Grace OPC Sewickley PA

Sermon Book: Luke

Faith That Waits and Sees

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Christmas” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, January 1, 1995.

About this sermon

True biblical faith rests on the supernatural birth of Christ, and Simeon shows that faith in Luke 2:25. 1 John 3:2-3 sets out the hope that goes with it. Consumer religion offers something else, while in Christ our salvation is already here.

More sermons from Luke · Browse all sermons

Sermon transcript

I read this morning from Luke chapter 2, and we begin at verse 21. Luke’s Gospel, second chapter, and the twenty-first verse. I will be reading from the New American Standard. Give your attention to the reading of God’s infallible Word. And when eight days were completed before his circumcision, his name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

And when the days of 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 and two young pigeons.

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. He came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to carry out for him the custom of the law, then he took him into his arms and blessed God and said, Now, Lord, thou dost let thy bondservant depart in peace according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles.” and the glory of thy people Israel.’ And his father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about him, 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 the thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phenuel of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with a husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment, she came up and began giving thanks to God. and continued to speak of him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. And the child continued to grow and became strong, increasing in wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.”

Our Father, we have been instructed by your word again and again. And Father, we are drawn back to that word as a people that has been born again by the word. And Lord, even here in the assembly, we have found that your word is rich and provides us a prosperity that is beyond anything the world can give us. So, Lord, may we treasure these riches, the very riches of your word, and may we learn how to use these riches well, in such a way as to please you. Even now, as we have heard your word, and are to receive instruction with respect to us. Give us that heart, O Lord, that is open to what you have to say. And Father, yes, may we be helped by it, and by it, Lord, may we prove to be a help even to others.

This we pray through Christ our Savior. Amen. The scriptures are full of pithy statements about faith. I think one of the most powerful statements about faith is the one we find in Hebrews 11.6, which tells us without faith it is impossible to please God. I am also drawn to another statement that we find about faith in the New Testament, Romans 14, verse 23, where Paul tells us that whatever is not of faith is sin. Faith is of such great importance to us, it is central for our lives as those who make claim, lay claim, to a relationship with the true and living God. As Luke tells his story about the birth of Jesus, faith, biblical faith, is wonderfully defined and tested there in what is recorded for us.

To begin with, we are face-to-face with the profoundly supernatural circumstances of the event of Jesus’ birth. Can true faith recede from, retreat from, the supernatural character of the biblical revelation? Can true faith disbelieve the supernatural interventions that God himself has brought to the face of this creation? But there is not merely the consideration with respect to the circumstances surrounding the event of Christ’s birth.

My friends, there is also and you know this full well, the person of Jesus himself. He is presented to us here by Luke as fully human, but he is also presented to us as utterly unique and, yes, divine. Luke’s account, then, is an overwhelming barrage. It comes at us scene after scene, intending to place before us Yes, the supernatural character of what is taking place, but also the supernatural personage, the divine and human personage, the God-man, Jesus the Messiah. This child, circumcised under the name Jesus, as we have read this morning, is the Lord’s Christ.

He is the Son of David. He is destined to sit upon his Father’s throne, to rule over the house of Jacob forever. Of his kingdom there shall be no end. Chapter 1 in verses 32 and 33 tell us that. This one is begotten by the miraculous interposition of the Holy Spirit and by the overshadowing of the Most High. He is called the Son of the Most High. that 32nd verse once more in the first chapter. He is even called the Son of God, chapter 1, verse 35.

His appearance in the world is declared to be nothing less than the long-awaited coming of God himself. Thus the significance of those references to John the Baptist in that first chapter, where we are given an anticipation of his coming ministry. He is the one who shall prepare the way of the Lord. The Lord is coming, God himself. Allow that to sink in. The Lord’s Christ, then, is the Lord himself. the Lord of glory. And this one does not steal God’s glory when he is called the Lord, but in him God himself has descended into his world.

He condescends to become as we are, and as the God-man, Jesus Christ is he, both by whom the promises were given, and now the promises are fulfilled. for the salvation of God’s own, His elect. This salvation as supernatural as the person of the Savior who has appeared.

So our faith is set forth here for us even as we consider the story of the birth of our Savior in Luke’s Gospel. Our faith here is defined, and yes, it will be tried, it will be tested, as to whether we believe those things that are stated, that are communicated.

Our faith is given particular focus in the brief story of Simeon. Simeon was a prophet, or at least one upon whom the prophetic spirit rested for a time As he was visited by the Spirit, he directly communed with the Spirit, the Spirit spoke to him, and he himself spoke by that Spirit. Yet, for all of his extraordinariness, here in Sinulim is a man of a common piety, a piety that is to be found in all of God’s children, a piety that is to be found in us. If Simeon marks faith, then he marks faith with us and for us. We look to him and we will see more perfectly what the nature of faith is. But Luke tells us that Simeon was a righteous and a devout man, verse 25 of that second chapter. A righteous and a devout man.

This, too, is a mark of common devotion and piety before God. It is a mark that should be upon us all, something that can be read out with respect to each one of us. But notice now that this common piety, Simeon’s and ours, this piety for God’s people, is itself extraordinary, even though we are not prophets, even though we do not have the prophetic spirit upon us. Yet, in this common piety that is ours with Simeon, there is an extraordinariness to us with him. Luke goes on to attach Simeon’s righteousness and his devotion, you will notice, to a writer, a clarifying phrase that communicates the foundation and the fountain of his godliness.

Namely, here was a man looking in faith for the consolation of Israel and for the Lord’s Christ. Simeon’s piety was neither moralistic nor mystical. It did not find its foundation or strength, either an appeal within Simeon himself to his own moral ability, or an appeal within him to some ambiguous religious feeling. Instead, Simeon’s piety was driven by and formed by, shaped by his hope. Dr. Draftman has a series of lectures entitled Saved by Hope. Simeon’s piety was driven by, informed by, shaped by his hope.

This means then that moral ability, together with religious feeling, is subordinated in Simeon to his hope. and through its attendant faith in the content of God’s revelation of himself and in God’s promise of salvation through the Messiah. It is very important for us to understand this point. in order to get a grip on the nature of biblical faith. You see, whatever good Sinion had, or whatever good he was for or to God, was directly related to his expectation. It was directly related to his expectation and his longing after salvation through the Lord’s Christ. There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel.

Now, we all adjudge that the relationship between righteousness and devotion on the one hand and our hope and faith on the other is a theme regularly heard in Scripture. But let me direct your attention to a very powerful text in this regard, and I have in mind something that John wrote in his first epistle, the third chapter, verses 2 and 3. Now we are the children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that if he should appear, we shall be like him, because we shall see him just as he is.

And everyone who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself. just as he is pure. The foundation and fountain for Simeon’s piety and purity was his hope, which was wonderfully fixed upon the Christ. That hope filled faith. is mocked and trivialized by those who wish to turn biblical faith into some sort of system of religious hygiene or religious technology, by those who accumulate to themselves their own personal accounts of religious swoons or beautiful personal religious experiences. Scythians’ hope-filled faith was bound to the coming of God, and that in the space-time world that Simeon knew and lived in. His hope-filled faith was bound even to the fruit of God’s appearance, namely the deliverance of God’s people for their eventual translation into a state of eternal, perpetual blessedness.

Here, you see, the faith is gaining its content. If you do not have such content to your faith, you do not have biblical faith. There is a believing that satisfies the world that is common to humanity. The world even likes to believe in believing. It likes to have faith in faith, because that makes life all the more bearable. It enables people to cope.

But that sort of faith has nothing to do with biblical faith. Biblical faith has at its center the coming of God, and the fruit of God’s appearance in the deliverance of his elect for their eventual translation into a state of eternal, perpetual blessedness.

You see, there is nothing of consumer religion in Sinai. Do you understand what I mean when I speak of consumer religion? Consumer religion has the consumer at its center. It wants and desires those things that are to make me happy. and there is to be nothing of consumer religion in any of the saints of the Lord. We are living in an age of consumer religion.

Simeon’s is biblical faith of the most profound sort It is full of content, filled with expectation of the coming of God. And our faith, if it is genuine, similarly stands in ready pose, expectant of the coming of the Lord. And as with Simeon, our hope-filled faith determines our piety. If you do not have the hope-filled faith of Simeon, you cannot live a life pleasing to God. It is impossible. But wonderfully now, Luke’s portrait of Simeon grants us deeper insight into the character of biblical faith. Simeon, in his faith, sets before us not only the relationship between hope, or hope-filled faith and piety, but also he sets before us the proper response to and blessedness in the realization of that hope. Biblical faith is the sort of faith that has the sense to recognize the Lord’s workings and to greet them.

So, Simeon’s faith, you see, will set before us a proper response to and blessedness in the realization of the hope in you. Simeon, as you know, had been promised that he would not die until he had seen the Christ. What Simeon had been promised he would see has now come before his gaze, and he beholds.

With the coming of the Christ, the long wait was over, and now a new kind of praise erupts from this man. That praise reflects upon the salvation in its full extensiveness. A salvation, yes, for Israel, but it includes also the radiant light that is now shining upon the Gentile nations, as God’s unitary salvation is inclusive of both Jews and Gentiles. Chapter 2, verse 31.

Simeon also takes the child up into his arms. In this there is an acknowledgment by him, an acceptance, a taking to himself of what God has done. Is this the receiving and the resting? Is this the receiving of the receiving and resting upon Christ as he is offered to us in the gospel? Is it here pictorially presented to us? For Simeon, then, there is an acknowledgment, an acceptance, a taking to himself of what God has done.

But also we see in this something of the embrace of which salvation consists, to which our faith leads. The man embraces the child. If God is in the child, the man embraces God. Is that the end to which our salvation presses us? that we would embrace God. Truly, salvation by faith consists in the closest contact, fellowship, and intimacy with God through Jesus Christ. But further now, Simeon personally, by way of the unveiling of God’s salvation, expresses the deepest satisfaction.

Don’t you get tired with your complaints? Don’t you wear yourself out? Don’t the complaints of others wear you out? Listen to this man. Expressive of this faith, you find in him the deepest satisfaction, and his satisfaction is found in what God has done. And now he declares his own readiness to depart from this life satisfied. Now, Lord, thou dost let thy bondservant depart in peace, for I have seen thy salvation.” As the story ends, we find this. Scyndian faith is not foolishly whimsical or serendipity. Unfortunately, so much of faith that we run in today, that is claiming intimacy with God, moves precisely along these lines.

And when we analyze it against the word, it proves not to be faith at all, but utter foolishness. For attendant to this faith is nothing of suffering and pain, nothing of difficulty and anguish, nothing of death even, But Simeon now, out of his faith, announces to Mary that this child means the fall and rise of many in Israel, and he himself will be opposed. There will be opposition to him, and his suffering is guaranteed. Terrible sufferings will even come upon Mary and all those who are devoted to the Christ as she is. The faith we see in Simeon continues to communicate its relevance to us, does it not?

The pattern of it is full, and coming to clear a presentation for us through the New Testament, and by way of that New Testament-directed experience which is granted us in the Holy Spirit. Yes, it relates to our position in God’s plan, and it speaks to us. Our righteousness is bound to our hope-filled faith, even as it was in Simeon. We look forward to Christ’s return, his second coming, and this informs our piety, our godliness, just as the hope of his first appearance informed Simeon. But equally, and this even more definitively, we live in the already of God’s accomplishment. Salvation of Jew and Gentile has come in our Savior. A new song of praise bursts forth, yes, from Simeon, but it is continued in us and sung by us with even greater force, since we are partakers of the realities of that salvation, realized in Christ by his death, by his resurrection, by his ascension, by his gift of the Spirit to us.

It is the Savior in the fullness of his completed work that we have taken to ourselves, that we have accepted, that we have openly acknowledged and embraced. Even though we might have been repulsed by him, offended by his cross, and the revelation that cross makes of our own hideousness, we take to ourselves this particular Savior on this particular faith salvation, even with his cross and sufferings, and we do not recoil from the hideousness that our Savior takes to himself, but he might be thoroughly identified with each of us.

And already, before the kingdom comes in all its glory, we express our deepest satisfaction, do we not? Or do we? Already, even before the kingdom comes in all its glory, we express our deepest satisfaction. with what God has done for us, and our most secure comfort, even in the face of death.

Indeed, even if Jesus were to return today, or you were to die before sunset, If you would not be disappointed, would you? Or would he have to carry you away kicking and screaming? You had so many plans for the coming year. And finally, such is our faith that even the prospects of sufferings do not surprise or destroy us.

By faith having taken up, having embraced the Christ, we know that in him we take up a cross, but we also know that we are taken up in a resurrection. Therefore, we die and we rise, we hear. such is the nature of our faith. Even as it was foreshadowed for us in Simeon, this righteous devout man looking for the consolation of Israel. Truly, the salvation that has come to us of which We are wonderful partakers if a supernatural salvation, as supernatural as the Savior himself, its supernatural nature defining for us and testing us with regard to that faith and its character. This, our faith, as it was in Simeon, is filled with hope for the great work of God. Such hope-filled faith, the foundation and fountain of our righteous devotion, our obedience presently, and this faith lives fully in the reality of what God has already accomplished.

We bless God for his salvation in Jesus Christ, and we express our satisfaction with what he has done. We do not recoil from the offensive instrument by which he has accomplished it, even the cross, nor from the promise that with that cross comes a cross for us and sufferings for the sake of our Lord. And that we might be purified even more perfectly and brought to our heavenly home.

Dear God, ours would be a true faith, yes, a faith that receives and rests upon Christ alone as he is offered to us in the Gospel. A true and vital faith that believes everything that you have revealed concerning yourself in your Word. A faith that is directed toward the future, and even in that becomes a foundation and a fountain for our obedience. But a faith, O God, that is already enjoying the blessings of those things that are yet future. And Lord, as we do, we know that we shall not be overthrown by any opposition any more than our Saviour was himself. Death itself does not gain the victory, rather our faith gains the victory.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

January 1, 1995
The Law Serves the Gospel

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Christmas” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, December 26, 1993.

About this sermon

Luke 1:26-56 falls into four divisions, from Gabriel’s announcement to Mary’s song. Mary and Elizabeth meet, and the old covenant greets the new. The law serves the gospel.

More sermons from Luke · Browse all sermons

Sermon transcript

Our reading is from Luke 1. We are beginning at verse 26. Listen to the word of God. And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And the angel came in unto her and said, Heal thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her, who was called Baron.

For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste into a city of Judah, and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

It came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost, and she spake out with a loud voice and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of my salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed, for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.” Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.

For he hath regarded the lowest state of his handmaidens. For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

He hath shewed strength with his arm. He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He hath opened his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy, as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.” And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house. Let’s pray together now. How dramatically, Lord, your word came to Mary, and how willing she was found as that word was delivered. Lord, we pray that we who receive the word presently would also be found willing submissive to your will, and this to the glory of your name. Help us in this regard as we worship you and as you set your word before us. For Jesus’ sake, amen.

Surely the beauty of Luke’s Christmas story cannot be restricted to the account of Christ’s birth in the second chapter of Luke. We have read this morning from the first chapter in Luke, a chapter that sets before us extraordinary beauty in its own right, and also sets before us great truths, great truths of doctrinal value to us.

I have specifically in mind the section verses 39 through 56, and the story of these two gentle women. Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, and specifically Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. This story divides into four parts. First we have Mary’s journey and her greeting, verses 39 and 40. Then we have Elizabeth’s Welcome, verses 41-45, followed by Mary’s song, called the Magnificat, verses 46-55. Finally, we have Mary’s stay with Elizabeth and her departure, verse 56. The purpose of this story and these episodes that we have listed here is in keeping with Luke’s intention, as he is directed by the Holy Spirit and inspired by that Spirit, namely, to preach the gospel. Even here, he will preach the gospel, and we do well to look for the gospel in what we have heard, what is set before us. First of all, then, the first episode, Mary’s journey and her greeting to Elizabeth, verses 39 and 40. There are two things here that catch our eye.

If we think on them If we reflect on this passage with depth, you see Mary is of the tribe of Judah. She is espoused to a man who is also of the tribe of Judah. Do you know where the homeland of the tribe of Judah was? Well, it certainly wasn’t in Galilee. Mary is living in Nazareth, a town in the territory of Galilee, far to the north of her patrimony, her homeland, the inheritance of the tribe of Judah. This means, then, that Mary is living outside of that territory in which she should have been living, married to the man that she was or engaged to him, belonging to the tribe of Judah.

It’s almost as if, even within the territory of Israel, for Galilee was within the territory of Israel, she was an alien. She was an alien. And in this, you see, she reflects the condition of the people of God. The people of God are described in many places as aliens and strangers. Compounding the power of this point is the fact, as we have already noticed, that she is living as an alien even within the boundaries of the promised land, suggesting to us that that land, that physical land, that geographical land of Israel, was not the true homeland for the people of God. the aliens of the tribe of Judah, living apart from the homeland of the tribe of Judah, reflecting the condition of the people of God. They also, aliens and strangers, and this true of God’s people, even though they may live in the land of promise. For in the end, that land of promise, that geographical land of promise, will not be the inheritance, will not be the homeland at all for which they are bound.

But now Mary, secondly, enters the territory of her patrimony. She enters the land of Judah, she enters the territory of Judah. She comes from the outside of that territory, enters into that territory, comes to those who are truly her kin’s people. In this, then, we note that she is reflecting the movement of the one she presently carries in her womb. He, too, comes from outside. He, too, journeys as it were. He, too, will come to his own, to his own family. Note the rapport that exists now as Mary makes entrance into this territory, from which she lives, as it were, as an alien, an outsider. The rapport is friendly and gracious. She comes to Elizabeth, her cousin.

Elizabeth is the wife of Zechariah, who is a priest, an official in the temple of God, and one who is a superintendent of the law of the Lord and the ancient order established within Israel under that law. In Mary’s greeting to Elizabeth, is heard also the greeting of the child within her, who himself now greets through Elizabeth the representative of that older administration and its legal order. In fact, greets in Elizabeth even Moses and the prophets. greeting them as those persons and these things in the administration of the old order to which he is friendly and kindly disposed. When Mary greets Elizabeth, the gospel greets the law. Jesus greets Moses, and it is a friendly greeting. Next we have Elizabeth’s welcome, verses 41-45. Elizabeth’s welcome is a happy acknowledgment.

Hers is a happy response, even as she gives expression to the subordination of the old to the new, and that through the response of the child who is in her womb. As Mary, in some fashion, proves to be an extension of the child she carries, Elizabeth also proves to be an extension of the child she carries.

That child carried by Elizabeth is John the Baptist, as you know. But understand, John the Baptist He is the greatest that the old order has presented to the world. There is none born of women greater than John the Baptist, so says Jesus. John the Baptist is the son of a priest. He is the son of one who superintends the old order of the law. He is as well a prophet. He is in fact the embodiment of the law and the prophets, reaching out towards the fulfillment that both the law and the prophets have envisioned.

And now this child in the womb at the greeting of Mary responds and acknowledges the arrival of the fulfillment of the law and the prophets in the child. that Mary carries. Yes, indeed, the new greets the old. Mary greets Elizabeth, but the old, properly disposed, welcomes the new as that for which it has longed. But at the same time, Elizabeth’s welcome is an acknowledgment of the older order’s weakness and failure. This comes out in a reference made by Elizabeth, you find it in verse 45, to her husband. Elizabeth here becomes the spokesperson who speaks most candidly and directly about the older order’s weakness and failure. That forty-fifth verse is a veiled comment about her husband Zachariah.

Do you remember his case? This administrator of the law? This superintendent of the old administration of Israel, the Temple at his order, he’s the one, you remember, who failed to believe the message of Gabriel, the angel. Verse 20 of that first chapter, you’ll notice that Gabriel says to him, You didn’t believe, The way in which Luke has structured his gospel makes it plain that he intends to contrast Mary with Zechariah.

He didn’t believe she did. She believed and submitted. The old order, then, is plagued by impotence, whether it’s Zachariah’s impotence or his wife’s, Elizabeth’s. They can’t produce a child. This is reflective of the weakness of the old order. But the impotence and weakness of that old order does not mean that the old in giving expression to its truest desire, fails to welcome the new. Indeed, the perfections of the new are already being spelled out, and that by Elizabeth as she speaks of Mary.

When the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy, and blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” Now comes Mary’s song, verses 46-55. There are many things in these verses that we could observe in terms of their structure and their background, not the least of which is that some have pointed out that as many as fifteen Old Testament texts are cited or alluded to in the course of these verses in Mary’s song. But let me make two observations for you with respect to it.

This marvelous song gives confident expression to the conviction that the great turning point in salvation history has been reached. The salvation and deliverance longed for has come. Mary begins with a personal confession, and confesses that what has happened to her is signals the great turnaround in the fulfillment of the promise that was made to Abraham and to the Father. But I want you to notice also that this marvelous song helps us to exegete this great turning point.

One must see that the turning point also gives us a reorientation with respect to the inheritance for which the people of God have longed, and the blessings that they wished to be blessed with. We move through the song, the latter verses, and we hear there about the proud brought down and the humble exalted. We hear about the poor filled and the rich turned away. We hear about a great reversal, yet we look out upon the earth and we’re liable to say, in light of what we read here, that the turning point hasn’t been reached at all.

Yet Mary, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is saying that the turning point has been The things here being spoken of are a reality pushing itself upon the consciousness of the people of God. It will be the child, then, that Mary cares, that will finally and fully exegete this great turning point and these words which Mary speaks. for it will be by root of his ministry, by his death, by his resurrection, into a heavenly kingdom, into a heavenly inheritance that makes plain what Mary is speaking of.” Here is a deep meaning of that point with which we began with respect to Mary’s alien begins to settle in upon us. Yes, stranger and alien, even though she lives in the land of promise, yet the true inheritance is above, and that will be presented before us and to us in and through the child she carries.

Christ’s death and resurrection will make plain the true nature of the kingdom and our destiny. that we see the proud cast down and the humble exalted. It is in heaven, you see, that the poor and the hungry are fed and the rich are turned away empty-handed. This heaven into which Christ, by root of his death on the cross, Finally, we have Mary’s stay and departure, verse 56.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home. This stay by Mary was a ministry to Elizabeth. And who is Elizabeth? The embodiment of the old order. Is this? Mary stays to minister to Elizabeth, who embodies the old order.

And she stays and ministers to her for three months. Could it be that three months are like three years? that we hear of in the case of Jesus Christ, the ministry that he shall perform in time. And having fulfilled the ministry, Mary returns to her home. We thought her home might well have been Judah. She might have wanted to get back to Judah. Her home is elsewhere, it is outside of Judah. Her home is a confirmation of the alien nature of her identity. And so it is for Jesus Christ.

He will minister to the old order for three years, and after that he will return to his home, being received into glory. the true inheritance, even that from which he has come. The beauty and doctrinal power of this portion of scripture, preaching even here for us the gospel which we hold dear.

We must understand ourselves, if we are to stand alongside of Mary, and under the tutelage of Christ, that we are aliens and strangers here, bound for another land. While we are here we must realize, as surely as Mary greeted Elizabeth, that gospel and the law and the prophets are not hostile to each other, but complementary, mutually supportive. At the same time, we must acknowledge the superiority of the full revelation that comes in Jesus Christ. We must not hold improperly to the old, and thus perpetuate its weakness and its impotence. We must accept the exposition of this story in terms of the gospel of Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection, by which then the true inheritance is put in front of us. to stand in the company of these two gentle women, we must give preeminence then to Jesus Christ, the child carried by Mary, and be like her, declaring our willingness to submit to Him in all things, and be the servants of the will of God.

Let us pray. Our God in heaven, may we not be satisfied until we have heard the gospel in every text, until we have seen the Lord Jesus Christ exalted in your word, as is its intention. Help us with our thinking and our reflecting our meditation upon that word. Help us also, our God, to profit from the valuable lessons that are set before us, so that we would not miss the gospel and the obedience that we are to offer in light of it. O God, your light shines forth, may it shine brightly in us, and in turn, Lord, may we be lights in a dark place. To the glory of Christ

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

December 26, 1993
Not a Hierarchy, Not a Building

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Considering the Church” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, July 18, 1993.

About this sermon

The church is no hierarchy, building, or political organization, and Matthew 16:18 does not establish Peter’s primacy the way Rome has long argued. Rome adds four things to that verse that the text will not bear. The disagreement matters, and Reformed believers can hold it without contempt.

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Sermon transcript

in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 22. We are reading from verse 24. There was also a strife among them. which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But he shall not be so. But he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he that is chief as he that doth serve.” For whether is greater he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth, is not he that sitteth at meat, but I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations, and I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee both into prison and to death. But he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. Then turning to Matthew 16, beginning at verse 13.

When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the son of man, am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah, one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Then charge he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.” From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord, this shall not be unto thee. But he turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan. Thou art an offense unto me, for thou savest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Let’s pray together. Our God do set before us our place within your kingdom and within your church. This, Lord, that we might again marvel at your love. But Father, work in us so that we would not be selfish, so that we would not be self-centered and think that we are in this relationship to you alone. Instead, Father, bless us by your Spirit so that we understand the extent of your Spirit’s ministry in the world. Even now, Lord, from amongst all the nations and from all the races of mankind, You are drawing to yourself your elect. And Lord, you are not a regarder of persons, nor do you think of some more highly than others.

In this fellowship then, O God, may we be committed as members of your church to pray for those who are even far away and unknown to us by name, that they with us may be strengthened unto the day when we will see one another’s faces and behold each other in glory. This we ask for the sake of our Savior, who shall greet us in that day.

It has been my interest in this present series to set before you, piece by piece, the truth from God’s Word about the Church. And in order to do this, I have directed your attention, week by week, to this rightfully famous passage, Matthew 16. Now our messages on this passage have been direct. These messages have had at their center a single point. Thus far we have distinguished the biblical view of the Church from those too often expressed through the course of history and even into our present situation.

To be specific, the Church is not a hierarchy. That is, the Church is not to be defined by some superstructure of leadership. Now I might go even further than that. The Church is not defined by a single individual, a single human being who presently lives in the world and claims to have authority over the Church in its entirety. Church is then not hierarchy, nor is it identified with the pinnacle of that hierarchy. But secondly, we have said the Church is not a building.

Now, I know that we have all made this mistake in the most innocent way. And maybe we have made this mistake as recently as this morning. Parents gathering their children together, saying to them, we’re going to church, having specifically in mind the building in which we gather. But no, I think that we all understand this, the Church is not the building. And as with the previous point, so with this we can go even further.

The Church is not defined in terms of its properties. Now, some of you are somewhat versed in Church history, and you may know a little bit about the course of things in the last century, how things were going with the mainline denominations in this country in the last century. You may even know that the battles over church properties got as far as the Supreme Court of the United States. But interestingly, While the Church was confused on this matter, the Supreme Court wasn’t. For the Supreme Court, during those years and in the midst of those battles, recognized that the Church is essentially a spiritual institution, and the authority of the Church is vested with the spiritual officers, not with the trustees who were to be the custodians of the properties.

Well, we understand full well, do we not, then, that the Church is not the building, nor is the Church to be defined in terms of its properties. But thirdly, this our message last week, the Church is not a juggernaut, it is not a colossus of impressive worldly might, in which political power and religious sensitivities are blended. Therefore, the Church is not defined in terms of an irrepressible or inextinguishable zeal for social cohesion, social betterment, in a quest for what the Church may well judge to be the greater good for the greatest number. But neither is the Church to be the agent, the purveyor of human arrogance that at bottom is concerned with the worship of man. not the worship of the trine God of scripture and submission to him.

Now I trust that it is clear to all of us that over against these three tragically flawed and in the outworkings by some wicked doctrines of the Church, the true doctrine of the Church teaches us that the Church is the people of God. You are the Church. And adding to that, we are not to forget that the church is a veritable living temple, made of human stones in which God himself dwells. Nor are we to forget that in the language of our confession, the church is the kingdom of God, as the living, vital center of God’s visible rule in this world, separate from but influencing, according to the pattern of Christ, the forms of this world. The Church is God’s society of the first order.

And I know that what I am about to say is judged to be heresy by some, especially those who have been swept up into the idolatry of the social sciences. The Church is God’s society, His community of the first order. It is, in a proper biblical theology and definition, the primary social unit. Allegiance to which takes precedence over all other social ties.

Listen to Jesus. Whoever shall do the will of my father, he says, speaking to his disciples, the church in its infancy. Whoever shall do the will of my father who is in heaven, he is my brother, my sister and my mother. Jesus will even make it a little bit more explicit. It will become even more direct.

He says in Luke 14 verse 26, if anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. And concerning the blend of political and religious might, with respect to that matter of the juggernaut that the Church often imagines herself to be, Jesus has this to say, speaking to a man well acquainted with political intrigue and power. My kingdom is not of this world. else would my servants fight.

Having now laid these things before you, in our quest to understand this whole matter of the Church better, we must speak more fully about certain things that are set before us that remain to be considered in this sixteenth chapter of Matthew. I envision three more sermons rising out of this chapter. First, a message dealing with the description of Peter as the rock. You have him so described there in verse 18.

Now the reason why this matter is of such great importance is because of the continuing dispute that goes on within Christendom. The dispute between Rome on the one hand and Orthodox Christianity or Orthodox Protestantism on the other. The second message must handle the question of the relationship between the church, mentioned in verse 18, and the kingdom, specifically the keys of the kingdom, spoken of in verse 19. And this issue demands our attention because it is at the center of one of the major ruptures that has overtaken conservative Protestantism in the last century and a half. This rupture has come in the wake of so-called dispensationalism, a system of teaching that not only denies the current presence of the kingdom of God in the world, but separates in an absolute sense the Church from that kingdom, and then even goes further and separates the Church spoken of by Christ in this passage from the Church described later by Paul in his letters. And there is one final message that we will be delivering on this sixteenth chapter of Matthew. one that focuses upon the relationship of the church, verse 18, the kingdom in verse 19, but then looks towards the end of the chapter and specifically that last verse and its mention of the kingdom. Discussion of the ties between these verses is important once again because of a rupture that has taken place within the ranks of Protestantism.

This time not between conservatives, but between conservatives and modernists or liberals. When Jesus says in verse 28, there are some standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom, modernists take it That is the statement as a reference to the end of the world in which God would destroy evil and vindicate good. But of course, they point out, all who were standing there that day with Jesus in Caesarea Philippi have tasted death and the end of the world has not occurred. Therefore, Jesus was wrong, disproving that he was a fallible, if not deluded, Jewish teacher, subject to somewhat grand delusions about himself and a wild-eyed expectation with respect to the immediate future. These conclusions, embraced by modernist liberal Protestants probably the most famous of which is Albert Schweitzer, have forced them to invent new and improved interpretations of Jesus, wherein they strip him of all of these fantastical ideas.

So this gives you an idea of where we are going with our messages. Presently we want to focus upon this controversy over the rock of verse 18. The controversy that rages between Rome and Orthodox Protestantism with respect to the interpretation of this text. Generally, the popular form of the debate focuses on the question of whether Jesus is calling Peter the rock upon which he will build his church, or is it Peter’s confession that is the rock? Catholics have held to the former, Protestants traditionally to the latter position.

Now, if this were all there was to the issue, after a little bit of study we might conclude, what’s all the fuss? In fact, the emerging consensus among Protestants now, even the most orthodox of Protestants, is to recognize a certain primacy for Peter.

A primacy amongst the Twelve. He is invariably listed first when the disciples’ names are given. He appears time and time again as the spokesman for the disciples. He heads up the small band that seems to be most intimate with, closest to Jesus. Note the next chapter and the description of the events on the Mount of Transfiguration.

Peter is given a lead. In many of the gospel stories, then, Peter is a primary figure, and in one generally overlooked text, one that we read this morning, Luke 22, verse 32, Peter is given specific responsibility for the other disciples once he comes through his trial and testing. Nor can it be denied that Peter, in the book of Acts, has a leading role not only at Jerusalem, but also as the gospel is taken to the Gentiles.

Protestants then, more and more, feel compelled to admit the weight of the biblical evidence Peter has a unique role. Yes, there’s a sense in which we can say Peter is the rock. At the same time, Catholics, those most biblically sensitive among them, have had to admit that Peter, in relationship to his confession, is quite to the point. and that the confession from Peter plays an important role, in fact just as important role, as Peter himself. Therefore, the confessing Peter and even the confession itself, standing as it does over against the effrontery Peter offers Christ later in this text, are constitutive and essential as to what the rock means. So are saying some Catholics now, the confession itself is the rock. Well, isn’t this great? Catholics are talking like Protestants, and Protestants are talking like Catholics. We’re all set to get back together again, aren’t we? Well, not quite.

You see, as much as Rome may be prepared to add to their interpretation of Matthew 16 verse 18, this consideration that the confession itself of Peter stands rock-like in the text, They have not been willing to subtract any of the extended doctrines they draw out of their recognition of Peter’s primacy. And what are those extended doctrines? According to Rome, they are these.

Primacy for Peter equals infallibility. If he is rock, his rock-like character cannot deceive. Primacy for Peter equals infallibility. Secondly, Christ conferred primacy not just to Peter, but upon those who succeed him in his specific office as the Supreme Bishop of the Church. And you might note that this is a privilege that Christ gives only to the successors of Peter, according to Rome, not to the other disciples. Thirdly, the extended doctrine drawn out of this text by Rome states that the Holy Spirit in time draws Peter to Rome At the conclusion of his life, for the express purpose of exalting both the man and the place, thus Rome, ever after, is to be the seat of the Church’s supreme earthly authority. And finally, the exaltation of Peter and those who follow him in his office are in their person the very essence of the Church.

Without him, the Church itself is fatally obscured and disfigured. Now, I hope that you need no argument from me about how these extended doctrines go far beyond the warrants of Matthew 16. In fact, these extended doctrines go far beyond the rest of the relevant biblical material that would pertain. And in actual fact, they are the product of tradition and fanciful Roman folklore. But I also hope that you are not naive.

As much as Rome may be willing to add Peter’s confession to its interpretation of what constitutes the rock upon which Christ builds his church, Rome is even more adamantly unwilling to subtract any of these extended doctrines from her theological treasury. These doctrines are non-negotiable, as anyone who follows the present ecumenical scene well knows. And there is a reason why these extended doctrines are non-negotiable. For if these extended doctrines fall, the Church of Rome herself falls. We do not pray for Rome’s fall. We pray for Rome’s repentance.

That she with us might learn from Peter and the rest of the biblical leaders to confess Christ as the only head and king of the church, and be conformed to his perfect law of liberty. Most specifically, we pray that we all may give heed to the infallible word of God the only rule of faith and practice and with courage and determination put the traditions of men and fanciful ecclesiastical folklore in their place Let us pray.

Our Lord, there is that true sense in which we are all descendants of Rome and the Roman Church. And our Lord, as you have been pleased to give us life from the dead and light instead of darkness, we would intercede for this communion, that she in fact may be brought to her knees with respect to these matters that are out of accord with your holy word. May it please you, our God, to set before all of us the proper doctrine of infallibility that it rests within the scriptures and our lives are bound by that word even above the traditions of men and above the stories that men may in fact produce even for religious ends. O God, may we ourselves be helped in our understanding of your word.

We would not shy away from giving Peter his due when the biblical evidence seems so clear. At the same time, Lord, would you help us in our confession that our confession may be like his? In fact, built upon it, and rock-like. Surely, Lord, such confession pleases you. It pleases you with respect to us, as surely as it pleased our Savior with respect to Peter. This, then, we pray, our God, looking to ourselves that we with all humility may pursue the truth.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

July 18, 1993
The Kingdom Without Obvious Signs

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Misc. Luke sermons” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, March 28, 1993.

About this sermon

Vos and Ridderbos both inform this reading of the Pharisees’ own hope for obvious, immediate signs of blessing, a hope Christ’s answer in Luke 17 deliberately disappoints. The contested phrase ‘the kingdom of God is within you’ in 17:21 gets careful exegetical attention. Three observations about Christ’s kingdom close out a chapter that resists the very kind of sign-seeking it describes.

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Now, having been questioned by the Pharisees, as to when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed. Nor will they say, Look, here it is or there it is, for behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst. And he said to the disciples, The day shall come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, Look here, look there. Do not go away, do not run after them.

For just as the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it shall be also in the days of the Son of Man.

They were eating and they were drinking, they were marrying and they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same as happened in the days of Lot. They were eating and they were drinking, they were buying and they were selling, they were planting, they were building. But on the day that lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.

It will be just the same on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, let not the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house go down and take them away. And likewise, let not the one who is in the field turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to keep his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life shall preserve it alive. I tell you, on that night there will be two men in one bed. One will be taken and the other will be left. And there will be two women grinding at the same place. One will be taken and the other will be left. Answering, they said to him, Where, Lord? And he said to them, Where the body is, there also will the vultures be gathered.”

Lord, you are sovereign with respect to your word, your word’s power in our lives. We would pray to the same end with respect to the lives of others, that indeed the lost may be gathered, but also, Father, that your people may be strengthened. We are asking also, Lord, that in keeping with your word, that pattern of authority may be in place in the respective congregations and churches throughout the world, in those churches where you are honored, where your word is revered.

Bless us too, Father. May we not be presumptuous, may we not be vain. Instead, Lord, may we be humbled before you. Knowing that our strength is found in and with you, our hope is Christ. Lord, we are animated, as it were, by your Spirit. Bless us then, Lord, open hearts and your people also throughout the world that you might be honored indeed. We ask this for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

We had them spending time in the epistles and also in Genesis for some time now, and I was getting a little hungry for some gospel. So not that the gospel isn’t found in the epistles and in Genesis, but I thought that we would take a little diversion here tonight and look once more at Luke’s gospel.

It has now been observed that the major theme of the first three Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, is the Kingdom of God, or in Matthew’s Gospel, as it is called there, the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the central organizing thought. This is the central organizing reality. We see it central to the preaching of John the Baptist, but we also see it central to the preaching of Christ.

The first messages, at least as we have them recorded for us in the Synoptic Gospels, the From each of these individuals is repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. We have been helped a great deal in this century in seeing this central organizing character of the kingdom of God for the synoptic Gospels by two very important very capable scholars.

The first was the godly professor of biblical theology at Princeton Seminary, Johardas Voss. Johardas Voss wrote his book, The Kingdom of God and the Church, in 1903. and set the tone for the study of the Synoptic Gospels amongst Reformed people in this century. Now, Ross’s insights were expanded later by another Dutchman by the name of Herman Ritterbos. Ritterbos’s book was entitled The Coming of the Kingdom and appeared in the mid-fifties.

Both of these volumes proceeded along a similar line, setting out the centrality of the kingdom and making it plain that there were actually two focuses with respect to the kingdom as Jesus proclaimed it. Yes, the kingdom was coming, but also the kingdom was very much a present reality in and through his ministry. This perspective then set the Reformed understanding of the kingdom of heaven as it is declared in the Synoptic Gospels over against some other very popularly held conceptions of the kingdom. It is the night of the discussions that have gone on during this century that I wander into this territory tonight. As you know, the Kingdom in that time leading up to the time of Jesus and even during his ministry was a major, if not the major, preoccupation for Israel. For Israel, the kingdom spoke to her of a glorious future in which there would be a transformation of things as they presently existed, a universal reorganization of things. Instead of living humbly and even in a humiliated state, instead of living under the thumb of others, Israel was convinced that there belonged to her, by the promise of God, a future in which she would be especially exalted. The kingdom would make its appearance with signs. signs would precede it, but also be a part of it, making it obvious that, in fact, the kingdom was a reality.

Now, the Pharisees, who are mentioned here in the 20th verse of Luke 17, did not come to Jesus with blank minds. with respect to the question of the kingdom of God. They had their mind very much made up. They had very definite ideas as to what the kingdom of God was, how it would be identified, what signs would accompany it. So we must not think that when the Pharisees approach Jesus to question him about the kingdom of God and when it is going to appear, that we have here a case in which the Pharisees are proving to be sincere seekers after the truth, as if they recognize Jesus as an authority on the subject.

Here, as elsewhere in the Gospels, we must see beneath the surface, and understand that there is actually a sneer stamped upon the souls of these men as they approach Jesus. They are possessed of some sort of inner snarl that crosses their lip. For them, then, there is no question in their mind, no real question in their mind, no sincere question in their mind as they approach Jesus. They do not recognize him as an authority, much less do they recognize him as the Messiah. even though they fully recognize that this individual has messianic illusions, that he is possessed of a messianic pretentiousness. Therefore, behind the questions that these individuals may direct to Jesus, we can perceive the question that really is on their mind, a question that is no question at all but an accusation.

If you are the Messiah, then where are the signs of your messianic kingdom? Now it is not only necessary for us to understand what is beneath the surface of the Pharisees’ approach to Jesus, it is necessary for us to understand what they recognized as legitimate signs attendant to the kingdom. The signs that they were interested in were not those common ordinary garden variety murals. They weren’t simple religious wonders.

They weren’t healings, particularly, nor were they the casting out of demons. for they fully believed that there were those in their own circles that had the power to perform such things. Jesus makes that observation about them on one occasion. By whom, then, do your sons cast out demons, he says? If you’re indicting me, suggesting that I cast them out by the Prince of Darkness, by Beelzebub himself, So no, the Pharisees do not have in mind here signs of the common ordinary garden variety, miracle types, wonders.

Messiah, in their estimation, would come accompanied by extraordinary signs. cosmic in character, universal in scope. The kinds of signs they were looking for were those that would rearrange things in heaven and on earth, those that would be premonition with respect to even the great conflagration and the consummation of all things, even the end of the age.

They see no such signs. So when they ask Jesus when the kingdom will come, they are scoffing. They are accusing. We see no signs appropriate for the Messiah and his reign. In any sense accompanying your ministry, therefore, you cannot be. You are not the Messiah. Rather, you are an imposter, a fraud. the boldness of Jesus’ response. If these Pharisees recognize in him no authority, he is not put off by that for a moment, but asserts his authority so as to put the Pharisees in their place.

The Pharisees say, the kingdom is coming with these great signs. and the Messianic ministry will be punctuated by such signs as we expect. But Jesus says the kingdom is not coming with signs, and the Messianic ministry will not be punctuated by such signs as you expect. And I happen to know that for a fact. And then, without even as much as breaking stride in his remarks, he tells them that what they expected with signs is already present without them. The atonement of God, Jesus said, is not coming with signs to be observed.

Not only is Jesus bold now with respect to the kingdom, bold with respect to his understanding of it, unhesitant in his assertions with regard to it, but as he finishes out, rounds off his remarks to the Pharisees, he will be bolder still. for he will set himself in the center of their attention. He will set himself center stage with respect to any consideration about the kingdom of God. For behold, he says in verse 21, the kingdom of God Now, I don’t have to tell you that the conclusion of that twenty-first verse has been a center of controversy, even with respect to how it is to be translated.

We have before us tonight the New American Standard translation of that statement by Jesus. To give you an idea of just how this statement has been interpreted by various groups, there are those who wish to turn this statement by Jesus into testimony that Jesus, after all, was a first-century humanist. Here we have a genuine statement from Jesus. Now, there are many ingenuine statements. But here we have a genuine statement, for Jesus tells us the truth about the kingdom of God. And what is that truth? That truth pertains to the inner potential that resides within civilization and humanity generally conceived. Nothing supernatural, no appeal to any kind of external force, no God out there anywhere. Forget all of that. Get rid of that language from your vocabulary. It has no place. In fact, it had no place in the vocabulary of Jesus.

The kingdom of God is solely something that pertains to the inner potentiality of civilization and humanity generally conceived. And along this line, Jesus is really one of the first ones to tell us that our fondest hopes and desires, our dreams in fact, for this world and our lives are actually attainable through our native capabilities.

The problem with the Pharisees was that they were a bit too spiritual. They actually did believe in supernatural realities. Jesus was the prototypical modernist. There have been others, of course, who have seen the interpretation of this statement by Jesus along other lines. They have judged this approach of the humanists as being too crudely secularist. They instead now have interpreted Jesus’ remark as referring to something that, yes, is spiritual, but yet pertains to the inner potential of the individual soul.

So rather than focusing upon society at large, or humanity generally, we’ll narrow things down a bit. We’ll speak about personal potential. We’ll speak about the power of positive thinking. We’ll speak about the power of possibility thinking. And we’ll see Jesus, then, in our hands, made useful to us in the West, this one who was essentially a religious philosopher of the East. Well, thank you, Norman Vincent Peale. There have been others, Christians well-intentioned, who have preferred the King James reading of this text. Remember how that goes? The kingdom of God is within you, so translates the King James.

I have preferred this translation because they have felt compelled to protect what they call the present spiritual nature of the kingdom. They veer away from the humanist and secularist approach. These people are thoroughly supernaturalistic in their intention and design. They veer away from these who are the propounders of a philosophy of positive thinking. But they are also concerned to protect what they call the present spiritual character of the kingdom.

And along this line they say, then, that the kingdom of God, as Jesus here declares it, and in keeping with his intention, has no present outward manifestation but is inward, and the inward character of it will eventually be validated in the day of resurrection in the kingdom that belongs to the heavenly estates. Not only has this interpretation had devastating effects upon Christians in their understanding of what the Christian life and world are all about, but it is a major cause for the present low view of the Church held by many evangelical and conservative Christians. For if the kingdom of God is within you and has no present outward manifestation, we can in no sense identify that kingdom with the Church.

But I want you to note the force and the power of Jesus’ words that makes even this interpretation impossible. Jesus is speaking to Pharisees. Well, you note that, he is speaking to Pharisees. And Jesus would hardly be saying to Pharisees, his enemies, the kingdom of God is within you, because it obviously wasn’t in them. So it is the force and power, then, of Jesus’ statement.

He intends, as I pointed out, to call attention to himself. And notice the way in which he does that. For he prefaces what he says at the end of verse 21 with the words, While he’s telling them, these Pharisees, that there are no signs to behold, these Pharisees are compelled to behold him. In fact, I believe that it is not stretching this text too far to suggest that there is laid within it the suggestion of a gesture by Christ. So that in response to these Pharisees and their question, Jesus then presents himself with the gesture, Behold, indicating himself He, the embodiment of the kingdom, is in their midst.

Quite a few things can be said from this point on with respect to this passage. We could even go beyond those that we have critiqued thus far to critique a few more. We could do a pretty good job of critiquing, say, dispensationalism and its ideas of the kingdom. Let me point out, in conclusion, three things that I trust may well be helpful to us in our reflections about the kingdom and its nature. This is summary. of what we have said for the interests of focusing our thoughts.

Jesus in this text places himself at the center of every question about the kingdom of God. You cannot ask questions about the kingdom of God without considering Christ and his Jesus is at the center of every question that can be conceivably asked about the kingdom of God. So absolutely true is this, that it is confirmed by the remainder of what we find in Scripture.

Have you ever been somewhat nonplussed by the fact that when you get to the gospel of John, there doesn’t seem to be much vocabulary about the kingdom of God in that gospel at all? Have you been stymied somewhat by the fact that when you get to the epistles of Paul and you’re reading through them, there doesn’t seem to be much language there at all about the kingdom of God? Well, what’s happened as you move from the synoptics to the rest of the canonical literature in the New Testament? You see, Jesus is so identified now with the kingdom of God, he himself is the embodiment of that kingdom, no, in fact, he absorbs that kingdom, even to the place of displacing the kingdom in discussions about the kingdom, so that rather than discussing the kingdom, we now discuss Jesus. That is not that the kingdom has disappeared, it is that the kingdom has been summed up in, absorbed in, the person and the work of Jesus Christ.

I know that there are many, many misinterpretations of this, and we have even heard representations of those misinterpretations tonight. But Jesus is saying unequivocally, the Kingdom is here. And it is an event that has taken place in his own coming. The Kingdom is here. Now, this must be understood in light of what we must also say. The kingdom is here, but at the same time, this Jesus will teach us to pray, Thy kingdom come, as if it were not here. So you are faced with both, and you must embrace both. The kingdom is here, and yet the kingdom is coming.

Now, how do we focus our thoughts with respect to the presence of the kingdom in our present circumstance? If indeed Jesus pointed to himself in his statement that the kingdom of God is in your midst, he then was pointing out to these Pharisees the reality of his own existence and his own body. His own body. And where is the body of Christ today? another one. Behold the kingdom of God. Now, that ought to change your life. If nothing has up to this point. The Church, then. Living stones. The people of God, the body of Christ. Here is the concrete demonstration of the kingdom’s present.

How far from the mark is dispensationalism? How far from the mark is dispensationalism? That movement that refuses to identify the kingdom of God with the church of Jesus Christ. While it is true to say that the kingdom has an ideal and future character, it is not a dream yet to be realized.

It is a present reality, and that reality is known in the person of Christ in whom we, by the Spirit, abide. Whom to love and to trust is eternal life. Let’s pray. O Lord, give us a heart for the kingdom and for the King. May we see the King always and ourselves identified with him so thoroughly. that we now would even be bold to make the claim that we are his body. Truly, the present demonstration of the kingdom of God in the world. O Lord, help us to live as those who are identified with the kingdom and even as the kingdom. For your glory. Amen.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

March 28, 1993
Beyond Audience Analysis

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Misc. Luke sermons” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, October 4, 1992.

About this sermon

Audience analysis drives much of modern church strategy, and Matthew and Luke treat their audiences very differently. In Luke 6 the Lord denounces Pharisaic behavior and offers a different model from market research. Knowing an audience on Christ’s terms and catering to it are two different things.

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Sermon transcript

Can I do a reading from Luke’s Gospel, chapter 6, beginning at verse 12? And it was at this time that he went off to the mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also named as apostles. Simon, whom he also called Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he descended with them and stood on a level place. There was a great multitude of his disciples and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured. All the multitude were trying to touch him, for power was coming from him and healing them all.

And turning his gaze on his disciples, he began to say, “‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you and ostracize you and heap insults upon you and discern your name as evil. for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and weep for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep Lo to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets.

But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also, and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. And just as you want men to treat you, treat them in the same way.

And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same thing. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same payment. But love your enemies and do good and lend.

Expect nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be the sons of the Most High, for he himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Do not pass judgment, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you shall not be condemned. Pardon, and you shall be pardoned. Give, and it shall be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For whatever measure you deal out to others, it will be dealt to you in return. He also spoke a parable to them. A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? A pupil is not above his teacher, but everyone after he has been fully trained will be like his teacher.

Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye and do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye, when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take out the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, neither, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil, for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

And why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?’ Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like. He is like a man building a house who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock, and when the flood arose, the river burst against that house and could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly is like a man who has built a a house upon the ground without any foundation, and the river burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.

Father, we might be found resistant, but we pray from the depths of our hearts that you would press your word upon us, that we would not then avoid its clear teaching and implication. O Lord, we ask that we might be found in your word, and may we, Lord, live in keeping with what you say. May you be pleased to help your church throughout the world, not only with respect to those who declare the truth from the word and preach it week by week, but also in terms of those who are given responsibilities to rule in light of that word and even to serve with the word as their guide. Built up, then, the eldership of the church throughout the world. Lord, encourage the beacons of your church so that they, in keeping with your word, would be responsive to the needs of the poor.

We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen. It is perfectly reasonable that the whole question about audience analysis should, in the last thirty years, with the avalanche of technological advancement, the whole question about audience analysis should, in the last thirty years, pass from the realm of naive common sense to that of a sophisticated science. Political candidates and the world’s commercial concerns and interests invest big bucks for the purpose of making sure that they are saying the right things to the right people. In the mid to late sixties, the Church picked up on these advances. They picked up on this, or I should say the theological seminaries picked up on this, especially the practical theology departments.

I remember my seminary days. I remember the little cell group into which our class in practical theology was broken. I remember sitting around the table. with the bunch of us acting like a lot of professional sociologists. There were a few of us, however, thinking to ourselves just how silly this whole business was. And I sincerely doubt if any of my fellow cellmates are doing much scientific audience analysis today. I can hear my professor, however, saying, ìThatís right, boys. And that’s why you all have small, struggling, marginal congregations.

There was, however, a good side to the practical theology push for audience analysis. Interestingly, out of those classes, the more thoughtful students of the Bible began to asked many penetrating questions, questions about the specific audiences addressed in and by the biblical texts. There are various audiences, for instance, that are addressed specifically throughout the Gospels. Take Matthew’s Gospel. We have three audiences in Matthew’s gospel identified specifically. These audiences are addressed in a quite consistent manner. What are the multitudes? The multitudes in Matthew, at least initially, are not openly hostile.

They are, however, possessed of a halting indecisiveness, and this eventually lands them in the company of Jesus’ opponents, conspiring with those opponents against Jesus. For the most part, multitudes are viewed as those who are possessed of that halting indecisiveness. not knowing which direction to go, running hot one moment and cold the next. There’s no question as to how the Pharisees are running, however, how the Jewish leaders are running. They are consistently presented as hostile to Jesus. Their hostility is open, and their disbelief in him is equally open.

We have then these two groups, specifically addressed by Jesus, treated by Matthew in his gospel, and consistently so. There is the third group, however, the disciples. The disciples may on occasion be halting, somewhat like the multitudes, but at root, the work of God’s Spirit evident in them, they believe, they obviously believe, they are open in their belief. They stand behind, and with Peter and in his confession, they too confess, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus, in dealing with them, deals with them seriously, to be sure, but also solicitously, endearingly. But as consistent as Matthew is in keeping these audiences straight, Luke appears to be somewhat uneven and even inconsistent. in his treatment of the various audiences.

I want you, first of all, to look at Luke chapter 3. Here we have the account of the ministry of John the Baptist. I want you to note the progression in the passage with regard to the specific audience that is pointed out for us there, especially as you note verse 7 and the mention of the multitudes. We are told here that the multitudes were coming to John for baptism. Now note what follows in verses 7 through 10 as Luke goes on to report how John speaks to these multitudes.

He calls them, at the end of verse seven, a brood of vipers. He talks to them about bringing forth fruits in keeping with repentance. He charges them with pride, holding up Abraham, their father, as their security. And he talks about the ax that is already laid to the root of the tree.

Well, that’s familiar enough language, but you might be a little bit unsettled as you look here at Luke and the treatment here with respect to the multitude, and you recall the setting in Matthew 3 when those words are not directed to the multitude, but they’re directed specifically to the Pharisees.

But the story goes on. Before the story ends, verses 10-17, we have the multitudes viewed quite differently. They appear in the light of repentance and faith, poised for the appearance of the Messiah and his baptism with the Holy Spirit. There is a shift from Matthew to Luke. There is a shift. Matthew specifically having the Pharisees in view, Luke having the multitudes in view, but then Luke setting before something of a progression as the multitudes are looked upon very negatively and before your eyes seemingly transformed and treated very positively. What’s going on here? What’s happening?

Well, I hope that Luke’s emphasis by the direction of the Holy Spirit is coming through clearly for us as we compare Matthew with Luke and look at the various treatments of the audience in view. His message is this, those out of which then the church rises are no less than the Pharisees, a brood of vipers who but for the grace of God would never have been spared God’s wrath and judgment. Those then out of which the church rises are no less than the Pharisees, a brood of vipers so described, so identified, who but for the grace of God in Christ would never have been spared God’s wrath and judgment.” We have here, then, an extremely powerful message. Multitudes passing from wrath to grace, passing as it were from the world into the Church, and now this message coming to them as they are in fact seen to be part of the assembly, disciples indeed of the Messiah. This message from Luke is further reinforced in Luke 6, and reinforced in ways that may not be altogether clear to us as the case is prosecuted there in that sixth chapter. of Luke and in the so-called Sermon on the Plain. Note the context.

Jesus now has chosen twelve disciples specifically, which he has separated from the general lot of the disciples and from the multitudes themselves. Jesus now descends from the mount to the plain, and he is met by disciples, a broad group. He is met as well by multitudes so described, and he ministers to these But now we are told in verse twenty that he turns his gaze upon the disciples and he begins to speak specifically to them and about them. We now hear him speak with words which in many ways are similar to what we have heard in the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew five through seven.

But you will note Here, in the Sermon on the Plain, there are remarkable differences against stressing Luke’s emphasis, an emphasis that he is bound to stress because of the work of the Holy Spirit in him. What do we find here? Well, something similar to what we found in the baptism story. There in that baptism story were words reserved elsewhere for Pharisees now spoken with respect to multiple and so also here we find words elsewhere reserved for Pharisees.

Those who are open hostility to Christ directed towards disciples or to multitudes who have gathered around Christ in a worshipful fashion. Now, I know that those woes seem to be directed specifically against those that would oppose the disciples and the multitude that would bind themselves to Jesus. Yet they are set in this context, and the terrifying character of them is communicated that in this context they are spoken to the disciples in such a way that the disciples cannot themselves avoid the implications of them.

But for whom are the woes reserved in Matthew’s gospel? Do you remember Matthew 23, the long list of woes that occurs there as Jesus goes through a litany of woes pronounced upon his enemies, those who are openly hostile to him? Check it out, Matthew 23 verses 13-30. Here, in this context, the woes appear in an address that is particularly applicable to disciples and to multitudes that would gather around Christ. In Matthew’s Gospel, the figure or the parable of the blind leading the blind applies to the Pharisees. Specifically, Matthew fifteen verse fourteen again in the woes passage, chapter twenty-three verse sixteen and also twenty-four. But here in the Sermon on the Plain, in the Luke in context, By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and his direction, that parable and that figure is applied to the disciples and to those multitudes who are attracted to Christ.

Now, I ask you, what is the Spirit’s intention in all of this? with the world, then here are not directed against pharisaical hostility, opposition and indifference. Again, what then are those woes directed? Are they not directed against a church caught up in its own affluence and leave a church in danger of forgetting the true nature of the kingdom? You disciples, you would-be followers of Christ, take stock of yourself, understand the seriousness of this matter in which you are engaged.

And the figure of blind guides, the parable of blind guides, here in the Sermon on the That parable is directed against the church’s self-righteousness, by which it glories in leading but never in following, even conceiving of itself as that in front of its master and teacher.

Jesus wants his church, his disciples, his followers to understand. that they are not above him, and it is their goal to be like him. As the Sermon on the Plain develops, his people must be more interested in performing their own lives than in judging the lives of others. If Christ’s people, if his church, cannot follow, cannot humble themselves, they become a paradigm of hypocrisy. Indeed, as Jesus’ words go on to prove, they become bad trees bearing bad fruit. capable of generating good words such as Lord, Lord, but words that lack meaning, substance and truth. Those who are truly his, then, Jesus says as he prosecutes his case here in this sermon, those who are truly his, hear his word and don’t These, then, stand in the day of judgment in a house well built against every storm, even the deluge of the Second Coming.

The message is clear as we move from Matthew to Luke. If our Lord has manifestly denounced Pharisees, how much more severe will he be to those who, in claiming that they follow him, so manifestly exhibit all the characteristics of the Pharisees? So then, the audience is important to the gospel writers as they tell the stories of Christ, and the audience is important to Jesus himself as he addresses various groups. Most specifically, he loves his disciples, it is obvious. What a marvelous testimony we have to that running throughout all of the Gospels. And he loves those drawn to him from the multitudes, those who come in sincerity, with due humility, broken in heart, casting themselves upon the mercies of God to be found in him. He heals them, he blesses them, and then he endows his disciples the apostles that are mentioned with great power in the Holy Spirit, but simultaneously he issues the most severe and serious warnings, warnings that are to be heard, warnings that must register upon the consciousness of those that would claim him.

As we move from one gospel to another, from Matthew to Luke, Moving into Luke, that warning becomes ear-piercing. For the church, the people of God, beloved of Christ, those for whom Christ has given himself, can never be content that God’s judgment is merely reserved for so-called card-carrying Pharisees. and the like. But his wrath turns as well upon even his own people if they are guilty of the sins that have been the undoing of many a Pharisee.

Father, we are wonderfully blessed, but we are duly warned. Will we not then approach the matter of your message and the kingdom with sobriety, with of your spirit wherein we would be able then to perceive the seriousness of the warnings that are uttered.

For surely, O God, you have no further word to send to us other than that word which you have given us in your Son. Your next act, O God, will be the end of the world. And Father, we who believe continue in our faith, recognizing that we have been duly warned, and that because of your love. May we all the days of our lives heed your warning.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

October 4, 1992
Luke, Theologian of Repentance

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Misc. Luke sermons” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, September 27, 1992.

About this sermon

Luke is the New Testament’s theologian of repentance, and the modern church has largely failed to recover his teaching. Calvin’s account of repentance corrects that failure. The woman who anoints Christ’s feet in Luke 7 shows real sinfulness meeting real holiness, as proper repentance requires.

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Sermon transcript

Every once in a while we take a detour from what we had expected to preach on, and this is one of those days. We are this morning looking at Luke chapter 7, and we are reading from verse 36. This is Luke chapter 7, verse 36. And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and sat down to meet. And behold, a woman in that city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meet in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus, answering, said unto him, Simon, I have some what to say unto thee.

And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors, one owed five hundred pence and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman?

I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet, but she hath washed my feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head. thou gavest me no kiss, but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint, but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

Therefore I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven. For she loved much, but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he saith unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, By faith hath saved thee, go in peace. Our Father, you do confront us with our inadequacies.

We know this to be the universal truth, that throughout the world men then are accused and they are without excuse. Father, we would pray for intelligence born of your Spirit with respect to the circumstances that are found here and throughout the world. that we would not be so naive as to turn our head towards those that would pretend as if we have no sin at all. Our God, even in the political process, may we be wise. May we have that understanding that comes from you and by your word. Truly there would be those who would deceive we ask that we may not be deceived, and pray all the more for your grace, yes, in our case, but also in the case of the nations of this planet.

We ask it through Christ. Amen. This is a message that has been building in me for some time. In fact, the necessity for this message has been accented by the events in my ministry over the past year. I bring it to you, praying that I might do so with all humility and grace.

I am struck, first of all, with a certain feature of Luke’s writings. It may well be said that Luke is the New Testament theologian of repentance. The evidence for this abounds. We have a story in Luke chapter 5, a Lucan version of the calling of the initial disciples.

It’s a very moving account with respect to the person of Peter. Simon, they are called, who has been fishing all night, caught nothing. Jesus has come to the shore, he has been teaching. They set out from the shore a little bit in the boat, and Jesus commands Peter to let down the net for a catch, and at Jesus’ bidding, Peter obeys. The catch is phenomenal.

Luke goes on to tell us about Peter’s response in that fifth chapter. He says that Peter then threw himself at Jesus’ feet and said, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. A testimony to Luke’s interest, specific interest, in the theme of repentance. in which we see this premier apostle prostrating himself before God incarnate and making confession of his own worthlessness. We progress to the seventh chapter, and we’ve read a portion of it this morning. Here, once more, we are confronted with Luke theology of repentance.

The sinful woman, she stands behind Jesus. If Peter throws himself at Jesus’ feet, she stands behind Jesus, not even venturing to look into his So sensitive is she, so much aware is she of her own unworthiness before him. And then she adorns his feet with her tears and draws those tears with the hairs of her head. And in the end, she receives statements from Jesus that evidence her vindication, her justification her sins are forgiven, she is told.

And so it is through Luke’s gospel, but even into the Acts of the Apostle, also written by him, you catch the power and the force of the second chapter of Acts, as Peter That man who had prostrated himself previously, before Christ, now calls upon those assembled in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost to prostrate themselves in acknowledgment of the sin of which they are guilty, namely the execution of the Lord’s Messiah, the Son of God. And they, stricken in conscience Even though many of them weren’t even in Jerusalem at the time Jesus was executed, they stricken in conscience because of their consciousness of the covenant and its significance.

Yes, we are corporately involved. They take them the sin to themselves and they cry out to Peter, what then shall we do? The desperation of that statement. One has to be made of brick, not for it to register as you read through that second chapter of Acts. This message, with respect to such repentance, is found also played out amongst the Gentiles. The sixteenth chapter of Acts, the Philippian jailer the midnight earthquake, the doors of the jail open, the chains dropped off. He’s fearing for his life. He comes and throws himself at the feet of Paul and Silas and cries out, What must I do to be saved? the premier theologian of the New Testament with respect to the message of repentance.

But how might we define repentance? What is it? We who have been trained in, we who have memorized the shorter Catechism, know question and answer Repentance unto life is a saving grace whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God with full purpose of and endeavor after new obedience. a magnificently full, comprehensive definition.

One would have to admit, as much as we love the Catechism, as much as we are trained in it, as much as we revere its definitions, that its definitions can in fact come across a bit technical. We do well to inform our understanding of repentance and even our grasp of what the Catechism is driving at with the biblical illustrations that are multiplied for us throughout the entirety of the scriptural testimony. And those, even most particularly, that come to us from Luke’s writings. For it is in Luke’s writings, as elsewhere in scripture, that there is set well before us the pathos, the pain of repentance.

Men and women throwing themselves completely upon the mercy of God. The emphasis in Scripture being upon a self-humiliation, that which these individuals are willing to endure because of what they have seen with regard to themselves and with regard to God.

There is no price they will not pay. There is no limit for them in the expression of their humiliation and their subsequent humility in this repentance. It is confession, then, that is without qualification and without excuse. Repentance then comes without reservation, as it is presented to us in Scripture, as the individual with abandonment casts himself upon the mercy and grace of God, specifically as they are found in Jesus Christ.

The Church of God is in trouble. This means that the people of God are in trouble. They have been in trouble for at least a hundred years, if not more, specifically because of this issue, this matter of repentance. Is it not evident to you that in our own time that the kind of repentance that is evidenced in the Lutheran stories has become the exception, not the rule? In fact, it’s almost as if it has completely disappeared from the experience of the Church. Let me give you one illustration as to how this is obvious in our present time. As a minister, I am called upon time and again to deal with married people. I am called upon to counsel, to listen to the difficulties, the problems. But you know what the process of confession and repentance has become In the marriage affair of our time, it has become an exercise in plea bargaining.

Brooke, dear spouse, if you will own up to these faults, then I will own up to these faults. If you will merely confess on this side, then yes, I may be moved to confess on the other side. Do you see how far of the mark this kind of repentance is from that which we find in the Lucan material? In the biblical accounts of repentance, there is no plea bargaining going on as the sinner comes before God, nor is there to be plea bargaining going on when someone who is guilty of offense comes before the person they have offended. Regardless of what you have done, this is what I have done, and I was wrong. Will you forgive me?”

So then we see how far we have departed from the biblical definition of repentance in our present time. because of this plea bargaining idea with regard to repentance. But this is only one place where people are having problems with the definition and the reality of repentance in our time. area of concern is how far we have departed from the reformational grasp of the nature of repentance. I have in mind here specifically how the Reformers recaptured that sense of repentance and spoke of it as if with new force and power to the people of God.

Calvin was not going to allow repentance to be reduced to a single point in time. Something that you did once, having done it, you can now forget about it and move on from it. For Calvin, repentance was a way of life. The humiliation experienced initially in repentance as one came to Christ was carried on in a life of humility as you walked with Christ.

So there was no justification for your haughtiness. There was no justification for you making excuses for yourself as you moved on through your Christian experience. Repentance was an ongoing affair. Otherwise, why would it be necessary for you to continually pray, forgive us our debts? Such a prayer becomes utterly meaningless. This repentance and contrition and frustration before the Lord are not to characterize the Christian life as a whole. The things are even more serious yet with regard to this matter of repentance.

In Protestant circles, it seems from the seventeenth and eighteenth century, repentance can now become strangely and oddly, ironically in fact, repentance can become an opportunity to boast. Repentance can be an exercise in pride, or at least telling people about your repentance can be an exercise in pride.

The students are here. I dare say that things haven’t changed much from my student days, and that you students have probably been treated in the religious affairs of your college to a number of folks who have passed through, who are delighted in telling you just how great a sinner they were. In fact, they even give you the impression that you’ve missed out on something, because you haven’t quite been that great a sinner. There’s something backward about all of that isn’t there? If not perverse But there is one final blow with regard to the biblical teaching and truth with respect to repentance that is now taking its toll amongst the people of God in our time.

And that is this. Repentance itself is dismissible. Repentance itself is dismissible. It is no longer a factor. Now it’s opportune that we preach this message at the political season. Politicians have mastered the technique of never calling the constituency into account. It’s always the opponent, the sinner. It’s always the other party that’s the sinner. But it’s never the voters. The voters are innocent. They never sin. They’re responsible for nothing. Do you see how this is now coming to the church? So that the church has itself become politicized, and by that I mean its messengers have become politicians. Congregations don’t sin, people in them don’t sin. That’s a negative concept.

How are you going to get ahead in the ministry if you talk like that? But not only has the ministry become politicized, it has become commercialized. What commercial that you can name beats up on the people you’re trying to get money out of? What corporation in its advertising is calling those who are prospective customers into account with regard to their wants and desires?

Repentance done has been discounted and dismissed. And a whole generation has now been brought into the church that have come into the church or into the faith by some other route than that of repentance. And we, the Church of Jesus Christ, are going to pay dearly for that. How is it that they have been brought into the church, if not by repentance then? They have been brought into the church or into the faith because they have sensed within themselves a certain incompleteness. There is a certain deficiency and they are looking for something then that will make them whole.

This is a far cry from Peter prostrated Jesus feet in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, far cry from that woman who can’t stop crying because of her sins, a far cry from that assembly on the day of Pentecost that cries out with abandon, what then shall we do? Or the Philippian jailer that throws himself completely upon the mercies of God, as those mercies are found communicated in and through God’s messengers. I was lonely.

I’m not, you see, disparaging those who in their loneliness turn to Christ. I’m not disparaging those who sense an emptiness within them and then begin to look towards God and to cultivate a relationship with Him. But to stay at that level means that you have accepted something far less than the biblical definition of the gospel. For the biblical definition of the gospel has at its heart a message with regard to repentance. And even more tragic, those who have begun without repentance continue without repentance. And that is sad doubly, because now they cannot imagine, they cannot imagine that God would ever be angry with them for anything.

Have you met these people? Have you run into them? It doesn’t matter how they live. It doesn’t matter what they do. She may be publicly, as far as the church is concerned, a paragon of virtue. Living her life before the church as one who is upright, she might even have all kinds of ribbons tied to her automobile’s aerial antenna. declaring herself before the world.

But every night of the week, her boyfriend’s car is parked in front of her house. And it doesn’t leave until 7.30 the next morning. The sad truth is that even in her sin, this young lady cannot even conceive that God might be angry with her. I’m sorry to say that increasingly she is not the exception. But in the Church, broadly conceived and defined, she is becoming the rule.

No repentance at the beginning, and no concept of repentance in the process of Christian living and experience. On the other side, hopefully never born of self-righteousness, but always informed by the truth with respect to the glory and holiness of God, with respect to our own depravity and sinfulness.

We have prostrated ourselves before God with abandonment and without excuse, and called upon him for his mercy, in the certain knowledge now that his son has been given over for sin in our case, and has not been abandoned, but has been raised again to life. And we, mercifully, graciously, united to this one by our faith, also know the depths of our sin and the glories of God’s grace found nowhere else but in Him. You should not be a stranger to repentance. And if you are, read Luke, the Gospel and Acts, and pray that the God of all mercy will prove merciful to you. O Father in Heaven, may we see ourselves in those figures that are described for us in your word, and may we learn wonderfully the lessons concerning repentance, the truthfulness that is required in it, yes, Lord, the abandon that is prescribed, that we with wholehearted humility might find ourselves within your embrace. Lord, then your reception of us and your kind words to us revive our souls. not so that we might live haughtily, but so that we might live humbly, continuing to express those sentiments, those words of repentance, those requests for forgiveness even to our dying day. O Lord, encourage us through Christ the One who has taken our offenses upon Himself, who now is alive, so that we might live in Him. Amen.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

September 27, 1992
The King Comes Meekly

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Easter” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, April 12, 1992.

About this sermon

Luke follows Christ’s final journey to Jerusalem from 9:51 to 19:27, and on Palm Sunday the King arrives. Christ is prophet, priest, and king, and he confounds the world by ruling meekly and in humiliation. He is the eternal King.

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Sermon transcript

Taking note of the fact that this is Palm Sunday, we are turning tonight to Luke chapter 19. And we are reading from verse 28. After Jesus had said these things, he was going on ahead, ascending to Jerusalem. And it came about that when he approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, Go into the village opposite you, in which as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one yet has ever sat.

Untie it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, why are you untying it, thus you shall speak, the Lord has need of it. And those who were sent went away and found it just as he told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, why are you untying the colt? And they said, the Lord has need of it.

And they brought it to Jesus and they threw their garments on the colt and put Jesus on As he was going, they were spreading their garments in the road, and as he was now approaching near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, saying, Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven and glory in the highest.

And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to him, Teacher, rebuke your disciples. And he answered and said, I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out. And when he approached, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace, but now they have been hidden from your shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you and surround you and hem you on every side, and will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.’ And he entered the temple and began to cast out those who were sowing, saying to them, It is written, and my house shall be a house of prayer. to have made it a robber’s den. And he was teaching there in the temple that the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy him, and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging upon his words.

Our God, we would not forget in our prayers those offices of ministry and service and rule that you have given to your Church. We do ask, Father, that you would grant many to your Church who would love your word and proclaim it without hesitation. We are asking our God, even for our own assembly, that you might grant to us strong leadership, wise counsel from those who rule. We do thank you, our Father, for those who have granted us what a gift they are to this church. We praise you for that. We thank you as well, Lord, that you have granted us those who would lead us in service to the poor and those who are without enough. May we learn from their example, may we follow their lead, and may their humility speak volumes to our souls. So may it please you throughout your church in the world to grant such offices as these in abundance, so that your people might be well-ruled and well-served. We ask it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Some of you may know that one of the distinctive features of Luke’s gospel is the long that some have described a rather tedious, drawn-out account of Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem. In this, Luke is unique amongst the Gospel writers. His account of that last journey to Jerusalem by Jesus stretches over ten chapters and takes up a large portion of the Gospel.

It starts in the ninth chapter, the 51st verse, and concludes in the 19th chapter, the 27th verse. As it comes to a close, we are given then three very, very powerful but brief glances at Jesus’ relationship to that city, the city of Jerusalem. These come in rapid-fire succession. and what revelations they are, revelations of our Lord, as they wonderfully present to us his significance, specifically in terms of the offices that he has within himself, but also in terms of the marvelous revelation that these instances make of his inner life, of the emotional life of our Lord. So it is that in verses 41 through 44 of this nineteenth chapter, we are told about Jesus’ tears, the fact that Jesus weeps for Jerusalem. His grief inspired lament over the city and his prediction with regard to that city. Here, Jesus appears as that heartbroken prophet the fulfillment of that long line of prophets, most notably Jeremiah, who is known for his lamentations for Jerusalem and the people of God. In this story, then, that we have of Jesus’ tears, his weeping over the city of Jerusalem, set before us is the figure of our Savior in prophet form, as if he were the culmination the culmination of the line of the prophets whose hearts had been broken over the state of God’s people, and specifically over this gem of a city, the city of David, Jerusalem itself.

We move on to verses 45 through 47, and if the previous verses had presented us Jesus the prophet, these verses present us Jesus the fearless priest.

The priest who in his righteous rage clears God’s house of wickedness and then sets about to teach clearly the word of the Lord. We know about the services of the priests in the Old Testament. We know how Committed to them was that specific ministry whereby they were to see to it that the Lord’s law was implemented faithfully within the precincts of the Lord’s house. Not only that, but the word of the Lord was faithfully taught to the people of God.

Here, once more, Jesus appears as the culmination of the line of the priest. He reminds us specifically of Ezra. Recall Ezra’s ministry in the days of the Restoration, when he specifically took to his ministry that task of purifying the people of God and calling them back to a faithful walk. Here, Jesus reminds us of such a ministry, the ministry of Ezra, as if Ezra were finding his goal in the ministry which Christ now performed.

As we look towards the end of the chapter, we have these successive stories. Christ is presented to us as the prophet. He is presented to us as the priest. We see, as it were, his soul opened up for us, his tears, his weeping, also his rage as he is concerned for God’s righteousness and for God’s law. falls upon the opening story in this section, the opening story in this series of stories, the story that appears in verses 28 through 40. And this story, as you can see, brings before us most specifically not Jesus’ office as a prophet or as a priest, but his office as a king, and sets before us as well the inner that certainty that Christ had with respect to this specific office, that of his Lordship. It could be remarked, I suppose, that this story of Jesus’ triumphal entry evidences something of his prophetic office as it does his kingly office. After all, in this story we have set before us Jesus’ predictions.

He does state to his disciples that they will find thus and so in a certain village to which he sends them. He predicts what they will find there as he sends them on this errand to secure for him the colt upon which he is to ride as he enters the city. verse 32, qualified as things. So that whatever prophetic interest we find in this story, it gives way to the major consideration, namely the fact that Jesus is the King. You will note verse 32 ends with the statement that the disciples found everything just as Jesus had told them. It is clear from the statement that more confronts us here than just Jesus’ predictive ability. The fact that Jesus has the ability to forecast the future, to predict what is yet unseen, what has yet not happened.

The one presented to us in this text is the one who identifies himself and is recognized by others as the Lord. The disciples carry this message with them, and with this message they secure the cult. The Lord, they say, the Lord has need of it. In view is specifically Jesus’ authority as the Lord and the King.

And as the Lord, he does more than just predict events, even these specific events as the disciples go into this particular village and find things as he has predicted them to be. In fact, as Lord, Jesus’ power and authority far exceeds that of any human Lord, any other Lord.

His ability to command men, such as these disciples, such as these owners of the cult, is his thoroughly supernatural ability to command and order events, to command and order circumstances. He is literally controlling the events in that city, in that village, into which he sends his disciples. They are as he has said they will be because he himself is controlling them. He is ordering them.

Because this is true, we gain no small encouragement and instruction from what is played out in front of us here in this text. register well upon you. You see, Jesus is bodily absent from that village to which he sends the disciples. He is physically absent from the village to which he sends his disciples. He commands and orders men and circumstances while physically, bodily removed. Physically distant.

Physically removed. Jesus faces no barrier for the kind of Lordship that he is exercising in the village. You see how this matches things with respect to our specific circumstance? You see, presently Jesus, in his body, is removed from us. He is removed from this world. In his body, Jesus is presently in heaven at his Father’s right hand. Jesus, in his body, is distant from the villages, all the villages, all the cities, all the communities of this world.

Yes, he commands men and their affairs. He commands people and their circumstances for the sake of his glorious kingdom and its realization. You see then why We should glean great encouragement and great instruction from even this dimension, from this particular story. What kind of Lord is it that we have? One who, although he is physically removed from us, is still controlling the events, the circumstances, the affairs of mankind. He is controlling our lives and our destinies. He is sovereign over all of our personal affairs. He is directly involved in all that takes place with respect to his people. as they find their place in his kingdom.

What a comfort. What a marvelous, marvelous comfort. You don’t see him, do you? Yet you know he is Lord and confess him to be so. And you are certain, are you not? that he is directly involved in all of the circumstances of your life. There is something else here too for us in this story that helps us and encourages us, instructs us.

You will note, interestingly, that in verse 33, the owners of this particular cult are identified with the word that in the New American Standard that has been translated, owners, but in actual fact is the word for Lord. These owners of the cult are themselves spoken of as if they were lords. So the Lord is directing the lords. The Lord is sovereign over the lords.

Jesus’ lordship constrains events and men, even if those men be the world’s masters, and this to the end that his authority, namely Christ’s authority, would survey and encompass the entirety of the created order. We may well think that there are lords in the creation whose power and authority seemingly rivals or even eclipses authority and power of our Christ. Not so. Jesus’ lordship is over all, and even this world’s masters rise and fall according to his So from a distance, from heaven, the glorified, exalted Christ reigns as King. But now, as the story progresses with respect to Christ’s triumphal entering, the specific form of his reign in the world becomes more pointed and more poignant. This one is the Lord, who can constrain events and circumstances, who can constrain every man be as high as the world can make him to bow the knee. Yet this one who is Lord reigns. In a way, the world itself finds particularly troublesome. He appears, you see, as one who is meek and lowly. He confounds the world by the type of rule that he exercises. He comes, this lord, this king, in the form of a servant.

The king approaches the city mounted upon the colt. as one meek and gentle, thus exemplifying the manner in which his body, that is the Church, is to communicate his sovereign disposition within this era. Not with force, but with meekness. Not with might, but with an appeal. Not with a sword, but with humility. even with humiliation, humiliation that ends in Christ’s cross.

By root of this manifestation of Christ’s kingship and lordship, the Church of Christ will find her life defined and her ministry outlined. How tragic when the Church turns to force. How tragic when the Church coerces. How tragic when the Church takes up the sword, forsakes humility and meekness, and the gospel as well. The ministry which the Church bears As in the case of Her Lord meets a mixed response, there are those who welcome it, there are others who scorn it, there are those who violently reject.

As we see Jesus’ approach to the city, this scene played out, telling us something of Jesus’ present reign, lordship. As we see as well the Church brought into view, and the way in which the Church matches Christ, His meekness matched with her meekness. His humiliation matched with her humiliation. We are driven on to consider as well the climactic element that appears here as well in the text.

We are driven beyond the provisional nature of Christ’s approach to Jerusalem that day so many years ago, and even beyond our approach as the Church of Christ to the city of this world. We are driven beyond these to the ultimate approach which Christ makes to this world in the judgment that brings everything to a conclusion. Beyond that day When Jesus entered the city in Jerusalem, beyond this present day when the Church makes her appeal to the world, comes the day of Christ’s return.

And in that day, all those truly who love Him will praise God, rejoicing as never before because of all of the wonderful displays of His kingly might, those which they have beheld. Our songs will proclaim His worth as the King. the one who comes not just in the name of the Lord, but truly with the name of the Lord. In that day, the angels’ song will receive its appropriate reply, that song sung by angels at Christ’s birth about peace on earth. Here, in the last day, the earth will answer back with the refrain, Peace in heaven, just as appears in verse 38. as the interest of the Lord’s own is directed consistently and perfectly to the regions above. And even though that day will be marked by the tragic exposure of unbelief and rebellion as God’s judgment comes justly upon those who have rejected the gospel, its superlative nature will satisfy the souls of the elect as they hear the very stone and together with the rocks and the mountains and the trees and the stars and all the posts of the created works of God, sing in exultation to their King. Angels and saints praising the King, proclaiming peace in heaven through Christ’s efficacious work upon the cross on their behalf, for the entire creation as that creation reaches its goal in seeing the saints arise in glory before their Lord.

Amen. Our Father, how wonderful that day was when Jesus entered the city How wonderful this present day, Lord, as your Church, the very body of Christ, takes with all humility and meekness the message of Christ’s Lordship to the nations. But how glorious the day, Lord, to which that day so long ago and these days point. Father, what a privilege. that we shall participate in that day within the embrace of our Savior, singing praises to him that shall never end. O God, bring the day in which our Savior will appear, he coming in triumph upon the very clouds of heaven with all of his holy angels with him. Amen.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

April 12, 1992
What Children Teach Us About the Kingdom

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Misc. Luke sermons” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, March 10, 1991.

About this sermon

Luke keeps his eye on a journey, Christ’s road to the cross and the church’s road beside him, and that frame shapes the parables of Luke 18. In 18:15-17 Christ welcomes the children, and they teach how to receive the kingdom. The journey and the parables make the same point from different angles.

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Sermon transcript

Yet because this widow troubled me, I will avenge her, that by her continual coming she wearied me. The Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith, and shall not God avenge his foes? He laughed and cried day and night unto him, though he there wronged with them. I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” And he spake this parable unto servants which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others.

Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank Thee that I am not, as other men are, extortioners and unjust adulterers, and even as this publican. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing far off, would not lift up so much as his eyes on the heaven, but smoke on his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone that exalted himself shall be amazed, and he that humbled himself shall be exalted.

And they brought unto him also infants, and he would touch them. When His disciples saw it, they rebuked them, but Jesus called them unto Him and said, “‘Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them none who have such as the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.’” There’s a certain rule of action saying, good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? If none is good save one, that is God. Thou knowest the commandments. Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these I have kept from my youth up.

Now, when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Get practice of thou one thing, sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come and follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful that he was very rich. When Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. For it is easier for a camel to go through the needle’s eye than for rich men to enter into the kingdom of God.

Third, our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. I plead with you for the sake of Christ, our Savior whom we love, that this Word we would treasure and hold it to be dear. Truly, it is nourishment to our souls. We tell our Father that there are blessings spelled out here for us, yes, for this life, but also for that which is to come. We ask this in Christ’s name. Amen.

Dominating the scene in Luke’s gospel is a travelogue. Believe it or not, dominating the scene in Luke’s gospel is a travelogue, the story of a journey. And that journey commences in the 51st verse of the ninth chapter of Luke, and is not concluded until the end of the 19th chapter. So you can see that Luke is concerned to set before his audience this journey which is taken, as you know, by Jesus as he moves from Galilee in the north, where his home was, to Jerusalem in the south, where he had an appointment with them. So much does this travel narrative dominate the landscape in Luke that we can call Luke’s gospel the pilgrim’s gospel, the gospel that tells us about the journey tells us about the trip made by Jesus and that in a rather remarkable way. So much, in fact, is this journey set out there for us, so much is the pilgrim theme emphasized, that we can say that the figure of Jesus and his teaching with respect to the kingdom of God are subordinated to that overarching consideration.

Pilgrimage, and in the midst of the pilgrimage, the pilgrim. Pilgrimage, and in the midst of the pilgrimage, a way of life that is appropriate to the kingdom of God that is now manifest, that is come, that is revealed. The pilgrim par excellence is none other than Jesus himself. He is the one who goes before, he takes the trip before any other will be called upon to take the trip.

But yes, all who follow Jesus are commended, they are called to take that trip as well. You may remember what Jesus says about his disciples and to them. If you are to be my disciple, you must lay aside matters and concerns of this life. You must take up your thoughts daily and follow Me.”

The way of the kingdom is the way of the Lord. The way forward, the sojourn, Jesus himself is none other than that pilgrim, that maker, that sojourner. In and through him, then, will be articulated the manner of life appropriate to the kingdom of God. In the traveling narrative that we have here, spanning Luke’s Gospel from the ninth chapter to the nineteenth, we find Jesus encountering those who will come with him. That’s as it is for those who may be pilgrims. Just as it has been for the Lord, so it shall also be for the servants.” There are those who oppose mentioned in the context of the passage that we have spoken.

We’ve read this morning, note in 7th chapter of Luke, Jesus is encountering the Pharisees in verse 20. They have a question for him concerning when the kingdom of God would come. But Jesus also, during the journey, is involved in, and this preeminently, in the instruction of those who are his, in the instruction of his disciples. So, after Jesus has dealt with the Pharisees in verses 20 and 21 of chapter 17, he focuses upon his disciples. As his instruction for them, his intent upon directing, focusing, and encouraging their faith, the veracity of that faith, as disciples that belong to him and are citizens in the kingdom that he is coming to establish. There’s an interesting feature.

It binds together Jesus’ opponents and his friends, the Pharisees and the disciples. You might note that in the discussion that Jesus has with his disciples at the end of the seventeenth chapter, there are matters there that are discussed with respect to the appearance of the kingdom itself. The opponents of Jesus want to know when the Kingdom is coming. As you’ll note in verse 37, the disciples in their response to Jesus ask the question, where? They’re in preceding coordinates. They want to plot the whole thing on a graph. Tell us when, monologically, and where, topologically.

Give us a precise fix upon the Kingdom, will you please, Jesus? Interestingly, then, the Pharisees and the disciples think alike, and Jesus is involved now in re-educating those who have come to him and joined themselves to him by faith. He will re-educate them with respect to his true significance and the significance of the kingdom of God. Now, as much as the Pharisees are interested in the when, and the disciples are interested in the where, Jesus is interested in the who.

Who is it that will enter? Who is it that is a true citizen of the kingdom of God? So, as we move through the eighteenth chapter, you have Jesus telling parables, two parables, and then there are two encounters, Jesus with the parents and their children, and then Jesus and the rich young woman. There are these two parables and these two encounters. And in these circumstances, Jesus will then make plain to his disciples the true nature A citizenship within the kingdom of those upon whom, then, he is conferring blessing. Notice how things progress. There is the unlikely character and nature of those who receive, seemingly, the emphasis from Christ. In the first parable, we are given the figure of a widow woman, and in keeping with the story told by Jesus, He concentrating on that widow, she receives an exaltation by way of that parable and a place of preeminence, seemingly.

There is then the parable of the Pharisee and the publican, or the tax collector. The tax collector has no status. He certainly is not one upon whom the eye of the righteous would ordinarily fall. They would not think well of him, but Jesus takes him as the figure that he sets now out in front of his disciples. You have an unlikely character and nature of these three that are held up for us, as reflected in some way. Those who are citizens of the kingdom of God, heroes, publicans, and family of verses 15 And notice the reversal that comes after that, with respect to the rich young ruler. He’s the one who would have expected to fare well.

When it comes to the kingdom of God, he doesn’t fare well at all. The others are included and he is excluded. But this doesn’t turn on its head merely the Pharisees’ estimations of the kingdom of God. This turns on its head the disciples’ expectations and estimations of the kingdom of God. And doesn’t that come out clearly in verses 15-17?

They are the ones who are keeping the children at bay. So, our eye now falls particularly on the children that are spoken of in those three verses here in the eighteenth chapter. Now, there are a number of ways into this text. You might feel a little sympathetic with the disciples yourselves. You might have in mind that the children here in you are a particularly obnoxious lot. They can be that. And they are a special alliance. And the disciples are of the old school, and they believe that children are to be seen, not heard, and that they are to be kept in their place. And many of you sitting here this morning will be saying, Sometimes things get a little wild down here, don’t they? You may feel like a disciple yourself on those occasions.

Why don’t these parents keep their kids in tow? Why don’t they ride herd? Well, I think we’ve all realized that an obnoxious child is a joy to no one. But that really isn’t what we view here in this text. It’s not a herd of kids that are running wild over the countryside, and now are corralled and washed up to Jesus so that he can bless them. The King James has it right. The King James emphasizes the fact that the children in view here are infants. They are days in arms, but they have to be carried. They are the littlest children, proximate to their births, and even these are being brought to Jesus that he might touch them and bless them.

But what possibly could be the objection of the disciples as these parents bring their little children, their babes-in-arms, to Jesus to be touched and blessed by him? What possibly could be their objection? Their objection is related to their view of the kingdom of God.

This pilgrimage that we have been considering as Jesus moves from Galilee to Jerusalem, what is the objective? In the disciple book, we’re going to Jerusalem. What’s going to happen there? Why, Jesus is going to come into His kingdom in all of its power.

And what will be true in that kingdom? Well, it will be merely the establishment and the re-emphasizing of all of those relationships that exist presently for us, now under the administration that is ours, according to the law of Moses and according to the dictates of the Older Covenant, the Old Testament. And what’s true of that administration? Well, I’ll tell you what’s true of that administration.

Widowed women don’t have much power or authority. Neither do tax collectors, and I can tell you children don’t either. How are things measured with respect to the administration of things as they are coming to us out of that older government? Children are kept in their place until they reach the age of accountability within the assembly. Then they have status. Only when they come of age in Israel do they have status. And certainly they can’t have much importance in the disciples’ mind as we move towards Jerusalem and the establishment of the kingdom of its fullness, for the children will have precisely the same status in the new administration as they had in the old.

Jesus says no. Jesus says no. What kind of kingdom is it whose citizens are in pilgrimage? What kind of kingdom is it whose citizens are wayfarers sometimes? What kind of kingdom is it in which the weak are disguised? And the strongest are the weakest. What kind of a kingdom is it where widows have preeminents? Where tax collectors are declared righteous? where children are actually described as if they were the most important.

Jesus, therefore, sets the child at the center. He sets the child at the center of the kingdom. And truly, as this child is dependent, as this child trusts implicitly the parent, as this child is simple and uncomplicated, as this child is humble, in all of these qualities, the citizen of the kingdom of heaven, the king of God, is reformed. But you see, there’s something of great depth and value here. For Jesus, in this encounter with his disciples over these children, is not merely setting forth the children as an illustration of those who are citizens of the kingdom of God. Rather, he is saying that those who are in the kingdom of God are children and those like them. This has incredible significance with respect to our whole approach to baptism.

Are those churches who have turned to this text and used it as a justification for their practice of infant baptism off-base? The objection has been raised. There’s no water right here, R.I.P.E. There’s no water ceremony in the U.N.E. verses. How can it be that Presbyterians and others use this text to justify their practice of baptizing infants? So it was the older administration that kept the child at bay till he would have stated in his own name and be able in his own name to come to the temple in Jerusalem and present sacrifices there. But Jesus is saying, not so in the kingdom of God.

The children come, and they are welcome, and those who are like them. So when we look at the children of the covenant, when we look at our children, we are to see the kingdom of God. And if that doesn’t tell you how to raise your children, nothing will. You look at the kids and you see the kingdom of God. You know, then, what you yourselves ought to be. You know how you ought to raise those children in keeping with the covenant, in keeping with the kingdom, in keeping with the Christ.

Not only a help so that we might know how to view children, our children, and the children of the Church, but how we might view ourselves, and how we might view the Kingdom itself. Read the text. Deliver the passage. Learn more self. what it means to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Look at the child and know.

Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, We have a simple, direct, trusting, proud child. We pray our Father that we would not be offended by the child’s weakness or dependence. We pray our Lord that in seeing the child, of the Church and the children of believers, that we would see in this Holy Seed the picture of the Kingdom of God and the citizens of it. O Lord, may we leave off all pretense, may we swear off all doubt, May we be dressed up in true faith and in that abiding confidence in our Father, who disposes all things for his glory and honor.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

March 10, 1991
The Importance of Christ’s Resurrection

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of “The History of Salvation” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, December 9, 1990.

About this sermon

The gospel accounts of the resurrection raise real difficulties of harmony, and an honest reckoning faces them. From that reckoning come three reasons why Christ’s resurrection matters as much as it does.

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Sermon transcript

Tonight our scripture reading is from Luke’s Gospel, the twenty-fourth chapter, Luke chapter twenty-four. And we’ll start with the first verse and read through verse twelve and then pick up again in verse thirty-six. hear the word of God. But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.

And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. But when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened that while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling apparel. As the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has risen.

Remember how he spoke to you while he was still in Galilee. saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words and they turned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now they were Mary Magdalene and Johanna and Mary, the mother of James. Also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. And these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.

But Peter arose and ran to the tomb, stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrapping only, and he went away to his home, marveling at that which had happened.” Then there is the account of the two on the road to Emmaus. We know that story well, and we pick up again in verse 36 after These men had come back and reported what they had experienced from Jesus as he met them on the way. And while they were telling these things, he himself, that is Jesus, stood in their midst.

They were startled and frightened and thought they were seeing a spirit. He said to them, why are you troubled? and why do doubts arise in your heart? See my hands and my feet, that of his eye myself? Touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And while they still could not believe it for joy and were marveling, he said to them, have you anything here to eat? And they gave him a piece of broiled fish and he took it and ate it in their sight.

Now he said to them, these are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and he said to them, thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day. and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things, and behold, I am sending forth the promise of my Father upon you, that you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.’

And he led them out as far as Daphne, and lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came about that while he was blessing them, departed from them. They returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple, praising God. Pray with me now.

Our God, we are looking unto you, realizing, Father, that if we are to find strength it will be found with you we know our God that we find ourselves weak and that before the declaration of your power in such an event such an incomparable event as the resurrection and Lord how we thank you how we rejoice in the power that is displayed in that event.

And Father, we are rejoicing too because this means renewal and refreshment, rebirth for us. O God, may it be plain to us and to those about us that we ourselves have been visited by you, that we are serious, so very serious about our lives, how we live them, how we conduct ourselves, that the very power of Christ and his resurrection may be apparent in us. And Lord, how we yearn for your people that the same may be true for them throughout the world. Our God, we are not those who hang our hopes upon a revival, but we are those who hang our hopes upon your renewal of us, your regenerating work within our hearts. And our Father, we pray that your people who are regenerated would not be deceived by the world, nor put to sleep by the things that come their way in this world, nor distracted by those things either. Instead, may our full energy be directed towards our service to you.

This means, our God, that even in the little matters, or those matters that may appear to be small, like attendance at evening worship, like attendance during midweek service, that these things might become important to us again, and that we might demonstrate that we are a people of your word, and that we are devoted to you, and anxious to obey you in every respect. We ask these things now, in Jesus’ name, Amen. There are a few details that are in need of reading up with respect to the death of Christ before we move on to the complications involved in the accounts of the resurrection. Now, this is not for the purpose of throwing you off or confusing you, but rather setting forth for you honestly the record that we have in all of its complexities and with its problems and difficulties.

According to Mark, chapter 15, verse 25, we are told Jesus was crucified at 9 a.m. on Friday. 9 a.m. on Friday. That would mean that he hanged upon the cross for about six hours. If you happen to be reading the Gospel of John, the 19th chapter, the 14th verse, you’ll find there the suggestion that it was noon when the Jews actually prevailed against Pilate and were granted a favorable verdict for execution.

So obviously we have a problem here, don’t we? The problem will not be resolved by us tonight. I don’t pretend this evening to go on and resolve that difficulty that appears in the text. But be assured of this, this being the best we will do this evening, there is that fact that is mentioned by three of the four gospel writers, and is also inferred by John, that darkness did in fact cover the whole land from the sixth hour to the ninth hour, that was from noon to three in the afternoon.

So, that fact seems to be well confirmed by the gospel accounts. So I think you know how we have regularized this whole affair in the church of our time. And we have adopted, it seems, the post-reformational three-hour service. Have you attended such a service on Good Friday from noon to three? Did you know that that service was originally concocted by the Jesuits after the Reformation? It was bought by the Church of England and then disseminated in the colonies as the colonies and the churches in the colonies became communities and ecumenical Protestant enterprises. So the origin of the Good Friday three-hour service was the Jesuits and by route of them through the Church of England to community Protestantism in the colonies. You might note as well that this service continues to bear Roman Catholic marks.

For instance, there are only two days in the calendar year when Catholics do not celebrate the mass, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Those are the two days when mass is not celebrated. Well, you see, in the three-hour Good Friday service, there’s no communion service either, even as Protestants celebrate it. And in that service, there is the Roman Catholic practice of the short homily on the seven last words of Christ.

That’s a Roman Catholic practice born of the Counter-Reformation. It was not originally a Protestant practice. I might add, in relation to all of this, the practice of Covenant, O.P.C. Grove City. Their practice is to hold a regular preaching service, in which there is one message delivered in keeping with ordinary Protestant practice, and in that service there is a celebration of the Lord’s Supper. You might ask, what are the origins of this? That is the continental Protestant tradition. On Good Friday, there was a regular preaching service in which the Lord’s Supper was celebrated, And that is a statement over against the Catholic practice. You see all these things come about? All right, well, there you have it.

We won’t settle the problem of the apparent contradiction between Mark and John tonight, but just to fill you in a bit on some of the details of the crucifixion, Jesus is hanging on the cross, according to one account, from nine till three in the afternoon. but most assuredly from noon to three when darkness does in fact cover the whole world. Alright, Jesus has died around 3pm in the afternoon on that Friday.

And now we enter into, if you haven’t been confused by some of this so far, we enter into the cryptic and compressed treatment of what follows And what we find here in the resurrection accounts may be as mysterious as the event itself. Have you ever attempted to harmonize the various accounts of the resurrection as they appear in the four Gospels? Well, that’s what I’m going to attempt for you this evening. I’m going to attempt to harmonize the biblical accounts, not so you can race from one gospel to the other, and because that will virtually be an impossibility, but I’m going to try to weave together for you something of a harmonious account of the resurrection from the four gospels, and see something of what the scriptures present for us with regard to that period that stretches from Christ’s resurrection to his ascension forty days later.

You know, first of all, that Joseph of Arimathea and as well Nicodemus, who were both members of the ruling council in Jerusalem and secret disciples, they come and then bury Jesus. And that account is given to us in Matthew and also in John. The women Specifically, Mary Magdalene is mentioned, and another Mary. They observe where Jesus is buried.

The Jews then next, interestingly, on the Sabbath, go to Pilate and weasel out of him a guard to be posted at the tomb. Interestingly, it’s done on the Sabbath. What are they doing that for on the Sabbath? Obviously, they’re breaking the Sabbath. very interesting fact in itself. Well, what are the women doing on the Sabbath? They’re keeping the law of God. They rest. Even though Christ is in the tomb, that event being of such monumental importance to them, they do not violate the law of God. They keep the Sabbath.

They rest on the Sabbath day, while the leaders of the Jews are breaking the Sabbath, which are your friends. You break the Sabbath? Throw your lot in with the rulers of the Jews? Or do you keep the Sabbath like the women? All right, well, the women are keeping the Sabbath. They rest, but then they return early Sunday morning as the day dawns towards the first day of the week. Before they have arrived Jesus is raised.

The stone is rolled back as we are told from the tomb, there is an earthquake, there is the appearance of an angel, the guards are terrified, and the women who appear then are comforted by the angel visiting. Upon entering the tomb, The women are greeted again by angels who give them instruction about what they should say to the remaining eleven disciples of Christ. Now what follows becomes very confusing for us if we are attempting to meld together the various accounts, so hang in there now.

It seems that somehow in all of this At least according to John’s gospel, Mary Magdalene becomes separated from the other women. Possibly upon seeing the empty tomb, she immediately races through the town to the disciples with word that the body of Jesus has, in effect, been stolen. Meanwhile, the other women are making their way to the disciples, back to the disciples. Possibly there are some that are not able to move as quickly as Mary Magdalene. She may be swift to foot, but anyway, they’re moving a little bit more slowly, and as Matthew tells us in his account, they are met by Jesus, the risen Christ.

28th chapter of this gospel, verses 9 and 10. Now, they arrive at that place where the disciples are, with their story, to add to Mary’s excited report, which she’s already conveyed to the disciples. The disciples, and possibly even Mary herself, find these words from the other women incredulous. But Peter, so we are told, in Luke, and Peter, along with the beloved disciple, so tells us John, race to the sepulcher. Peter and John, the beloved disciple, find that the body is in fact John, and they are puzzled by this, Women’s words have been confirmed, at least insofar as the body is not there. They return, however, to their homes, we are told, by Luke and by John.

Now what about Mary? She was able to outrun, possibly, the other women in coming to the disciples in the first place, And because of that, he had missed out on the encounter with Christ that the other women had, but now she’s not quite as fast as Peter and John, so she’s trailing along behind them. And as she trails along behind and comes into the garden and near to the tomb, she herself meets the risen Christ.

We have that marvelous exchange given for us in John’s Gospel, the 20th chapter, verses 15 through 17. Remember how it goes. She doesn’t recognize him at first. She thinks he’s the gardener, and she pleads with him, tell me, sir, where you have laid him. Then Jesus speaks her name, Mary, and her response is, Rabboni, which means, my teacher. And then he proceeds to teach her. Teach her as no woman has been taught with respect to the ultimate destiny of mankind. He says, don’t cling to me, Mary.

She wants to hold him there, you know. Don’t cling to me, don’t hold me down. I must ascend. I must go above. That’s the point to which I employ. That’s the point to which I am directed. I am going above. I must ascend to my God and your God. Don’t try to hold me down for some sort of paradise here upon earth. See, I’m going above, he tells her.

And now, of course, she raises back to the disciples, and with words that she also has seen the risen more. Now, meanwhile, as we are told by Luke, There are a number of disciples, those who had clung to Christ, they had been attached to him. A number of these disciples had become discouraged by the events.

You can imagine their state of mind and soul. The one whom they had served is dead. What hope is there? He is gone. So they are discouraged. And they have left Jerusalem. Why hang around? They have left Jerusalem for their home. Now, two of them are traveling toward Emmaus, which is to the west of Jerusalem, about seven miles, we are told. And while they are on their journey, they are overtaken by a stranger. They don’t know who this fellow is. He walks with them along the way, and as He does, He opens up for them the Scriptures, and tells them why it must be that the Messiah should suffer in order to enter into His glory.

Arriving at their homes, they convince this stranger to stay with them, And then as they sit down to meal, and he breaks bread for them at the table, they recognize him as Christ, Jesus, the Risen Lord. So now they’re racing back to Jerusalem, covering that seven miles as they’ve never covered it before, filled with joy, and when they arrive there, they find out in the telling of their story that Christ, in the meantime, has also appeared to Peter. Now that is related to us in Luke. twenty four thirty four, but it’s also mentioned interestingly by Paul, you know, in his resurrection chapter, first Corinthians fifteen. He tells us that Christ appeared to Cephas, appeared to Peter, so that appearance to Peter as the chief of the disciples is mentioned by Luke and by Paul. As these are now assembled on that evening, that Sunday evening, Jesus appears to them.

He proves that he is risen in the body and no spirit, remember? He invites them to investigate his wounds, to look at them. He also says, do you have anything here to eat? And then he eats something in their presence. convincing them that this is in fact a raised body that they are looking at, transformed, truly transformed, made new by the Spirit, but His body nevertheless.

And in that context we are told as well that He commissions His servants, He empowers them He promises them the Spirit and breathes on them. You remember from John’s account, breathing on them, he says, receive the Spirit. And then, as Luke goes on to tell us, he opens the Scriptures to them, maybe even more, he opens their minds so that they can understand the Scriptures.

And moving back to John’s gospel once more, we find out that Thomas wasn’t there that evening. He wasn’t there, and when he returns and speaks with the group, Jesus having left, he, Thomas, refuses to believe, unless I see the print of the nails in his hand, the wounds in his feet, I will not believe.

So a week later, We’re told they’re assembled again on Sunday evening. Interesting. I love those passages. They’re assembled again on Sunday evening. And when they’re assembled that week later, that evening, Jesus comes and stands in their midst and promises wisdom this time. And there is that wonderful, wonderful account of the exchange between them.

Jesus offering himself to Thomas, Thomas being straightened because of his doubt and conviction, and exclaiming in the 20th verse, I believe it is of that 20th chapter, My Lord, and my God.” To which Jesus then responds, do you believe because you have seen? How blessed are those who believe even though they have not seen. How blessed are you in that you believe on the basis of the word of God, even though you have not seen personally the risen Christ. Well, what happens next? Trying to sew all of this together.

The disciples then, in keeping with Jesus’ command, which he has given repeatedly, through the angels and in keeping with statements that he has made previously, the disciples in keeping with these commands from Christ travel to Galilee from Jerusalem and move north back to the territory from which they were from.

Possibly as they wait for further word from him, Peter and some of the other disciples decide to go fishing. Do you remember the account in John 21? There appears that scene in the 21st chapter of John, of Peter and some of the other disciples going out for an evening of fishing, and then, having not caught anything, they spy the man on the shore, who tells them where to cast their nets, and they draw in that great catch of fish, and Peter recognizes the man on the shore as the risen Christ throws himself into the water and swims to shore and comes to shore before the other. But at any rate, there is that scene in which Jesus then feeds the disciples breakfast on the shore and then commands his disciples through Peter, whom he addresses three times, to feed his sheep.

After this event, it seems that the disciples were gathered on a mount in Galilee. It has been suggested by some that it was at this point that the five hundred others that are mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 6, also assembled. It wasn’t just the disciples on that occasion, but at any rate, upon that mount in Galilee We have that definitive commission given to the disciples, the so-called Great Commission, with which Matthew’s Gospel concludes.

Jesus then continues to appear to his disciples over the forty-day period that stretches from his resurrection to his ascension. From Galilee, his disciples return once more to Jerusalem, where, at the end of this period, Jesus leads them out of the city of Jerusalem to the east, to the Mount of Olives, and into the vicinity of Bethany. He there blesses them, and while he is blessing them, he is received up into glory until the time of his return.”

So there you have it. I ought to put this all in a chart for you to have an easy index to the resurrection stories that appear in Scripture. In recounting this marvelous history and trying to put it together into a harmony, it is important to place before us, to place before ourselves the importance of this great event, the resurrection of Christ. First of all, in this regard, is its historical nature and the factuality of the resurrection, the sheer power of that, as it registered upon you.

At this very moment, he is alive in his body. At this very moment, Jesus is alive in his body. Jesus is not dead. Now do you understand what that means for you? The historical factuality of Christ’s resurrection is of monumental importance to you, for this one historical figure in the body has been raised, and the promise is that historically, factually, you in the body shall rise too. That is what stands at the center of the Christian message. If you don’t believe that, well, I’m glad you’re here so you can hear the gospel preached. But if you don’t believe that, you are certainly not a part of the Church of Jesus Christ. You are not truly a follower. of Jesus.

Those who follow Jesus will follow Him right into resurrection. Literally. All right. There is this important fact, the historical nature of the resurrection and the sheer power of it. Jesus is alive in His body. He is not dead. and as he is, so you shall be. Secondly, there is the great apologetical power with respect to this event. Jesus said he would rise, and he did. Jesus said he would rise, and he did.

Now, not only that, You have, backing this up, the entire line of Old Testament expectation. And in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that entire line of Old Testament expectation receives its confirmation. Godly Jews in the time of Jesus believed in the resurrection. the resurrection of the dead, the resurrection of the body. You want to hear a good Jewish confession with respect to the hope of the resurrection?

Turn to John’s Gospel, the eleventh chapter. You have Jesus there at the tomb of Lazarus, his friend. And who is the woman that meets him first? It is Lazarus’ sister, Martha. Jesus says to her in verse 23, your brother shall rise again. Martha’s response in verse 24 of that 11th chapter of John is this, I know he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. And Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? Well, I don’t know if I’m prepared to believe that. But I do know that he will rise on the last day. That’s good Jewish theology.

You see now, in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that entire line of Old Testament expectation receive fulfillment and confirmation. Now is there registering upon you the impact of the appearance of the Risen Christ to that good old Jew, Saul of Tarsus? You see what it meant for him to see the Risen Christ. On the road to Damascus. everything that he had ever been taught to expect from his Old Testament religion. He sees it there on the road. Jesus is alive. That means the Old Testament is truer than ever I had imagined. And the expectation and hope of Old Testament Israel is contained in this one who has been raised. For it changed his life. It changed his life.

Now this very apostle, thirdly, then declares for us the indispensable character of the resurrection event. We know his resurrection chapter, verse 20 and 15. Without the resurrection, Paul says, we are still in our sins. If Christ didn’t rise, we are still in our sins. Our faith is vain. My preaching is vain, says Paul.

It goes on to underscore the fact that in the resurrection power, God, who raised Christ as the first fruit, will also raise us up and back certainly. Finally, there is that abiding significance of the resurrection for our current situation, and this also is underscored by the Apostle for whom that resurrection has become central to all of his senses.

For he will tell us now, not only are we crucified with him so that the old man dies, we are raised with him so that we are alive as new men in a new life and an eternal life. that is present and is enjoyed by the saints of the world. You need not wait to the last day. You need not wait to the end of the world. There is the contemporary significance of the resurrection in that already you have begun to enjoy resurrection blessings. The old man and his practices are being put to death. The new man has come, and you are alive in the dead. And sin no longer is behind the mastery of it. Well, there’s the resurrection. Is there anything so great? triumph over death, and also power over sin, that we might not live in the power of death and sin any longer. All of that is a praise of the glorious grace of God in Christ. Amen.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

December 9, 1990
Jesus’ Year of Popularity

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of “The History of Salvation” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, October 21, 1990.

About this sermon

Jesus enjoys a ‘year of popularity,’ and the modern church’s cult of popularity looks pointedly different. Against the earthly eschatology of Pharisees and Sadducees alike, Jesus keeps preaching the narrow gate over the easy crowd.

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Sermon transcript

We are reading this evening once more from Luke’s Gospel chapter 4. We will be also reading a little bit from the 5th chapter of Luke. But we are starting with verse 14 of the 4th chapter of Luke this evening. Hear the word of God. And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.

And news about him spread through all the surrounding districts. And he began teaching in their synagogues and was prayed by all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him, and he opened the book and found the place where it was written. The Spirit of the Lord is upon you, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captive, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.

And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. And all were speaking well of him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from his lips. And they were saying, is this not Joseph’s son? And he said to them, no doubt you will quote this proverb to me, physician heal yourself.

Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, due here in your hometown as well. And he said, truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. But I say to you in truth, that there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, yet when the great famine came over all the land, And yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many letters in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed, but only Nahum the Syrian. And all in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things.

And they rose up and cast him out of the city and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built. In order to throw him down the cliff, for passing through their midst, he went his way. And he came down to Capernaum, the city of Galilee, and he was teaching them on Sabbath days. And they were continually amazed at his teaching, for his message was with authority.

And there was a man in the synagogue possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, What do we have to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” And Jesus rebuked him, saying, be quiet and come out of him.

And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he went out of him without doing him any harm. An amazement came upon all, and they began discussing with one another and saying, what is this message? But with authority and power, he commands the unclean spirits and they come out. And the report about him was getting out into every locality in the surrounding district.

And then moving down to Luke chapter 5, beginning with verse 1, the first three verses of this chapter. Now it came about that while the multitude were pressing around him and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. And he saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake. The fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. And he got into one of the boats, which was silent, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And he sat down and began teaching the multitude from the boat.

Oh Lord, would you raise within us that great zeal for your word. May we find afresh that hunger for the things of the scriptures, for true and abiding doctrines We ask you, Lord, that our passions might be excited with respect to the things of our God, and that we might be zealous for your house, for the assembly of your people. Do we not hear from Jesus himself that the zeal for thy house has consumed him. And may it be, Lord, not just here, but throughout the lengths and depths of your church, that your people are thrilled with the expectation of worship and devotion performed before you. and in the presence of that company which you have called. Lord, build our love, our love for you, our love for one another, and build within us that sense of the seriousness of the matters with which we are concerned. O Lord, we ask that we might be reminded again and again that we have been called for sanctification, for holiness, that we might be set apart from the world, distinguished from the world. And Lord, may our paths be straight, may our eye be clear, may our hearts be pure, as we pursue the things of your kingdom.

May we learn well about Your Son. May we store up in our souls and in our minds these wonderful things laid out for us in the Scriptures. And may we draw close to You. And may we be found in Him because of the powerful working of Your Word in our lives. This we ask now, remembering that we are sinners Remembering, too, that we are made of dust, that we come to you with all humility, through Jesus. Amen. We are addressing ourselves tonight to that period of Jesus’ ministry known as the period of popularity.

To ask the question is to answer. Is popularity a snare? Can it be a tragic stumbling block? These were that spirit of adolescence that persists into adulthood with which men and women in every age must battle. That desire to be liked, to be accepted, to be important, to be noticed.

Jesus deals with the most basic level of human psychology. He deals with those matters that concern us all. Those matters with which we have all been faced at one time or other in our lives. Matters that we must straighten out if we are going to be straight with God.

As Jesus was himself. The period, then, of Jesus’ popularity. You are aware that the immediate response to Jesus seems to be one of uniform popularity. That immediate response was uniformly positive. At first, even at Nazareth, the events of which we have read here this evening, at first even there in his hometown, after he had returned from Judea, after the opening days of his ministry in the territory of Judea, the record of which is recorded for us in the first four chapters of John, we find the people speaking well of him. All of the people are speaking well of him.

You’ll notice that fourth chapter, the twenty-second verse. When Jesus moved down to Capernaum, he is literally besieged. Not by those who are hostile to him, he is besieged by those who are taken by him. They are interested in him, positive toward him, drawn toward him. On one occasion, as we have read this evening from Luke chapter 5. We find him standing on the shore of the Lake of Gennesaret, or the Sea of Galilee, as it is called elsewhere. We note the cross.

It must have been a huge multitude drawn to him, pressing hard against him, that so severely that he gets into one of the boats, pushes out a bit from the shore, and preachers from the boat. And another occasion. The crowd numbered so high that those trying to bring to him their paralytic friend on his bed could not even get near him. They couldn’t even get into the house. Of course, you know the rest of that story, how these ingenious friends took him up on the roof and let him down through the roof after having removed some tiles.

That story is also recorded for you in Luke 5. You find it in Mark 2 and also in Matthew 9. We find on other occasions Jesus withdrawing that seemingly deliberately from the crowd, from public life, if you will. We find him withdrawing and the crowd pursue him. Jesus is moved with compassion for them and ministers unto them. For instance, you recall the feeding of the 5,000. On Wednesday evenings, we’re dealing with John chapter 6, and that’s the story of the feeding of the 5,000. And you read in a couple of verses there in John 6 of how the multitudes pursued him. They were drawn to him. Jesus, very popular. And these people are drawn by two things. They are drawn by his miracles, and they are drawn by his teachings.

We are told on a number of occasions how extensive both of these activities were, how extensive and intensive. The classic text is found in Matthew’s gospel. You may want to look at that again, the fourth chapter. At the end of that chapter, verses 23 through 25.

Summing up Jesus’ activity and the popularity that he has now as he moves out into the territory Jesus was going about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogue, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. And the news about him went out into all Syria, and they brought to him all who were ill, taken with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics, and he healed them. And great multitudes followed him from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea. and from beyond the Jordan.

Wow. You could get caught up in that stream, couldn’t you? Everybody’s in a rush. You couldn’t wait to see this phenomenon, this remarkable phenomenon. Well, Jesus draws the multitude, and in those early days, extremely unprecedentedly popular. His miracles, his teachings attract. You remember his mighty deeds, the record of them, you have an account here in Luke chapter 4, his healing of the man demon possessed. The kinds of responses that come forth from the multitudes as a result of the mighty deeds, these remarkable acts that he performs.

The people are astonished, literally astonished, dumbstruck. We are told again and again of how the multitudes are filled with awe, how they glorify God. That one instance where the sins of the man are forgiven and he is demanded to take up his bed and walk. There we are told that the multitude marveled that such authority had been given to men.” And here in Luke 4 again, verse 7, is echoed once more. Peter, one who then gives us a picture of individual response.

You remember how it went for him, even here in this fifth chapter of Luke, after Jesus has tossed the multitude, they push out into the sea, and there is that great catch of fish, the miraculous catch of fish, after which Peter falls down before Jesus and exclaims, O Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinful man. recognition of something, the magnitude of who this one is, these responses to Jesus. But as it was with the miracle, these wonderful acts performed by Jesus, so also the multitudes are drawn by Jesus’ words.

Has that ever happened to you? Someone who knows how to form his word wonderfully, powerfully, compellingly. A new spokesman on the horizon. Everybody buzzing about him. Word going out about him throughout the church. You won’t want to miss this speaker.

So Jesus amazes folks. with his teaching. Matthew tells us the reason for the amazement. He tells us at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7, 28 and 29, that Jesus was one who taught as having authority and not as one of their scribes. These sentiments echoed again in the passage that we read tonight from Luke chapter 4. Not an ordinary spokesman, not just another speaker, not just another religious personality, but here was one who speaks with authority, not as the scribes, and surely there were great speakers among the scribes of that day. So the multitudes gather for the express purpose of hearing Jesus. His miracles and his words.

Jesus enjoys at the outset this wonderful period of popularity. You might note that as things began and so they concluded, as if the entirety of the ministry of Jesus is compressed into that final week of his ministry. But we note that even the popularity for Jesus extends to that final week, not just at the beginning, but at the final week too. How do things begin with people All of us with the news that Jesus is coming into Jerusalem.

There is the triumphal entry. Everybody speaking well of him. The multitude is teeming and swarming about him. We hear of their acclamation. Then we hear about their gathering. how they come together in the temple to be healed by him there, how they gather in the temple to hear him teach daily. Mark tells us in his twelfth chapter, the thirty-seventh verse, that the common folk heard him gladly. They listened to him and enjoyed what he said.

So even then, there is that note of acceptance and popularity. But that comment made by Mark in that context, the twelfth chapter, the thirty-seventh verse, is of great interest to us, because in that statement that Mark makes, we hear the echo of another statement that he has made earlier.

That earlier statement is in his sixth chapter, the twentieth verse, and there we are told not about Jesus, but of John the Baptist. And it’s not the multitude that are glad to hear Jesus, as it is in Mark twelve, but it’s Herod who enjoyed listening to John the Baptist. And we all know what Herod did to John the Baptist. And Jesus will fare no better. By the end of the week, the multitudes will turn on him, as Herod did had in fact turned on John and delivered him up for execution.

Those who look at Jesus as a personality, those who see in Jesus a religious celebrity, who approach life and religion at that level who look at Jesus as a curiosity, as someone who interests them, who tantalizes them, one who is magnetic, one who is charismatic, a popular spokesman, a popular leader, a wonder worker.

People who look at him along these lines prove to be fickle, unstable, and worse than fair-weathered friends. Will his popularity be the barometer for him? Will he rush after that popularity, the god of popularity, as the people have rushed after him for the sake of the popularity that is attached to him? Will they just want to be near him because everybody wants to be near him? Will they rush out and be a part of the herd, the mass, because everyone else is a part of the herd and the mass? This is what people talk about at parties these days, what Jesus is doing in Galilee.

We have now succumbed to the cult of popularity. We have bought into it in a most debilitating fashion, and our youth are being raised in an era in which the cult of personality and popularity abounds in an unprecedented way. But glory is glory. The goal is the headline. The goal is notoriety, acceptance. The goal is to be liked. The goal is to be someone. The goal is to be a star. From the cover of Weedy’s boxes, to ads for automobiles, to every magazine virtually that you pick up out of a newsstand. The cult of popularity is placed before you in living color.

Has Jesus deceived Has Jesus come simply because He needs to be wanted? He wants to be liked? What a tragic day has overtaken us, and we have not seen the end of it yet. most likely we will see the devastating effects in our children when they are old. Was it possible for us to stand back, to stand aside, to stand alone, to be different, to even choose to be unpopular? for the cause of righteousness and truth and God and Jesus himself?

There are those churches that curry to the cult of popularity. May this church never be such. In the end, you know that these fickle, unstable folk, these devotees of the cult of popularity in their own time, wind up behind those who are opposed to Jesus, and have been opposed to him from the very beginning.

They line up, for instance, behind some of the folk from Jesus’ own hometown in Nazareth. I want you to notice that exchange between Jesus and those folks from his hometown. It is quite interesting in many regards. You will note in the 22nd verse of that fourth chapter, as we’ve already pointed out, that Jesus seems to have the townspeople eating out of his hands. But then you move to verse 23, and it’s almost as if Jesus does something deliberate here. He provokes them. Can you imagine the scene? Hometown boy makes good, comes home, he’s a hero. We’re all going to celebrate. We give the boy the microphone and he begins to insult everyone.

Jesus, then in that 23rd verse, deliberately provokes these people, and they become typical of what he will face in the end from all of Israel. Now you may think that Jesus is a little foolish, that he hadn’t quite figured out matters relating to PR, public relations at this time. You see, Jesus is interested in exposing what lies hidden in the heart, that hidden contempt, that wellspring of jealousy, that as yet suppressed rage within the human soul and spirit.

For these people, in the end, will take offense at him and at the kingdom of God. In the end they will show their true talents, no friends at all. They will join the company that pounds nails into the Savior’s hands and feet. And in many respects, these people at Nazareth forecast not just then the reaction finally of old Israel, but the bitter reaction of Jewish leadership.

They, from the beginning, are suspicious. Less than cool, even hostile. Do you know about these officials? Who they were? description of them. The official leaders, the official teachers in Israel during the time of Jesus, were the scribes who, for the most part, belonged to a particular sect, the sect of the Pharisees. There was another party alongside the Pharisees. You know who they were. They were the Sadducees.

We have two men. basically two parties representing two religious mindsets that arise out of the Jewish impulse. And these two, in the end, will prove to be shaking one another’s hands across a table with respect to the person of Jesus. As much as they are disagreed, they are agreed on this. Jesus must go. Jesus is not naive with regard to the Jewish populace. He is not naive with regard to Jewish leadership. And so when there are these popular strains and choruses, when there are these swells, he understands well what’s taking place. He sees to the heart of the matter. What about these Pharisees? How are we to understand them?

They are the religiously orthodox party of Israel in the first century. Originally they had aligned themselves with the freedom movement out of the second century B.C. They stood with Judas Maccabeus. They supported that revolution against the Greeks. They were freedom fighters. They enlisted others to support their position of Jewish autonomy and freedom, political freedom. They emphasized Jewish separateness and ritual purity. They applied rigorously the Mosaic law and supported the practice of drawing out principles, which they called their traditions, built upon the law that then were applied to the daily life of the people, controlling every minute detail of daily life.

Even if their original intentions were good, you may have a quarrel about that, even if their original intentions were good, they had over the years become terribly corrupt, self-righteous. Jesus is right about that. more interested, hear me now, more interested in the psychology of command than in the commandments of God. How do you control? Not how do you obey. That’s the Pharisees. On the other hand, We have the Sadducees. Who were they? A worldly aristocracy. Wealthy. Very powerful. Powerful because of their money. They were in position of the highest offices religiously in the land, interestingly.

Sadducees, as you know, didn’t believe in the supernatural. They didn’t believe in the spirits. They didn’t believe in spirit angels. They didn’t believe in the resurrection. And yet these were the most highly placed religious officers of their time. They favored Rome. They were established in and satisfied with the existing political order. They didn’t want things to change. If they change, they wouldn’t be empowered. As we’ve already suggested, the Sadducees were naturalistic in their orientation, in their worldview, and they thought in terms of the maintenance of their position in the world.

They opposed Jesus because he was a threat to their position, to their worldview, and to their world order. His claims for himself were in their view, not only blasphemous, who is this one who claims to be God, but impossible. Since the supernatural is in fact ruled out on the plane of this world, how is it possible for God to become flesh, to walk on the earth, on the plane, the surface of the world? The Pharisees, once more, were thoroughly supernaturalistic. They believed in the Spirit. They believed in spirits and angels, in the resurrection of the body.

Yet they joined ranks with these Sadducees against Jesus. Their opposition revolved around the meaning and the place of the law. You remember the arguments that take place over the nature of the Sabbath and its authority. How did they see the law? They saw the law as the way to and guarantee of the kingdom. The kingdom comes by obedience to the law, and we are the officials that determine the significance of the law and its application. that they saw at the same time, despite their differences with the Sadducees, they saw at the same time the kingdom much along the lines that the Sadducees saw it. The Sadducees were, in fact, cosmopolitan and ecumenical. The Pharisees were provincial and sectarian, but both had the same point of reference, an earthly future in this world, a kingdom here.

Do you understand now why Jesus is not enlisted by the acclamations of the crowd? Why Jesus cannot be a figure, a demigod, in the cult of personality and popularity? Because that’s part and parcel of kingdoms that arise out of this world and belong to it. Does not this remain the stumbling block with regard to the person and work of Jesus Christ to this very day?

Isn’t it this matter of earthly kingdom, earthly gain, earthly permanence, earthly stability, earthly no variety, the satisfaction of earthly desires, worldliness, for which too many make too great a place in their hearts. Even the multitudes, the masses, the crowds, stumble at this point.

And for this reason, despite the fact that they are drawn initially to Jesus, they’re thrilled by Him, despite the fact that they are attracted by His miracles and even His words, despite Jesus’ magnetic personality, His charismatic disposition, they fail to penetrate either His mighty works or His message with saving. And to the point, or rather to the extent, that they do grasp what he’s really saying, to the extent that they see that he’s preaching another kingdom, that he’s presenting to them something completely different from what they want, they reject him. They crucify him. They want nothing to do with it. So then, that early period of popularity, intense, powerful, the activity we see in it engaging, magnetic in itself, but it passes. And when it passes, there will be left that small gate and that narrow way, and few there be that find it.

You’re not secretly a therapist, are you? or a Sadducee. You’re not secretly a Jew after the flesh, interested in worldly kingdoms and earthly inheritances. You’re drawn to Jesus with Satan faith. You believe in him, you trust in him for things not seen, don’t you? You are a part of that company along the narrow road, entering in by the narrow gate. To the praise of God’s grace and His glory. Amen.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

October 21, 1990