A Tale of Two Kingdoms
Psalm 2
A tale of two kingdom
Psalm 2
Main Idea: Jesus offers the raging enemies of this world refuge in Him and residency in His heavenly kingdom.
I. The Raging Rebels and the Laughing Lord (2:1-6)
The Posture of the Nations
The Position of the Lord
Acts 4:23-31: When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’—for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
II. Divine Decree and Refuge in the Son (2:7-12)
The Position of the Lord
Hebrews 1:1-5a: Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you?”
Acts 13:33-34a: …this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, ”You are my Son, today I have begotten you.” And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption…
2. The Posture of the Nations
There is no refuge from him, only in him.
~ Derik Kidner
Two Ways
Psalm 1
TWo Ways
Psalm 1
Main Idea: Blessing is found in Christ by walking in his way, delighting in his truth, and experiencing his life.
I. The Way of Blessedness (1:1-2)
As the introduction to the entirety of the Psalter, Ps. 1 is a “wisdom” song, inviting us into a life that is truly “blessed” or “flourishing” before God. The blessed person (1:1):
Walks not in the counsel of the wicked
Nor stands in the way of sinners
Nor sits in the seat of scoffers
“A seat is a place to deliberate, to make judgments, to render decisions… They sit in the company of know-it-alls. A place of cynicism, gossip, and superficial witticisms. They hold nothing in authority but their own cleverness. No judge sits over them; no counsel informs them. They are intoxicated with verbal wine and drunkenly survey the world, blearily reading into it their own confusion and malaise.”
~ Eugene Peterson, As Kingfishers Catch Fire
Instead, the blessed person delights in the law (‘torah’) of the Lord, and meditates upon it day and night. God’s Word is their “daily bread” and their guiding light at all times and in all circumstances (Ps. 119:11).
II. The Way of Rootedness (1:3-4)
The Psalmist gives two pictures of these contrasting ways of living:
1. A Deeply Rooted Tree (1:3)
Through delight and meditation on God’s Word, the blessed person has access to a deep reservoir of gospel nutrients. This leads to a life of stability, fruitfulness, endurance, and prosperity, even through seasons of “heat” or “drought.”
Jeremiah 17:5–8:
Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
“Blessed is the man who has such a promise as this. But we must not always estimate the fulfillment of a promise by our own eye-sight… For though we know our interest in the promise, yet are we so tried and troubled, that sight sees the very reverse of what that promise foretells. But to the eye of faith this word is sure, and by it we perceive that our works are prospered, even when everything seems to go against us. It is not outward prosperity which the Christian most desires and values; it is soul prosperity which he longs for... Our worst things are often our best things. As there is a curse wrapped up in the wicked man’s mercies, so there is a blessing concealed in the righteous man’s crosses, losses, and sorrows.”
~ Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David
2. Chaff
As the grain harvest was collected it would be brought to a “threshing floor,” where the grain would be separated from the chaff; the chaff (dried husks) would either be blown away by the wind or burned up. No matter what it may look like (cf. Ps. 37:35-36, 73:3), the unrighteous have no substance or root; they are “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Eph. 4:14).
III. The Way of Righteousness (1:5-6)
Because the wicked are life ‘chaff’ they will not withstand the judgment of God, nor join the congregation of the righteous. Their “way” will perish (cf. Prov. 14:12). However, the Lord “knows” (intimately) the “way” of the righteous, and he will lead us to life and life abundant (Jn. 10:10).
John 14:6: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
“[Christ] himself is the only gate by which we can find admission, and the way to enter in through Jesus Christ is not by working, but by believing. Then, as to the strife we are urged to carry on, it is an earnest endeavor to steer clear of all the rocks, and shoals, and quicksands of popular fallacies and deceitful traditions, and to sail in the deep waters, with his covenant for our chart, and his Word for our compass, in simple obedience to his statutes, trusting him as our pilot, whose voice we always hear, though his face we cannot see.”
~ Charles Spurgeon, “The Strait Gate”
The Return of the King
Revelation 11:15-19
The Return of the king
Revelation 11:15-19
Main Idea: We can have an enduring hope because of the coming and forever kingdom of Christ
I. God’s Forever Kingdom (11:15-17)
As the seventh trumpet is blown, the “third woe” occurs (11:14) marking the end of history. The New Testament often associates the return of Christ with a trumpet blast (1 Thess. 4:16a, 1 Cor. 15:51-52)
Two things to note about this coming reality:
1. The Kingdom of God will overcome the ‘kingdom’ of this world (cf. Ps. 2:2, Isa. 11:9, Hab. 2:14, Rev. 21:1-2)
“Rather than saying that Christ has returned to defeat all the different kingdoms on earth, the voices speak of a single earthly kingdom that is opposed to Christ. Daniel’s prophecy foretold the rising of different kingdoms in succession, each symbolized by its particular beast (Dan. 7:1–8), but in Revelation there is one beast that is a composite of them all (Rev. 13:1–2). All the secular empires are actually one earthly kingdom under the reign of Satan… When Christ returns, the “kingdom of the world” will yield to “the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (Rev. 11:15).” ~ Richard Phillips, Revelation
2. Christ will reign as King forever and ever (cf. 2 Sam. 7:16, Dan. 7:13-14, Lk. 1:33, Phil. 2:9-11)
The 24 elders worship God by bowing down in worship and giving thanks. Every time we worship and “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess. 5:18), we are a preview of life everlasting and we experience a foretaste of glory.
II. God’s Final Judgment (11:18)
This particular vantage point of the return of Christ and the end of history zooms in on the righteous and final judgements of God. This is the overwhelming emphasis of the Creeds:
Apostles’ Creed: “The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.”
Nicene Creed: “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end”
This divine verdict will have two different outcomes:
The wicked who “raged” will be judged and condemned (cf. Ps. 2, Isa. 40:10, Rev. 20:12)
The righteous (servants, prophets, saints) who “fear your name” will be rewarded (cf. Mt. 5:11-12, 6:19-20, 25:14-30, 2. Cor. 4:16-18, Heb. 11:16)
“‘Rejoice and be glad.’ Why? ‘For great is your reward in heaven.’ Here is one of these great central principles you will find running all the way through the Bible. It is this consideration of the end, our final destiny… According to this argument, my whole outlook upon everything that happens to me should be governed by these three things: my realization of who I am, my consciousness of where I am going, and my knowledge of what awaits me when I get there… But someone may ask: ‘How is this reward possible? I thought that man was saved by grace; why speak of reward?’ The answer of Scripture seems to be that even the reward itself is of grace. It does not mean we merit or deserve salvation. It just means God treats us as a Father… It is not that the child merits a reward. It is given of grace, and it is the expression of the Father’s love.”
~ Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount
III. God’s Faithful Presence (11:19)
Verse 19 recalls the fall of Jericho in Josh. 6 as well as the Lord’s theophanic presence at Mt. Sinai in Ex. 19. In both of these stories of God’s redemption, there is a “collapse” of the old order and an inauguration of a new era. The same will happen at the end of history, as life everlasting is ushered in.
The ‘ark of the covenant’ that dwells in the heavenly ‘temple’ signifies two realities:
God’s Covenant Promises: the ark contained the Word of God as a reminder of God’s covenant commitments to his people
God’s Constant Presence: the ark resided in the “holy of holies” where the presence and glory of God dwelt in the midst of the camp of his people
Revelation 21:3, 22–23: And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God… And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.
The Faithful Witnesses
Revelation 11:1-14
The Faithful Witnesses
Revelation 11:1-14
Main Idea: The perpetual presence of God protects and empowers his people to bear faithful witness in the midst of persecution.
I. The Temple Protected and Preserved (11:1-2)
Revelation 11:1-2: Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.
Every time the language of a temple appears in Revelation, it all points to the people of God. It will show up again in Revelation 21-22. All throughout the New Testament, the apostles teach the Church is the new temple, and this is how Revelation 11 was read by the early church fathers. Earlier John described the church on earth like an army of 144,000 and the church in heaven as a great multitude that can’t be counted. Here he describes the church again, this time in terms of the people of God as the Temple.
John says 42 months, or 1,260 days, or a time and times and a half time. This would be similar to someone saying four score and seven years ago or 9/11. Both of these numbers point our minds to events. John is telling us what this time will be like, not how long this time will last.
This period seems to be associated with a time of rebellion during which God’s faithful people are protected in the midst of trials.
We must be comforted before we’re commissioned.
II. The Witnesses Empowered and Deployed (11:3-6)
Revelation 11:3-6: And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.
The “two witnesses” represent all of God’s people.
They’re described as “lampstands”, which in Revelation 1:20 are local churches (v 4).
John has already used the term “witness” to describe the martyr Antipas (2:13; 6:9).
John himself is in exile because of his “testimony” or “witness” to Jesus (1:9).
The job description Jesus himself gave to his followers before his ascension was to be his “witnesses” (Acts 1:8, Luke 24:47–49)
John has already affirmed that Jesus has made us “a kingdom and priests” (Revelation 1:6).
The victorious ones are pillars in God’s temple (3:12)—priestly language—and seated on Christ’s throne (3:21)—royal language.
We are redeemed to be a royal priesthood and bear faithful witness.
Romans 1:16: Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.
III. The Persecuted Victorious (11:7-14)
Revelation 11:7-12: And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.
2 Corinthians 2:14-16: But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.
We should expect to suffer like Jesus.
"The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." ~ Tertullian
Why must we be comforted before we’re commissioned? Because the mission always meets opposition.
Romans 8:35-37: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Matthew 28:18-20: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The Mighty Angel and the Little Scroll
Revelation 10
The Mighty Angel and the Little Scroll
Revelation 10
Main Idea: When things go sideways all around you, remember what is True and do not let your circumstances derail your obedience.
I. The Mighty Angel and his Muscular Roar (10:1-3a)
Revelation 10:1-3a: Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring.
The clear message: If this angel and the kingdom he represents is on your side, you have far less to worry about than you might think you do even in spite of your present circumstances.
The mighty angel teaches us that there is a King and Kingdom far superior to anything that can dominate us on earth that is over and involved in everything that happens here.
II. The Seven Thunders and Their Silenced Scribe (10:3b-4)
Revelation 10:3b-4: When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.”
Here is the key take away from sealed thunders: The visions that are sealed up, stay sealed up. When heaven goes quiet on a matter, no one ever figures it out. But heaven always wins.
The Seven Thunders and their Silenced Scribe teach us that there is more going on than we are being told and that Somebody does know it all!!
The seven thunders invite us to acknowledge by faith that though we do not, cannot, and will not know everything that can be known, Someone does.
III. The Loud Oath and the Little Scroll (10:5-10)
Revelation 10:5-10:And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets. Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”
John has been graphically reminded of two important Truths:
There is more going on than we can typically see. There is Someone greater in control even though things seem to be totally out of control.
There is more to be known than we are given to know. There is Someone who knows more than we are being told and He can be trusted.
Now we learn that there is an agenda in play that will not - indeed cannot - be resisted. We can only choose whether or not to participate in it.
When things go sideways all around you, remember what is True and do not let your circumstances derail your obedience.
God's Glory in Salvation through Judgment
Revelation 8:1-9:21
God's Glory in Salvation through Judgment
Revelation 8:1-9:21
“A man says to me, ‘Can you explain the seven trumpets of Revelation?’ No, but I can blow one in your ear, and warn you to escape the wrath to come. Another says, ‘Can you tell me when the end of the world will come?’ No, but I can tell you how to be so prepared for it that you need not be afraid if it were to come tonight. I can urge you to trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, so that you can await it with holy joy.”
~ Charles Spurgeon, “Enquiring the Way to Zion”
Main Idea: God answers the prayers of his people through his righteous judgment on evil, inviting us to repentance.
I. Answered Prayer (8:1-5)
The silence in heaven at the opening of the 7th seal in heaven indicates two realities:
1. God listening to the prayers of the martyrs under the altar (5:8, 6:9-10, cf. Ps. 141:2) and “all the saints”
“We live in a noisy world. We are yelled at, promoted, called. Everyone has an urgent message for us. We are surrounded with noise. Messages are amplified deafeningly. The world is a mob in which everyone is talking at once and no one is willing or able to listen. But God listens. He not only speaks to us, he listens to us… everything we say, every groan, every murmur, every stammering attempt at prayer: all this listened to. All heaven quiets down.”
~ Eugene Peterson, Reversed Thunder: The Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination
2. God preparing to answer the prayers of his people through impending judgment from the heavenly throne (cf. Isa. 47:5, Zeph. 1:7, 2:13, Amos 8:2-3)
II. Righteous Judgment (8:6-9:19)
Trumpets throughout the Scriptures are meant to bring alertness to a significant action of God (Ex. 19:16). This included calls to war (Num. 10:9, Judg. 7:22) impending judgment (Josh. 6), a great victory, and the climactic “day of the Lord” with the return of Christ (Joel 2:1, Mt. 24:31, 1 Cor. 15:52, 1 Thess. 4:16)
The 7 “trumpets” retell from a different and intensifying perspective the 7 “seals” from Revelation 6. The “angle” or “viewpoint” of the trumpets show us the judgment of God specifically upon unbelievers who have not been ‘sealed’ by him (cf. Rev. 7, Rom. 1:18) in the time period between Christ’s resurrection and his promised return (occuring with the 7th trumpet in 11:15-19)
Trumpet #1: hail, fire, and blood on the earth (cf. Ex. 9:23-25)
Trumpet #2: burning mountain (or volcano) thrown into the sea (cf. Ex. 7:20-21)
Trumpet #3: a fallen star bitters the waters of the rivers and springs (cf. Ex. 7:19, Isa. 14:12-15, Jer. 9:15)
Trumpet #4: the sun, moon, and stars are darkened (cf. Ex. 10:21-23, Joel 2:31)
All the figurative language in the judgment of the trumpets is rooted in and animated by Scripture, primarily in the Exodus account, where the Lord hears the cries of his people (Ex. 2:23-25) and answers them through the judgment of the plagues on Egypt and Pharaoh (Ex. 7-12).
Trumpet #5 (Woe #1): demonic army released from ‘the abyss’ for a short period of time to cause torment under the rule of Satan (cf. Ex. 10:12-15, Joel 1-2)
Trumpet #6 (Woe #2): fallen angels are released to muster an innumerable army, waging war with what comes from their ‘mouths’ and their ‘tails’
“Notice that these horses don’t just kill; they wound… If you have ever known anyone who has embraced conspiracy theories, prosperity-gospel teaching, universalism, or the popular notion that heaven is for good people who do good things and avoid doing really bad things, then you get that false teaching wounds people. It damages them. It corrupts and contaminates the way that they think and feel, what they value, what they fear, what makes them angry, and what they anticipate in the future.”
~ Nancy Guthrie, Blessed: Experiencing the Promise of the Book of Revelation
III. Defiant Unrepentance (9:20-21)
How should we respond to the 6 trumpets of judgment?
Gratitude (Rom. 5:9, 1 Thess. 1:9-10)
Repentance
Just like Pharaoh in the Exodus account, those who dwell on the earth without the seal of God “did not repent” (2x) from their idolatry, wickedness, and evil (cf. Col. 3:5-6).
Luke 3:7-8a, 9: [John the Baptist] said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance… Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
The Road
Luke 24:13-35
the Road
Luke 24:13-35
Main Idea: The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ fulfills Scripture, secures hope, and ignites faith.
I. Burdened Hearts (24:13-24)
We don’t know anything about these disciples; they weren’t famous, they weren’t members of the Twelve, they weren’t leaders – they were just common, garden-variety disciples like you and me… This little scene is remarkably ordinary and lacking in distinction; it is not a dramatic setting for a great event. There is no angel, no empty tomb. It is just two friends, clinging together in common misery, trying to comfort each other, going over and over the events as if the mere repetition of them would bring relief, seeking desperately to understand and accept, but dazed and numb with shock and grief. ~ Fleming Rutledge, The Undoing of Death, “Recognizing Jesus”
1 Corinthians 15:17–19: And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
II. Unbelieving Hearts (24:25-27)
Jesus responds to these sad and burdened disciples in three ways:
The Source of their Unbelief: ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe…”
The Necessity of Suffering: “.. all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”
The Key to Everything: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
1 Corinthians 15:3–4: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…”
2 Corinthians 1:20: “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”
III. Burning Hearts (24:28-35)
As the two disciples are enthralled in conversation with the risen Christ, they convince him to stay for dinner as evening approaches. At the table, Jesus took the bread, blessed it, and broke it, and suddenly they “recognized” him. Their burdened, slow, and dull hearts had been melted and warmed by God’s grace as Jesus opened up the Scriptures to them.
Ephesians 1:18-20a: “...having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead...”
The Cross
Luke 23:32-49
the cross
Luke 23:32-49
I. The Cosmic Plan of the Cross (23:32-34)
Genesis 3:15: I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise his heel.
Isaiah 53:4-5:
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
I love this prayer because of the indistinctness of it. It is “Father, forgive them.” He does not say, “Father, forgive the soldiers who have nailed me here.” He includes them. Neither does he say, “Father, forgive the people who are beholding me.” He means them. Neither does he say, “Father, forgive sinners in ages to come who will sin against me.” But he means them. Jesus does not mention them by any accusing name, [but simply]: “Father, forgive them.” Now into that pronoun “them” I feel that I can crawl. Can you get in there? Oh, by a humble faith, appropriate the cross of Christ by trusting in it; and get into that big little word ‘them’! ~ Charles Spurgeon, “Christ’s Plea for Ignorant Sinners”
II. The Coronation of the Cross (23:35-39)
Jesus is (ironically) mocked on the cross for being a:
false Savior (23:35, 39)
fake King (23:36-38)
Jesus reveals his kingship not by coming down from the cross to save himself, but by staying on the cross to save others. Jesus reigns by saving, and he saves by giving his life. ~ Jeremy Treat, The Crucified King
III. The Completed Work of the Cross (23:40-49)
1. Darkness covers the land, signifying God’s judgment on sin
Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2. The temple curtain is torn, granting us access to God’s presence
Hebrews 10:19–22: Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith
3. People begin to be changed: a Roman Centurion (23:47), the crowds (23:48-49), the criminal on the cross (23:40-43)
Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
The Trial
Luke 23:1-25
the trial
Luke 23:1-25
Main Idea: Amid the political actors of this world, Jesus is the true king who sets free guilty captives.
I. Political Posturing (23:1-5)
Jesus has been found guilty of blasphemy by the Sanhedrin (22:66-71), but they lack the power to condemn him to death. Therefore, they appeal to Pilate and make 3 political accusations against Jesus:
‘Misleading’ (lit. ‘subverting’) our nation (Israel)
Refusing to pay taxes to Caesar (cf. Luke 20:25)
Claiming to be Christ, a king (the most threatening accusation to Pilate)
Pilate’s question (“Are you the King of the Jews?”) is an attempt to drill down Jesus’ political alliance and agenda. Jesus’ brilliant answer (lit. ‘you say’) confronts the false expectations of a messiah and king, while not denying his royal identity. Jesus was indeed a King, but not a king like the people had in mind (cf. Jn. 18:36).
Jesus sees his messiahship [and kingship] in different terms. He insists that he really is the King. He really is the Messiah. He really does come from David’s line. But he’s also one who’s not so much interested in establishing a merely territorial, political kingdom. He comes to build his kingdom that captures men and women, to transform them, to forgive them, to prepare them for heaven, and to teach them how to live here: a domain in which God is sovereign and recognized as King. ~ D.A. Carson, “Why Jesus Christ Died”
II. Vain Curiosity (23:6-12)
Hearing that Jesus has connections to Galilee, Pilate sees an opportunity to pass him off to Herod and his jurisdiction. Herod Antipas desired to see a “sign,” but he had no genuine interest in the truth about Christ or faith in him. He is a political pawn whose conscience has been seared (cf. Luke 9:7-9).
Those who come to Jesus for any purpose other than knowing, loving, and following him will inevitably be disappointed... To desire Jesus because of signs and wonders, health and wealth, powers and privilege, or any other ulterior purposes is not to desire Jesus. ~ James Edwards, The Gospel According to Luke
1 Peter 2:22-23: He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
Jesus’ interaction with Herod ends with two inverted ironies of the gospel:
Herod thinks nothing of Jesus and mockingly dresses up the true King of all kings in ‘splendid clothing’
Herod and Pilate experience reconciliation as a result of their united opposition against Christ (Ps. 2:2: “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed”)
III. A Great Exchange (23:13-25)
Pilate asserts Jesus’ innocence three times (23:4, 14, 22) but the crowd, animated by the chief priests and rulers, is stirred up in a frenzy to condemn Jesus. Pilate lacks the moral fortitude and courage to do what is right and caves under the political pressure.
Luke 9:22: “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
The release of ‘Barabbas’ (lit. ‘son of the father’) is the story of the gospel; though Jesus is innocent and righteous, he is condemned and faces the consequences in the place of the guilty, while the guilty one is released from his imprisonment and walks free (cf. Mk. 10:45, 1 Pet. 3:18).
The concept of substitution may be said to lie at the heart of both sin and salvation. The essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be. ~ John Stott, The Cross of Christ
The Census, the Repentance, and the Altar
2 Samuel 24
The Census, the repentance, and the altar
2 samuel 24
Other sacred texts do not lambast the office of kingship, nor do they dwell so unremittingly on the failings and limitations of their monarchs. They exalt the king, praise him, smooth over his weaknesses, flatter him, and magnify his achievements. Not so the Bible. So much for the idea that the biblical God is an invention to bolster the power of earthly kings!
- Christopher Watkin, Biblical Critical Theory
Main Idea: When we sin, conviction is the gift that leads us to faith and repentance in the finished work of Christ.
I. The Census (24:1-9)
What’s the big deal with taking a census?
Uriah the Hittite and the Mighty Men of Valor (23:8–39, 24:1-9): The end of chapter 23 provides the military context for our section. David has a battle on his mind. David’s census here is mustering of military personnel (v9). We are reminded of the sin against Uriah and introducing another sin, taking something with wrong motivations and wrong purposes. In both cases, the sin of the shepherd causes the sheep to suffer.
The Exodus and Pharoah (24:13-16): The second connection is the textual connection to the Exodus story. Here Israel suffers from a plague, and the pestilence is spread by the Angel of the Lord, who struck down the people because of the heart of the ruler. Like Passover, the angel of the Lord is turned away by sacrifice—David’s sin, acting like a king of the nations.
Deuteronomy 17:18-20: And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.
Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it. – Augustine of Hippo (354–430)
David didn’t always obey God, but he always dealt with God. – Eugene Peterson
II. The Repentance (24:10-17)
2 Samuel 24:10: But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people.
David experienced conviction, not always immediately but inevitably. God always sees through the outward appearance to the heart of the matter (Luke 6:45). To experience conviction is a gift from God to be received with humility (John 16:8).
It is not strange that people sin, but it is reprehensible if they do not acknowledge that they have erred and humble themselves before God.
Ambrose of Milan (333–397)
Conviction always leads to a crossroads, and both are toll roads.
Real repentance turns to God, and real repentance takes ownership of the fallout. David could have squirmed out from this. He could have spared himself. But in perhaps his greatest moment, he seeks atonement by offering himself in exchange for the sheep (John 15:13).
III. The Altar (24:18-25)
Israel is spared from the judgment derived because of the intercession of the mediator whom God provided in the person of King David.
God will accept anyone—even if, like David in his census, we have sinned greatly in offense to God—who comes to him through faith in the offering of the death of Christ.
The narrative concludes with words that fittingly summarize not only the meaning of David’s life but also the message of the whole Bible: “David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel” (2 Sam. 24:25).