Luke #88
Luke 10:21-24
"The Divine Prerogative"
Philippians 2:5 KJV, gives the Christian this valuable bit of instruction. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:. . " The context in which this is found reveals that humility and conformity to the will of God is the subject of the statement. Christ delighted in and faithfully conformed to the will of God. We are told elsewhere that this was Christ's meat and drink. It was what He hungered for. The NASB uses the word attitude. (Philippians 2:5 NASB) Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus. . . The meaning is this, "Let the attitude which Christ had toward God, His will and His way of doing things be your attitude also". This has a lot to do with our lesson today for by it we are challenged to delight and rejoice in some high and lofty truths just as Jesus did.
(Luke 10:21-24 NASB) At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst HIDE these things from the wise and intelligent (He speaks of those wise in their own estimation. So smart they reject God's truth.) and didst REVEAL them to babes. (He speaks of those who, by grace, see themselves as they really are, poor, blind, naked and foolish.) Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight. (God was pleased to hide the Gospel truth from some and reveal it savingly to others.) {22} "ALL THINGS have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."(By revelation men may know both the Father and the Son. But it is by revelation only!) {23} And turning to the disciples, He said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, (They are Blessed in the sense of privilege and in the sense of having had spiritual eyes given them.) {24} for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them."(That is, they longed to understand fully the dim Gospel promises which they had in their possession. They longed to lay their eyes on the promised Messiah and to see His Kingdom come, but they did not enjoy that privilege. These things were reserved for an age and a people yet to come. That day had come at last and the Disciples were experiencing it first hand.)
Upon the return of the Seventy our Lord is moved to offer praise and thanksgiving to God. He "Rejoices Greatly" by the Holy Spirit in Him. The things that thrill Him so are these;
1. The Sovereignty of God over Heaven and Earth.
2. Then he rejoices in how God saves sinners.
3. He rejoices in His own Divinity declaring that "All things have been handed over to Him by the Father.
4. He rejoices in the fact that He has the right and prerogative to reveal the Father in a saving way to anyone He wishes.
5. He rejoices in the great Blessing bestowed on all believers so that they see with spiritual eyes and hear with spiritual ears.
Lets take these five reasons for rejoicing one at a time. First Christ rejoices in the Sovereignty of God over Heaven and Earth. Jesus said, "I Praise Thee O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth." The word Lord describes God as the Ultimate Authority, the Owner, Master and Ruler of Heaven and Earth. Do you believe that this is who God is and are you delighted that it is so? Christ rejoiced in this fact and Paul counsels "Let the mind or attitude Christ had toward God, His will and way of doing things be your attitude as well." Hear the word of the God on the subject of His Lordship or Sovereignty.
(Psalms 135:6 NASB) Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.
(Psalms 115:3 NASB) But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.
(Psalms 33:8-11 NASB) Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. {9} For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. {10} The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. {11} The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation.
What do these statements do to your emotions? The very thought of these truths moved Christ to worship and praise His Father. Are you delighted with God's Lordship or intimidated by it? Jesus was delighted to address His Father as the "Lord of Heaven and Earth" and so should His children be. Let the mind and attitude of Christ toward the Father become yours also.
In particular Christ was praising God for His Sovereignty or His Lordship in Salvation. Do you thank and praise God for this? Jesus said, . . . . "I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes. Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight." (Luke 10:21 NASB)
Jesus praises God, the Lord of Heaven and Earth for His Sovereignty in the Salvation of men. He speaks of the Divine Prerogative which God has and exercises whereby He saves people of His own choosing and leaves others in the way of destruction. Jesus is praising God for Distinguishing Grace, for Particular redemption, for hiding Gospel truths from some while revealing them in a saving way to others. "I thank you O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, says Jesus.
Do you thank God for this? Do you rejoice in the Divine Prerogative that God exercises daily saving whom He pleases and passing by the rest? Paul counsels, let Christ's attitude toward these things become yours!
Who are those from whom the Gospel truths are hidden? The scripture declares they are the wise and intelligent. Does this mean that college graduates will not be saved? Of course not! These are people wise in their estimation of themselves. These are people who exist as they were born, blind to the truth about men and God. They think they know what is right and wrong, what is good for them and what is not. These are the unteachable, the proud, the arrogant they are all men before grace comes to them. These hear the preacher and conclude, "that is a bunch of hog wash, it is foolishness to me therefore I reject it". This person was me before God, in grace and mercy, gave me a new heart and mind.
The person to whom the Gospel is revealed in a saving way is described as a Babe. God hides truth from the wise and intelligent and reveals it to Babes. Who are these people? These Babes could be the wisest men on earth as far as human learning and knowledge is concerned. Or they could be the most ignorant among men. A Babe is any human who exists in a Born Again state. A Babe is the proud, arrogant, self exalting sinful human to whom God The Holy Spirit has come and given a new heart and mind. This is a person who has had his eyes and ears opened by grace and miracle. Therefore, he is person who sees himself and is disgusted with the sight. He smells the stench of his own sin before God and understands the judgement that awaits him. This man, woman or child knows for the first time ever that he is helpless, defenseless, and impotent to do anything spiritually acceptable to God. When this person hears the Gospel, the Good News that Christ came into the world to save sinners he rushes to the front of the line and cries out, "I'm the biggest sinner on earth save me first!" By grace this man has been humbled. He has been brought low to the place of absolute dependance on God's mercy like a babe is dependant on his earthly father for life itself.
The two kinds of people are depicted in Luke 18:10-14 NASB. "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer. {11} "The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to himself, 'God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer. {12} 'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.' (This man is the wise and intelligent person spoken of in our text. God has not revealed Himself to him and his arrogance is the proof.) {13} "But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' (Here is a Babe, a person made aware of his helplessness and sin by a work of Grace in his heart. To this man God has revealed himself and will continue to do so. The proof that God has revealed Himself to the tax-gatherer is his awareness of sin and of need of forgiveness. True Babes always cry out to their Father for help in time of need. What greater need does one have than forgiveness and salvation?) {14} "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted."
So what do we conclude? We conclude that Christ is not speaking of conditions met by men which when noticed by God will solicit His mercy and grace. Rather we are discussing that which distinguishes a saved person from an unbeliever. All humans are born wise and intelligent in their own eyes. All humans are born proud, arrogant know-it-alls who can be taught nothing. All humans think the Gospel is foolish until God reveals Himself to them, then they become babes in their estimation of themselves. All humans think themselves righteous in one way or another until God opens their eyes. Then they cry out "Father forgive me the sinner". So, those from whom the Gospel is hidden and will continue to be hidden are the wise and intelligent. Those to whom the Gospel has been revealed and will continue to be revealed are babes by the grace of God.
What makes the difference between one man and another? The question is not what, but who makes the difference between one man and the other? The answer is that God makes the difference between one person and another by the imposition of His grace. God, in eternity past, set His love upon a people and He will in time reveal Himself to them and to no others. These are the Babes made so by a powerful internal working of the Holy Spirit. This is His Divine Prerogative. In this Christ rejoices! For this Christ praises and thanks the Lord of Heaven and Earth. Jesus is thrilled with His Fathers wisdom and sovereignty in Salvation. He delights in the truth of Distinguishing Grace. Paul counsels, "Let the attitude Christ had toward God, His will and way of doing things become your attitude as well."
Now we look at the only reason one needs to be thrilled to death with God's way of saving His Lost Sheep. Jesus says, . . . . Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight. (Luke 10:21 NASB) This is the reason that should satisfy every child of God. This is a better reason for being delighted with God's will and ways than a thousand others that might be offered by men. Here is the only reason one needs to be perfectly happy with God's election of some to salvation and not others. "IT WAS WELL PLEASING IN GOD'S SIGHT THAT IT BE THIS WAY." If God thought something wise and proper who are we to stand up and declare Him wrong? Since He has chosen to save the lost in spite of themselves and because of His Sovereign Choice who is man to object? Since He has determined to save the people of His own choosing through the preaching of the Gospel should we not simply rejoice and continue preaching while saying with Jesus "Yes, Father, for thus it was well pleasing in Thy sight to have it so? How dare the Christian declare God's ways unfair or obsolete! Let us return to the Scriptures and rejoice with Jesus and Paul in God's wisdom.
(1 Corinthians 1:17-31 NASB) The Apostle Paul is speaking, For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to PREACH THE GOSPEL, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void. {18} For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, (These are the wise and intelligent spoken of in our text.) but TO US WHO ARE BEING SAVED IT IS THE POWER OF GOD. (These are the Babes in our text for today.) {19} For it is written, "I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE." {20} Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? {21} For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, (That is, God determined that men could not be saved by any invention or their own. On their own men could not go to God, not even the wisest among. However. . . ) God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. {22} For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; {23} but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, {24} but to THOSE WHO ARE THE CALLED, (Babes by Grace) both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. {25} Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. {26} For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; {27} but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, {28} and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, {29} THAT NO MAN SHOULD BOAST BEFORE GOD. {30} BUT BY HIS DOING YOU ARE IN CHRIST JESUS, WHO BECAME TO US WISDOM FROM GOD, AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND SANCTIFICATION, AND REDEMPTION, {31} THAT, JUST AS IT IS WRITTEN, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD." God designed a salvation that leaves man out of the equation so that He would get all the Glory and man would get none. The only thing men can bring to God is their sin, God supplies all the rest. Jesus was delighted with God's way of saving His lost Sheep. How do you feel about it? Paul counsels, "Let Christ's attitude toward God, His will and way of doing things become your attitude as well.
Next we see Christ rejoicing in His own Divinity, His own Sovereignty over Heaven and Earth and the Salvation of the Lost Sheep of God. Christ claims for himself the Diving Prerogative.
(Luke 10:22 NASB) "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."
In reference to the statement, "All things have been handed over the Me by My Father" we might answer with the closing words of the Lord's Prayer. "For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen!" Just as these words are true of God so they are true of Christ for all things have been handed over to Jesus by His Father. Even the right, the prerogative of saving one sinner while passing by the other. For Jesus said". . .no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."
Jesus is God, beloved. He is the Sovereign ruler of the nations raising one up and putting down another. He is the revealer of God to men. He reveals the Father and Himself for salvation to Babes made so by the work of God the Holy Spirit in their hearts. He reveals God to those chosen by God and given to the Son for salvation. They are God's Elect, the given ones, the Lost Sheep of Israel. They are found in every Nation under the sun. They are arrogant and self exalting like all the rest until the love of God is shed abroad in their hearts changing them forever. You will know them when you meet them for they are Babes who cry out for mercy from God. They are dependant children who walk humbly before God looking to Him for all they need. You will know them for they find no strength in themselves but go on to do all things through Christ who strengthens them. You will know them by the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. This fruit is faith in Christ for salvation, a hatred for sin. a love of truth, of God and for His people. Christ is God for He said, "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal him." (Luke 10:22 NASB)
The fifth thing Jesus rejoices about is the wonderful privilege believers born at the time of Christ and in this day enjoy. (Luke 10:23-24 NASB) And turning to the disciples, He said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, {24} for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them." That is, they did not see or hear them as clearly as you and I do. John Gill speaks of the greater privilege enjoyed by New Testament Saints as compared to those who lived before the birth of Christ. He said this;
"To see Christ in the flesh, and have a clearer insight into the knowledge of the mysteries of grace, were things very desirable to men of the highest class in church and state, and of the best characters, such as Abraham, John 8:56, Jacob, Genesis 49:18, David Ps. 14:7, Solomon, and the church in his time. Isaiah, and the saints with him, Isa. 25:9 with many others. These indeed had a sight of Christ, but a very distant one; they saw Him afar off in the promises and prophecies of Him; and not very clearly, but through dark types and cloudy sacrifices. The disciples in Christ's day saw him in person, heard him preach, took in the evidence of his miracles, and felt the power of his doctrines, and spiritually and savingly understood them." (End Quote) I add that believers today see Christ just as clearly and even more so than those who saw Him in person. Blessed above all who have gone before are the Babes of today for the revelation is complete and it is clear to all who have eyes and ears by grace.
Our Lord and Savior rejoiced and praised God for;
1. His Sovereignty over Heaven and Earth.
2. His Sovereignty in the salvation of Sinners.
3. His own Divinity.
4. His Sovereignty in the salvation of Sinners.
5. For the great blessing it is to know God and His Christ in the fulness of the revelation.
Paul counsels, "Let the attitude of Christ toward God, His will and way of doing things become your attitude as well. Rejoice, and again I say rejoice beloved, The Lord is King!