Sermon Notes 9/30/2012

Sermon Text: Luke 4:31-44

Sermon Title: Dealing with Demons

Scripture Reading: Colossians 2:6-23

Introduction

This morning, by the grace of God, we are going to look into the unseen demonic realm. This morning we will read of the first of twenty-three instances where Jesus encounters demonic activity in Luke’s Gospel.

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. Once is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel and excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight” (Lewis, C.S. The Screwtape Letters [New York: MacMillian, 1977], 9).

Behind all flesh and blood evil that we see is a strategic power of influence that we cannot see. There is a depth dimension to human evil, an underlying influence.

In the C.S. Lewis quote above, he names the two errors of interpreting the demonic as materialist and magician:

Materialist                                                    Magician

Underestimate presence/involvement/power              Overestimate the “”

Satan isn’t a factor bc Jesus reigns                               Everything is a Satan thing that requires rebuke

Virtually no interest or mindfulness                            Very unhealthy interest/always mindful

What are Demons?

Originally demons were holy angels with Satan being the highest-ranking of all. They lived in heaven, where they served and worshiped God. But through pride, Satan rebelled against God (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 12:3-4), and one third (Revelation 12:3-4) of the holy angels joined him in an attempt to take God’s throne.

In the present age, demons operate in the world to achieve the purposes of Satan and thwart the purposes of God. They are behind the evil world system that dominates through strategies of influence and temptation. The demonic realm desires to blind unbelievers to spiritual truth (2 Corinthians 4:4) and lead people to deception (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).¹

Satan and demons are real, personal, intelligent, organized spiritual beings that are very aggressive, active, present, and influential in your life and world. We need to know how to deal with demons.

After Jesus’ baptism, genealogy, and wilderness temptation, Luke records the first two events in Jesus’ ministry (Luke 4:14-41): Jesus’ preaching of the Word and authority over the unseen demonic realm.

Luke 4:31-37

Luke wrote 4:31-41 to display Jesus’ authority over the demonic realm (Satan and demons).

Read Luke 4:31-37

The introductory events of Jesus’ ministry are representative of Jesus’ entire ministry upon the earth.

·         “Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:8-9).

Again, this passage is not instructive. The subject of our text is to show Jesus’ authority over the unseen realm.

In our text Luke documents Jesus’ divine power over three realms¹:

·        The natural realm (Luke 4:38-40)

·        The supernatural realm (Luke 4:41)

·        The eternal realm (Luke 4:42-44)

Jesus’ Authority Over the Natural Realm (Luke 4:33-40)

Here we notice one result of the fall: physical sickness. Although our Lord has redeemed us, we still suffer affects from the fall. Some would say that because Jesus has disarmed the Devil, we should not suffer physical sickness. Scripture teaches that we live in a fallen world with fallen flesh. Although delivered from the penalty and slavery of sin, we still live under many affects related to the fall. I believe the greatest argument for this is the fact we all die. If we were designed to be completely delivered from the effects of the fall while living on the earth, we wouldn’t die, work would always be a joy, and women wouldn’t suffer pain in child bearing.

When thinking about sickness we do not want to underestimate or overestimate demonic involvement. This story shows Jesus’ authority over forces that handicap the body and show the deeper reality of His purpose: to free the soul of man from the forces of darkness that blind and enslave.

Is there something spiritually wrong with us because we are sick? Not necessarily (The blind man in John 9). When sick, should we rebuke the sickness? Not necessarily (Paul in 2 Corinthians 12). Could sickness mean we are giving ourselves over to demonic influence? Maybe (The “house” in Matthew 12). Does Jesus heal sickness today? Yes. Does the Father allow sickness to sanctify you and glorify Him? Absolutely.

How do I make sense of modern-day healing?

The Lord’s healing ministry sets the pattern for the true biblical gift of healing. Five features characterized Jesus’ healing ministry and set it apart from the fake “faith healers.”¹

1)      Jesus healed instantly with a word or touch. There were not progressive healings; the people He cured did not gradually get better (Matthew 8:13; Mark 5:29; Luke 5:13).¹

2)      Jesus healed totally.¹

3)      Jesus healed everyone (Matthew 4:24; Matthew 12:15; Luke 6:19; Luke 4:40). Jesus did not invite crowds to come to heal only some.¹

4)      Jesus healed specific and noticeable disease. Jesus did not heal vague, ambiguous, invisible ailments such as lower back pain and headaches (not that He was unable).¹

5)      Jesus’ healings were not contingent on faith. Jesus raised the dead. How can a dead man exercise faith to unlock his healing? Most of those Jesus healed were unbelievers and hence unable to make a positive confession to claim their healing.¹

The following is a direct quote from John MacArthur’s commentary on Luke which is documented in “sources” below:

The apostles (Luke 9:1), the seventy (Luke 10:1-9), and a few close associates of the apostles (Barnabas [Acts 15:12], Philip [Acts 8:6-7], and Stephen [Acts 6:8]) were also granted the gift of healing to authenticate them as the preachers of God’s truth. Their healing was characterized by the same features that marked Christ’s healing. The gift of healing in the New Testament was not given to keep believer’s healthy, but as a sign to unbelievers verifying the truthfulness of the gospel and the authenticity of its preachers. To claim that healing is the norm in the church undermines its unique role in authenticating Jesus and the apostles as revealers of divine truth. In keeping with that purpose, healings faded from the scene as the apostolic era drew to a close. Paul (Galatians 4:13-15), Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25-27), Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23), and Trophimus (2 Timothy 4:20) were all recorded to have been sick. None of them were healed. Nor do the New Testament Epistles, which define the life and theology of the Church, refer to a ministry of healing. There is no evidence that the kind of healings seen in the era of Jesus and the apostles was to continue beyond them (2 Corinthians 12:12). Healings are extremely rare in the OT; for example, none are recorded for the 750 years from Isaiah to Jesus Christ. God may choose to heal through the prayers of His people, but not through miracle working men as in the case of our Lord and His associates.

Jesus’ Authority Over the Supernatural Realm (Luke 4:41)

Read v. 41

Jesus’ Authority Over the Eternal Realm (Luke 4:42-44)

Jesus compassionately cared for people. Jesus was moved by love to heal. However, the primary purpose of Jesus’ healing ministry was to show people that Jesus didn’t merely teach with authority.” Jesus was the Word, so He was the authority. There is a tremendous difference between hearing the world’s most knowledgeable expert on Walt Disney tell the tale of his life and legacy. It is quite another thing to hear it directly from Walt’s mouth. The historian speaks authoritatively. Walk would speak as the authority. See the difference?

The people were amazed at Jesus’ power to heal from disease and demonic influence. Notice that the Lord did not rebuke them as they continued to draw near. We see Jesus here leaving the ministry of healing for the higher priority, the ministry of the Word.

Jesus healed for the primary reason of authenticating his authority as The Word and Messiah. Jesus’ miracles serve as visual representations of deeper spiritual realities. For example, in Luke 5:1-11 a miraculous catch of fish becomes the basis for Jesus’ call to catch men.²

How Should I Handle Demons?

“Christ has left the devil only whatever power our unbelief allows him” (Heinrich Schlier).

Remember the Scripture reading today, namely Colossians 2:15? Read, think, and pray about Colossians 3:1-17 this week. Remember, there were not chapter separations in the original manuscripts. Colossians 3 continues the thought from Colossians 2.

Wrong thinking: Jesus has defeated Satan and demons, therefore it is my role to exercise that authority because Christ lives in me.

Correct thinking: All authority has been given to Jesus (Matthew 28:16-20), therefore I will flee to Christ through Word and prayer and entrust myself to His wise plan as He empowers me to obey. Regarding healing, I will pray. However, my faith will not be placed in the fact of my healing, but in the goodness, power, and providence of God.

Sources

1)   MacArthur, John. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Luke 1-5. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009.

2)   Brock, Darrell. The NIV Application Commentary: Luke. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996.

Sermon Notes 10/7/2012

Sermon Text: Luke 5:1-11

Sermon Title: The Miraculous Catch of Peter’s Heart

Scripture Reading: Joel 2:12-17

Introduction

The sermon title this morning is “The Miraculous Catch of Peter’s Heart.”

What do I want you to know this morning? What should you walk away with?

Jesus’ objective was not to tear nets with fish, but to tear Peter’s heart with self-revealing truth.

Jesus filled the net with fish until it started to tear. However, the story is not about a miraculous catch of fish. The story is about Jesus filling Peter’s heart with truth about who He (Jesus) was, beginning a tear in Peter’s heart.

Jesus shows us who the Father is.

“No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” (John 1:18). “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15).

God is an unseen spirit (John 4:24). God does not have flesh and blood. The Father sent Christ as an exact, tangible and visible representation of Himself. Therefore, as we observe the attributes of Jesus, we learn more about the Father. Jesus’ purpose is to lead us into a loving, obedient, intimate, submissive, trusting and joyful relationship with the Father as He reveals to us who the Father is (John 14:6).

The Setting (Luke 5:1-3)

The norm would have been to fish at night. During the day, the fishermen would clean and repair their nets from the previous night and prepare their equipment for the next evening’s work.

Also, these were not small boats and small nets. If this were an average fishing boat, it would have been twenty to thirty feet long.²

Jesus’ Command (Luke 5:4-5)

Note the irony. Here is a carpenter’s son and itinerant preacher telling professional fishermen how to fish. Conditions were certainly not right for fishing, as Peter notes. Not only is it still daylight, but the fishermen would’ve been exhausted and potentially exasperated from “coming up empty” the night before.

What can we learn from this? The circumstances and timing seldom feel right to trust and obey God’s Word. If God wanted you to wait until  next Monday, the beginning of the month, after the holidays, your next birthday, or the New Year, you would have heard Truth next Sunday, the last day of the month, after the holidays, just before your birthday or right before the New Year. Right timing for obedience is dictated by when you learn the truth, not convenient circumstances.

Here we see why Jesus chose Peter to lead the twelve. Regardless of the circumstances, Peter’s resolve was to obey God’s Word. Peter heard the truth and showed his trust through obedience.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:15-17).

The Miraculous Catch and Peter’s Response (Luke 5:6-9)

Let us not forget, this is not the first interaction Peter has had with Jesus (Luke 4:38-41). Through Christ, the Father has been gracious to reveal Himself to Peter in the following ways:

·         Omnipotent in healing his mother-in-law and casting out demons

·         The source of truth in hearing Him teach

·         Omniscient in knowing exactly where the fish were

·         Merciful and compassionate in healing his mother-in-law and redeeming a lost night of work

·         Goodness, kindness, and patience was revealed to Peter. Before Peter realized his condition, Christ already knew Peter was a sinful man, but was good to Peter. Christ’s goodness to Peter is what awoke Peter to his condition (Romans 2:4).

Most importantly, Peter was beginning to understand that Jesus was Holy. Peter’s confession is not one of individual specific transgressions; rather a recognition of his character before the Divine.⁴ Jesus was other-than. A larger truth was illustrated in the miraculous catch: Just as Jesus could see what was unseen to others below the surface of the water, He could also see what lurked in the depths of Peter’s heart. Peter felt exposed.

The more Peter observed Jesus the more he was beginning to realize that Jesus was not merely a healer to be sought or an astonishing teacher to hear, but Holy. We observe in the text a strong change in Peter’s vocabulary, which indicates a radical change in Peter’s perspective.

·         Simon referred to Jesus as “Master” in v. 5. In v. 5 Peter was referring to Jesus as superintendent or overseer (epistates pronounced e-pe-sta-tas).

·         Simon referred to Jesus as “O Lord” in v. 8. In v. 8 Peter was referring to Jesus as God. The Greek word “kyrios pronounced ku-re-os” means “he to whom a person or thing belongs; the owner; the one who has control of a person; the master; the sovereign.”

As a devout Jew, Peter knew that God alone was to be worshiped (Deuteronomy 6:13), yet he fell down before Jesus in the posture of a worshiper.¹

Hence is the pattern for us today. Like Peter we see the relentless goodness of God towards us. As we become more acquainted with His attributes and character, we are moved to humility, dependence, and obedience.

Does Conviction Draw You Near or Drive You Away? (Luke 5:8-11)

Peter’s initial response was to drive Christ away, but Jesus was calling Peter near.

It is at the moment we feel the greatest alienation from God that He is drawing us most near.

Read John 21:1-8

So, what did we learn this morning?

Jesus’ objective was not to tear nets with fish, but to tear Peter’s heart with self-revealing truth.

What should we do because of what we learned?

1)   Prioritize knowing, watching, and keeping your heart.

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).

“For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, ‘I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite’” (Isaiah 57:15; Isaiah 66:2).

Why a Broken Heart is Esteemed by God as an Excellent Thing³

a)      First, a broken heart is the handiwork of God. It is a heart of His own preparing for His own service. ³ “God makes my heart soft, and the Almighty troubles me” (Job 23:16). God bids men to rend their hearts, not because they can, but to convince them rather, that, it must be so, and they cannot do it.

b)      Secondly, a broken heart is in the sight of God an excellent thing, because a broken heart is submissive³ (Luke 5:11). It is easier to submit when you understand that submitting to God is submitting to the most joyful and beneficial path your life can take.

2)   Think on God’s goodness towards you. Think on how God has relentlessly pursued you and has been good to you despite your sinfulness and imperfection.

3)   Renew your mind with truth about the attributes of God.

4)   Understand that you seldom change in the “synagogue”, but in the boat where it is inconvenient, difficult, and uncertain. Because of #2 & #3 deem God trustworthy.

5)   I often ask Hannah how we say, “I love you” to God? Obedience.

Fishers of Men

As Jesus’ mission was evangelism, so is that of the Church. To be a fisher of people is to be a fish who is able to relate what it means to be pulled out of dangerous waters by God’s grace.⁴

Sources

1)      MacArthur, John. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Luke 1-5. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009.

2)      Brock, Darrell. The NIV Application Commentary: Luke. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996.

3)      Bunyan, John. The Acceptable Sacrifice. Shippensburg, PA: Fresh Bread Publishers, Inc. 2001.

4)      Brock, Darrell. Luke 1:1-9:50. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1994.

Sunday School Notes 10/7/2012

Sermon Text: 1 Timothy 5:19-25

Sermon Title: Protecting Elders and the Church

Introduction

1 Timothy 5:19-25 is a sharp transition in topic, but not subject. Paul’s instruction to Timothy remains under the framework of household propriety (1 Timothy 5:1-2). In other words, Paul’s concern is with the health and witness of the Church and these instructions are designed to give Timothy inspired protocol to follow when managing the Church of Jesus Christ.

Paul’s Goal: The Glory of God, the health and witness of the Church, the protection and good of the Elder.

This morning, I want you to know two things:

As mentioned in the sermon title above, Paul’s goal is two-fold:

1)      Elders need safeguards to protect them from erroneous or unsubstantiated accusations.

2)      When formal charges against elders are Biblically substantiated, it is best for God’s glory, the health and witness of the Church, and the good of the elder to be publically charged and Biblically unseated from his position.

Lord willing, we will take these two points one at a time.

1)   “Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses” (1 Timothy 5:19).

What is meant by Paul’s use of the word accusation?

Paul alludes to two Old Testament passage dealing with decisions that involve sin and serious consequence:

·         “A person shall die in the testimony of two or three witnesses; a person who is put to death shall not be put to death for one witness” (Deuteronomy 17:6).

·         “One witness shall not stand to testify against a person for any iniquity, or for any fault, or for any sin that may be committed; by the mouth of two witnesses, or by the mouth of three witnesses, shall every word be established” (Deuteronomy 19:15).

In the Pastoral Epistles, the same Greek word used in 1 Timothy 5:19 (accusation or charge) is used on other time (Titus 1:6) where Paul tells Titus to appoint elders who are not open to accusation or a formal charge (ESV) of debauchery or insubordination.

The only other time the word occurs in the NT is in John 18:29 where Pilate asks the Jews what formal charge or accusation they bring against Jesus (the same principle is found in 2 Corinthians 13:1 – “every charge must be established in the presence of two or three witnesses” and again in Matthew 18:15-17).²

We have look at several examples of the OT and NT use of “accusation or charge.”

Within the context of the OT and NT use of “accusation or charge,” it is clear Paul is using a technical term for a formal court accusation.

The purpose of v. 19 is primarily to protect the Elder and secondarily to protect the Church.

2)   “As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear” (1 Timothy 5:20).

The translation stresses the continuous action of the present tense.¹

Within the Biblical model of loving, restorative Church discipline (Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 5:4-5; 1 Timothy 1:20), public rebuke indicates private confrontation has been repeatedly resisted (persist in sin).

The purpose of v. 20 is primarily to protect the Church and secondarily to protect the Elder.

A summary of Paul’s instructions in vv. 19-20:

a)      For the Elder’s protection, Paul requires private confrontation and proven facts regarding formal charges. If an elder is formally accused of persistent sin, the court-like charge must be validated in the presence of two or three actual witnesses.

b)      For the Church’s protection, Paul requires public rebuke as a result of unrepentance. If an elder persists in sin regarding the stated charge, he is to be rebuked and unseated in the presence of the congregation so that the remaining elders may be fearful.

Before moving to vv. 21-25, a few points of clarification:

What warrants a formal charge?

Does this mean I have the responsibility to go bring every sin as a formal charge? Certainly not. Elders are imperfect people who sin. Proverbs tells us that to overlook an offense is a glorious thing, demonstrating patience and forbearance (Proverbs 19:11). Peter tells us that love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).³

What Paul does not mean:

Paul does not intend for Timothy to entertain formal court-like charges against an elder who occasionally sins, because obviously, all elders are imperfect people who will occasionally sin.

What Paul does mean?

Paul is discussing an elder living a life of sin (see context of Titus 1:6 and Matthew 18:15-17) or one who commits a single sin so grievous as to damage the witness of the Church (adultery for example should not be seen as a lifestyle before formally addressed). Paul is admonishing and encouraging Timothy to be in the habit of confronting those in the habit of sinning.²

1 Timothy 5:21

This further pronounces the seriousness of the subject. Because of all that is at stake, Paul reminds Timothy of the omniscient Judge and non-omniscient witnesses (angels who are often pictures in participation in Christ’s return and humanity’s judgment [Daniel 7:10; Matthew 13:39-42; 16:27; 25:31; etc.]) who are watching how Timothy governs and protects the local Church.

Timothy is warned against judging before gather all the facts and also against giving preferential treatment.

1 Timothy 5:22

“Laying on of hands” was a symbolic act that in the NT and functioned to signify public recognition of authority and commissioning.¹

The warning regarding haste in potential Elder evaluation and appointment should carry as much or more weight than the sobering instructions in vv. 19-21. Why? The instruction goes on to focus only on the downside of careless appointments and what is at stake for Timothy should he fail to make sufficiently extensive examinations of candidates.¹

Of course, Timothy is not omniscient and is not responsible for the outcome of all leadership choices. The concern is negligence through haste. If Timothy appoints someone who is unqualified or leaves someone in the position of leadership who continues in sin, or fails to do his diligence in selecting leaders, Timothy will in some sense share in the sin and guilt of others.

Paul’s warning to Timothy is consistent with the principle in 2 John 10-11, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.”

1 Timothy 5:23

Paul is encouraging Timothy to use wine for medicinal purposes.

1 Timothy 5:24-25

This closing statement is designed to comfort Timothy by assuring him of the fact that in evaluating people, errors are often unavoidable, regardless of diligence. In other words, Paul is providing some consolation to Timothy because he cannot see into the heart of man and is bound to err.

 The blatant sin of obvious sinners forges the path to inevitable eschatological judgment, and one in a role such as Timothy’s becomes a participant in the judicial process (Matthew 16:19; Matthew 18:18-20). Next is the contrasting issue of hidden sin. The sins of some people are not evident and come to light only at the final judgment by our Lord.¹

In closing the section, Paul is comforting Timothy by saying something like this: Be diligent and follow these instructions, but in the midst of your diligence and obedience, if an Elder persists in private sin that you never see, or you make a sincere mistake in appointing an Elder who is unseated, God will sort that out in the final judgment and you will not be held responsible.

So, what have we learned?

1)      Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul has put policy in place to protect both the Elder and the Church.

Now, because of what we have learned, what should we do?

1)      What should I do if I witness or perceive to witness an Elder in sin?

First, talk to him about it. Go humbly (Galatians 6:1-3) without predetermined conclusions. Gather all the facts before assuming guilt (Proverbs 18:13). We should never act with partiality, but we should consider the Elder has been (should have been) observed to be above reproach before taking the office.

Second, you don’t have to handle the situation alone. It would be preferential that you involve another elder if you do not want to go alone. When your intent is to keep the matter quiet and discreet, involving another elder is not violating the intent of 1 Timothy 5:19. Remember, “to admit a charge” does not mean you cannot inquire about perceived sin, but it does mean you should not accept the fact as true until the facts are established.³

2)      What should I do if I hear rumors of an Elder’s sin?

Ensure that you are not party to gossip and slander. Tell the person from whom you heard the rumor to talk to that elder about it, not to you. Actively discourage them from spreading possible slander about that elder, and instead to approach the problem Biblically. Remember, Paul’s first concern here is to protect elders from unfounded accusations.

3)      Be patient with the nomination and selection process

4)      Pray for your Elders

Martin Luther

In 1521 Martin Luther found himself feeling lukewarm towards Christ and tempted by the flesh.
So he wrote his friend Melanchthon this letter, pleading with Melanchthon to pray –
“I sit here at ease, hardened and unfeeling — alas!  praying little, grieving little for the Church of God, burning rather in the fierce fires of my untamed flesh.
“It comes to this: I should be afire in the spirit; in reality I am afire in the flesh, with lust, laziness, idleness, sleepiness.
“It is perhaps because you have all ceased praying for me that God has turned away from me …
“For the past eight days I have written nothing, nor prayed nor studied, partly from self-indulgence, partly from another vexatious handicap …
“I really cannot stand it any longer … Pray for me, I beg you, for in my seclusion here I am submerged in sins.”
(Quoted in John Piper’s The Legacy of Sovereign Joy: God’s Triumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin, p.105.)

Sources

1)      Towner, Philip. The Letters to Timothy and Titus. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2006

2)      Mounce, William. Pastoral Epistles. Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2000

3)      http://www.9marks.org/journal/class-ix-church-discipline

Sermon Notes 9/23/2012

Sermon Text: Luke 4:14-30

Sermon Title: Jesus Our Jubilee

Scripture Reading: Luke 4:14-30

We are going to turn to Leviticus and study together:

·         What is Jubilee?

·         Why did the Lord institute Jubilee?

·         What is the point? Jesus is our Jubilee.

Introduction

Please turn with me to Leviticus 25. The fourth section of Luke’s Gospel is Luke 4:14-9:50. This section is dominated by Jesus’ teachings and miracles. This is the first glimpse Luke gives into the formal ministry of Jesus. This passage records a sermon Jesus preached in the synagogue of His home town (Galilee) and the reaction of His audience. To begin this section (Luke 4:14-9:50), Luke summarizes all of Jesus’ teachings and miracles in his first two stories. In other words, the first sermon Jesus preaches and the first three miracles He performed represented the whole of all His messages and miracles.

Read Leviticus 25:8-17(Leviticus 25:8-28, 35-43,47-55)

Jubilee was designed to picture unmerited forgiveness and spiritual freedom. The subject of our message this morning is also the sermon title: Jesus our Jubilee.

Introduction to Leviticus 25

The Liberty Bell contains the words of Leviticus 25:10, “proclaim liberty throughout the land.”

A. Israel rested 1 day in 7 (Sabbath Day: Exodus 20:8-11)

B. Israel and the land rested 1 year in 7 (Sabbath Year/Sabbatical: Exodus 23:10-11; Leviticus 25:1-7). Just as man needed a day of rest, land without fertilizers needed to lie fallow for a time. See similar regulations in Exodus 23:10-11.²

C. Israel and the land rested every 7x7 years – after seven sets of seven years, making Jubilee the fiftieth year (Leviticus 25:8; cf. Daniel 9:24-27). What is unique about Jubilee was the return of freedom and property.

D. Israel’s economy was founded upon Redemption and the Sabbath.

1. A kinsman redeemer could redeem a relative who had become impoverished (Leviticus 25:25, 47-55; see the book of Ruth). If your relative bought the property from you, he could work out a plan with you. For example, you could work with your uncle for six months, five years, or under whatever agreement established to earn back the land.

2. If a person didn’t have a wealthy and loving relative to redeem them then they would sell (lease) themselves and their land into slavery/servitude. This man and his family would be sold as slaves. The only hope of these people was that they would live to see Jubilee. God instituted the Year of Jubilee in mercy. On the Year of Jubilee all Israelite slaves were freed, all debts were forgiven and every Israelite returned back to their land.

Why Jubilee?

Although God gave Israel the land as one of His good gifts to them to be enjoyed (Deuteronomy 6:10-12; 8:10-13), He still retained final ownership and so might terminate the lease should the people provide undesirable tenants. They did not possess the land as an inalienable right but within the structures of a covenantal relationship with God. The land was not private property to be bought and sold.²

Although there are many reasons and implications regarding Jubilee, let me explain a few of the most helpful.

1)   The Year of Jubilee relativizes land, monetary worth, and all personal possessions. When thinking about Jubilee, stuff was always in its proper perspective.

Read Leviticus 25:23

God owns the land and the Year of Jubilee meant to communicate to Israel they were not going to get the big prize in this life. Just like the NT calls us exiles and aliens, if you have to give back all the land you accumulate once every fifty years, you are not going to put all our eggs in one basket. Is our life much different? We have to give it all back every 60-80 years.³ Jubilee helps us to trust God because He owns everything. Jubilee helps us suffer well because our life is a vapor. Jubilee causes us to hold things loosely.  Jubilee creates an urgency around evangelism, generous giving, selfless sacrifice, sure hope, mercy towards others.

I look at Hannah and Maggie when they play with their toys and think it is so ridiculous that they would covet and scheme to get a toy they will fail to recognize in three years.

2)   During the Year of Jubilee God asked the people to trust His promise of provision (Leviticus 25:20-22).

The direct disobedience of Israel serves perhaps to explain why this feast of feasts was never celebrated in the land during the Old Testament. Not once did its trumpet ever sound.³

In Isaiah 58, God is making a complaint against the nation of Israel for not living out her calling. She failed to be a source of liberty to those who were oppressed. Jesus is coming to do what Israel did not do. 

When Israel rebelled against God by refusing to observe their yearly Sabbaths for many years, God then cast them off in exile, and thus took it upon himself to give the land its yearly Sabbath rest, which he did for seventy years consecutively, in lieu of the absence of the yearly Sabbaths for the four hundred and ninety years in which Israel inhabited the land (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 2 Chronicles 36:21).

Now turn to our text (Luke 4:14-30)

Who are the poor?

Luke 4:16-21 is often very misunderstood.

Jesus read from two passages in Isaiah, 61:1-2, 58:6. Jesus is speaking primarily in spiritual terms here when using the word “poor”. The poor are those who recognize that they have nothing by which to commend themselves to God (Luke 6:20; Matthew 5:3). The poor people Jesus is referring to here are those who acknowledge their moral bankruptcy.⁴

Jesus is not speaking first about the economically poor. The context of the Greek word for poor (ptochos) “TOHAS”  can be interpreted as literal or figurative. Ptochos is used by Luke ten times with seven to be taken literally (14:13; 21; 16:20, 22; 18:22; 19:8; 21:3), while three may be figurative (4:18; 6:20; 7:22). Another contextual observation is in Jesus’ story He gives two examples of the type of person who experienced the Lord’s favor in the OT. One is the widow of Zarephath. She was materially poor. But the other example is Naaman, the wealthy Syrian general who humbled himself by dipping seven times in the Jordan River.¹

Jesus is prophet and Messiah. Jesus is saying “I am Jubilee.” Jesus is our Jubilee (Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 4:16-21. cf. Daniel 9:24-27; Luke 7:20-23 with Isaiah 35:5-7).

Israel reduced their relationship with God to rules. Israel needed rest. Through Christ, God did this in a much greater way when He exiled His only begotten Son, which is His true Israel, hanging Him up as a curse on the cross, so that He might bring in an eternal rest for His people.

Jesus Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer, is restoring and mending what has been broken by sin. Jesus removes the burden, slavery and consequences of sin (Matthew 11:28-30). He is making all things new.

Jesus is not merely restoring all things to their original condition. God is not restoring the marred; God is creating something new. To those who live in this new world, God will be all the more glorious for we shall see Him as He is (Adam and Eve did not know wrath, justice, mercy, compassion, etc. of God before “The Fall”).

Already, but not yet

There is significance in the “already/not yet” dynamic of our existence. Before the foundation of the world mankind was redeemed. But not yet. Yet, when Jesus said, “It is finished,” mankind was redeemed. But not yet. Five years before your salvation, you were redeemed. But not yet. You have a new desires, a new heart, a new ability, a new understanding, a new worldview. Already, but not yet.

Like Israel, we also long for more. We long for the fulfillment of the promise. We long for eternity. How can we be sure? How can we be sure we are safe placing our trust in this promised day, a day when the full power and presence of sin is broken? It is because this promised day is actually Jesus, who indwells our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the down payment of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

The Religious Response

The religious were amazed at the words of Christ yet were completely unmoved and unaffected.

What changed their assessment of Jesus so radically? Religious people resented Jesus’ assertion that salvation is available only to those who acknowledge themselves to be poor, prisoners, blind, and oppressed. They were not about to accept such labels, since they viewed themselves as righteous.

The point Jesus is making in Luke 4:24-30 is that it is those who seem closest to God are sometimes the most blind.

The blind and religious try to use Jesus to deliver them to a kingdom aligned with their imaginations and preferences. This is why the blind and religious get so hostile over doctrinal differences. You are not challenging first their theology. When you propose a change in thinking regarding theology, you propose a change in who God is and what His Kingdom looks like. Changes in theology disrupt and crumble the imaginary kingdoms of man’s wicked heart. You might just find Jesus isn’t quite who you thought, wished, or imagined. Would you prefer to know Him or for Him to be as you imagine would be most likeable and convenient to you?

The Father offers salvation – but, as always, it is only for those who know they are spiritually poor, prisoners, blind, and oppressed. Unless you are willing to humble yourself like that outcast Gentile widow and that Syrian leper terrorist did and admit their spiritual need, you cannot be saved.⁴

Land was not only returned to those who had a proven record of being good farmers and managers, but poor farmers too, those who couldn’t grow corn in Iowa in a good year and whose crops were choked by weeds because they had been too lazy to cultivate or irrigate  received their land back as well. And the principle applied to other property too: homes lost for failure to pay the mortgage or solely to satisfy a bad debt were returned to the original owner. In Jubilee, property would revert to the original owner without payment of any kind (Leviticus 25:28-31).⁴

The religious were not only unmoved and unaffected, but furious. Jesus told them that the Father is no man’s debtor. Luke emphasizes this again in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:33); A Samaritan happened to be one of ten healed lepers to express gratitude in Luke 17:16.

"There is no attribute of God more comforting to His children than the doctrine of divine sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe troubles, they believe that Sovereignty hath ordained their afflictions, that Sovereignty overrules them, and that Sovereignty will sanctify them all. There is nothing for which the children of God ought more earnestly to contend than the dominion of their Master over all creation---the kingship of God over all the works of His own hands---the throne of God, and His right to sit upon that throne.

On the other hand, there is no doctrine more hated by worldlings, no truth of which they have made such a football, as the great, stupendous, but yet most certain doctrine of the Sovereignty of the infinite Jehovah. Men will allow God to be everywhere except on His throne. They will allow Him to be in His workshop to fashion worlds and to make stars. They will allow Him to be in His almonry to dispense His alms and bestow His bounties. They will allow Him to sustain the earth and bear up the pillars thereof, or light the lamps of heaven, or rule the waves of the ever-moving ocean; but when God ascends His throne, His creatures then gnash their teeth, and when we proclaim an enthroned God, and His right to do as He wills with His own, to dispose of His creatures as He thinks well, without consulting them in the matter, then it is that we are hissed and execrated, and then it is that men turn a deaf ear to us, for God on His throne is not the God they love. They love Him anywhere better than they do when He sits with His scepter in His hands and His crown upon His head. But it is God upon the throne we love to preach. It is the God upon the throne whom we trust."

-Spurgeon, delivered May 4, 1856 in a sermon titled "Divine Sovereignty"

Anticipate the Jubilee

To fully anticipate the Jubilee, you have to anticipate both a day and a person.

The church is called the Body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 4:15-16). Just as our bodies are what people see of us, so the Church is what people see of Christ. As our bodies put our will into visible action, so Christ puts His will into visible action through the Church. Therefore, the mission which Christ once performed in his own physical body on earth (proclamation of Good News), He now performs through His corporate body the Church.⁵

Source:

1)      A sermon by Kevin DeYoung entitled “With Liberty and Jubilee for All” preached on June 21, 2009 on Leviticus 25 at University Reformed Chuch.

2)      Sproul, R.C. The Reformation Study Bible. Lake Mary, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2005.

3)      Sittema, John. Meeting Jesus at the Feast: Israel’s Festivals and the Gospel. Grandville, MI, 2010.

4)       MacArthur, John. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Luke 1-5. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009.

5)      A sermon by John Piper entitled “Christ in Combat: Offense by the Spirit” preached on March 25, 1884 on Luke 4:16-21 at Bethlehem Baptist Church.