The Expected One
Luke 7:17-23
May 27, 2018
If you will remember, the gospel of Luke opened with
An explanation by Luke as to why he was writing this gospel account.
Luke 1:1-4 “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.”
• We noted that in Luke’s day there must have been a number of stories circulating about this Jesus who had turned the world upside down.
• One can only imagine how the stories must have grown given the propensity of people to exaggerate and “spin” the news to fit their own agendas.
Luke wrote to cut through all of the speculation
And deliver “the exact truth” about this Jesus.
It was and is extremely important that people know who Jesus is.
But also important to the purposes of Luke
Is to reveal who Jesus is supposed to be.
It is that continued link to the Old Testament
Which Luke is so committed to.
• On one hand you have the Old Testament promises regarding the Messiah,
• On the other hand you have this Jesus who has arrived claiming to be that
Messiah.
We want to know if the two mesh.
Luke is seeking to help you answer the question: Is this Jesus the one that the Old Testament prophets were talking about?
THAT IS PRECISELY THE QUESTION WE DEAL WITH TODAY.
And it’s actually a question that Luke has been setting up for us
Over the last 2 weeks.
Over the last 2 weeks we have read about two rather remarkable miracles.
• First Jesus healed the slave of a centurion who was apparently about to die and Jesus did it without ever physically seeing the man.
• And then last week Jesus raised a widow’s son to life right in the middle of his funeral.
And certainly those were tremendous miracles in their own right.
• We learned of Jesus’ authority
• We learned of Jesus’ compassion
And those were certainly worthwhile stories.
But Luke had more on his mind than just relaying those random stories.
Those stories prompted a conversation
That Luke most certainly wanted to share.
After those two miracles we read:
(17) “This report concerning Him went out all over Judea and in all the surrounding district.”
• It’s hard to imagine that Jesus’ popularity wasn’t already well established, but if it wasn’t, it certainly is now.
• Jesus is working some amazing miracles, and the word is spreading.
• And this provokes a conversation.
(18) “The disciples of John reported to him about all these things.”
Luke wants you to know about a report that occurred.
• What Jesus was doing had become so remarkable that John’s disciples thought it best to visit John and tell him all about what they were hearing.
If you will remember, John has been taken out of circulation.
Luke 3:18-20 “So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people. But when Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the wicked things which Herod had done, Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.”
• We don’t know exactly how long John has currently been in prison, but it’s conceivable to say it could have been at least a year by now.
• And while in prison John receives word of all the miraculous things Jesus is doing, especially regarding the healing of the slave and the raising of the dead man.
And this report brings about the question
That we want to answer this morning.
There are 3 points we’ll make here.
#1 THE QUESTION
Luke 7:19-20
John gets word of all that Jesus is doing
And it sparks a question that John wants Jesus to answer.
“Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?”
Even down in verse 20 when the 2 disciples arise, they reiterate that question to Jesus. “Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?”
Now there’s a lot of history to that question, and we need to understand at least a little of it to be able to grasp Luke’s point here.
First of all let’s deal with the concept of “the Expected One”
It certainly implies that at least among the Jews
There was a certain expectation of One who was coming.
Why wouldn’t there be?
You’ve read the Old Testament promises and prophecies.
Consider:
Isaiah 9:6-7 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”
And trust me there are many, but I’ll leave it at one just for the sake of time.
There were promises of a King and a Kingdom
And a time when Israel’s enemies would be defeated
And Israel would be liberated and exalted
And God’s King would reign on the throne.
Jews were aware of the promises
And they expected that this King was on His way.
THEY WERE WAITING FOR THEIR KINGDOM.
And this is evident in the New Testament.
When John the Baptist showed upon the scene remember the stir He caused?
John 1:19-22 “This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
• Israel was certainly looking for the Christ,
• But due to a misunderstanding of Old Testament Scripture they were also looking for a slew of prophets who would come before Him.
They come asking John are you the Messiah?
Are you at least one of those prophets?
The same expectation is revealed in Matthew 16
Matthew 16:13-14 “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
There was an expectation in Israel about the coming King.
Of course we remember:
Luke 2:25 “And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”
Luke 2:38 “At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
Or we read of people like Joseph of Arimathea:
Luke 23:50-51 “And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God;”
It was His disciples who asked:
Luke 21:5-7 “And while some were talking about the temple, that it was adorned with beautiful stones and votive gifts, He said, “As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down.” They questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?”
And even after His resurrection we read:
Acts 1:6 “So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
And apparently it wasn’t even limited to the Jews.
Even the Samaritan woman weighed in on this.
John 4:25 “The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.”
I think you get the point about expectation.
There was a national expectation about the Messiah
Who would come and usher in the kingdom of God.
Well John was also clearly one of those who shared that expectation.
Why wouldn’t he, he was sent to prepare the way for Him.
THE PECULIAR PART to us is that
John here is considering that Jesus might not be the guy.
Does that seem strange to you?
I sort of think so.
We could expect that question from a lot of people, but not from John.
TURN TO: JOHN 1:29-37
I mean there, not only is John still preaching about Jesus,
But he also sends his own disciples after Him.
TURN TO: JOHN 3:25-36
There John willfully states that
My ministry needs to get out of the way of His ministry.
And then John preached the gospel that in order to be saved
A person must believe in and obey Jesus.
John was a beacon of conviction.
He was certain of who Jesus was.
And now John sends the question to Jesus, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”
That does seem a little strange.
I think we have to address a little here the root of John’s doubt.
• As was already noted, John was in prison.
• He had been arrested for preaching the gospel to Herod.
• What is more, Jesus has left John in prison.
• Jesus’ ministry is flourishing, Jesus disciples are even beginning to minister, and yet Jesus has left John in prison.
• John had expected the kingdom.
• John had expected to submit under the rule of this new King.
• John expected Him to come and baptize with fire.
And thus far, none of that has happened.
I think there is a Psalm that probably better grasps the mindset of John than anything I can say about his current condition.
TURN TO: Psalms 89
(It is a little lengthy, but I think it is worth it)
Let’s run through it here quickly.
It begins with Ethan (the Psalmist) remembering God’s faithfulness and the specific promise God made concerning His reigning King.
(READ 1-4)
• So he recounts that God is faithful and that God has promised to build up David’s throne forever.
And it’s not just that God is faithful to His promises,
It is also that God is more than able to fulfill His promises.
(READ 5-10)
• Point being, if God wants to do it, none can stop Him.
Beyond that, we also have the reminder that this powerful God always does what is right.
He never walks in deceit or evil. He is always righteous and just.
(READ 11-18)
• And there we learn that it is God’s righteousness, coupled with His power that makes Him a sure and steady hope for His people.
• He is a faithful shield in whom we can rejoice.
And so according to Ethan, if you’re dealing with a God like that,
Then you can take His word to the bank.
Well then Ethan begins to recount the promise God made concerning David and his kingdom.
(READ 19-29)
• Ethan recounts that God had promised to anoint David and appoint David and to keep David and his line forever.
And according to Ethan this promise is good even if David’s sons somehow blow it and offend God completely.
(READ 30-37)
So taking inventory on the whole situation,
We see that God has promised to exalt David’s line, regardless of merit,
And because God is always faithful and always just,
Ethan is taking the promise to the bank.
That’s his expectation.
THEN COMES THE CONFUSION
(READ 38-52)
DO YOU SEE HIS PROBLEM?
• He knows the promises of God
• He knows the character of God
But he does not see these promises being fulfilled like he expected.
And the Psalm ends with a simple declaration of faith even while not understanding.
Now do you understand John’s problem?
• He knows who Jesus is.
• He knows the promises concerning Jesus.
• But John never expected that Jesus would be running around and leaving John in prison.
HIS SUFFERING WAS UNEXPECTED.
Incidentally we could place John in here in a long list of God’s servants
Who grew disillusioned with God when the suffered unexpectantly, especially when they had done nothing wrong.
Remember Job in his affliction?
Job 7:20-21 “Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am a burden to myself? “Why then do You not pardon my transgression And take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the dust; And You will seek me, but I will not be.”
Remember Elijah after he expected revival and only received a death threat. He ran to the mountain of God and confronted God:
1 Kings 19:9-10 “Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
Remember Jeremiah in all his persecution?
Jeremiah 20:7-8 “O LORD, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; Everyone mocks me. For each time I speak, I cry aloud; I proclaim violence and destruction, Because for me the word of the LORD has resulted In reproach and derision all day long.”
These were all men like John
• Who were suffering when they didn’t deserve it
• Who were suffering alone
• Who were suffering when they didn’t expect it
And that certainly has John rattled.
And we could quite easily take a second and focus on John’s despair
And how we often times fall into that same category
When life takes an unexpected turn for us.
• God is always faithful
• And God always keeps His word
But it is also true that in doing so that
God doesn’t always demonstrate His faithfulness in the way we expect.
The greatest example of this will always be the cross.
Jesus’ followers are going to be absolutely blown away that Jesus will be crucified.
• They didn’t see that one coming at all, and it caught them all off guard.
• Now actually, His death was a perfect fulfillment of prophecy, but they didn’t
fully understand all that prophecy and so God’s work there certainly
confused them.
And so we must consent that our confusion is based on our ignorance,
Not God’s failure to do what He promised.
And we certainly could talk about the necessity of faith in God
Even when we don’t understand.
John is there now.
But the reason Luke includes this story is NOT because
He wants to focus on the day John doubted,
Or because he wants some sentimental association
With our doubts and struggles.
Luke includes this story for 1 reason.
Namely that in his doubts John asks a question
That Luke thinks needs answering.
And that question is:
“Are you the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?”
We’ve been looking for the Messiah whom God has promised for years.
And we want to know, are you Him?
What a great and direct and straightforward question to answer.
Is Jesus the One God has promised all throughout the Old Testament?
• God promised a King
• God promised a Priest
• God promised a Savior
• God promised a Deliverer
We’ve been waiting for Him, are You that guy?
And I hope you understand the importance here.
This is an area where great deceptive attempts are promised.
Matthew 24:24 “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.”
2 Peter 2:1 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.”
1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
2 Corinthians 11:3-4 “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.”
The point being,
• We aren’t just looking for a “Messiah”, we are looking for God’s Messiah.
• We aren’t just looking for a Savior, we are looking for God’s Savior.
Even in our world we’ve seen our Jim Jones’ and our David Caresh’s
Who claim to be God’s Messiah.
Their claims mean less than nothing. We are looking for God’s Messiah
This is Luke’s opportunity to let Jesus answer for you
Whether or not He is God’s sent Savior, Priest, and King.
That’s the question
#2 THE ANSWER
Luke 7:21-22
I like the way Luke begins the answer; “At that very time”
• Jesus didn’t answer with a debate…
• Jesus didn’t answer with a history lesson…
• Jesus didn’t appeal to logic…
“At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind.”
Talk about an emphatic statement!
Jesus just put on a full blown power and authority clinic
Right in front of their very eyes
And then basically looks at John’s disciples and says,
“What do you think?”
(22) “And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.”
All of those are direct fulfillments of the promises
God made about the One He would send.
Isaiah 35:3-6 “Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.” Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah.”
Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”
These miracles were an emphatic statement from Jesus
That He is exactly the One whom God promised.
Imagine the scene that just unfolded.
We know Isaiah’s prophecy about the blind seeing, the lame leaping like a deer, the deaf hearing and the mute shouting.
And imagine what John’s disciples must have just witnessed.
• For when they asked if Jesus was the expected One, He immediately worked those miracles.
And can you imagine what the crowd around Him looked like?
• There’s a deaf man listening to the first words the mute man ever spoke.
• There’s a blind man watching the first steps the lame man ever took.
• There’s a dead man returning to his family.
• There’s a poor man being offered the forgiveness of the gospel
The scene must have been astounding
And Jesus says, “What do you think?”
It is an emphatic “Yes!”
I am the One the Father promised.
John 5:31-37 “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true. “There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true. “You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. “But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. “He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. “But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish — the very works that I do — testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. “And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form.”
That was Jesus there revealing that He is in fact the Father’s Savior.
And this is the point Luke wants you to catch.
It is a foundational point to Luke’s gospel.
When God in the Old Testament promised a Savior,
We see that Savior in Jesus Christ.
There is no other.
He is the One.
If you miss Him, you miss everything.
The Question, The Answer
#3 THE REMINDER
Luke 7:23
I’ve always liked to refer to this as “The Doubter’s Beatitude”
It is actually a subtle rebuke of John.
And don’t think this rebuke is unusual.
We read of Jeremiah’s complaint earlier, here is what God had to say to him.
Jeremiah 15:19-21 “Therefore, thus says the LORD, “If you return, then I will restore you — Before Me you will stand; And if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, But as for you, you must not turn to them. “Then I will make you to this people A fortified wall of bronze; And though they fight against you, They will not prevail over you; For I am with you to save you And deliver you,” declares the LORD. “So I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem you from the grasp of the violent.”
We read of Elijah’s complaint, here is how God responded.
1 Kings 19:15-18 “The LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. “It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. “Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
In other words, “I’m going to replace you”
And Job gets the harshest response of all. God gives him 4 chapters of rebuke.
Job 38:1-3 “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, “Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge? “Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!”
And of course THE POINT to all of that is this.
• It’s one thing to have some doubts…
• It’s one thing to have your expectations challenged…
• It’s one thing to be confused…
But if those doubts end up causing you to leave Christ,
Then you have made the gravest mistake of all.
Was John considering that?
Well what did he ask?
“Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?”
In his confusion and unfulfilled expectation
John was actually debating rejecting that Jesus was the Messiah
And beginning a search for a different one.
And Jesus gives John a soft, yet stern rebuke.
• John, I am the One you’re looking for.
• John, I am the One God promised.
• And if you want the blessing then you had better not stumble over Me.
That is to say, “Don’t let the hardships associated with following Me, cause you to give up and quit.”
WHY?
Because Jesus is the One.
And if you allow circumstances to drive you from Him,
Then you are the one who misses out.
And so this wonderful revelation also comes with a stern warning.
Jesus is in fact the One God promised,
And the blessing comes only for those who do not fall away.
DO YOU SEE LUKE’S POINT?
• It is all about the exclusivity of Jesus.
• It is all about the absolute necessity of Jesus.
Luke ISN’T just revealing to you
That Jesus is a Savior, or a healer or a deliverer.
Luke IS revealing that Jesus is THE Savior; He is the only Savior.
Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Jesus is the One you need, even He’s not the One you expected.
That is Luke’s point.
So this morning I just lay that truth before you again.
• We aren’t talking about 1 option of many.
• We are talking about the arrival of the One God promised.
• And God didn’t promise to send any others.
Salvation is found in trusting in Him.
Don’t miss Him.
