No Match For Jesus
Notes
Transcript
I’m not going to lie, this has been a particularly hard week of ministry for me… for various reasons. But our family got to see the NOAH play at S&S this week, and we loved it, even through our tears several times. The parts that brought us to tears were both the dramatic moment where the people who rejected the offer of salvation in the ark are perishing outside as the rains fall and the waters rise… and the more subtle (but deeply painful to us as adults especially) moments where we could see the ongoing separation of Noah’s daughters-in-law from their family members because of their faith.
As I was reflecting on the truth of that dynamic in our own lives, and feeling the weight of other ministry burdens, I came back to preparing to teach this text. And through the combination the Lord struck me with a beautiful truth that I desperately needed:
No matter how weary and worn we may get, and we may as well admit that we do… man, I know I do… it’s right for us to look to the example of our Master’s compassionate servant heart, that we should model our lives after him, and to pray for wisdom and strength to root out self-centeredness in our lives and pursue servant-hearted ministry for God’s glory.
When days are rough, or even mundane, we as Christians have the privilege of taking a step back from our surroundings to ponder and rest in the truth that our text teaches today:
Satan’s schemes to tarnish God’s glory, and man’s failure and inability, are no match for God’s majesty and perfect mediation through Jesus Christ.
Satan’s schemes to tarnish God’s glory, and man’s failure and inability, are no match for God’s majesty and perfect mediation through Jesus Christ.
In the Gospel According to Luke, Jesus has just told his disciples how difficult it will be to truly follow him, and the Father has further confirmed that people must “listen to” Jesus. And now we have a section of repeated failures (of one shape or another) on the part of the disciples (at least through v. 56). In the process of experiencing their own failure and inability, we are meant to learn along with them that we must indeed trust in and obey Jesus.
In the process we discover too that even the ability to believe and power to obey we need God to do in us and for us.
Now, let me explain, as we get into it, how…
Our text transitions from mountaintop high back to compassionate ministry, confronting evil, and correcting the disciples. (v. 37)
Our text transitions from mountaintop high back to compassionate ministry, confronting evil, and correcting the disciples. (v. 37)
For the three who just experienced the Transfiguration, it’s a transition from literal and figurative mountaintop high right back into busy ministry with crowds flocking to Jesus… which, in Luke’s narrative, is nearing the end of this period of focused ministry in Galilee. Soon after this Jesus will set his face toward Jerusalem (v. 51).
With Jesus as the pace-setter, the disciples are right back into the daily grind of servant-hearted ministry, a ministry that ultimately centers around others in the sense of meeting their greatest need—restoration to God through Jesus Christ. But it’s messy, and there’s severe opposition. We’re tempted to grow weary or focus on our failures. Speaking of weariness…
Back to the Noah play at S&S, there’s the scene, actually has a musical number for it, where the wives are completely exhausted from making baskets.
There are many more messy and mundane days than there are mountaintop days. Rather than constantly seeking after new spiritual high’s (which tend to be for us more about having a good feeling), we should be obediently trusting in what we know is true of our Lord and leading lives of sacrificial service. Then we will actually be getting the most out of what it means to belong to Christ in this life.
Even the low days are for our good because in the suffering (most of all) do we dependently plead for our Savior to be the strength we need to continue moving forward with our crosses held high. It’s that level of dependency that particularly honors God. And God delights in proving his power when we are at our weakest.
Lest we should forget and focus too much on ourselves when serving others, Darrell Bock reminds us, “Jesus came not to glory in the mountaintop experience, but to touch the needs of people and heal their pain.” (880) … which he ultimately does “by overcoming [the] forces that stand opposed to humanity.”
A desperate father appeals to Jesus. (v. 38)
A desperate father appeals to Jesus. (v. 38)
(for help with this only son)
We can relate to this desperate desire for help. I absolutely loathe it when my children hurt and I am powerless to remedy their pain.
Several years back, one of our daughters got abnormally sick. It turned out to be a specific strain of e.coli… which, e.coli, is completely normal in the human gut under most circumstances… but this unusual strain releases a toxin where your body’s auto-immune system begins to attack its own red blood cells—Hemolytic–uremic syndrome. Thankfully her doctor caught it immediately and sent us straight to emergency in SGF to have her admitted to their unit that specializes in pediatric care. In the process we learned that many children have to have dialysis and even blood transfusions bc of damaged red blood cells… and those busted up cells travel to and begin blocking up the kidneys in such high quantity that it can permanently damage the kidneys. We were present with her, and prayed and prayed, but were personally helpless to do anything to fix her little body. God gave us peace to comfort our child and to trust him with whatever outcome. We know that God would still be good in whatever his sovereign will, but he providentially chose in this case to preserve normalcy, and our vibrant and tenacious little darling recovered faster than almost all cases with this condition.
Or our family members finding out that our nephew, on Clara’s side, developing leukemia (a blood cancer) at the age of seven. He had now nearly completed his third year of chemotherapy. — We can either relate to this feeling of desperate desire for the health and safety of our children (or other loved ones), or we can at least sympathize with it.
And on a note of eternal significance, some of us continue to plead for God to have mercy on family members or friends, to transform their wayward hearts… to break their pride, prove to them their own inability, and to lead them to repentant faith. Basically, for Jesus to do what we, and they, cannot.
On another note of spiritual significance, Luke alone notes that this is the man’s only son, something that Luke takes particular joy in noting (see also 7:12, 8:42). I wonder if Luke does this intentionally to heighten our thinking about God the Father sending his firstborn, his only Son, into the world to rescue mankind? What kind of love must this be? - If this be true, you will either add it to a list of reasons to hate the God of the Bible, or it is reason to love him.
Speaking of those who hate God…
It turns out that this is a demon possession, and a particularly difficult and obstinate case. (v. 39-40)
It turns out that this is a demon possession, and a particularly difficult and obstinate case. (v. 39-40)
Here again is more evidence of continued Satanic opposition to Jesus and the program of God, particularly during this period in Palestine.
What the boy experiences under the power of this demon is something like epilepsy, only much worse and clearly not caused by mere medical abnormality.
From Mark we learn that it is so bad that the demon sometimes seeks to destroy the boy by casting him into fire or into water. In Luke the father talks not only about the violence of the condition, but also notes that it will hardly leave him. I take this to mean that the problem has become such that the demon possesses the boy more than it allows the boy to be in his own right mind.
On top of how bad the situation is, apparently in Jesus’ absence the disciples were not able to cast the demon out (presumably the nine who did not accompany Jesus and Peter, James and John up the mountain).
In the way Jesus responds, we discover that…
The disciples’ impotence is due to weak faith. (v. 41)
The disciples’ impotence is due to weak faith. (v. 41)
In his rebuke, Jesus seems to reference everyone (“faithless and twisted generation”), but the disciples are not exempt from this, and are probably the primary target of this reference to faithlessness, especially as the focus of the broader section is on their repeated failures.
I believe we, along with the disciples, are meant to learn that… Power from God is not lacking, but dependence upon God is. - In Matthew we read that their failure was due to “little faith,” as Jesus himself tells them. In Mark Jesus notes the particular need for prayer in difficult cases, indicating that the disciples evidently had not done so. From the way it is discussed in Matthew and Mark, we learn that “Difficult spiritual opposition can be overcome only by prayer.” (Bock, 883)
In the words of Peter Deyneka, whom God used to launch a powerful Gospel ministry that continues to have lasting impact in nearly every corner of the Russian-speaking world… “Much prayer, much power. Little prayer, little power. No prayer, no power.”
But this prayer of faith for power is not that we are trying to make God our cosmic genie. Rather, in dependent prayer, we trust in God’s complete ability, while also trusting that his solution in his timing is best. Again, dependent prayer means knowing God is more than able to accomplish his will his way.
Faith is believing that God is who is says he is and does what he says he will do. So the prayer of faith is one which recognizes one’s own inability and trusts in God’s heart, in God’s power, and in God’s plan to accomplish what is best.
We are indeed powerless without God’s presence… but again Jesus proves that he is able to prevail where others were impotent.
Demonic resistance is no match for the power and compassion of Jesus. (v. 42)
Demonic resistance is no match for the power and compassion of Jesus. (v. 42)
There really isn’t a great deal to say here: ***
Jesus’ glory is once more reinforced by his power and authority over even the most obstinate demon possession, and so he must also reinforce the truth that his messianic mission is different from what his followers expect and want.
While all marvel at the majesty of God, Jesus instructs the disciples again concerning the necessity of what is coming. (vv. 43-44)
While all marvel at the majesty of God, Jesus instructs the disciples again concerning the necessity of what is coming. (vv. 43-44)
When those present observe what Jesus is powerful to accomplish, they are astonished at the majesty of God and marvel at all that Jesus can do.
But by this we’re reminded that knowing that there is a God, and even that he is great, is not enough. We need mediation between us and God. Jesus is the only way. We must understand and believe that God is present in Jesus, and by him alone can our situation be remedied, that we may be restored to God.
So Jesus says, “the Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” What did he mean? Recall what he previously told them,
saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
Just as Jesus begins his statement to them in v. 44, I say to you, “Let these words sink into your ears:” Jesus had to come and live a perfect life and die to be the atoning sacrifice for sin. Jesus had to rise again to defeat since and death, that he might offer forgiveness of sin and restoration to God for those who will repent and believe.
In v. 45 we have an interesting development. For now…
The disciples are unable to understand and afraid to admit it. (v. 45)
The disciples are unable to understand and afraid to admit it. (v. 45)
It’s not that they don’t understand the meaning of the words and the literal consequences. As evidence that they understood that much, Matthew records in chapter 16 (the very same context as the Luke 9:22 passage we just reviewed, right between Peter’s confession of him as the Christ and Jesus telling them they must take up their crosses to follow him), when Jesus tells them he must go to Jerusalem to suffer and die and be raised, Peter rebukes Jesus, trying to talk him out of it. (He receives a little rebuking of his own!)
What they don’t understand then is why this must happen, and how that will make Jesus a far greater deliverer than the messianic mission they anticipate.
We should probably also explain about this verse that God is not the cause of their spiritual dullness, but there is a clear connection (as in many NT texts) to God’s sovereignty. It is our fallen state and ongoing sin which blinds us, but God is still sovereign, controlling how and when he reveals truth to wayward hearts. - So it is said that a full understanding of what Jesus means is “concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it.”
Finally, we’re not told why they are afraid to ask him for further explanation, but I see it as a shame, a disappointment… another failure. - Better that we should be like the father in this episode who, with further detail in Mark’s retelling, evidences a lack of faith when he says to Jesus, essentially, “Help us, if you can.” (Mk 9:22) Jesus responds by saying that because of his presence “All things are possible for one who believes” (who puts their faith in the plan and power of God that is present in Jesus Christ). (v. 23)
When we are struggling with understanding and faith, we ought to respond even as this father does, crying out, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” (v. 24)
God’s sovereignty rests with God. The power for you to believe is in his mighty hands. But his call to you is that you respond to Jesus in faith. That’s your responsibility. “Yes, Lord, I believe. I know my faith is weak, help me believe. Jesus, you are the God-Man who walked the earth in perfect humanity and died and rose again to remedy our greatest problem, our deepest need, which is our sin, our spiritual deadness, that separates us from our Creator God. God save me, restore me to yourself. I believe.”
Something of that nature is the first prayer of faith that each one of us must pray to become children of God.
And then, as his children, we continue to pray similar prayers of faith, in dependence on his perfection (not our own), his power (not our own), and his plan (not our own), all for his glory (and not our own).
By such faith we can continue to walk in humble obedience to God, remembering that…
Satan’s schemes to tarnish God’s glory, and man’s failure and inability, are no match for God’s majesty and perfect mediation through Jesus Christ.
Satan’s schemes to tarnish God’s glory, and man’s failure and inability, are no match for God’s majesty and perfect mediation through Jesus Christ.
As it was in the days of Noah, God’s way sounds like nonsense to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved, Jesus Christ is the wisdom and power of God. If there’s any part of your mindset that is yet worldly, then you aren’t seeing God’s creation through his eyes, not least of which is his will for those he created in his own image. We cannot see God’s heart and plan for man until we understand and embrace the cross of Christ and the glory of Christ.
What to do when your faith falters and your power fails? - Go back to where it all begins. More trusting, more obeying.
What to do about your own inability? - Stop trying to HAVE the ability! After that, you don’t do anything about your inability. You let God be God, and he changes you and grants you faith and new life in him.
PRAYER: O Lord, you know our failure and our inability... which is why you gave us Jesus. At times we will certainly feel worn and weary, and face strong opposition from the enemy. But as your children, in dependent prayer we ask you to be our comfort and strength. Forgive us of any self-interest in our hearts, and lead us in the way of humble service. Do this in us for the sake of your own great name. Amen.
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