025 The Effectiveness of Faith – Part 3
Romans 4:13-17
November 5, 2017

Well it seems like it’s been years since we gathered together to continue in our study on the 500 years of Reformation. And I have to apologize that until we reach the new year it’s probably not going to get much better. November and December make life tough on having any continuity to a Sunday night study.

However, we do have a couple of weeks
Before our next interruption so let’s move forward.

You will remember that we are working through the 5 SOLAS
Which came out of the Reformation.

• We have looked at SOLA SCRIPTURA
• We have looked at SOLA GRATIA
• And we are currently looking at SOLA FIDE which is the belief that we are
justified before God BY FAITH ALONE

In this third SOLA we are talking about some various realities.

1) THE NECESSITY OF FAITH
• And you will remember that we looked at Hebrews 11 and reacquainted ourselves with that foundational truth that faith is absolutely necessary.

Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

But as we said, I don’t know of really any who claim Christianity in any form who deny the necessity of faith.

ROME says faith is necessary.
The CHURCH OF CHRIST says faith is necessary.
On this we all pretty much agree.

Where THE DIVISION BEGINS to occur is on the next point we have been discussing which is THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FAITH
Or perhaps a better title would be THE SUFFICIENCY OF FAITH.

It is the idea that Faith is
ALL that is required for a man to be justified before God.

This is where the Reformers really began to distance themselves from Rome, which required sacraments and penance and indulgences and all sorts of other works in addition to faith if a man was to be justified.

Perhaps you will remember the equation we talked about last time.

Rome says: Faith + Works = Justification
Reformers say: Faith = Justification + Works

There is a great difference.
But that is what we are discussing.

And so in our study of Scripture we have turned to Romans 4
And the man named Abraham to see precisely how justification works.

Romans 4:1 “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?”

And if you will recall Paul began this argument
By really JUMPING ON 2 WORDS.

The first word came out of Genesis 15 and it is the word “credited”.

Romans 4:4-5 “Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,”

Paul’s point is that if Abraham had done anything to earn righteousness, Then it is not possible to use the word “credited”.

The word “credited” can only be applied to a situation
Where a person receives something that they did not earn.

The second word came out of Psalms 32 and is the word “blessed”

That is another word that cannot be used in regard to someone
Who was forced to pay for what they received.

Romans 4:6-8 “just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. “BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.”

David used the word “blessed” because he did not earn what he received.
Had he earned it he would have had to use a word like
“just” or “deserved” or “due” or “worthy”

So we learned at the outset of this chapter that
According to two Old Testament saints,
Righteousness and forgiveness WERE NOT EARNED.

They were a blessing that was credited to those who did not deserve it.

LAST TIME we met we moved forward and addressed another argument.
There are those who would say:
“God might give righteousness,
But He gives it to those who do what is required.”

It is a misunderstanding of the relationship between faith and works.

So Paul asks a pivotal question regarding the TIMING OF JUSTIFICATION.
Romans 4:10 “How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;”

What we learn from the Genesis timeline is that
• Abraham didn’t do anything until after he was declared righteous.
• Abraham’s works played absolutely no role in his justification.
• All Abraham’s works did was verify what type of faith he had.
• His works proved his faith was the real deal.

Romans 4:11 “and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,”

We learned that works do not produce or earn or participate
In the process of justification.
All works do is prove that justification has genuinely occurred.

And of course, as we looked at, this was the main point of James.
Faith justifies, but it has to be real faith;
Namely the type of faith that produces works.

In fact, if you have no works it only indicates that you have no faith.
And if you have no faith, then you are not justified.

It is a concept common referred to as “Lordship Salvation”.
It is the belief that a person is justified by faith alone, but if that faith does no produce a life change of obedience then it was no saving faith.

Works are important, but only as verification,
Not as a means of earning righteousness.

So, thus far in our study of the effectiveness of faith,
We have found that faith is all that Abraham had and all that God required
In order to grant him forgiveness and righteousness.

Tonight we move forward in our look at Romans 4.

And here we introduce a new word to consider.
Paul speaks of “the promise”.

(13) “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.”

Earlier Paul spoke of justification
And said that Abraham achieved that by faith alone,
Now Paul speaks of the promise
In order to determine how Abraham received it.

WHAT WAS THE PROMISE?
Well it was reiterated to Abraham several times.

Genesis 12:1-3 “Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Genesis 12:7 “The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.”

Genesis 13:14-18 “The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. “I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. “Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.” Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.”

And again in Genesis 17 and again in Genesis 22.

However for our purposes I want to look at it in Genesis 15.

TURN TO: GENESIS 15

Of course you remember the setting of this chapter.
• It immediately follows after Abraham rescued Lot and was blessed by Melchizedek.
• And God opens the chapter by reminding Abraham that he made the right decision and that He was going to bless him greatly.
• Of course at this point Abraham says, “What good will it do, my heir is actually a servant born in my house?”
• And God reveals that he will have a son
• And of course we then read that Abraham believed God and God credited that to him as righteousness.

So Abraham is convinced that God will give him a son
And through that son will make his descendants like the stars of the sky.

But next we move to the issue of the promise,
And that is regarding the land God had promised to give him.

Verse 8, “He said, “O Lord GOD, how may I know that I will posses it?”

And then comes God’s verification to Abraham.
(READ 9-21)

Now that is the promise yet again reiterated,
AND THIS TIME IT EVEN COMES WITH PROOF.

God actually cuts a covenant with Abraham.
• Abraham cuts up a heifer and ewe and a ram and then he sets up the dove and the pigeon
• And God passes through the pieces.

The implication being, “May such happen to Me, if I fail to keep My word”

We also notice that Abraham did not pass through the pieces, only God.
This was a one-way covenant.
It all hinged upon God, not Abraham.

So now you are familiar with the promise and the circumstances surrounding it.
This is what Paul is about to refer to.

And he has two main points regarding the certainty of this promise and faith.

#1 IF FAITH ISN’T SUFFICIENT THE PROMISE IS NULLIFIED
Romans 4:13-15

(13) “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.”

And again the very timeline makes this clear to us.
1) Did Abraham receive that promise before or after circumcision? (before)
2) Did God confirm that promise before or after circumcision? (before)
3) Did God confirm that promise before or after justification? (after)
4) Did God require anything else from Abraham besides faith before He would confirm it? (no)

That timeline once again makes this point clear to us.
• God did not promise Abraham that he would inherit the land based upon something good Abraham did.

• God did not promise Abraham that he would inherit the land based upon something good he must first do.

• The only thing Abraham has done at this point is believe God and God has guaranteed the promise.

That is clear to us.

And now Paul takes that reality and makes a point to us.
(14) “For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;”

Paul is explaining why it is necessary
For the promise to be guaranteed by faith instead of works.

Paul says that this promise must be by faith instead of works
Because if “faith is made void” then “the promise is nullified;”

“void” translates XENOO
It means “of no effect” or “useless”
(we are talking about the effectiveness of faith aren’t we?)

“nullified” translates KATARGEO
It means “to cause to cease”

So what Paul is saying is this:
If you take away the exclusivity of faith, then you lose the promise with it.

If you say that faith is not effective, “void” (of no effect) then you need to know that at the same time you say that, you will also nullify God’s promises.

I think we can agree that that is a pretty severe statement.
Take away faith as solely effective or sufficient
And the first thing you do is lose the promise.

I think we have to ask:
WHY?

(15) “For the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.”

Paul’s argument here is tremendous, let me spell it out for you.

The goal is to achieve the promise; that’s what we all want.

• How do we get it?
• Is it something we secure through faith, or is it something we secure through works?

Well Paul is ready to tell you what you will get
If you abandon faith and try to pursue the promise through works.

What will you get?
“For the Law brings about wrath”

And if you are puzzled by this, let me push you a little further into this book of Romans where Paul will explain this.

TURN TO: ROMANS 7
In Romans 7 Paul is revealing that through Christ we died to the Law, and that it is necessary that we die to the Law if we have any aspirations of salvation.

Starting in verse 5 Paul begins to explain the effect that the Law has on people who seek to please God by perfectly obeying it.

(5) “For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.”

People who seek to be justified by their works quickly forget one thing…
THE FLESH.

They fail to recognize that the flesh is not going to be compliant.
And Paul says that all the Law does is arouse our sinful passions.

That is to say, you can take a person who has lust in their heart and then tell them not to, but all that command is going to do is make them want it even more.

Ever go on a diet?
You will never want a donut more than when someone tells you that you can’t have one. (That’s the flesh)

Paul says that all the Law ever did was stir up those sinful passions in us.

Now the obvious question then
Is if the Law is in someway the problem?

(7-8) “What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “YOU SHALL NOT COVET.” But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.”

No, the Law is not the problem.
We wouldn’t even know about sin if it wasn’t for the Law, it’s just that when that command tells me that sin is bad, my flesh just wants sin that much more.

So while the Law did not make me sin,
It did bring that sin to the forefront of my mind and my flesh did the rest.

Which is why Paul goes on to say:
(9-10) “I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;”

The Law didn’t actually make me better, the Law actually resulted in death.

And here is the definite tell-all statement:
(11) “for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.”

AND THE POINT IS SIMPLE.
The Law does not help wicked people become righteous.
All the Law does is awaken the sleeping giant of sin in a person’s life which ends up making them more sinful.

Paul actually gives a first-hand account of this battle in the rest of the chapter, but for time sake, we’re going to skip it.

But look down to chapter 8 where Paul begins to reveal that while the Law couldn’t save, we find that salvation in Christ.

I want you to notice what he says:
(8:1-3) “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,”

Now did you notice what Paul said about the Law?
• He said there was something it “could not do”.
• And that is kill “sin in the flesh”
• And the reason it can’t is because it is weakened by the flesh.

Paul is reiterating what he just taught us.
No one ever achieved righteousness through the Law,
All they ever achieved was a greater knowledge of sin
Which caused their sinful flesh to rebel even more
And thus only managed to increase their judgment, not remove it.

Romans 3:20 “because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”

Now that’s a crash course on what the Law does.

So when Paul says here in chapter 4, “for the Law brings about wrath” YOU KNOW WHAT HE MEANS.

So while Paul was definitive that faith brings righteousness
And thus the promise of God.
The Law (works) brings only wrath
And therefore nullifies the promise.

And that is why Paul goes on to say, “but where there is no law, there also is no violation.”

That is to say,
• If there is no required command, then there is no way to break it.
• If there is no required standard of perfection then there is no way you can fall short of it.
• If no works are required then there is no way you can be disqualified for failing to do them.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?

So long as faith is all that is required for obtaining the promise
Then that promise is solid,
But if you say that you are required to do something to earn it,
Now it is conditional and no longer a sure thing.

That is why Paul can say that “if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified.”

And that’s the first point.
If faith isn’t sufficient then the promise is nullified.

#2 IF FAITH IS SUFFICIENT THE PROMISE IS GUARANTEED
Romans 4:16-17

Someone may ask, “Well if works can’t guarantee the promise, how can you tell me that faith will?”

And here is the answer.
“For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed”

Follow with me a moment:
• If justification is by faith alone, then no one can say that they have
earned it.
(because they didn’t do anything)

• If justification is by faith alone all we can say is that I am saved by
grace alone.
Right?

If justification is by faith alone then it has to be by grace alone
AND THE REVERSE IS ALSO TRUE;
If justification is by grace alone then it has to be by faith alone.

Throw works in there anywhere and it messes the whole thing up.
Romans 11:6 “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.”

Galatians 2:21 “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

Galatians 5:2-4 “Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”

When you add works, it kills any notion of grace.
But, if faith is all that is required then grace is still a reality.

And if grace is a reality then “the promise will be guaranteed”
Because it rests on God’s performance and not ours.

And we talked about this when examining SOLA GRATIA
We know that salvation is sure because of grace.

• We didn’t deserve to be chosen…
• We didn’t deserve to justified…
• We don’t deserve to be sealed or protected either…
But it has never been about what you deserve,
It has always been about grace.

We know salvation is secure because
God in His sovereign grace determined for it to be secure.

And so long as salvation is by grace, it is “guaranteed”
And that is WHY IT MUST ALSO BE BY FAITH.

And notice who it is for:
“to all descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”)”

Not for those who do the right amount of works,
But for those “who are of the faith of Abraham”

Remember what Paul told the Galatians?
Galatians 3:6-9 “Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.”

Galatians 3:26-29 “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”

Everyone (regardless of the Law) is a child of Abraham
And recipient of the promise and of grace
So long as they give God the same faith that Abraham did.

• AND WHEN YOU COME WITH NOTHING BUT FAITH, YOU ARE TRUSTING IN NOTHING BUT GRACE,
• AND WHEN GRACE IS THE POWER BEHIND THE PROMISE, IT IS ALWAYS SECURE.

For when you come to God without works, but only faith,
THEN THE BURDEN of keeping the promise
FALLS SQUARELY ON THE BACK OF GOD, not you.

Again, this was the whole point of Genesis 15
And why only God (not Abraham) passed through the pieces.
God was not making this conditional upon Abraham.
God was making this conditional only upon Himself.

And Paul even reveals WHY IT IS A GOOD THING
That the security of the promise rests on the back of God.

Because let me tell you something about God:
Paul says it is God “who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.”

There are two things God does no one else has ever been able to do.
• Raise the Dead
• Create something from Nothing

He did both for Abraham.
• He brought for a child from a dead womb,
• And He figuratively brought him back from the dead.

That is also why God has done for believers.
• He raised Christ from the dead on our behalf
• And through Him makes us a born again new creation.

And none of that is done by our works…God does it all.
And because it all rests on God, it is guaranteed.

Now, I know that is a pretty weighty passage to go walking through so let me just give you THE QUICK SUMMARY to make sure we’ve all got it.

We’re talking about whether or not faith is sufficient (effective).
Whether or not faith is enough by itself.

And here is Paul’s answer.

• Faith is sufficient because that is all Abraham gave to God and in result God gave Abraham righteousness.

• Furthermore in response to Abraham’s faith, God guaranteed the promise to him by passing through the pieces.

• We can confidently say that this salvation and this guarantee were acts of pure grace because Abraham did nothing,

• And since they are grace they rest solely on the back of God and that is why the are secure.

On the flip side (Paul would say)

• If you throw works into the mix then the first thing you do is lose the certainty of the promise.

• In fact that promise is nullified. It’s no longer a promise it is now a contract.

• And it is only as secure as the strength of both parties.
• And since we have seen how pathetic man is at keeping up with his end of the deal whenever he is told to do something we aren’t real confident that he will ever obtain the promise he seeks.

If works are required then that promise is anything but guaranteed.
It is only guaranteed if it is made by grace alone,
And it can only be made by grace alone if it is received by faith alone.

That is Paul’s point.

That means that faith is sufficient.
It is sufficient because it is all God requires.
He says, “Give Me faith and I’ll do it all.”

One last passage that illustrates this:
Hebrews 6:13-20 “For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU.” And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

Abraham rested solely by faith on the word of
The God who cannot lie and who never changes His word.

And just like him the writer of Hebrews says that we do the same thing.
We trust that when God says I will save you, that He can and He will.

The result of this for us is a tremendous and steadfast hope.

All we bring to the table is faith.
It is sufficient and it is effective because it trusts God to do it all.

015 The Forerunner – Part 1
Luke 3:1-20 (1-6)
November 5, 2017

This morning we pick up with Luke’s gospel now 18 years later.
Luke spent 2 long chapters outlining for us the historical births
Of John the Baptist and Jesus.

We learned a great deal about who Jesus is and why He came
And even the type of attitude that is required
If we are to be those who will recognize Him.

And last time Luke finished setting the foundation by revealing to us what Jesus was doing for the first 30 years of His life.

That can be summed up by saying that He was “increasing in wisdom”
• He was learning the human condition.
• He was learning the hardships and difficulties of obedience.
• He was suffering every temptation.
• He was earning a degree in human compassion.
• And He was demonstrating victory over the flesh.

This is what Jesus did for the first 30 years of His life.

THIS MORNING we move now into the period of His earthly ministry,
And it all starts with the arrival of John the Baptist.

Luke has already given us part of our theology on John the Baptist.

In Luke chapter 1 we learned how the angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias while he was in the temple and revealed not only the birth but also the purpose of this man.

Luke 1:13-17 “But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. “You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. “And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Gabriel revealed that this child was coming for a purpose.
He was coming to fulfill the promise Malachi made over 400 years prior.

He was coming as a forerunner to prepare the people for a Holy Messiah Whom they by no means were ready to meet.

And now that both of those boys have grown up,
It is time for Luke to take us into their ministry.

Luke 3 focuses on the ministry of John.
There are 6 aspects here that Luke focuses on and we will spend the next few weeks working through them.

#1 JOHN’S CULTURE
Luke 3:1-2

As we have said many times over, Luke is a historian.
Certainly he is a historian with a point, but he is still a historian.

He validates and documents everything.
And so it is not hard to find the exact time of when all this ministry began.

Here Luke gives a list of the prevailing rulers of the day.

First Luke sets the date as “the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar” who was of course the ruler of all the Roman Empire.

Tiberius first became a co-regent with his predecessor Augustus in A.D. 11
Which means the date for John’s arrival is A.D. 26

It was also in A.D. 26 that Tiberius appointed “Pontius Pilate…governor of Judea”

You are familiar with Pilate as he was the man who presided over the trial of Jesus and who ultimately handed Him over to be crucified.

• Pilate was hard, corrupt, blood-thirsty man.
• He dealt out much misery on the Jews, but was also one to cow under public pressure as we will see at the trial of Jesus.
• Pilate will eventually be removed from office in A.D. 36 after he mistook some Samaritans as insurrectionists and had them killed.

At the same time “Herod was tetrarch of Galilee”
• This is not the same Herod who ordered the slaughter of the babies of Bethlehem (that was Herod the great).
This was Herod Antipas his son.
• This is the Herod who would behead John the Baptist and mock Jesus during trial.

Luke also reveals that “Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis”
Philip was also the son of Herod the great and brother to Herod Antipas.
• It is Philip who was married to Herodias who was having an affair with Herod Antipas thus incurring John’s rebuke and subsequent imprisonment.

Not much is known about “Lysanias…tetrarch of Abilene”

These were the Gentile rulers of the day, and by in large we identify them as corrupt and immoral and blood-thirsty men.

From a religious perspective we have:
“the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas”

Annas was not currently high priest, that title belonged to Caiaphas,
But Annas definitely called the shots.

I’ve often referred to Annas as the god-father of the Jewish mafia.
The office of high-priest often went to the highest bidder and not only had Annas been high priest, but so had 5 of his sons and one of his grand-sons.

Caiaphas was the son-in-law of Annas.
And these guys ran the show in Jerusalem.

Of course you remember the flea market that went on in Jerusalem where they were practicing extortion in the temple by selling “temple certified” sacrificial animals and gouging the people. It was the place where Jesus turned over the tables and ran everyone out with a whip.

That flea market was called “The Bizarre of Annas”.
They ran the money trade in Jerusalem.

Both of these men would host their own private trials with Jesus
Before ultimately handing Him over to Pilate for the death sentence.

It is obvious that Luke gives you all those names
Because more than just wanting you to know the date,
Luke wants you to know the culture.

Politically the culture can be described as “Gentile Domination”
Religiously the culture can be described as “Religious Corruption”

IT WAS NOT A GOOD TIME TO BE A JEW.
They were stuck in the back corner of the totally immoral Roman Empire
And were led by the most corrupt religious leaders Israel had ever known.

And it was in this culture that “the word of God came to John”

And please note again that this was a remarkable thing.
• We talked about this when the angels showed up to speak with Zacharias and
Mary that there had been no angelic vision for over 400 years.
• Well until John showed up there had been no prophetic word for over 400
years either.
• John was the last of the Old Testament prophets.
• God raised him up and God sent him with a message for Israel.

Luke furthermore indicates that this word came to John
“in the wilderness”

This is one of the most identifiable characteristics of John.

Matthew’s gospel revealed him as:
Matthew 3:4 “Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.”

John not only preached against the culture,
John was a living contradiction to the culture.

This man was not worldly in the least.
He did not partake in any of the worldly comforts and luxuries or vices
That his contemporaries enjoyed.

Jesus said of him:
Matthew 11:7-10 “As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? “But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces! “But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. “This is the one about whom it is written, ‘BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’”

• John was not a wishy-washy man…
• John was not a man seeking worldly comforts…
• John was a man on a mission…

And don’t think the world didn’t despise him for it.

Even later Jesus would say:
Matthew 11:16-19 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

Jesus revealed that the world took issue with John’s meager lifestyle
Even accusing him of having a demon.

They could not figure that anyone
Would so turn his back on worldly pleasures
Unless a demon had driven him to it.

John had no demon, he just practiced what he preached.
• John came to a corrupt and immoral society
• And not only preached the holiness of God
• But lived in such a way as to also condemn the world.

That is John’s culture
#2 JOHN’S CALLING
Luke 3:3-6

Here Luke sums up John’s ministry in one verse.
(3) “And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;”
John was a preacher of repentance.

And we would do ourselves well to talk about this for a minute.

When Luke says that John preached “repentance”
We would do well to find out: WHAT IS REPENTANCE?

The Greek word translates METANOIA
Which means “a change of mind”
Some have likened it then to mean to
“turn around and go a different direction”

But just because the definition indicates an intellectual decision,
Don’t assume for a second that it is merely mental.

It is a decision of the mind of such magnitude and commitment
That it changes the actions of a person.

If I tell you that I have decided that chocolate ice cream
Is better than vanilla ice cream,
But all I ever eat is vanilla, you’re going to question
Whether or not I ever really had a change of mind aren’t you?

What “repentance” means is that a person begins to see sin differently.

Listen to James:
James 4:8-9 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.”

JAMES DOES NOT SPEAK of a person who still loves sin but who has decided not to do it;
JAMES SPEAKS of a person who has a complete change of mind regarding sin altogether.

No longer does the individual love sin, now they hate it.
No longer do they celebrate sin, now they mourn over it.

It is much deeper than just a surface change of direction.
Biblical repentance is a total change of perspective,
A change of heart regarding a person’s view of sin.

THIS IS WHAT JOHN WAS PREACHING.

It is also important to recognize that
REPENTANCE IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM REMORSE.

And the church has often gotten this confused.
Tuesday we just celebrated
The 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation.

Some of you who have been with us on Sunday nights will remember this,
But the issue of repentance was very instrumental in the start of the Reformation.

To give you the quick version.
• You had Martin Luther who was a German monk who entered the ministry because he was afraid God would kill him otherwise.

• Through his studies Luther became acquainted with the doctrine of Justification by Faith and was saved.

• While serving as a professor in Wittenberg Luther encountered a man named Johan Tetzel.

Here is what happened:
• Pope Leo had bankrupted the Catholic church while seeking to build St. Peter’s basilica and he was looking for ways to produce income.

• In steps a man named Albrecht of Brandenburg who wanted to be archbishop of Mainz.

• In order to obtain the bishoprict he offered 7,000 golden duckets (one for each of the 7 deadly sins). Pope Leo countered with 12,000 (one for each of the 12 apostles). They settled on 10,000 (one for each of the Ten Commandments)

• The problem was that Albrecht of Brandenburg did not have 10,000 gold duckets, but had to arrange a loan with the bank. In order to help him pay off his debt to the bank, Pope Leo agreed to allow Albrecht to grant indulgences at the giving of alms.

• Albrecht acquired the services of a man named Johan Tetzel who then went to town with his very sensualistic and dramatic preaching and threatening people with the fires of hell and talking about how much pain their deceased relatives were in in Purgatory, etc.

He even coined the phrase,
“Every time a coin in the coffer rings a soul from Purgatory springs”

When Tetzel made his way to Wittenberg,
Luther was furious and in response wrote the 95 thesis
And nailed it to the door of the castle church.

Now, one of Luther’s main issues with Tetzel was that
He led people to ATTRITION but not CONTRITION

DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE?
ATTRITION is basically a decision made because of fear of punishment. It is a decision made because someone doesn’t want to go to hell.

CONTRITION is repentance motivated by sorrow over sin and having offended God.

The gospel call has never been a call to attrition…
Where you just scare people enough with the realities of hell that they agree to “put a coin in your coffer” or in our day “walk an aisle”

The gospel call has always been a call to contrition,
Where a person comes to grips with the heinous nature of their sin
And how they have offended God
And so they leave it behind out of love for God.

TO BETTER UNDERSTAND IT.
• A person of attrition would keep doing their sin, regardless of
what God thought, so long as no punishment was involved.

• Whereas a person of contrition would stop their sin even if
punishment remained simply because it offends God.

DO YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE?

WE ARE STILL CONFUSED ABOUT THAT TODAY.
• We have scores of people in the church who agreed to walk an aisle and even
get baptized if that means they can escape hell.

• But in all reality it had nothing to do with actually hating sin or loving the God
they offended.

Whereas remorse just hates the reality of punishment.
Repentance hates their sin, not just the judgment it brings.

Because of this misunderstanding throughout the centuries
Many people have been willing to do some sort of penance even though they never quit loving their sin.

And this has never pleased God.
Isaiah 1:10-15 “Hear the word of the LORD You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of our God, You people of Gomorrah. “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies — I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.”

Those were people who would jump through hoops to keep God happy,
But they still loved their sin.
THAT IS NOT REPENTANCE.

Now, it is also worth noting that
While repentance must affect the heart and the mind, but if it doesn’t affect the actions then it’s still not repentance.

Consider what John will tell the crowds later in the chapter:
Luke 3:7-8 “So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? “Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.”

Repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of behavior.

• If you just try to change the behavior without changing the mind, it doesn’t work.
• If you try to change the mind without changing the behavior, that doesn’t work either.

BECAUSE AT THE HEART OF REPENTANCE IS
A LOVE FOR AND A DESIRE FOR GOD.
A repentant person is running from sin
Because they are running to God.

John MacArthur spoke of it like this:
“Repentance is not merely an intellectual change of mind about who Christ is, or superficial remorse over the consequences of sin. It is a radical turning from sin to God; a repudiation of the old life and a turning to God for salvation from the penalty and dominion of sin. In 1 Thessalonians 1:9, Paul wrote that the Thessalonians “turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God.” Those who come to Him broken in spirit, humble, and mourning over their sins will experience God’s forgiveness.”
(MacArthur, John [The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Luke 1-5; Moody Press, Chicago, IL; 2009] pg. 208)

It is a decision to leave sin because God hates it and to run to Him.

Paul gives a good description of repentance in talking to the Corinthians:
2 Corinthians 7:9-11 “I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.”

Notice there that Paul spoke first of their sorrow over their sin
Which led them to repentance.

They were sorry because they had offended God and that sorrow resulted in “earnestness…vindication…fear…longing…zeal…avenging of wrong!”

They grew to hate their sin
And that change of mind caused them to run in the other direction.

Let me give you a couple more really good illustrations of repentance.

TURN TO: PSALMS 51
You are familiar with this Psalm, it is David’s response to God after learning of God’s displeasure of David’s affair with Bathsheba and murder of her husband.

TURN TO: DANIEL 9
Here we have the moment Daniel (in Babylonians captivity) read the prophet Jeremiah and learned why he and his fellow Jews were actually trapped in Babylon.

Daniel learned they had offended God, now listen to his prayer of repentance.

Do you see what repentance is?
It is not a bargaining chip.
• It is when you, in your heart, grow to love God so much that you hate your sin
and leave it behind that you might gain Him.

It was not a common practice in John’s culture,
I dare say, it is not in our culture either.

• We don’t hate our sin…
• Deep down we still wish God said it was ok…
• And we hate the fact that God will punish it…

BUT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT
YOU LIKE THE THOUGHT OF REPENTANCE,
YOU SHOULD ALSO KNOW THAT REPENTANCE IS ESSENTIAL.

No one is truly saved without it.
Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”

Ezekiel 18:30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct,” declares the Lord GOD. “Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you.”

How many times have we seen that the message of repentance is always the first line of the gospel presentation?
• Listen to John the Baptist start out preaching it…
• It was the first sermon Jesus preached.
• At Pentecost it was what Peter preached.
• And when Paul went about preaching, it was the first thing he proclaimed

It is essential, you cannot be saved without it.
However, for those who do genuinely repent,
Their reward is FORGIVENESS.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

That is what makes repentance not only essential, but wonderful.
SINFUL MAN CAN BE FORGIVEN!!!

AND THIS IS WHAT JOHN WAS PREACHING.

“he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;”

Why baptism?
• This was not believer’s baptism, like we practice.
• Nor was this some sort of Jewish ceremonial washing.
• Baptism was the means through which a Gentile converted to Judaism.

Could you imagine being a Jew and all of a sudden some man in the desert tells you that you have so made a mess of your life that you are just as far away from God as one of those filthy Gentiles?

Well that was John’s message.
• You’ve blown it!
• You need to repent,
• And you need to show that repentance through this act of contrition.

John was pushing people to the necessary state of humility
To make them ready for the coming King.

People who love their sin do not follow Jesus…
People who think their sin is fine do not follow Jesus…

The only people who follow Jesus are
• Those who have caught a glimpse of just how horrible their sin is and just how
much they have grieved God.

• Those who are poor in spirit and in mourning over their sin who hunger and
thirst for righteousness.

Those are the only type of people who run to Jesus.
John is getting them ready for Jesus to arrive.

THAT IS JOHN’S CALLING.
That calling is further explained through the prophecy which John fulfilled

(4-6) :as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT. ‘EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED, AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW; THE CROOKED WILL BECOME STRAIGHT, AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH; AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD.'”

This is a passage from Isaiah 40.
• Isaiah 40 marks a turning point in the book of Isaiah.
• It is the point where Isaiah departs from the message of judgment and begins to proclaim the message of salvation.

And so it is not surprising at all that the chapter
OPENS WITH THIS CALL FOR REPENTANCE.

And the analogy couldn’t be any clearer.

• The human heart is depicted by the terrain in the wilderness (not so different than when Jesus likened it to the soil of the field)

• This terrain in the wilderness (like the hearts of the Jews) was rough and crooked. It had too many idolatrous bumps and too many immoral potholes.

• John came to smooth them all out. The smoothing process is repentance.

John MacArthur also commented on this:
“The words of Isaiah’s prophecy quoted here also serve as an analogy of the repentance John preached. The wilderness pictures the sinful heart, and repentance involves bringing to light the deep, dark things of the heart, pictured by filling in the ravines, and humbling human pride, depicted in the imagery of bringing low the mountains and hills. The crooked, deceitful, devious perverse things must be made straight, and any other rough places in the heart, whether self-love, love of money, love of the world, the lust of the flesh, indifference, or unbelief, must be smoothed out. Only then will the truly repentant see the salvation of God.” (ibid. pg. 211)

It makes a vivid picture doesn’t it?
• The human heart is corrupt and crooked and it must be straightened.
• Only Jesus can fix this corrupt heart,
• But no one comes to Him unless they learn to hate the hills and the holes and all the crooked turns.

So that is where we start here with the ministry of John.

Let me ask you what you think about your sin
• Are you open to having God reveal your sin to you?
• If sin is present do you want it gone?

This is the message John is confronting Israel with.
It’s not about remorse, it’s about repentance.
And it begins with the way your heart and my heart views sin.

The Wisdom of Jesus
Luke 2:39-52
October 29, 2017

Luke has been carrying us through the History of Redemption.
He has started with the long-awaited and promised Messiah.

Malachi said that the Messiah would come
And would manifest Himself to those who fear the Lord,
And that is precisely what has happened.

We’ve seen Jesus introduced
And we’ve seen Him introduced to the meek of the earth.
Zacharias, Elizabeth, Mary, the shepherds, Simeon, and Anna,
Have all seen and testified about this child.

They know He is the coming Savior of the world.

This morning we have one more witness,
And that is none other than Jesus Himself.

Luke takes us to a single story in the adolescent years of Jesus
To reveal what Jesus knew about Himself
And what He knew about His purpose.

In short, He knew who He was.
He was the very Son of God,
And He knew He was here to accomplish God’s will.

And on one day at the age of 12, Jesus made that clear.

So this morning we are going to look at a very interesting passage.
We are going to study the entire adolescent life of Jesus.

There are some heretical gospel accounts
That try to speak some of Jesus adolescent life.
(Stories about him healing a bird or making birds out of clay, etc.)

But Biblically we have very little insight into His childhood.

Matthew gives us a little and the rest is found here in Luke.
Matthew tells us that sometime around the time that Christ was 18mo. to two years of age, that magi from the east visited and then that He spent some time in exile in Egypt.

And the other adolescent truth is found here in Luke,
And in this passage it contains
The only spoken words of Jesus prior to His ministry.

In Luke 2:42 we find Jesus as a 12 yr. old boy.
We won’t see Him again until Luke 3:23 when He is a 30 yr. old man.
Furthermore that means that everything God wanted you to know
About the adolescent life of Jesus can be found in this passage.
Had God wanted you to know anything more about this period
It would have been included, but this is all God desired that you know.

And that alone makes this passage tremendously important.

And so naturally after we have studied His birth a little,
It is only fitting that we take
A Scriptural look at His adolescent life.

And the truth we see about Him is His wisdom.

(40) “increasing in wisdom” (52) “increasing in wisdom”

Before we do, let me just take a moment and clarify what wisdom is.

A common adage today is that “Wisdom comes with AGE”,
But that is not always true.

Experience does come with age, but not necessarily wisdom.
We find many men in Scripture that age had no effect on,
They were just as foolish in their golden years as they were while younger.

• We could think of Saul, who actually started out but seemed to become more
foolish as his life went on.
• We could look at Solomon’s son Rehoboam who was arguably the most foolish
King Judah had, since it was he who split the nation of Israel. He obviously
learned nothing from the experiences of watching his father Solomon reign.
• We might even say about Solomon, the wisest man ever, that if anything he was
less wise in his later years than early on.

Some think that wisdom comes with KNOWLEDGE.
In other words that you find wisdom in a university.

I don’t disregard the importance of knowledge as it pertains to wisdom,
But knowledge alone DOES NOT make you wise.
(knowledge alone merely makes you accountable)

Regarding wisdom, Jesus would say:
Matthew 11:18-19 “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘ He has a demon!’ “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

You don’t measure someone’s wisdom by giving them a test.
You measure someone’s wisdom by watching their actions.

Wisdom is seen when a person rightly acts
Upon the knowledge and experience they possess.
If you know the facts and don’t act accordingly you are called a fool.
If you know the facts and apply it to life you are considered wise.

Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell — and great was its fall.”

So it is not age or knowledge, but rather obedience that renders one wise.
This is what allowed the writers of the Old Testament
To make this conclusion:

Job 28:28 “And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.'”

Psalms 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.”

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Job, David, and Solomon all came up with the same conclusion.
Knowledge of God is important,
But it is obedience to that knowledge that makes a person wise.

And this morning that is very clearly seen in Jesus.
More than just His ability to win an argument
I want you to see the tremendous wisdom of Jesus.

And so this morning let us look at the wisdom of Jesus.

3 things I want you to see.
#1 HIS WISDOM DEVELOPED
Luke 2:39-40

And so our text picks up after the initial birth of Jesus.
“When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth.”

Luke 2:22-24 “And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD”), and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, ” A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS.”

And then in verse 40 we have the first 12 years of Jesus life.

So if you want to know what went on during His childhood,
Here is the entire record.
(40) “The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”

We most certainly see the HUMAN ASPECT of Jesus here again.
He “grew”

If there is one characteristic that all children have in common, this is it.
They grow up, often in a hurry.

He had become fully man, and as such
He had to grow up just like every other human being.

Scripture also says that he BECAME STRONG.

This can be seen in a physical sense,
But the text seems to indicate it MORE IN A SPIRITUAL SENSE,

Since it goes on to reveal how He became strong
And that is by “increasing in wisdom”

And remember, that is NOT simply a knowledge thing.
It doesn’t say Jesus became “smart”, it says that Jesus became “strong”.

And He did so by “increasing in wisdom”

That means He was routinely taking what He learned
And applying it and obeying it.

Deuteronomy 4:5-7 “See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. “So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him?”

Wisdom is applying and obeying God’s word.

That is furthermore seen in the book of James.

James introduces wisdom in the first chapter.
James 1:5 “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

He takes it a step further in the end of the chapter.
James 1:22-25 “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”
James echoed what Moses taught and that is
That wisdom is found in doing what God commands.
THIS IS WHAT JESUS DID.

And we see THE BLESSING His wisdom provided.
(40) “and the grace of God was upon Him.”

This is obviously not saving grace, since Jesus did not need salvation.

Rather this is speaking of God’s favor.
God was pleased with Jesus, God bestowed favor on the child,
Because even as a child He took pleasure in doing what God commanded.

And let me just say even to the kids in here for a moment
That wisdom is not limited to the aged.

A child who does what his parents command is a wise child.
Certainly Jesus was this.

Proverbs 15:5 “A fool rejects his father’s discipline, But he who regards reproof is sensible.”

And so we see the first twelve years of His life
Is characterized by developing wisdom.

He was learning and perfecting the art of submission and obedience.
He was growing into the man God intended Him to be.

His Wisdom Developed
#2 HIS WISDOM DISPLAYED
Luke 2:41-50

And of course this is the longest section of the text,
For it tells a story that reveals to us the true nature of Jesus’ wisdom.

So let’s first work through the story.
(41-42) “Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the feast.”

Every Jewish man who lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem
Was commanded to attend the Passover.
Others hoped to attend once in their lifetime.

Nazareth was about 80 miles
And so the fact that they went every year
Indicates the devotion of Joseph and Mary.
(Probably a 4 day walk)

Furthermore it was only commanded of men to go not women,
And so the fact that Mary continued to go says something of her devotion.

And when Jesus became 12 He went with them.
(A man at 13, Jesus was on the brink of manhood)

We can only imagine what sort of impact
This Passover would have had on Jesus,
Knowing what His purpose was and what this Passover looked forward to.

(43-44) and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances.”

So they stayed “the full number of days”, which was 8 days
From Sabbath to Sabbath and then they started home.
(again speaks to their dedication since most only stayed 2 days)

And because in a caravan the women walked in front of the men
To keep them from getting separated,
Mary and Joseph each assumed that Jesus was with the other.

And at night when they started getting ready for bed,
It became apparent that Jesus was not with them.

Instead, “the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem.”

He wasn’t disobeying His parents,
He just hadn’t had enough of the glorious event
And continued to seek out truth and to apply it.

But that’s not how his mother saw it…
(45-46) “When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.”

“three days” – one day traveling away, one day traveling back, and one day searching Jerusalem.

And when they found Him we see again His desire for wisdom.
He was listening to the teachers and asking them questions.

This was not a debate, this was a 12 yr. old boy
Seeking out the perspectives of the teachers of the Law.

WHAT COULD HE POSSIBLY BE LEARNING?

Remember Hebrews 5?
Hebrews 5:8-10 “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”

The education of Jesus was not an education of facts or knowledge,
It was an education on human struggling.

The education of Jesus was an experiential one.
• He came to learn the struggles of the human condition.
• He came to learn the struggles of obedience.
• He came to learn the struggles of temptation.

It was this experiential education
That allows Him to be a merciful and faithful high priest.

Isaiah 50:4 “The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.”

He became human that He might learn the struggles of humanity
That He might better come to our aid when we come to Him.

This is part of that education here.
• He is learning from the teachers of the Law exactly what points of the Law are
hardest to obey.
• He is learning the difficulties of practical righteousness.
• He is learning the human perspective on what is important to God.

In short, Jesus isn’t learning about God here, He is learning about men.

THE AMAZING PART is that this 12 yr. old boy has been 3 days
Without His parents and doesn’t seem the least bit stressed.
What did He eat?
Where did He sleep?
His mind is truly on spiritual things.

(47) “And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.”

They had the common response to Jesus, and that was amazement.
This kid understood God.

And as a side note we realize that the last time anyone was able
to answer one of His questions was when He was a 12 yr. old boy.
They would never be able to answer them again.

So we certainly see His knowledge on display.

BUT IT WAS MORE THAN KNOWLEDGE…
(48-49) “When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.” And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”

And so after 3 anxious days Mary and Joseph find Jesus
And Mary is in typical mother fashion.

She is flustered.
“Son, why have You treated us this way?”
How often we ask such questions of God when in reality
It is only because we cannot see what God is up to.

“Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.”

And that turns out to be a massive statement on behalf of Mary
Because it causes a very serious remark from Jesus.

“Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”

You may even notice that the word “house” is in italics,
Meaning it is not in the original manuscript.

This causes some translations to say, “about My Father’s business”

Literally it just says, “I had to be in My Father’s”

And more importantly He is referring to God’s will.

But there is a tremendous enlightenment from Jesus here.

Mary just scolded Him for causing His father anxiety.
Jesus responded by reminding Mary that He is in His Father’s will.

It seems that Mary was forgetting that Jesus’ Father was God,
And that Jesus would put His will first at all times.

Remember that Simeon gave a harsh prophecy to Mary after Jesus birth.
Luke 2:34-35 “And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed — and a sword will pierce even your own soul — to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Here Mary is feeling the sword.
Jesus would do God’s will even if it was against her own.

This is where His wisdom was on greatest display.
FIRST OF ALL: Jesus knows who He is

This is very significant.

In the ministry we see it all the time.
At seminary we called them the “Momma Called”.

Their calling to the ministry had more to do with their mother pushing them
Than it did with God calling them.

And some could think that of Jesus.
That He grew up so well, that all those around Him
Told Him He ought to be a preacher.

But this was not true.
Jesus knew who He was before anyone else

And no one else had to tell Him, He was aware of it.
His wisdom was on full display here.

SECONDLY: Knowing who He was, shaped the things that He did.
He had to be about His Father’s business.

Do you understand that this wisdom
Is the very wisdom that would guide Jesus through his entire ministry?

• How many times did the crowd want to turn Him into their own personal miracle
worker?
• John 6 reveals how they want to make Him King.
• Matthew 16 shows Peter trying to discourage Him from the cross.
• BUT HE WOULD NOT BE SIDETRACKED!!!

In the Garden Peter tries to deliver Him with the sword.
Matthew 26:52-54 “Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”

It was the wisdom of Jesus to always be about His Father’s mission
And to walk in obedience to it.

(50) “But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them.”

Certainly Mary and Joseph hadn’t forgotten that Jesus was virgin born,
Or the circumstances surrounding His birth.

What they didn’t understand was His great wisdom,
That even at 12 years old He was only concerned with
Doing His heavenly Father’s will.
Even at age 12 His wisdom had already surpassed
Those that raised Him and those that questioned Him.

For 12 years He developed His wisdom and now His wisdom is on display.

And then comes the truly amazing part.
#3 HIS WISDOM DEMONSTRATED
Luke 2:51-52

How many people in here have kids that are smarted than you?
If your kids are anywhere between the ages of 12 and 19
It is certain that they are.

Their words, their mannerisms, they’re responses
Indicate that they think they are smarter than you.
But that is not how Jesus revealed wisdom.

He was already wiser than anyone around,
• But did He rub it in their face?
• Did He take over the household?
• Did He role His eyes and belittle His dumb carpenter of a father?
• Did He go to the synagogue and argue with the Rabbi?
• Did He complain about how dumb His soccer coach was?

No, His wisdom was not revealed in what He knew, but in how He walked.

(51) “And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.”

And there we have in one verse years 13 through 30.
18 years of His life summarized right there by one word. SUBMISSION

Wisdom isn’t about what you know,
It’s about what you do with what you know.

And despite the fact that Jesus really was wiser than His parents
He obeyed God’s word to honor His father and mother.

Matthew 11:19 “…wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

We know Jesus was wise, not because of what He knew,
But because of what He did with what He knew.

Which is why we read:
(52) “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature”

By age 12 He was already wiser than those around Him
And yet He continued to increase in wisdom.

Proverbs 4:7 “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding.”

For the next 18 years Jesus just kept growing in wisdom.
• His education continued.
• He experienced every temptation and overcame it because of His intense
commitment to the Father.

Jesus didn’t just show up on earth as a 33 year old man, die on a cross and then return.
• He had to live this life.
• He had to face temptations.
• He had to overcome struggles.

He spent 30 years in what must have been a frustrated condition,
And the sole purpose of that time period
Was for Him to grow in wisdom.
These 30 years would be the foundation for His 3 years of ministry.

And because of this intense desire for wisdom,
He continued to have God’s favor on His life.

“and in favor with God and men.”

Because He sought to know and obey, because He always showed wisdom, He continued to have God’s favor on His life.

Proverbs 3:33-35 “The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. The wise will inherit honor, But fools display dishonor.”

And so from Jesus we learn a tremendous amount about wisdom.
• It is not about what you know…
• It is not about what you have experienced…

Do you see how this fits with what Luke has been teaching us
About the type of people who Jesus saves?

Jesus has been revealing Himself to the humble, to the meek,
To the pure in heart, to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

DO YOU SEE WHY?
BECAUSE THAT’S WHO HE IS!

It’s not surprising that Luke pulled out this story of Jesus.
THIS STORY EPITOMIZES the humble and meek Jesus
That Luke wants you to see.
AND THIS IS THE SAME TYPE OF WISDOM THAT IS EXPECTED OFUS.
TURN TO: JAMES 3:13-18

This was Jesus, and it should be us.

To walk like Jesus, you must value what Jesus valued,
And for Him it was wisdom of humble submission to God.

James 1:21-25 “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

So at this point, Luke has laid for us the foundation of who this Jesus is.

• Jesus is the One Malachi promised.
• He is the Savior, the Son of God, the Holy Child
• He is solely devoted to His Father in all things
• He is received by those who are humble, broken, submissive, hungering
and thirsting for righteousness, and pure in heart

THAT IS THE FOUNDATION OF LUKE’S GOSPEL
• Now you know why John the Baptist is about to show up.
• Now you know why Jesus is going to preach the way He does.
• Now you know why Jesus will oppose those religious leaders and cling to
the poor.

And most importantly you know that He is the Savior
Of all who will see their desperate need for salvation.