Spoken at SGBC
1-19-97
Luke #84
Luke 9:51-56
"For The Joy Set Before Us"
(Luke 9:51-56 NASB) And it came about, when the days were approaching for His ascension, that He resolutely set His face (determined) to go to Jerusalem; {52} and He sent messengers on ahead of Him. And they went, and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make arrangements for Him. {53} And they (The Samaritans) did not receive Him, BECAUSE He was journeying with His face toward Jerusalem. {54} And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and CONSUME them?" {55} But He turned and REBUKED them, [and said, "You do not know WHAT KIND OF SPIRIT you are of; {56} for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to SAVE them."] And they went on to another village.
There are three subjects I wish to address in reference to this text. One, has to do with the necessity of Christ's death in reference to the predetermined plan of the blessed Trinity and His determination to fulfill that plan. The second has to do with the Christians proper reaction to those who reject Jesus. Third, I wish to speak to you concerning the reasons for Christ's first and second coming.
First we consider the fact that Jesus was determined to die for the sins of His people according to the predetermined and eternal plan of God. (Luke 9:51 NASB) And it came about, when the days were approaching for His ascension, that He RESOLUTELY SET HIS FACE to go to Jerusalem;
This verse tells us that the details of Christ's life and death must have taken place on certain days at specific times. He knew this and moved toward these appointments with calculated determination. "The days were approaching for His ascension".
Jesus was God in the flesh. We must never forget that. Therefore, He knew all that was about to befall Him. He had in eternity past, with the Father and Holy Spirit, determined to save God's people from their sins by His own suffering and death on the cross. Therefore, He is resolute, He is determined to be on time, nothing will deter Him! He will deliver Himself into the hands of wicked men appointed for the unjust condemnation and execution of the Son of God. They would think they had captured and led Him away a prisoner. In reality, God had captured them for participation in the redemption of His people by the crucifixion of Jesus. This is how it had to be. Consider a few scriptures with me.
Acts 2:22 "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know--23 this Man, DELIVERED UP BY THE PREDETERMINED PLAN AND FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.
Acts 4:27 "For truly in this city there were gathered together AGAINST THY HOLY SERVANT JESUS, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 TO DO WHATEVER THY HAND AND THY PURPOSE PREDESTINED TO OCCUR. The "whatever" was the crucifixion of Jesus.
Isa 53:10 ¶ Yet IT PLEASED THE LORD to bruise Him; he hath put Him to grief: when thou shalt make His soul AN OFFERING FOR SIN, He SHALL see His seed, He SHALL PROLONG His days, and the PLEASURE OF THE LORD SHALL PROSPER IN HIS HAND. It was God's good pleasure that His people be saved from the wrath to come for His own glory. God put their redemption in Christ's hands who then accomplished His mission. He saved those given Him and will, in the end, see to their resurrection.
(John 10:17-18 NASB) "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I LAY DOWN MY LIFE that I MAY TAKE IT AGAIN. {18} "NO ONE HAS TAKEN IT AWAY FROM ME, but I LAY IT DOWN ON MY OWN INITIATIVE. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father."
In out text we see the Savior marching straight to His redemptive work. He was fully aware of what awaited Him, He was Immanuel. He knew of the Betrayal, the unjust trial, the mockery, the scourging, the crown of thorns, the spitting, the nails, the spear, the agony on the cross. Yet He set His face, He fixed his mind on the good pleasure and purpose of God in redeeming His lost Children. His meat and drink was to do the will of God and He did it perfectly.
Jesus was not just God in the Flesh, He was also fully human. How then did he deal with the horror and suffering that He was about to experience? Can you imagine the anxiety and fear we would experience if we could see and know the details of a torturous death that would come upon us in just a few months? How did Jesus, not as God, but as man, deal with real pain, fear, suffering? I believe the answer to this question is found in the first verse of our text. Luke 9:51 ¶ And it came about, when the days were approaching for His ASCENSION, that He resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem;
Jesus marched toward death on the Cross, with His eye, not on the Cross, but on the Ascension. He went into the sea of terrifying providence with His eye on THE OUTCOME NOT THE PROCESS.
What do we mean when we speak of the Ascension? The word describes Christ return to Heaven after His death and Resurrection. The scene is set before us in Luke 24:46. And said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was NECESSARY for Christ to suffer, AND TO RISE from the dead the third day: . . 50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, HE WAS PARTED FROM THEM, AND CARRIED UP INTO HEAVEN. This is the Ascension! It is Jesus returning to where He came from, the right hand of the Father. This is the Joy that was set before our Lord, spoken of in Hebrews 12:1.
Therefore seeing we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, (These witnesses are those described in Hebrews Eleven who were faithful to God while experiencing all sorts of terrible suffering. These were witness to the fact that by grace, one can experience anything and remain faithful.) let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM ENDURED THE CROSS, despising the shame, (Jesus did not let the shamefulness of Crucifixion effect His obedience. Rather, with His Mind set on the Joyous conclusion He lay down His life at the appointed time and in the appointed way. . . ) and is SET DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF GOD. Now, comes the application of all this to our daily lives. 3 For CONSIDER HIM THAT ENDURED such hostility by sinners against himself, LEST YE BE WEARIED AND FAINT IN YOUR MINDS. In other words, mimic Jesus in the way He dealt with great suffering. He marched toward His own death by Crucifixion, with the Ascension in His eye. His mind was not set on the nails, the crown of thorns, or the spear, but the conclusion, His Ascension into Heaven. The certainty of this Joyous reunion strengthened and motivated our Lord in these extremely difficult days.
Suffering has been ordained by God for all of us, it is a GIFT that accompanies saving faith, (Philippians 1:29). You will deal with it best if you deal with it like Jesus did. Look upon each event as an appointment set by God. Then set your mind on the good and glorious conclusion of the whole matter, not the present suffering. Our journey to heaven, will be hard but THE JOY THAT IS SET BEFORE US, THE REUNION WITH THE FATHER AND OUR ELDER BROTHER JESUS, MAKES IT ALL WORTH WHILE. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
The second thing I want to consider is what this text teaches about the proper Christian reaction to the enemies of Christ.
(Luke 9:53-56 NASB) And they did not receive Him, because He was journeying with His face toward Jerusalem. {54} And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and CONSUME them?" {55} But He turned and REBUKED THEM, [and said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; {56} for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."] And they went on to another village.
Would you like us to send them all to hell in a handbasket? Would you like us to destroy them everyone, man, woman, child, believers and unbelievers? Here we see incredible zeal for Christ! Or do we? Such a reaction could have been the result of injured pride. It might have come from the old Jew, Samaritan conflict over the correct place to worship. However, let's give them the benefit of the doubt. Let's say they were zealous for Christ's honor and Kingdom. Does that make murder acceptable? Of course not. Christ rebuked them! He chewed them out saying, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of. . ". These were zealous but their zeal was directed by their feelings and emotions as opposed to the teaching of Christ. Just days earlier Jesus taught the following.
(Luke 6:27-37 NASB) "But I say to you who hear, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, do good to those who hate you, {28} bless those who curse you, PRAY FOR THOSE WHO MISTREAT YOU. {29} "Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. {30} "Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. {31} "AND JUST AS YOU WANT PEOPLE TO TREAT YOU, TREAT THEM IN THE SAME WAY. {32} "And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. {33} "And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. {34} "And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, in order to receive back the same amount. {35} "But LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, AND DO GOOD, AND LEND, EXPECTING NOTHING IN RETURN; and your reward will be great, and YOU WILL BE SONS OF THE MOST HIGH; FOR HE HIMSELF IS KIND TO UNGRATEFUL AND EVIL MEN. {36} "BE MERCIFUL, JUST AS YOUR FATHER IS MERCIFUL. {37} "And do not judge and you will not be judged; and DO NOT CONDEMN, and you will not be condemned; PARDON, AND YOU WILL BE PARDONED."
This is how a Christian responds to the enemies of God, Christ and therefore of himself. God is merciful, good and kind to His enemies, this side of the judgement. We are to follow His example.
Historically, so called, Christians have done exactly what the Disciples had in mind. The Crusades are a good example. "Christians" marched into heathen lands to kill everyone who would not convert. Was this zeal for God? They said it was, but there was nothing Godly about it. These "Holy Wars" had to do with power, land, realms, and wealth under the guise of religion. But, perhaps some really believed they were serving God as they killed thousands of unbelievers. If so, it was the exercise of zeal without biblical knowledge. Every life that was taken in this way constituted murder and will incur the wrath of God. The text just read in Luke Six teaches us how to deal with our enemies as do the following scriptures.
(Romans 12:19-21 NASB) Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. {20} "BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS UPON HIS HEAD." {21} Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
(Matthew 22:37-40 NASB) And He said to him, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' {38} "This is the great and foremost commandment. {39} "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' {40} "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." And what does love consist of? At least the following;
(1 Corinthians 13:4-5 NASB) Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, {5} does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT A WRONG SUFFERED. . . ." If love does not seek its own, we must conclude that love looks out for the well being of others. If this is true, we will never wish evil upon even our enemies nor will we rejoice when it comes upon them. How can love rejoice when even an evil man has died seeing that he will be forever in hell? How is a Christian to behave toward those who reject them and Jesus? We are to love them and leave them to God.
The last point I wish to make has to do with the first and second coming of Christ. He describes the reason for His first coming in verse fifty six of today's text. (Luke 9:56 NASB) [for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."] And they went on to another village.
These words are in brackets because there are questions about their belonging to Luke's Gospel. There is not a problem with what they say but with the lack of manuscript support for there very presence. Whether they belong here or not they speak the truth. They tell us why Jesus came the first time. He did not come to destroy men's lives but rather to save His people from their sin. Christ's first mission to earth was a redemptive one. He is however coming again. He is coming after His people and to punish the wicked.
(Hebrews 9:26-28 NASB) Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to PUT AWAY SIN BY THE SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF. {27} And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, {28} so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, (This was the reason for His first coming.) shall appear a second time FOR SALVATION WITHOUT REFERENCE TO SIN, to those who eagerly await Him. What does the phrase, "For Salvation without reference to sin" mean? It means that He is not coming to offer Himself a sacrifice for sin as He did the first time. HIS REDEMPTIVE WORK IS FINISHED. He has already purchased eternal salvation for all those given Him by the Father. When Jesus comes again He will raise His blood bought people from the dead and take them to heaven. This is our hope! This is the joy set before us! Consider the words of Ephesians 1:13-14 NASB. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE, {14} who is given as a PLEDGE OF OUR INHERITANCE, WITH A VIEW TO THE REDEMPTION OF GOD'S OWN POSSESSION, TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Promise given as a Pledge. His presence in us promises and secures our final salvation at the Lord's return. He is like an engagement ring that stands for something wonderful but promises more to come, the consummation of the Marriage". God The Holy Spirit keeps us safe, He leads, directs, comforts, and teaches us, but He is just the engagement ring, there is more to come. The Bride Groom is coming for His Bride. He is coming to gather those betrothed to Him by faith in His shed blood. Christ is coming the second time NOT TO save people from their sins BUT TO collect ALL those He saved in His first coming. Thus He will bring Glory and Honor to His Father for it was God's good pleasure that Jesus not lose even one of those given Him for salvation, (John 6). Eye has not seen ear has not heard the things He has prepared for us!
Then there is the judgement of all unbelievers upon Christ's return. This is why sinners must come to Christ for salvation and do so now for the day of His appearing will come upon all men unannounced and there will be no further opportunity to be saved.
(Matthew 25:32-46 NASB) "And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; {33} and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. {34} "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. . . {41} "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; . . . {46} "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
There are many who believe there will be a second chance given to all men when Christ returns. This will not be the case. He is not coming back to deal with sin in a redemptive sense but to collect those purchased by blood and saved by faith in Himself. He is coming to judge ALL unbelievers. No second chances my friend. Die in unbelief and hell will be your reward. Until His second coming we live in an age of grace. In a day when God will save all who come to Him by faith in Christ the Lord. When Jesus comes again the saved will rise from the dead to be forever with the Lord. All others will rise to be cast into an eternal hell.
Today is the day of salvation, there are no second chances. For it is appointed unto men once to die and then the judgement.
To the Christian I say persevere for the Joy Set Before You. To the unbeliever I say repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for the Horror Set Before You.