Jul 23
30

Morning Sermon: It Is Not The Well Who Need A Physician, But The Sick, Luke 5:12-32

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 61:1-3

New Testament Reading: Luke 5:12-32

“While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.’ And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately the leprosy left him. And he charged him to tell no one, but ‘go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.’ But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray. On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, ‘Man, your sins are forgiven you.’ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, ‘Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, ‘Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the man who was paralyzed— ‘I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.’ And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen extraordinary things today.’ After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ And Jesus answered them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.’” (Luke 5:12–32, ESV)

*****

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

Introduction

The passage that I have just read can be divided into three parts. First, there is the story of the healing of the leper. Next, there is the story of the healing of the paralyzed man. And finally, there is the account of the calling of Levi the tax collector as a disciple of Jesus. Though each of these stories can stand alone, I have decided to take them all together. And here is why: it seems to me that Luke has grouped them together for a reason.

Please allow me to explain what I mean. In Luke chapters 5 and 6 we find three separate stories about Jesus calling disciples to himself. In Luke 5:10-11 we learned about the calling of Peter, James, and John. Here in Luke 5:27-32, we are told about the calling of Matthew. And finally, in Luke 6:12-16 we will learn of the calling of the twelve Apostles. So then, Luke is clearly wanting to tell us about the calling of Jesus’ disciples, or Apostles, in this portion of his Gospel. But notice that each of these accounts concerning the calling of disciples is preceded by stories about things that Jesus said and did. It seems to me that the stories are meant to communicate truth regarding the nature of the kingdom that Christ came to establish, the work that he came to do, and how he would go about accomplishing that work, namely, by his word and through these disciples of his.

Last Sunday we considered the calling of Peter, James, and John. Christ called them to follow him, saying, “‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’ And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him” (Luke 5:10–11, ESV). Before Jesus called these three disciples, he performed a miracle involving a great catch of fish. The miracle was a sign. It signified truth concerning the kingdom that Christ came to establish. Christ would “catch” people from every tongue tribe and nation. He would drag them from the abyss through the preaching of the Gospel and bring them safely into the church, signified by Peter’s boat. All of that is review. And I give it to you because I want you to see that the miracle that Jesus performed communicated truth concerning what Peter, James, and John were called to do. They were called to follow Jesus and to take part in the building up of his kingdom by “fishing” for men through gospel preaching.

And I think that something similar is going on here with the call of Levi (who is also called Matthew). Levi is called to follow Jesus, but Luke presents the story of his calling in such a way that truth concerning Jesus’ kingdom and mission is also communicated. Let’s start with the account of the calling of Levi, and then work backward.

*****

Jesus Calls Levi

Levi’s calling is described in verses 27-28. The text simply says, “After this [Jesus] went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And leaving everything, he rose and followed him” (Luke 5:27–28, ESV).

You should know that tax collectors were despised by the Jews in Jesus’ day. Concerning the call of Levi the tax collector, John Calvin says, “The [tax]-house has usually been a place noted for plundering and for unjust exactions, and was at that time particularly infamous. In the choice of Matthew [or Levi] out of that place, not only to be admitted into the family of Christ, but even to be called to the office of Apostle, we have a striking instance of the grace of God. It was the intention of Christ to choose simple and ignorant persons to that rank, in order to cast down the wisdom of the world, (1 Cor. 2:6.) But this publican [tax collector], who followed an occupation little esteemed and involved in many abuses, was selected for additional reasons, that he might be an example of Christ’s undeserved goodness, and might show in his person that the calling of all of us depends, not on the merits of our own righteousness, but on his pure kindness (John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke, vol. 1, 398–399). I think Calvin is right about Levi. And so it is not surprising to find this emphasis surrounding the call of Levi – namely, an emphasis upon Christ healing the sick and calling sinners to repentance.

Look with me at verse 29. “And Levi made [Jesus] a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes [religious leaders] grumbled at [Jesus’] disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ And Jesus answered them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:29–32, ESV).

The saying of Jesus, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick”, seems to be the point of this entire passage. It is an obviously true statement. Those who are sick need a physician, not those who are well. And Jesus is here claiming to be the physician. So, just as it would not be surprising to find a physician associating with sick people, and sick people associating with a physician, neither should it be surprising to find Jesus associating with sinners, and sinners with Jesus, for he came to heal them. You see, the scribes and Pharisees did not understand who Jesus was nor what he came to do. Were he a mere man – an ordinary individual – then it would be surprising to see him associating with sinners. But he is no ordinary man. He is the Lord’s Messiah. He is the great Physician and healer of our souls. It is no wonder, then, that he would sit with tax collectors and sinners. He sat with them, not to participate in their sin, but to minister to them, as doctor minsters to his patient.

So you can see that the scribes and Pharisees were perplexed concerning Jesus’ behavior, one, because they failed to understand his identity and mission – he is our physician who came to heal us spiritually – and two, they failed to understand the severity of their own condition. When Christ said, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance”, he did not mean that there are any who are righteous, for the scriptures are clear, “None is righteous, no, not one…” (Romans 3:10, ESV). What he means is that none are righteous. All are sinners. And if a person is to come to him, they must first know that they are an unrighteous sinner in need of healing. Stated negatively, just as those who think they are healthy will never call a physician, neither will those who think they are righteous ever come to Jesus. And this was the great difference between these scribes and Pharisees who criticized Jesus and those who happily followed him. Those who followed him knew that they were spiritually sick (even dead) and in need of a physician, and they knew Jesus was the only physician that could cure their mortal disease.

So then, how are the stories of the healing of the paralytic and leper related to this theme? Just as the miracle of the great catch of fish by Peter, James, and John signified that Christ would make them effective fishers of men in his kingdom, so too the miracles of the healing of the paralytic and leper signified that Christ is the great physician. He heals the souls of all who come to him by faith, and will heal their bodies perfectly on the last day when he returns to make all things new.

*****

After Healing a Paralytic

Let us now briefly consider the story of the healing of the paralytic.

Verse 17 says, “On one of those days, as [Jesus] was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus” (Luke 5:17–19, ESV). Can you imagine the scene? Can you imagine Jesus sitting there teaching Pharisees and teachers of the law and then the roof begins to open up?

In verse 20 we read, “And when [Jesus] saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you” (Luke 5:20, ESV). This is interesting. Clearly, these men brought their friend to be healed physically, but Jesus pronounced spiritual healing. What do you think the paralyzed man thought when he heard the words, “Man, your sins are forgiven you”? Do you think he was disappointed? The text does not say. I hope he was not disappointed. In fact, I suspect he was overjoyed given his faith. So let me ask you, what would you think if you were in his place? What is a greater blessing, in your estimation – to be healed of paralysis, or to have your sins forgiven by God through Christ? I hope you would agree that it is a greater blessing to have your sins forgiven. The blessing of physical healing would be enjoyed in this world for a time, whereas the blessing of spiritual healing would be enjoyed in this life and in the life to come for eternity! But the message was clear. Jesus claimed to have the authority to forgive sins.

The Pharisees and teachers of the law took notice of this. Verse 21: “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Luke 5:21, ESV). They were not entirely wrong, were they? God alone can forgive sins, for we sin against him, ultimately. But again, they did not understand who Jesus was. Were he a mere man, then they would be right to charge him with blasphemy. But is no mere man. He is the Son of God incarnate. He is the Lord’s Messiah. He is the Savior that God has promised and provided. And for this reason, he can say, “Man, your sins are forgiven you”?

In verse 22 we read, “When Jesus perceived [the thoughts of the scribes and Pharisees], he answered them, ‘Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?” (Luke 5:22–23, ESV). The answer is that it is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven you”. Why? Because there is no visible result. And so Jesus, in verse 24, says, “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins—he said to the man who was paralyzed—’I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.’ And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen extraordinary things today’” (Luke 5:24–26, ESV). You see, the miracle of the physical healing of the paralyzed man was done by Jesus to prove that he – the Son of Man – does indeed have the authority to forgive sins.

You should know that the title, “Son of Man”, that Jesus applied to himself is very, very important. The Jews would have immediately known what was meant by this title. It is drawn from the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14, which is a prophecy concerning the coming Messiah. Daniel was shown a vision at night “and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13–14, ESV). When Jesus said, “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…”, everyone in the room understood what he meant. He was, in this moment, claiming to be the “Son of Man” of Daniel 7. He is the one that Daniel saw standing before the Ancient of Days, that is to say, God Almighty. And he is the one who would be given “dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him”. When Jesus healed the paralytic he was proving himself to be the Son of Man of Daniel 7, and to have authority to forgive sins on earth. By the way, this is the first time that the title “Son of Man” appears in Luke’s Gospel. It will appear 24 times after this, and always on the lips of Jesus.

Now, if this is who Jesus is, and if this is the purpose for which he came, then the scribes and Pharisees should not have been surprised to see him eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners, for he came to heal and save sinners and to bring them into his eternal kingdom. Or to use the language of Luke 19:10, “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10, ESV). It would be these – who, by the grace of God, knew themselves to be sinners in need of a Savior — that he would call unto himself. But those who think that they are righteous will never come, “for those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Christ is the great physician of body and soul. He came to heal us in the most thorough and profound way.

*****

And After Healing a Leper

Let us return now briefly to the story of the healing of the leper. Leprosy is a serious skin condition characterized by a variety of symptoms, the most outwardly noticeable being the discoloration of the skin in patches. One important thing to remember is that under the Old Covenant, those with leprosy were to be declared unclean and removed from the camp of God’s people. So, those with a leprous disease did not only suffer physically but were affected socially and spiritually. They were set off from the camp of God’s people, and they were, therefore, barred from the temple of the Lord. If you wish to read the laws concerning the leprous, you may go to Leviticus 13.

In Luke 5:12 we read, “While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” (Luke 5:12, ESV). Notice the faith of this man. He knew that Christ was able. And notice also his humility. He fell on his face and begged, saying, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

Christ was willing and he proved that he was able. Verse 13: “And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately the leprosy left him” (Luke 5:13, ESV).

In verse 14: “And he charged him to tell no one, but ‘go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them’” (Luke 5:14, ESV). This is interesting.

One, notice that Christ did not disregard the law of Moses. Christ lived under the Old Mosaic Covenant, remember, and so he was bound to keep the law of Moses. He himself kept the law of Moses – not only the moral laws, but the civil and ceremonial ones too – and he commanded that others do the same. If you wish to read the Old Covenant laws concerning the offerings required for cleansing after a leprous disease, you may go to Leviticus 14.

Two, the phrase “for a proof to them”, is also interesting. Some translations say, “as a testimony to them”. A testimony to what? I think this was meant to be a testimony that one greater than Moses, one greater than the old priesthood, and one greater than the old law, was here. The Law of Moses provided gave instructions for what to do with one who became leperous. They were to be declared unclean. They were to be put out of the camp. And the law of Moses gave instructions for declaring a person to be clean again should the disease clear. But neither the law of Moses nor the priests of old possessed the power to make one clean. But Christ does. And the New Covenant that he mediates does. He is the great Prophet, Priest, and King of this New Covenant, and he possesses all power to heal his people and make them whole, body and soul. When Christ healed this Leper it was a demonstration of this power. When Christ sent this healed man to the priest, it was both an honoring of the law of Moses and a testimony that one greater than Moses had arrived.

In verse 15 we read, “But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray” (Luke 5:15–16, ESV). We should remember that Christ was truly man. The eternal Son of God ministered to these sick and needy people through the human nature he assumed. Where did Christ draw his power and strength from? He drew it from the Father through prayer. As he ministered to others it was his practice to “withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

*****

Contemplations

I would like to move this sermon towards a conclusion by offering a few contemplations.

First of all, let us be careful to avoid the error that so many have made concerning the interpretation of these miraculous healings performed by Jesus. Did Jesus heal many of physical ailments? Yes, he did! But that fact must be interpreted. What did the miracles mean? Two things. One, Christ has the power to heal us in the body. And two, he has the power to heal us in the soul. But this does not mean that it is always the will of Christ to heal us bodily now. He will bodily heal all who are united to him by faith on the last day at the resurrection. The passage that we have considered today makes all of this clear. That Christ has the power to heal our bodies is plain enough. The request of the leperous man, “if you will, you can make me clean”, clarifies that it may not always be the will of the Lord to heal us now. And his request to be made clean shows that his primary concern was spiritual. The leper did not merely desire to be made well – he desired to be made clean. And the account of the healing of the paralytic is most instructive. Jesus healed the man so that all who saw it would know for certain that “the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” These miracles must be interpreted. And to think that God’s will is to make his people healthy, wealthy, and prosperous now is a misinterpretation. He forgives the sins of all who have faith in him now. And he will raise these up on the last day bodily and give thim life incorruptible in the new heavens and earth, thanks be to God.

Secondly, these things that happened must be understood as a demonstration of the power of Christ’s kingdom and the blessing of Christ’s covenant. Christ came preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and these things were a demonstration of the power of his kingly rule. As king of his kingdom, Christ has power over sin, sickness, and death. And the covenant he mediates offers true cleansing in the soul and the eternal healing of the body to all who believe in Christ.

Thirdly, as we consider the things that Christ has done, we should think also of who he is. He is the Son of Man of Daniel 7. He is the Messiah, the Lord’s Anointed. He is the eternal Son of God come in the flesh. In Christ, the person of the eternal Son took to himself a true human nature – a human body and a human soul. And why did he assume a human nature, body, and soul? Answer: so that he might redeem his people and heal his people, body and soul. These miracles that Jesus performed were a demonstration of his ability to heal those who come to him in faith, body and soul. And he was able to accomplish these things because of who he is.

Fourthly, as we consider these things that Christ has done, let us think soberly concerning our own neediness so that we might run to Christ with humility and faith. Men and women in sin do tend to think of themselves as self-righteous and self-sufficient. It’s insane, really. It’s foolishness for sure. For all of the evidence points in another direction. We are sinners. Even those who do not have access to or regard for the Ten Commandments should be able to see this plainly. We are sinners. We are sick in the soul. Our minds are darkened, our affections are disordered, and we will to do that which is contrary to God’s moral and natural law. We need a physician. Christ is the only soul physician who can heal us. He is the only one who can make those who are spiritually dead, live. And we are clearly not self-sufficient in the body. Our bodily existence depends on many things external to us. We could not live for a moment apart from this world that God has made. It is God who upholds us and provides for our every need. And what about physical death? Who will deliver us from that? Only Christ can, for he is the one who lived, died, and rose again. Christ is the only physician who can heal us and sustain us bodily for eternity. Let us be sober concerning our great need, and let us run to Christ, who has redeemed us and heals us, body and soul, provided that we trust in him.

Fifthly and lastly, let us not be surprised (as the scribes and Pharisees were) when Christ calls sinners to repentance and invites them to commune with him at his table, for “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick”, and he has “not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” May we be faithful to cast the nets of the gospel far and wide, trusting that Christ will rescue his people from the kingdom of darkness and bring them into the kingdom of light according to his will? And may we be faithful to welcome into the church and to teach them to observe all that Christ has commanded? Lord, have mercy on this world and strengthen us for this work.

Posted in Sermons, Posted by Joe. Comments Off

Jul 23
23

Morning Sermon: I Will Make You Fishers Of Men, Luke 5:1-11

Old Testament Reading: Joshua 1:1–9

“After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.’” (Joshua 1:1–9, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 5:1-11

“On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’ And Simon answered, ‘Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.’ And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’ And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.” (Luke 5:1–11, ESV)

*****

Introduction

I do love the story of Luke 5:1-11. Clearly, it is about the calling of the first disciples of Jesus. Jesus called three common men – fishermen – to follow him as his special disciples. Simon, who is also called Peter, is highlighted in this story, but James and John, the sons of Zebedee, are also mentioned. And as you can see, Jesus called in them in a miraculous way. They had toiled all night and had caught nothing. Jesus commanded that they put out their nets once more. This, by the way, would have been a hassle. They had packed everything away and were ready to go home. But they obeyed Jesus’ command, and they pulled in an amazingly large number of fish. Clearly, Peter and his business partners considered the haul of fish to be miraculous, for it provoked Peter to fall down at Jesus’ feet and to say, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” In fact, the text says, “all who were with [Peter] were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken”, and this included James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Jesus called Peter and his associates, saying “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And this call, coupled with the miracle performed, compelled these three men to leave everything and to follow after him. So then, most basically, this story is about the calling of Jesus’ first disciples – three men who would soon become the core of Jesus’ band of Apostles – Peter, James, and John.

But there is a lot more to this story, brothers and sisters. I would like to suggest to you that this miraculous event involving a great catch of fish, coupled with the calling of Jesus’ first disciples (who would soon serve as Apostles) is meant to be interpreted in a metaphorical way. And by that I mean, this historical event involving the miraculous catch of fish at Jesus’ command, was intended by Jesus to symbolize things.

The text itself points us in this direction when, after the miracle is performed, Jesus speaks to Simon Peter, saying, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” So then, the miracle of the great harvest of fish was meant to function as a sign or symbol of the great harvest of men that would be accomplished through Peter, James, John, and the other Apostle – indeed, the whole church – through the preaching of the word of Christ. You should know that many of the older commentators – ancient and Reformed – do not miss the symbolism of this passage, but faithfully draw it out. I hope to do the same with you this morning. So let us take some time to draw out the riches contained within this passage.

*****

By This Miracle, Jesus Demonstrated That He Was The Lord’s Messiah Who Had Come To Establish God’s Eternal Kingdom.

One, please see that by performing this miracle, Jesus demonstrated that he was the Lord’s Messiah who had come to establish God’s eternal kingdom.

Remember that Jesus had been healing the sick and casting out demons throughout the region of Galilee. This he did while preaching the good news of the kingdom of God, as Luke 4:43 says. The miracles he performed functioned as a sign, therefore, that the message he preached was true, that the kingdom of God was, in fact, present with power, and that he was indeed the Lord’s promised Messiah, the King of this eternal kingdom. Here Jesus performs a different kind of miracle. He demonstrates that he has authority even over the fish of the sea. Brothers and sisters, I think it is right for us to see this miracle – like all of the others – as being connected with the theme of Christ’s preaching, namely, the good news of the kingdom of God.

*****

By This Miricle, Jesus Showed That His Kingdom Would Expand Through His Apostles

Two, by this miracle – the miracle of the great catch of fish at the hands of Peter – Jesus showed that his kingdom – the kingdom that the proclaimed and came to establish – would expand through his Apostles.

Think of it. Up to this point, Jesus had ministered alone. He alone (with the exception of his forerunner, John the Baptist) preached the good news of the kingdom of God. But here he begins to call disciples to himself. And not only does he call disciples to himself, he works through them, and promises to work through them in greater ways in the future.

Notice that Jesus did not haul in the great catch of fish with his own hands but by the hands of Peter and his associates. It was Peter, James, and John who were commissioned by Christ to go out into the sea and cast their nets. And it was the hands of Peter, James, and John who cast the nets into the sea and gathered them in again after the word of Christ filled their nets with a superabundance of fish.

If you and I were reading this Gospel for the first time, and if we were unfamiliar with the story of the New Testament, we would probably ask, what is the significance of this? Who is this character, Simon? Who are his associates, James and John? And why did Jesus decide to work this miracle through their hands? These are the questions we should ask. And the answer is that this miracle worked through Peter, James, and John, signifying what was to come. The kingdom of God that Christ preached – the kingdom he came to build – the kingdom of which he is King – would be built, not by him only, but by his word and through his Apostles. It would be through his Apostles that Christ would expand his kingdom.

*****

By This Miracle, Jesus Showed That His Kingdom Would Expand Through The Preaching Of The Gospel And The Ingathering Of His Elect Into The Chruch

Three, by this miracle Jesus showed that his kingdom would expand through the preaching of the Gospel and the ingathering of his elect into his church.

Jesus preached. He preached the good news of the kingdom. And his preaching was primary. The miracles he performed were a support to his preaching. They were a demonstration that his words were true, that he was the Lord’s promised Messiah, and of what he came to do.

In this instance, Jesus preached, not in a synagogue, but from a boat. The boat of Simon Peter became his pulpit. Some have noticed that up to this point, Jesus’ custom was to preach in the synagogues of the Jews, but here he preaches out in the open – in the world, as it were – and in the boat of Simon Peter, who would become the leader of the Apostles and one of the foundation stones in Christ’s church. Perhaps this transition from preaching in the Jewish synagogue to preaching in Peter’s boat is meant to signify the great change that was about to take place. The Old Mosaic Covenant was about to give way to the New Covenant. The kingdom of God was about to spread to the ends of the earth. And it would spread, not by the Jews only, but through the church, consisting of all who have faith in Jesus, Jew and Gentile alike. Some have wondered if Peter’s boat symbolizes the church. I think it does, given how the story of the expansion of the kingdom of God will develop from here.

Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom to the people from Peter’s boat. And then to signify how things would go from here, he commanded Peter to “Put out into the deep and let down [his] nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4, ESV). The command to “put out into the deep” has to remind us of the Great Commission, brothers and sisters, and the command to go to all nations.

“And Simon answered, ‘Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!” (Luke 5:5, ESV). Some have suggested that the words, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!” are meant to signify the fruitlessness of the Old Covenant era as it pertains to the salvation of the nations. The Hebrews were set apart from the nations, and through them, the nations of the earth were to be blessed (see Genesis 12). But from the days of Abraham to the days of Jesus, the nations were largely left in darkness as it pertains to the light of the gospel and the kingdom of God. The thought is that Peter speaks for Old Covenant Israel when he says, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!”

But then Peter says, “But at your word I will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5, ESV). This symbolizes how Simon Peter, and the other Apostles with him, would answer the call to “Go… and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19, ESV). And so Simon Peter and his associates obeyed the command of Christ. They cast out their nets, “And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking” (Luke 5:6, ESV).

So what does the letting down of nets signify in this miraculous metaphor? It signifies the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom of Christ to all nations. And what does the large haul of fish signify? It signifies the success of the gospel of the kingdom. In due time, the gospel of the kingdom would be preached by Peter and others. God’s word will not return empty (Isaiah 55:11). Christ’s church will be built, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). Christ’s kingdom will certainly advance, prosper, and be established for all eternity. God’s elect, from every tongue tribe and nation, will certainly be brought into Christ’s kingdom and kept in it. Christ will catch his fish. And this he will do through his Apostles, by the preaching of the word of God.

So then, the sea is the world. The casting of nets is the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The fish are those who respond to the gospel in faith. And who is commissioned to preach this gospel? The Apostles of Jesus were commissioned to preach it. And through them, we, the church, are commissioned to preach it. But who will fill the nets? It is Christ who will fill the nets by his word and through the miracle of regeneration as the Spirit works. And where will these fish be gathered? Not into Moses’ synagogue, but into Peter’s boat, that is to say, into the church of Jesus Christ.

*****

Conclusion

Peter got the message. So too did James and John.

The text tells us that Peter “fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8, ESV). He knew what this meant. He knew that Jesus was the Lord incarnate, the Holy One of Israel come in the flesh. And he also knew that he was a sinful man – “depart from me, for I am a sinful man”, he said. This reaction from Peter should remind us of the reaction of Isaiah the prophet when the Lord called and commissioned him under the Old Covenant. Isaiah said, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5, ESV). Indeed, if a man is going to serve the Lord as a minister of the gospel, this must be his disposition. He must be humbled. Peter was humbled by this experience. And he would be humbled even more in the years to come.

Peter, James, and John also understood the symbolic force of the miracle. “Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’ And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him” (Luke 5:10–11, ESV). So, these men knew that this miracle wasn’t about boats, nets, fish, and the sea. It was about preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to lost souls, urging them to turn from their sins and to trust in Jesus the Messiah. “When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.”

Peter, James, and John had a lot to learn. This marked the beginning of their walk with Jesus. They became disciples of Jesus on this day. And Jesus would teach them a great deal so that they would be effective fishers of men. He would humble them too, which, as I said, is an essential characteristic of a minister of the word.

There is one more observation that I would like to make before concluding with some suggestions for application. Jesus called Peter to follow him in the beginning of his earthly ministry by sending him out into the sea to cast his nets and to fill them with fish so that he might bring them into his boat. And do not forget that Jesus re-commissioned Peter in the very same way at the end of his earthly ministry, after his death, burial, and resurrection, and before his ascension.

Peter was severely humbled by his threefold denial of Christ on the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. And Jesus took special care to restore Peter and to send him out with boldness before he ascended to the Father.

This story is found in John 21, where we read, “After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you’ They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.” Had Peter and the others given up on the way of Christ? Did they intend to go back to their old way of life? It seems so. The text goes on to say, “Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, do you have any fish?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved [John] therefore said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn” (John 21:1–11, ESV).

Now, this story found in John’s gospel deserves to be considered on its own terms, but it is also worth comparing with the story found in Luke’s gospel. Both stories are about commissioning. In Luke 5 Peter is called and commissioned by Jesus to be a disciple so that he might become a fisher of men. In John 21 Peter is re-commissioned (after stumbling) so that he might be the fisher of men that Christ had called him to be. Rember, it is in John 21 that Jesus restores Peter by asking him three times, “Do you love me?”, and then commanding him to “feed my lambs”, “tend my sheep”, and “feed my sheep.” The threefold questioning and the threefold commissioning were certainly meant to counteract Peter’s threefold denial of Christ.

Peter and the other Apostles were to be fishers of men. They were commissioned by Christ to go out into the deep, to cast the net of the gospel into the waters, and, in full reliance upon the blessing of Christ, to bring into the church all who believe the gospel and profess that Jesus is Lord. The events at the beginning and end of Jesus’ earth ministry make this very clear. Notice one difference between the stories, though. In the first event, the nets broke as Peter and his partners hauled them in. But in the second occurrence – the one recorded in John 21 – we are told that the nets did not break. Why? Because only after the resurrection of Christ were the disciples fully prepared to “go and to make disciples of all nations.”

*****

Suggestions For Application

I’ll conclude now by making a few suggestions for the application. And we should be careful here, for none of us have been called to do what Peter, James, and John were called to do, exactly. These men were set apart as Apostles. Peter, in particular, was to function as a leader of that Apostolic band. Nevertheless, there is application to be made.

Firstly, if any here wish to be a part of Christ’s kingdom, and if any wish to be used to further his kingdom, then we must come to Christ as Peter did. He humbly fell at Christ’s knees and honored him as the great King that he is. To have Jesus as Savior, we must have him as Lord and honor him as King.

Secondly, we should give thanks to God for the way in which he has brought the good news of the kingdom of Christ even to us who live nearly 2,000 years after the kingdom was inaugurated, and on the other side of the world. Truly, the boat of Peter has sailed a long way off into the deep, and the nets of the gospel have been cast very far, in order to gather us in. God had been merciful to us Gentiles to bring us the good news about Jesus the Messiah. More than this, God has been merciful to us to catch us in his net and to gather us into himself by the preaching of his word and the effectual calling of the Holy Spirit.

Thirdly, though it is true that Christ Peter to cast out his net, and though it is true that he commissioned his Apostles to “Go and make disciples of all nations…”, it is also true that this commission belongs to us too. The command to “Go and make disciples of all nations” has been handed down to the church from generation to generation so that it might be said of all of us that Christ desires to make us fishers of men. Some have been particularly called to minister the Word of God. But collectively, we are all called to be concerned to see the nets of the gospel spread abroad so that more and more of God’s fish might be gathered in until Christ returns.

Though it is true that only some have been called to preach and to teach, all are to pray for the success of the gospel. All are to give of their treasures and talents to support the preaching of the gospel. And all of God’s people are to “hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in [them]… with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15, ESV).

You see, brothers and sisters, it is not you or I alone who have been commissioned by Christ to “Go… and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV), but the church collectively has been entrusted with this mission. It has been passed down to us from Christ and the Apostles. And so we are to labor together, using the various gifts and resources that God has given to each one of us, to see this mission succeed.

Together, we must continue to cast the nets of the gospel out into the deep. We must cast them, not according to our own wisdom or strength, but in obedience to the word of Christ and with the strength that he supplies. We must trust that he will fill the nets of the gospel according to his will, by his word, and by the working of the Spirit. And when he fills our nets, we must be faithful to bring these disciples which Christ has caught into the church through the waters of baptism, teaching these to observe all that Christ has commanded, knowing that our Lord is with us even to the end of the age. Christ will further his kingdom. Christ will build his church. But he has determined to do it through his disciples – first, Peter, James, John, and the other Apostles, and now us. May the Lord make us faithful and fruitful servants of his. Amen.

Posted in Sermons, Joe Anady, Luke 5:1-11, Posted by Joe. Comments Off

Jul 23
23

Afternoon Sermon: What Is Repentance Unto Life?, Baptist Catechism 92, 2 Corinthians 7:1-13

Baptist Catechism 92

Q. 92. What is repentance unto life?

A. Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience. (Acts 2:37; Joel 2:13; Jer. 31:18,19; 2 Cor. 7:10,11; Rom. 6:18)

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 7:1-13

“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. Therefore we are comforted. And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.” (2 Corinthians 7:1–13, ESV)

*****

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

*****

Introduction

What would you say if I were to ask you the question, how does a person receive the salvation that Jesus Christ has earned? The most direct and precise answer is, through faith in Jesus Christ. We receive salvation, and all of the benefits that accompany it, by believing upon Christ — trusting in him; resting in him. Now, more may be said. In fact, our catechism does say more, as you can see. But please hear me. More may be said, not because more than faith is required, but to provide greater clarity concerning what true faith in Jesus Christ is.

I want you to listen again to question 90 of our Catechism: “What doth God require of us, that we may escape His wrath and curse, due to us for sin?” Answer: “To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ…” and then our catechism adds, “repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.”

The question you might be asking is this: so are saved through faith in Jesus Christ alone or not? Yes, we are saved through faith in Christ alone. That is a true statement. But note this: never could it be said that we are saved by repentance alone. That statement is untrue. Nor can it be said that we are saved through partaking of the outward means of grace alone. My point is that it is faith in Christ that saves us. Faith in Christ is the principle thing – not repentance, and not the use of the ordinary means of grace.

Why then does our catechism mention repentance and the use of means alongside faith? Answer: to clarify what true saving faith is.

Let me ask you, is it possible to turn to Christ to trust in him for salvation without also turning from sin? No. True faith in Christ will always involve repentance. And let me ask you this: how will those who turn from sin to place their faith in Christ live? They will abide in him, will they not? They will walk in his ways. They will partake of the means of grace he has provided. Now granted, no one repents or walks with Christ perfectly, but the lives of those who have true faith will be characterized by repentance, and they will more and more walk in the ways of the Lord. If someone claims to have faith in Christ but does not turn from sin or walk in his ways, they show by their fruits that their faith is not true. This is why the Apostle John wrote 1 John 2:4-6, which says, “Whoever says ‘I know [Christ] but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:4–6, ESV)

Question: How many things are required for us to be saved from our sins and to escape God’s wrath and curse? Answer: One thing is required, not three. Faith alone in Jesus is the required thing. But true faith is never alone. It will always be accompanied by repentance from sin. Furthermore, those who turn from sin to Jesus will strive to walk according to his will. And all of this – the faith, the repentance, and the abiding – is by God’s grace. It is a gift from him. By the way, chapter 14 of our confession is about faith. It’s really good. You should read it.

Last Sunday we considered Baptist Catechism 91 where faith in Christ is defined. Today we turn our attention to question 92 where repentance is defined.

What is repentance? The answer that our catechism provides is very helpful. Let’s consider it piece by piece.

*****

Baptist Catechism 92

First, we are told that “Repentance unto life is a saving grace…” So, faith is a saving grace, and so is repentance. Both faith and repentance are things that we are to do — we are to believe, and we are to repent — but the ability to do so is the free gift of God.

This reminds me of that verse in Acts where, after Peter gives a report to the church concerning the Gentiles coming to faith, the church “fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, ‘Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.’” (Acts 11:18, ESV). The word translated as “granted” means to “give a gift”. So God gave this gift to these Gentiles who believed: the gift of repentance unto life.

Secondly, our catechism says, “whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God…” That is a mouthful, but it is very rich.

This is what repentance is: it is a turning from sin and to God through faith in Jesus. Repentance is a spiritual U-turn.

Sinners are to repent. This means that sinners are to turn from their sins and to God in Christ Jesus in order to be saved. And Christians are to repent too. This they are to do throughout the Christian life, for though we are no longer “sinners”, having been washed by the blood of Christ, justified, sanctified, and adopted, we do still battle with sin. Corruptions remain in us. We do still sin. And when we do, we must repent.

This turning is to be prompted by a “true sense of [our] sin… with grief and hatred of [our] sin”. Think of this: men and women may turn from sin for all kinds of reasons. Maybe they see that it would benefit them to walk in a better way. Perhaps they fear the consequences of their sin. And these are valid motivators for repentance – I am not denying that. But the one who is truly repentant will grieve over their sin and hate it, why, because they have sinned against God!

In the 2 Corinthians 7 passage that I read earlier, Paul rejoiced over the repentance of the Christians in the church of Corinth. He had rebuked them in a previous letter concerning some sin, and they had turned. His rebuke was used by God to produce grief in them, and they turned, verse 10, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

The point is this, true repentance is prompted by a “true sense of [our] sin… with grief and hatred of [our] sin” in our souls. Some will take this too far and expect repentant sinners to be really, really sorrowful for their sin. In other words, they will expect true repentance to be accompanied by extreme displays of sorrow and grief. We must be careful here. Everyone is different. And everyone’s experiences are different. But the point remains. True repentance is prompted by a “true sense of [our] sin… with grief and hatred of [our] sin” in our souls.”

And true repentance does also involve an “apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ”. That word apprehension can mean “anxiety or fear”. That is how we often use the word today. But here it means “to grasp or to understand”. To apprehend “the mercy of God in Christ” is to see God’s mercy in Christ and to grasp it.

Why must it be said that repentance unto life involves an “apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ”? Think of it, a person may turn from sin for one reason or another, but never will they turn to God if they do not comprehend that he is merciful and kind in Christ Jesus.

So then, for repentance to be true one must see their sin as truly detestable, grieve inwardly over it and hate it, and apprehend the mercy of God in Christ. Only then will a sinner be compelled to make that spiritual U-turn, moving away from sin and running towards God in Christ.

Thirdly, our catechism says, “with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.” In other words, true repentance is not temporary or half-hearted repentance, but permanent and resolved.

Notice what our catechism does not say. It does not say that true repentance is perfect repentance. As I have said before, corruptions remain in God’s faithful ones, and even the best of Christians do still struggle with sin. So our catechism does not say with perfect obedience, but “with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.” In other words, the one who is truly repentant will sincerely hate the sin and love God. They will turn from sin and run after God. And they will be fully resolved in the heart and mind to walk in obedience from that forward.

You can’t fake repentance, friends. God knows your heart. He knows who is sincere and who is false, and he has a way of exposing that in due time. So you may fake faith and repentance for a time, but it will eventually become clear.

The parable that Jesus told regarding the different kinds of soils is very descriptive and instructive, I think. Do you remember it? He spoke of seed being scattered on a variety of soils — some on the road, others on rocky ground, some amongst thorns, and some on good soil. It was only the seed scattered on the good soil that sprouted in a lasting way and produced a harvest. The seeds that fell on the road were plucked up by the birds, never to sprout. The seeds that fell on rocks and amongst the weeds sprouted, but they quickly withered, being scorched by the heat, and being choked out by the competing and overwhelming weeds. That parable is meant to be an encouragement to those who sow seed, which is the word of God. Preach the word! And some will fall on good soil, which God has prepared! But the parable is also meant to describe the condition of man’s heart and to warn us.

I’m afraid that there are many false believers and temporary receptors in the church today. There is the appearance of life for a time, but when the heat gets turned up, or when the cares of this world encroach upon them, they wither away. May it not be so for any of us. Instead, may the Lord grant us true faith and true repentance.

*****

Conclusion

Q: What is repentance unto life?

Posted in Sermons, Joe Anady, Posted by Joe. Comments Off

Jul 23
16

Afternoon Sermon: What Is Faith In Jesus Christ? Baptist Catechism 91, Galatians 2:15–16

*****

Baptist Catechism 91

Q. 91. What is faith in Jesus Christ?

A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation, as He is offered to us in the Gospel. (Heb. 10:39; John 1:12; Phil. 3-9; Gal. 2:15,16)

Scripture Reading: Galatians 2:15–16

“We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” (Galatians 2:15–16, ESV)

*****

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

*****

Please allow me to begin by reminding you of how we arrived at the question, what is faith in Jesus Christ?

It is has taken us a long time to get to this question, hasn’t it? And that fact alone is worth noting. “Faith in Jesus Christ” is not the first thing that our catechism talks about. No, it is question 90 that teaches us that it is through faith in Christ that we escape God’s wrath and curse, and it is question 91 that defines what faith in Jesus Christ is.

Here is the point I am making: it is impossible to understand what faith in Christ is apart from other more foundational truths — truths which questions 1 through 89 of our catechism establish. In brief, we have learned about God, the scriptures, man, sin, and God’s plan of redemption. We have learned what it is that God requires of us and of our guilt before him. And we have learned what it is that our sin deserves. If we wish to know what faith in Jesus Christ is, and why it is required, then we must also understand these other doctrines. I’m afraid that men and women, boys and girls, are often exhorted to believe in Jesus (and to be baptized), but without being instructed in these other doctrines. That is a problem, I think. To have faith in Jesus Christ one must also know who God is, who man is, what God requires of us, that we have sinned, and what our sins deserve.

So, what does our sin deserve? Question 89 speaks the truth when it says, “Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life and in that which is to come.”

So is there any hope for sinners? Question 90 brings us good news, saying, “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.”

Now, questions 91 through 93 will define the things that were mentioned in question 90: faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, and the outward means.

*****

Baptist Catechism 91

Let us now consider the way that our catechism defines faith in Jesus Christ.

Notice, first of all, that is not faith that saves us, but faith in Jesus Christ. So, having faith does not save a person from their sins. No, faith in Jesus Christ does. Many people in this world have faith in something, but saving faith is faith in Jesus, for he is the Savior that God has provided for us. He is the Christ, or Messiah. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He is the only mediator between God and man. As 1 Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:5–6, ESV). And Jesus himself claimed to be the only way to the Father, saying, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, ESV). So then, the forgiveness of sins does not come to us through generic and undefined faith, but through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Two, notice that our catechism calls faith in Jesus Christ a “saving grace”. It is said to be saving, for it is through faith in Jesus Christ we come to be forgiven and saved. And it is called a “grace” because faith is a gift from God. Faith is something that you exercise. It is something that you do. You and I must place our faith in Jesus Christ to be saved from our sins. But the faith that you have – that is to say, your ability to trust in Christ – is a gift from God. We must never forget this. Even our ability to trust in Jesus is a gift from God. We believe by his grace.

This is what the scriptures so clearly teach. First of all, the scriptures teach that God has predestined some to salvation from before the creation of the world (read Ephesians 1-2, for example). Two, the scriptures teach that God’s elect come to be saved only through faith in Jesus Christ. Three, the scriptures teach that men and women, boys and girls, will come to faith in Jesus only through the hearing of the word of God (see Romans 10:17). Lastly, the scriptures teach that in order for someone to believe, God must give them new life, open their blind eyes, and draw them inwardly by his Spirit. The scriptures talk about this “drawing” or “inward calling” in many ways. For now, consider what Jesus said to the multitude that came out to him in the wilderness: “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).

So then, the ability to believing in Jesus Christ is a gift from God. This is what Paul explicitly teaches in Ephesians 2:8-9, saying, “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). What is “the gift of God” according to the Apostle? Salvation is the gift of God, and so too is the faith. The grammar of the Greek demands this interpretation, and so too does the context. Notice that Paul concludes by saying, “so that no one may boast”. There is no room for the Christain to boast, for everything that he has in Christ Jesus is a gift from God, and that includes his faith.

“Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace…”, three, “whereby we receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation…”

So what do we do when we place our faith in Jesus Christ?

One, we receive Jesus Christ. In what sense do we receive Jesus Christ when we believe in him? Well, we receive him in that we welcome him as our Savior and Lord. More than this, the scriptures teach that we are united to Jesus by faith. To have faith in Christ means that we are in him. And more than this, the scriptures teach that when we place our faith in Christ he is in us by his Spirit. You may read about this in John chapters 15, 16, and 17. To have faith in Jesus is not to trust in a distant and far-off figure. No, it is to receive him, to know him, and to commune with him, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Two, when we place our faith in Jesus, we rest upon him. Do you remember what I said last Sunday regarding the components of true saving faith: knowledge, assent, and trust. To have true and saving faith we must know certain things, believe those things to be true, and trust in Jesus. Trust is what our catechism is referring to here with the word “rest”. To believe in Jesus is to trust him, to rest in him, to take refuge in him. Trust is a vital component of saving faith.

Three, notice the word “alone”. “Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace whereby we receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation…” So this is an all-or-nothing proposition. If we wish to be saved then we must trust in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of our sins. We must go all in. It will not do to say, I believe in Jesus but I also believe in myself, and in my own obedience or good works. If this is what you think then it reveals that you have not understood the gospel. You have not understood those others truths that I mentioned early concerning God, man, sin, and salvation in Jesus Christ. To have Jesus as Lord and Savior means that we have abandoned all hope in other things. In Christ alone our hope is found.

The fourth and final phrase in this answer to question 91 is, “…as He is offered to us in the Gospel.” This phrase is so important, for does root our faith in Jesus Christ in the word of God.

Friends, if you wish to be saved then you must trust in the Jesus of the scriptures — that is, the Jesus of the Gospel. This should be obvious to all. It will do you no good to claim to have faith in Jesus Christ, but to believe things concerning him — his person and work — that are contrary to the word of God.

For example, some in this world claim to believe in Jesus Christ but think that he is the half-brother of Satan. Others claim to believe in Jesus but view him only as a great teacher. They deny that he is the eternal son of God come in the flesh. Other examples can be given, but it should be clear that these have only hijacked a name — they pronounce the name in the same way that you and I do, but their Christ is substantially different from the Christ of scripture.

No, if we wish to be saved then we must have faith in Jesus Christ. And not just any “Jesus Christ”, but the Jesus Christ of Holy Scripture. In other words, to be saved, we must hear, receive, and believe the Gospel, which is the good news contained within Holy Scripture.

*****

Conclusion

Q. 91. What is faith in Jesus Christ?

A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation, as He is offered to us in the Gospel. (Heb. 10:39; John 1:12; Phil. 3-9; Gal. 2:15,16)

Posted in Sermons, Joe Anady, Posted by Joe. Comments Off

Jul 23
9

Afternoon Sermon: What Does God Require Of Us That We May Escape His Wrath? Baptist Catechism 89 & 90, Acts 16:25-34

Baptist Catechism 89 & 90

Q. 89. What doth every sin deserve?

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

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

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

Scripture Reading: Acts 16:25-34

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

*****

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.

*****

Baptist Catechism 90

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*****

Conclusion

Let me conclude now with a positive exhortation.

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in Sermons, Joe Anady, Posted by Joe. Comments Off

Jul 23
9

Morning Sermon: The Good News Of The Kingdom Of God, Luke 4:31-44

Old Testament Reading: Zephaniah 3

“Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city! She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD; she does not draw near to her God. Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning. Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men; her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law. The LORD within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame. ‘I have cut off nations; their battlements are in ruins; I have laid waste their streets so that no one walks in them; their cities have been made desolate, without a man, without an inhabitant. I said, ‘Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.’ But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt. ‘Therefore wait for me,’ declares the LORD, ‘for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord. From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bring my offering. On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain. But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD, those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.’ Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: ‘Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach. Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,’ says the LORD.” (Zephaniah 3, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 4:31-44

“And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent and come out of him!’ And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. And they were all amazed and said to one another, ‘What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!’ And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region. And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, ‘I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.’ And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.” (Luke 4:31–44, ESV)

*****

Brothers and sisters, it seems evident to me that there is a ditch on both sides of the road as it pertains to the proper interpretation of this passage.

On the one side, you will find those who read this text and assume that Jesus came for this purpose: to free all who are sick and oppressed so that they might be healthy and prosperous on earth today. You have probably encountered this view. It is very popular in our society. There are many who claim to be Christians who will read stories like the one here in Luke 4 and think that this was Jesus’ mission – to make people healthy, wealthy, and prosperous in the here and now.

Honestly, it is not difficult to see where such a view comes from. A careless and narrow reading of this passage (and others like it) can give the impression that this was Jesus’ mission.

When I speak of a careless reading, I mean a reading which focuses on the miracles performed by Jesus – his casting out demons and healing from diseases – while ignoring the beginning and the end of the text, which stresses that Jesus was devoted to preaching the good news of the kingdom of God in the synagogues. In fact, in Luke 4:43 we hear Christ say, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose” (Luke 4:43, ESV). So, Christ’s stated purpose – his mission – was not to make everyone healthy and prosperous now. No, his purpose was to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God and to establish this kingdom in power. The miracles that Jesus performed must be interpreted in light of this stated purpose. Did Jesus cast out demons? Did he heal people from their physical affliction? No doubt! But the question we must is why? Did he cast out demons and heal because this was his purpose – to make everyone whole and well in the here and now? Or did he perform these miracles for another reason, perhaps as a demonstration that the kingdom of God had come with power? A careful reading of the text will show us that this was the case. Jesus stated purpose was to inaugurate God’s kingdom, and these miracles performed by him were a demonstration, or sign, that the kingdom was here. In fact, in Luke 11:20 Jesus explicitly states that this was the meaning of the miracles when he said, “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20, ESV). Let us not be careless in our reading of Scripture, brothers and sisters. When we learn that Christ healed and cast our demons, we must ask the question why?

And when I speak of a narrow reading, I mean a reading of this text (and others like it) that ignores other passages of Scripture that make it quite clear that it is not always the will of the Lord to heal and to make his people prosperous in the here and now. To put it bluntly, a person would have to ignore a great deal of the New Testament and the Old to claim that God’s will is to make his people healthy and prosperous on earth now through faith in Christ. Consider a few things:

One, Christ himself suffered in the flesh even to the point of death. When he cried out to the Father in the garden to take the cup of suffering from him, he added, “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42, ESV). And we know that it was the will of the Father that Christ would suffer unto death.

Two, those who have faith in Christ are called to identify with Christ in his suffering. Consider Romans 8:16-17: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” So then, true followers of Christ are not immune from suffering. On the contrary, we are called to suffer with Christ. As you can see, this teaching that Christ came to free us from all suffering runs counter to the clear teaching of Scripture.

Three, even the Apostles of Jesus suffered in this life. They suffered, even to the point of death. For example, Paul tells us about a thorn in his flesh. Now, we do not know what exactly this “thorn” was, but it was certainly an ailment of some kind that bothered him deeply. In 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Pauls says, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:8–10, ESV). The Greek word translated as “weakness” may also be translated as “incapacity”. “Insults” means “mistreatments”. The word “hardships” is a generic word referring to “troubled times”. To be persecuted is to be harassed by others. The word “calamities” refers to difficult circumstances of any kind. You see, Paul pilled up these words to communicate that he would gladly endure afflictions of any kind if it was the will of God to use them to draw him into a closer dependence upon the Lord.

Four, consider that devout Christians throughout the history of the church have suffered afflictions. Consider also that all will eventually face death.

And five, do not forget the many passages of Scripture that instruct the believer concerning the way they are to respond to afflictions.

Christians are to rejoice in their sufferings, knowing that God will bring good from them. As Paul says in Romans 5:3, “but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3–5, ESV)

Christians are to comfort one another in their afflictions even as they are comforted by God. Listen to 2 Corinthians 1:3ff. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer” (2 Corinthians 1:3–6, ESV).

Christians are called to patiently endure while experiencing afflictions. Listen to James 5:10-11: “As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:10–11, ESV).

I could pill up many more Scripture texts that make it clear that faithful Christians living in this present evil age should not be surprised (1 Peter 4:12) when they experience trials of various kinds (James 1:2), but I think this will do for now. The point is this: A careful and broad reading of Scripture makes it impossible to think that Christ came to free his people from afflictions and to make us healthy, wealthy, and prosperous in the here and now. Only a very careless and narrow reading of Luke 4 (and other passages like it) could produce such a view. So let us take care lest we begin to slip into that ditch of misinterpretation.

But there is a ditch on the other side of the road that we must also be sure to avoid. I would imagine that most who end up in this ditch land there because they overreact against the error just mentioned. And so what is the other error that must be avoided? I think it can be stated like this: Jesus came to provide for the forgiveness of our sins and to save our souls, but he is not at all concerned with our physical bodies or our prosperity on earth. To hold to a view like this one would have to spiritualize these stories of Jesus healing the sick. They would view these physical healings as mere signs of Jesus’ power to heal the soul. Though somewhat true, this view is ultimately incorrect.

Brothers and sisters, please hear me. Jesus came to save whole persons, body and soul.

He came to set his people free from the tyranny of the devil, body and soul.

He came to reverse the effects that man’s fall into sin has had on us, body and soul.

Christ came to establish a new creation and to do away with the old which has been wrecked by sin. He will bring his people – that is to say, all who have faith in the Messiah – safely into this new creation, body and soul.

There in the new heavens and earth, “the dwelling place of God [will be] with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3–4, ESV). Christ will bring his elect into the new heavens and earth, body and soul.

Stated in one more way, Jesus the Messiah came to destroy the devil and his works. He came to overthrow Satan’s kingdom and to establish his kingdom – the eternal kingdom of God. He came to redeem his people from the kingdom of darkness and to bring them safely and securely into his eternal kingdom of light, body and soul.

So then, there is a sense in which it is true that Christ came to give his people health, wealth, and prosperity on earth. The trouble with the Prosperity Gospel (as it is often called) is not its insistence that Christ has earned health, wealth, and prosperity for his people, but rather its insistence that those of faith will have all of these blessings on this earth now. You see, the prosperity preachers have gotten ahead of themselves. They have failed to distinguish between life in this present evil age and life in the age to come. When, brothers and sisters, will God wipe away every tear from our eyes? When will death be no more? And when shall there be no mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore? Answer: in the life to come after Christ returns to judge and to make all things new? For then, at that time, the former things will have passed away (Revelation 21:3–4, ESV). And where will these pleasures be enjoyed? Answer: Not in this fallen, sin-sick world, but in the world to come – that is to say, in the new heavens and earth, which Christ has earned by his death and resurrection. You see, it’s about timing and location.

I think it is important that we speak of all this in terms of the kingdom of God, for that is how Christ spoke of his mission in the passage that is before us today. He performed these miracles while preaching the good news of the kingdom (Luke 4:43).

So let me ask you, when will Christ’s kingdom be present with power? If you have been here for any length of time you have probably heard me say that Christ’s kingdom is here now but not yet in its fullness.

Christ’s kingdom broke into this world in power when Christ came for the first time to accomplish our redemption through his life, death, and resurrection. It was then at his first coming that he said, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). It was then that he defeated Satan (Luke 4:1-15). It was then that he cast him down from heaven (Luke 10:18). It was then that he bound him so that he could plunder his house (Revelation 20:1-3; Matthew 12:29). It was then that Christ, having accomplished his work through his humiliation, was exulted to his heavenly throne and sat down Hebrews 1:3). Christ is King now (Revelation 19:16). All authority in heaven and earth has been given to him (Matthew 28:18).

Christ kingdom is present on earth now. It is present wherever the church is present. It is present wherever God’s people assemble to say, Jesus is Lord. But is the kingdom of God here in fullness? No. The kingdom has been inaugurated but not yet consummated. When will the kingdom of heaven be here in full? When Christ returns. As 1 Corinthians 15:24 says: “Then comes the end, when [Christ] 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…” (1 Corinthians 15:24–28, ESV).

You see, there is something progressive about the establishment of Christ’s kingdom. The kingdom broke into the world with power when Christ came for the first time. The kingdom will grow and expands until Christ returns. And when Christ returns, the kingdom will be consummated. Then, there will be no more sin, sickness, and death, for then Satan will be fully and finally judged and his kingdom cast out.

Jesus spoke about the progressive expansion of his kingdom when he said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened” (Luke 13:18–21, ESV).

So what does all of this kingdom talk have to do with our passage? Answer: everything.

Notice that our text begins with the mention of Jesus’ preaching. Luke 4:31 says, “And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority” (Luke 4:31–32, ESV). And what was Jesus preaching about? We are told in verse 43: “But he said to them, ‘I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose” (Luke 4:43, ESV). Christ came to proclaim the good news that the kingdom of God was near. And he came to inaugurate the kingdom through his victory over Satan, sin, and death.

The miracles performed by Jesus in this passage – the casting out of a demon in verses 33-37, the healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law in verses 38-39, and the report that he healed many and cast demons out of many in verses 40-41 – are to be viewed as a demonstration of Jesus’s power and authority, and as a sign that his kingdom of was at hand. These miracles also demonstrate the power and authority that Christ has to overthrow the devil and overturn his works.

That Jesus has power over Satan and Satan’s kingdom is demonstrated by his casting out of demons. By the way, demons are angels who fell along with Satan, the prince of the demons. And notice what the demons said when they were cast out by Jesus. The demon who was cast out of the man in the synagogue said, “Ha!” The Greek word translated as “Ha” communicates the emotion of surprise or anger. “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God” (Luke 4:34, ESV). So then, the demon knew who Jesus was – God incarnate – and that he had come ultimately to destroy them. In verse 41 we read, “And demons also came out of many, crying, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ” (Luke 4:41, ESV). These demons knew that Jesus was the Son of God incarnate, the Christ (or Messiah), and that he came to overthrow them and to establish his eternal kingdom.

Verse 36 says the people “were all amazed and said to one another, ‘What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” Yes, exactly. This was a demonstration of Jesus’ authority and power. He has authority and power over Satan, his minions, and his kingdom, and he demonstrated that authority by casting demons out by his word.

And what about the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law? Here Christ demonstrates that he has the power to eradicate disease. This does not mean that he has eradicated sickness from the world now, nor does it mean that his people will never be ill, or that it will always be his will to heal. No, to think this would be to read too much into the text. To hold to this view would also require us to ignore many other passages of Scripture, as has already been said. The point is that Christ has power and authority over illness. He can drive it out. It may be his will to drive it out of us in the here and now when we come to him in prayer, just as he did with the mother-in-law of Peter. And so we are not wrong to pray for healing. But when we bring these desires of ours to the Father, through the Son, and by the Spirit, we ought to follow the example of our Lord and say, “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42, ESV). Does Christ possess the authority and power to eradicate illness (and even death itself)? Yes! How did he get this power? Through his victory over Satan and his kingdom. And when will he purge this earth of Satan, his demons, all sickness, suffering, and death itself? On the last day when he will judge and make all things new. Then “he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, 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 21:3–4, ESV).

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, I have preached rather strongly against the so-called prosperity gospel this morning. This idea that Christ came to make us healthy, wealthy, and prosperous now, and that illness, poverty, and afflictions are always the result of a lack of faith or of God’s displeasure is so wrong and so damaging. This false teaching, if believed, will isolate people from God because all suffering will be perceived as a sign of God’s displeasure. But we know that God is sovereign over our suffering and that he is near to his people in the midst of suffering. He promises to work all things for good for those in Christ (Romans 8:28). And he invites his people to draw near to him in their suffering. In fact, the Lord often uses afflictions to draw us nearer to God and to teach us to depend more on him and less on ourselves. And this false teaching will also drive people from one another. Those who believe that afflictions are the result of a lack of faith or a sign of God’s displeasure will not be able to comfort their brethren in the midst of afflictions, but will be like Job’s bad counselors who could only demand that he repent, for surely, they assumed, the suffering he experienced could only be the result of some personal sin. But Job did not suffer because of personal sin. He suffered because it was the will of the Lord to permit it and to use it for good. God had some purpose in it that no one could see.

Brothers and sisters, I doubt that any here will be tempted to buy into this distortion of the gospel, which is no gospel at all. But I would assume that many of us do wrestle inwardly when we see God’s people suffer. Why, O Lord, would you allow this? we ask. And while we may never have all of the answers to our specific questions, we do know that even our sufferings are ordained by God, that he is with us in the midst of it to work in us for good, and that he will keep us to bring us safely into our eternal inheritance, where Satan, sin, sickness, and death will be no more. Jesus demonstrated his power over Satan, sin, sickness, and death at his first coming so that his people might know for certain that he has the power and authority to save us from these things and to bring us safely into the new heavens and earth where these evils that bring us sorrow now will be abolished forever.

Jesus did not come to save your soul only, brothers and sisters. He came to save you, body and soul. The Son of God took to himself a true human body and a human soul so that he might redeem us body and soul through his victory. We speak often of the salvation of the soul. Yes, through faith in Christ, your sins have been forgiven and your soul is renewed. In Christ, you have a new mind, new affections, and a new will. You are being sanctified in the soul now. You will be perfected in the soul at the consummation – never will you sin again. But do not forget about the salvation of your body. When Christ returns, your body will be raised imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:42). It will be glorified and empowered forever by the Holy Spirit. Never again will the body suffer sickness or pain. Never will it deteriorate. Never will it die. Do not forget about the body, brothers and sisters. Christ came to save you, body and soul. In this life, we suffer bodily afflictions for the refinement of the soul. When Christ returns, these former things will pass away.

Until then, brothers and sisters, we must patiently and faithfully endure.

We must patiently and faithfully endure in the mind, knowing that God loves us in Christ Jesus and that he works all things for the good of his children. Is your mind strong, friends? Is it filled with God’s truth?

We must patiently and faithfully endure with our affections. By this I mean, we must draw near to God, and not run from him, when calamity strikes. We must be like Paul in this regard, who boasted in his weaknesses so that the power of Christ would rest upon him. For the sake of Christ, he was content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For he knew that it was when he was weak that he was strong (see 2 Corinthians 12:8–10). When Paul suffered, he ran to God through faith in Christ and he relied all the more on his grace. And so I ask you, is your heart strong? Is your heart filled with love for God and Christ? Is your heart filled with the assurance of his love for you, even when calamity strikes?

And when we suffer afflictions, we must patiently and faithfully endure with our wills. By this I mean, we must choose to obey Christ, and not sin against him in thought, word or deed. And so I ask, is your resolve to follow Christ in this world strong?

Lastly, I say to you, to live this way now, in body and soul, requires faith in Christ – we must walk by faith and not by sight. If you have faith in Christ you know that he has redeemed you, body and soul. And it is this faith in Christ that produces within us, peace, endurance, character, and hope (see Romans 5:1-5). In Christ we have peace. In Christ we have hope. In Christ we find comfort.

I’ll conclude now with a reading of Heidelberg catechism question 1. It’s a beautiful statement of Gospel truth that I will sometime use to comfort those in times of affliction.

It asks the Christian, “What is your only comfort in life and in death?

Answer:

That I am not my own,

1 but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—2

to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.3

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,4

and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.5

He also watches over me in such a way6

that not a hair can fall from my head

without the will of my Father in heaven;7

in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.8

Because I belong to him,

Christ, by his Holy Spirit,

assures me of eternal life9

and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready

from now on to live for him.10

1 1 Cor. 6:19-20

2 Rom. 14:7-9

3 1 Cor. 3:23; Titus 2:14

4 1 Pet. 1:18-19; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:2

5 John 8:34-36; Heb. 2:14-15; 1 John 3:1-11

6 John 6:39-40; 10:27-30; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:5

7 Matt. 10:29-31; Luke 21:16-18

8 Rom. 8:28

9 Rom. 8:15-16; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13-14

10 Rom. 8:1-17

Posted in Sermons, Joe Anady, Luke 4:31-44, Posted by Joe. Comments Off

Jul 23
2

Morning Sermon: No Prophet Is Acceptable In His Hometown, Luke 4:14-30

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 61

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

New Testament Reading: Luke 4:14-30

“And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ And he said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’ And he said, ‘Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.’ When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away.” (Luke 4:14–30, ESV)

*****

Introduction

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

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

*****

Jesus Is The Anointed One Of Isaiah 61

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, though it is true that we should imitate Christ by assembling with God’s people on the Lord’s Day, we cannot imitate what he did in Nazareth on this particular Sabbath day. We are told that he “he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him” (Luke 4:18–20, ESV).

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

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

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

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

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

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

*****

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*****

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Consider these things:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*****

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

Posted in Sermons, Joe Anady, Posted by Joe. Comments Off

Jun 23
25

Morning Sermon: Jesus: Tempted For You, And Victorious, Luke 4:1-13

Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-25

“Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you— for the LORD your God in your midst is a jealous God—lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth. You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you. And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers by thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has promised. When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the LORD our God has commanded you?’ then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.’” (Deuteronomy 6, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 4:1-13

“And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’’ And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, ‘To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’’ And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’’ And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.” (Luke 4:1–13, ESV)

*****

Introduction

What is the meaning of the story of the temptation of Jesus as found in Luke 4:1-13? What is the point of this passage? If I were to guess I would say that many Christians today view this story about Jesus’ victory over temptation as an example to us. I’m afraid that many interpret this passage as a kind of moralistic story wherein Jesus is set forth as an example to show us how we are to resist temptation when it comes.

Now, I do not deny that there are wonderful principles found here in this story to be used by the people of God to resist temptation – Like Jesus, we must know God’s word and use it as the sword of the Spirit in our fight against temptation, we must be alert, especially in moments of physical and mental weakness, and we must not take shortcuts in life, but honor God in all situations, even if the path is hard, etc, etc.

But I am sure, brothers and sisters, that this passage is not meant to function as a mere example to us to help us in our personal fight against sin. No, this story is about Jesus Christ and the victory that he has won for us. Stated differently, Jesus is not to be viewed (primarily) as a moral example, but as our victorious Savior. Luke presents Jesus to us here as the second and greater Adam and the true Isarel of God, who, through his perfect and perpetual obedience, has defeated Satan, dethroned him from his illegitimate throne, bound him, plundered his house, and, having finished his work – having obeyed to the point of death and having been raised from the dead – has ascended to his rightful throne and has sat down, thus securing for himself an eternal kingdom for himself and for all who are united to him by faith.

Brothers and sisters, this passage is about Jesus and the victory he has won over Satan and his kingdom. The victory was secured at the cross, but note this: it began here when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the Devil. He was tempted not once, not twice, but three times, and yet he endured. He did not stumble but remained faithful to God. And so here we see the beginning of the accomplishment of our Salvation from bondage to sin, Satan, and his kingdom of darkness.

Is Jesus an example to us? Are we to imitate him? In many respects, yes. But please hear me, friends. He is so much more than an example to us. Jesus did not come to merely be our example. He came to accomplish salvation for all given to him by the Father in eternity (see John 17). It is so crucial for you to understand this. If you do not understand this, then I wonder if you understand the gospel through which men and women are saved. There is no good news at all in this statement: Jesus came to live as an example for you. Why? Because we are not capable of imitating Christ perfectly. And more than this, striving to imitate Christ perfectly from this day forward would do nothing at all to remedy the problem of original corruption, past sins, and the fact that will continue to fall short of Christ’s example no matter how sincere our efforts may be. But here is good news: Christ came to live a life of perfect obedience, to die in the place of sinners, so that through faith in him, we might have his righteousness given to us as a gift, and all of our sins washed away. That is what Jesus came to accomplish. And only after we look to him as Savior should we look to him also as an example to us. As John says in 1 John 2:6, “whoever says he abides in [Christ] ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:6, ESV). You see, first, we must abide in Christ by faith, and then, we must strive to walk as he walked, by God’s grace.

So the point is this: the passage that is before us today is about the victory that Jesus has won for us by defeating Satan and overturning his works and kingdom of darkness. I have five questions to ask of our text, and once we answer them, I think you will agree with me that this is what the passage is about – the victory that Christ has won for us.

*****

When Did This Take Place? Immediately After Jesus’ Baptism And At The Very Start Of His Public Ministry

Firstly, I ask, when did this event take place? Answer: it happened immediately after Jesus’ baptism and at the very beginning of his public ministry. Luke 4:1 says, “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.” (Luke 4:1–2, ESV)

The words, “And Jesus… returned from the Jordan” take us back to Luke 3:1-22 where we are told of the baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan River. Jesus’ baptism did not signify the washing away of his sins, for he had none. But it did signify that he was the Messiah and the great High Priest of the New Covenant. Jesus’ baptism (at about the age of 30) marked the beginning of his public ministry as the LORD’s Messiah. And what was his first order of business? Immediately, he went out into the wilderness to fast and pray, and slap Satan around a bit, metaphorically speaking. He did this to set the tone for his entire ministry. He did this to make it clear that he came to bind Satan so that he might plunder his house, and eventually crush him under his feet. While it is true that his victory over the Evil One would be accomplished in full at the cross, we must see that it began here in the wilderness immediately after Jesus’ baptism and at the beginning of his earthy ministry. The entirety of Jesus’ ministry is to be viewed, therefore, as an overthrowing of Satan and his kingdom.

The words ” full of the Holy Spirit” in Luke 4:1 also signal that this story is about Jesus’ first order of business as the Messiah. Messiah means anointed one. And Jesus was indeed anointed with the Holy Spirit at his baptism. Obviously, he was not anointed with the Spirit unto salvation, for Christ did not need to be saved. No, he was anointed as the Messiah, the Savior, and our great Prophet, Priest, and King. Again I say to you, his first order of business as God’s anointed one was to face off with Satan in the wilderness, to demonstrate his superiority, and to establish the fact that Satan’s defeat was near.

*****

Where Is This Story Presented In Luke’s Gospel? Immediately After The Tracing Of Jesus’ Genealogy Back To Adam

Secondly, I ask, where is this story presented in Luke’s Gospel? Yes, it is after the story of Jesus’ baptism as recorded in Luke 3:1-22. But do not forget about the genealogy of Jesus which Luke placed after the story of Jesus’ baptism and right before his temptation in the wilderness.

I made much of this in the sermon I preached on Luke 3:23-38. Luke placed the genealogy of Jesus here in this strange place (instead of at the beginning of his Gospel where you might expect it), and worked backward in history, starting with Jesus and ending with Adam. And he did this so that we would have Adam fresh in our minds as we consider the story of Jesus’ temptation. Why is this important? Well, Jesus is to be compared and contrasted with Adam.

What do the two share in common? Many things. They are both human. They were both brought into the world by the direct creative activity of God. They were both appointed to function as federal heads or covenantal representatives of others (Adam represented humanity under the Covenant of Works, and Jesus represented all of God’s elect under the New Covenant which is the Covenant of Grace). Both men were called to obey God perfectly and perpetually if they were to obtain the reward promised to them by the Father. And lastly, both men were tested or tempted by Satan!

Now, how do they differ? In many ways. Adam is a man and Jesus is a man. But Jesus is no mere man but is the eternal Son of God incarnate. He is the God-man. Adam was called to obey God’s moral law and the positive law to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Jesus was called to do more. He was called to obey the moral law, all of the positive laws that were added and imposed upon the children of Abraham in the days of Moses, and he was called to faithfully suffer and die in the place of sinners and to endure God’s wrath for them so as to redeem them. My point is this: Jesus’ burden was much, much heavier than Adam’s. And this is illustrated by the fact that Adam was tempted in that garden paradise that God made in the beginning which was full of fruits and vegetables, water, and every pleasant thing. Everything was good, indeed, very good, in the world that Adam occupied. But Christ was tempted in the desert after having nothing to eat for 40 days. Christ was tempted in a fallen world. And his mission was not only to actively obey God’s law but to passively submit himself to suffering – suffering in the whole of life, and especially the suffering of the cross. All of this he would do for those given to him by the Father in eternity. Christ’s burden was much heavier than Adam’s. And yet Christ, “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is [therefore now] seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2, ESV). And here we see the greatest difference of all between Adam and Jesus. Adam rebelled against God whereas Christ was perfectly obedient. The first Adam failed but the second Christ succeed. Adam, having been tempted lightly by Satan through his wife while surrounded by the paradise that God had made, quickly sinned. In contrast to this, Jesus was all alone in the desert wilderness, he was faint with hunger, he was assaulted by the Evil One himself, and yet he never wavered. Not here at the beginning of his public ministry. Not ever.

The point is this: Luke positioned the genealogy of Jesus right before the account of his temptation in the wilderness and concluded the genealogy with Adam so that we might see Jesus as the second and greater Adam, who was “in every respect… tempted as we are, yet without sin…” (Hebrews 4:15, ESV).

*****

How Did Jesus End Up In The Wilderness? Jesus Was Led There By The Spirit

Thirdly, I ask, how did Jesus end up in the wilderness? Was he lost? Did Satan lure him there? No! Luke 4:1 says that “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit… was led by the Spirit in the wilderness” (Luke 4:1, ESV). The Spirit of God led him there. Why? To confront Satan on his home turf, to be tested. And to pass the test.

At this point, I think it would be good for us to make another connection. We have already made the obvious comparison between Jesus and Adam. But I think we must also see Jesus as the true and faithful Israel of God.

In Hosea 11:1 God says, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son” (Hosea 11:1, ESV). This is obviously a reference to the exodus event when God led Israel out of Egyptian bondage. But Matthew quotes this Hosea passage in his gospel and says that it is ultimately about Jesus. Do you remember how Jesus was taken to Egypt after he was born to be sheltered there from Harod? And then when his parents brought him out of Egypt and back to his hometown of Nazareth, Matthew said, “This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son’” (Matthew 2:15, ESV). So then, Jesus is Israel. Israel was redeemed from Egypt and was made into a nation so that the Messiah would be brought into the world through them. Israel foreshadowed Jesus. And when Jesus came into this world to do the work that God gave him to do, he fulfilled all of the promises, prophesies, types, and shadows that were entrusted to Israel.

I trust that you will remember this from our study of the book of Exodus. After Isarel was led out of Egypt by Moses, where did they go? They were led by the Spirit of God in the glory cloud to the Red Sea. And after they were baptized into Moses by passing through the Red Sea (see 1 Corinthians 10:2), they were led by the Spirit of God, where? Out into the wilderness. And why were they led into the wilderness? To be tested there. And how many times were they tested? Well, they were tested continuously, but the book of Exodus highlights three instances. If you remember, they were tested at Marah (Exodus 15:22ff), in the wilderness of Sin (Exodus 16), and again at Rephidim (Exodus 17). Israel was tested, tested, tested. The tests had to do with the lack of water, food, and then water again. And what did Israel do in each instance? They grumbled, grumbled, grumbled against the Lord and put him to the test. And Lord was very displeased with them.

I hope you can see that Jesus took a very similar path. Having passed through the waters of baptism at the Jordan, he was led by the Spirit out into the wilderness to be tested there. He was tested three times, just as Israel was, but he did not grumble and complain, lose faith, or deviate in the slightest from God’s will for him. No, Jesus was faithful. Adam and Isarel rebelled. But Jesus is the second and better Adam, the true and faithful Israel of God. He is the faithful Son of Abraham, through whom God has brought the blessings of salvation to the nations.

Both of these stories – the story of Israel’s threefold failure in the wilderness and of Jesus’ threefold victory – are very important. They set the tone for and anticipate how things would go in the future. Old Covenant Israel’s entire existence would be marked by sin and unfaithfulness. But Jesus’ life would be marked by perfect and perpetual obedience. The message is quite clear. Neither Moses nor the covenant would mediate would provide salvation given the sins of the people. But Jesus and the Covenant of Grace that he mediates does provide salvation and the forgiveness of sins, for Christ was victorious.

How did Jesus end up in the wilderness? He was led there by the Spirit to be tempted and tested by the Evil One, and to win the victory.

*****

What Happened? Jesus Was Tempted By Satan Three Times And Was Victorious

Fourthly, let us consider what happened.

Luke 4:2 tells us that Jesus was in the wilderness “for forty days”. This corresponds to the 40 years that Israel would wander the wilderness, by the way. And then Luke says, “being tempted by the devil.” I think we are to take this to mean that Jesus was tempted continuously during that. And then we read, “And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry” (Luke 4:2, ESV). So Jesus was fasting and he was praying, presumably in preparation for all that awaited him, including his crucifixion about three years later.

In verse 3 we read, “The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread’” (Luke 4:3, ESV). Here we have the first of three particular temptations.

Who is the devil? He is the chief of the fallen angels. He has many names. Devil means “slanderer”, Satan means “accuser”, and Lucifer means “shining one”. He is the leader of the heavenly hosts that rebelled against God in the heavenly realm in the beginning, and he is also the one who tempted Eve, who then brought the temptation to Adam. Here he is tempting Jesus.

Notice carefully that the devil knew who Jesus was. “If you are the Son of God”, he said, then “command this stone to become bread.” Satan knew that Jesus was the person of the eternal Son of God who took on flesh. But he tempted him nonetheless. He had no other choice. God brought the fight to him, remember? God the Son intruded into Satan’s domain through the incarnation. He entered his house, if you will, by taking to himself a true human nature – body, and soul. And when the time was right – when it was time for his public ministry to begin – Jesus took the fight to Satan. He went out into the wilderness to face him. And so the devil pushed by in the only way he could. He tempted Jesus to deviate from his course. As he did with Adam long before, so he did with Jesus here.

“If you are the Son of God…” (he knew that he was) “command this stone to become bread.” So then, just as Israel was tested regarding the lack of food in the wilderness, so too Jesus was tested regarding the lack of food. I suppose we should also notice that Adam’s test had to do with eating too.

So what was this temptation about? Satan was essentially tempting Jesus to use his divine power to serve the desires of the flesh he had assumed rather than to set his desires to the side and to serve God and those that he came to save. Jesus was hungry. And by the way, that is a human thing, not a divine thing. And so Satan tempted Jesus through his human nature to use his divine power to alleviate his suffering and to serve himself.

Here is Jesus’ reply: “It is written…” So here we have something incredible going on. The eternal Word of God is about to quote the written Word of God, which he himself inspired. “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone’” (Luke 4:4, ESV).

This is a citation from Deuteronomy 8:3. I’d like to read that text to you now starting in verse 1 of Deuteronomy 8 and going all the way through verse 10. As I read it, I think you will grow more convinced about the connections we have made between Israel in the wilderness and Jesus in the wilderness. In fact, I would ask you to hear this text, not only as it was given originally to Israel, but as if it were ultimately about Jesus and his work. In Deuteronomy 8:1 Moses speaks to Israel after 40 years of testing in the wilderness, saying,

“The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers. And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you. So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you” (Deuteronomy 8:1–10, ESV).

I cannot take the time to unpack all of the typology that is found here. If you have been at Emmaus for some time, and if you have been paying attention to the way in which we interpret the Scriptures, then I think you will see it. In brief, what God said to Israel here regarding the land of Cannan was in a greater sense about Jesus and the New Heavens and earth which he would earn through his obedience. The thing to notice is this: Israel learned through many failures in the wilderness that “man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” Christ learned this (according to his human nature) but without any failures. And so when the devil tempted him to use his divine power to serve the flesh he had assumed by turning a stone into bread to satiate his hunger, he simply replied, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone’” (Luke 4:4, ESV).

In Luke 4:5 we are told of the second pronounced temptation: “And the devil took [Jesus] up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, ‘To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours” (Luke 4:5–7, ESV).

Here the devil tempted Jesus to take a shortcut. The devil knew who Jesus was – he was the Son of God incarnate – and he knew what Jesus came to do. He came to accomplish the salvation of those given to him by the Father, to kick Satan off of his illegitimate throne, and to sit down on that throne himself, as the King of kings and Lord of lords, with all authority in heaven and earth being given to him. Satan knew that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God incarnate, and that this was his mission.

How did Satan know this? Because it was revealed clearly by God in the Holy Scriptures. For example, Satan was (and is very) much aware of the vision shown to the prophet Daniel concerning the coming Messiah, as recorded in Daniel 7:13ff. There Daniel says, “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13–14, ESV). Who is this son of man? He is Jesus, the Son of God incarnate. Satan knew it. He knew that Jesus came to defeat him, to kick him off of his throne, to expel him, to bind him, and to sit down upon that throne that is rightfully his.

What do I mean when I say that Satan once occupied a throne illegitimately? What throne am I referring to? Well, I’m referring to the throne of this earth. You see, God offered that throne to Adam in the garden. Adam was to rule on earth as a king under God’s authority. He was to expand God’s kingdom. He was to build God’s temple. He was to fill the earth with worshippers of God. And he was to keep, or protect, God’s temple-kingdom from all intruders. When Adam listened to the voice of the Serpent (through the voice of his wife, who was deceived), instead of the voice of God, the devil was permitted to sit down on the throne that was offered to Adam, and he ruled the nations instead.

There are many texts that speak of this and hint at this. Perhaps none is more clear than John 12:31. There Jesus speaks not long before his death, burial, and resurrection, saying, “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:31–32, ESV). Who is the “ruler of this world” of whom Christ spoke? The devil. Christ came to cast that usurper out and throw him down from his throne. Jesus also speaks of this aspect of his mission when, in Matthew 12:19, he says, “Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house” (Matthew 12:29, ESV). In other words, Jesus came to bind Satan and to plunder his house. By the way, those who are pre-millennialists would do well to notice that this binding has already taken place. It is not future to us and before some strange and literal 1,000-year reign. No, Christ bound Satan at his first coming and now sits on his eternal throne. He sits on his throne with all authority in heaven and on earth having been given to him. He rules and reigns throughout the church age, or if you prefer, throughout these last days, of which the 1,000 years of Revelation 20 is a symbol (you are not surprised to find numbers in the book of Revelation used in a symbolic way are you?). Christ sat down on the throne of his kingdom when he ascended. He will sit on this throne for all eternity. This is not a future hope only, it is a present reality. And our pre-millennialist brothers and sisters would also do well to notice the way in which Satan is said to be bound in Revelation 20 – not completely – but “so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while” (Revelation 20:3, ESV).

What does all of this have to do with the second temptation that Satan brought to Jesus? Well, Satan understood that this was Jesus’ mission, he knew that his time was short, and so, in a last-ditch effort, he tempted Jesus to take a shortcut to this throne, and to avoid all the suffering. Hear it again: “The devil took [Jesus] up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, ‘To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours” (Luke 4:5–7, ESV).

As is often the case with the lies of Satan, there is a mixture of truth and falsehood. Is it true that the authority and glory of the nations had been delivered to Satan for a time? Yes. But is it true that he had the authority to give it to whomever he willed, and that he would give it to Christ if only Christ would worship him? Certainly not.

And so “Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve’” (Luke 4:8, ESV). This is a citation of Deuteronomy 6:13. Hear it now, along with the surrounding context. Moses spoke to Israel, saying, “And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you— for the LORD your God in your midst is a jealous God—lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 6:10–15, ESV).

In Luke 4:9-11 we are told of the third pronounced temptation of Jesus. There we read, “And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, [and now Satan quotes Scripture, saying] for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone’” (Luke 4:9–11, ESV).

You may be wondering, what Scripture text did the devil quote? Well, he quoted Psalm 91:11-12. Now this is fascinating. Psalm 91 is all about Jesus the Messiah. In brief, verses 1-12 talk about how God will preserve and protect the Messiah as the Messiah looks to God for refuge. Verses 11 and 12 are at the heart of the Psalm, and they say, “For he [God] will command his angels concerning you [Messiah] to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone” (Psalm 91:11–12, ESV). It is interesting that the devil quoted these verses at the midpoint of this Psalm. You see, the devil was tempting Jesus to claim this promise of protection, but to go no further. Listen to the very next verse, verse 13, of Psalm 91. “You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot” (Psalm 91:13, ESV). That should remind you of Genesis 3:15, brothers and sisters. And as the Psalm goes on there is more talk of the Messiah, not only being protected from harm, but being rescued out of it. Hear the rest of the Psalm: “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Psalm 91:14–16, ESV). You see, in Psalm 91 God did not only promise to keep the Messiah from trouble, but to rescue him out of it. And it would be through trouble, or perhaps we could say, through suffering, that the Messiah would crush the head of the serpent and see the salvation of God. I think this is what is going on here. Satan was again tempting Jesus to take a shortcut. To skip the suffering. To run to God for refuge from suffering. But a proper interpretation of Psalm 91 reveals that the Messiah would see the salvation of God and defeat the serpent only through suffering – the suffering of the cross leading to death – and being delivered out of it.

And so “Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’” (Luke 4:12, ESV). This is a citation of Deuteronomy 6:16 which says, “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you. And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers by thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has promised” (Deuteronomy 6:16–19, ESV).

Brothers and sisters, the land promised to Isarel was Cannan, and the enemies were the Canaanites. Do you see, though, that the land promised to the Messiah was not Cannan but the whole earth to be renewed at the consummation? And the enemy to be driven out was the devil himself and all who belong to him. Jesus could not simply run to the Lord for refuge. No, he had to trust the Lord to rescue him from suffering. And it would be through suffering that he would trample the serpent underfoot.

*****

Why Did This Happen? So That Jesus Would Perfectly Obey God And Defeat The Devil

The last question that I have is this (and with this, we will close): Why did this happen? Answer: So that Jesus would perfectly obey God and defeat the devil. True, the victory would be won decisively at the cross, but it began here. Christ was not only victorious at the cross and through his suffering, but in the whole of life through his perfect and perpetual obedience to the Father.

Brothers and sisters, how can I convince you that before you look to Jesus as your example, you must look to him as your victorious Savior and conquering King?

We are saved from our sins and given eternal life, brothers and sisters, not by imitating Jesus, but by trusting in him. And only after we trust in him, by God’s grace, can we then imitate him, by God’s grace.

Do you see it? Do you see the difference?

Sometimes I wonder how people can sit in church their whole life, listen to sermon after sermon, and yet not be saved. We know that it happens. The scriptures tell us that there is a mixture in the visible church. There are goats intermixed with sheep, and weeds intermixed with the wheat. But how can this be? I think one reason is this, they have looked to Jesus as a moral example, but not as a victorious Savior. “What would Jesus do?”, they ask. And as good as that question is, it is not the gospel. The gospel is not found in the question, “What would Jesus do?”, but in the question, “What has Jesus done?” The answer is that he live a life of perfect obedience for sinners, he died in the place of sinners, and he rose on the third day for sinners, so that all who believe are clothed in his righteousness, have their sins washed away, and live forevermore with the hope of life everlasting.

Should you imitate Jesus in his victory over temptation? Yes, you should. But it is far more important that you trust in the work that he accomplished, for he has won the victory over sin, Satan, his dark kingdom, and death itself. To be saved from these things, you must be found in Christ, united to him by faith.

Posted in Sermons, Joe Anady, Luke 4:1-13, Posted by Joe. Comments Off

MENU

About

Connect

Learn

Resources

Ministries

About Emmaus

Time & Location

Login To The Realm

Emmaus Resources

Multi-Generational Church Ministry

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 61:1-3

New Testament Reading: Luke 5:12-32

*****

Introduction

*****

Jesus Calls Levi

*****

After Healing a Paralytic

*****

And After Healing a Leper

*****

Contemplations

Old Testament Reading: Joshua 1:1–9

New Testament Reading: Luke 5:1-11

*****

Introduction

*****

By This Miracle, Jesus Demonstrated That He Was The Lord’s Messiah Who Had Come To Establish God’s Eternal Kingdom.

*****

By This Miricle, Jesus Showed That His Kingdom Would Expand Through His Apostles

*****

By This Miracle, Jesus Showed That His Kingdom Would Expand Through The Preaching Of The Gospel And The Ingathering Of His Elect Into The Chruch

*****

Conclusion

Suggestions For Application

Baptist Catechism 92

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 7:1-13

*****

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

*****

Baptist Catechism 92

*****

Conclusion

*****

Baptist Catechism 91

Scripture Reading: Galatians 2:15–16

*****

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.

*****

*****

Baptist Catechism 91

*****

Conclusion

Baptist Catechism 89 & 90

Scripture Reading: Acts 16:25-34

*****

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.

*****

Baptist Catechism 90

*****

Conclusion

Old Testament Reading: Zephaniah 3

New Testament Reading: Luke 4:31-44

*****

*****

Conclusion

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 61

New Testament Reading: Luke 4:14-30

*****

Introduction

*****

Jesus Is The Anointed One Of Isaiah 61

*****

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

*****

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

*****