Dec 14
21

Sermon: John 3:31-36: The Son of God Incarnate

Reading of God’s Word

“He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:31–36, ESV)

Introduction

Here we are on the Sunday before Christmas and we are pressing on in our study through the gospel of John.

It is probably more obvious on this Lord’s Day than it would be on others that John’s gospel does not contain a birth narrative. That is what you expect to hear on the Sunday before Christmas, right – something about the birth of Christ? And yet John does not provide us with the material for that. John says nothing of the birth of Christ. Neither does Mark, actually. It is in the gospel of Matthew and Luke that we hear about the specific events surrounding the birth of the Savior.

Matthew and Luke tell us of the many prophesies and the appearances of angels surrounding the birth of Jesus. It is there that we learn of the immaculate conception, of Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and the Christ’s birth in that most humble place – he was wrapped in swaddling cloths and placed in a manger. Lowly shepherds came to visit him and to pay respect. John chose to leave these stories untold in his gospel.

But we would be mistaken if we took this to mean that John was uninterested in the incarnation.

That is a word you should be familiar with, especially this time of year: incarnation. We use it to refer to this reality: that the eternal Son of God took on human flesh and dwelt amongst us. He was born of a virgin. He grew as you and I grow. He experienced all of the temptations and miseries associated with this life. In the end he suffered and died for our sins, and rose again on the third day. He was, according to the scriptures, God incarnate – God in the flesh – truly and fully man; truly and fully God.

John’s gospel does not contain a birth narrative, it is true. But he often speaks of the incarnation, just in another way. He reflects upon it again and again in the first three chapters of his gospel. In fact every time John comments upon the life of Christ in the first three chapters of his gospel he hones in upon the astonishing fact that the Son of God took on flesh and dwelt among us.

There are three section in John chapters 1-3 which contain John’s comments or reflections. He comments, tells stories, comments, tells stories, and then comments again in chapters 1-3. His comments are found in the prologue (1:1-18); in the section following the story about Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus (3:16-21); and in this section here (3:31-36). These are all John’s reflections upon the life of Christ.

And look at what is at the heart of each of these reflections:

The Prologue (1:1-18)

The incarnation is at the heart of what John says in the prologue (1:1-18):

John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God… [Verse 14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us [the incarnation], and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-2, 14, ESV)

First Extended Comment (3:16-19)

And then consider John’s comments after he tells the story of Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus. In 3:16 he says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son [incarnation], that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world [incarnation], but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world [incarnation], and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” (John 3:16–19, ESV)

Second Extended Comment (3:31-36)

And notice that John does much the same thing in his second extended comment found in 3:31-36:

He writes, “He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all.” (John 3:31, ESV)

The incarnation is at the heart of John’s gospel. The eternal Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us; the light has come into the world; God loved the world in this way, by giving his Son, that all who believe might have eternal life. For John, the incarnation is the most significant event in human history. Nothing is more important than this: God took on human flesh and dwelt among us. He lived and died and rose again that we might have life by believing in his name.

So, though it is true that John does not tell us of the details surrounding the birth of the Christ in the way that Matthew and Luke do, he certainly provides us with wonderful material to reflect upon, especially during this time of year. It is only right that we think deeply upon the incarnation during this season. We ought to marvel over this reality, that the word became flesh and dwelt among us.

We could truly spend days reflecting upon the significance of this event in human history. But for the sake of time we will allow our consideration of the incarnation to be limited by the text that is before us this morning.

There are three truths stated in John 3:31-36 which will help guide us in our consideration of the Son of God incarnate:

I. When considering the incarnation one should remember that Christ was from above and, therefore, is above all. (31)

First of all, we are reminded in this text that, Christ was from above and, therefore, is above all.

Look with me at verse 31: “He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all.” (John 3:31, ESV)

John the Apostle is here agreeing with and reinforcing the statement made by John the Baptist as recorded in 3:30. The last word that we hear from the Baptist is this: “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30, ESV) John the Apostle is essentially saying amen to that and also explaining why this right.

Why is it that Jesus Christ deserved central place? Why was it right for the Baptist to decrease and for the Christ to increase? Well, there are many reasons, but John simply reminds us that Jesus is from above and, therefore, is above all.

This concept is actually stated twice in verse 31. John is obviously concerned that we get it. He repeats himself, saying, “He who comes from heaven is above all.”

The teaching is that Jesus came to this earth from above; he came from heaven. He is, therefore, above all things. He is superior to all, to be respected and honored above all. The Baptist was right to say, “he must increase, but I must decrease.”

One should remember, when considering the marvel of the incarnation, that the eternal Son of God took on human flesh really and truly and fully. In other words Jesus Christ was really a man. He was born in the way that men are born. He grew in the way that men grow. He learned. He knew what it was to be sick and tiered. He knew what it was to be hungry and thirsty. He knew what it was to be filled with sorrow and to be overwhelmed with the troubles of life. There was nothing about his appearance that would make someone think, this one is different from us.

This is all very clear in John’s gospel. It is true that Jesus was the eternal Son of God, the light of the world – but no one knew it. No one recognized him as such. The Baptist had to say, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”, and even then most were hesitant to follow him, even after hearing his testimony.

The point I am making is this: by the appearance of things, the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth were no different. They looked similar. They said and did similar things. But they were altogether different in this regard: one was of the earth, the other from above.

That is what the Apostle says concerning the Baptist: “He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way.” This was true of the Baptist just as it is true of all of us. We are of the earth. Adam was formed of the dust of the ground and we come from him through the natural process of procreation.

We are of the earth and we, therefore, speak in an earthly way. The meaning is this is that even the prophets of God – John being the greatest of them – possessed only a limited knowledge and understanding of God. It is true that God used men like John the Baptist to reveal wonderful truths to the world, but the Baptist, like every other man, woman, and child, was limited in his perspective and stood in need of revelation from above.

Whatever he knew concerning God and his plan of salvation came to him because God chose to reveal it to him. He, like we, was of the earth and, therefore, spoke in an earthly way. He could call people to repentance. He could baptize with water (an earthly substance). But he could not reveal the secret things of heaven. He could not provide the birth from above and the cleansing of the Spirit promised by the prophets in ages past.

Jesus was different. He was far superior to John (and to all). Why? Because he came from somewhere else. He was not of the earth. He was not the product of the natural process of procreation. No, he was from above – from heaven – and therefore, he was and is above all – he is superior to all. Therefore, the Baptist was correct to say, “he must increase, but I must decrease.”

Application: As we consider the incarnation during this season it is right that we marvel at the fact that the eternal Son of God took on human flesh. But we should not forget where he came from. Jesus was truly and fully man – marvel at that! But do not forget that he was God incarnate. He came from above.

I think of Philippians 2:5-8 which famously reflects upon this reality, saying, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5–8, ESV)

We should remember that Christ was from above and, therefore, is above all. He is superior.

II. When considering the incarnation one should remember that Christ, being from above, came to testify to what he has seen and heard. (32-34)

Secondly, this passage reminds us that, Christ, being from above, came to testify to what he has seen and heard.

Look with me at verse 32: “He [Jesus] bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.” (John 3:32–34, ESV)

The Son Reveals the Father

We have spoken often about the purpose for which Christ came. Why did the eternal Son of God come in human flesh? It really is a strange doctrine isn’t it? It is an incredible thing to claim that the Son of God walked in the midst of his creation for a time. But why would he do this?

John’s gospel has already made it clear, saying, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that [in order that, or for this purpose] whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV)

Christ was sent by the Father, who acted in love towards this fallen and rebellious world, for this purpose: to earn salvation for all who would believe in him. Christ came to save the believing ones.

But here in 3:32 something else is emphasized. Here John tells us that Christ came revealing that which he has seen and heard. He, being the eternal Word of God – existing with God in the beginning – indeed, being God himself – came to this earth to reveal, to testify, to witness to that which he had seen and heard in the presence of God from all eternity.

This theme runs throughout John:

In John 15:15 Jesus speaks to his disciples, saying, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15, ESV)

Christ came to reveal truths from the Father to those who belong to him.

Consider also the High Priestly prayer of Jesus found in John 17:24, where Christ prays, “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:24–26, ESV)

These two purposes of Christ – the accomplishment of salvation, and the reveling of truth from the Father – are not two separate things. It is true, Christ came to save and he came to reveal the Father to us. But do not forget that salvation comes to men and women by way of revelation. Salvation comes to us as we believe in that which Christ has revealed.

Christ came in human flesh to reveal, to testify, to witness, to make plain and clear, truths that he has seen and heard in heaven in the presence of the Father.

Think of that for a moment. Think of how great the revelation of Jesus Christ is even in comparison to others instances of revelation in human history. The prophets spoke in ages past, but even they were limited. The revelation that we have in Jesus Christ is greater because of his uniqueness – he alone was at the Fathers side – he alone was from above. The revelation that was given through Christ is, therefore, supreme and most final.

The writer to the Hebrews begins his teaching on this very point. Hebrews 1:1: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets [truth was revealed through the prophets], but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” (Hebrews 1:1–2, ESV)

The Son of God has revealed truth to us in a most supreme way. He has revealed the Father to us most fully. He has come testifying to what he has seen and heard in heaven at the Father’s side.

No One Receives His Testimony

That makes it all the more astonishing that, according to John, “no one receives his testimony”. This was (and is) the response to Christ, generally. He was (and is) dismissed and rejected by man.

This says a lot about our condition as human beings apart from Christ. It makes clear that, one, we are in need of truth from above. Two, Christ came from above to reveal truth to us. And three, in our fallen and sinful condition, we do not naturally receive truth from above – we reject it.

John has already spoken to this in 3:19, saying, “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” (John 3:19, ESV)

Why do men and women reject Christ’s testimony? Is it because he is unclear? Is it because he is inconsistent? Is it because men and women lack the mental capacity to understand his testimony? No… according to John men and women reject Christ’s testimony because their works are evil. It is a moral problem which underlies the rejection of the Christ. Men and women are in love with the darkness and therefore the hate the light. They have darkness in their hearts and despise the light. We reject Christ because we are fallen and do evil things.

Those Who Receive His Testimony Confirm That God is True

Notice that, according to verse 33, this rejection of Christ is not total or absolute. Thankfully, there are some who do receive him. Verse 33: “Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.” (John 3:33, ESV)

The reason why some receive Christ is not stated here. That is dealt with elsewhere. It has to do with new birth, regeneration, the wooing or drawing or calling of the Holy Spirit. Whatever you call it the scriptures make it clear that people only respond to the gospel in faith if God moves upon their hearts and minds.

But notice what those who receive Christ are ultimately saying. By receiving Christ they are ultimately confessing that God is true. Verse 33: “Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this [shows clearly, or confirms], that God is true.”

This is a very important little statement. It is a strong statement, especially to the ears of the the Jewish people who say they believe in the God of the Old Testament but reject the Christ. I suppose this statement would be equally powerful to a Muslim who claims to believe in the God of Abraham, and yet rejects the Christ.

According to John, to receive the testimony of the Son is to say that God is true. It is not only to say that Christ is true, but that God is true. To reject the testimony of the Son is to call God a liar. The Father and the Son, you see, are perfectly united in truth.

John fleshes this out more in verse 34: “For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.” (John 3:34, ESV) Christ came to testify to what he has seen and heard in heaven and at the Fathers side. To receive Jesus Christ is to receive God. To reject Jesus’ testimony is to reject God.

He Gives the Spirit Without Measure

The phrase found here in verse 34, “for he gives the Spirit without measure”, has been interpreted in one of two ways. This phrase is either saying that Christ gives the Spirit without measure to those who believe, or the Father gives the Spirit without measure to the Christ the Son. The question is, who gives the Spirit to whom without measure? Grammatically – that is, if we were to consider only the words by themselves – either interpretation would work.

It is possible that this verse is referring to the fact that Christ will baptize those who are his with the Holy Spirit and give it without measure (without limit or restraint). But when you take into consideration the context of this passage and the broader context of the whole Bible, the second interpretation fits better. What is said here, I believe, is that the one sent by God (that is, Jesus) utters the words of God because God has poured out the Spirit upon him without measure, without limitation.

The prophets of old were anointed by the Spirit but not in an unlimited way. They were given a measure of the Spirit in accord with what was needed to accomplish their task.

Similarly, believers are filled or baptized with the Spirit but not in an unlimited way.

For example Ephesians 4:7 says, “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” (Ephesians 4:7, ESV)

But Christ was unique in that he was filled with the Spirit most fully and most completely – without measure or restraint. John the Baptist testified in 1:32,“I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him [Jesus]. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’” (John 1:32–33, ESV) Isaiah 11:2 spoke of the coming of the Christ, saying, “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11:2, ESV)

And so Christ, being from above, came to testify to what he has seen and heard in heaven at the Fathers side. He was unique in this. No one who has ever lived could ever claim such a thing. Christ revealed the Father most fully having the Holy Spirit without measure – without limit.

Application

This all becomes very practical when the question is asked: Are you listening to Christ’s words? Have you received the testimony of Jesus Christ? It’s enjoyable, of course, to think about Christ this time of year – to think of him as a babe laying in a humble manger, and to marvel over the incarnation – but we should not forget that he came from above to reveal truth to us. How could we not also ask the question, have I listened to him? Have I received his words and believed in him?

You say, well yes Pastor. Of course I’ve received the testimony of Christ. I believe that he is the Son of God, that he lived and died and rose again. That he paid for sins so that I might live through faith in him. I would not be here if I hadn’t.

I do hope that is the case. But I’m also aware that it is possible for someone to gather with the church and to sit under the preaching of the scriptures for a long time and to remain in a state of unbelief. And so the question must be asked (even of you), have you received his testimony? Have you believed in his name?

But I might also press further and ask the person professing faith in Christ another question, namely, have you received Christ as he has been revealed according to the scriptures? True faith, you see, is not just a random and vague trusting in some random and vague person or thing. True faith involves trusting truly in the true Christ, as revealed in the scriptures.

You see many profess faith in Christ and yet know little about him. Their perception of Christ may be warped and inconsistent with what he has revealed concerning himself. The question needs to be asked, do you know him, really? Is the Jesus you are trusting in the same Jesus revealed in Holy Scripture?

And I might ask yet another question, pressing even further, saying, have you received the testimony of Christ in such a way that the whole of your life has been impacted by his words?

You see the gospel of Christ – the testimony and revelation which come from Christ – are to impact the whole of life. Many profess faith in Christ and yet go on allowing the gospel of Christ to affect only a small portion of their existence. Christ is given the 10-11:30 time slot on Sunday mornings, for example, but the rest of their life remains unaffected.

No, to receive Christ’s testimony is to have the whole of your life transformed by him. The truth of Christ, if it is received truly, affects every part of us. It affects the way that we look at everything in the world – God, family, friends, money, work, politics, education, entertainment, the arts, life, death, eternity – to receive the testimony of Christ fully is to receive him in such a way that whole of life is transformed. Christ changes everything.

III. When considering the incarnation one should remember that Christ, having finished his work, has been given authority over all things. (35-36)

And that is where John ultimately takes us. He reminds us that, while it is true, Christ was born of a virgin and placed in a lowly manger, he did not remain there. John reminds that, Christ, having finished his work, has been given authority over all things.

Look at verses 35-36: “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:35–36, ESV)

Christ is Lord of all!

I read Philippians 2:5-8 earlier, emphasizing that Christ came from above. Though he was equal with God he humbled himself and took the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of man. But Paul, in his consideration of the incarnation, does not leave off there. Listen to where Paul goes with that thought in verses 9-11. He says, “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9–11, ESV)

You see, that is where our contemplation of the incarnation should ultimately and finally take us – to consider Christ high and lifted up! We must not end our consideration of the incarnation with Christ in the manger, but with Christ enthroned in heaven, with all things in subjection to him.

He came from above, and is therefore to be honored above all.

He came to reveal truth to us, truth that he has seen and heard in heaven in the presence of God the Father. His testimony is to be received.

And, having accomplished his work through his life, death and resurrection, he has been given authority over all things. He is to be received as Lord of all.

In reality, many prefer the Jesus of the manger. There he is, meek and mild. There he is – unthreatening, unassuming, undemanding. The Christ of the manger is the Christ that many are willing to accept. But he is more than that. All authority has been given to him – even the authority to judge.

Conclusion

John concludes his consideration of the incarnation with these words: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36, ESV)

Do you see how significant Jesus is, according to the scriptures? He is the pinnacle of God’s revelation to man. He is the only one in whom salvation is found. To believe in him (that is, to confess that he is who he says he is, to trust in him, to obey him) is to have life eternal. To reject him is to reject life and to have the wrath of God remain.

Prayer: Father in heaven, we thank you for your love. We thank you for sending the Son from above. We thank you for revealing yourself to us as you have. We confess that apart from your revelation we would be left to walk in darkness. Jesus, we thank you for coming humbly; for living and dying for all who believe that they might have eternal live in your name. We rejoice that you rule over all even now and we look forward to your return. Until then, would you bring many into your kingdom. I pray that many would come to have eternal life even now. Amen.

Tags: John 3:31-36
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Dec 14
14

Sermon: John 3:22-30: Christ the Center

Reading of God’s Word

“After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon [Αἰνών] near Salim [Σαλείμ], because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for John had not yet been put in prison). Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.’ John answered, ‘A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.’” (John 3:22–30, ESV)

Introduction

Ambition is a prized virtue in our day, isn’t it? When someone has a strong desire to achieve something, and when they work hard and exhibit determination in chasing after that goal (whatever it may be), we say, that person is ambitious, and we commend them for it.

But I think we all know that there are really two kinds of ambition – one that is good and to be desired; the other evil and to be avoided.

Some are ambitious in a selfish way. They have drive and determination; they work very hard; but it is evident that their heart is set upon benefiting only themselves.

But others are ambitious in more of a selfless way. They also have drive and determination; they also work hard; but their heart seems to be concerned (to one degree or another), not only with benefiting themselves, but with the good of others.

In reality it may be difficult to distinguish between the two in people. Those with selfish ambition may wear the mask of selflessness for a time; whereas those who are indeed selfless may appear selfish to some – especially if their hard work and determination bring them a degree of success in this world.

But I think it is clear that there are two types of ambition residing within the heart of man – one selfish, the other selfless – one to be avoided, the other to be pursued.

And may I suggest that there is indeed a third kind of ambition? One that is also selfless, but in far better way. Among those who are driven by selfless ambition are those who possess, what we might call, a holy ambition.

What is the difference between the two? you might ask. Read the rest of Sermon: John 3:22-30: Christ the Center »

Tags: John 3:22-30
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Dec 14
7

Sermon: John 3:16-21: Believe in the Name of The Only Son of God!

Reading of God’s Word

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:16–21, ESV)

Introduction

There’s an excellent little book out there on the doctrine of salvation entitled Redemption Accomplished and Applied written by John Murray. I think it was originally published in 1955, so I guess it can be called a classic. It would certainly be one of my top picks for books that present the Bible’s teaching on salvation well.

Murray’s book is about one thing: redemption. It presents the Bible’s answer to the question, how can a person be saved from the judgment of God? But he comes at this one question from two angles, as the title implies: he first deals with the accomplishment of redemption, and then the application of it – Redemption Accomplished and Applied.

These are two very different things; but both are of great importance.

Redemption accomplished asks how salvation was earned? What did Christ do to accomplish, or to lay a hold of, salvation for all who believe? What did he do so that he could provide salvation to a fallen and condemned world?

Redemption applied deals with a different question, namely, how is Christ’s finished work applied to people as they live their lives here on this earth? How do individual people benefit from, or partake of, that which Christ accomplished in the past?

The point is this: an individual person cannot have salvation applied to them if it was not first accomplished; and salvation is not truly accomplished for the individual until it is applied to them.

Murray’s work is truly excellent, but I mention it only to point out that John 3:16-21 is structured in much the same way. Or maybe a better way of saying it is that the same categories and questions are considered within John 3:16-21. John is concerned to talk about two things: what Christ came to accomplish, and how what he accomplished is applied to people as they live in this world – and so these are the two questions that we will ask of John 3:16-21 this morning.

Q1: WHAT DID CHRIST COME TO ACCOMPLISH?

First, let’s talk about what Christ came to accomplish in his incarnation. What did he come to do according to John 3:16-21? What was his purpose for coming?

A1: CHRIST CAME TO EARN SALVATION FOR ALL WHO BELIEVE IN ALL THE WORLD.

The answer is that he came to earn salvation for all who believe in all the world.

You’ll notice that there is a bit of an overlap between this sermon and the one I preached last week. Last week I moved slowly through John 3:16, considering each word or phase. This week I’m covering 3:16-21 because these verses go together, forming a unit of thought.

Remember how I emphasized the importance of the word “that” in 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” In greek, it is the word ἵνα (hina). The word ἵνα is significant because it is used to indicate purpose or intent. The Father sent the Son with this purpose, or with this intent, is what John is saying. There is, therefore, an answer here given to the question, what did Christ come to accomplish?

It’s important to notice that there is not one – not two – but three ἵνα clauses in verses 16 and 17. I’ll point out where they are while reading from the ESV:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that [in order that] whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to [in order to] condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

The english words “that”, “to”, and “in order that” are all used to translate the greek word, ἵνα which expresses purpose or intent. Notice that John is very concerned to communicate purpose. He want’s us to know what Christ came to accomplish.

Also, notice that John expresses the one purpose for which Christ came in three ways. It is not that Christ had three separate purposes for coming; it is not that Christ was confused about why he came; but that John is communicating the one purpose in three ways.

In the first ἵνα clause John reveals that Christ came for this purpose: to accomplish salvation so that all who believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life.

John begins with this unmistakably clear purpose statement: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that [in order that] whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV)

Christ came to accomplish, earn, procure, salvation so that those who truly believe in him would have assurance of this salvation. He came to make salvation from condemnation and eternal life a sure thing for the believing ones.

I’ve found that people often misunderstand the words “should not” in our english versions of John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV) Should not kind of sounds like there is still a possibility that the believing ones perish – Christ came so that they should not or might not perish. It sounds as if John is saying it should work out, I think. That is not the meaning of the text (and of course that is not what the ESV is trying to communicate). I think the NIV and NASB make a good choice when they use the word “shall” – “…that whoever believes in him shall not perish…” The Net and NLT also make a good choice with the word “will” – “…so that everyone who believes will not perish…”

The meaning that all translations are trying to bring across is that this is the reason why Christ came: to accomplish salvation so that all who truly believe will certainly have it.

In the second ἵνα clause, John clarifies that Christ did not come to condemn the world.

Verse 17a: “For God did not send his Son into the world to [in order to] condemn the world…”

This is a clarification of what has already been said. Christ came the first time for the purpose of saving, not to condemn.

But why would this need to be stated? It needed to be stated because there was an expectation, especially amongst the Jewish people, that the Lord would come in judgment.

John is clarifying that the first coming of Christ was not for the purpose of condemnation; but he will judge and condemn in his second coming. Listen to Jesus’ words in John 5:25:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:25–29, ESV)

Although Christ did not come to judge fully and finally in his first coming, the judgment has, in a way, already begun as people decide to reject or believe in Christ.

John 9:39: “Jesus said, For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” That verse almost seems to contradict what is said here in 3:17. But a careful consideration reveals that there is no contradiction.

Christ came, not for the purpose of judgment and condemnation in a final and full sense, but he was given authority to judge even in his earthly ministry; and judgment had, in a way, begun at Christ’s first coming as people decided to either continue in darkness or to walk in the light.

The point being made by John is that the objective of Christ’s first coming was to accomplish salvation and not to bring final condemnation. That will happen in the future. The time between now and then is devoted to the ingathering of the believing ones.

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, ESV)

In the third ἵνα clause, John tells us that Christ came for this purpose: that the world be saved through him.

Verse 17b: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Notice once more that if we make the word “world” to mean every person without exception then what we have here are two different purposes or objectives stated for Christ coming. In verse 16 we are told that he came to accomplish salvation for those who believe, and in verse 17 we are told that he came to accomplish salvation for all without exception. These are indeed two very different concepts. If this were true, Christ is described as having two different things in his crosshairs.

But if we take “world” to mean all the peoples of the earth – every tongue, tribe, and nation – all peoples who live in this fallen and sin-sick place (just as we have been taking it to mean throughout John) – then we have no contradiction here. Christ came for one purpose – to accomplish salvation for all who believe – Jew and gentile – sinful and rebellious people – from all the earth. This is the only reasonable way to interpret “world” in John 3:16-17. Christ came into the world as the savior of the world so that all who believe in him – Jew and gentile – would have eternal life.

This is an important issue for Christian’s (or at least it should be). It’s important that we understand the mission that Christ came to accomplish. He had something in his sights – something in his crosshairs. His mission was not vague and undecided. It was not as if he came to this earth saying, ‘we’ll so how it goes’, or, ‘we’ll see how it all plays out’. No, John emphasizes time and again that Christ came for a very specific purpose – to accomplish the mission given to him by the Father.

Please take the time to read John 17 some time in the next week as Christ has a lot to say about how he viewed his own life and mission. Christ’s mission was anything but vague.

Here is an illustration appropriate for the season. The stereotype is that men shop like hunters whereas women shop like gatherers. Whether it’s true, I cannot say. I’m sure it is not true in every case, but it is certainly true of me. I think I’d rather chew dirt than wander through a mall for hours on end. I’d do it for my bride (with a good attitude!) but it’s not my thing. When I shop I know exactly what I need to get and I go get it. Done deal. I walk though that parking lot and through those doors like a man on a mission! Actually, my wife tends to shop like that too, thankfully. The point is that I shop with something in mind – something in the crosshairs – my purpose is clear, my intentions decided.

Christ was like that in his first coming. He came to earn salvation for all believe in all the world.

He did this by being born of a virgin, being truly and fully man, and truly and fully God. He lived in perfect obedience to the Law of God. He lived in perfect submission to the the will of the Father He did what Adam failed to do. Not only did actively keep God’s Law. he also suffered for us. He suffered in all of life, but supremely upon the cross. It was there that he took sins upon himself and paid for them in full. He bore the wrath of God. He stood in the place of those had and would believe in him, paying for their sins, really, truly, and fully. He died as our substitute, was buried, and rose again on the third day defeating sin and death.

Redemption… accomplished.

Q2: HOW DOES A PERSON BENEFIT FROM WHAT CHRIST HAS ACCOMPLISHED?

But a question remains. How does what Christ accomplished in his first coming benefit people to this present day? It’s true that Christ accomplished redemption – that he died once for all, having paid for sin. He was right when he uttered the words “it is finished”. He had accomplished salvation indeed! But how is what he accomplished applied to the individual in ?

A2: A PERSON HAS THE BENEFITS OF CHRIT’S WORK APPLIED TO THEM BY BELIEVING IN HIS NAME.

The answer is that a person has the benefits of Christ’s finished work applied to them by believing in his name.

Belief (or faith) is the means, the instrument, the conduit through which the salvation accomplished by Christ is applied to the person.

Belief is the conduit. Consider this: It would do no good for Edison to generate electricity in the many ways they do and to fail to also install conduit. The electricity would be there stored in mass, but it would have no way to benefit you. Your lightbulb would remain unlit, your oven cold, and your tools useless. Power must be produced and conduit installed if it is to benefit the individual. So it is with salvation. Christ accomplished salvation for all who believe from all the world; faith is the conduit.

Notice that the word “belief” appears four times in verses 16 and 18.

Verse 16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Verse 18: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Belief is the decisive thing, from a human perspective. It is the one thing that people are called to do. When we preach the gospel we are to do so exhorting people to repent and believe (that is really one action and not two – turning from the world to Christ).

Notice that we are urged to believe, and not to be born again. This is significant because in Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus Jesus presented new birth as the decisive thing. Has John missed it here? Has he urged us to do the wrong thing? Jesus says what is needed is new birth and John says what is needed is faith.

No, John has not missed it. For one, the two things are connected. Those born again, believe, and those who believe have been born again. Two, it is impossible to command someone to be born again given that this is something done by God alone. New birth is the ultimate decisive thing – but it is God’s act – something done to us. We cannot choose to be born again – God breaths new life according to his sovereign will – you cannot command someone to be born again any more than you can command someone to be born. But man must be called to believe. Man must be called to repentance and faith. That is something that man can and must do from the heart if he is to benefit from the work that Christ accomplished.

Verses 18-21 have a lot to say about the way that people respond to Christ. That Christ has accomplished salvation is clear. That belief is the conduit is also clear. But questions remain concerning why some believe and others do not.

Many things could be said about verses 18-21. I’ll make three observations.

Observation 1: Notice that, according to vs. 18, every person on the planet is in a relationship with God: some are under condemnation, and others are not under condemnation.

It is common to hear Christians say that what people need is a relationship with Jesus Christ. There is truth to that statement. People do need a relationship with Jesus. But what is often missed is that everyone already has one: they are either standing condemned or justified. They are either standing under his wrath or under his favor. A relationship exists between every person and God. The question is, is it the right kind of relationship?

Verse 18: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18, ESV)

Notice that condemnation (judgment) is not merely a future thing – it is a state that many live in here and now. If you have not believed in the Son you stand condemned. If you have not believed in the Son you live in your sin and under the wrath of God.

Notice also that eternal life is not merely a future thing – it is a state that many live in here and now. Those believing in the Son are not condemned, even now. They have eternal life the moment they believe. Of course we all long for the day when we will have eternal life in the final, full, and consummate way – but we have a taste of it now! Those who are in Christ know what it is to be forgiven, pardoned. Those who are in Christ have been given the Holy Spirit and have experience the fruits of the Spirit. Those who are in Christ know what it is to have God as Father and to be called children of God.

In verse 18 John divides humanity into two broad categories – those pardoned and those condemned. Every person on the planet is in a relationship with God – some are under condemnation, and others not under condemnation.

Observation 2: Notice, in verse 19a, the basis given for this bold judgement concerning the condemned: rejection of Christ.

“And this is the judgment [and this is the basis for the judgement]: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light…”

Why can John speak in such a black and white way concerning those standing condemned and those not condemned? Because Christ has come. He was and is the light of the world. Men and women either love the light or they hate it. There is no middle ground.

When Christ came he brought division and separation. When people are presented with Christ they must take one of two paths – they either run to him or away from him. There is no middle ground.

You say, but I know many people who, though they are not for Christ, do not seem to be against him either. Jesus said something about that.

Matthew 12:30: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Matthew 12:30, ESV)

That is the effect that Christ has upon people. People are either, like a moth, drawn to the light, or like a roach, repelled by it.

John is saying that he is able to judge in this way because there really is no middle ground. As people are confronted with Jesus Christ they are either for him or against him.

And how do people respond, according to John? “The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light.”

You would hope it would be the other way. You would hope that as the true light came into the world that he would have been greeted warmly. Instead, he was rejected.

Observation 3: Notice that, in verses 19b – 21, we are told why people respond in the way that they do.

Why do people reject the light? Verse 19b tells us, “…because their works are evil.”

Verse 20 says, “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”

Why do people reject the light? Because they love the darkness, because their deeds are evil, and because the last thing they want is for their evil deeds to be exposed. Light is the last thing that people with dark hearts and dark deeds want. They would rather remain in the dark.

John tells us that this is how the world responded to Christ’s coming.

Perhaps the greater question is why do people come to the light? The world rejected Christ, according to John. People hated the light because their deeds were evil. Why do any come to Christ? That is the real question!

John tells us that “…whoever does what is true comes to the light…” There are some who are true in heart and true in deed. To do what is true is to live according to truth. These come to the light, rejoice in the light, love the light of Christ.

But why? Why do some come and other run? Why do some do what is true and love the light while others do not? Verse 21 tells us: “…so that it may be clearly seen that his [or her] works have been carried out in God.”

These have their hearts and deeds carried along by the power of God. God has worked in them and through them. That is the difference!

This is important. It is not as if there are some who are better than others in the world. It is not as if there are some who are intrinsically more moral or more spiritual than others. It is not as if there are some who, in and of themselves, are light lovers where as others are darkness dwellers. No! All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. All have walked in darkness and have loved darkness. Those who love light and do what is true make it plain that their works have been carried out in God – in the power of God.

Conclusion

Church, redemption has been accomplished by Christ really, truly, and fully. We should rejoice and take comfort in that. He did not leave anything undone. He earned redemption most fully so that he could give it most freely. Have you received it? Has it been applied to you? Have you believed in the name of the only Son of God?

Posted in Sermons, Joe Anady, John 3:16-21, Posted by Joe. Comments Off

Mar 14
10

Emmaus Essentials – LBC 1689 – Episode 19 – Of Justification

Episode 19 of Emmaus Essentials – LBC 1689 is up and ready for your consumption. The subject is chapter 11 of the Confession – Of Justification. This is truly a vital doctrine and I would highly encourage you to listen in. Questions considered are: What is justification? How is justification received? What is the basis for our justification? When is a person justified? What is the relationship between justification and sanctification? And, how were those who lived before Christ justified? I hope your are blessed by it!

Pastor Joe

Access on:

emmauscf.org/essentials

iTunes

Posted in News, Sermons, Confession of Faith, Joe Anady, Posted by Joe. No Comments

Mar 12
27

The Story of Abraham – Part 1 of 2

The Story of Abraham – Part 1 of 2
A First Person Sermon
Genesis 12-15
Joe Anady

A. Introduction
1. Hello Emmaus Christian Fellowship, my name is Abraham. It’s a pleasure to be with you this evening to share with you about what God has done in and through me. As I understand it you are in the middle of a series where you are considering your mission as Christians today in light of the mission of God. Your pastor asked me to come and share about God’s faithfulness in my life and the role that it played in this grand plan that has been unfolding since the beginning of time.
2. Of course my story is recorded in Genesis chapters 12 – 22 but instead of simply reading from the text I figured it would be a better use of the time that we have together for me to personally give you an overview of my life. I don’t plan to talk about everything that Genesis 12-22 talks about – you can certainly take the time to read the text for yourself. My goal this evening is to give you an overview of my life, staying true to what the scriptures say, of course, with the hope that you will make application for your lives today, be it in the way of a transformed mind, or transformed behavior – preferably both. Above all else I want you to see that God is faithful to His promises despite our failings.
B. Scene 1 – Abraham in Ur of the Chaldeans
1. I was born in what you would say is 2,000 B.C. My fathers name was Terah and I had two brothers; Nahor and Haran. One thing that is important to keep in mind as you study the Bible and try to make sense of the ages that are given to my father and me at significant moments in our lives is that I was not the oldest of my brothers. It’s true that I am listed first, but that is because the rest of the story focuses on me. Haran was the oldest; he was the one who was born when my father was 70 years old. Nahor was the middle child. I was the youngest – born when my father was 130 years old. My oldest brother, Haran died at a relatively young age.
2. I was born in Ur of the Chaldeans. The city was located in what is today, Iraq. In fact, the city was located about 186 miles southeast of modern day Bagdad. Originally it was situated on a gorgeous bend of the Euphrates river but the river has, obviously, changed its course since the days that I walked this earth 4,000 years ago.
3. What you need to understand is that this place was absolutely incredible. Today it might look like nothing more than a pile of dirt, but in my day the city was splendid. From 2113 – 2095 B.C. a man by the name of Ur-Nammu governed the city and it was under his rule that the city enjoyed great prominence. We enjoyed tremendous peace and prosperity. In fact, as I look back on those early days of my life, there would have been no reason for me to leave. My entire family was there, we were economically secure, we were safe from invaders, and there was political stability. It truly was all that we could have asked for.
4. But then one day the LORD spoke to me. He revealed Himself as Yahweh. Now, you need to understand that I had not known Yahweh before this moment. Joshua was right when he would later say to the people of Israel, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods.”
5. It’s true, my family served other gods. Looking back on it now, I’m ashamed. We worshiped the creation rather than the Creator. In particular we worshipped the moon god known as Nanna. It seems so foolish to me now! We were idolaters and yet Yahweh was gracious to us.
C. Scene 2 – The call of Abram and his Obedience
1. Though I was not seeking the LORD, He was pursuing me. He interrupted my comfortable, idolatrous life by calling out to me, saying, “Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
2. I will never forget those words. Though I did not know Yahweh prior to that moment, the words that he spoke were so powerful, so real, so deeply impact-full that they were etched in my memory from that day forward. I will admit that I struggled from time to time with allowing this promise to penetrate deep down into my heart, but the words never left my mind – “Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
3. Wow. This was an overwhelming experience to say the least. To you it probably doesn’t seem like much, but put yourself in my shoes. The LORD was calling me to leave everything that I had ever known and to trustingly follow Him. This was truly the defining moment of my life.
4. You know, I’m glad for two things regarding the way that the LORD called me. First of all, I’m glad that the LORD did not soften the call so as to make it more palatable to me at first. He made it quite clear that following Him would involve leaving “my country, my kindred, and my father’s house” – everything. These words truly caused me to stop and think. These words caused me to count the cost before moving out – and count the cost I did!
5. I am also glad that He did not give me all of the details concerning what was ahead of me at once. If he had told me with great specificity how difficult the journey was going to be I don’t know if I would, at that time, have had the courage or the faith to leave. This calling was enough for me to process for the time being.
6. The LORD told me to leave all that I knew behind and to go to a land that He would show me. If He had told me that I was going to occupy the land of Canaan from the outset, I’m not sure if I would have left, for I knew that the people who occupied that land were much greater than I. But the LORD has a way of giving us just what we can handle, one piece at a time.
7. As if all of this were not enough the LORD also told me that He was going to make me a great nation.
8. Now, there is one very significant person that I have not introduced to you as of yet, but she is indeed very significant – Her name is Sara, she was my wife. Actually, at this point in the story her name was Sarai and mine was Abram, but you know us better as Sara and Abraham. That’s another story for another time. For now you should know that Sarah and I had been trying to have a child for years, and it was becoming evident to us that she was barren. This was a heartache that remained with us for most of our married life.
9. Now, could you imagine the LORD appearing to you saying that He would make you a great nation when you and your wife were, up to that point, unable to have even a single child? This was almost too much for us to believe. It was good news for sure! But it stretched our faith to say the least.
10. Not only did God promise to make me into a great nation, but He also said that He would bless me and make my name great, so that I would be a blessing.
11. Truthfully, it was at this moment that my anxious heart began to be set at ease. The calling of God was overwhelming in so many ways, but to hear the LORD say, “I will bless you” made the difference for me. I knew in that moment that no matter what the future would bring, it would be covered by the blessing of the LORD. In that moment I began to think, “I can do this.” Though I had only known Yahweh for a short time my heart was so drawn to Him that I started to see having His blessing as so much more appealing than all that Ur of the Chaldeans had to offer. The blessing of God is what I truly desired.
12. When God told me that He was going to make my name great, I almost laughed. I mean, we were a relatively prosperous family, but we were not great. I knew of great men – Kings whose reputations preceded them even to the ends of the earth – and to think that God was going to make me great like this was mind boggling. I didn’t have a clue as to how it was going to happen.
13. God also said that He was going to do all of this so that I would be a blessing. This portion of the promise was indeed very impact-full on my life from that day forward. As soon as pride would begin to well up within me causing my head to swell, thinking that this was all about me and “my blessing, and my great name”, I would remember those words – “so-that-you-will-be-a-blessing.” From the moment I was first called by God it was made clear to me that the ultimate purpose of this calling was to bless others. I realized in that moment that I was to be some sort of conduit of blessing. All of the good that the LORD determined to pour out on me was to, somehow, be ultimately distributed to others. This truth changed me deeply. It effected the way that I looked at my purpose in this world.
14. The LORD also promised that He would bless those who bless me and curse those who curse me. I heard God saying to me in that moment that He would be with me forever. Just as Kings make treaties with one another and share common friendships and common enemies, so to God would, in a way, befriend those who befriended me and oppose those who opposed me. It was good to know that I would not be going alone.
15. But perhaps the most astonishing and mysterious portion of this promise was saved for the very end. The LORD said that in me all of the families of the earth would be blessed. The earth is a big place, as you know. There are lots people on this planet; lots of families. It was with that utterance that I began to realize that all of this was so much bigger than just me and my progeny. The LORD had a grand scheme, a plan that was somehow going to extend, not only to my offspring, but also to all of the peoples of the earth.
16. Now please understand that in that moment I was almost completely in the dark concerning how these promises would ultimately work out. I gained a little bit more clarity concerning the plan of God as I walked with Him for the remainder of my days, but not much.
17. I must tell you that observing the plan of God unfolding before my eyes as I have been observing from heaven these last 4,000 years has been the most incredible experience. Words fail me. The mission of God, the history of redemption, the plan of salvation, when observed from heaven and considered from that point of view is the most most mind-boggling of experiences.
18. To think that the simple phrase, “In you all of the families of the earth will be blessed” would play out to mean that I would have a son – that he would have a son – and that after I was dead and gone my family would go into Egypt and become slaves for 430 years and be rescued from their bondage by Moses and become a great nation – that my decendents would occupy the land promised to me – that Kings would come from me, and that ultimately, through my lineage, the Messiah would come – Jesus Christ the Son of God. Now, 4,000 years later, I can truly see that in me all of the families of the earth have indeed been blessed. In fact here you are today in the United States of America, all of you with diverse ethnic backgrounds, and yet you are my offspring through faith in Jesus Christ who came in my lineage. The apostle Paul was right when he said, “Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the nations will be blessed in you.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.”
19. What an incredible story! God orchestrated all of this so that He could take on human form in the person of Jesus Christ, live in perfect obedience to the law, die in our place so that through faith in Him we all might have eternal life. I looked forward to Him in faith, you look back – but in Him we are one.
20. I agree with the apostle Paul when, considering the story of redemption, even from his limited perspective, he exclaimed, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
A. Scene 3 – The Journey with Terah to Haran
1. Well, needless to say, the LORD’s calling was effective. In fact, some of my extended family was also effected by this calling. It was actually my father, Terah, who led us out of Ur along with my nephew, Lot, whose father had passed away, and, of course my wife, Sara. It was good to have family with us on this journey.
2. Remember that the LORD had not told us where we were specifically going, and so we journeyed to the north and to the west about 650 miles as the crow flies and settled in a place called Haran which is about 20 miles to the southeast of what today is Edessa, Turkey.
3. I’m not sure why we settled there exactly. Perhaps it was because the name of the city sounded a lot like my brother’s name who had passed away; perhaps it was because they worshiped the moon god in a similar way to the people of Ur (they called him Sin instead of Nanna). Whatever it was, I decided to honor my father and to remain with him until the LORD made it clear that it was time to move on.
4. After some time my father died. He lived to the age of 205. We grieved deeply over the loss of my father, but it was clear that it was time for us to leave that city; to continue in obedience to the LORD’s call.
5. With our hearts heavy, and yet full of faith, Sara, Lot and I, along with the people we had acquired in Haran, began to sojourn to the south and to the east about 350 miles until we came into the land of Canaan, located in what is today called Israel, and to the oaks of Moreh, or Shechem, located about 40 miles to the north of what would later be Jerusalem. It was a long journey. It was frightening at times. And to be honest there were moments when when we thought to ourselves, “what in the world are we doing?”
6. But it was there that the LORD spoke to me again revealing something new to me. He simply said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” It was good to hear from the LORD again and to have some clarity from Him, but believing the promise still required faith. As I looked around I saw a beautiful land. To the west, the waters flowed down to the Mediterranean Sea; to the east, they flowed to the Jordan river. The land was rich and fertile and pleasant. I’ll admit that I wanted the promises of God to be fulfilled immediately but as I looked around I saw the Canaanites. They were a people much stronger than I. I knew that the LORD would have to do much more before His promises would be fully realized, and yet I trusted Him, that He would indeed fulfill His promise to me.
7. From there we moved to the east of Bethel, which was about 11 miles to the north of, what is today, Jerusalem and I built an alter to the LORD there and I worshiped Him, calling upon His name.
8. From there we continued on down towards the Negeb, down into the dry dessert regions to the south of Jerusalem and to the west of the Dead Sea.
I. Scene 4 – The Journey to Egypt, the Fall, and the Plunder
1. Times were difficult in the Negeb. It was very dry and there was a famine in the land. This season of life stood in stark contrast to the mountain top experience I just had in Shechem and even to the relative prosperity that I had experienced in Haran and Ur. I went from hearing the promises of God and worshiping God in lush places, to dryness.
2. The famine was so bad that we needed to do something drastic and so we decided to take our clan into Egypt. This was a risky move. We did not know how we would be received. Would they kill us and take our possessions? Would they force us into slavery? We simply did not know. But the only other option was to remain in the desert and starve to death, and so we set out west toward Egypt.
3. Now, I need to tell you about something I did that I am not so proud of. It’s true, I am known for my faith, but you must understand that I also made some really big mistakes in my life, and at the root of those mistakes was a heart that was unwilling to trust God fully in some areas.
4. As we journeyed toward Egypt I began to flounder a bit. My mind started to go places that it really should not have gone. I looked at my wife and as I considered her beauty I could not help but think that when the Egyptians saw her they would surely kill me and take her for themselves. I mean what would stop them from doing so? They certainly had the upper hand! And so I asked Sarah to tell the Egyptians that she was my sister. My reasoning was that, even if they took her, at least our lives would be spared. I believed that God could protect her even if she was taken into Pharaoh’s house – and protect her He did! But the problem with the whole situation was that, although I was still trusting in God and although my intentions were good ultimately, I will admit, I took matters into my own hands, I doubted God, and I selfishly put my own wife at risk. I acted according to my own wisdom. My faith wavered in that moment, and instead of trusting purely in the promises of God, I allowed my trust in the LORD to be polluted with a trust in myself.
5. Looking back I know that God would have protected us as husband and wife there in Egypt. If He had the power to do all that He done for us up to that point, certainly protecting us in Egypt was nothing for Him – I see that clearly now.
6. The irony is that He still protected us despite my sin. Sara was taken from me by the Egyptians. I wish could explain to you the sorrow that I felt inside when that happened, but the LORD protected Sara while she was in Pharaoh’s house – no one laid a hand on her. I was treated very well because of Sara. Pharaoh gave me sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. My wealth had been increasing from the moment we had left Ur, but now I was a very wealthy man! God even afflicted Pharaoh’s house with great plagues because of Sara.
7. I’m not sure how Pharaoh put all of the pieces together but he eventually figured out what was going on. He called me into his house and said to to me, “What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘she is my sister’, so that I took her for my wife?” He was angry – and I was afraid and ashamed. There I stood, the chosen of the LORD, being rebuked for my moral failings by godless, idolatrous, Pharaoh. He was right to rebuke me. And then, to my surprise, he sent me away with all of my possessions including the gifts that he had given me for my “sister”. I went out of Egypt with a great plunder – a very wealthy man. Pharaoh could have killed me but the fear of the LORD was upon him.
8. Do you want to hear something incredible? I actually repeated this same mistake again later in my life but the next time is was with Abimelech the King of Gerar. You can read all about that in Genesis 20, but really it was almost a repeat of what had happened in Egypt. Sara agreed to say that she was my sister (she was really my sister by the way, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother – that wasn’t a problem back in my day before the law was given like it is a problem for you today). Anyway, she said she was my sister, was taken into the King’s house and God struck the wives of the King with barrenness and confronted King Abimelech in a dream saying “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman you have taken, for she is a man’s wife”, after which Abimelech confronted me and sent us away with many gifts. There’s more to the story than that, but that should suffice for now. It was not my brightest moment.
9. You know, some people think it’s strange that Moses, when he was writing Genesis, decided to tell these stories about me. He could have left out the bad parts I guess, but to be honest, I’m really glad that the Holy Spirit moved him to include these stories.
10. Keep in mind that the people to whom Moses was originally writing had been redeemed from Egypt not long before Moses wrote these words about me in Genesis 12-22. The had come out of Egypt with great plunder just as I had hundreds of years before. They had seen God do incredible things before their eyes and yet they were struggling in their faith when it came time to enter into the land that had been promised, originally to me, and also to them. They were left to wander for 40 years in the desert, in the Negeb, if you will. I think that these stories about me, my success and failures played a huge part in giving that next generation, Joshua’s generation, the courage they needed to finally enter in and possess the land of Canaan. These episodes that were a result of a lapse in faith on my part served, ultimately, to illustrate how God is sovereign even over the heathen nations, and how God will indeed bless those who bless me and curse those who curse me. These were stories that the people of Israel needed to hear. They needed to know that God would be faithful to them no matter what. They needed to be reminded that God’s faithfulness is built upon the rock solid foundation of His promises, and not upon faithfulness of man. It’s amazing how the LORD can use even our shortcomings to bring about good and to strengthen future generations.
11. Now, from Egypt we went back toward the Negeb with our many possessions and from there we went back up towards Bethel, to the north of modern day Jerusalem, to the place where I had originally built the alter and worshiped the LORD.
A. Scene 5 – Abram and Lot Separate
1. Our possessions were great. So great, in fact, that it forced Lot and me to separate. The land simply could not support all of our livestock and strife was building between his servants and mine. The last thing I wanted was for there to be tension between my nephew and me, so I told him to pick which way he wanted to go and that I would go in the other direction. I gave him first choice of the land. He looked around and saw that the Jordan Valley was green with water everywhere and so he decided that he would head east. I could see why the Jordan Valley was appealing to him. I was concerned about the wickedness of the people who lived there, however. Nevertheless, Lot headed East and I headed West and settled in the land of Canaan.
2. The LORD appeared to me again after Lot had departed, saying, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”
3. The LORD had a way of confirming His promises to me throughout my life just when I needed it. To think that God’s promises still stood true even after my failings! To think that my offspring would be like the dust of the earth in number. I knew a thing or two about dust after wandering in the Negeb and I understood anew and afresh that God would multiply me greatly. But still, I had no child.
A. Scene 6 – Abram Rescues Lot
1. Sarah and I, along with our clan sojourned up to the oaks of Mamre which were near Hebron about 25 miles south, southwest of where Jerusalem is today, and we settled there. We thought about Lot often. He was very dear to us; we had spent so much time together.
2. One day we received word from an ally of ours that Lot and his family had been taken captive by the Kings of Ellasar, Elam, and Goiim. Basically, Lot was caught up in a messy situation. These Kings attacked the Kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela and because Lot was living amongst the people of Sodom, he and his family were also taken captive.
3. I knew that the people of Sodom were wicked people and perhaps deserved the judgement, but Lot was a righteous man; he was our family! I had no choice but to go after them and to bring them back.
4. I assembled 318 of my trained men and we went after the Kings and the LORD gave them into our hands. I rescued Lot and his family along with the people of Sodom, and many possessions. It was a great victory for us.
5. To think that not long ago I was just a man in the land of Ur and now I was leading a small army and defeating Kings!
A. Scene 7 – Abram Blessed by Melchizedek
1. On the way back from battle the King of Salem approached me. His name was Melchizedek. He was a king but he was also a priest of the Most High God. He refreshed us with bread and wine and he blessed me, saying “Blessed be Abram, by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”
2. I knew that this man was a great man. He served as an intermediary between the God Most High and those who trusted in Him. It was good to know that I wasn’t the only one on the planet worshiping Yahweh! It was also good to be blessed by someone that I could see and touch. Receiving the blessing from Melchizedek was yet another confirmation that God was indeed doing a work in and through me.
3. I don’t think it is any coincidence that this blessing came after I rescued righteous Lot out of the wickedness of the world. It seems that my actions were a foreshadowing of what Christ would ultimately do.
4. I gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything as an act of worship before the Lord.
5. I also gave the King of Sodom all that belonged to him, people and possessions, so that he could not say “I have made Abram rich.” I wanted everyone to know that my prosperity was the result of the blessing of the God Most High alone.
A. Scene 8 – God’s Covenant with Abram – 15:1-21
1. After this the LORD spoke to me again, but this time in a vision. Now this encounter was far more vivid and relational than any of the other encounters that I had with the LORD in the past.
2. He approached me in the vision and said, “Fear not Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”
3. I thought about those words and responded, “O Lord God, what will you give me for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
4. Now, you have to understand that, through all of this, the burden of remaining childless was very great. How could God possibly fulfill His promise to me if I did not have a child? And so I said to the LORD, “Behold, you have given me no offspring and a member of my household will be my heir.”
5. The LORD responded to me with great clarity saying, “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.”
6. The LORD then took me outside in the deep of the night. It was cold and moonless and the starts were shining brightly and God said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” And so I looked up and I began to gaze at the stars. I was mesmerized by their beauty. The sky was thick with stars to the degree that it seemed as if whole sky were filled. And then the LORD said to me, “So shall your offspring be.”
7. I believed the LORD. It was through that faith that I was declared righteous before God. It had always been that way, and still is that way today. We are declared righteous before God through faith.
8. The LORD then said to me, “I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” I responded to him saying, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” I needed something more from Him. A guarantee, of sorts.
9. It was then that the LORD did something incredible. In the vision He said to me, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” And so I brought him all of those animals, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But I did not cut the birds in half. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, I drove them away.
10. In the vision, as the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell over me; dreadful and great darkness fell upon me. Then the Lord said to me, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions (we know now that He spoke of the Exodus). As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
11. And when the sun had gone down and it was dark I saw a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch pass between these pieces.
12. The story sounds strange to you, I’m sure, but I knew exactly what this meant. Kings in my day would make covenants with one another in this way. They would divide animals and walk between the pieces together as a way of saying to one another and to those who observed, “let what has happened to these animals happen to me if I break this promise.” And yet, it was God who walked between the pieces alone. His light broke fourth in the moment that I was consumed with great darkness and dread, and He walked between the pieces alone, promising to do what He said He would do.
13. On that day the Lord made a covenant with me, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”
14. I said in the beginning that when the LORD first called me in Ur that much of the detail concerning the plan of God was hidden from me. Now, the LORD had told me with great certainty that my offspring would possess this land after sojourning and being in bondage for about 400 years. They would be brought out of that country in much the same way that I came out of Egypt, with great plunder. Evidently the time for all of this had not yet come – God still needed to do a work amongst the Amorites. He promised me that I would die in peace at an old age. My faith was certainty bolstered because of the covenant that God made me.
B. Conclusion
1. Well, there is a lot more that could be said, but it will have to wait for next time.
2. I am tempted, in conclusion, to make application for you based upon my life. We know that the scriptures, not only record history for us, but that they also drive us to consider the way that we think about God and the world around us and the way that we live based upon what is in out hearts. Instead of making application for you, I encourage you to think now on what you have just heard. As the music team comes up to lead us in a closing song, prayerfully make application to your own life.
3. Let’s pray. God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, we praise you. We thank you for your steadfast love, the faithfulness that you have shown to your people. Help us, LORD, to live faithfully before you. Amen.

Posted in Sermons, Joe Anady, Genesis 12, Genesis 13, Genesis 14, Genesis 15, Posted by Mike. No Comments

Mar 12
18

The Unfolding of the History of Redemption

Teaching Outline – Genesis 4 – 11
The Unfolding of the History of Redemption
3/18/2012

Intro

What can we know about the unfolding of the history of redemption from Genesis 4 through 11?

The hostility between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent is real and it is clearly visible in human history.
1. Exegesis
  1. Gen. 3:14-15 “…I will put enmity between your offspring and her offspring…”
    1. God declares war on the serpent and promises victory over sin and evil through the son of the woman.
  2. Read Gen. 4:1-13
    1. Both boys are the offspring of Eve but there is hostility between them. Why? One has saving faith and the other did not.
    2. Able acted out of faith
      1. “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.” (Hebrews 11:4, ESV)
    3. CaIn was of the evil one
      1. “By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.” (1 John 3:10–12, ESV)
    4. Jesus told the unbelieving Jews in his day that they were of the Devil.
      1. “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires… (John 8:44, ESV)

A wicked line and, by the grace of God, a righteous line have been established from the beginning of time.
1. Exegesis
  1. Able and Seth were righteous whereas Cain was not.
    1. “And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed [Seth sounds like the Hebrew word for he appointed] for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.” (Genesis 4:25–26, ESV)
  2. The genealogy of Genesis 5 flows from Adam, to Seth and Enosh, all the way to Noah.
    1. It matches the genealogy in Luke 3 (38 – 36 read it backwards to follow along w Genesis 5:1-32) which runs from Jesus to Adam.
    2. Gen. 11:10-26 matches Luke 3 (36-34) except Luke includes “Cainan”.
      1. These are adequate genealogies, not complete chronologies.
      2. The point is that a line has been established

When wickedness threatens to prevail God maintains His purposes by intervening and displaying His justice and mercy.
1. Exegesis
  1. Read Gen. 6:1-8
    1. Who are the sons of God and the daughters of men?
    2. “God was sorry” simply means that his heart was grieved by the wickedness.
      1. “Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11, ESV)
      2. Explain how it is possible to ordain something that does not please Him.
    3. “But Noah found favor [grace]”
      1. LXX – Gen 6:8 – Νωε δὲ εὗρεν χάριν ἐναντίον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ.
      2. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV)
      3. “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” (Hebrews 11:7, ESV)
  2. Read Gen 6:9-17
    1. Justice
    2. Mercy
    3. The ark as a picture of Christ
      1. “because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” (1 Peter 3:20–22, ESV)

The strength and the stability of the history of redemption is found, not in man, but in God who mercifully enters into covenant relationship with us.
1. Exegesis
  1. Read Gen. 6:18-21 – Pre- Diluvian Noahic Covenant
    1. God did not make a covenant with Noah to save him from his sins – he was already saved by grace through faith.
    2. All of humanity was under the curse of God except one man and his offspring. Why? Because of the grace of God which is displayed through the covenant of grace.
  2. Tell the story of the flood
    1. It was a re-creation
      1. “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2, ESV)
      2. “And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.” (Genesis 1:9, ESV)
    2. Noah was like a second Adam
      1. Compare Gen. 9:1-7 with Gen. 1:27-31

Gen. 1:27-31

Gen. 9:1-7

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” (Genesis 1:27–30, ESV)

“And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”” (Genesis 9:1–7, ESV)

There was a second fall – Read Gen. 9:20-28

Read Gen. 9:8-17 – Post- Diluvian Noahic Covenant
1. This was established, not with Noah alone, but with all of humanity (9:8-10)
2. The promise is that God will never again destroy the whole earth with the waters of the flood. (9:11-12)
3. The token of the covenant is the “bow in the clouds”
  1. Every time the Hebrew word “bow” is used, except for in this passage and in Ezek. 1:28 where the appearance of the Lord is compared to “the bow in the clouds”, it refers to a weapon.
  2. The token carries great symbolism – God put His weapon down.
4. Common grace

God will accomplish His purposes despite our rebellion.
1. Exegesis
  1. Read Gen. 11:1-9
    1. Explain the apparent contradiction between Gen. 10 and 11
    2. What is the story of Babel all about – is God a bully?
      1. “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it…’” (Genesis 1:28, ESV)
      2. “And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth”, (Genesis 9:1, ESV)
      3. “And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.” (Genesis 9:7, ESV)
    3. God’s purposes involve saving a people to Himself from every, tongue, tribe people and nation.
      1. “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1–3, ESV)
      2. “Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him.” (Genesis 18:18, ESV)
      3. “I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,” (Genesis 26:4, ESV)
      4. “Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 28:14, ESV)
      5. “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV)
      6. “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9–10, ESV)

Conclusion

We are so used to studying the Bible for the primary purpose of making “personal application” to our lives that we, as the idiom goes, can’t see the forest for the trees.

We could have looked at Cain, Able and Noah and made application from the events of their lives such as “it is the heart that matters most in worship” or “live righteously even if no one else does.” These are valid and true points, but they are not the point of Genesis 4-11. Who is missing in this approach? God is. And the irony is that story seems to be primarily about Him – His plan, His promises, His sovereign care.

The application is simple – believe the story of the Bible; that God is accomplishing His mission, through His people, in His way, according to His purpose, and He will do so until all has been accomplished.

Posted in Sermons, Church History, Redemption, Joe Anady, Genesis 10, Genesis 11, Genesis 4, Genesis 5, Genesis 6, Genesis 7, Genesis 8, Genesis 9, Posted by Mike. No Comments

Jun 11
5

What should we expect from Christ when our hearts are full of sorrow and confusion?

Luke 24:13-35

What should we expect from Christ when our hearts are full of sorrow and confusion?

Introduce the text

I. The Narrative

A. Scene 1 – Two discouraged men on the road to Emmaus (Vs.13-14)
B. Scene 2 – Jesus joins the two men and asks them questions (Vs. 15-24)
C. Scene 3 – Jesus encourages them from the scriptures (Vs. 25-27)
D. Scene 4 – Jesus draws the men into community with Him at the center (Vs. 28-35)

II. [What should we expect from Christ when our hearts are full of sorrow and confusion?] We should we expect Christ to pursue us, to listen to us, to encourage us from the scriptures, and to draw us together as a community of faith with Him at the center.

A. Implication 1 – We should expect Christ to pursue us – (Vs. 13-15)

1. Exegesis

a. Christ’s activity in His resurrection body was a foreshadowing of His activity in this present age.
b. It is Christ who pursues His people in 24:4, 24:15, and 24:36.
c. It should be noted that these were common men, insignificant when compared with the 11 disciples.
d. The gospel is not just that Christ died for our sins, but it is also that Christ lives for us today!

i. Philippians 1:6 (ESV)
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

ii. 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 (ESV)
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

2. Illustration

a. Imagine a sailor saying “I have good news; you are going on a sailing trip around the world!” That is potentially good news, but only if he is going with me!”

3. Application

a. When you are down, trust in Christ to sustain you, not in yourself! We trust in Christ, not only for eternal life, but also for sustenance in this life.

B. Implication 2 – We should expect Christ to listen to us – (Vs. 17-24)

1. Exegesis

a. Vs. 17 “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?”
b. Vs. 19 “What things?”
c. There is in this passage an offer on Christ’s behalf to listen to His people.
d. Prayer is an incredible gift. It is an invitation to speak with Christ Himself.

2. Illustration

a. Good friends ask questions and then listen

3. Application

a. Spend lots of time talking with God. My challenge to you is to speak with God first and more often than you speak with others concerning your frustrations.

C. Implication 3 – We should expect Christ to encourage us from the scriptures – (Vs. 25-27)

1. Exegesis

a. What scriptures did He share?

i. Genesis 3:15 (ESV)
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”

ii. Deuteronomy 18:15–18 (ESV)
15 “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— 16 just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17 And the LORD said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.

iii. Isaiah 11:1–5 (ESV)
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
and faithfulness the belt of his loins.

iv. Isaiah 7:14 (ESV)
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

v. Isaiah 53 (ESV)
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

vi. The Passover

vii. The temple worship

viii. The ram caught in the thicket and offered as a substitutionary sacrifice when Abraham went to offer Isaac

b. He emphasized the necessity for the messiah to suffer

i. He predicted this throughout His ministry
ii. You can understand why people would have ignored this teaching. They were already suffering to a degree and they didn’t want any more of it.

c. We tend to miss things in scripture that make us uncomfortable. Sometimes it’s intentional, sometimes unintentional.

d. There has been a trend in the church to soften the message of scripture so as not to offend. In some ways the trend has existed throughout church history, but it seems as if we have just experienced a strong movement toward this sort or thinking over the past 20 years or so. The problem is that the core message of scripture is deeply offensive to us.

2. Illustration

a. Don’t forget that He is the potter and we are the clay. It’s certainly not the other way around!

3. Application

a. We need to be in the scriptures, allowing the Word of God to pierce us and to mold the way we view God, others, and ourselves.

b. One of the most troubling things is to see Christians who are unwilling to truly submit to the authority of God’s Word. I will admit, there are mysteries in the Christian faith, but there are also teachings that are very clear. And if scripture is clear, we must submit to the teaching even if the teaching is an indictment against us — even if the teaching goes against the grain of our culture, or seems prickly to us at first.

c. We need to be students of God’s Word living in true and honest submission to its authority.

D. Implication 4 – We should expect Christ to draw us together as a community of faith with Him at the center – (Vs. 28-35)

1. Exegesis

a. Jesus acted as if he were going farther
b. Hospitality
c. He took the bread and blessed and broke it
d. The significance of Luke’s table scenes
e. The men, who had just finished walking seven miles, returned to Jerusalem “that very hour.” They desired fellowship that intensely.

2. Illustration

a. Our time out with folks in the Church
b. Please do not expect Emmaus to be a busy Church
c. Fast moving water is usually shallow. Slow water is deep and that is where the food settles and the big healthy fish swim.

3. Application

a. Develop deep authentic, Christ centered community.
b. Have people in to your home.
c. Talk about real life, Jesus, and the Word.
d. Join a Gospel Community Group in July but do not expect them to be a continuation of the Small Group culture that you are used to.

Posted in Sermons, Comfort, Life Issues, Joe Anady, Luke 24:13-35, Posted by Joe. No Comments

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