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Luke

Advent and Astonishment

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INTRODUCTION

We sometimes glide over the stupefying doctrines that are entailed by the Christmas miracle. We are accustomed to the story, and so we simply nod our heads at the familiar words and phrases. But if we are listening, actually listening, the whole thing should bring us up short. “Wait, what?”

THE TEXT

“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Beth-lehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them” (Luke 2:15–20).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

This story is one of the familiar ones, and so we all could probably tell it again ourselves without any prompting. But there are a few things that perhaps we have not noticed.

The shepherds at Bethlehem were keeping watch over their flocks by night (v. 8). One of the things that Bethlehem was known for was as the place where sacrificial sheep were raised. The Temple was only a few miles away, and all the sheep that were sacrificed there had to come from somewhere, and one of those places was Bethlehem. And how fitting it was for the Lamb of God (John 1:29), slain before the foundations of the world (Rev. 13:8), to be born there in Bethlehem—the place where sacrifices came into the world.

When the angels appeared, the shepherds were terrified (v. 9). After the angels had delivered their glorious message, the shepherds looked at one another and said that they needed to go and see this thing (v. 15). And then it says that they came with haste (v. 16). They hurried, they ran, like disciples running toward an empty tomb. They found Mary, and Joseph, and the baby in a manger (v. 16), and then went out telling everybody what the angels had told them (v. 17). Everyone who heard their account wondered (v. 18). They marveled. They were astonished (thaumazo). Mary pondered on all of it (v. 19), and the shepherds returned to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all of it (v. 20).

So consider the emotional tilt-a-whirl that the shepherds experienced that night. First terror, which is why they had to be told not to fear (v. 10). Then whatever emotion accompanies excitement and haste (v. 16). Then they told everybody about it (v. 17), and the recipients of their news were astonished (v. 18). And then the finale for the shepherds was giving glory and praise to God (v. 20).

THE CENTRAL MIRACLE

But angels in the sky, as remarkable as that is, were nothing compared to what dawned on the people of God later on. The signs and portents that accompanied the birth of the Christ were of course appropriate, which is why God sent them. But they were all pointing to the central miracle of all history, which was the miracle of the Incarnation.

FULLY GOD, FULLY MAN

When we talk about this miracle, we cannot draw pictures of it, or reduce it to a formula that we can understand. We can describe what the exact miracle is, but we cannot do the math, we cannot “show our work.”

Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate Deity . . .

Jesus was born into the world, just like the rest of us. He was a baby boy, who needed to be carried down into Egypt. All the faithful accounts we have of Him include descriptions of his genuine humanity. He was no apparition. He had fingernails. Jesus walked places (John 1:36). Jesus got exhausted (Matt. 8:24). Jesus ate meals (Mk. 14:18). Jesus put clothes on in the morning (Matt. 9:20). Jesus sang songs (Matt. 26:30).

Jesus lived this manifestly human life among the Jews, who were the most fiercely monotheistic people ever. But after His ministry was apparently ended by His agonizing death on the cross, He was declared, with power, to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead (Rom. 1:4).

And so this band of faithful Jews began worshiping their late rabbi as if He were God. But this is not a distortion of the Lord’s teaching because He plainly anticipated it. “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). Thomas confesses it when his doubts were removed. “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). The fundamental Christian confession is that Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:9), and so we are to call upon Him. And why? Because, Paul says, quoting Joel 2:32, whoever calls on the name of Jehovah, YHWH, shall be saved. That is why we call upon Jesus.

Two natures, human and divine, united in one person, Jesus of Nazareth. What is predicated of either nature can be predicated of the person also, but what is predicated of one nature cannot be predicated of the other. And they are brought together in what theologians call the hypostatic union, which is the great miracle.

If seeing the miracle of the fish made Peter sink in fear (Luke 5:8), what should contemplation of this miracle do in us?

CHRISTMAS FEAR AND ASTONISHMENT

We all know that there is a kind of religious fear that is negative. It holds people captive to the devil through fear of death (Heb. 2:15). We know that perfect love casts out fear because fear has to do with punishment (1 John 4:18).

But there is a kind of fear that is wholesome, and which is the clean source of many graces. “Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; And let him be your fear, and let him be your dread” (Isaiah 8:13). Jesus Himself feared, and this is why His prayers were answered (Heb. 5:7). The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever (Ps. 19:9). We are told to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12). It is the grace of God which enables us to fear Him (Heb. 12:28). The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him (Ps. 147:11). We are forgiven by the Lord, so that we might fear Him (Ps. 130:4). It was the fear of the Lord that made Cornelius so generous (Acts 10:22, 31). The fear of the Lord, in other words, is the source of all kinds of goodness.

Like the wise men, kings shall come to the brightness of our rising (Is. 60:3). And we will see, and flow together, and our hearts will fear and be enlarged (Is. 60:5).

If you are thinking rightly, you should want this season to be filled with forgiveness and generosity. You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). And God so loved the world that He gave . . . (John 3:16). This is the God we love, serve, and fear. Imitate the shepherds. Make haste.

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Sixteen Precious Words

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INTRODUCTION

Where do you find comfort? Distraction? Netflix serves up a seemingly endless supply of that. More data? Every day there’s a new study warning of this or that danger related to the pandemic, or brain eating amoebas. Politics? Well there was a food fight on national TV the other night, a Supreme Court vacancy, and a president fallen ill. Booze? The end of the bottle will come sooner or later. Where is your comfort?

THE TEXT

“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

MIDNIGHT SONGS

These sixteen precious words are a sweet balm to the soul of the saint. In these words we see a gentleness and encouragement unrivaled; no other work of literature could, in so few words, offer encouragement so great. So, let us treasure these words, and make of them, as Spurgeon would say, a song which we might sing in the night. Indeed, this earthly sojourn must often traverse sorrowful, difficult, and dark paths. When all the lights goes out, will you (even with a faltering voice) have a song to sing? You must.

Sunday morning at church, the truth of God’s comfort is clear and your senses are not confounded. We often describe it as that summer camp high, where you’re ready to take on the world. But there will come a day of testing in the not too distant future which will assail you and buffet you for all you’re worth. In that day, the mettle of the saint is tested, and may it be said that when all around your soul gives way, Christ remains your hope and stay. Even though all the natural realm might imply that He has forsaken you, the saint clings to precious promises such as this one.

If I might, I will indulge for a moment in two stories from Narnia. First, remember what Aslan once said to Jill Pole, after he had given her signs to follow in order that she might fulfill the mission he had assigned her: “Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.”

Second example, in The Horse and His Boy, Shasta is exhausted after many long adventures, his companions are incapacitated, and yet they still have an errand to complete. So, despite his burning lungs, tired legs, and dizzied mind he is pointed in the direction of the King he needs to warn of the coming enemy army. Lewis leaves us this wonderful insight in the narrative: “If you do one good deed your reward usually is to be set to do another and harder and better one.”

SIXTEEN WORDS OF COMFORT

I want to make four observations on these sixteen simple words of comfort. First, our Savior simply says, “fear not.” He implies that there will be causes for fear, worry, and anxiety. But rather than saying, “yep, all hope is lost, you may as well despair,” He buoys us with two simple words: “fear not.” He does not qualify this statement and say that it is only for certain times or circumstances. He exhorts us to never fear. This is a precious hope.

Secondly, he says, “Fear not, little flock.” Couldn’t he have encouraged us more if he had said, “Fear not rippling muscled army!” Or, “Fear not, brave and gallant troop!” Or, “Fear not, you that are more than conquerors!” Indeed, all those statements are, to a certain extent, true. Nevertheless, Christ calls forth an intimate image of a little flock of dumb, foolish, needy, prone-to-wander sheep. He gives us three pictures of God’s character in this verse, so that the saint might stand firm in the midst of difficulty. This is the first image He paints for us, one of a tender shepherd watching over a little flock. A little flock is easier for wolves to prey upon, therefore this little flock ought to stay near to its Shepherd.

Third, He tells us that it is “your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” So, not only is He to us a Shepherd, but He gives an even more human, intimate and loving picture of a Father who delights to give what His child needs. He shows us that our Father is a gentle, loving Father, interested in providing for our every need. We need only ask, trust, wait and live in the knowledge that He will always make sure that we are protected, nourished, loved, and free to grow to full maturity.

Fourth, notice that Christ tells us that this loving Father delights to give. We must not muddle the nature of God our Father, with the often tainted image of our earthly fathers. He is not begrudging in what He designs to give, He is lavish, generous, and, above all, jubilant in offering unto us that which we most desperately need! He doesn’t say, “it is your Father’s obligation, job, duty, or malignant hatred to give you the kingdom.”

BIBLICAL THEOLOGY

One unfortunate thing that can happen as we study theology, is that our systematic theology becomes to overgrow our biblical theology. Notice that as Jesus is teaching us and comforting us, we are not given syllogisms, or theology to the fifth decimal point. He gives us pictures. We can begin to think of God as blocks of attributes stacked and assembled. But if we are doing systematic theology correctly, we should know that God is simple, not made of parts. Further, we should start from these Scriptural images that are given and revealed, and move forward from there to fill in the blanks of our understanding of systematic theology.

Jesus, here, gives us a threefold portrait of our God’s character: tender Shepherd, loving Father, good and generous King. He could have chosen other imagery more grand, powerful, large, or intimidating. It could have read, “Tremble, my pathetic minions, for it is your imperial, ruthless, high-Potentate’s dastardly will to give you the stale crumbs from His table.”

Instead, He chose to show us that He is a Shepherd who gently guides His own, a loving Father who delights to provide for our every need, and a generous King who provides us with the leadership, resource, and protection we need.

HE GIVES A KINGDOM

What is it though, which is God’s good pleasure to give us? He is delighted to give us a Kingdom.

He wants to give us a kingdom that is like leaven which a woman works into a lump of dough, and that leaven gets into the whole lump (Mt. 13:33).
He wants to give us a kingdom that is like a father running to meet a prodigal and rebellious son, embracing him, clothing him, putting a ring upon his finger and killing the fatted calf and that same father once more going outside to remind an older brother that everything the father has is his (Luke 15:20).
He wants to give us a kingdom that is like a man sowing good seed, but his enemy sowed tares in the same field, but in the end the tares were destroyed and the good corn was saved (Mt. 13:24).
He wants to give us a kingdom that is like a mustard seed, that though it may be small it turns into a mighty tree (Mt. 13:31).
He wants to give us a kingdom that is like a merchant seeking goodly pearls, who when he finds a most precious of pearls sells all he has to buy that one pearl (Mt. 13:45-46).
He wants to give us a kingdom that is like a net that when hauled in the good will be saved and the bad will be cast away (Mt. 13:47).
He wants to give us a kingdom that is like a householder looking for laborers for his vineyard, and at the end of the day He rewarded them all with more than they deserved (Mt. 20:1).
He wants to give us a kingdom that is like a king inviting guests to his son’s marriage supper (Mt. 22:2).
He wants to give us a kingdom that is like a master entrusting his estate to his servants and recompensing them according to the faithfulness of their stewardship upon his return (Mt. 25:14).
He wants to give us a kingdom that is like a treasure hid in a field, which a man, for joy thereof, sells everything he has to buy that field (Mt. 13:44).
He wants to give us a kingdom whose builder and architect is God, and which cannot be moved (Heb. 11:10, 12:28).
He wants to give us a kingdom whose very light source is the glory of Jesus Christ (Rev. 21:23).

CONCLUSION

So indeed, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Stand upon these sixteen precious words. Rehearse them in the good seasons, when the sun is brightly shining, so that when the blackest of midnights surrounds you, and the wind and storms beat upon your life, and the howls of the fiends of night are swirling in the air, you might cling fast to the unchanging nature, and therefore the trustworthy promise of our Shepherd, Father, and King!

So I close with the question I started with. What is your comfort? Stock markets fail you. Presidents and Supreme Court Justices will fail you. The Netflix binge will leave you bleary eyed. The needle and the bottle will not ease your fears. Your only comfort and hope, in life and in death, is Christ.

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Lord of Life, Dealer of Death, Giver of Gifts (Pentecost 2020)

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Introduction

Today we celebrate Pentecost, the ancient harvest festival of the Jews, the great day on which the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the church, and three thousand souls were harvested into new life. This giving of the Spirit was a great event in the history of the church, but the gift of the Spirit also has great significance for each individual believer. Today we are going to consider three important activities of the Holy Spirit in the life of every believer here.

The Text

“And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:9–13).

Summary of the Text

We too often interpret these words of Jesus as though He were speaking about answered prayer with regard to material things. Now Jesus does teach elsewhere that we are to trust God for material things—like our daily bread (Matt. 6:11), and what you will wear (Matt. 6:30)—but that is not what is happening here. Jesus is not here saying that if you need a new car, then ask, and you will receive it. You should still ask for the car if you need it, but you need to find a different verse.

In His teaching here, the Lord is very specific about what we should ask for, what we should seek, and where we should knock. First comes the promise. Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will open (v. 9). And then He goes on to reiterate the certainty of this. Everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. Everyone who knocks, stands before an open door (v. 10). The Lord then sets up a comparison between God’s goodness and ours. If a man’s son asks for bread, will his father give him a rock? If he asks for a fish, will his father give him a snake? If he asks for an egg, will he receive a scorpion? (vv. 11-12). These are rhetorical questions, and the answer to all three is obviously no. So then, if evil human beings know how to not betray their children, how will it be with God? Obviously, our heavenly Father will give us the good gift.

What is that good gift? What will everyone receive if they ask for it? The Holy Spirit. What will everyone find if they seek for it? The Holy Spirit. Who will open the door for everyone if we knock there? The Holy Spirit.

“How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13b).

The Infinite God

The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Holy Trinity, and not to be regarded as some kind of impersonal force. We are sometimes tempted to think this because He works in such a way as to not draw attention to Himself. His task is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:13-14), and the Lord Jesus is the one who brings us to the Father (John 14:6). And so Christian prayer is to the Father, in the name of the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18). To remind you of an illustration we have used before, the triune God encompasses the entire journey. The Father is the city we are going to. The Son is the road we travel on. The Spirit is the car we drive.

But never interpret His behind-the-scenes work as that of an impersonal force, like electricity. When Peter rebukes Ananias and Sapphira, he says to Ananias that he has lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). And in the next verse he says that it was a lie told to God (Acts 5:4).

And the work of the Holy Spirit in your life includes, but is not limited to, the following three realities.

Lord of Life

The Spirit is the one who gives the new birth. He is the one who quickens you, and brings you to life. He is the one who regenerates you.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2).

You were previously dead in your trespasses and sins, and the reason the principle of new life suddenly appeared in you is because of the Holy Spirit. He is the Lord and Giver of life.

Dealer of Death

But God does not save us, and then rocket us up to Heaven that instant. He wants us to learn some things about ourselves first, and He wants us to do this in a difficult environment. Because of the Spirit’s presence and the new life He brings, we no longer have to deal with reigning sin. Reigning sin, the old man, the unconverted you, is forever dead. But the transformation is not entirely complete. We still have to deal with remaining sin, and the Holy Spirit in you is an effective killer.

“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Rom. 8:13).

Giver of Gifts

One Spirit knits us into one body (Eph. 4:4), and that Spirit joins all of us together in love. In thatcontext, He gives particular gifts to His saints (Eph. 4:11; 1 Cor. 12:7-11; Rom. 12:6-8). Those gifts cover a wide array of abilities—helps, administration, mercy, faith, teaching, and so forth.

“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:” (Rom. 12:4).

So as you rejoice in the new heart you have been given, and as you hunt down remaining nodes of self-centeredness in order to pull them up by the roots, don’t forget to look down at your hands. What has God placed there that you might be privileged to give to your brothers and sisters in this community?

The only gift we can ever give one another is the gift of Christ. But we must also remember that Christ, and the love of Christ, comes in many different shapes.

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