Luke 9:18-21 (3)
The Gospel of Luke • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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-Let me invite you to turn to Luke 9.
And, we’ve come to Verse 18, this morning...
And to, one of the most important events...
…that we’ve read about yet.
-I’ve mentioned to you many times, now...
…that the last couple of chapters...
…have focused primarily upon answering the same question:
“Who is Jesus of Nazareth?”
But, in actuality, this is the question...
…that has been interwoven throughout Luke’s gospel...
...from the very start!
We’ve seen it being asked by:
The people of Nazareth
The scribes and pharisees
King Herod
His own disciples
(In a moment of weakness) even John the Baptist!
And, We’ve seen it being answered...
…by Angels and Demons!
But, up until this point...
…those whom Jesus had chosen...
...to proclaim his name, after he would...
Accomplish his work of redemption...
Assume his throne in heaven...
…were yet to assemble the pieces of his identity that they had received...
…into a singular picture.
-But, as Jesus concludes his Great Galilean Ministry...
…and begins to set his face towards Jerusalem...
…We see them finally beginning to connect the dots...
…and coming to the proper conclusion...
…about what all of these various threads of identity mean...
…when they’re brought together into one!
-Now, we’re going to begin reading in verse 18...
And, stop abruptly (mid-sentence) in verse 21...
But, (Lord-willing) cover and connect the section that follows...
…next week.
-Verse 18...
Please follow along as I read:
This is the Word of the Living God:
Luke 9:18–21 (ESV)
18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.”
20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
21 And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one,
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-The only thing Luke tells us about the setting of this event is that...
Luke 9:18 (ESV)
18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. . .
The other two synoptic gospel writers tell us...
…that it happened in the district of Caesarea Philippi.
This region...
...lay at the foot of Mount Lebanon, near the sources of the Jordan, in the territory of Dan, and at the northeast extremity of Palestine. — JFB Commentary
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-So, Jesus, at this point...
…has traveled some 25 or so miles (as the crow flies)...
…in the opposite direction of Jerusalem...
…and to a seemingly remote area...
away from the crowds
but with his disciples.
-Now, by this point...
...it should grab our attention...
…when Luke tells us that Jesus...
…Got alone and prayed!
If you’ll remember...
…he often marked significant...
Events,
Turning points...
…in his life and ministry...
…By getting alone with His Father in prayer!
-Now, what was happening...
…that was so important, here?
Well, he's going to have a very important conversation with his disciples.
One in which (as we’ll see more fully next week), he’ll...
Confirm his true identity...
Tell them the surprising nature of the work connected to that identity...
And in so doing...
Challenge their notions of God’s Kingdom...
And the part that they would play in it!
Do those sound like important conversations?
-Look, at the way he breaks the ice at the end of Verse 18:
He does so, by asking them a question:
Luke 9:18 (ESV)
18 ...And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
In other words...
…What’s the popular opinion...
…of these folks who are showing so much interest in me?
How are they interpreting all of these events?
What portrait are they collectively painting...
…with all of the pieces of the puzzle that they are being given?
Is their collective, human effort...
…bringing them to the right consensus?
-Well, before we see the answer to that...
…notice the way Matthew records the asking of this question:
It contains a big hint about the answer to it:
Matthew 16:13 (ESV)
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
Remember, that this is Jesus’ most common self-designation.
And, in an immediate sense...
…It does refer to his real human nature.
But of course, it has deeper connotations than that in the Old Testament...
Connotations, that we will see expressed clearly...
…in just a couple of verses.
-But again, Before we do...
…consider how important this question is.
This is a question, that...
Is at the center of the theological bullseye.
Is the primary determiner of true and false:
Religion…
forms of Christianity!
Determines whether you’re orthodox or heretical
Determines heaven or hell
Judgment-Day-Serious.
This is a question...
…that must be answered correctly!
Remember what Jesus told the Jews in:
John 8:24 (ESV)
24 ...unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
But up until this point...
…only the angels and demons...
...had professed him for who he truly was.
-Now, the disciples tell him what the popular opinions were in:
Luke 9:19 (ESV)
19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.”
-Since we talked about these opinions at some length...
...a couple of weeks ago...
…We’ll save some time this morning...
…and consult a commentary...
…by way of reminder:
Ryken says this:
The disciples gave several plausible answers, all based on what they had heard.
...At least on this occasion, John the Baptist was the number one answer...
But, he says:
...John was the herald, while Jesus was the King. Nevertheless, we can understand why people made this mistaken identity.
Many people in Galilee had never met John; they knew him only by reputation. Since what they knew about Jesus sounded so much like what they had heard about John, it was natural for them to associate the two men in their minds...
Both men had a large following, both men were present at the same baptism, and both men preached the same basic message about the kingdom of God.
He goes on:
Another leading vote getter (sic) was the prophet Elijah. This was largely because of Malachi’s prophecy: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes” (Mal. 4:5).
On the basis of this promise, pious Jews were waiting for Elijah with eager expectation.
In truth, Malachi’s prophecy was about John the Baptist and his ministry in preparing the way for Christ...
Yet we can understand why some people made the connection with Jesus. Jesus was a great prophet, and some of the miracles that he performed—like giving people bread, for example, or raising a widow’s son from the dead—were similar to miracles that Elijah performed (see 1 Kings 17:8–24).
And, finally, he says:
Still others were not entirely sure which prophet he was, but they knew they were in the presence of someone great, like one of the mighty men they had read about in the Scriptures. — Philip Ryken
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Sadly, Brethren...
...There is much confusion on who the Son of Man is today as well.
Muslims: Jesus was a prophet of Allah. A good man, but not God.
Unbelieving Jews see him as, either a...
Sincere, yet misguided Rabbi
Or, worse:
Blasphemous, heretical zealot
JW’s: see him as a lesser god...
...who is not co-equal or co-eternal with the Father
Mormons: the creator god of our world...
...who is one of many creator gods of countless worlds...
The half-brother of Lucifer
Modalists, Oneness Pentecostals:
...see him as a past manifestation of the unitary god...
...who now exists in the manifestation of the Holy Spirit
Liberal/Progressive “christians”
…tend to view him as a fallible historic figure, that was much akin to a woke social justice warrior...
...who preached a message of tolerant, inclusive passivism...
...but who isn’t supernatural or in any way divine.
-And sadly, this list is not exhaustive.
-Now, in contrast to the errant opinions of men...
Jesus asks his apostles:
Luke 9:20 (ESV)
20 . . . “But who do you say that I am?” . . .
The “you” is emphatic, here.
The contrast is intentional.
In other words, despite popular opinion...
Regardless of how you align with the opinions of fallen humanity...
What do you believe?
What do you profess?
What conclusion have you come to?
What picture do the pieces paint to you, whom...
…I have chosen to be my apostles...
…and make me known to the world!
-Now, the “you” is also plural...
(So, he’s addressing them all)
…but, as is often the case...
…Peter, speaks up first.
He answers:
Luke 9:20 (ESV)
20 . . . “The Christ of God.”
What does this mean?
It’s not a name… it’s a title!
It means, “the anointed one.”
It brings to mind the OT offices of...
Prophet
Priest
King...
…all of which were “anointed” with oil...
...to represented the Spirit of God calling and empowering them...
…to fulfill their respective duties to God.
The OT equivalent to the word “Christ” . . .
Is “Messiah”
Ryken, again explains:
Many prophets, priests, and kings were anointed to lead Israel.
But along the way there were hints that one day God would send the greatest Prophet, the highest Priest, and the mightiest King of all.
The people of God knew these ancient promises.
They knew that one day a deliverer would crush Satan’s head (Gen. 3:15).
They knew that God would raise up a prophet like Moses from among his brothers (Deut. 18:18).
They knew that a mighty king would come from the royal city of David (Mic. 5:2).
They knew that his kingdom would endure, that he would rule “on the throne of David and over his kingdom” forever (Isa. 9:7; cf. 2 Sam. 7:12–16; Ps. 89:4).
So the people of God waited in hope for the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ. — Ryken
And Peter is saying:
“That’s you!”
“You’re the One!”
“The ultimate and final one!”
“The holy One of God!”
But, notice something even more profound...
...about Jesus’ identity...
…in Matthew’s account:
Matthew 16:16 (KJV)
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
-This is the right answer to the question...
…that has been asked so many times now!
This… is who Jesus really is!
This… is the picture that you see...
…when you get all of the pieces put together:
You see that, Jesus, is the...
Eternally-existing Son of God...
Come in human flesh...
...To accomplish every purpose and promise of God for his people!
-Now… How did Peter know this...
…when the crowds did not?
Was Peter...
Smarter?
Wiser?
Better educated?
More rational/reasonable?
Of course not!
So why?
Matthew 16:17 (ESV)
17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
Do you see how the cause and effect...
…are the opposite of what we would think?
Peter isn’t now going to be blessed, because...
He believed the right thing...
Gave the right answer.
He is now...
believing the right thing...
giving the right answer...
…BECAUSE he has been blessed by God!
Human intellect and reason...
…is not the cause of his faith!
What is?
Who is?
Through what means has Jesus...
…come to be made known (revealed) to him?
The supernatural work of God!
John wrote this:
1 John 5:1 (ESV)
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God....
Perfect Tense, Passive Voice
Paul told the Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 12:3 (ESV)
3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said:
Matthew 11:25–26 (ESV)
25 . . . “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;
26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
He also said, this:
John 6:44–45 (ESV)
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—
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Should this cause us to despair of hope...
…if we struggle to properly believe and profess Christ?
No!
But, it should cause us to despair of hope in ourselves!
But, that should gives us great hope...
Knowing that there is a hope beyond the limitations...
…of our fallen, finite minds!
Cry out to him for the gift of faith!
He is mighty to save!
-Now, Look at Jesus’ follow up back in verse 21:
Luke 9:21 (ESV)
21 And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one,
Matthew even specifies:
Matthew 16:20 (ESV)
20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Why would he do that?
Well, we’ll answer that more fully next week...
But, suffice it to say for today....
…that they weren’t ready.
They may have recognized that he was the Messiah...
But, from the verses that follow...
…it’s pretty clear that they didn’t fully understand...
...what that meant for His mission!
If they were to proclaim him at this point in their understanding...
They would have most likely, unintentionally, led people astray!
The NET Notes explain:
No explanation for the command not to tell this to anyone is given, but the central section of Luke, chapters 9–19, appears to reveal a reason.
The disciples needed to understand who the Messiah really was and exactly what he would do before they were ready to proclaim Jesus as such.
But they and the people had an expectation that needed some instruction to be correct. — NET Notes
Shall I prove this assertion to you?
Look at how Peter responds to Jesus’ foretelling of the Cross:
Matthew 16:21–23 (ESV)
21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”
23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
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-Well, alright.
How do I land the plane?
By making sure that you recognize...
That the full mission and work of the Messiah...
…has now been revealed...
…and is now being widely proclaimed and confessed!
And with a proper understanding of:
His Cross
His Victory
His Kingdom...
Peter, after he had received the indwelling Holy Spirit, said:
Acts 2:22–24 (ESV)
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—
23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
He went on to say:
Acts 2:36 (ESV)
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Do you think he was understanding it now?
Now, watch their response...
And consider what yours should be:
Acts 2:37–39 (ESV)
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
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There is hope, my friends.
Repent… of sin and self-righteousness
Believe… in the finished work of Christ
Confess… Jesus as the Lord and Savior that he is!
Let’s ask for grace to do that.