Luke 9:23-27 (3)
Notes
Transcript
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-If you would, please turn back to Luke 9...
And, we’ve come to Verse 23, in...
…our study through Luke’s gospel.
I’ve mentioned to you (for the last two weeks), that...
…the three sections that are contained in verses 18-27, are...
all directly connected...
Built upon the same foundation (Verse 20)
-Two weeks ago, we saw that foundation...
…in the proclamation of the identity of the Messiah.
Last week, we learned about the Mission of the Messiah.
Today, we’re going to learn about...
…the “Mission of the Messiah’s Men”
And, don’t be misled by the alliteration...
If you’re a Christian...
…I’m referring to you!
Regardless of your or gender.
We’re see very shortly, that...
…Jesus’ words, here, are...
Absolute
All-Encompassing!
-Now, they aren’t popular.
And they’re often misunderstood and abused...
But, if we can get past all of that...
We’re going to see that they paint...
…an unambiguous portrait of the Christian life.
Is that something that we need to be aware of/prepared for?
Let’s read it together:
Luke 9:23–27 (ESV)
23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
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Pray
-So, after having outlined the nature his own mission on the earth...
…and after having proclaimed the necessity of his own...
suffering
death...
...Jesus, addresses the future of his disciples.
And, he isn’t speaking only to the Twelve...
...when he does so.
Luke tells us (Verse 23):
Luke 9:23 (ESV)
23 And he said to all, . . .
Mark elaborates a bit:
He tells us that, Jesus was...
Mark 8:34 (ESV)
34 ...calling the crowd to him with his disciples, . . .
-Here’s why that matters:
It shows us that he isn’t giving instruction...
…that was exclusive to the Apostles.
He’s broadening it out...
...to everyone who might desire to become one of his followers.
-Notice how he prefaces the statement in Verse 23:
Luke 9:23 (ESV)
23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him...
“would” there isn’t a hypothetical
It means “desire”
And...
“let him” isn’t merely permissive...
It is imperative (command)
In other words, as the NASB translates it...
Luke 9:23 (NASB95)
23...He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must...
Not “should,” but “must!”
Do what?
Luke 9:23 (ESV)
23 ...deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Three incumbent duties of discipleship, here:
Self-Denial
Cross-Bearing
Following Jesus.
Let’s look at these one at a time.
1.) Self-Denial
What does it mean?
John Stott described it like this:
Self-denial is not denying to ourselves luxuries such as chocolates, cakes, cigarettes and cocktails (although it might include this);
it is actually denying or disowning ourselves, renouncing our supposed right to go our own way.
To deny oneself is to turn from the idolatry of self-centeredness.”
— (The Cross of Christ, page 272)
Another commentator says it like this:
He says that it means...
...to forget oneself entirely, to reject any thought of doing what will please ourselves rather than God.
Instead of gratifying ourselves or indulging ourselves in all the ways our sinful nature desires, we are called to deny ourselves, rejecting anything and everything that will get in the way of offering ourselves for God’s service — Reformed Expository Commentary
And lest we think these commentators are too radical...
…Remember what Jesus said in:
Luke 14:26 (ESV)
26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
-Now, the second requirement of discipleship is similar:
2.) DAILY… taking up of your cross!
Again… What does this communicate?
In a word… Finality!
Leon Morris explains this one:
“When a man from one of their villages took up a cross and went off with a little band of Roman soldiers, he was on a one-way journey.
He’d not be back.
Taking up the cross meant the utmost in self-denial.” It meant the very death of self. — Leon Morris
Again, this view is far from radical:
Galatians 5:24 (ESV)
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Luke 14:27 (ESV)
27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
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Notice, how those go together:
Self-Denial
Servitude.
The first is pre-requisite to the last!
-And this is what we see...
...as the final requirement of discipleship in Verse 23:
3.) Service (i.e., following Jesus)
What does it mean?
What does it mean to “follow” him?
Well, for starters...
…it means that He’s leading...
…and you’re the one that’s being led!
He, himself, becomes the goal
He, himself, becomes the object of imitation
He sets the direction and trajectory of your life
He establishes the rules and directives
(How does he do that?)
(How do we discern that?)
It means that he becomes Lord and Master...
…and we become his slaves.
-Combine these three together...
…and the picture is one of entire consecration.
These are his terms for discipleship.
This is Christ’s own definition of what it means to be Christian.
-And notice, how he gives this definition on the heels...
…of his asserting the certainty of the success of his kingdom.
Yes! The Kingdom and its advancement are sure.
No! The gates of Hades will not prevail/withstand it.
But, THIS… is what citizenship within that Kingdom...
…is going to look like for you in the present age!
-Now, the next three verses...
…all explain and elaborate upon this one assertion.
(notice that they all begin with “For”)
The first goes like this (Verse 24):
Luke 9:24 (ESV)
24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
“would” = “wishes/desires”
“life” = literally: “Soul”
There’s a totality to that word “lose,” there, as well.
It speaks of complete and utter forfeiture… both ways.
This is the paradox of the Christian life!
It contrasts the temporal and the eternal.
It says that the means to gain everything eternal...
…is to be willing to forgo all that is temporal.
And the way to lose what is eternal...
…is to cling to what is temporal!
The Martyred Missionary, Jim Elliot...
…summarized this paradox of discipleship beautifully:
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” — Jim Elliot
Isn’t that beautiful?
Most of us are familiar with it (and rightly so).
But, I ran across a less-familiar prayer by him...
…that is equally convicting and inspiring:
He prayed this:
“Father, take my life, yea, my blood if Thou wilt, and consume it with Thine enveloping fire.
I would not save it, for it is not mine to save. Have it, Lord, have it all. Pour out my life as an oblation for the world.” — Jim Elliot
Again, I ask:
“is this extreme?”
“is this irrational?”
John 12:25 (ESV)
25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
This isn’t irrational AT ALL!
It is the most rational philosophy of life in the world!
Anything less… is fool-hardy.
-Look at the logic, in Verse 25:
Luke 9:25 (ESV)
25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
Notice how Matthew and Mark go deeper:
Mark says:
Mark 8:36–37 (ESV)
36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
37 For what can a man give in return for his soul?
What’s the answer?
This reminds us of a couple of Jesus’ parables:
Luke 12:15–21 (ESV)
15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully,
17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’
18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’
20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’
21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
And, of course, there is Abraham’s words to The Rich man in:
Luke 16:25 (ESV)
25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
This is the paradox of discipleship.
One fine expositor put it like this:
“If you’re living your best life now, you’re headed for hell.” — Shai Linne
-Paul shows us the proper posture:
Philippians 3:8 (ESV)
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
This... is the Mission of Messiah’s Men!
-Now, look at Verse 26.
There is a final “For.”
...A final elaboration of the paradox of Verse 24.
Luke 9:26 (ESV)
26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, . . .
So, not only Jesus, himself...
(Who he actually is)
(Not a culturally pleasing caricature)
…but also… His Word!
He says, whoever is ashamed...
By ME...
By What the Scripture actually proclaims...
He says:
Luke 9:26 (ESV)
26 ...of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
In other words...
At the present time:
The Son of Man,
The Messianic Kingdom...
…is going to be marked by:
Apparent (but not actual) Weakness
Actual Suffering/Affliction
Apparent (but not actual) Defeat
And, if...
in this present tribulation...
because of the World’s hostility toward it...
…You shirk away from it...
…and distance yourself from identification with it...
…so that you can...
Gain the favor of men
Avoid their ire...
…then, when the Son of Man reveals his glory and majesty...
He’s going to shirk away from you!
-Mark’s account is particularly applicable to us...
…in the age in which we live:
Mark 8:38 (ESV)
38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
-What day is he referring to?
It’s the day of final Judgment.
The day when the Kingdom will be consummated.
The day in which:
Revelation 1:7 (ESV)
7 ...he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him...
The day in which:
Matthew 25:31–33 (ESV)
31 ...the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
The day in which:
Jude 14 (ESV)
14 ...the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones,
Jude 15 (ESV)
15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
But, it’s also the day in which, God will...
2 Thessalonians 1:7–12 (ESV)
7 ...grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,
10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed...
Jesus said this about that day, elsewhere:
Matthew 19:28–30 (ESV)
28 . . . “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
This is the paradox of discipleship!
Endure Now, for a little while...
...Rejoice Later, For all eternity!
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-Now, notice the final thing he tells them in Verse 27.
It is immensely important!
He has already told them...
...that their tenure as his disciples would be characterized by:
Self-Denial
Affliction
Threats
Persecution
Perhaps even death.
But, he leaves them with this hopeful promise:
Luke 9:27 (ESV)
27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
Matthew says:
Matthew 16:28 (ESV)
28 ...until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Mark Records:
Mark 9:1 (ESV)
1 ...until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”
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What does all of this tell us about the Kingdom of God?
It tells us that:
It arrived and was inaugurated in the First Century AD
Its King (The Son of Man) has already been seated on his Royal Throne!
It implies that it isn’t a “Kingdom of this World”
It's going to face hostility and opposition on the earth...
...until its consummation.
It isn’t a physical, material, and geopolitical Kingdom
It is a Spiritual Kingdom
That its capital city would be the heavenly Jerusalem...
…NOT the one on earth.
That its members are enrolled in heaven...
…Not on the earth
It also tells us...
That its citizens may appear to suffer defeat in the present age...
But...
If they are faithful to the end...
If they endure the hardships as good soldiers...
…they’ll receive the victors crown of life!
Let me give you a few proofs...
…and we’ll be done:
First of all, Remember this:
Luke 17:20–21 (ESV)
20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed,
21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
At another time, He had said:
Luke 11:20 (ESV)
20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Paul said this in the prologue of his letter to the Romans:
He said that Jesus was...
Romans 1:4 (ESV)
4 ...declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
And Peter said this at Pentecost:
Acts 2:29–33 (ESV)
29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne,
31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.
32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.
33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.
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.”
-I’m going to leave you...
…with Jesus’ message to the Church in Smyrna.
Revelation 2:8–11 (ESV)
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
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Let’s ask for strength to thus persevere.