 

“How much more…” That is the phrase that binds these two stories together. If a sinful and selfish man will rise up to give bread to his impudent friend in the middle of the night, how much more will your heavenly Father freely give to those who ask, seek, and knock at his door? And if sinful, earthly fathers know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will the heavenly Father give good gifts to his children when they ask?

Application

Brothers and sisters, what is the perspective that you have of God when you come to him in prayer? What do you think of him? I do hope that you pray according to the pattern of the Lord’s Prayer. I hope you pray that God be glorified, that his kingdom come, and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I hope you pray for daily bread, for the forgiveness of sins, and to be kept from, or given victory over, temptation. But your thoughts concerning God must be right and true. When you call him Father, you are to think of him as loving, accessible, and kind. You must know that he is ready and able to help you. He is eager to give good gifts to you as you come to him in prayer. If your thoughts concerning God are amiss – if you think of him as distant, cold, or begrudging – worse yet, if you think of him as cruel – as one who would give a scorpion instead of an egg, or a snake instead of a fish – it is time for you to repent of these wrongheaded notions of God and to replace them with the truth as revealed in God’s Holy Word.       

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When You Pray To God The Father, Be Sure That You Are Asking For Good Things

My first point drawn from the text is, that when you pray, you must draw near to God, as children to a Father, who is able and ready to help us. My second point is, that when you pray, you must be sure to ask God the Father for good things. 

Never should a Christian ask God for evil or sinful things. That is so obvious it hardly needs to be said. 

And neither should Christians ask God for good things so that they might spend it on their passions. James warns against this. First, he says, “You do not have, because you do not ask.” And then he adds, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:2–3, ESV). It is good to have work and the wisdom, health, and strength to do it. It is good to have money, food, clothing, and shelter. There are many things in this life that are good gifts from God. But to ask God for these good gifts so that we might spend it on our passions is to ask amiss. 

What does it mean to ask for good things from God, then? Well, those who are godly will pray from the heart according to the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. Not only will they pray for the variety of things that Christ has taught us to pray for, but they will also pray for them in the order in which they are given to us by our Lord. The priorities of the Lord’s Prayer will match the priorities of their hearts. 

Those who are worldly will sometimes pray, but when they pray they will often pray only for bread. And rarely will it be daily bread that they pray for, but an abundance of bread. And when they pray for an abundance of bread, it will not be to share it with those in need, but to feast upon it themselves being driven by gluttonous passion. 

When the goldy pray, they will not pray first for daily bread. Their first and highest to concern will ber to give thanks and praise to God. After this, they will express their concern for the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom. After this, they will ask the Lord to make them ready and willing to obey his revealed will, as the elect angels do in heaven, and for contentment and humility to submit to God hidden will for them, as Christ did in the garden, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42, ESV). And only after praying that God be glorified, that his kingdom come, and his will be done, will the godly be concerned with bread. And it is to be daily bread that we are concerned about. Give us, O God, what we need to live so that we might worship and serve you in thankfulness all the days you have ordained for us. Can you see the difference between praying for daily bread so that you might spend it on your passions and praying for daily bread so that we might be sustained in the worship and service of God?  

Dear brothers and sisters, God does invite us to pray for daily bread. He invites us to bring our cares and concerns to him. It is right that we pray for things like work, health, food, shelter, and clothing for ourselves and those we love. It is right that we pray for peace and prosperity in the land. These are good things to pray for. But followers of Jesus Christ must know that these things are not the best things. The very best things have to do with the glory of God, the furtherance of  Christ’s eternal kingdom, obedience to his revealed will, and the accomplishment of his hidden will, that is to say, his eternal decree. 

To illustrate I’ll ask, when you pray, what do you spend more time praying for? Health concerns or growth in holiness? And when you pray for healing, do you also pray that God would be glorified through the suffering and that men and women would be sanctified in the trial? 

I do believe that one of the secrets of a powerful prayer life is to first align our heart with the heart of God. What is God doing in the world? What is he most concerned with? What promises has he made? What is the mission he has given to us? These are the things we ought to concern ourselves with in prayer. 

I could pile up many passages of Scripture to prove the point.   

Matthew 6:31-33 comes to mind. There Christ says, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31–33, ESV)

There are many passages of Scripture that invite followers of Christ to pray boldly knowing that they will receive what they ask for. Carnal, worldly men think this is a blank check – an invitation to approach God as if he were a genie in a bottle. The thing they overlook is that it is the disciples of Jesus who are invited to pray with such boldness. And what is assumed in all of these passages? The assumption is that disciples of Jesus will have hearts, minds, and wills surrendered to God and Christ. 

In Matthew 21:22 Jesus speaks to his followers, saying, “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” 

In Mark 11:24, Jesus speaks to his disciples, saying, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

In John 14:13 we hear our Lord say, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” 

In John 15:7 he says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” 

In John 15:16 Christ speaks to his followers, saying, “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.”

1 John 3:22 says, “and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.” 

In prayer, we do not bend God’s will to bring it into conformity with ours. To the contrary, when we pray, we must first surrender our will to his! Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, we say. And then, having surrendered to God and having conformed our desires to his, we offer up our heartfelt desires to him. 

Baptist Catechim Q. 105 asks, What is Prayer? Answer: Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God, by the assistance of the Holy Spirit, for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, believing, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies. Are we free to bring our desires to God in prayer? Yes, of course. But we are to do so being led by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is to help us pray for things agreeable to God’s revealed will. And we are we are to pray in the name of Jesus, that is to say, by his power and under his authority. Friends, those who truly love God and have Christ as Lord will bring their desires to God and prayer and it should be no surprise that their desires, plans, and purposes will align with God’s desires, plans, and purposes. 

Perhaps another way to say this is that the Christian is to pray for good things, but a Christian’s understanding of what is truly good will be different from that of one who is worldly. The worldly person will only be concerned with the things of this world – health, wealth, prosperity, and pleasure. But the true Christian will see other things as being of supreme value and importance. When the Christian is exhorted to pray for good things, their mind will, by God’s grace, naturally go to things having to do with the glory of God, the furtherance of his eternal kingdom, the salvation of sinners, and the sanctification of saints.      

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When You Pray, Know That God Always Gives Good Gifts To His Children

My third and final point is, that when you pray, you must know that God always gives good gifts to his children. 

Again, to see this you must adopt God’s perspective concerning what is good. The carnal man will only think of earthly goods. The godly, spiritual man will think first of the heavenly and eternal goods that are ours in Christ Jesus, and of earthly goods second.   

This point is brought out powerfully at the very end of our passage. Verse 13 says, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13, ESV). Instead of saying “good gifts” Christ says “the Holy Spirit”. What is the meaning of this? By inserting the phrase “the Holy Spirit” in the place of the phrase “good gifts” Christ directs our attention to the greatest gift of all – the Holy Spirit and all of the benefits he bestows. 

John Calvin comments on this, saying, “Instead of good things (ἀγαθὰ) in the last clause, Luke says the Holy Spirit. This does not exclude other benefits, but points out what we ought chiefly to ask: for we ought never to forget the exhortation, Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all other things shall be added to you, (Matth. 6:33.) It is the duty of the children of God, when they engage in prayer, to strip themselves of earthly affections, and to rise to meditation on the spiritual life. In this way, they will set little value on food and clothing, as compared to the earnest and pledge of their adoption, (Rom. 8:15; Eph. 1:14:) and when God has given so valuable a treasure, he will not refuse smaller favours” (John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke, vol. 1, 354).

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Conclusion

I have said this passage is about the perspective or view that we have of God when we approach him in prayer, and so it is.  We must view him as our heavenly Father who is ready and able to give good gifts to his children and to help us in our need. It seems to me that one of the greatest challenges is when we bring good and reasonable requests to God and they seem to go unanswered. It is in moments like these that God’s people are tempted to think that God is absent, distant, disinterested, or unable to help us. In reality, God’s plans might simply be differnt than yours. Or maybe his plans agree with yours, but his timing is different. Whatever the case may be, by faith, we confess that God’s plans are always perfect, holy, wise, and good. And so we must rest in him. We must trust that our heavenly Father will give good gifts to his children in this life and in the life to come.