Baptist Catechism 89 & 90

Q. 89. What doth every sin deserve?

A. Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come. (Eph.5:6; Gal. 3:10; Prov. 3:33; Ps. 11:6; Rev. 21:8)

Q. 90. What doth God require of us, that we may escape His wrath and curse, due to us for sin?

A. To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption. (Acts 20:21; Acts 16:30,31; 17:30)

Scripture Reading: Acts 16:25-34

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’ And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.” (Acts 16:25–34, 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.

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Baptist Catechism 90

Pay careful attention to the question. “What doth God require of us, that we may escape His wrath and curse, due to us for sin?” 

The catechism has been preparing us for this question, hasn’t it? Through our consideration of the Ten Commandments, we have been convinced of our sin and guilt before God. And we have heard the very bad news that “every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life and in that which is to come.” 

But here we find good news. Even the question itself brings a glimmer of hope. “What doth God require of us, that we may escape His wrath and curse, due to us for sin?” The question suggests that there is an escape — there is a way out of this terrible predicament that we find ourselves in. 

So what does God require of us? What must we do to be saved? What action must we take?

Pay very careful attention to what our catechism does not say. The answer is not to try harder to keep God’s law. Nor is it go on a pilgrimage, climb this mountain, give so much money, etc.  “What doth God require of us?” It is not work that God requires of us, but faith. That is what our catechism says. A: “To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ…”

Understand this: faith is something that we must exercise. It is something that we must do. We must place our faith in Jesus Christ. But faith, by its very nature, is not work. No, it is the receiving of a gift. It is by faith that we receive the gift of salvation. Faith trusts in another. Faith rests in another. Faith receives the work and the reward that someone else has earned for us. Just as I said this morning, faith is the open hand by which we receive the gift of salvation. 

And who is the object of our faith? Who is it that we trust in? 

I suppose that we might answer by saying, God. God is the object of our faith. We trust in God for our salvation. Now, there is some truth to that. It is the Triune God who has saved us — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But it is accurate to say that Jesus Christ is the object of our faith. To be saved we must trust in Jesus. Why? Because Jesus Christ is the Savior that God has provided. God is our Savior, that is very true. But he has saved us through Jesus Christ his Son. Jesus is the Mediator between God and man. Jesus is the Messiah that God has sent. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him. So, to be saved, we cannot merely trust in God. No, we must trust in the Savior that God has provided for us.   

Again, “To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ…” This is what the scriptures so clearly teach. I could pile up Bible verses for you, but the passage that we read from Acts  16 will do for now. That jailer was moved to ask Paul and Silas the most important question a person can ask: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And what did they say? “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…” And the same was true for his household, and so the word of the Lord was proclaimed to them too. 

To be saved from our sins we must believe in Jesus Christ. So why then does our catechism go on to mention “repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.” Does our catechism deny that wonderful doctrine that salvation comes to us through faith in Christ alone? No, instead, our catechism is faithful to teach what the scriptures teach, which is that we are saved through faith in Christ alone, but that faith, if it is true and saving will never be alone. Instead, faith that is true and saving will be accompanied by repentance and it will produce fruit. Or to use the language from the morning sermon. Faith is the open hand by which we receive the gift of salvation, but this same faith, if it is true, will also walk. 

How are we saved? Through faith in Jesus Christ. Full stop. 

And what does this faith involve? It always involves repentance. To trust in Jesus is to turn to him and from sin. You cannot do the one and not the other. It’s impossible! 

If you are walking in the wrong direction and you wish to go in the right direction, you must turn around. And that one action of turning around involves two things. You must turn from the wrong way and then go in the right way. And so it is with faith in Christ. Turning to him involves turning away from sin. That is what repentance is. It is turning from sin. Faith in Christ will always be accompanied by repentance. 

And that is why “repentance” is sometimes mentioned as one of the things that must be done in order to be saved. In Acts 16 Paul and Silas simply told the jailer, “believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…” But elsewhere in the book of Acts people are told to repent and believed. So which is it? Well, it is both. To say, “believe in Jesus” and to say, “repent and believe in Jesus” is really to say the same thing, for true saving faith will always be accompanied by repentance. 

But let me ask you this, are we saved by the act of believing, or are we saved by the act of repenting? Answer: we are saved by the believing. It is for this reason that the scripture will often mention faith alone. Faith, or belief in Christ, is the essential thing. But true faith does also involve repentance. Or think of it this way. If a man is living in some sin (say, the sin of drunkenness) and he turns from that sin, does his act of repentance save him? No, of course not. Not unless he turns from his sin and to Jesus. It is faith in Jesus Christ that brings us salvation, and true faith will always involve repentance. In other words, those with true faith in Christ will not continue in unrepentant sin. 

Lastly, let us consider the phrase, “with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption”? 

First of all, what are these “outward means”? Well, question 93 of our catechism will answer this saying, “The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption are His ordinances, especially the Word, baptism, the Lord’s Supper and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.” 

Secondly, does our catechism teach that in order to be saved one must sit under the preaching of the word of God, be baptized, partake of the Lord’s Supper, and pray? We need to be very careful here. And really, the answer to this is not very different from what was said about repentance. It is through faith in Christ that we are saved, full stop. But true faith is always accompanied by repentance, and so repentance is sometimes commanded too. And so it is with the outward and ordinary means. We are saved by faith alone, but true and saving faith is never alone. No, it produces obedience in us. It leads to a faithful walk. In other words, those who have true faith will strive to live a life of obedience to the Lord. 

And what has Christ commanded us to do as we walk with him in this world? How has God determined to mark his people off as his own in this world, and to nourish and strengthen them? They are to be baptized in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are to devote themselves to the word of God. They are to partake of the Lord’s Supper. They are to pray.

Are we saved by sitting under the preached word, by baptism, by the Lord’s Supper, or by the act of praying? No, we are saved by faith alone. But this faith, if it is true and saving faith, is never alone. It does lead to a faithful walk. And these are the things that God has commanded us to do. The faithful will do them. 

I asked you earlier if the man who repents from drunkenness is saved by his repentance. We said, no, not unless he turns to Christ. Now I might ask you, are all who sit under the preached word; are all who are baptized, are all who eat the Lord’s Supper, and are all who pray to God, saved? I hope you would say, no, not necessarily. And why is that? Because some partake of these things without faith in Christ in their hearts. So, just as repentance alone does not save, but only repentance and faith in Christ, neither do church attendance, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, or prayer save. They only function as means of grace if there is faith in Christ in the heart. Faith in Christ is the operative and essential thing.

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Conclusion

Let me conclude now with a positive exhortation. 

Do you wish to be saved from your sins? Do you wish to be freed from God’s wrath and curse which is due to you because of sin?

One, trust in Jesus Christ. He paid for sins. He bore the wrath of God. In him, there is the forgiveness of sins and the hope of life everlasting. 

Two, this faith that I have mentioned will involve repentance. You cannot continue in sin and follow after Jesus at the same time. No, to have faith in Christ means that you have him as Lord. That is how Paul puts it in Romans 10:9, saying, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9, ESV). So then, turn from your sin and turn to Jesus as Savior and Lord. You cannot have him as Savior if you will not have him as Lord. So turn from your sin now and turn to Jesus. And turn from sin always as you walk with him in this way. Will you struggle with sin as a Christian? Yes. But the Christian life is a life of repentance from beginning to end. 

Three, if you have turned from your sins and to faith in Christ, then be sure to make “diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption”. The first of these is his word. Listen to God’s word. Read it. Hear it read and preached. The word of God is our daily bread. God nourishes us with it. The second is baptism. If you have faith in Christ, be baptized. The third is the Lord’s Supper. Christ nourishes, encourages, and refines his church through the Lord’s Supper. The fourth is prayer. Through prayer we communion with God. God works through prayer. We will say more about these in the weeks to come. For now, it will suffice to say, if you have faith in Christ, the make use of these ordinary means of grace, for God does distribute the benefits of the redemption that Christ has earned to the faithful through them.

Q. 90. What doth God require of us, that we may escape His wrath and curse, due to us for sin?

A. To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption. (Acts 20:21; Acts 16:30,31; 17:30)

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 61 

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers; but you shall be called the priests of the LORD; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy. For I the LORD love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are an offspring the LORD has blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.” (Isaiah 61, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 4:14-30

“And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. 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.’ And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ And he said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’ And he said, ‘Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.’ When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away.” (Luke 4:14–30, 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

Luke wrote what he wrote in his gospel so that we might be sure that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah who was promised long ago and that we might trust in him for the forgiveness of our sins unto life everlasting (see Luke 1:1-4). And how has Luke presented Jesus to us in his attempt to persuade us about these things? Answer: He has presented Jesus to us at the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures. Jesus fulfilled the Scriptures in his conception, birth, early childhood, baptism, and victory over the Serpent in the wilderness. He fulfilled explicate prophesies. He also fulfilled the types and shadows contained within the Old Testament Scriptures – he is the second and greater Adam, the second a greater Moses, and the true and faithful Israel of God. 

You would do well to notice that Luke continues with this same approach in the passage that is before us today. Here Luke shows us that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 61. In addition to this, Luke wants us to see that from the beginning, Jesus came to bring salvation, not to the Jews only, but to the Gentiles also. Lastly, Luke shows us that this was the thing that most aggravated the Jews and led to their rejection of Christ.  

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Jesus Is The Anointed One Of Isaiah 61

The first thing that we must see in our passage for today is that Jesus claimed to be the anointed one of whom Isaiah spoke. Messiah means “anointed one”. So then Jesus explicitly claims to be the promised Messiah in the passage that is before us. 

Luke 4:14 says, “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.” 

So then, after the victory of Jesus over the devil in the wilderness, he went into the region of Galilee. This is the region north of Jerusalem and to the west of the Sea of Galilee.

Our text says that he went there in the power of the Spirit. This is a reference to the Holy Spirit. We are to remember that Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit at his baptism. Luke 3:21 says, when Jesus was baptized and was praying, “the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’” (Luke 3:21–22, ESV). It was the Spirit who led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted, remember? And it was the Spirit who sustained Jesus so that he would win the victory over the Evil One. Of course, when we speak of Jesus’ anointing with the Spirit, we are to consider him according to his human nature, and not according to his divine nature. The Spirit filled and empowered Jesus as a man to strengthen and uphold him to accomplish his work.

Brothers and sisters,  this is the same Spirit that Christ has poured out on all who have faith in him. If you are in Christ, then you have this Spirit as a seal and as a Helper so that you would have all that you need to walk faithfully. 

Luke does not tell us much about Christ’s ministry in Galilee. He only says that “a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all” (Luke 4:14- 15, ESV).

In Luke 4:16 we are told that Jesus “came to Nazareth [a town in the region of Galilee], 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” (Luke 4:16, ESV). Notice that it was the custom of Jesus the Messiah to be in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. “Synagogue” means “assembly place”.  Synagogues were meeting houses where the Jews would gather together to hear the Scriptures read and explained, to pray, sing, and fellowship with one another. Does that sound familiar to you? It should, the Jewish synagogues of the first century were the prototypes of our Christian churches. In fact, James refers to the Christian meeting house as a synagogue (συναγωγή) in 2:2 of his epistle. The point is this:  Jesus the Messiah was in “church” – that is to say, in the assembly –  on the Sabbath day. That was his custom. And that should be your custom too, if you are in Christ. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” If you claim to be a Christian and it is your habit to neglect the assembly, that needs to change. Christ was in the synagogue on the Sabbath, and you should be in the Christian synagogue (meeting house) with the people of God on the Lord’s Day Sabbath too, for ​​“whoever says he abides in [Christ] ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:6, ESV).

Now, though it is true that we should imitate Christ by assembling with God’s people on the Lord’s Day, we cannot imitate what he did in Nazareth on this particular Sabbath day.  We are told that he “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” (Luke 4:18–20, ESV). 

So what was it about what Christ did on this day that caused “the eyes of all in the synagogue [to be] fixed on him”? Well, he must have read this passage in such a way so as to indicate that he was the one of whom this passage spoke. In other words, he read this text, not as if it were about someone else, but as if it were about him. He read this text as if these words were his words. And indeed they were. And then he sat down without comment. This was strange, and so the people stared at him. And a bit later “he began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21, ESV). In other words, I am the one of whom Isaiah spoke. I am the Lord’s Anointed. That was his message. And it was a message that only he could proclaim. 

Now, Jesus only read verses 1 and 2 of Isaiah 61. But as I have taught you before, when a verse or two from the Old Testament is quoted in the New Testament, we had better go there and take a look around. The one or two verses that are cited are often times meant to point us to an entire passage or even a broad theme. I’ve told you before that these brief citations are meant to function like hyperlinks on a webpage. We are supposed to click the link, if you will, and then look around.  

We read Isaiah 61 in its entirety at the beginning of this sermon. It is a beautiful passage that reveals the mission of the Messiah. How appropriate that Jesus would refer to this text at the start of his ministry! Here it again: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound…” (Isaiah 61:1, ESV), Can you see that this is about the mission of the Messiah? This is what the Messiah was sent to do. Isaiah 61:2 continues, saying, “to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit…” This is what God has called the Messiah to do for his people. 

At the end of verse 3 of Isaiah 61, the focus shifts from the work of the Messiah to the benefits that come to those who are blessed in the Messiah. It says, “that they [those blessed in the Messiah] may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations” (Isaiah 61:3–4, ESV).

We cannot take the time to read again all of Isaiah 61 and to comment on each verse. I have taken you beyond verses 1 and 2 (which Jesus quoted) through verse 4 to show you that there is a lot of good news in this passage for those who are blessed by the Messiah. It is not surprising that Luke tells us in 4:22 that “all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’” (Luke 4:22, ESV). We should remember that the word “marveled” was used back in Luke 2:33 where it is said that Joseph and Mary “marveled at what was said about [Jesus]” (Luke 2:33, ESV). The same Greek word was also used in 2:18, 1:63, and 1:21 – the people “wondered” or “marveled” over what the shepherds told them, what Zachariah wrote, and why he delayed in the temple. The Lord was doing incredible things in those days when Jesus was born, and the Lord was doing incredible things when Jesus began his ministry as our Messiah, and so they marveled. They “marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’” I take this to be an honest question. They were wondering how it could be that this Jesus, the son of Joseph, as was supposed (Luke 3:23), could possibly be the LORD’s Messiah. The question was an honest one, and the response to Jesus in Nazareth was at first favorable.

But things changed for the worse very quickly. And we would be wise to ask the question, why? Why did the people change their opinion of Jesus? How did they go from speaking well of him to wanting to kill him by throwing him off a cliff? Answer: Jesus did not merely tell them what they wished to hear, but spoke the truth instead. 

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Jesus Came To Bring Salvation, Not To The Jews Only, But To The Gentiles Also 

Specifically, Jesus clarified that he did not come to bring salvation to the Jews only, but to the Gentiles also – indeed, he came to redeem all who are poor in spirit and look unto him for salvation. 

Look with me at Luke 4:23. “And he said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’” This hints at the suffering that Jesus would endure as the Messiah, for only he who suffers needs to be healed. We will learn as we progress through Luke (and through the other Gospels someday) that not many were interested in following a suffering Messiah – a victorious and conquering Messiah, yes! A suffering Messiah, no. But those who will have Christ as Savior must have him as a suffering Savior, and humbly identify with him in his suffering. 

And then Jesus predicted that they would say, “What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well” (Luke 4:23, ESV). What did he do in Capernaum? Among other things, he healed people of their physical ailments (see Mark 2:1-12). 

And in verse 24 we read, “And he said, ‘Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian” (Luke 4:24–27, ESV). 

The story about Elijah and Zarephath that Jesus referred to is found in 1 Kings 17. The story about Elisha and Naaman the Syrian is found in 2 Kings 5. What do these two stories share in common? Well, they are both about the faith of Gentiles in the Old Covenant era and of God showing mercy to them while Israel was unfaithful.  

And what do all three of these sayings of Jesus as recorded in Luke 4:23-27 share in common? Well, they all seem to emphasize the heavenly, eternal, and universal focus of Jesus’ ministry, and this ran counter to the earthly, temporal, and ethnocentric expectations that many within Isarel had for their Messiah. 

You are probably familiar with the idea that many within Isarel expected that when the Messiah appeared he would overthrow the Romans and restore Isarel to the glory that she once had in the days of King David. Can you see how that expectation was earthly (it was about a kingdom on earth), temporal (it was about an earthly kingdom now), and ethnocentric (it was about blessings falling on the Jews, but not the Gentiles)? 

And you are probably also familiar with how many were interested in following Jesus when they thought he would feed them with physical bread and heal them of their physical infirmities. But those same people quickly abandoned him when he began to speak of suffering and sacrifice in this life and the heavenly and eternal focus of his ministry (think of the story of the feeding of the 5,000 in John 6).

And do not forget how enraged some of the Jews became when Jesus made it clear that he came to save, not only Jews but Gentiles also. 

This story about Jesus in the synagogue in Nazareth has a little of all that going on, doesnt it? Jesus hints at future suffering. He suggests that he did not come mainly to heal of physical infirmities. And then he stresses his concern for the Gentiles by mentioning the stories of Elijah and Zarephath and Elisha and Naaman the Syrian. And it was at this point that the people turned on him in a violent way.  

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This Was The Thing That Most Aggravated The Jews And Led To Their Rejection Of Christ  

Luke 4:28-30 says, “When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away” (Luke 4:28–30, ESV).

What was it that so aggravated these people leading them to reject Jesus as the Messiah? In brief, it was this: he suggested that the Jews – yes even the Jews in his hometown – would reject him, while many Gentiles would receive him and be blessed by him, just as Zarephath of Sidon and Naaman the Syrian were in the days of Elijah and Elisha. 

If you have read the New Testament carefully you know that this teaching that Gentiles would be included (or engrafted) into to Abraham was very controversial amongst the Jews. It led (in part) to the crucifixion of Christ. And it led to the persecution of Paul and the other apostles too. 

Take, for example, Acts 13:44-52. The context is Paul and Barnabas’s ministry at Antioch in Pisidia. The text says, “The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:44–52, ESV). I cite this text because I think it illustrates the theme that is found throughout the New Testament about the Jews being provoked to jealousy concerning Gentile inclusion through faith in the Messiah. This phenomenon was present at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Even the people in his hometown wished to kill him when he spoke of blessing the Gentiles! This theme continued throughout Jesus’ ministry, and even into the ministry of the Apostles and early church. 

In a sense, it is understandable that the Jews would have a difficult time comprehending and coming to terms with this transition. From the days of Abraham onward, and especially from Moses onward, the Hebrews were set apart from all of the nations as a special and holy people. Special covenants were made with them, the law was given to them, the temple was in their midst, and the promises of God were entrusted to them. Change is difficult (this we all know). And when the Messiah came into the world he brought with him massive changes. He came, not to destroy the law of Moses, but to fulfill it. He was not against the Old Covenant, but he did come to full it and to inaugurate a New Covenant. The kingdom of God would no longer be confined to Israel (in a prototypical way), but came in power and would spread to the ends of the earth after Christ lived, died, and rose again. And the New Covenant people of God would not consist of those who descended from Abraham according to the flesh, but of all who have faith, not only from the Jews but also the Gentiles (see Romans 9-11). These were massive changes. And so we should not be surprised that some struggled to understand these things and to come to terms with them (see Acts 10 & 11).

But in another sense, it is surprising that so many from amongst the Jews were caught off guard by this great transition, for these things were foretold in their own Scriptures. They should have known.

Consider these things:

The Messiah was promised, not first to Abraham, but to Adam and Eve in the curse that was pronounced on the serpent in Genesis 3:15. This means that the Messiah would be the redeemer, not only of the Jews but of the world – that is to say, of all people. By the way, this is what John 3:16 speaks of when it says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV). Nowhere does this text teach a universal atonement. Nowhere does it say that Christ shed his blood for every single person who has ever lived. That idea is read into the text by the universalists. Here is what it does say: God set his love on the world – the whole fallen planet and every nation within – and not the Jews only. Christ came to provide salvation for people from every tongue tribe and nation. And who will be saved? The text says, “Whoever believes in him [will] not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:16–18, ESV). This text is not about the scope of the atonement, friends. But it is about the scope of God’s love and of Christ’s mission. God’s saving love is not confined to the Jews only but is for all nations. Christ’s mission was to earn salvation for particular people from every tongue tribe and nation. That he came to save particular people, namely, the elect, is clearly stated elsewhere in John’s Gospel (see John 6, John 10:11, John 17). But John 3:16 makes this general point: God’s saving love is for the world, that is to say, all nations, and not for the Jews only. And who from amongst the nations will be saved? All who believe. And who will believe? Those chosen by God in eternity. These in due will hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be made alive by the working of the Holy Spirit. This we call effectual calling.  

Back to the point. Luke wants us to see that Jesus is not only the Son of Abraham (the father of the Hebrews), he is the second and greater Adam (the father of humanity). He came, therefore, not as the Messiah of the Jews only, but as the world’s Messiah – he is the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, ESV).

The Messiah was promised, not first to Abraham, but to Adam. That is significant. And even when Abraham and his descendants (the Hebrews) were set apart by God as a special people from all the nations of the earth, it was revealed to him that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through them. “Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1–3, ESV). Do you see what I mean when I say the Jews should not have been surprised about the news that the Messiah came to bring salvation to all nations? The very first word that was spoken by God to Father Abraham revealed this aim. Abraham’s descendants would be set apart for a time so that the nations would be blessed through them. 

And the Psalms and Prophets are filled with references to the nations and of God’s plan to reconcile sinners to himself from all nations through Israel’s Messiah. And note this: The book of Isaiah – the book that Jesus read from in Nazareth –  is especially rich with this theme. 

Isaiah 42:6-7 speaks of the Messiah, saying, “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness” (Isaiah 42:6–7, ESV).

Isaiah 49:6 is about the Messiah. The LORD speaks to him saying, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6, ESV).

Isaiah 55:5 also speaks of the Messiah saying, “Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you” (Isaiah 55:5, ESV).

You probably are noticing that we are creeping ever closer to the very passage in Isaiah that Jesus read from in the synagogue in Nazareth (Isaiah 61) and afterward sat down, saying, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing”. Isaiah 61 speaks of the nation too. Verse 6 says, “you shall eat the wealth of the nations”. Verses 8 and 9: “I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are an offspring the LORD has blessed”. Verse 11: “For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations”.

This theme of God blessing the nations through Israel and her Messiah runs through to the end of the book of Isaiah and even intensifies. Listen to how the book of Isaiah concludes: “For I know their works and their thoughts [says the Lord], and the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations. And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the LORD. ‘For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the LORD’” (Isaiah 66:18–23, ESV).

The point is this: The news that the Messiah would come to save people from every tongue tribe and nation was not new news, but old news brought to fulfillment. And yet, when Jesus suggested to those in his hometown that many from within Israel would reject him, while many from amongst the Gentiles would receive him and be blessed in him, they wished to put him to death. Certainly, this anticipated his death on the cross. But the time was not yet: “Passing through their midst, he went away.”

Before we conclude, I think it is important for us to make a couple of connections between this passage and the previous one. In the previous passage, Jesus was tempted by the Devil in the wilderness and he was victorious. The last line in that passage says, “And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13, ESV). This means that the Devil would continue to tempt Jesus throughout his ministry. I think our minds should especially go to the agony that Jesus experienced in Gethsemane and leading up to the cross. There Satan continued to tempt Jesus to deviate from his mission. But here we see that Satan opposed Jesus through the people in his hometown. More than this, I think it is important for us to make the connection between Jesus’ defeat of Satan in the wilderness and his announcement to the Nazareens that he would bring salvation, not to Jews only, but to the Gentiles. If you remember the sermon on the previous passage, Jesus’ mission was to defeat, cast down, and bind Satan, so that he would no longer hold the nations in darkness. He came to bind the strong man so that he might proceed to plunder his house. So then, after Jesus defeated the Devil in the wilderness, he proceeded to announce that he would have people from every nation as his inheritance. And this was what infuriated the Nazereens, for though they were children of Abraham according to the flesh, they were of the Evil One in the heart and mind. Or to quote Jesus himself,  They were of their “father the devil, and [their] will [was] to do [their] father’s desires” (John 8:44, ESV).

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Conclusion

I’ll conclude now by making a few brief suggestions for application. All of them have to do with not making the same mistakes that those in Nazareth made concerning their expectations for the Messiah. 

One, let us be sure to not reduce Jesus down into a Messiah who has come to merely meet our needs on earth. His blessings are spiritual and heavenly. He will bless us physically and on earth too, but those blessings will come to us at the consummation in new heavens and earth. Life in this present evil age will be marked by trials, tribulations, various sufferings, and ultimately death. But Christ will bless his people in and through these tribulations, to bring them safely home into the heavenly new creation inheritance that he has earned for them.   

Two, connected with this, let us be sure to not reduce Jesus down into a Messiah who has come to merely bless us in the here and now. His blessing are eternal. We are blessed in Christ now – this is true. But we are called to patiently endure until we take possession of the fullness of our inheritance in Christ in the life to come. 

Three, let us be sure to not reduce Jesus down into a tribal Messiah but always remember that he came to save all kinds of people – rich and poor, powerful and weak, people from every tongue tribe and nation. And this is why Paul wrote to Timothy, saying, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:1–6, ESV).