Old Testament Reading: Leviticus 18:1–5

“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the LORD your God. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.’” (Leviticus 18:1–5, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 10:25-37

“And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’ And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.’ But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You go, and do likewise.’” (Luke 10:25–37, 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

One of the questions I asked when beginning to study this text that is open before today is, what is the connection between this story about the lawyer who questioned Jesus to put him to the test, and the previous passage wherein Jesus prays to Father and gives thanks and then declares his disciples to be blesses to see what they have seen and to hear what they have heard?

By the way, I think it is right for the student of Holy Scripture to assume that the individual passages of Scripture do relate to each other and to attempt to identify the interconnectedness. Why did Luke choose to tell this story about the lawyer who put Jesus to the test? And why did Luke put this story in this place in his gospel? Perhaps you are thinking, it’s because the Spirit moved him to do it. And I agree with that. Or perhaps you are thinking, it’s because this thing happened at this time. And I agree with that too! But we should remember what John said at the end of his gospel: “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25, ESV). The point that I am making is that all of the gospel writers were selective. They do not tell us about everything that Jesus said and did. No, they highlight certain things. And, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they skillfully stitch these stories together to deliver a message. The history that we find in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John is true history, but it is not presented in a bare or merely factual way. No, it is true history presented in such a way that it teaches the truth concerning Jesus Christ, his person, and his work. And so we need to read the gospels, not as mere chronological and factual accounts of Jesus’ life, but as theological documents – documents that teach – documents that seek to persuade. We should assume that the stories told are carefully chosen and strategically placed.   

So, what is the connection between this story about the lawyer who questioned Jesus to put him to the test, and the previous passage? I think it is this. In the preceding passage, Jesus declared his disciples to be blessed. They were blessed to see what they saw and to hear what they heard. And if you remember, there was a double meaning in this. They were blessed to see what they saw and to hear what they heard in a physical sense. More than this, they were blessed spiritually to comprehend what they were seeing and hearing and to believe that Jesus is indeed Messiah, the Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s eternal kingdom, the Savior. Remember, this is what Jesus gave thanks to Father about. Back in Luke 10:21 we read, “In that same hour [Jesus] rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him’” (Luke 10:21–22, ESV).

We must recognize that in this passage, Jesus rejoiced over two things and made mention of two groups of people. He rejoiced, first of all, that the Father had “hidden” the truth concerning himself from the “wise and understanding”. I’m afraid that this is often overlooked. But it is stated very clearly in Luke 10:21 – “In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding…’” And he rejoiced, secondly, that the Father had “revealed” the truth concerning himself to “little children”. So then, the two groups of people are, first, those who do not know the truth about the Father and the Son, and second, those who do know the truth about the Father and the Son. 

Who are the “little children” who are blessed to have had the truth regarding the Father and Son revealed to them? They are the humble and lowly disciples of Jesus. By God’s grace, they are the ones blessed to see and hear Jesus truly. By God’s grace, they are those who recognize their need for Jesus and, forsaking all, follow after him. 

And who are the “wise and understanding” who have the truth about the Father and Son hidden from them? In general, they are all who remain in their unbelief. They are those who are blinded by their sin and self-righteousness. It seems to me that Luke sets forth this lawyer as an example of one who is “wise and understanding” and yet blind. This lawyer was highly educated and held in high esteem and yet he was blind to the truth about Christ. He could not see that the only way to the Father was through faith in the Son. He was blind because he was filled with self-righteousness and pride.

*****

The Question Put To Jesus: What Shall I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?

In Luke 10:25 we read, “And behold, a lawyer stood up to put [Jesus] to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’” I have a few things to say about this verse:

First, it is important to know what a lawyer is. When you hear the word lawyer, you probably think of a person who is trained in the civil laws that govern our land. But the lawyer of Luke 10 was a person thoroughly trained in the law of Moses. This man was an expert in the law of Moses. He was an Old Testament scholar.

Two, the text says that he “stood up to put [Jesus] to the test.” This means he was seeking to trap Jesus. “He stood up…” I think it is right to imagine him standing up in pride. And “he put Jesus to the test…” The idea here is that he desired to catch Jesus in error so that he might condemn him (see Luke 4:12; 1Corinthains 10:9; Mark 4:7). There is nothing wrong with bringing questions to Jesus. But it seems the attitude of this man was all wrong. He did not come to Jesus humbly to submit to his word, but pridefully, hoping to prove him wrong. 

Three, the question he asked is of utmost importance: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Stated differently, what must I do to be right with God? What must I do to be accepted by God? What must I do to enter heaven and escape hell? I cannot think of a more important question for a person to ask. No doubt, this is a question that all people should be supremely concerned with. And, as you probably know, this question is of utmost importance theologically. As a pastor, if I want to find out if someone truly understands the gospel and has a solid grasp of the core doctrines of the Christian faith, one of the first questions I would ask is this: what must a person do to inherit eternal life? What the person says in response to this question will be very revealing. Although this lawyer lacked true faith, and though he was blinded to the truth regarding the Father and the Son, he was no dummy. He knew how to get to the heart of things. He knew how to get to the root of a matter. His motives were all wrong, but his question was well chosen as he sought to press Jesus and to get to the heart of his theology: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

*****

A Wise Answer From Jesus: What Is Written In The Law? How Do You Read It?

Jesus’ answer is found in verse 26: “He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’” Notice a few things about Jesus’ response:

One, his response was very wise. Instead of walking into the trap that was set for him, he turned the situation around by asking the man his opinion. 

Two, notice that Jesus did not avoid the question altogether, but answered it somewhat when he replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” In other words, by answering the man’s question in this way, he acknowledged that the answer is found in the law of Moses. When the expert in the law of Moses asked Jesus, what must I do to inherit eternal life?, he may have expected Jesus to set aside, disregard, or disrespect the law of Moses, and to trap him in this. But Jesus did no such thing. Instead, Jesus honored the Old Testament Scriptures and submitted to them as authoritative when he answered as he did. It’s as if Jesus replied to the man like this: What must you do to inherit eternal life? Let’s go to the Scriptures. Let’s go to the law of Moses to find out. You are a lawyer. You are an expert. How do you read it? This was Jesus’ reply.

*****

A Correct But Hopeless Answer From The Lawyer: Obey God’s Law To Inherit Eternal Life

It is in verse 27 that we find the lawyer’s reply to Jesus: “And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 

This should sound familiar to you. Matthew and Mark both tell a story in their gospels about another lawyer approaching Jesus to test him. The question that lawyer asked was a little different than the one asked by the lawyer here in Luke 10. In Matthew 22:35 we read, “And one of them, a lawyer, asked [Jesus] a question to test him. ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And [Jesus] said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:35–40, ESV). 

So, when Jesus was asked to identify the greatest commandment in the law, he identified Deuteronomy 6:5 as the greatest commandment and Leviticus 19:18 as the second greatest commandment. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 says, “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.” Leviticus 19:18 says, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:18, ESV). Jesus used these two commandments to sum up the entire law of God. He identified these two as the greatest because “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:35–40, ESV). It is not hard to see how this is so. 

The command to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…” summarizes the first four of the Ten Commandments. More than this, it is what some of the civil and all of the ceremonial laws given to Israel through Moses were based upon. What does God’s law require of us? It requires us to love God with all that we are. We are to worship him alone as God. We are not to worship with graven images. We are not to take his name in vain. We are to remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. These are the first four of the Ten Commandments. They all have to do with the proper worship of God. They are a summary of God’s ever-abiding and unchanging moral law. And to worship God truly, we must worship him from the heart and in the whole of life. The command of Deuteronomy 6:5 to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”, is the essence of the first four of the Ten Commandments. And as I have said, it was to this foundation – the foundation of the first and greatest commandment, and the first four of the Ten Commandments – that many of civil and ceremonial laws of the Old Mosaic covenant were added (see Romans 5:20). The ceremonial laws were about Old Covenant Israel’s worship at the temple, animal sacrifices, the priesthood, and the observance of festivals, new moons, and the special sabbath days associated with them (see Colossians 2:16). All of these positive, ceremonial laws were rooted in or based upon the first four of the Ten Commandments, and the one commandment at the heart of them: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5, ESV). 

The command of Leviticus 19:18 to “love your neighbor as yourself” was used by Christ to summarize the last six of the Ten Commandments: Honor your father and mother, do not murder,  do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not covet. These are the last six of the Ten Commandments. They are a summary of God’s ever-abiding and unchanging moral law. What are they about? Love for one’s neighbor. And it was to this foundation that many of the civil laws given to Old Covenant Israel were added – laws having to do with civil penalties for crimes committed against persons – crimes such as adultery, murder, bearing false witness, and theft. The last six of the Ten Commandments and the many civil laws added to Israel under the Old Mosaic Covenant could all be boiled down to the command of Leviticus 19:18: “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

This was the teaching of Jesus. The commands, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”, and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” are the essence of God’s law. This is why Christ said, “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:40, ESV).

So then, what did the lawyer of Luke 10 mean when he answered his own question, What must a person do to inherit eternal life?, by saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27, ESV). What he meant was, eternal life must be earned by obeying all of God’s commandments. 

*****

A Shocking Reply From Jesus: You Have Answered Correctly; Do This, And You Will Live

Jesus’ reply is found in verse 28. He answered the lawyer saying, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live” (Luke 10:28, ESV).

Jesus’ reply will probably shock a person who knows the gospel. The good news of Jesus Christ is that, although eternal life cannot be obtained through obedience to the law, it can be received by God’s grace, as a gift, through faith in Christ alone. This is what Paul teaches in Galatians 2:16, saying, “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 2:16, ESV). Paul could not have been more clear. Salvation, justification, or eternal life cannot be earned through law-keeping but must be received as a gift by trusting in Jesus. Notice how Paul managed to say this three times in one verse! And we know that this was the teaching of Jesus too. Take, for example, John 3:13-16. There we hear Jesus say, “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 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 3:13–16, ESV). So then, according to these passages, eternal life comes to those who turn from their sins and trust in Jesus. Eternal life cannot be earned through law-keeping. Why then would Jesus tell this lawyer that he had answered correctly when he said that to inherit eternal life one must love God with all of the heart, soul, strength, and mind, and your neighbor as yourself? There are four really good reasons for Jesus’ reply:

One, the lawyer was not technically wrong. In theory, if someone were to keep God’s law purely from a heart of love, perfectly in thought, word, and deed, and perpetually from the very beginning of their life to the very end, they would stand right before God and merit eternal life. This is why Jesus replied to the lawyer, saying, “You have answered correctly; do this…” – love the Lord your God will all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself – keep God’s law purely, perfectly, and perpetually – “and you will live.”

Listen to these passages that speak of obedience to the law of God as a path to life. In Leviticus 18:5, God says, “You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD”. In Nehemiah 9:29, the prophet speaks to God, saying, “And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them… In Ezekiel 20:11 it is God who speaks concerning his people, saying, “I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live.” And in Romans 10:5 Paul says, “For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.”

This lawyer was not wrong. Technically, theoretically, or hypothetically, if a person were to keep God’s law purely from a heart of love, perfectly in thought, word, and deed, and perpetually from the very beginning of their life to the very end,  they would inherit eternal life.  

Two, Jesus replied to the lawyer saying, ​​“You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live”, to avoid the false charge of being against the law of Moses. Jesus is not against Moses. Moses stood with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, remember? Moses was supremely interested in Jesus and in his work. Jesus is not against Moses. And neither is Jesus against the law of Moses. This is what Christ plainly said as recorded in Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17, ESV). In other words, Christ did not come to oppose, cast down, or trash the law of Moses and the prophets who applied the law of Moses to the people, but to fulfill them. Did Christ do away with the law of Moses? In some ways, yes. But he did not do away with the law of Moses by opposing it or casting it down to the ground. No, the law of Moses has passed away because Christ fulfilled it. He fulfilled the moral laws of Moses by living in obedience to them. He fulfilled the ceremonial and symbolical portions of the law of Moses because they pointed forward to him and his work of redemption. The civil laws given to Old Covenant Israel have been fulfilled and have passed away too because Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world. The point is that: Jesus was not opposed to the law of Moses, as some accused him of being. He was, however, opposed to the misinterpretation and misuse of the law of Moses, as we will soon see. And this is one reason he answered this lawyer in the way that he did – to avoid misunderstandings and false accusations. Christ did not cast down the law, he upheld it.

Three, Jesus replied to the lawyer who thought he could earn eternal life through obedience to the law of Moses, saying, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live”, so that the law would condemn him and thus show him his need for the Savior. 

In the garden, before sin entered the world, Adam was invited to inherit eternal life by keeping God’s law personally, perfectly, and perpetually. Adam was upright and pure, and so he possessed the ability to do this. As you know, Adam failed to inherit eternal life when he willingly sinned against God. After Adam’s fall into sin, God’s law continues to function in three ways: One, as a rule of life and as light to our feet. God’s law shows us how we ought to live. Two, by God’s common grace the moral law is also used by God to curb or restrain evil in the world generally. And three, the law is used by God to show men and women their sin and their need for a Savior. So, after the fall of man into sin, God’s moral law has these uses: it functions as light to our feet, a curb to restaurant evil, and a disciplinarian to show us our sins and our need for a redeemer.  When Christ approved of the lawyer’s answer and said, do this and live, Christ used the law to condemn the lawyer. It’s as if Christ said, you are correct. Pure, exact, perfect, and perpetual obedience to God’s law will lead to life. Go and do it. Love God with all that you are. Love your neighbor as yourself. Do this. Do it personally from a heart filled with perfect love. Do it entirely. Do it exactly. And do it perpetually. In fact, I hope you have done it from the start! If you haven’t, you are already a lawbreaker – a sinner.   Go for it, lawyer. Use the law as a means to inherit life eternal. See how it goes for you. If this lawyer knew anything about God’s law, what it truly requires, and what it truly forbids, then he would very quickly see, that the law could not give him life, it could only condemn. 

I’m not sure what happened to this lawyer. Did he ever come to his senses? Did he ever come to see that he had not and could not keep God’s law and thus merit eternal life? Did he ever come to see that he needed a Savior and that Jesus is that Savior? We don’t know. But we do see evidence in our passage that the lawyer understood the problem with using God’s law as a way to inherit eternal life. In verse 29, the lawyer answered Jesus again. The text says, “But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’”

When the text says that the lawyer desired to justify himself, it means, he wanted to prove himself to be morally upright and guiltless. As I have just said, here is evidence that the lawyer was aware of the problem. He could see that if there was any hope for him to inherit eternal life through the keeping of God’s, the requirements of God’s law would have to be reduced to a bare minimum. The lawyer cound see the problem, but in his pride, he still desired to justify himself – that is, he still desired to be right before God through his own keeping of God’s law – and so he asked, “And who is my neighbor?” in other words, who exactly am I obligated to love as myself? His thought was if I could reduce this group of people down to include a very small number of people  – family, close friends, those who look and think just like me, those who share my ethnicity and religion – then maybe I could manage. The parable of the good Samaritan that Jesus responded with should have shattered all hopes in this man regarding his being justified through law-keeping, for here in this parable Jesus expands the definition of neighbor to the maximum. We will consider that parable in detail next Sunday, Lord willing.   

For now, I want you to see, that this is what legalists who think that they can be justified through law-keeping will do. They will reduce God’s law to require and forbid as little as possible. More than this, they imagine that God’s law is truly kept when it is kept externally and formally. Jesus’ view on the law was very different. For example, Jesus taught that command, you shall not commit adultery forbids lust in the heart. And the command, you shall not murder forbids hatred in the heart. The legalist will look at God’s law and say, You shall have no other gods before me? Check. I go to church every Sunday. No graven images? Check. I don’t have any idols in my house. You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain? Check. I don’t God’s name as a swear word. Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy? Check. Again, I’m in church every Sunday. Honor father and mother, no murder, no adultery, no stealing, no bearing false witness. Check, check, check, check, check. No covetousness? Well, let’s not worry about that one. It seems kind of small compared to the others. But Jesus knew better. He knew that these laws were not truly kept unless they were kept from the heart. This is what the commands, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”, and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”, reveal. Notice that the word “love” is present in both? The essence of God’s law is love. To keep God’s law truly, it must be kept purely from the heart. And to be justified by the law one must be kept in its entirety, perfectly, and perpetually. 

This lawyer was wise in the eyes of the world. He was highly educated and held in high esteem by the people. But he was a fool before God. He was blind as it pertains to the way to the Father through the Son. He knew many things about the law of Moses. He had probably memorized most of it. But he did not understand the law, what it truly requires and forbids. 

Our children have probably received better training. If they have been catechized, they have learned what sin is. Q. 17: What is sin? A: Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God. And with the help of Baptist Catechism questions 44-86 they have learned all about God’s moral law, what it truly requires, and what it forbids.  And so they know how to respond to question Q. 87: Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? A: No mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but daily break them in thought, word, or deed. They also know the answer to 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. And in this way they are prepared to understand their need for Jesus. Q. 90 of our catechism asks,  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. Whether or not our children believe this and trust in Christ for the salvation of their souls is another question. But I am confident that our children, if they have been catechized, have had their feet set down on a firmer foundation than this highly educated lawyer who thought he could justify himself before God through law-keeping, and thus inherit life eternal. 

 Why did Jesus respond to this lawyer’s appeal to the law as a potential pathway to life eternal by saying,  “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live”? It was to use the law to condemn him and to show him his need for a Savior. 

You see, the problem is not with the law. The problem is with man. What is the law except a rule or standard for righteousness? Does the law have the power to bring us to God? Yes, hypothetically. As I have said, if someone keeps the law purely from the heart, perfectly in thought word and deed, and perpetual all the days of their life, they would stand before God righteous. But “no mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but daily break them in thought, word, or deed.” The problem is not with the law but with the condition of man. And now that man has fallen, his condition is truly miserable.

Men and women are born into this world with Adam’s guilt imputed to them. In other words, we are born into this world under the broken Covenant of Works. The blessings of that Covenant are gone. Only the curses remain. And we know that the wages of sin is death (Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23). Furthermore, men and women are born into this world with corrupted natures. Our minds are darkened. Our wills are bent away from God and toward evil so that we do not freely choose to do what is good, but what is evil. As I have said, man’s condition is now by nature miserable. Add to this the fact that we all commit sins personally. This begins from a very young age. It is no wonder that Paul the Apostle says that we are by nature children of wrath (see Ephesians 2:3).    

And so I ask you, is it possible for an ordinary person to inherit eternal life by keeping the law of Moses? No! But the problem is not with the law. The problem is with man. Man cannot keep the law because we are born into this world guilty in Adam and with natures that are fallen and corrupt. And therefore, we are not, in our natural and sinful state, able to keep God’s law but daily break it in thought, word, and deed. This is why Jesus answered the lawyer as he did. It was to show that the law of Moses was good, but that men are bad. The law cannot give us life because we are not able to keep it.  To use the language of Paul found in Romans 8, the law is now a “law of sin and death”. The law is not able to bring life to us because it has been, “weakened by the flesh”. And this is why Christ came. He came to deliver us from the curse of the law through his obedient life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection. He came so that it might be said, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1–4, ESV).

This brings us to the fourth reason for Jesus’ positive reply. Why would Jesus respond to the lawyer who thought eternal life could be inherited through law-keeping, saying, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live”? Was it not to leave room for himself to inherit eternal life in this way? When Jesus affirmed the law’s ability to confer life, this did not mean that the lawyer would be able to inherit life eternal in this way. But Jesus would walk this path. He would “do this and live”. He is the one who personally, purely, perfectly, and perpetually loved the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. Jesus is the one who personally, purely, perfectly, and perpetually loved his neighbor as himself. Jesus obeyed God’s moral law in thought, word, and deed. And given that he was born, lived, and died under the Old Mosaic Covenant, he kept the civil and ceremonial laws of that covenant too. This he did to fulfill all righteousness. Indeed, Christ “in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15, ESV). 

This is why Christ entered into life eternal. He was raised from the dead and ascended to the Father in glory because he kept God’s law perfectly and perpetually. Jesus Christ did not obtain eternal life by the grace of God and through faith. No! He earned it through law-keeping. And how was he able to do this? One, he was not born with Adam’s guilt. He was born of a virgin. Two, his human nature was not corrupted, therefore, but was pure from the moment of conception. His mind was not darkened. His will was not twisted. His affections were not disordered. He was born as Adam was in the beginning – upright and pure. Three, the person of Jesus is the person of the eternal Son of God, and he cannot sin. Four, his human nature was anointed by the Holy Spirit beyond measure to strengthen and uphold him. This is why our catechism answers the question “Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?” By saying, “No mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but daily break them in thought, word, or deed.” The word mere is inserted to make room for Jesus. He is a true man, but he is no mere man. He is the one man who was virgin born. He is the person of the eternal Son of God incarnate. 

Jesus Christ replied to the lawyer, saying, “you have answered correctly, [keep God’s law] and live” because this was the very path that he would walk. He kept God’s law purely, perfectly, and perpetually, and thus inherited eternal life. In fact, Christ did more than this. He did not only earn eternal life for himself by his personal obedience. He earned eternal life for others too. This he did by laying down his life as a substitute for sinners. He lived a sinless life. He did have to pay the price of death, therefore. There was no reason for the wrath of God to fall on him. And yet he died. The wrath of God was poured out upon him. But this was to atone for the sins of those given to him by the Father in eternity.  

 *****

Conclusion

The humble, lowly, and uneducated disciples of Jesus could see this. They knew that they were sinners. They knew they could not justify themselves. They knew they needed a Savior to deliver them. They knew that to come to the Father they must go through the Son. They were the “little children” to whom the Father graciously revealed these things. But this lawyer was the epitome of the “wise and understanding” from whom these truths were hidden. 

Friends, which path will you choose? Will you, like this lawyer, seek to justify yourself before God by your own good works and obedience to God’s law? Or will you humbly acknowledge your need, turn from your sin, and trust in the one who has kept God’s perfectly, has atoned for the sins of many, and has inherited eternal life, not only for himself, before all who are united to him by faith? I pray that God would give you the wisdom to see your great need and to follow after Jesus.  

Old Testament Reading: 1 Chronicles 22:6–10

“Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the LORD, the God of Israel. David said to Solomon, ‘My son, I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the LORD my God. But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth. Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever” (1 Chronicles 22:6–10, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Luke 10:23-24

“Then turning to the disciples he said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Luke 10:23–24, 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

Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that I am not opposed to the idea of breaking from a sermon series to preach a special, topical, sermon on what is traditionally called Easter or Ressurection Sunday, but rarely do I. The reason is that I often find the text before us to be perfectly well suited for the theme of Ressurection Sunday. There is a sense in which the whole Bible is about Jesus and the redemption he has accomplished for us by his obedient life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection. We do not need to run only to those passages in the Gospels that speak directly of Christ being raised from the dead on the third day to contemplate Christ’s resurrection and its significance. And so it is with Luke 10:23-24. This passage provides us with a wonderful opportunity to reflect upon Jesus Christ and the great work of redemption that he has accomplished..

*****

Christ Spoke To His Disciples In Private

In Luke 10:23 we are told that Jesus turned to his disciples and spoke privately to them. This shows us that the things Jesus said and prayed as recorded in the previous passage were said and prayed openly and publicly for all to hear. It was in public that Christ commanded his disciples to “not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20, ESV). It was in public that Christ prayed aloud to the Father, saying, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Luke 10:21–22, ESV). While we agree that the doctrines of unconditional election and effectual calling are to be handled with care, we cannot go along with those who think these doctrines are to be hidden away from God’s people and from the world. No, Christ spoke openly about these truths. It was only after speaking openly about the fact that the names of his disciples were written in heaven and that they were his disciples because it was the will of the Father to reveal the truth about Jesus Christ to them (though they were humble and lowly), that he then turned to his disciples and spoke to them in private. 

*****

The Disciples Were Blessed To See What They Saw In A Physical And Spiritual Sense

And what did he say to them in private? “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!” In this moment, Jesus pressed his disciples to contemplate just how blessed they were. I picture Jesus looking intently into the eyes of his disciples when he spoke these words. Blessed are your eyes to see what you see. 

I think there is a double meaning here. There must be. 

First, these disciples were blessed to see what they saw (and to hear what they heard) in a physical sense. 

They saw with their own eyes the Son of God incarnate. And they heard with their own ears, the voice of the eternal Word of God made flesh. Not many were given this privilege. How many people saw Jesus of Nazareth, the eternal Son of God incarnate, with their eyes, and heard his voice with their ears? Thousands? Tens of thousands maybe? Not many when compared with the total number of people who have ever lived. These disciples of Jesus saw him and heard him. They were uniquely blessed to have walked so closely with him. 

Not only did these disciples see Jesus, but they also saw the miraculous deeds he performed. With their own eyes, they watched him calm the wind and the waves. With their own eyes, they watched him cast out demons and heal the sick. With their own eyes, they saw him raise the dead. A few of these disciples saw him transfigured on the mountain. All but one of them would see him raised from the dead.  

And these disciples did not only see Jesus, they heard him. With their own ears, they heard him claim to be the Son of God, the Son of Man, the long-awaited Messiah, the Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s eternal kingdom. With their own ears, they heard him say, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. With their own ears, they heard Jesus’ blessed teaching.

It was crucial that these disciples of Jesus saw what they saw, and heard what they heard, for they would serve as witnesses. They would be called to testify, as John did, saying, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, ESV). 

These disciples of Jesus were truly blessed to have seen what they saw with their physical eyes and to have heard what they heard with their physical ears, but they were especially blessed to see and to hear Jesus with eyes and ears of faith. Of the tens of thousands who laid their eyes on the Son of God incarnate or who were blessed to hear his gospel and his teachings, how many truly recognized who he was and received his word as true? Hundreds? Maybe thousands?

All but one of these disciples of Jesus were doubly blessed. They saw Jesus, the eternal Son of God incarnate, with their physical eyes, and by God’s grace, they perceived him to be the eternal Son of God incarnate – the Messiah – the great Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s everlasting kingdom –  with eyes of faith. It was this spiritual perception that Jesus rejoiced in when he prayed to the Father, as recorded in Luke 10:21, saying, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Luke 10:21–22, ESV).

*****

The Disciples Were Blessed To See What They Saw Redemptive Historically

When Jesus spoke to his disciples privately, saying, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!” (Luke 10:23, ESV), there was a double meaning. They were blessed to see and to hear Jesus in a physical sense, and they were especially blessed to see and hear him in a spiritual sense, with eyes and ears of faith. But in verse 24 the emphasis shifts to the physical and historical. In verse 24 we hear Christ say, “For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:24, ESV).

I love this saying of Jesus. It reveals a lot.

One, it reveals that many saw Jesus with eyes of faith before he was ever born, and they longed for his arrival. How did they see Jesus before his birth? They did not see him in his flesh, for he was not yet incarnate, but they could see him, spiritually speaking, as they received the Word of God concerning him by faith. Many had received and believed the promises of God that a Savior would come, a Deliverer who would crush the head of the Serpent who deceived Eve, and through her, Adam. Many had received and believed the promises of God concerning the arrival of the Messiah, the anointed Prophet, Priest, and King, of God’s eternal kingdom. Those with spiritual eyes to see also saw Jesus prefigured in many ways. For example, the faithful of old understood that when Abraham took Issac up on the mountain to sacrifice him, knowing that the Lord would provide a substitute, that was a picture of Christ and the substitutionary atonement he would one day make. The faithful of old understood that the blood of the Passover lamb that was spread upon the doorposts of the Hebrews to shield them from the angel of death that was sent to judge Egypt was a picture of Christ. God’s elect could see that Moses and the Exodus that was accomplished through him was a picture and preview of one greater than Moses and an Exodus greater than the one worked through him. I could go on to talk about all of the different ways that Jesus the Messiah was prefigured or foreshadowed in the Tabernacle, its sacrifices, and its priesthood. We could also look at Joshua and the conquest of Canaan. We could consider King David and his kingdom, among other things. The point is that God’s people could see Jesus before he was born. They did not know him by that name. They did not know what exactly he would be or what he would do. But by faith, they could see him. By faith, they knew he would come. And they longed for him. This is what Jesus meant when he spoke to his disciples, saying, “For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:24, ESV). It was because they could see and hear Christ by faith that they desired to see Christ in the flesh and to hear the good news of the kingdom that he would bring.

Two, this saying of Jesus reminds us that, although many were longing for the arrival of the Messiah,  great men especially desired to see him. Hear again the word that Christ spoke to his lowly disciples: “For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:24, ESV). By faith, great men longed to see Jesus and to hear the good news that he would bring. And this shows us how great Jesus and the work that he has done truly is. King David was a great man, revered by the people. But King David revered King Jesus (see Psalm 110). King David longed for the day when the Messiah would be born from him to establish the everlasting kingdom that was promised to him (see 2 Samuel 7). The people revered the prophets  – men like Moses and Elijah. These were great men. But Moses and Elijah revered Jesus. These great men of old were used by the Lord as mouthpieces through whom the word of the Lord was delivered to the people, but they longed for the arrival of the Great Prophet, the eternal Word of God made flesh. Moses spoke of him when he said, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen…” (Deuteronomy 18:15, ESV). Moses longed to see him and hear him. This was true of all the prophets of old. And do not forget how interested the prophets Moses and Elijah were in Jesus when they appeared with him on the Mount of Transfiguration. As great as these men were, and as powerfully as they were used by God, they pale in comparison to the glory of Christ. When these prophets were alive on earth, they desired to see and hear the things that these lowly disciples of Jesus were seeing and hearing. 

The New Testament has a lot to say about this. 1 Peter 1:10-12 is especially beautiful: “Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look” (1 Peter 1:10–12, ESV). That passage says it all, doesn’t it? The prophets of old saw Christ and the salvation he would accomplish by faith, but they could not see him as clearly as we do. They searched the Scriptures and inquired to know who the Christ would be, when he would come, what exactly he would do to accomplish our salvation (notice they knew he would suffer), and how he would enter into glory. They saw Christ clearly enough to trust in him and to be saved by him, but they longed for his arrival. They would have given anything to see the  Messiah with their own eyes and to hear his words with their own ears, but the time was not yet. 

The faithful and true prophets and kings of old lived with a sense of anticipation and longing for the Messiah, but when the Messiah came into the world, it was the will of the Lord that the truth about him be hidden “from the wise and understanding and revealed… to little children…” (Luke 10:21–22, ESV). These disciples of Jesus were humble and lowly. They were like little children when compared to the prophets and kings. Many of them were fishermen. None of them were of noble birth. By God’s grace, they were granted the privilege of seeing and hearing the things that the faithful prophets and kings of old longed for.

Three, when Jesus spoke to his disciples privately, saying, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:23–24, ESV), he was continuing to open the eyes of his disciples to the reality that they were living at the crossroads of human history. They were blessed to be given a front-row seat to observe the accomplishment of the redemption and the establishment of the kingdom that God had promised long before.

*****

What These Disciples Of Jesus Witnessed Was The Fullment Of The Scriptures

I’ve devoted an entire sermon to these two verses because I see them as crucial to the story that is told in Luke’s gospel. We have not taken a step back from Luke’s gospel in a while to remember the big story being told here, but I think we should do so now. 

We should remember that Luke stated his purpose for writing this gospel in the beginning. He wrote this orderly account of the life of Christ so that we would “have certainty concerning the things [we] have been taught” (Luke 1:4, ESV). His object is to convince us that Jesus is the Messiah, that he has accomplished redemption, and established God’s everlasting kingdom. And how has Luke gone about this task? How has attempted to convince us and make us certain that Jesus is the Christ and that we have salvation through faith in him? Well, he has told us about the things that Jesus said and the things that Jesus did. As it pertains to the words of Christ, we find in Luke’s gospel a record of Jesus’ teachings and his claims concerning himself. He claimed to be the Messiah, the Son and Man, and the Son of God. He claimed to be the King of God’s eternal kingdom.  And as it pertains to the works of Christ, Luke has reported the many miraculous things that Jesus did. He calmed the wind and the waves, cast out demons, healed the sick, made the lame walk, and the blind to see. He even raised the dead. Soon we will come to the account of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection from the dead. Indeed, Luke’s report of the words of Christ coupled with his report of the works of Christ is convincing on its own. Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the great Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s kingdom, and he demonstrated that his words were true by the mighty works and wonders that he performed (see Acts 2:22). But there is something even more profound about Luke’s approach. He does not merely present us with brute facts concerning the words and works of Christ. No, as he reports on the words and works of Christ he also shows them to be in fulfillment of the promises, prophesies, types, and shadows contained within the Old Testament Scriptures. 

Luke hinted at this approach in the first verse of his gospel when he mentioned that others had “compiled a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us” (Luke 1:1, ESV), and that he intended to do the same. The word “accomplished” is interesting. It can be translated as “fulfilled”. Jesus of Nazareth did not merely do and say things, he accomplished and fulfilled things. What did he accomplish and fulfill? He accomplished God’s mission for him which was decreed in eternity. And what did he fulfill? He fulfilled all of the prophecies and promises, types and shadows, that were given by God to his people from Adam’s day onward. 

In Luke’s gospel, we do find a historical record of the words and works of Jesus, but it is so much more than that. From beginning to end, the facts about what Jesus said and did are presented to us in such a way that they are shown to be a fulfillment of things revealed by God previously. Luke accomplishes this in many ways. Sometimes things are stated very directly. For example, in Luke 1:54-55 we are told that Mary, the mother of Jesus, concluded her song of praise in response to all that was revealed to her by saying, “[God] has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever” (Luke 1:54–55, ESV). Mary knew that this child that was to be born to her was in fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham long before. Sometimes the connections between the promises of God and their fulfillment in Christ are more subtly delivered, as Luke alludes to passages in the Old Testament, or presents us with themes from the Old Testament, or tells stories in such a way that they are reminiscent of stories and figures from the Old Testament. We could spend a very long time walking through Luke’s gospel making note of all of the ways that Luke connects Jesus Christ, his person, his words, and his works to the story of redemption that is told in the Bible from Genesis 1:1 onward. Throughout Luke’s gospel, we find quotations, allusions, and echoes from the Old Testament, and all of them find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. 

I’ve attempted to show you this throughout our study of Luke’s Gospel, but I draw your attention to it now because here in Luke 10:23-24 we find an account of Jesus pressing his disciples with the truth that he came to fulfill promises previously made. Again, I picture Jesus looking intently into the eyes of his disciples, when he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:23–24, ESV). In other words, Christ was here in this moment pressing his disciples with the idea that he came to fulfill all of the expectations, hopes, and desires of God’s faithful ones from generations past. Where did those expectations, hopes, and desires come from? They came from God’s word! God gave his word to Adam and Eve that a son would one day be born who would crush Satan (see Genesis 3:15). God gave his word to Abraham that this son who (was first promised to Adam and Eve) would descend from him to bless people from every tongue, tribe, and nation and to reclaim the earth. God gave his word to Judah, that this king of God’s eternal kingdom (that was promised to Adam and Abraham) would descend specifically from him (see Genesis 49:8-10). And God gave his word to King David that this son (promised to Adam, Abraham, and Judah) would be born from him. The Lord promised David, saying, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12–13, ESV). A careful consideration of the Old Testament Scriptures will help us to understand why the expectations of God’s people were raised very high. They were looking forward to the arrival of this son that was promised to Adam, Abraham, Judah, and David. They were longing to see him and to hear the good news that he had been “raised up”, in fulfillment of the promises made to King David, and that God’s eternal kingdom and the temple had begun. The expectations of God’s elect were raised very high, and Luke wants us to know that Jesus Christ is the one who meets all of those expectations. He is the son of Adam, Abraham, Judah, and David whom the Lord has “raised up” to “establish [God’s] kingdom” and to build “a house for [God’s] name”, and that God will “establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (see 2 Samuel 7:12–13).

As Luke tells us about Jesus of Nazareth, his person, and work, and shows him to be the fulfillment of prophecies and promises previously given, he tells us another story too, and that is the story of the disciples of Jesus coming to grips with all of this progressively.

When the disciples of Jesus decided to follow him, all but one of them did so sincerely. And yet we can see in Luke’s gospel that their understanding of Jesus’ true identity and the significance of his person and work developed over time. To illustrate, though most of them followed Jesus sincerely from the start believing him to be the Messiah, when he calmed the wind and waves by the power of his word, “they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” (Luke 8:25, ESV). Clearly, they knew that Jesus was the Messiah, but they had not fully grasped his true identity. It was in Luke 9:20 that Jesus pressed his disciples with the question, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered on behalf of the group, and he answered correctly, saying, “The Christ of God” (Luke 9:20, ESV). But it was after this that more was revealed to Peter, James, and John concerning the true identity of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (see Luke 9:28-36). And here in our text for today, Jesus seems to press them further. Its as if he said, I hope you men know how very blessed you are to see what you see and to hear what you hear. Prophets and kings longed for this, and you have it. And this story about the disciples of Jesus progressively coming to grips with the true identity of Jesus continues to the very end of Luke’s gospel. Did the disciples of Jesus know that he was the Messiah and follow after him sincerely from the start? Yes, they did, except for one. But did they comprehend the true identity of Jesus and the full significance of the work he would do from the start? No. Their knowledge of him increased with time. They saw Jesus truly from the start, but the eyes of their hearts were enlightened progressively as they walked with him. And when were their eyes opened fully? It was not until they saw him raised from the dead and in his glorified state.

As you probably know, Luke’s gospel concludes with an account of this. Although Christ warned his disciples over and over again that he was going to Jerusalem to suffer and die, they could not see it. It’s as if they did not have a category for the sufferings of Christ in their minds. And so, although Jesus was very direct about his eventual sufferings and death, they could not grasp it. therefore, when Jesus died, his disciples were perplexed and despondent. Their eyes were opened to the true identity of Christ and the work that he came to accomplish only after he suffered, died, and was raised from the dead. 

It was after Jesus was raised that he met with those two disciples on the road to Emmaus. It is interesting, Luke tells us that when Jesus drew near to them, at first “their eyes were kept from recognizing him” (Luke 24:16, ESV). But he spoke with them. He ministered the word of God to them, saying, “‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:25–27, ESV). It is in Luke 24:29 that we read, “they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:29–32, ESV). Luke then tells us that something very similar happened in Jerusalem as Jesus appeared to more of his disciples who were assembled there. 

When were the eyes of the disciples fully opened to comprehend the true identity of Jesus and the full significance of the work that he came to accomplish? Only after he suffered, died, was buried, and was raised in glory on the third day. It was only then that they were able to see clearly how God would deliver his people from sin and death through Jesus the Messiah, and this was revealed to them, remember, through the ministry of the word of God and in the breaking of bread. 

 *****

Conclusion

When Jesus turned to his disciples and spoke to them privately, saying, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:23–24, ESV), he wished to further awaken them to the fact that they were doubly blessed. Not only could they see Christ with eyes of faith like the elect of God who lived before them did, but they were blessed to see him in the flesh with their very own eyes and to listen to his words with their very own ears. By that point in time they had seen and heard marvelous things, but they would witness greater things even still, for these men would behold the risen Christ in his glory.

You and I are not doubly blessed in the way these original disciples of Jesus were, for did not witness the incarnation or Christ raised from the dead, but we are very blessed indeed, for we live after the accomplishment of our redemption, under the Covenant of Grace ratified in Christ’s blood, and in the inaugurated and eternal kingdom of God, of which Christ the son of Adam, Abraham, Judah, and David is King. And we have the word of the eyewitness to enable us to see Christ clearly and to comprehend the significance of his life, death, burial, and resurrection.

I trust that most of you here today have already turned from your sins and have placed your faith in Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins and to receive the gift of life eternal. If you have not, I pray that the Lord would draw you to himself by his word and Spirit. For those who have faith in Christ, I pray that your knowledge of him would increase as we gather Lord’s Day after Lord’s Day to consider the word of God and to break bread.

 The prayer of the Apostle Paul found in Ephesians 1:15-23 is a fitting conclusion to this sermon. 

“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:15–23, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 89:1-37

“A MASKIL OF ETHAN THE EZRAHITE. I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. For I said, ‘Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.’ You have said, ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’’ Selah Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD, a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you? You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them. The north and the south, you have created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name. You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face, who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted. For you are the glory of their strength; by your favor our horn is exalted. For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel. Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said: ‘I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, so that my hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him. I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted. I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’ And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.’ Selah” (Psalm 89:1-37, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 10:17-24

“The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’ And he said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’ In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’ Then turning to the disciples he said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it’” (Luke 10:17–24, 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 of Scripture that is open before us today is very precious, for here we are given a rare glimpse into the prayer life of Jesus. We know that Jesus was a man of prayer. He prayed unceasingly. The Scriptures report that he would, from time to time, retreat to a solitary place to pray.  We know that Jesus also taught his disciples how to pray. But here in Luke 10:21-22, the content of a prayer of Jesus is reported to us. Here we are given a glimpse into the heart of our Lord and of the communion that he enjoyed with the Father.   

This is not the only passage of Scripture that reveals the content of a prayer of Jesus. I think of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before his crucifixion. We know that he spent much time in prayer on that dark night. Matthew reports in his gospel that at one point Jesus, “fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’” (Matthew 26:39, ESV). That passage is precious too, for there we are given a glimpse into the mind and soul of Christ and his intimate relationship to the Father. 

I think also of when Jesus cried out to the Father on the cross, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34, ESV), and “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, ESV), and “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46, ESV). These prayers of Jesus are precious because they reveal the desires of his heart, the relationship he enjoyed with the Father, and his thoughts concerning the mission the Father had given him to accomplish. 

There is another passage of Scripture that reveals the content of a prayer of Jesus, and that is John 17.  This passage is often referred to as the High Priestly prayer of Jesus. It begins like this: “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. ‘I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word…’” (John 17:1–6, ESV), etc. 

The prayer of Jesus that is recorded in John 17 is much longer than the one that is recorded here in Luke 10:21-22, but there are similarities. In both instances, Jesus cried out to the Father a prayed concerning God’s elect. In John 17 we hear Christ pray for those that the Father had given to him in eternity. In verse 9 of John 17, we hear Christ explicitly say, “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours” (John 17:9, ESV). And in verse 20 of John 17, we hear Christ extend his prayer for his elect to include those who had not yet believed, but who would believe through the word of his disciples. Christ said, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word…” (John 17:20, ESV). If you have faith in Christ Jesus today, you can hear Christ pray for you in John 17:20. As I have said, the prayer of Luke 10:21-22 is similar to the prayer of John 17. Here we find a prayer of Jesus, and it is a prayer about the elect of God, that is to say, those predestined to eternal life, and effectually called.  

*****

The Doctrine Of Predestination

Where is the doctrine of election or predestination in our passage? It is found in Luke 10:20. Remember, the 70/72 disciples of Jeues returned from their mission and they marveled over the fact that they had the power to cast our demons in Jesus’ name. Jesus encouraged them further by saying, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you” (Luke 10:18–19, ESV). We considered this text last Sunday. It is a marvelous text. In it, we see that the establishment of Christ’s everlasting kingdom involved the simultaneous overthrow of Satan’s kingdom. Demons were cast out by Christ and his Apostles. Satan himself would be cast down from heaven and bared so that he could no longer accuse God’s people there, as he did in the days before Christ’s victory on the cross (see Job 1 and Revelation 12:7-17). These were very exciting times, marked by incredible events. But Christ spoke to his disciples saying, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20, ESV). This is the doctrine of election or predestination. To have your name written in heaven is to be chosen by God in eternity, destined for eternal life, by God’s grace alone, through faith in Christ alone. This is what the disciples of Jesus are to rejoice in supremely. 

What is the doctrine of election or predestination? 

It is the Biblical teaching that those who come to faith in Christ – those who willingly and freely turn from their sins to trust Christ and follow after him unto salvation – do so because they were chosen by God in eternity. In eternity, or we might say, before the creation of the world, God determined, decreed, or decided, to set his saving love on some of the fallen children of Adam and to bring them to salvation through a redeemer, Christ the Lord. 

Why did God choose whom he chose? The Scriptures are very clear about this – it was not based on anything in the creature. God did not base his choice on what he foresaw in them, be it faith, good works, intellectual ability, or any such thing. No, his choice was sovereign and free. God has decreed according to his good pleasure and according to the counsel of his will. God did not predestinate on the basis of what he foresaw – no, he foreknew individuals. This means he set individuals apart to be recipients of his saving love, for the purpose of bringing honor to his name, and unto glory. 

Where does the Bible teach the doctrine of predestination or election? It is everywhere. I’ll present you with a few examples this morning. 

First, there are other passages of Scripture like the one open before us today that speak of the doctrine of predestination in terms of the Book of Life. Paul mentions the Book of Life in Philippians 4:3. The Book of Life is also mentioned in Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12&15; 21:27 and 22:19. It is Revelation 13:8 that says this book was “written before the foundation of the world.” There the book is given a longer title. It is called “the book of life of the Lamb who was slain” (Revelation 13:8, ESV). Who wrote this book? God did. When was it written? In eternity, or before the foundation of the world. Whose names are written on it? All who will be saved through faith in Jesus the Messiah. The Book of Life is a metaphorical way of speaking of God’s decree as it pertains to the salvation of God’s elect. It is this book that Christ refers to in Luke 10:20 when he tells his disciples to rejoice supremely over the fact that their names are “written in heaven” (Luke 10:20, ESV). 

These references to the Book of Life are interesting, but other passages speak even more clearly about the doctrine of predestination. For example, listen to Ephesians 1:3-6. Paul wrote to Christians in Ephesus, saying, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:3–6, ESV). This passage is very rich. Notice a few things: 

One, it reveals that those who have faith in Christ were chosen by God. This is another way of speaking of God’s election or predestination (v. 3)

Two, those who come to faith in Christ were chosen in Christ. That is to say, they were predestined to be united to him by faith (v. 4). 

Three, this choice is said to have been made “before the foundation of the world”, that is, before creation, or in eternity (v. 4) 

Four, Paul tells us what the choice was based on. The choice was made, “according to the purpose of [God’s] will” (v. 5). In other words, the choice was not made based upon any merit in the creature. 

Five, this text reveals what the result of God’s choosing will be for those who are chosen. They will be made “holy and blameless” before God (v. 4). They will adopted as sons of God (v. 5). They will be blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (vs. 3, 6).

Six, Paul tells us what the end goal of God’s choosing is. It is “to the praise of [God’s] glorious grace” (v. 6).

Romans 8:28-30 is also a very important text. Their Paul writes, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:28–30, ESV). 

Notice a few things about this text. 

One, notice the past tense (aorist indicative in the Greek). Those who love God – those who have been called to faith in Christ – may rest assured that all things will work for their good. Why? For they were foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified. It might seem strange to speak of our glorification in the past tense. Yes, we are eager to enter into the state of glory in the future. But there is a sense in which everyone who has faith in Christ is glorified already. How? Through our union with Christ. Ephesians 2:6 says that we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places even now. So, the Christian may rest assured that all things – yes, even the really hard things – work together for good, because they have been foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified in their Spirit-wrought, faith-bound union with Christ.

Two, notice that God is the active subject. It is God who has foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified his people in Christ Jesus. 

Three, notice that all of the actions are linked together as an unbreakable chain. Listen to the text again: “For those whom [God] foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son… And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” The language is very repetitive. “And those he… he also…” In this way, Paul links these activities of God together into an unbreakable chain, the result being that all who are foreknown and predestined will be glorified in Christ Jesus in the end.  

Four, notice that the first link in this chain is God’s foreknowledge of people not his foreseeing of their actions. The text says that God foreknew the people he predestined for glory. The text does not say, he foresaw their faith, repentance, obedience, or any such thing, and thus predestined them in response. 

I’m sure that many of you are aware that many professing Christians today do not care for this doctrine of predestination. In fact, some who claim to be Christians hate it. And given that many of these also claim to believe the Bible, they must find a way to dismiss the clear and pervasive teaching of Holy Scripture on this subject. How do they do it? Many of them will attempt to turn the whole situation on its head by claiming that it is first man who chooses God, that God foresees this choice of theirs (given his omniscience), and then chooses them in response.

As I have said, this turns the entire situation on its head. The Scriptures describe God as the active subject in predestination, and the human as passive. In other words, God is the one who predestines and we are predestined. Or, to use the language of election and choice, we are called the elect, not the electors! We are called the chosen ones, not the ones who chose. But these professing Christians who deny the doctrine of predestination turn the whole situation upside down. To do so they must ignore the plain teaching of Scripture. They must ignore straightforward statements like this from Jesus. He spoke to his disciples, saying, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide…” (John 15:16, ESV).

One of the favorite passages of those who wish to explain away the doctrine of predestination is Romans 8:29. They especially like the word “foreknew”. They try to use it as an opportunity to read their foreknowledge view into the text, but it doesn’t work for one simple reason. The text does not say that God foresaw the faith that people would have ahead of time. No, it says that he foreknew people. Again, the text does not say that he foresaw their actions (as if this were about his omniscience), but that he foreknew them – this is not about God’s ability to see the future, but God’s eternal decree. When the text says, “those whom he foreknew…” it is a highly personal and relational way of speaking about predestination. If you are in Christ today, God knew you in eternity. This means that he set his love upon you in eternity. He set you apart as a person and determined to show you unmerited favor. He set you apart in Christ Jesus and gave you to him to redeem, in eternity before the world existed. Perhaps it would be good for you to go and read the high priestly prayer of Jesus as recorded in John 17. He spoke openly to the Father about these things in that prayer. He prayed for those people given to him by the Father in eternity. To use the language of Romans 8:29, these were the ones who were foreknown by God, “predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also calls to himself in due time, and those whom he calls, he also justifies, and those whom he justified he also glorifies” (Romans 8:28–30, ESV). 

I have a question for those who interpret the word ”foreknew” in Romans 8:29 to mean that God foresaw the faith that these people would one day have and then responded to their choice by predestinating them. Will you interpret the word in the same way when you encounter it being used to speak of Jesus Christ and his work of redemption in Acts 2:23 and 1 Peter 1:20?  

The same Greek word that is used in Romans 8:29 is used in Acts 2:23 in reference to Christ and his work on the cross. The only difference is that it appears as a verb in Romans 8:29 and as a noun in Acts 2:23. Listen to Acts 2 beginning in verse 22. We hear Peter preaching the gospel, saying, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it” (Acts 2:22–24, ESV). My question is for those who interpret foreknowledge to mean that God foresaw something that happened and then responded to what happened in time by predestinating. Will you say the same thing as it pertains to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ? Did God formulate his “definite plan” for Christ based on what he foresaw Jesus of Nazareth do? What an absurd idea! No, the person of Jesus Christ was foreknown by God (being the person of the eternal Son). And God decreed in eternity that he – the eternal Son – would become incarnate for us and our redemption. The Father did not respond to the man Jesus based on what he saw him do ahead of time. No, the Father decreed that the Son would take to himself a true human nature, live for sinners, die for sinner, and be raised for sinners, to rescue them from Satan’s kingdom, the guilt of sin, and the curse of death. It was the “definite plan” of God to the person of the Son, whom he foreknew. And who did Christ come to save and to keep in Christ Jesus? Those foreknown by God and predestined – that is to say, the elect (again I say, see John 17). These are the ones for whom Christ lived, died, and rose again (Christ laid his life down for the sheep – John 10:15 ). The sheep are God’s elect, his chosen ones. They are his flock. They are the ones who hear his voice and follow him (see John 10:27). They are the bride of Christ, and the Scriptures say that Christ laid down his life for her (see Ephesians 5:25). 

And the very same argument can be made from 1 Peter 1:20, where the verb “foreknown” is used to speak of Christ, his person and work. There Peter reminds Christians that we are “ransomed from the futile ways inherited from [our] forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:18–21, ESV).

It should be clear to all that in these passages, which have very much to do with God’s eternal decree, to foreknow is not to foresee. To foreknow is to personally predestine. When the Scriptures speak of God’s foreknowledge, they speak of God’s sovereign and free act in eternity to graciously set some people, from amongst the fallen children of Adam, apart unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, the only redeemer of God’s elect. Hear it again: “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:20–21, ESV).

To then, this view that God chose or predestined based upon what he foresaw is to be rejected for three reasons. One, it turns the biblical teaching about predestination on its head – it makes man the active party and God reactive in predestination, which is absurd. Two, it is a misinterpretation of what it means to be foreknown.  To be foreknown by God is to be known by God lovingly and savinly before the foundation of the world. To be foreknown is to be personally predestined unto salvation in Jesus Christ. Thirdly, this view that God chose or predestined based upon what he foresaw is to be rejected because the Scriptures say otherwise. 

Listen to these verses that provide us with insight into the motive behind God’s act of predestination or decree. 

Romans 9 has a lot to say about the election of individuals. In verses 11-13 the twins, Jacob and Esau are put forward as examples. And God’s word says, “Though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s pur­pose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call—[Rebekah] was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’” In verse 14 Paul anticipates the objection that sinful men and women who are unaware of the severity of their sin and what their sins truly deserve will often make: “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part?” His reply is emphatic: “By no means!” (Romans 9:14, ESV). And then in verse 15 Paul quotes Exodus 33:19. That is a very important text. It’s the one where Moses asks God to reveal his name and to show him his glory. “And [God] said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy” (Exodus 33:19, ESV). So then, this concept that God is good and that he will show grace and mercy, not to all, but to whomever he wills, is tightly linked with the very name of God, YHWH. An dit is the words, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion”, that Paul sites in Romans 9:15. Finally, in verse 16 of Romans 9, Paul concludes, “So then it depends…” What does “it” refer to? Election or predestination – the predestination that Paul was talking about in chapter 8! I quote verse 16 again,  “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Romans 9:16, ESV). Here in Romans 9, Paul addresses the question, what was God’s predestination of certain indaviduals based upon? What motivates it? The answer could not be more clear. “It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Romans 9:16, ESV). In other words, the choice is made by God, according to his good p[pleasure. He is YHWH. He “will be gracious to whom [he] will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom [he] will show mercy” (Exodus 33:19, ESV).

There are other passages that reveal the same thing. Romans 10:20 says, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”

2 Timothy 1:9 says that God “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”

1 Corinthians 1:27—29 says, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak, in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” 

Lord will, we will look at Luke 10:21-24 together. In particular, we will focus our attention on the doctrine of effectual calling. But I want you to see that the doctrine of unconditional election is also there. After commanding his disciples to rejoice that their names were written in heaven, “In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Luke 10:21–22, ESV)

*****

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, it has been some time since I have taught explicitly on the doctrine of predestination or unconditional election. Why have I done so today? Look again at Luke 10:20 and consider the command that Jesus gives to his disciples – “rejoice that your names are written in heaven”, he says. 

Many of you are aware of how hated this doctrine of unconditional election is by some who claim to be Christians. You are probably also aware of the approach taken by many pastors today. Many, even if they themselves are convinced that this doctrine is true, will not preach it or teach it to their people. It’s too controversial, they say. It’s too divisive. It’s too hard to understand. And while I have no issue with ministers being very careful with this doctrine and taking a slow and methodical approach in teaching it to their congregation if it is new to them, I find the decision to withhold this doctrine from God’s people to be very troubling. Pastors are called to preach and teach the word of God – the whole counsel of God’s word. Are we wiser than God? Is it left up to ministers to decide what God should and should not say to his people? I think not. If God’s word says it, pastors must teach it. And I hope you would agree with me that this doctrine of unconditional election is not hidden off in the corner of some obscure place in Scripture. It is everywhere present in the Old Testament and the New.  And Christ has commanded his followers to “rejoice that [their] names are written in heaven.”

This doctrine must be taught for three reasons:

The first reason is the most important, and it has already been stated. It must be taught because it is a Scriptural doctrine. 

Two, the doctrine of unconditional election or presentation must be taught because it is a sanctifying doctrine. How does God use the doctrine of election to sanctify his people? In many ways. First and foremost, it is humbling. The doctrine of eternal and unconditional election – that is, election not conditioned or based upon something worthy or meritorious in the creature, be it faith, repentance, obedience, or any such thing – leaves no room at all for pride or boasting. When someone hears about the doctrine of election for the first time they will sometimes in their ignorance say, what! Do you think you’re better than everyone else because God chose you? That person does not understand the doctrine, do they? To the contrary. We confess that it is “by grace [we] have been saved through faith. And this is not [our] own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV). In fact, we are very much aware that not many who are wise according to worldly standards, not man powerful, not many of noble birth” have been called. But God “chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:26–29, ESV). The doctrine of unconditional election is a sanctifying doctrine. Above all, it humbles all who comprehend it.

Thirdly, and finally, the doctrine of unconditional election is a soothing doctrine, one that should cause us to rejoice. How is it soothing? It reveals that if we have faith in Jesus and salvation in him it is not because we have earned it, but because God is determined to set his love upon us in eternity, and God does not change. When do we come to be forgiven? When is it that our sins are washed away? When are we rescued from the kingdom of darkness and brought into the kingdom of Christ? When are we reconciled to God, justified, and adopted? Not until we willingly and freely turn from our sins and place our faith in Jesus Christ. This is a choice that we must make. It will involve everything in us – the mind, the will, even our affections. And it will result in obedience to Christ and perseverance in him until the end. But here I am addressing the question, why? Why have you turned from sin to trust in Christ? Why have these benefits been lavished upon you, the greatest benefit of all being God’s love and reconciliation with him? If we were to burrow down as far as we can go – if we are to push this question as far back as we can take it – we would come to see that it is all rooted in God’s decree. God loves you in Christ Jesus because he has determined to set his love upon you. This is what the Apostle John means when he says, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19, ESV). 

The doctrine of unconditional election is a soothing doctrine, one that should cause us to rejoice. The Apostle Paul understood this well. And that is why, after teaching the doctrine of foreknowledge and predestination in Romans 8:28-30,  he burst forth with these comforting words of application for the believer in verse 31: 

Minister: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’” 

Congregation: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31–39, ESV)

Below is an excerpt from the book, The Five Points Of Calvinism, by Steele, Thomas & Quinn, pgs 29-35.

A Chosen People

There are general statements in Scripture that God has an elect people, and that He predestined them to salvation, and thus to eternal life.

Deuteronomy 10:14-15: “Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day.”

Psalm 33:12: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!’’

Psalm 65:4: “Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!’

Psalm 106:5: “, . . that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.”

Haggai 2:23: “On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.”

Matthew 11:27: “No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Matthew 22:14: “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Matthew 24:22, 24, 31: “And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short…. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. . . . And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Luke 18:7: “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night?”

Romans 8:28-30:’”And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justi­ fied, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Romans 8:33: “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?”

Romans 11:28: “As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.”

Colossians 3:12: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved…”

1 Thessalonians 5:9: “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Titus 1:1: “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness.”

1 Peter 1:1-2: “To those who are elect exiles . . . accord­ing to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanc­tification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood …”

1 Peter 2:8-9: “They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Revelation 17:14: “They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

Election Not Based on Foreseen Responses

Before the foundation of the world, God chose particular individuals for salvation. His selection was not based upon any foreseen response or act performed by those chosen. Faith and good works are the result, not the cause, of God’s choice.

1. God did the choosing.

Mark 13:20: “And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.”

See also 1 Thessalonians 1:4 and 2 Thessalonians 2:13, quoted below.

2. God’s choice was made before the foundation of the world.

Ephesians 1:4: “. . . even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”

See 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Timothy 1:9, Revelation 13:8, and Revelation 17:8, quoted below.

3. God chose particular individuals for salvation—their names were written in the book of life before the foundation of the world.

Revelation 13:8: “And all who dwell on earth will wor­ ship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.”

Revelation 17:8: “And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foun­dation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.”

4. God’s choice was not based upon any foreseen merit resid­ing in those whom He chose, nor was it based on any foreseen good works performed by them.

Romans 9:11-13: “Though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s pur­pose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call—she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’”

Romans 9:16: “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”

Romans 10:20: “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”

1 Corinthians 1:27—29: “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak, in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” 

2 Timothy 1:9: “. . . who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”

5. Good works are the result, not the ground, of predestination.

Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before­ hand, that we should walk in them.”

John 15:16: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

6. God’s choice was not based upon foreseen faith. Faith is the result and therefore the evidence of God’s election, not the cause or ground of His choice.

Acts 13:48: “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.”

Acts 18:27: “He greatly helped those who through grace had believed.”

Philippians 1:29: “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.”

Philippians 2:12-13: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salva­ tion with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5: “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.”

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14: “God chose you as the first fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

James 2:5: “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?”

See appendix C, “The Meaning of ‘Foreknew’ in Romans 8:29.” See also those verses quoted below under “The Efficacious Call of the Spirit or Irresistible Grace,” which teach that faith and repentance are the gifts of God and are wrought in the soul by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.

7. It is by faith and good works that one confirms his calling and election.

2 Peter 1:5-11: “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with god­liness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and broth­erly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffec­tive or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so near­ sighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”