The Moment and the Mission

Jesus has been causing quite a stir up in Galilee. Many are drawing near in astonishment and faith. While others are recoiling back in skepticism and disbelief. Jesus’ own followers are starting to feel the heat. They’ve left everything and followed Him. Now the Pharisees are starting to question where their loyalties lie. Of course, we know the answer. Because in Luke 6:12-16, we read that Jesus called his disciples to Himself and chose twelve of them to join His inner circle as Apostles. They’ve decided to go “all in” with Jesus. And with these words, Jesus begins what scholars call “The Sermon on the Plain.” It bears many similarities to the Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew. In both sermons, Jesus begins the same, “Makarios!” Which means blessed, happy, well-off, and favored. It’s the Good Life! In these opening verses, Jesus is answering three crucial questions: Who has the Good Life? What is the Good Life? Where is the Good Life? 1. Who has the Good Life? The good life belongs to the most unlikely people. Despite poverty, hunger, or exclusion, the Good Life belongs to those who seek Christ. 2. What is the Good Life? The good life is citizenship in the kingdom of God. Jesus shows us what the Good Life is by pairing these couplets of “Blessings” and “Woes” in this passage. You can be a loser in the kingdoms of men, but if you belong to the kingdom of God, you’re a winner. 3. Where is the Good Life? The good life is found in the presence of Jesus. Rejections shall fade in His embrace. Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus! You can have all this world, give me Jesus! Takeaway: Which Good Life are you living for? Are we living for the Good Life here and now? Or are we living for the real Good Life that begins now and comes in fullness in the age to come? Matthew 6:18–33 says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 24 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 31 Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” “Aim at Heaven and you will get Earth 'thrown in': aim at Earth and you will get neither.” - C.S. Lewis

A Personal God The God of History The God of Liberation A Holy God Takeaway: God – not nature – is the ultimate foundation of our existence. And, as he has shown us in history, he is on our side.

“No one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.” With those words, recorded here at the heart of Luke 5 & 6, Jesus is setting the stage for what He’s doing as His ministry begins. Like wine ripening in the leather wineskins, Jesus is going to stretch everyone’s confined expectations to make way for the expansive kingdom that is already breaking into the world in Himself. In this passage, Jesus will bring the Pharisees to their breaking point, as he wields with increasing boldness, His miracle-working power. The Cleanser (5:12-16) Jesus cleanses by becoming unclean. Jesus stretched out his hand and touched the untouchable man full of leprosy. He exchanges his cleanliness to take on the man’s uncleanliness. The Forgiver (5:17-26) Jesus forgives by becoming unforgivable. The Pharisees will never forgive Jesus for what He did for the paralyzed man. This charge of blasphemy will follow Jesus to the cross. The paralyzed man was guilty and helpless, but Jesus exchanged places with him. The Protector (6:1-5) Jesus protects by becoming unprotected. Jesus’ disciples were under attack for violating the Sabbath. But when Jesus declared himself to be the Lord of the Sabbath, the Pharisees came after him. To protect the disciples, Jesus switched places with them and took on the attacks from the Pharisees. The Restorer (6:6-11) Jesus restores by becoming unrestorable. After restoring the man's withered hand, Jesus became unrestorable in the Pharisee’s minds.   Takeaway: Jesus is our substitute in every way Jesus’ actions in this passage foreshadow the cross… The Cleanser who removed the leprosy of our sin, by taking it all upon Himself. The Forgiver who made atonement for sin, by becoming sin for us. The Protector who stood between us and the accuser and offered His life in our place. The Restorer who brought life, by enduring death for us. For on the cross Jesus died in our place and for our sake, bearing all our sin and shame, and rose again to make us right forever with God. He is our substitute in every way.

As we come to chapters 5 & 6, we find Dr. Luke brings together two themes like a zipper. Jesus is beginning his ministry, and many are drawn to him and choosing to become one of his followers. Yet on the other side, many are skeptical of him, especially the Scribes and the Pharisees. Dr. Luke is zippering these two themes together, going back and forth between the Disciples who are drawing near and the Pharisees who are keeping their distance. For today, we will focus our attention on the call of discipleship. The Command of Jesus Jesus’ Authority is Broad He knew where the fish were, and they caught a large number (5:6a). Jesus’ Vision is Wide The fishermen caught so many fish they needed two boats (5:6b–7). Jesus’ Ministry is Stretching Just as the fishing nets were stretching, so will we be stretched in ministry (5:8–11). Jesus’ Call is Transforming These fishermen will no longer be catching fish, but men. The Companions of Jesus Jesus’ Authority is Broad Jesus commanded the attention of the tax-collector, Levi (5:29, 6:12–16). Jesus’ Vision is Wide Jesus wants to see all people reconciled to Himself (5:30–39). Jesus’ Ministry is Stretching Jesus’ twelve disciples felt the change and stretching of Jesus’ ministry (6:13). Jesus’ Call is Transforming It all began with a simple call to follow Jesus (5:27b, 5:10b). The Commission of Jesus Jesus’ Authority is Broad He is the Lord and Master of all of life (Matthew 28:18–20). Jesus’ Vision is Wide He wants all people to come and follow Him (19b–20). Jesus’ Ministry is Stretching This monumental task will bring Jesus’ disciples to their breaking point, but He knows what He’s doing (20b). Jesus’ Call is Transforming Because He is with us, what was impossible on our own is now ours to receive. Takeaways: Will I follow Jesus’ Authority? Will I embrace Jesus’ Vision? Will I stretch toward Jesus’ Ministry? Will I surrender to Jesus’ Calling?

One of the best descriptions of Jesus is found in Hebrews 1:3, "He is the radiance of the glory of God, the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power." Jesus is the glory of God up close and personal. If you want to know what God is like look at Jesus! When God speaks and brings all creation into existence, that Word is Jesus. Through Him, all things were made and by Him, all things are sustained. When Jesus speaks stuff happens. This passage shows Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, wielding the word of His power with astonishing authority as He's, dispatching demons, and mending maladies. Astonishing Authority What gave Jesus' teaching such astonishing authority? His Approach, His Content, and His Person. At the King's word, souls stir. When the incarnate Word of God opens up the inspired word of God, soul's stir and come to life. Dispatching Demons The demon in this passage wants Jesus to be quiet and leave town. It's a challenge to Jesus' authority. At the word of Jesus, the evil spirit flees the scene. At the King's word, darkness trembles. Mending Maladies Jesus lays His hands on the sick to bring them healing. In both creation and re-creation God uses the hands-on approach. At the King's word, renewal begins. Takeaway: If God is for us, who can stand against us? The One who upholds the universe by the word of His power has given us His word that He will never leave us, nor will He ever forsake us. He promises to be with us always and to the very end. And if God is for us, who can stand against us?

In The Lord of The Rings, when Frodo, Sam, Pippen, and Mary return to the Shire, they come home changed. When they left, they were a ragtag bunch of mischievous friends, but now they’re heroes. However, the other hobbits of The Shire don’t know about their adventures. So, as these four friends arrive home in all their regalia, their old neighbors are left staring. In Luke 4, at His own homecoming, something a bit like that happens to Jesus. He comes back to Nazareth and He’s changed. The Father endorsed Him from Heaven and the Spirit descended upon Him. And now Jesus returns North to Galilee in the power of the Spirit to begin His ministry and His old neighbors don’t know what to do with Him. This is Jesus’ homecoming where He reveals to his childhood friends and neighbors, just who He is, and why He’s come. Luke 4:16–21 | The Prophecy - The days of renewal are here in Jesus. Jesus is teaching about the prophecies from the book of Isaiah in the synagogue. Jesus proclaims that those prophecies have been fulfilled. He is the Servant of the Lord and He is bringing the days of renewal. Luke 4:22–24 | The Prejudice - The days of humbling are here in Jesus The people spoke well of Jesus and marveled at what he was saying, but they couldn’t get over who was saying it. They ask him to perform a miracle like he’s done elsewhere. But he simply replies that no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. Instead of humbling their hearts, they begin to resist Jesus’ teaching even more. Luke 4:25–30 | The Peril - The days of decision are here in Jesus Jesus references the stories of Elijah and Elisha to make the point that Israel rejects the Lord's prophets. When you reject God’s mercies and the renewal of all things, great peril will come before you. Jesus’ warning makes the people livid, and they want to throw him off of a cliff. But Jesus slips away. No one can take his life from him. Jesus has come, and with Him, are the days of renewal. But they will only be ours if we humbly receive Him. Takeaway: What will you do with Jesus? C. S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

When being interviewed for a job, people are always asking about the same things: your background, your credentials, your qualifications, and your experience. They’re trying to see if there’s a fit between the job and what you have to offer. You’ve got to get the right person in the right assignment if you want to have the right outcomes. In 1st century Israel, there was one position in particular that so many longed to see filled, the Messiah. Then one day, Jesus of Nazareth stepped out onto the stage of history as the Savior of the World. Luke is going to show us that Jesus stands alone, uniquely prepared, to be a Savior like none other. Luke gives us three accounts concerning Jesus. His Baptism, His Genealogy, and His Temptation. Let’s consider each of these accounts as we discover Jesus to be the Son of God, the Son of Man, and the Son of Righteousness. 1) Son of God - Luke 3:21–22 In His Baptism – We see Jesus is divine. Jesus’ baptism brings hope to all of creation. 2) Son of Man - Luke 3:23–38 In His Genealogy – We see Jesus is human. Son of David - heir of the throne. Son of Abraham - heir of the promise. Son of Adam - heir of humanity. 3) Son of Righteousness - Luke 4:1–13 In His Temptations – We see Jesus is perfect. Jesus is the true and better Israel, Adam, and humanity. Takeaway: Jesus is our only, all-sufficient Savior!

Dr. Luke has been weaving together the stories of these two remarkable boys—John and Jesus—born six months apart, both of whom will be integral in this new chapter of redemption that God is writing in salvation history. God is clearly on the move, and these two boys will be central to His saving work as it breaks through! The last we heard of John was in Luke 1:80, “And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.” But today we’re going to see him rising into the height of his ministry. John the Baptist will prepare the way of the Lord, crying out as a voice in the wilderness. John’s call, in this passage, is to the “why”, “what”, and the “how” of repentance. The “Why” of Repentance Repentance is a call to rethink the way you’re living, to turn around, and head in a whole new direction. Repentance feels like death, but it is the only way to life. The “What” of Repentance (3:3-6) There are four major life-patterns that John is calling people to turn away from. Cultural Religiosity (3:7-9) In John’s day, like ours, people hid behind their religious cultural heritage and failed to love God for themselves. When the Lord shows up, He will separate those who truly know him and are bearing good fruit, from those who are fruitlessly going along with the religious cultural flow. Disintegrated Faith (3:10-14) Repentance is about getting right with God, but the fruit of repentance is about living right with others. Loving God rightly means loving others rightly. Hypocritical Fakery (3:15-17) Jesus will baptize, not with water but the Holy Spirit and fire. The Lord is separating the valuable and genuine from what is worthless and false. Jesus can see through all the fakery, and He’ll sort it out perfectly on the day of judgment. Defiant Indulgence (3:19-20) John called Herod out for his Defiant Indulgence. Herod figured that the rules didn’t apply to him because he was in power. Repentance is turning away from ourselves, and turning instead toward God. The “How” of Repentance Whenever we feel the weight of conviction, we’re faced with a choice. To yield in tenderness or to become defensive. Repentance means surrendering to the Lord and walking in faithful obedience. That’s why we need Jesus. Jesus took the fire; he felt the purging and rose again to clothe us in his righteousness forever. Takeaway: Repentance is good news, if you and I will receive it.

Imagine Dr. Luke sitting down to interview Mary about her son, Jesus. Of all the key witnesses he’d interviewed, his conversation with Mary must have been the most precious. She may have said, “Let me tell you when I first realized that He knew exactly who He was. He was 12 years old, just a boy, and we accidentally lost Jesus. We left him behind for 3 whole days in Jerusalem.” When Mary and Joseph finally found him, Jesus responded, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” With these words Jesus is showing us His belonging, believing, beholding, and becoming. Belonging - Jesus is running to His home Believing - Jesus is seeking out His refuge Beholding - Jesus is embracing His delight Becoming - Jesus is defaulting to His habits Takeaways: When I’m lost, where do I run for home? When I’m scared, where’s my safe space? When I’m at leisure, where do I seek joy? When I’m pressured, what are my default habits? Under pressure, we default not to our instincts, but to our habits. Jesus’ spiritual muscle memory sent him running to His Father. What would it look like to build the kind of spiritual muscle memory, those spiritual habits, that will serve us well the next time the pressure mounts and crises hits? Remember, the only way you and I get to run to God as our Father is because of Jesus. Jesus isn’t just our example to follow, He’s our Savior who makes us children of God.

What kind of story are we living in? Is life a comedic story? Or is it a tragic story? We call those who see life as a comedy, optimists. Their cheery outlook drives innovation, entertainment, and hopefulness. As for those who see life as a tragic story, we call them pessimists. They are honest about the pain and struggle life has to offer.  But there’s a third kind of story… a redemptive story. Redemptive stories see the brokenness of the world for what it is, but the light always breaks through.  The Bible characters we meet today, Simeon and Anna, see life as a redemptive story. These two aged saints have spent their whole lives awaiting the redemption of God…  1) The Sign of Redemption 2:22-24 As Mary and Joseph redeem their firstborn son and present Jesus to the Lord. They are acknowledging they’re living in God’s redemptive story. God has redeemed… we owe Him our everything!    2) The Hope of Redemption 2:25-33 Simon and Anna were waiting for the consolation of Israel. They were anticipating her redemption and longing for her salvation. God will redeem… we look to Him for everything! 3) The Cost of Redemption 2:34-40 The redemption of Israel can only come through the suffering of the Servant of the Lord, Jesus. God is redeeming… we’re receiving His Everything! Takeaway: Redemption is here, and His name is Jesus! This is not a feel-good comedy, neither is this a depressive tragedy. This is a redemptive story. It’s the story we live in, by grace through faith. It’s a story worth trusting in, hoping upon, and waiting for. It’s the story of Jesus. Our Light, our Glory, and our Redeemer! Luke 2:22-40