Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (1 Timothy 2:15)
Very few parishioners concern themselves about matters of theology, which is very unfortunate and discouraging. I have my concerns about how many modern church goers would be able to give a definition of justification by faith. They miss out on the comfort and assurance that theology brings to the Christian mind and faith. They would miss out on the assurance of Double Imputation, or the peace that is given by the Perseverance of the Saints. The worst possibility is that an unstudied Christian may easily fall into error or heresy.
Ligonier (the ministry founded by R. C. Sproul) and Lifeway partner together every year to conduct a survey called “The State of Theology.” In 2025, it was clearly demonstrated that evangelical America is lacking in its knowledge of theology.
Of those surveyed, 64% agreed with the statement that “Everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God.” Such a statement contradicts the theology that all mankind are born in sin and fallen creatures. King David wrote, “I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Ps 51:5).
In the survey, 53% agreed that “Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.” Again this is contrary to Scripture. Paul quoted various Old Testament passages when he wrote, “as it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks after God; All have turned aside, Together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not not even one’ ” (Rom 3:10–11).
The concern with misunderstanding these doctrines is that we fail to see our need for salvation. We miss the fact that we need a radical change of our nature and heart in order to love God (John 3:3).
Perhaps the most concerning part of the survey was that while 100% agreed that “The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe;” 47% of the same group agreed that “God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.” It certainly begs the question, if God accepts worship from all religions, then why does Jesus teach about the eternal torment of hell? Furthermore, Jesus made it very clear that He is the only way to heaven (John 5:11–12; 6:65; 14:6; cf. Acts 4:12). Christianity is exclusive. If a man does not know Christ as His Lord and Savior then he will die in his sin and the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).
People always complain that theology causes dissension. However, if we do not learn theology, how are we to discern truth from error? As disciples of Jesus, we are called to learn these things.
G. K. Chesterton said it well. “Theology is that part of religion that requires brains.” Please don’t check your brain at the door of the church.
Sermon on Luke 7:24–28 for the morning of Sept. 11, 2016.
Last week, we encountered an episode
where the disciples of John the Baptist came and asked Jesus a very pointed
question on his behalf. They asked him, “Are you the coming one, or do we look
for another?” (Lk 7:19–20). This seemed to us to be a very odd question to be
coming from John the Baptist. He faithfully preached of the coming of the
kingdom of God. He faithfully called the nation of Israel to repentance (Lk
3:3–18). He birth was even announced to his father, Zacharias, by the angel
Gabriel (Lk 1:13–17). John even witnessed the Holy Spirit coming down from
heaven alighting on Jesus confirming that Jesus is the Messiah (Jn 1:32–34).
However, when John the Baptist was in prison and began to doubt the ministry
and identity of Jesus, Jesus did call the mind any of these events. He did
remind him of how he witnessed the Holy Spirit descending as a dove upon Jesus.
Jesus instead points to the fact that the words concerning the ministry of the
Messiah were being fulfilled by Jesus Christ. This point is necessary in our
understanding of the text as we continue into the next section in the Gospel of
Luke. This point is going to carry over as we see Jesus identify the ministry
of John the Baptist. The main point of last week and this week are parallel to
each other. Last week we saw that Jesus is fulfilling the passages of scripture
that talk about the Messiah and His kingdom. This week we will see that John the
Baptist fulfills the passages of scripture that talk about the one that will
prepare the way of the Lord (Lk 7:27). These two points are working in tandem
together. Taken together we should see that word of the prophets are being
fulfilled. The words of Isaiah on the Messiah are being fulfilled (Is 26:19;
29:18–19; 35:5–6; 61:1–2). The words of Malachi about the one who prepares the
way of the Lord is being fulfilled (Mal 3:1; 4:5–6). Both of these taking place
and transpiring as the prophets have foretold proves this: God’s program of
salvation is taking place. God has come to bring salvation to His people. God
is doing as He promised. The kingdom of God is at hand. The people of Galilee
were getting to be a witness of the promises of the New Covenant be fulfilled.
They were getting to watch a new dispensation be set up. They got to see how
God was going to save His people. No other generation had, or would see the
same events. They were a unique and blessed generation to see the promises come
to life before their eyes. But we will examine next week how the people reacted
to the words of Jesus.
What They Did Not Go to See (Lk 7:24–25)
Jesus, in His artistic fashion,
helps the crowd to realize the significance of John the Baptist by forcing them
to think through what it was that caused the people to come out in the desert
in the first place. We should recall that the majority of John’s ministry was
done near the Jordan river near the wilderness area. So it not like going to
see John was on the way to the market. Something attracted the people to him.
Jesus starts with some rhetorical questions that imply an obvious negative
answer. The rhetorical questions are supplied to help the people think through
and answer why they went into the desert.
Lk 7:24. The first rhetorical to answer why they went
into the desert is, “A reed shaken in the wind?”. The understanding of this question
can be understood in two separate ways, one as a metaphor, the other in a
literal sense. If we were to understand this as a metaphor, it would be one of
how John was not a wavering, or spineless preacher. John was certain in his
convictions and in his preaching ministry. Marshall explains that, “The shaking
of reeds in the wind was proverbial (1 Ki 14:15), and the metaphor suggests a
wavering or easy-going person.”[1] Matthew
Henry explains how this would be fitting,
He was a man of unshaken self-consistence,
a man of steadiness and constancy. He was not a reed shaken with the wind,
first in one direction and then in another, shifting with every wind; he was firm
as a rock, not fickle as a reed. If he could have bowed
like a reed to Herod, and have complied with the court, he might have
been a favourite there; but none of these things moved him. [2]
While it is fitting to say that John
was unmoved, this metaphorical sense of the rhetorical question does not seem
to fit the present context. We just saw how John was struggling in faith with
understanding if Jesus really is the Messiah. Also the next rhetorical
question, which is parallel to this one, is meant to be understood in a literal
sense. No one purposely walks into the desert just so they can watch a reed
being shaken by the wind. The thought is ludicrous and absurd. Absurd answers are
typical for rhetorical questions.
Lk 7:25. The second rhetorical question asks if they
went into the wilderness to see a man dressed in soft clothing. “The
combination ἱματισμός and ἔνδοξος refers to expensive
clothing, probably made of wool or soft linen.”[3]
This is quite the opposite of John the Baptist. He is described as being
clothed in camel’s hair and a leather belt (Mt 3:4). In fact, Jesus even points
out that the wilderness is the last place to look for a person that is dressed
in glorious apparel. If you want such a person you should look in palaces, not
deserts. Therefore, there is an obvious no to this question. They were not
drawn to the desert to see a man in nice clothes.
What They Did Go to See (Lk 7:26–27)
Jesus offers another rhetorical
question as to why they went into the wilderness but this question anticipates
a positive answer. Jesus even supplies a positive answer for this question.
However, He clarifies that the answer is somewhat insufficient. John is a
prophet, but he is not just any prophet. Jesus even states that John is more
than a prophet. We have should already know this from what has been said about
John in the beginning of Luke’s Gospel. In particular, “He will go before him
in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the
children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the
Lord a people prepared.” (Lk 1:17 ESV). And also, “And you, child, will be
called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare
his ways” (Lk 1:76 ESV). Even John, when he was questioned stated, “I am the
voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’
as the prophet Isaiah said” (Jn 1:23 ESV; cf. Lk 3:4–6; Is 40:3–5).
Lk 7:27. Jesus explains the importance of John the
Baptist by make a loose reference to a different Old Testament passage from the
above quotations. Jesus refers to Malachi 3:1, “Behold, I send my messenger,
and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly
come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight,
behold, he is coming, says the Lord
of hosts” (ESV). Jesus does not make a quotation that is word-for-word with the
LXX. Bock points out several differences between the quotation and referent
source and then states, “These differences show that the LXX is not the source
of Luke’s citation. Rather, he makes a general reference to Malachi, with the
key change being the shift in pronoun” (Luke has “you” in place of “me”).[4]
The book of Malachi goes to explain, “I will send you Elijah
the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their
children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike
the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Mal 4:5–6 ESV). This causes many
to ask, “Is John the Baptist fulfilling what Malachi says about Elijah. Bock
gives the best answer to this inquiry.
While John did go about preparing
the way of the people to God (Is 40:3–5), John did not come before the “great
and awesome day of the LORD” (Mal 4:5). The “great and awesome day of the LORD”
is still yet to come. (This may have been a part of John misunderstanding of
Jesus’ current ministry. He wanted Jesus to judge the nation.) John the Baptist
is a “proto-Elijah.”Overall, it should be understood that Jesus is claiming that
John the Baptist is fulfilling the words of the prophet Malachi. The events
that were predicted by the prophets hundreds of years and written down in ink
for all to read are coming to pass before the eyes of the people of Galilee.
The messenger came to prepare the way of the people, to turn their hearts
toward God, and the Messiah is walking amongst them causing the lame to walk,
the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the mute to speak. Therefore, Israel is
without excuse. They cannot say that did not know that events taking place
before them were of any significance. They cannot say that they did know that
John was the Lord’s messenger. They cannot say that they did not know that
Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ. The scriptures bear testimony to the people.
Read the scriptures and know that God is bringing salvation to His people. Read
and know that the kingdom of God is at hand. Read and know that Jesus is the
Christ. Read and know that you are about to the purchase for the forgiveness of
sins. You are about to see the penalty of sin be satisfied. You are about to
see the Messiah humiliated. But you will also see Him resurrected. You will see
Him ascending into heaven. You will see Him being glorified. You will see Him
seated at the right hand of the Father. You are looking at your KING!
The Position of John (Lk 7:28)
This causes Jesus to give high marks
for John. Jesus calls him the greatest man that has ever lived. This would mean
that John was a greater prophet than Moses, greater even than Abraham. However,
Jesus quickly adds, “but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than
he.” The reason for this is because John belonged to the previous dispensation.
He belonged with, alongside, and is seen as an Old Testament prophet. The
promises of the New Covenant, like the indwelling the of the Holy Spirt, have
not taken place yet. They will be purchased by the blood of Christ at the cross
and will arrive on the day of Pentecost. Jesus is not saying that John is not
going to be a part of the kingdom of God (Lk 13:28), but that he that will get
to receive the benefits of the kingdom will be at a greater advantage than
John. Even the prophets themselves look forward to this time.
Concerning this salvation, the
prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and
inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them
was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent
glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you,
in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached
the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which
angels long to look.” (1 Pe 1:10–12 ESV)
Even Jesus explained this in
Matthew. “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they
hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see
what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear
it.” (Mt 13:16–17 ESV).
Therefore, we called to believe the word of God so that we
might receive the blessings of salvation. We can receive the salvation that was
spoken by the prophets long ago and desperately wanted to see these things come
to pass. We, who believe, have seen. We have the salvation provided in the
cross of Calvary.
[1] I. Howard Marshall, The Gospel of Luke: A
Commentary on the Greek Text, NIGTC (Exeter: Paternoster Press, 1978), 294.
[2] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and
Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 1846.
[3]
Darrell L. Bock, Luke 1:1–9:50, BECNT (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic,
1994), 671. For ἱματισμός see BDAG, 475; for ἔνδοξος see BDAG, 332.2.
[4]
Bock, Luke 1:1–9:50, 673; “Luke also adds πρὸ προσώπου σου at the end of the first
line.”Cf. Marshall, Gospel of
Luke, 295–6.
Jesus has an interchange of
discourse between three individuals that share one thing in common. They were
not a part of the socially accepted crowd. In Lk 7:1–10 Jesus speaks with a
centurion—a gentile. In these Lk 7:11–17, Jesus encounters a widow. Then in the
closing of the chapter (Lk 7:36–50), probably the most powerful encounter,
Jesus speaks with another woman that is labeled as a “sinner.” These three
encounters tell us that Jesus is not afraid to deal with the rejects of
society. Jesus reaches out to those outside the race of Jews, to the woman that
is weeping, and to the woman that is called a “sinner.” I pray that we never
prideful enough that we never are willing to help those that are in need. Even
the individuals that are rejected by the rest of society. Bock elaborates, “In
the last two pericopes, the major subjects are women, showing that Jesus' work
has no gender gap. And in the first pericope of the section, a Gentile has
faith, showing that there is no racial gap either. Jesus comes for all.”[1]
Therefore, we should make no excuse for never reaching to any demographic with
the gospel. Jesus came to save from every economic status. Jesus came to save
from every race. Jesus came to save from every kind of sin.
Each of these exchanges with the outcasts of society also
tells us about the ontology of Jesus Christ. We see that His character reaches
out to the rejects but the fact that He makes wondrous claims and performs
wondrous miracles tells something about who Jesus is. We first see that He
Jesus exercises authority over illness, even without any encumbrance due to
distance. Then we see His authority over death by speaking to corpse, and it
responds! Then we see His authority over sin itself by declaring the sinful
woman to be forgiven.
All of this is proven to be significant because of Jesus'
answer to the disciples of John the Baptist. They came asking, “Art thou he
that should come? or look we for another?” (Lk 7:19). Jesus answer was that the
Scriptures are being fulfilled because of the miracles that were being done by
Jesus Christ. Those miracles pointed to Him as being the Messiah—the promised
one of the Old Testament.
Preface (1 Ki 17:17–24)
Before we move too far into the text
of today’s message, we need to be informed of another narrative that is going
to be alluded to in these verses. We need to be familiar with story of Elijah
raising the widow’s son. Elijah was dwelling the widow’s during a time of
extreme drought. The LORD was even providing miraculously for the Elijah, the
widow, and her son by not allowing the oil or the meal run out. But then the
son became sick and his life left him.
After this the son of the woman, the
mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was
no breath left in him. And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man
of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the
death of my son!” And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from
her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid
him on his own bed. And he cried to the LORD,
“O LORD my God, have you brought
calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” Then he
stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the LORD, “O Lord
my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah.
And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took
the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and
delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” And the
woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word
of the LORD in your mouth is
truth.” (1 Ki 17:17–24 ESV).
We will not see an exact parallel
but allusions will be made. Elijah was seen as one of the greatest prophets
that ever lived, mainly because of the miracles he performed and the acts he
committed against the false prophets of Baal.
Setting of the Miracle (Lk 7:11–12)
We have a story that is unique to
the Gospel of Luke. He explains that the day after dealing with the Centurion
Jesus and His disciples traveled from Capernaum to a village called Nain. Luke
is continuing to give an orderly account (Lk 1:1–4). Capernaum is on the
Northern shore on the Sea of Galilee and Nain is located about 25 miles from
Capernaum in a South Westerly direction.[2]
While this account is unique to the Gospel of Luke, the
miracle was not done in a corner. Luke may have come to know the story from the
disciples or the crowd that was traveling with Jesus, or from the anyone there
in the procession.
Lk 7:12. Luke explains that Jesus come upon a sad scene.
Typically, such individuals were seeking Jesus out. He witnesses a funeral
procession. The funeral procession is following the normal Jewish custom by
carrying the dead out of the city to be buried as according to the Law. The
body was seen as unclean.
The emotion of the scene is heightened for two reasons.
First, the mother of the deceased is a widow. Being a widow in those days was
extremely tough. It was difficult for a woman to provide for herself on her
own. A widow would typically cling to her former husband’s family and depend on
them or the kindness of others in order for her needs to be met. Ruth is the
perfect example of this. She depended on what was left behind in the field for
food (Ru 2:2). The widow in Luke’s narrative, however, had a son. We could
assume the son provided an income for himself and his mother. Now she has
definitely lost any means of an income. Also, for this poor woman, this is the
second time she has dealt with heartache. She first had to deal with losing her
husband, and now she has to deal with losing her only son.
Jesus Healing with Compassion (Lk 7:13–15)
Something that may be overlooked is
that the author is referring to Jesus as “Lord.” The author, Luke, wants his
audience to understand that Jesus is Lord, that He is God in flesh walking
amongst men. Luke sets us up to for Jesus to act as God. No one is going to
display the mercy of God better than Jesus. Jesus acts exactly as God. He
displays the concern that God always had for the widow.
In the OT various laws are given
which ease the condition of the widow: her clothes should not be taken in a
pledge (Dt 24:17); in the third year the tithe should be for her benefit (Dt
14:29; 26:12f.). The gleanings of the field etc. should be left for widows (Dt
24:19ff; cf Ruth 2:2). It is explicitly stated that widows are to be invited to
the sacrificial meals and to the feasts (Dt 16:11, 14) and thus have their
place in the congregation. According to Le 22:22f. the widowed daughters of
priests have a share of the offering if they return childless to their fathers.[3]
Jesus continues with that same love
and concern for this woman. He sees her need and He is moved with compassion.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our
weaknesses” (Heb 4:15 ESV). We have a God that was willing to take on flesh and
suffer every vile, hostile, hurting, gross, and heart-breaking passion as we
have. He is one that is moved by our sadness. He is concerned enough
that God put provisions of protection for the widow in the Law. And now God in
flesh has compassion on this widow of Nain. He will not allow such pain to
continue. He approaches and states, “Weep not.” Hard words for a woman to
follow at such a moment. Hard words to have fall on the ear at that hour. Hard
words to obey at such a time. Yet Christ plans to act, not only to have
compassion, but to act.
Lk 7:14.Jesus now approaches the bier. “The term for
bier, σορός, is
used only her in the New Testament and refers to an open coffin, a plank, where
the shrouded and anointed corpse lay.”[4]
This single act would have caused a normal person to become unclean (Nu 19:11).
Yet this is not a normal person. Jesus does not become defiled but will rather
impart life. Rather than Jesus becoming defiled because of sin’s curse upon the
world, He instead reverses its curse.
What Jesus does next would put us all in the
insane asylum. Jesus speaks to a corpse. He commands a dead person to get up.
We would be thrown right out of the funeral home if we tried something like
this. He tells a corpse, laying on a burial plank, wrapped in shroud, to get
up! Yet God is able to make the inanimate animate.
Lk 7:15. The man was dead. The son was not breathing.
But Jesus speaks to a corpse and it sits upright (ἀνεκάθισεν). “And
the reference to ἀνεκάθισεν makes use of a term that appears elsewhere in the
NT only at Acts 9:40, where it refers to Tabitha's resuscitation by Peter. In
fact, this medical term is often used extra-biblically to describe the sitting
up of someone who was formerly incapacitated by illness.”[5]
Next, the formerly dead man begins to speak. This demonstrates that he had an
immediate recovery. He was sitting up and cogent. The man is clearly alive.
The next phrase, “And he delivered him to his mother (καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὸν τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ),” is an
exact quotation of 1 Kings 17:23 in the LXX. “The comment that Jesus
gave him to his mother serves to remind the readers of the Elijah typology and
also to indicate Jesus’ concern for the widow.”[6] Hearing that Jesus had raised
the widow’s son would have been enough for people to call to mind the story of
Elijah. Luke takes it further by pulling a quotation from the familiar story so
we do not miss the connection. We also should not miss the differences between
the accounts. While Elijah was a great prophet, he still needed to pray to God
and try to restore the boy’s life three times. Jesus simply spoke and it
happened. Elijah was great prophet, Jesus is greater.
Public Confession of a Great Prophet (Lk 7:16)
The audience responds in a natural
way—with fear followed by praise to God. The crowd that saw Jesus heal the man
sick of palsy and forgive his sins had the same reaction. The murmur among the
crowd was two things. The first is that a great prophet is risen among the
people. Very few prophets raised people from the dead. Yet Jesus did this with
what seemed to be ease. The second murmur was that God had visited His people.
This is an Old Testament phrase that speaks of God’s action being made manifest
on earth. In this case, it has overtones of deliverance like in Exodus 4:31,
“And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen
their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.”
Report in Judea and the Region (Lk 7:17)
The word of Jesus’ actions spread
throughout all Judea and the surrounding regions. His fame is spreading even
further than it had before. The word of Jesus’ actions had spread far enough
that the disciples of John the Baptist caught word and told John about it (Lk
7:18). This sets us up for the next pericope in chapter 7.
Jesus’ raising the widow of Nain’s
son in Luke 7:11–17 demonstrates two essential qualities. First, Jesus
demonstrates his compassion and willingness to reach out and meet the needs of
those in distress. He takes the initiative in this account; he comforts the
widow; he restores the boy to health. Second, great power is displayed with
great ease. The comfort that he offers the widow is real, because you can overpower
deaths nullifying effects. The extent of his authority each as to the limits of
personal existence. This account, then, represents a Jesus’ most powerful
display of his connection with God.[7]
We will soon these questions
answered by Jesus Himself when John’s disciple start asking questions on John’s
behalf.
[1]
Darrell L. Bock, Luke 1:1–9:50, BECNT (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic,
1994), 629.
[2]
This is the only time the city is mentioned in Scripture. For information on
geography see Bock, Luke 1:1–9:50, 649; Robert H.
Stein, Luke, NAC 24 (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992),
222; I. Howard
Marshall, The Gospel of Luke: A Commentary on the Greek Text, NIGTC
(Exeter: Paternoster Press, 1978), 284.
[3]NIDNTT, 3:1074.
[4]
Bock, Luke 1:1–9:50, 652; cf. n11; BDAG, 934; Marshall, Gospel
of Luke, 286.
