Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 35

“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 7:18-23

“The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’ And when the men had come to him, they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’’ In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.’” (Luke 7:18–23, 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

“Blessed is the one who is not offended by me”, Jesus says. To be offended by Jesus is to fall back from him. To be offended by Jesus is to recoil from him. To be offended by Jesus is to stumble over him. Many, as I am sure you know, are offended by Jesus. 

And people are offended by Jesus for many different reasons. Some fall back from him because he opposes their way of life and exposes their sinfulness. Others recoil from him because of who he claims to be – the Son of God incarnate, and the only way to the Father. And others stumble over him because he was so lowly and humble in his incarnation. He claimed to be the promised one, the King, the Messiah, and yet he was poor, despised, and rejected by men. He suffered in this world, and he calls his followers to suffer in this world too. These are only a few examples of reasons that people are offended by Jesus.

Now to be clear, Jesus was not an offensive person in the way that we typically use that word – never was he obnoxious or rude. But in another sense, Jesus is the most offensive person ever to live. When men and women are told about Jesus – his person and work – when they are exposed to his teachings and confronted with his claims – they are forced to make a decision. They must choose to either receive him or reject him, to run to him or recoil from him, to follow him, or to fall back from him. And we know that Jesus is offensive to many. 

Good friends, we should remember that if God were to leave us to ourselves, we would all reject, recoil, and fall back from Jesus. Left to ourselves we would all be offended by him. The Apostle John explains why. In John 3:19, he speaks of Jesus, saying, “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:19–20, ESV). Again I say, if God were to leave us to ourselves in the darkness of our sin, we would all run from Jesus, just as darkness runs from light. But God, by his grace, has determined to call some to himself by his word and Spirit through faith in Jesus the Messiah. This is what Jesus refers to when he says in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44, ESV). Left to ourselves, we would all be offended by Jesus. But God, by his grace, draws some to himself through Christ, and these will be raised up on the last day. 

When the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus to ask if he really was the one, he sent them back with these words: “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” I take this to be both a statement of fact and an exhortation. First, it is a statement of fact. Those who are not offended by Jesus are blessed of God. God has shown mercy to them. God has called them (externally by the word, and internally by the Spirit). God has opened their eyes to see that Jesus is indeed precious and beautiful, so they are drawn to him. It is a fact that those not offended by Jesus are blessed. But these words are also an exhortation or a warning. It is as if Jesus had said to these disciples of John, be careful that you are not offended by me. Do not fall back from me. Do not recoil from me. Draw near to me instead. Friends, this is a message that you and I need to hear, for I would imagine that many who follow after Jesus are, from time to time, tempted to be offended by him. We must remember the words of our Lord, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” 

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The Question: Jesus, Are You The One Who Is To Come, Or Should We Look For Another?

So the question is, why did Jesus say this to these two disciples of John the Baptist? The answer must be that some who followed John the Baptist were tempted to pull away from Jesus. How could this be? 

We should remember that John the Baptist was a pretty big deal. Luke tells us about his ministry in chapter 3 of his Gospel. It was “during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, [that] the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:2–3, ESV). Luke tells us that this was in fulfillment of things written by Isaiah the prophet. Crowds of people came to be baptized by him. He called them to repentance and preached good news to them. They even wondered if he was the Messiah. He insisted that he was not, but that Jesus of Nazareth was, and so he directed the people to follow Jesus. At one point he spoke of Jesus, saying, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30, ESV). And finally, in Luke 3:18 we read, “So with many other exhortations [John] preached good news to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison” (Luke 3:18–20, ESV). So John the Baptist was in prison when, looking now at Luke 7:18, “The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” (Luke 7:18–19, ESV). This is a very important fact to remember as we seek to understand why there was doubt amongst the disciples of John. In a very short time, John and his disciples were thrust from extreme popularity into obscurity. 

Let us also pay close attention to the question asked by John’s disciples so that we are clear concerning the meaning. The question asked of Jesus was, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” A more literal translation of the Greek is, are you the coming one? This language of “the coming one”, or “the one who is to come”, should remind us of the preaching of John the Baptist. He said, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16, ESV, emphasis added). And this language of “the coming one” also reminds us of the Old Testament prophesies that use this language in reference to the promised Messiah. For example, in Malachi 3:1-2 the Lord says, “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap” (Malachi 3:1–2, ESV). So, the Messiah was the one who “is coming”. Listen also to Psalm 118:26 which speaks of the Messiah when it says, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!” (Psalm 118:26, ESV). Based upon these prophesies, you can see why the promised Messiah was called “the coming one” or “the one who is to come.” When the disciples of John asked Jesus “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”, they meant, are you really the Messiah, or should we keep looking?

So then, it is clear that some doubts had arisen amongst the disciples of John regarding Jesus, and it is not difficult to imagine some of the possible reasons. 

One reason could be that Jesus and his disciples lived a differnt lifestyle than John and his disciples. Luke 5:33 hints at this when some critics approached Jesus saying, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink” (Luke 5:33, ESV). Matthew also mentions this disagreement in his Gospel, but from a slightly different vantage point. In Matthew 9:14 we read, “Then the disciples of John came to [Jesus], saying, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’” (Matthew 9:14, ESV). John and his disciples lived an ascetic lifestyle. They lived simply in the wilderness and devoted themselves to fasting and prayer, but Jesus and his disciples lived amongst the people. They ate and drank even with tax collectors and sinners. It seems clear that some of John’s disciples were troubled by this. There question was, why don’t you live like we live? And so some were offended by Jesus. 

Another reason could be that Jesus did not live up to their Messianic expectations. John said Jesus was the Messiah. John said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30, ESV). But it is possible that many of John’s disciples were expecting the Messiah to be a strong King who would conquer the Romans, etc. Perhaps many of them did not expect the Messiah to be a lowly, humble, meek, and mild servant who would suffer. We know that many were offended by Jesus because of this. They were ready to follow him so long as he would feed them and meet all of their needs in an earthly way. But when it came time for him to suffer, they fell back. It is certainly possible that there were many among the disciples of John who were struggling to follow Jesus because he was not turning out to be the kind of Messiah they were expecting. 

I’ll mention one other possible explanation for the doubting of John’s disciples: John was in prison. Jesus did not seem interested in setting him free but allowed him to suffer there. And we know that John’s death was near. This must have been a great disappointment to the disciples of John. They knew that Jesus was to increase and John was to decrease – but this? Would Jesus allow John to be diminished to this degree?

And so I imagine that it was for all these reasons (and possibly more) that the disciples of John began to question if Jesus was really the one. Many of them were perplexed, disappointed, and discouraged. 

One question I have is,  was it only the disciples of John who were questioning if Jesus was the Messiah, or did John have doubts too? In previous sermons, I suggested that John had doubts too. I must have been taught this at some point and assumed that this was the case – it was John who was plagued with doubt as he languished in his jail cell with no hope for release, and so he sent his disciples to Jesus to ask this question for his own sake. But as I read commentaries in preparation for this sermon I was struck by how many commentators, ancient and Reformed, took a different view. Many of them insisted that John did not waver in his faith at all, but sent his disciples to Jesus so that their faith in him would be strengthened as they interacted with him.      

John Calvin represents this commonly held view in his Commentary On A Harmony Of The Evangelists:

“The Evangelists do not mean that John was excited by the miracles to acknowledge Christ at that time as Mediator; but, perceiving that Christ had acquired great reputation, and concluding that this was a fit and seasonable time for putting to the test his own declaration concerning him, he sent to him his disciples. The opinion entertained by some, that he sent them partly on his own account, is exceedingly foolish; as if he had not been fully convinced, or obtained distinct information, that Jesus is the Christ… It is very evident that the holy herald of Christ, perceiving that he was not far from the end of his journey, and that his disciples, though he had bestowed great pains in instructing them, still remained in a state of hesitation, resorted to this last expedient for curing their weakness. He had faithfully laboured… that his disciples should embrace Christ without delay. His continued entreaties had produced so little effect, that he had good reason for dreading that, after his death, they would entirely fall away; and therefore he earnestly attempted to arouse them from their sloth by sending them to Christ. Besides, the pastors of the Church are here reminded of their duty. They ought not to endeavour to bind and attach disciples to themselves, but to direct them to Christ, who is the only Teacher. From the beginning, John had openly avowed that he was not the bridegroom, (John 3:29.) As the faithful friend of the bridegroom, he presents the bride chaste and uncontaminated to Christ, who alone is the bridegroom of the Church. Paul tells us that he kept the same object in view, (2 Cor. 11:2,) and the example of both is held out for imitation to all the ministers of the Gospel.” (John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke, vol. 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 7–8)

The common interpretation which is found here in Calvin is that it was not John who was doubting, but some of his disciples. Being confined to a prison cell, and being near the end of his life, the best thing that John could do for his disciples was to send them to Jesus so that they might speak with him and witness his deeds. And you will notice that Jesus, after performing many miracles in the sight of these disciples of John, and after speaking with them, sent them back to John, so that John could exhort them further to follow after Jesus the Messiah. I must admit, I like this view and find it compelling. I was always a bit troubled by the thought that John, the one who was set apart from conception to be the forerunner to the Messiah,  would be so easily shaken near the end of his life.

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The Answer: Yes, For The Sick Are Healed, The Dead Are Raised, And The Poor Have The Good News Preached To Them

Whether it was John who was doubting, or the disciples of John only, is somewhat beside the point. The point is that there was some doubt amongst the band of John’s disciples and the solution was to run to Jesus and ask, “are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And you would do well to notice that Jesus did not answer in word only, but first through deed, and then through word. 

Verse 21 says that in the hour after the disciples of John asked their question, “he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight” (Luke 7:21, ESV). In other words, Jesus answered their question by first performing signs and wonders. And only after this did he answer them with his words, saying, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7:22–23, ESV).

These miracles performed by Jesus were signs that he was indeed the Messiah. He performed these miraculous deeds to confirm that his claims were true. These miraculous deeds were not random but were carefully chosen to fulfill Old Testament Scriptures, particularly Isaiah 35 and 61. 

We read Isaiah 35 at the beginning of this sermon. That prophesy is about the Messiah and what he will accomplish, especially at the consummation. There God speaks to the prophet saying, “Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert…” (Isaiah 35:4–6, ESV). These things will be accomplished in full at the consummation when Christ returns to judge and to make all things new, but you would do well to notice that Christ gave sight to the blind, made the lame to walk, cleansed lepers, made the deaf to hear, and even raised the dead, to demonstrate that he was the one of whom Isaiah spoke. And perhaps you noticed the language of “coming” in that prophesy too. The Lord spoke through the prophet saying, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you” (Isaiah 35:4, ESV). The disciples of John asked, “Are you the one who is to come”. Jesus answered in the affirmative, not by saying “yes”, but by performing the very miracles mentioned in that same prophesy.

Isaiah 61 also stands behind Jesus’ answer. “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7:22–23, ESV). Isaiah 61 is about the Messiah. It says, “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” (Isaiah 61:1–3, ESV). When Jesus said,  “Go and tell John what you have… heard… the poor have good news preached to them”, this was a reference to Isaiah 61.  Clearly, Jesus was claiming to be the one Anointed by the Spirit (the Messiah) of whom Isaiah 61:1 spoke.

What an incredible answer to the question, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” I suppose Jesus could have simply said, “Yes, I’m the one.” But he gave the disciples of John so much more. In that very hour, he performed miracles before their eyes. And they were not random miracles, but the very miracles mentioned in Isaiah 35. And not only this, he mentioned the proclamation of the gospel to the poor using the language of Isaiah 61. So in this way, he sent these disciples of John back to the evangelist with an exhortation to compare what they had seen with their own eyes and heard with their own ears with the word of God delivered to the prophets long ago. God promised through the prophets that the Messiah would come, and Jesus demonstrated by his actions and his words, that he was the one who was to come.  

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The Exhortation: Blessed Is The One Who Is Not Offended By Me

Finally, Jesus sent these doubting disciples of John back to their teacher with an exhortation or warning: “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7:23, ESV). In other words, Jesus said, do not be offended by me. Do not recoil or fall back. Instead, obey the words of your teacher John, and follow me. If you do, you will be truly blessed. 

I think it is worth noting that there is a connection between Jesus’ statement, “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me”, and the Isaiah 61 passage that Jesus alluded to when he said, “the poor have good news preached to them.” As you know, Isaiah 61:1 says,  “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor”, etc. (Isaiah 61:1, ESV). But the rest of the passage does speak of the blessing that will come to those who belong to this Anointed One. Verses 8 and following are of particular interest. They say, 

“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 61:8–11, ESV).

The point that I am attempting to make is that Jesus’ words, “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me”, were filled with a lot of meaning. They were an echo of Isaiah 61:9 and the reference that is found there to “the offspring the LORD has blessed.” 

When Jesus sent these disciples of John back to their teacher (whom Jesus regarded as the greatest of all the prophets) he set them up to receive one heck of a Bible lesson. Can you imagine it? The disciples of John returned to him in the prison, and they said, here is what we saw and heard from Jesus: “the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.” And Jesus also said, “blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7:22–23, ESV). I would like to think that John grinned and said, bring me the scroll of Isaiah the prophet, have a seat, and get comfortable. Or to put it in a different way, I would like to think that John used this as an opportunity to do something like what Jesus did with his disciples after his resurrection in the town of Emmaus – “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27, ESV).

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Suggestions For Application

How then does this portion of Scripture apply to us who live so long after these things were accomplished?

One, this passage should prompt you and me to ask, am I offended by Jesus? Are tempted to put back from him? Are you ashamed of him for any reason? The world mocks followers of Jesus. And it may be that you are tempted to pull away from him for this reason. You must remember the words of Christ, “blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Two, the way to not be offended by Jesus is to grow ever more certain that he is the promised Messiah –  the one who was to come. If Jesus is nothing more than an example to you – if he is simply a teacher or some religious guide, then you will easily pull back from him when following him is unfashionable, when the heat of persecution is turned up, or when life does not go the way you wanted it to go. Why? Because you can easily find another more popular and palatable religious teacher or moral guide. But if you are certain that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the only Savior of the world, the way, the truth, and the life, through whom all must come to the Father, then you will not be so easily offended by Jesus and tempted to turn back. Do not forget that Luke wrote his Gospel for this purpose, “that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:4, ESV). Those who are uncertain concerning Christ will easily fall away. Those who are certain will stand. 

Three, your certainty will grow in at least three ways. One, your certainly will grow as you consider Jesus’ works – he healed the sick, raised the dead, and was even raised from the dead himself. Two, your certainty will grow as you consider his words. His teachings are full of truth and light. His claims were marvelous indeed – he claimed to be God with us! And do not forget that his claims were confirmed by the miracles he performed. And three, your certainty that Jesus is the promised Messiah – the only mediator between God and man – will grow as you consider Jesus’ words and works in light of the Old Testament Scriptures, for he came in fulfillment to promises and prophesies previously made. Brothers and sisters, we ought to love the Scriptures. We ought to read the Scriptures often and listen attentively when they are read and preached. We should especially love to see the way that Christ is revealed in the Scriptures, first in the Old Testament, and then in the New. The more we know the Scriptures the more certain we will be that Christ is the Messiah. And the more certain we are concerning his person and work, the more blessed will be in him. 

Old Testament Reading: 1 Kings 17:8–24

“Then the word of the LORD came to [the prophet Elijah], ‘Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.’ So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, ‘Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.’ And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, ‘Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.’ And she said, ‘As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.’ And Elijah said to her, ‘Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’ And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah. After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. And she said to Elijah, ‘What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!’ And he said to her, ‘Give me your son.’ And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. And he cried to the LORD, ‘O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?’ Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the LORD, ‘O LORD my God, let this child’s life come into him again.’ And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, ‘See, your son lives.’ And the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.’” (1 Kings 17:8–24, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 7:11-17

“Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’ And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has arisen among us!’ and ‘God has visited his people!’ And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.” (Luke 7:11–17, 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

At our youth study last Wednesday evening one of our young people asked a good question about the Gospels in general: should we think that every miracle that Jesus ever performed is recorded for us in one of the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? My answer was, I don’t think so. In fact, the last verse of the Gospel of John says, “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25, ESV). So then, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were selective in their reporting of the deeds of Jesus. This is a significant observation, for it helps us to see that the Gospel writers – Luke included – did not intend to provide us with an exhaustive chronological account of everything that Jesus said and did. Instead, they told us the truth about what happened in a very careful, selective, and artful way, so as to communicate a message.

Stories – at least the good ones – do this, wouldn’t you agree? Good storytellers know how to introduce characters and develop themes in such a way so as to convey a message. And there is something like this going on in the Gospels. The Gospels are a record of true history, but the sayings and events recorded are carefully selected and stitched together so as to convey a message.

I attempted to show you this in the sermon last Sunday on Luke 7:1-10. There Luke tells the story of the healing of a Roman Centurion’s servant. He tells this story right after his account of Jesus’ sermon on the plane, not merely because the one event happened after the other, but to hold this Roman Centurian up as an example of one who lived according to the ethic that Jesus had just preached about. This Centurion was commended by Jesus for his great faith. And what was so great about his faith? One, he believed that Jesus could heal, even from a distance. Two, he believed Jesus could heal because he knew something about who Jesus was – a holy man with great authority; the Messiah; the Word of God incarnate. And three, his faith was great because he did not only talk the talk, he walked the walk. He lived the kind of life that Jesus called all of his disciples to live in that sermon that he preached on the plane. The Centurion was humble. He loved even his political enemies. He was gracious, generous, and kind to others – yes, even to this lowly servant, and the Jews, over whom he ruled. Furthermore, when Jesus commended the Centurion for his great faith he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith” (Luke 7:9, ESV). This comment should prompt us to contrast the great and astonishing faith of the Centurion with the great and astonishing lack of faith of the scribes and Pharisees. Notice that their lack of faith was described immediately before Luke’s account of Jesus’ sermon on the plane.  So then, in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus’ sermon on the plane is bracketed by examples of those who, on the one hand, lacked faith in Christ and lived self-centered, self-righteous, judgemental, and un-loving lives, and on the other hand, a man who was humble and lowly, who loved even his enemies, and treated others with generosity, kindness, and respect. And what is so astonishing about these two examples? Well, they are the opposite of what you would expect. You would expect the religious elite of Israel to have great faith and to live humble and godly lives, but they lacked it. This Roman Centurion, on the other hand, possessed great faith and lived a humble life before God and man. It’s astonishing, isn’t it? And that is the point. God’s grace is astonishing. It is astonishing to see how Jesus takes everything and turns it on its head. 

So, all of the stories that Luke tells about Jesus – his words and his deeds – are carefully selected and placed. They are stitched together so that they convey a message – a message bigger than the individual stories themselves. Ultimately, Luke wrote what he wrote, so that Theophilus (and all who love God along with him) “may have certainty concerning the things [they] have been taught” (Luke 1:4, ESV). 

So now I ask, why does Luke tell us the story of the raising of a widow’s only son from the dead?  Three reasons come to mind: 

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So That We Might Know For Certain That Jesus Is The Promised Messiah

First, so that we might know for certain that Jesus is the promised Messiah. The miracles that Jesus performed, including this one, were signs. They were signs to confirm that Jesus was who he claimed to be – the promised Messiah – and that his words were true.

By the way, the Apostles of Jesus were also enabled by God to work miracles in the days of the early church after Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. The Book of Acts tells us about this. The letters of Paul also make mention of those who had miraculous gifts in the early church – the gift of healing, etc. And these miracles performed by the Apostles of Jesus (and some who were associated with them)  functioned in the same way. They were signs that confirmed their word was true. Take Acts 14:3 for example. This is about Paul and Barnabus in Iconium. They had a hard time in that city. We are told in verse 2 that “the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.” In verse 3 we read, “So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands” (Acts 14:3, ESV). 

And we should remember the  1 Kings 17:8–24 text that we read at the beginning of this sermon. In that story, a great miracle was performed through Elijah the prophet. A widow’s son was raised. And at the conclusion of that story, the widow spoke to Elijah, saying, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth” (1 Kings 17:24, ESV).

So then, the miracles performed by the prophets of old and the Apostles of Jesus (and their associates) in the early days of the church were intended to confirm that the word they spoke was true. And the same must be said of the miracles performed by Jesus. They were signs – signs that confirmed his message – signs that confirmed his claims. Jesus is the Promised Messiah. The miracles he consistently performed demonstrated that it was so.    

You can see that this was the effect that this miracle had on those who witnessed it and those who heard about it. In verses 15-17 we read, “And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has arisen among us!’ and ‘God has visited his people!’ And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country” (Luke 7:15–17, ESV). 

It hardly needs to be said that ordinary men do not have the power to raise people from the dead. And this young man was certainly dead. He had been dead long enough to make preparations for a funeral procession. When Jesus touched the bier (which was more like an open cradle or couch than a closed casket) and said, “Young man, I say to you, arise”, the young man was raised and even began to speak, which indicated that he was truly alive and restored. It is no wonder that this got everyone’s attention, for God alone has the power to give life to those who are dead, and yet Jesus raised him by the word of his power.  

That the miracle of the raising of the widow’s only son functioned as a sign that Jesus was truly the Promised Messiah and God with us, is also seen in the passage that follows. That passage is about the question that John the Baptist sent to Jesus. Verse 20: “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Jesus’ answer is found in verses 22-23: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” Notice that Jesus did not relieve John’s doubts by saying, Go and tell John what you have… heard, but rather, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard.” The good news of the arrival of the Messiah and of God’s Kingdom was accompanied by the signs and wonders worked by Jesus, and these signs confirmed that the words of Jesus were true. Here Jesus raised a young man from the dead – a marvelous and powerful sign indeed. 

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So That We Might Know For Certain That Jesus Is Compassionate And Kind To Poor Sinners Plagued By Sin And Its Awful Effect 

But this is not the only reason to be observed. Secondly, we should see that Jesus raised the widow’s only son (and Luke tells us about it) so that we might know for certain that Jesus is compassionate and kind to poor sinners plagued by sin and its awful effects. 

Truly, this is a heartbreaking story. Here we are told of a mother grieving the death of her son. A situation like this is very sad under any circumstances. But we are also told that this woman was a widow. And that this was her only son. And that he was a young man. This is a terribly sad story, isn’t it? J.C. Ryle, whose little commentary on Luke I have come to appreciate, says, 

“All funerals are mournful things, but it is difficult to imagine a funeral more mournful than the one here described. It was the funeral of a young man, and that young man the only son of his mother, and that mother a widow. There is not an item in the whole story, which is not full of misery. And all this misery, be it remembered, was brought into the world by sin. God did not create it at the beginning, when he made all things ‘very good.’ Sin is the cause of it all. ‘Sin entered into the world’ when Adam fell, ‘and death by sin’ (Rom 5:12).”     

The effects of sin are truly awful, and we are reminded of this by the story that is before us to today. Our catechism also helps us to remember this in question 22 by asking, “What is the misery of that estate whereunto man fell?” Answer: “All mankind, by their fall lost communion with God, are under His wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever.” This is true. And our catechism reminds us of this terrible truth to prepare us for the good news of Jesus Christ. The very next question – question 23 – asks, “Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?” Answer: “God having out of His mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation, by a Redeemer.” And from there our catechism tells us all about this Redeemer – he is Christ the Lord. We learn about his person, the salvation he has accomplished, and how this salvation is received – through faith in him alone!

Brothers and sisters, can you see that these truths which are stated so beautifully in our catechism about our sin and misery and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, are pictured here in Luke’s Gospel as he tells the story of Jesus raising the only son of a widow from the dead? 

The situation was a miserable one. Death had ravaged the life of this woman. And death, we know, is the result of sin – Adam’s first sin, and also ours. This scene of miserable sorrow and morning illustrates the miserable and mournful condition of the human race, now that sin has entered the world, and death through sin. Left to herself, this poor woman had no hope concerning the death of her son. And so it is with the human race. If God were to leave us alone in our sin and misery, we would be without hope. Death would swallow us up, and after death, there would be only judgment.   

But notice that in our story, Jesus is present, and this makes all the difference. 

Why did Jesus decide to go to this small town called Nain? Luke does not say. Perhaps we are to think that he traveled to this town for the very purpose of drawing near to this woman in her misery and to raise her only son from the dead. In fact, I wonder if this little story is not meant to be a picture of a much larger story – the Son of God’s entrence into the world in the incarnation to accomplish our redemption.   

The text says in verse 12: “As [Jesus] drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’ And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.” (Luke 7:12–15, ESV).

Why did Jesus enter Nain? Well, perhaps we should also ask, why did the eternal Son of God come into this world by taking to himself a true human nature through the womb of the virgin Mary? 

Answer: He came to show us compassion, love, and grace.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should 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)

Jesus came into this world to touch us and to remove the sting of death. 

As Paul says, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:56–57, ESV). It is because of the victory Christ has won that, “Death is swallowed up in victory” and we are able to confidently say, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54–55, ESV).

Furthermore, Christ came into this world to say to those who trust in him, “do not weep”. 

Indeed, “He will wipe away every tear from [the] eyes [of those who trust in him], and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things [will] have passed away” (Revelation 21:4, ESV).

And Christ came into this world to say to those who trust in him, “arise”.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 says, “the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

The point that I am here making is that this little event in the life of Jesus wherein he willingly entered the town of Nain, had compassion on a woman trapped in hopeless grief and despair because of sin and death, drew near to her, touched death, and by the word of power, defeated death, bringing life out death, is a small picture of his mission from God the Father. It is through of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of the only and eternally begotten Son of God, that God has shown compassion to sinners, that the sting of death is removed, and that Christ will be able to say to us, “do not weep”, and “arise” on the last day. This grieving widow in Nain was given a taste of this gift. All who have faith in Christ will enjoy the full benefits of the victory that Christ has won when at death and especially when he returns to make all things new.   

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So That We Might Know For Certain That Jesus Has Power And Authority Over Death

Why did Jesus raise the widow’s son, and why does Luke tell us about it? Firstly, so that we might know for certain that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Secondly, so that we might know that he is compassionate and kind to poor sinners plagued by sin and its awful effects. And now, thirdly, Jesus raised the widow’s only son so that we might know for certain that Jesus has power and authority over death. 

Death is a terrible thing. In fact, it is worse than most people understand. Many think only of the physical. They forget about the soul. When a person dies physically, they do not cease to exist. Their souls live on. Those who die bodily in their sins and apart from Christ go to eternal punishment in their soul. This is what Paul means in 1 Corinthians 2:16 when he speaks of those not in Christ passing from death to death. If you are not united to Christ by faith, you are in a state of spiritual death (see Ephesians 2:1). And when your body dies, your soul will continue to exist. But you will not pass from death to life (as so many think). Rather, in not in Christ, you will pass from death to death. Stated differently, things will go from bad to worse for those who die in the guilt of sins. This is the clear teaching of Holy Scripture. When you attend a funeral for someone who did not trust in Christ and you hear someone confidently say, “they are in a better place”, you have been told a lie. The Word of God says otherwise (see Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11–15). The souls of those who die in their sins do not go to a better place, but go to punishment and torment (see Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11–15). 

Question 42 of our catechism tells the truth by asking, “[W]hat shall be done to the wicked at their death?” By the way, all are wicked by nature. But those with true faith in Christ cannot be called wicked, for they have been washed and renewed. The word “wicked” here refers to those who do not have Christ as Lord and Savior. Answer: “The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day. (Luke 16:22-24; Ps. 49:14)” 

Question 43 then asks, “What shall be done to the wicked, at the Day of Judgment?” Answer: “At the Day of Judgment, the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever. (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28,29; 2 Thess. 1:9; Matt. 25:41)”

As I have said, death is a terrible thing. It involves far more than the death and decomposition of the body. The soul continues to exist. Those who die in their sins transition from death to death. And these will be raised bodily on the last day, and will be judged, sentenced and banished from the presence of God, body and soul forever. 

But death for the Christian is different. I will not say that it is a pleasant thing. It is still a trial. It is still a grievous thing, both for the one who dies and for the loved ones who are left behind. But the sting and victory of death are removed for all who are in Christ Jesus. Death for the Christian is like the bite of a snake whose fangs and venom have been removed. It is still an unpleasant thing. It is a troubling thing. But it is not a damaging or deadly thing, for all who are in Christ Jesus will pass from life to life through the doorway of death, unless we are alive when the Lord returns. 

Listen to Baptist Catechism 40: “What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?”

Answer: “The souls of believers are at death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory, and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection. (Heb. 12:23; Phil. 1:23; 2 Cor. 5:8; Luke 23:43; 1 Thess 4:14; Is. 57:2; Job 19:26)”

Question 41 then asks, “What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the Resurrection?”

Answer: “At the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity. (Phil. 3:20,21; 1 Cor. 15:42,43; Matt. 10:32; 1 John 3:2; 1 Thess. 4:17)”

How is this possible? How is it possible that the sting and victory of death has been removed for these? It is possible because of the victory that Jesus has won. He lived for those given to him by the Father. He died for these. He was buried for these. And he was raised again from the dead on the third day for these. Christ has defeated sin, Satan, and death for his people. All who trust in him share in his victory. 

To quote Hebrews 2:9, Jesus Christ is the one “who for a little while was made lower than the angels,… crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. (Hebrews 2:10, ESV). Christ tasted death for everyone, that is, for the “many sons to glory” given to him by the Father. 

Or consider Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:20–26, ESV). All who are in Adam are in a state of death and will remain there. All who are in Christ, united to him by faith, are in a state of grace and life. 

Notice that when Jesus touched the dead son of the widow, he spoke with personal authority. “Young man, I say to you, arise.” Notice that he did not pray that God would raise the young man. Contrast this with the story of Elijah raising the widow’s son as recorded in 1 Kings 17. Elijah the prophet did not speak with personal authority, as Jesus did. No, “he cried to the LORD, ‘O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?’ Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the LORD, ‘O LORD my God, let this child’s life come into him again.’ And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah.” You see, it was not Elijah who raised the widow’s son in those days, but the Lord working through him. But Jesus spoke as if he himself possessed authority over death and had the power to give life. He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” Jesus could raise the dead by the word of his power because he is the Lord God. He raised the dead by the word of his power three times in his earthly ministry – he raised this widow’s son (Luke 7:14), the young daughter of Jairus (Luke 8:54), and his dear friend Lazarus (John 11:43). He was able to raise them up by the word of his power because he is God incarnate. And he is able to raise the dead on the last day and to impart eternal life to all who come to him by faith, because he is the Lord’s Messiah, the God-man, the second and greater Adam, who has won the victory over sin, Satan, and death. By his victory, all authority in heaven and earth has been given to him (Matthew 28:18). And it is because of his victory that he is able to show compassion to his people, lay his hand on them, and say, “do not weep”, and “arise”.  

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Reflections

I’ll move this sermon toward a conclusion by asking you a few questions that I hope will help you to apply this text to your own life. 

First of all, do you believe that Jesus did in fact raise this widow’s only son from the dead by his own word and authority and that he himself was raised from the dead on the third day after being crucified and buried for the sins of others? Do you believe that what the Scriptures say is true?

If so,  secondly I ask you, do you understand the significance of these things? If Jesus raised the dead, and if he himself was raised from the dead to an incorruptible and eternal life in glory, then he has conquered death – and this can be said of no other man. The son of the widow that was raised by God through Elijah was truly raised, but not to an incorruptible life in glory. He was raised to live in this world and in this life again. He died again, therefore. The same is true for the son of the widow in Luke 7, for Jairus’ daughter, and Lazarus. But Jesus was raised to glory. Jesus was raised, and afterward, he ascended into heaven. This means that he does not only possess the power to raise us from the dead so that we might die again. No, he has the power to raise those who are his bodily and to bring them to glory, body, and soul, and to keep them incorruptibly forever and ever in the place that he has prepared for them. Do you believe that Christ rose from the dead and ascended? And do you understand the significance of this event?

Thirdly, I ask, have you turned from your sins and placed your faith in this Jesus who was crucified, buried, raised, and then ascended? For it those who trust in Jesus and have him as Lord that benefit from the victory over sin and death that he has won. You see, it is through faith in him that we are united to him in his death and resurrection. It is through faith in him that our sins are washed away. It is through faith in him that we have the hope of life everlasting. Faith, or trust (which is always accompanied by obedience), is the thing that links us to Jesus. Do you trust in him? Or are you still trusting in some other thing? 

The fourth and final question is for all who have professed faith in Christ. Do you have joy, hope, and peace in your hearts today, and will you have it, even at the moment of death? I’m afraid that many who have sincere faith in Christ lack joy, hope, and peace in life and in the face of death, in part, because they have not reflected deeply on the truths that we have considered this morning. Brothers and sisters, I encourage you to go to the town Nain and to carefully contemplate this scene of misery and morning followed by hope and rejoicing. Better yet, go to the foot of the cross of Christ. Contemplate deeply the darkness and the death of our Savior. Follow his body to the tomb. See that on the third he was raised. And do not forget that forty days later, he ascended to glory. Contemplate these truths carefully, and then ask, what difference should this make for me today, and especially at the hour of my death? Brothers and sisters, if we truly believe that these things happened, grasp their significance, and have personal and heartfelt trust in Jesus, the result should be unending joy, hope, and peace – yes, even at the moment of death.

Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief. 

Baptist Catechism 98-99

Q. 98. To whom is baptism to be administered?

A. Baptism is to be administered to all those who actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ; and to none other. (Acts 2:38; Matt. 3:6; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12,36; Acts 10:47,48)

Q. 99. Are the infants of such as are professing believers to be baptized?

A. The infants of such as are professing believers are not to be baptized; because there is neither command nor example in the Holy Scriptures, or certain consequence from them, to baptize such. (Proverbs 30:6; Luke 3:7,8)

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:36–41

“‘Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.’ Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:36–41, 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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As I’m sure you know, the Baptist Catechism and the Westminister Shorter Catechism (the Catechism used by many who are Reformed Presbyterians) are very, very similar. The same thing can be said of our confessions of faith – the Second London Confession and the Westminster Confession are very similar documents. The similarities are important and encouraging. They remind us that we have a lot in common with our Reformed Presbyterian brothers and sisters. This should encourage Christian unity and love.  

Now obviously, there are differences between these standards. The primary difference is our answer to the question, to whom is baptism to be administered? 

On the one hand, I do not want to over-emphasize the importance of this question. Indeed, there are other doctrines more foundational to the faith than the doctrine of baptism. To be a Christian one must hold to orthodox views regarding God, Scripture, the fall of man into sin, and salvation through faith in Christ, for these doctrines are foundational to the faith. They carry much greater weight, therefore, than questions about baptism. Stated differently, I do believe that it is possible for Christians to differ over the question of who should be baptized and to regard one another as true and dear brothers and sisters in Christ, their unity being rooted in Christ, and in their agreement on the foundational doctrines just mentioned. There is something to be said for the approach of majoring on the majors and minoring on the minors. 

But on the other hand, I do not think it is wise to dismiss this question as unimportant. Baptism is very important, brothers and sisters, for Christ has ordained it. He has commanded that disciples be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Furthermore, baptism is connected to other things. Maybe you have heard me say that all theology hangs together. The meaning is that errors in one area will lead to errors in other areas. Errors in foundational doctrines (like the doctrines of God, Scripture, Man, Sin, and Salvation in Christ) are potentially catastrophic. And errors made in less foundational points of doctrine, though they might not disturb the foundation of the faith, will have a ripple effect on other doctrines too. Our understanding of baptism will impact, in some way, our understanding of the church. It will impact our understanding of the nature of the New Covenant. Who are members of the New Covenant? Is the New Covenant breakable? These are a few related questions that come quickly to mind. 

Question 95 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, “To whom is Baptism to be administered?” Their answer is, “Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the

visible church are to be baptized.”

Contrast this with question 98 of the Baptist Catechism: To whom is baptism to be administered? Answer: Baptism is to be administered to all those who actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ; and to none other. (Acts 2:38; Matt. 3:6; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12,36; Acts 10:47,48)

This is the clear teaching of the New Testament. 

Firstly, we should remember what the NT says that Baptism signifies. We considered the symbolism of baptism last week with the help of Baptists Catechism 97: What is Baptism? Answer. Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament instituted by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized a sign of his fellowship with Him, in His death, burial, and resurrection; of his being engrafted into Him; of remissions of sins; and of his giving up himself unto God through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life.” If it is true that baptism signifies, union with Christ in his death and resurrection, new birth, cleansing from sin, and a resolve to walk in a new way, then it is most reasonable to think that this sign is for those of whom these things are true! Baptism is for those who have been united to Christ by faith, cleansed by his blood, who have died to their old self, and raised to new life.  

Secondly, we should remember what we say through the waters of baptism. It is through baptism that we profess our faith. It is through baptism that we say, Jesus is Lord! Yes, we say that Jesus is Lord with our lips. But that profession is to be made through baptism. To be baptized is to say, I believe. To be baptized is to say, I have been forgiven. To be baptized is to say, I have died to my old self and raised to a newness of life. Through baptism, we make a profession and a commitment. Baptism is for those of whom this is true. 

Thirdly, we should remember what God says to us in baptism. In baptism, God’s name is placed on his people (we are to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit). In baptism, God says, through Christ you are forgiven and adopted as my own. Again I say, baptism is for those of whom this is true. 

In fact, a careful study of the New Testament Scriptures reveals that it is only those who make a credible profession of repentance and faith who are to be baptized. 

Perhaps the most important text is the one we call the Great Commission: “And Jesus came and said [to his disciples], ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore 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. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV, emphasis added). 

When baptisms are described in the New Testament we see that it is those who believe who are baptized. Sometimes those who believe in infant baptism will point to the household baptisms found in the Book of Acts and say, there must have been infants in these households! Two things can be said in response. One, it is not wise to build doctrines on the foundation of assumptions and speculations. Two, most of these passages where “households” are mentioned suggest that those in these households heard the word and believed – something infants and small children cannot do (i.e.  Acts 11:13-18,  16:29-32).

I think it is very safe to say that not one text in the New Testament clearly teaches us to baptize infants. But we are not biblicists. We reject the idea that in order for something to be true there must be a verse that says it. No, we are not biblicists. We agree that some doctrines are to be believed because they are taught by way of necessary consequence. This means that the whole of what the bible says on a subject is to be taken into consideration when forming our doctrines. The most famous example of this is the doctrine of the Trinity. The Bible in some places teaches that God is one. In other places, the Bible teaches that God is three. No one verse can be found that teaches that God is three in one but when all is carefully considered, we are moved by the testimony of the totality of Scripture to confess that God is Triune. 

Never does the New Testament command infant baptism – only the baptism of those who profess faith and repentance.

Never does the New Testament describe infant baptism – only the baptism of those who profess faith and repentance.

But do the Scriptures require us to believe in infant baptism by way of necessary or certain consequence? In other words, does a theological reading of Scripture require us to baptize the children of believers? Stated one more way, is infant baptism taught in a similar way to how the Trinity is taught in the Scriptures – no one verse of Scripture teaches it, but when the whole Bible is considered on the subject, we are bound to believe that babies are to be baptized? 

If we are to be consistent in our interpretation of the Scriptures we must be open to the possibility (for we are not biblicists!), but the answer is no.

Listen to Baptist Catechism 99 and afterward, I will explain why.  Question 99: Are the infants of such as are professing believers to be baptized? Answer: The infants of such as are professing believers are not to be baptized; because there is neither command nor example in the Holy Scriptures, or certain consequence from them, to baptize such.

So why are we to baptize those who make a credible profession of repentance and faith in Christ only, and not the infants of those who make such a profession?  

1. The Scriptures nowhere command infant baptism. 
2. The Scriptures nowhere describe infant baptism. 
3. A careful, theological, covenantal, redemptive-historical study of the totality of the Scriptures – Old Testament and New – does not necessitate the practice of infant baptism. To the contrary, a careful examination of the Old Testament Scriptures agrees with the teaching of the New Testament, that baptism is for those who profess faith in Christ alone. 

Those familiar with the debate between Reformed paedobaptists (paedo means child) and Reformed credobaptists (credo refers to a profession of faith) will know that the Reformed paedobaptists do not argue for their practice of infant baptism from the New Testament but from the Old. 

They argue like this:

1. The sign of circumcision was applied to infants under the Old Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants. 
2. The Old Covenant was a particular external administration of the Covenant of Grace, and the New Covenant is a particular external administration of the Covenant of Grace.
3. Given that the sign of admission into the Old Covenant (circumcision) was applied to the infants of covenant members, it must necessarily be that the sign of admission into the New Covenant (baptism) be applied to the infants of covenant members, namely, of those who believe. 

So you can see that the Reformed paedobaptists do not typically argue for their position by pointing to this verse or that in the New Testament. They argue from the Old Testament by reasoning that if circumcision was applied to infants under the Old Covenant, then it must be that baptism is to be given to infants under the New Covenant, even though the New Testament never says so.  

With all due respect to our Reformed paedobaptsit brethren (many of whom we esteem very highly), we reject this reasoning. 

One, we do not agree that the Old Covenant was a particular external administration of the Covenant of Grace. The Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants were mixed. They were covenants of works that could be broken (and they were). But they carried within them promises, prophesies,  types, and shadows that pointed forward to Christ, his kingdom and the covenant that he mediates – the New Covenant, which is the Covenant of Grace. The Abrahamic and Mosaic anticipated and pointed forward to the Covenant of Grace, but they were not the Covenant of Grace, properly speaking, for they did not have Christ as head and mediator. We could talk about this for hours. And we have before in other studies. For now, let me say that our particular articulation of covenant theology, which differs from the typical paedobaptists’ articulation of that doctrine in important respects, leaves no room for the argument from infant circumcision to infant baptism that the paedobaptists are so fond of making. Do circumcision and baptism share something in common? Yes! They are both signs of their respective covenants, Old and New. But it does not necessarily follow that because one was applied to infants, then the other must be applied to infants also. The two covenants, though certainly interrelated, differ substantially from each other. It should be no surprise, therefore, that the signs of the covenants also differ substantially.   

Two, (and this point deserves much more time and attention than what we can give to it today) while we agree that it is appropriate to argue from necessary consequence in many matters of theology, it is not an appropriate thing to do with the positive laws which God added to the various covenants that he has entered into with man, which are sacramental in nature. The signs that God attached to the various covenants he made with man – trees, the rainbow, circumcision, and baptism – are arbitrary. By that I mean, they are simply based on God’s choice. We cannot necessarily reason from one to the other to figure out what they are and how they are to be applied. With positive laws, we are completely dependent on God express command. And this is why we look to Christ, his words, and to the New Testament to know what baptism is, what it signifies, how and to whom it is to be given. We are not biblicists. We acknowledge the validity of the interpretive principle of necessary consequence (Trinity). But we deny that it is appropriate to use with positive laws and sacramental things, for it is impossible to reason from one sign to the other.

Now,  I suppose we are right to expect that signs will be attached to Covenants, for this is God’s established way. And of course, we should expect that the sign of the covenant will agree in its symbolism with the substance of the given covenant. It makes perfect sense that the sign of the Covenant of Works made with Adam in the garden would be two trees representing two choices – but God could have chosen a different sign. And it makes sense that the sign given to Abraham in the covenant that he made with him and all his physical descendants would be applied to the male reproductive organ, that it would involve the removal of something, thus symbolizing the threat of being cut off from the covenant (a covenant of works!) through disobedience, and that it would be bloody, signifying the crosswork of Christ who would be cut off for his people. This Christ was promised to Abraham and his children. He is the promised seed of the woman, the offspring of Abraham and David. Circumcision fit the Old Abrahamic Covenant, and it made perfect sense that it was to be applied to all of the male children of Abraham at eight days old irrespective of faith, for the Old Abrahamic covenant was made with them by virtue of the birth. For what it’s worth, it seems to me that circumcision was an excellent choice for the sign of the Old Abrahamic covenant, for it agreed with the substance of that covenant.

But the sign of circumcision does not fit the substance of the New Covenant, which is the Covenant of Grace. Think of it. The New Covenant is not made with an ethnic group. It is made with God’s elect. It is made with all who are born again and believe. It is those who have the faith of Abrham, not the DNA of Abrham, who are members of the New Covenant. And there is no threat of being cut off from the New Covenant. All who are true members of it will be preserved. And Christ, the seed of Abraham and David has come. He was cut off for us on the cross. He shed his blood to atone for sin. For all of these reasons, circumcision has been fulfilled and taken away, and baptism has been given as the sign of the New Covenant instead.

And baptism agrees with the substance of the New Covenant and thus serves as a fitting sign. Baptism signifies many things – union with Christ in his death and resurrection, the washing away of our sin, death to our old self, and new birth. This sign is to be given to those of whom these things are true.

The point is this: our Reformed and paedobaptist brethren error when they look to the sign of the Old Covenant to figure out to whom the sign of the New Covenant is to be applied. These are two different covenants made with two different groups of people (though there is some overlap, thanks be to God). We cannot reason from the one to the other, therefore. To know the answer to the question, to whom is baptism to be administered? To Christ and the New Testament we must go, for there this positive law is revealed. 

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Conclusion

Q. 98. To whom is baptism to be administered?

A. Baptism is to be administered to all those who actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ; and to none other. (Acts 2:38; Matt. 3:6; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12,36; Acts 10:47,48)

Q. 99. Are the infants of such as are professing believers to be baptized?

A. The infants of such as are professing believers are not to be baptized; because there is neither command nor example in the Holy Scriptures, or certain consequence from them, to baptize such. (Proverbs 30:6; Luke 3:7,8)

Old Testament Reading: 2 Kings 5:1–14

“Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, ‘Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’ So Naaman went in and told his lord, ‘Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.’ And the king of Syria said, ‘Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’ So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, ‘When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.’ And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, ‘Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.’ But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, ‘Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.’ So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.’ But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, ‘Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?’ So he turned and went away in a rage. But his servants came near and said to him, ‘My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?’ So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, ‘Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.’ But he said, ‘As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.’ And he urged him to take it, but he refused. Then Naaman said, ‘If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD. In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter.’ He said to him, ‘Go in peace.’” (2 Kings 5:1–19, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 7:1-10

“After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.’ And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.” (Luke 7:1–10, 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

As we consider this story of the healing of a Roman centurion’s servant, we should look back in Luke’s gospel and also forward. 

If we look ahead to Luke 7:18, we see that John the Baptist sends messengers to Jesus to confirm that he is indeed the Messiah. The answer that Jesus gives is found in 7:22-23: “And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.’” Given where Luke goes in his gospel, it is right for us to see this story about the miraculous healing of a Roman centurion’s servant as yet another sign that Jesus is the Messiah. He performed this miracle, and many others, in order to demonstrate that he was the Lord’s Messiah, just as he claimed.

But I think it is also interesting to look back in Luke’s gospel to remember the things that Jesus said in his sermon on the plane. Remember, Jesus commanded his followers to love their enemies, to judge and condemn not, but rather to forgive and to give generously, expecting nothing in return. Jesus rebuked the self-righteous in his sermon and commended those of a humbly and lowly disposition. It seems to me that this Roman centurion is held out as a kind of model for the way of life that Jesus called his disciples to. In fact, the text says that Jesus marveled at the faith of this man, and said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith” (Luke 7:9, ESV). This Roman soldier possessed great faith to believe that Christ could say a word and his servant would be healed, but he also possessed many of the qualities that Jesus commended in his sermon on the plane. He was a humble, caring, and generous man who was kind even to those who were below him, and those who were considered to be his enemies, according to the world’s way of seeing things.  

Let us now walk through the text together. 

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Verse 1

In verse 1 we read, “After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.” Capernaum was a small town in the region of Galilee located on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee. This small town functioned as a home base for Jesus during his earthly ministry – many miracles were performed there. There is not much to say about Capernaum. Perhaps the most important observation to make about this city is that it was small, insignificant, and off the beaten path. 

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Verse 2

In verse 2 we read, “Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him” (Luke 7:2, ESV). 

A centurion was a captain in the Roman Army – a commander of 100. Can you picture him? He was a man of authority, a strong man, a man of war.    

But we are told that he had a servant who was highly valued by him – that is how the ESV translates the Greek.  The NASB says, that the servant “was highly regarded by him”. The KJV says that the servant was “dear unto him”. I appreciate those translations, for they better highlight the kindness of this centurion. This centurion did not only care for his servant because he was of value to him. No, this story shows us that the servant was dear to the centurion, which is why he showed him such kindness. 

Before we move on, we should remember the political situation of the Jews in those days. Isarel was occupied by the Romans. The Jews were not free but were subject to this foreign power. The Romans were viewed by the Jews as enemies and oppressors, therefore. And they were very strong. This was the political situation into which our Lord and Savior was born. This was the political situation in which he ministered. He did not live in a free democracy but was a member of an occupied and oppressed people. Christians – and especially Christians in America today – would do well to remember this. We should remember that Jesus, his Apostles, and the early church lived within political systems very differnt from ours. They were not free. In fact, they were at certain times and in certain regions, persecuted harshly by those with power. We would do well to remember this fact and to pay careful attention to the way in which Christ and his followers lived so that we might obey their teaching and follow their example.   

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Verse 3 – 5

In verse 3 we read, “When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue’” (Luke 7:3–5, ESV).

Notice three things:

One, notice that the centurion was aware of Jesus. He must have heard of Jesus’ teaching and of the miraculous deeds that he was performing from the Jews living in Capernaum. That the centurion was aware of Jesus tells us something about Jesus – the word was spreading fast concerning him! But this also tells us something about the centurion. This man was not living in isolation from the Jewish population but was engaged. He must have been somewhat interested in the Jewish religion and in the Old Testament Scriptures for the news of Jesus to be brought to his ears. 

Two, notice the effort made by the centurion to care for his servant. He sent elders of the Jews to Jesus asking him to come and heal his servant. This centurion was a kind man. He cared even for those who were far beneath him in status. Where did this kindness come from? Well, it may be that God, by his common grace and through the light of nature, granted this man with a merciful and kind disposition – that can and does happen. But it seems as if the Lord was doing something more in this centurion. As the story progresses it becomes clear that this centurion was touched by the special and saving grace of God, and this is why he had such love for this servant of his.  

Three, notice the respect that the Jews had for this man despite the fact that he was a Roman centurion with authority over them. When the Jews came to Jesus the text says that they “pleaded with him earnestly” on his behalf. Stated differently, their hearts were in it. They did not go to Jesus because it was their duty. They did not go because they were threatened with the sword. The elders of the Jews went to Jesus with love and respect for this centurion in their hearts, and when they got there they “pleaded with him earnestly” or eagerly.    

And look at what they said. “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue”. The Greek word translated as “nation” is ἔθνος. “Nation” is a fine translation of this word, but you should know that the word carries the meaning of “a body of persons united by kinship, culture, and common traditions…” (BDAG, 276). So, this Roman centurion loved the Jewish people, their culture, and customs. And evidently, he loved their religion too, for the Jews pleaded with Jesus saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue”. A synagogue is a church building or a meeting house. It appears that this Roman centurion was personally interested in the Jewish religion, therefore.  

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Verse 6 – 8

In verses 6-8 we read, “And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’” (Luke 7:6–8, ESV)

Notice three things about these verses:

One, the centurion had friends. “When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him…” Not only did the Jews love and honor this man, he had other friends too who were willing to go to Jesus on his behalf. I make this simple observation to make a connection with something that Jesus said in his sermon on the plane. “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:37–38, ESV). This centurion was kind and generous to others, and what came back to him? Others were kind and generous with him. They loved him and saw him as a man worthy of honor.  

Two, notice the humility of the centurion. The Jews told Jesus, “he is worthy to have you do this for him.” But how did the centurion regard himself? He sent his friends to Jesus to say,  “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you.” This humble spirit of the centurion is to be contrasted with the arrogant pride and self-righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.  Evidently, this Roman centurion understood and lived by the ethical teaching of Jesus: “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye” (Luke 6:41–42, ESV). The Roman centurion knew that he was a sinner. He saw himself as unworthy to be in the presence of Jesus. 

And that leads us to the third observation about verses 6-8. This Roman centurion possessed a remarkable understanding of who Jesus was – more than a mere man.

One, he clearly understood that Christ was holy and great. This is clear from his statement, “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.” 

Two, he understood that Jesus possessed great authority.  When he articulated his confidence that Christ could heal his servant from a distance he said, “For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” This Roman centurion understood that Christ possessed authority, not over common soldiers as he did, but over sickness and death itself. Think of that for moment. No mere man has authority over sickness and death, and yet this centurion believed that Jesus possessed that kind of authority.  

Three, some students of the Bible have noted that this centurion understood that Jesus was the Word of God incarnate. He objected to Jesus coming under his roof and said, “But say the word, and let my servant be healed”. God alone has the power to speak things into reality. In the beginning, the LORD created the heavens and earth by the word of his power. The repeated refrain of Genesis 1 is, “and God said”, “and God said”. And when we come to the New Testament it is made clear that God the Father created the world through the Son (or Word) and by the Spirit. When the centurion requested that Jesus “say the word” to heal his servant, he expressed the belief that Jesus possessed the very power and authority of God to bring things into existence by his word – indeed, we know that Christ was and is the Word, the second subsistence of the Triune God,  incarnate (see John 1).

Truly, the faith of this Roman centurion was marvelous, and Jesus noticed.  

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Verse 9-10

Look with me at verses 9-10: “When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.” (Luke 7:9–10, ESV)

When Luke reports to us that Jesus marveled at the centurion we are to understand that Jesus marveled according to his human nature. The divine nature cannot marvel, properly speaking, for God is never surprised. But Christ, in his humanity, did marvel over the great faith of this Roman centurion. 

And to fully appreciate the greatness of the faith of this man we must recognize that it was a well-rounded and mature faith that he possessed. Yes, the centurion did believe that Jesus could heal his servant from a distance, but this faith was rooted in an understanding of who Jesus was. Stated differently, the centurion believed that Jesus could heal from a distance and by his word, because he knew that Jesus was no mere man, but was the Messiah, God with us. And more than this, the centurion’s faith in the Messiah was shown to be true by his actions. He was a man known for his love and kindness. When Jesus commended this man for his remarkable faith – faith of a kind that Jesus had not found amongst the Jews – he was not merely considering his confidence that he could heal. Others had demonstrated that kind of faith. Think, for example, of the men who lowered their paralyzed friend through the roof of the house  (Luke 5:17ff.)). They were confident that Jesus could heal. But this centurion showed that his faith was very strong. He knew that Jesus could heal by his word and from a distance. He knew that Jesus could heal because he knew who he was – no mere man, but the Messiah, the holy one of God. His faith was shown to be great because of the fruit it produced – a life characterized by love, kindness, and generosity. 

Jesus healed the servant, one, to show mercy to the servant and the centurion, two, to commend the faith of the centurion, and three, to demonstrate that he was the Messiah, the word of God incarnate. 

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Reflections

I’ll move this sermon to a conclusion by offering a few reflections on this text. 

One, when I read this story of Jesus commending the faith of this Roman centurion and healing his servant I immediately think of the mercy and grace that Jesus Christ would show to the gentile nations under the New Covenant. Do not forget, brothers and sisters, that under the Old Covenant, the saving grace of God was largely confined to Israel, for the promises concerning the Messiah were entrusted to them. But when Christ came into the world to accomplish salvation, he did not come for the Jews only but atoned for the sins of many from every tongue, tribe, and nation. Luke makes much of this. Do not forget the words of that “righteous and devout” man named Simeon who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel”. When he saw the baby Jesus at the temple, “he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said. ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:25–32, ESV). That the Messiah would be the savior of the world was revealed in the Old Testament. It was revealed during Jesus’ early years. And Luke highlights this fact in various ways in his Gospel, one of them being by the telling of this story of the faith of the Roman centurion – a faith greater than any that Jesus had seen within Israel. As we study the Scriptures we must keep this grace transition ever in mind – the gospel of Jesus Christ, which was largely confined to Isarel under the Old Covenant, has spread to the nations under the New Covenant, and we are all beneficiaries of that. Let us give thanks to God, therefore. And let us walk worthily.   

Two, as I consider the love and generosity that this Roman centurion showed to his servants, his friends, and the Jewish people over whom he ruled, I am reminded that it truly is the poor in spirit and those who weep who are blessed. Truly, those who forgive and give generously will be given unto. This centurion was blessed indeed. He had many friends. Even his political enemies loved and respected him. Why? Because he was a kind and generous man –  a benevolent and just ruler. Most of us here in this room possess some kind of authority. Some are elders and deacons in the church. Some are husbands. Some are fathers and mothers. And some have authority in the world in their places of employment. Whatever the authority may be, we should seek to emulate this man who was so kind to those who were under him. Indeed, to emulate this man is to emulate Christ, who, though he possesses all authority in heaven and earth, is gracious and kind to sinners like you and me.

Three, as I consider this story of the Roman centurion and of his relationship to the Jews who knew him in Capernaum, I see a wonderful example of what it looks like to love your enemies. Politically speaking – culturally speaking – this man should have been at enmity with the Jewish people. He, like so many others, could have been heavy-handed and harsh with them, but he rose above this and showed them love and kindness instead. Brothers and sisters, we Christians are called to rise above the things that divide us politically and culturally and to love even our enemies. Think of how powerful love is. It can break down barries of any kind. We see an example of how powerful it can be here.

Four, this story about the Roman centurion does encourage me to walk humbly before the Lord, I would encourage you to do the same. I would imagine that many Roman centurions were filled with pride because of their power. But this man was powerful yet humble. And there is true strength in humility. When we are weak we strong, and this is especially true of those who run to God and to Christ in their weakness. Men and women who think of themselves as strong will never run to Christ. But those who walk humbly before the Lord will turn to Christ to find true strength in him. 

Lastly, all of the good qualities that I have highlighted in this Roman centurion were his by the grace of God. This is always the case. Any goodness that is found in anyone is by God’s common grace. But this man was given the gift of faith in Jesus the Messiah. He called out to Jesus in his need, and Jesus drew near to him. This is God’s gift. Brothers and sisters, let us never forget that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17, ESV). And the greatest gift of all is Jesus and the ability to trust in him to the salvation of our souls. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV)

Baptist Catechism 97

Q. 97. What is Baptism?

A. Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament instituted by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized a sign of his fellowship with Him, in His death, burial, and resurrection; of his being engrafted into Him; of remissions of sins; and of his giving up himself unto God through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life. (Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12; Gal. 3:27)

Scripture Reading: Romans 6:1–14

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:1–14, 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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Introduction

Let me begin by reminding you that we have been considering how God takes the redemption that Christ has earned and applies it to his elect living in different times and in different places throughout the world. We know that Christ has earned our salvation. This he has done long ago. There is nothing left for him or for us to do as it pertains to the accomplishment of our redemption. And we know that the salvation Christ has earned is received by faith in Christ alone. In fact, Question 90 of our catechism asked, “ What doth God require of us, that we may escape His wrath and curse, due to us for sin? And the answer given was, “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.” To be saved we must turn from our sins and trust in Christ. But now we are asking the question, how does God deliver or communicate the benefits that Christ has earned to us? I think you would agree, there must be a conduit or a connection between Christ and us. All of these benefits are received by faith, but how do we come to hear about Christ and his finished work? Through the word of God read and preached. The word through is important. It indicates that there is a means. And how will be come to be strengthened and nourished in Christ? We know that God works through baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. These are the means (or conduits) that God has determined to use to bring his elect to faith in Christ and to strengthen them, by his grace.

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Baptist Catechism 97

Today we are looking especially at baptism. The question is, what is baptism? By the way, understanding what baptism is will help us to know who is it for.  I think you will see what I mean in just a moment. 

So what is baptism?

“Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament…” 

“Ordinance” – it is something that Christ has ordered. 

“Of the New Testament” – Baptism is a sign of the New Covenant. 

Just as circumcision was a sign of the Old Covenant (starting with the Abrahamic), so Baptism is a sign of the New Covenant.

All who are members of the New Covenants are to be given this sign, therefore.   

“…instituted by Jesus Christ…”

The precursor to New Covenant baptism was the ceremonial washings of the Old Covenant

When Christ came into the world to inaugurate the New Covenant he made Baptism the sign of entry into this covenant. 

Baptism, like circumcision, and the command to not eat of the forbidden tree, is a positive law. It is not a moral law. It is a law that God added in special connection with a covenant – the New Covenant. 

“…to be unto the party baptized a sign…” 

“…of his [or her] fellowship with Him, in His death, burial, and resurrection;” 

“…of his [or her] being engrafted into Him;”

“…of remissions of sins;” 

.”..and of his [or her] giving up himself unto God through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life.” 

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Conclusion

Do you remember your baptism? Do not forget what you said, and what was said of you, then.

Baptist Catechism 96

Q. 96. How do Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation?

A. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them or in him that doth administer them, but only by the blessing of Christ and the working of the Spirit in those that by faith receive them. (1 Peter 3:21; 1 Cor. 3:6,7; 1 Cor. 12:13)

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 3:18–22

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” (1 Peter 3:18–22, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

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There is a doctrine out there that goes by the name baptismal regeneration. This is the teaching that God regenerates sinners — that is to say, makes them spiritually alive — through the waters of baptism. This view is to be rejected, for it contradicts what the scriptures clearly teach, which is that God regenerates sinners by the power of his Holy Spirit, not because they believe and are baptized, but so that they will believe and be baptized. Those who are dead in the trespasses and sins do not believe, brothers and sisters, for they are dead. God must breathe spiritual life into them if they are to run to God through faith in Christ. We are naturally blind. God must give us eyes to see. We are naturally deaf. God must give us ears to hear. We are naturally rebellious. God must subdue us and call us to himself by his word and Spirit. Regeneration does not happen because we believe. And regeneration certainly does not happen because or when we are baptized. No, regeneration (or new birth) happens before we believe. We are able to believe only because God has made us spiritually alive.

But this does not mean that the Spirit of God does not work any further within us after regeneration and faith. No, the Spirit does continue to work within those he calls to the Father through the Son. He seals those who believe by his Spirit, and he does sanctify them further still. 

But what about this passage in 1 Peter that I have just read which says, “baptism… now saves you”. Does Peter mean to say that we are saved by baptism? Is baptism the instrument by which we receive the gift of salvation? Certainly, our answer must be, no, for the scriptures clearly teach in many other places that the instrument by which we receive salvation is faith. Then what does Peter mean? 

The short answer is this: it may be said that baptism saves us because of what it is that baptism signifies. In water baptism, the believer makes a public profession of faith. It is not the baptism itself that saves, but the thing that baptism signifies. Water baptism signifies the washing away of our sins. And how is it that our sins are washed away? Not by the baptismal waters themselves, but by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and received by faith. That is what 1 Peter 3:21 actually says. And I quote: “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 3:21, ESV). So, when one is baptized in water they are saying to the world, “Jesus is Lord”, and they are appealing to God for a good conscience. What is their appeal rooted in? Not the baptismal water itself, but the finished work of Christ. Faith in Christ is the means by which we come to have the salvation that Christ has earned. It may be said that baptism saves us because baptism is a sign of all that.  

Now, this is not an exposition of 1 Peter 3:18-22. Much more could be said about that passage. Here we are considering the doctrine presented in Baptist Catechism 96, and this doctrine is very helpful as we seek to understand how the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper work.

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Baptist Catechism 96

The question is, “How do Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation?”

Are baptism and the Lord’s Supper used by the Lord to bring salvation and its benefits to the elect of God? Well, of course. They are means of grace in much the same way that the word of God is a means of grace. 

If I said that the word of God saves you, what would you think? I hope you will understand what I mean. The word does not save automatically so that all who hear God’s word are saved by it. No, it is a means to salvation. But to be saved one must receive the word by faith. In particular, they must receive the gospel of Jesus Christ which is presented there. And it is the same with baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They are a means of grace, for they do signify the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But they do not save automatically so that all who are baptized, or all who partake of the Lord’s Supper, are saved.

Listen to the answer our catechism gives. It is most helpful. 

“Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation…” Notice the word “become”. They are not an automatic means of salvation, as I have already said. 

Next we read, “not from any virtue in them…” Baptism and the Lord’s Supper save and sanctify, not because there is power in the water itself, or in the bread and cup itself, but because of what they point to, namely Christ, crucified and risen, and the forgiveness of sins that is found in him. 

The answer continues with these words, “or in him that doth administer them…” In other words, it is not the minister who makes these sacraments effective by his blessing. By the way, it may be that you were baptized by a man who later showed himself to be a fraud. It doesn’t matter. Did you have sincere faith when you were baptized? Were you baptized in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Then your baptism should be considered valid, even if the minister showed himself to be unworthy. 

Next, we find the phrase, “but only by the blessing of Christ and the working of the Spirit in those that by faith receive them.” So it is Christ who makes these sacraments an effective means of grace for his people. He uses these things to bring his people into the faith, to sanctify them, and to keep them. This he does by the working of the Holy Spirit. 

Baptismal water, and the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper, are common elements. But they are made Holy by the blessing of Christ, through the working of the Holy Spirit. We should approach these sacraments with reverence, therefore. The water is just water. It is not magical water. The bread is bread, and the wine is wine. They are not transformed into anything else when the minister blesses them.  But we know that the Spirit is present in a unique way when his people partake of these things. Reverence is needed, therefore. We must be careful to approach the sacraments in a worthy manner. 

And what is needed, above all else, to approach in a worthy manner? Faith in Christ is needed. It is a most unworthy thing to partake of these elements without faith, for then we are hypocrites. When we are baptized, and when we partake of the Supper, we say through our actions, “Jesus is Lord”, and “I believe”. But if there is no true faith, then we contradict ourselves. Worse yet, we take God’s name in vain. We claim that we are his, and that he is ours, when in fact it is not true.   

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Conclusion

So let us come worthily, brothers and sisters. Let us be careful to give baptism only to those who make a credible profession of faith, and let us come prepared to the table lest there be found in any of an unbelieving heart. And how do those who believe live? They strive to keep the commandments of God. 

Lastly, let us come to the waters of baptism, and to the bread and the cup of the Supper, knowing for certain that God does work through these things to distribute his grace to his people. We should come expecting to receive from him, therefore. 

Q. 96. How do Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation?

A. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them or in him that doth administer them, but only by the blessing of Christ and the working of the Spirit in those that by faith receive them. (1 Peter 3:21; 1 Cor. 3:6,7; 1 Cor. 12:13)