Luke 18:31-34 - Written Through The Prophets
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
[READING - Luke 18:31-34]
31 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 “For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, 33 and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.” 34 But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.
[PRAYER]
[CONTEXT] This is the third time in Luke’s gospel that Jesus told His disciples what was going to happen to Him in Jerusalem.
The first time Jesus said that He would suffer many things and be rejected by the Jewish elders and chief priests and scribes. He would be killed and be raised up on the third day. (Luke 9:21-22)
The second time people were marveling at the miraculous things being done by Jesus, but He turned to His disciples and said, “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” (Luke 9:43-44)
But the disciples did not understand what Jesus said because, as Luke 9:45 says, “…it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it...”
The same thing is said in Luke 18:31-34. Jesus added details that He hadn’t included before. Now it won’t just be the Jewish people that reject and crucify Jesus but also the Gentiles. Instead of just suffering many things, Jesus is more specific. He will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon and scourged. Then He will be killed. Then on the third day, He will rise again.
But even with the added details the disciples still did not and could not understand what Jesus said. Luke 18:34 says...
34 But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.
Without the help of the Holy Spirit, the disciples could not reconcile the idea of a conquering Messiah (which is what they expected) with the idea of a suffering Messiah (which is what Jesus foretold).
Without the help of the Holy Spirit, the disciples could not understand why the King—why Jesus— would be crucified.
[INTER] Do you understand why Jesus was crucified?
The question of why Jesus was crucified is very different from when Jesus was crucified or how or where. Those are important questions, but the most important question is, “Why was Jesus crucified?”
[AIM] I want to answer that question this morning from two OT passages because, as Jesus said, all these things were written through prophets.
Isaiah 52:13ff will explain why Jesus was crucified.
But before we get to that, we want to turn to Psalm 22 and look at the agony of the cross written through the prophet David.
We begin with vv. 1-10.
Major Ideas
Major Ideas
The Agony of the Cross Written Through the Prophet David
The Agony of the Cross Written Through the Prophet David
1 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. 2 O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest. 3 Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. 4 In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. 5 To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed. 6 But I am a worm and not a man, A reproach of men and despised by the people. 7 All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying, 8 “Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.” 9 Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts. 10 Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother’s womb.
[EXP] A prophet is one who speaks the words of God. So, while we might think of Elijah or Isaiah when we think of the prophets, we should also think of David since so many of his psalms are included in the pages of God’s Word.
David often found himself under attack. Sometimes those attacks were because of his own sins but David was sometimes attacked even though innocent. Psalm 22 was written by David during one of those times when he was attacked even though he was innocent.
It’s one thing to suffer when you’ve done wrong, but the suffering is heightened when you’ve done nothing wrong. That’s what Psalm 22 expresses.
In that way, Psalm 22 could’ve been sung by Joseph who suffered unjustly after being falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:1ff).
Psalm 22 could’ve been sung by Job who suffered greatly although he was blameless, upright, feared God and turned away from evil (Job 1:1).
And it could’ve been written by David when Saul was trying to kill him without cause (1 Samuel 19:1ff).
But ultimately this psalm points to Jesus as He was the perfect example of the innocent sufferer.
You’ll notice that in Psalm 22:1 the innocent sufferer says, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”
You’ll notice that in Psalm 22:1 the innocent sufferer says, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”
When Jesus hung on the cross, Matthew—who really uses Psalm 22 to tell the story of Jesus crucifixion—records Jesus as saying in Matthew 27:46...
46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
You’ll notice in Psalm 22:7 that the innocent sufferer mentions those sneering or mocking him, insulting him, wagging their heads at him.
You’ll notice in Psalm 22:7 that the innocent sufferer mentions those sneering or mocking him, insulting him, wagging their heads at him.
As Jesus hung on the cross, Matthew 27:39...
39 And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads
Also in Psalm 22:8 we read that those who mocked the innocent sufferer said, “Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver (you); Let Him rescue (you), if He really does delight in you!”
Also in Psalm 22:8 we read that those who mocked the innocent sufferer said, “Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver (you); Let Him rescue (you), if He really does delight in you!”
That is exactly happened to Jesus as He hung on the cross as Matthew 27:43 tells us...
43 “He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”
Remember that Jesus said in Luke 18:32 that He would be mocked and mistreated as was written through the prophets.
Here we have it through the prophet David in Psalm 22.
But let’s keep going. Look at Psalm 22:11-21...
[Psalm 22:11-21]
11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near; For there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have surrounded me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. 13 They open wide their mouth at me, As a ravening and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; 18 They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots. 19 But You, O Lord, be not far off; O You my help, hasten to my assistance. 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, My only life from the power of the dog. 21 Save me from the lion’s mouth; From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.
[EXP] In this part of the psalm the innocent sufferer continues to pray. He trusts in God but he is surrounded and feels helpless and hopeless. Even as King of Israel, David felt like that at times. But, while I don’t think Jesus felt like helpless and hopeless as He hung on the cross, we can still allusions to His agony in these verses…
In Psalm 22:14 the innocent sufferer says that he is poured out like water; all his bones are out of joint; and his heart is like melted wax.
In Psalm 22:14 the innocent sufferer says that he is poured out like water; all his bones are out of joint; and his heart is like melted wax.
Crucifixion put incredible strain on the limbs of those crucified, especially the arms which held most of the weight of the crucified person while he was on the cross.
I’m sure many shoulders were dislocated and other joints as well.
I think this either happened to Jesus or it felt like it was happening to Him as He hung on the cross.
Of course after Jesus had bowed His head and given up His life, those in charge of His execution verified His death by piercing His side with a spear.
John 19:34 tells us that immediately blood and water poured out.
It may have been that the executioners of Jesus pierced the pericardium—the membrane that surrounds the heart—which has a small amount of clear fluid between its two layers.
If so, it’s no wonder that Psalm 22:14 says that the innocent sufferer was poured out like water and his heart melted like wax.
In Psalm 22:15 the innocent sufferer thirsts—his tongue clinging to his jaws because of the dryness of his mouth.
In Psalm 22:15 the innocent sufferer thirsts—his tongue clinging to his jaws because of the dryness of his mouth.
John 19:28 says...
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.”
Psalm 69:21 also foretells that this innocent sufferer will be offered gall and vinegar to drink to quench his thirst.
Matthew 27:34 says that while Jesus hung on the cross...
34 they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.
And just as Psalm 69:21 says Jesus was given vinegar—the word ‘vinegar’ meaning ‘sour wine’. Matthew 27:48…
48 Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink.
Of course Psalm 22:16 mentions the pierced hands and feet of the innocent sufferer. We immediately think of the pierced hands and feet of Jesus when He was crucified (Matthew 27:35); the imprints of which He stills bears in His resurrected body.
Of course Psalm 22:16 mentions the pierced hands and feet of the innocent sufferer. We immediately think of the pierced hands and feet of Jesus when He was crucified (Matthew 27:35); the imprints of which He stills bears in His resurrected body.
After Jesus was raised from the dead. He appeared to the other disciples, but Thomas refused to believe without proof. He said in John 20:25...
25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
And, as you know, Jesus appeared to Thomas and the other disciples eight days later, and said...
27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
Jesus still bears the scars of the piercings that He endured on the cross.
The piercings first written about through the prophets.
In Psalm 22:17 it says that people looked upon this innocent sufferer and stared.
In Psalm 22:17 it says that people looked upon this innocent sufferer and stared.
Luke 23:35 says that as Jesus hung on the cross people simply stood by looking on.
In Psalm 22:18 the garments of the innocent sufferer are divided by casting lots.
In Psalm 22:18 the garments of the innocent sufferer are divided by casting lots.
This is recorded in all four gospels concerning Jesus, but since we are studying Luke we’ll hear it from Luke 23:34…
34 But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.
[ILLUS] Cheryl’s grandfather on her mother’s side was a prisoner of war during World War II. He lost an eye for his country. He lost an eye fighting for you and for me.
I never knew the man and obviously neither did our children, but I imagine that if we met him with his glass eye, one of our little ones might ask, “What happened to his eye?”
I would answer, “He lost it fighting in a war.”
I imagine they’d respond, “That must’a hurt! Why was he fighting in a war?”
And I would answer, “He was fighting for us.”
[APP] When we look at the agony of what Jesus endured on the cross as foretold in Psalm 22—as we hear Him cry out, as we see Him mocked and mistreated, as we see Him disjointed and poured out and pierced and thirsty and scavenged—let us remember, “He was fighting for us!”
He suffered the agony of the cross for you and me.
[TS] This brings to the why question—why was Jesus crucified?
Let’s look at the meaning of the cross as written through the prophet Isaiah...
The Meaning of the Cross Written Through the Prophet Isaiah
The Meaning of the Cross Written Through the Prophet Isaiah
13 Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted. 14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men. 15 Thus He will sprinkle many nations, Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; For what had not been told them they will see, And what they had not heard they will understand. 1 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? 9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. 10 But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.
[EXP] Remember that in Luke 18:34 it says that the disciples could not understand nor comprehend what Jesus was telling them about His crucifixion and resurrection. They couldn’t reconcile how the Messiah, who was supposed to be the King of Israel was going to be crucified. That’s why at one point, Peter basically said to Jesus, “I’ll never let that happen.”
They couldn’t reconcile Isaiah 9:6-7—For a child will be born to us… the government will rest on His shoulders…There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom—they couldn’t reconcile that picture of the Messiah with the one presented here in Isaiah 52:13ff—a picture of the Messiah marred, despised, forsaken, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
But it was our sin-grief He bore and our sin-sorrow He carried with Him when He went up to Jerusalem to be betrayed, mocked, mistreated, spit upon, scourged, and killed!
But it was our sin-grief He bore and our sin-sorrow He carried with Him when He went up to Jerusalem to be betrayed, mocked, mistreated, spit upon, scourged, and killed!
He was pierced through for our transgressions—our sins against God!
He died to pay the price for our lusting and lying, for our idolatry and immorality, for our murder and malice.
He was crushed for our iniquities.
For yours and for mine.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.
His silence before His accusers allowed His sacrifice to speak on our behalf before Almighty God.
His silence before His accusers allowed His sacrifice to speak on our behalf before Almighty God.
Matthew 26:63, “But Jesus kept silent...”
Matthew 27:12, “(Jesus) did not answer.”
Matthew 27:14, “And (Jesus) did not answer him with regard to even a single charge...”
Mark 14:61, “But Jesus kept silent and did not answer.”
Mark 15:5, “But Jesus made no further answer...”
Luke 23:9, “And he questioned Him at some length; but (Jesus) answer him nothing.”
John 19:9, “But Jesus gave him no answer.”
“Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7b).
Isaiah 53:8 asks, “And as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people—people to whom the stroke was due?”
Isaiah 53:8 asks, “And as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people—people to whom the stroke was due?”
Jesus deserved no strokes but He was struck.
John 18:22, “…one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus...”
John 19:3, “…they began to come up to Him and say, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ and to give Him slaps in the face.”
The people in Jesus’ day esteemed Him stricken, struck down by God, because He was—He was struck down in their place!
He was struck down in our place.
His chastening is our well-being.
His scourging is our healing.
The meaning of the cross is our salvation.
Jesus suffered the agony of the cross to save you and me from God’s wrath.
God is holy and just and His holy and just response to our sin is wrath.
But God is also rich in mercy and great in love (Ephesians 2:4), and God demonstrates His own love toward us in this, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
“Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit,” (John 19:30). “His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death…” (Isaiah 53:9)
“Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit,” (John 19:30). “His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death…” (Isaiah 53:9)
They crucified two robbers with Him, one of His right and one on His left (Mark 15:27), but Jesus was buried in a rich man’s tomb.
59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.
[ILLUS] I was listening to a financial show on the radio when a caller said that he had a unique approach to handling his bills. He said that whenever the bills came, he just took them to a closet in his guest bedroom and tossed them in unopened.
Then he shut the door.
But as he explained to the radio host that day, shutting his bills behind a closet door didn’t make them go away.
As he was finding out, he still had to contend with those bills.
They rolled a large stone against the entrance of Jesus’ tomb.
The authorities even sealed it and protected it.
But shutting Jesus behind a large stone didn’t make Him go away.
As they found out, they would still have to contend with Jesus.
Everyone thought it was over, but what did Jesus say in Luke 18:33?
[TS] …
Conclusion
Conclusion
Friday night. Saturday. Sunday morning. / Jesus said, “the third day He will rise again,” (Luke 18:33). / Or as Isaiah mentions it, “The LORD will see His offspring; The LORD will prolong His days,” (Isaiah 53:10). / Or as David puts it, “For The LORD has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him for help, He heard,” (Psalm 22:24).
Friday night. Saturday. Sunday morning. / Jesus said, “the third day He will rise again,” (Luke 18:33). / Or as Isaiah mentions it, “The LORD will see His offspring; The LORD will prolong His days,” (Isaiah 53:10). / Or as David puts it, “For The LORD has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him for help, He heard,” (Psalm 22:24).
Many people say that Jesus felt abandoned by God the Father on the cross because He asked, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” But the agony of Psalm 22 ends with rejoicing, just as the suffering of Isaiah 53 ends in victory—just as the death of Jesus ends with His resurrection.
This is not a connection I have made but one that is made for us in the pages of God’s Word. In Hebrews 2:11, the writer says...
11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Jesus is the one who sanctifies and He sanctifies us who believe in His death and resurrection. Having been sanctified by Jesus, we are welcomed into the family of God and we, like Jesus, now have God the Father as our Father.
Therefore, Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters—His siblings in the family of God.
But then after Hebrews 2:11, the author quotes Psalm 22:22 in Hebrews 2:12—and he quotes it as the words of Jesus speaking to His Father about us, saying, “I will proclaim Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise!”
As Jesus hung on the cross—as He asked, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?—He looked forward to proclaiming the name of His Father to us; He looked forward to singing the praises of His Father in our midst.
And the only way He could’ve looked forward to that as He hung on the cross was by looking forward to His resurrection.
The Innocent Sufferer—the Suffering Servant—rose victorious just as He said He would; just as was written through the prophets.