Sermons

This third accusation comes by inference.

• Nothing said directly to Jesus.
  • Based on his retreat and defense.
  • Accusation is implied.

 

• For Jesus to be Messiah, he had to be Jewish.
  • Ethnicity for him, meant taking the path of separation.
    • An Israelite.
      • Separated from the world.
      • Separated from pagan practices.

 

• Taking any other path marks you as a pagan.

 

• Practicing the Sabbath Israel’s sign of separation.
  • Circumcision created ethnic separation.
  • Sabbath separated Israel made for practical separation.

 

• Jesus understood these signs but knew the depth of each one.
  • Contrary to the religious Pharisees.
    • Viewing separation as a means for control.
    • Boxing people under perceived powers.

 

• For Jesus, separation meant holiness.
  • Separate from sin in the heart.
  • Separate to show real holiness as a witness.

 

• Set apart from sin and set apart to witness.

Motivations for believers always boil down to these two things.

• Fight sin.
  • To worship the Lord.
  • To win others worship to the Lord.

 

• Holiness will always lead to worship and witness.

Practically speaking, Christian separation will not isolate you from the world but will instead involve you with the world.

Richard Niebuhr, neo-orthodox, Christian ethicist, published his watershed book in 1951, Christ and Culture (what our radio ministry is named for) explores the subtle differences in how believers engage the world.

1. Opposition to culture (Christ against culture).
2. Agreement between Christ and culture (Christ of culture).
3. A combination that incorporates insights from both of these two views (Christ above Culture).
4. A synthetic type where Christ is the fulfillment or an ongoing tension (Christ and culture in paradox).
5. A conversionist, converter of culture (Christ the transformer of culture).

Jesus was never here to transform culture as an end of itself.

• Certainly, the nation of Israel was a culture unto itself but at Jesus’ arrival, this culture became apostate.
  • Good for nothing and countering Christ and his purposes.
  • Israel was against Christ.

 

• Christ will ultimately bring cultural reform when he brings the New Heavens and the New Earth.
  • This world at the fall was disqualified from being our permanent residence.
  • Sin made for Paradise Lost.

 

• Not here to reform the City!
  • Reconstructionist Theology, to create Christian Cultural Centers.

 

• With this in mind, we should view ourselves as those not of this world who are looking to the next, looking to bring others to the next.
  • Millennial reign, New Heavens and New Earth.

 

• Even the church is its own separate culture in that it serves as a foretaste of heaven on earth.
  • Local churches have appropriately been called embassies of heaven.
  • We come to a location that tells helps us taste heaven.

What is important to understand about church culture is that this is a culture first and foremost made of people.

• A church is always people.
  • Not a building. Not a school. Not even a geography (though churches in the NT were named for where people gathered).

 

• The church is also defined by doctrine.
  • Doctrine that defines God, the gospel, and what the church is called to fight to defend, and called to do, and called to say.
  • All of church edification, evangelism, and accountability is defined by its doctrine.

Our section reveals Jesus as a Jewish Messiah who is reaching not only Jews but Gentiles.

• The connection is being made for how the world is to be won.
  • Jews and every nation are to be won to Jesus.

 

• The most holy man is the most powerful witness.
  • A witness that draws Jew and Gentiles together as the Body of Christ, the church.
  • Set apart unto the world, to reach the world!

 

Now to our text and 3^rd Accusation.   

1. Pagan (vv. 15-21)

3 unexpected movements of Christ

          a. Withdrew

Jesus was condemned by the Pharisees for doing good on the Sabbath.

• Healing a man with a withered hand incites Pharisees to rage (cf. v. 14).
  • Lust for power.
    • Pharisees not misguided professors.
      • Were manifest evil.
      • Consulting, conspiring, calculating their attack.

 

• Planning for murder.

 

• Jesus “…aware of this, withdrew from there” (v. 15).
  • Do not know how he knew Pharisee’s plan.
    • A tip?
    • Omniscience?

 

• Withdrawing might not be the desired path.
  • Choosing between “Fight or Flight.”
    • Not a coward, knew he would die on Cross.
      • “Discretion is the better part of valor.”
      • “The path of least resistance.”

 

• Practically separated from synagogue as a functional means of survival.
  • Living to play another round.
    • Not cowardly, not fearing death, not running away from the center of God’s will.
    • Staying on mission, accepting God’s providential shift.

 

• Acting within his Father’s “time” (cff. Mt. 26:45; Jn. 7:8).
  • Often tempted to face adversaries.
    • Must be measured knowing God is sovereign.
    • Often unaware of outcome for taking a path less preferred.

 

• Jesus was quelling political showdown.
  • Not a revolutionary.
  • Avoiding premature opposition.

           b. Healed

 Jesus leaves oppressive environment and “…many followed him, and healed them all” (v. 15).

• Jesus’ ministry of healing one in synagogue, suddenly broadens to healing many in the field.
  • Healing was miraculous and demonstrative.
    • Pictures heaven for the Gentiles.
      • “he healed them all.”
        • No respecters of person.
        • No one left in sadness.

 

• Kindness on display.
  • Though Jesus’ main mission was never physical healing.
  • But to bring the message of saving grace.

           c. Ordered

 This order gives us a clue to the fact that Jesus’ associating with Gentiles would bring him under deeper scrutiny.

• Gentiles healed by Messiah would provoke religious guard to shut him down.
  • One thing for Jesus to heal fellow Jewish worshipper on Sabbath in synagogue but healing Gentiles was scandalous.
  • Compassion going over the Jews, to Gentiles.

 Jesus’ command, “to not make him known” seems counter intuitive.

• Surely Jesus would want himself to be known as Messiah to all the world.
  • Called the Messianic Secret.
    • Good reason for him to make himself a secret.
    • Accounts for the sin in the human heart.

 

• Someone sees Jesus as physical healer, they will seek miracle cures not Messiah.
  • Selfish distortions for coming to Christ.
  • Mobs come and Jesus’ message to save from sin would falls on deaf ears.
    • If Jesus did not give people what they want, tempted toward same rage.
    • A two-year-old denied a particular ice cream at dinner.

 

• Jesus moved with gentleness and humility.
  • Matthew 6:3 “do not let the right hand know with left hand is doing.”
  • Temptation to “Let people know!”
    • “Let another praise you.”
    • Idol: “Leadership” quenches Spirit.

 

• Pharisees witnessed miracle but did not ask for healing!.
  • Blinded to twist “doing good” into evil!
    • Offended by losing power and control.
    • How oddly twisted the human heart.

Pragmatic evangelism NEVER makes someone willing to hear Truth. Often best not to say anything at all! What? This cannot be right because we are always called to “go and tell” right?

Commissioned, yes. Force feeding, no. Cautioned to be careful with how to use Scripture. God’s Word is self-evidently powerful, whether people are receptive or not.

It is always softening or hardening because God’s Word “will not return empty.” Because of its inherent authority, when presented it forces a decision to be made.

“Sharp two-edged sword” cutting the conscience to harden or soften. Callous over or laid bare. God’s Word wounds and heals.  

Accusations are mounting, one on the other, worsening with each.

• Withholding Word protect rejectors.
  • This answers Christ’s parabolic phase (cf. Matt. 13).
    • Judgment on those who will not “see or hear.”
    • Grace repentant people.
  • “How so?”
    • Limiting exposure to Christ can be gracious to someone hardhearted.
      • What do you mean?
        • Peter counsel women to win unbelieving husbands “without a word!” (cf. 1 Peter 3).
        • Godly women with a gentle and quiet spirit, soften hearts.

 

• If parenting style is force-feeding truth to your teenagers or dragging them to church.
  • You might be hardening them farther from Christ.
  • Rather than winning them.
    • Being measured wins trust.
    • Being relational wins hearts.

Verse 17 answers why Jesus did these 3 things.

• Jesus the perfect Jewish Messiah, was supposed to win pagans.
  • God’s will in your life is supposed to be unpredictable.
  • Jesus sites Isaiah’s prophesy as validation for his COA!
    • Separating from religion and separating unto the world.
    • No compromise, while fulfilling truth.

   

 Jesus is the fulfillment of Scripture.

• Luke 24 says as much, “…he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Lk. 24:27).
  • All the Law portrayed, and all the Prophets predicted.

Isaiah 42 and 61 are interlaced in what Jesus quotes here.

• Both references from the start of each chapter address Jesus as Messiah.
  • With beauty and precision.
  • Exact descriptions of passages like these.
  • I believe fulfilled deliberately.

 

• Odds of Jesus’ precision fulfillment in the way he did are astronomical.
  • Christ casts his actions in light of OT (cff. Mic. 5:2; Hos. 11:1; Ps. 22:18).
  • Irrefutable as Messiah, to someone who sees and hears.

OT prophesy proves Jesus as in God’s will reaching Gentiles.   

                i. Identification

 How God identifies His Son!

• I love where God the Father booms from heaven, affirmation over his Son.
  • Baptism (cf. 3:17).
  • Transfiguration (cf. 17:5; Jn. 12:28).

 

• Pronouncement begins with “Behold.”
  • Pay attention and look here!
  • High importance!

 

• Everything else pales by comparison to this Son!

Entire focus on God’s Son is appropriate because He is worth to most to God.

• Identification as “servant.”
  • “my servant whom I have chosen” (v. 18).
  • God’s choice.

 

• “Servant” [pais], “child” or “son” definitely tone of intimacy and love.
  • Jesus is the only choice because his is his Father’s “beloved” and is the one “…with whom [His] my soul is well pleased” (v. 18).
  • Just as with Jesus’ baptism, he is affirmed without reservation or qualification within the soul and pleasure of God!

BTW, Isaiah 42 originally referred to Persian King Cyrus (cff. Is. 45). Prophecy 150 years before lived and was King of Persia. God would use this Persian King to gather faithful remnant and send them back to their Land. Cyrus as a Faithful Shepherd, prefigured Christ’s role.  

• This is how God feels about Jesus!
  • How we should feel about Jesus.
  • Unreserved love for Jesus.

                ii. Affirmation

I love the tie from identification to affirmation.

• Moving from who he is to what he is supposed to do!
  • Question for graduating high schooler?
  • “What do you want to major in?”

What is your raison d’etre (“reason for being”).

• “Your purpose in life?”
  • Jesus the Son of God had one.
  • For Jesus merely being Lord, does not paint the full picture.
    • More than an impassive God.
      • Heartless, w/o drive.
      • No feeling, No connection. No!

 

• Jesus came to fulfill his mission – his Father equipped him to fulfill it.
  • “I will put my Spirit upon him” (v. 18).
  • God’s perfect Son, came and added humanity.
    • Operating on earth as our supreme example.
    • Perfect reliance on the Holy Spirit.

 

• “I will put my Spirit upon him” meaning the Holy Spirit anointed or covered Jesus.
  • When Samuel poured the entire skin of oil over the young shepherd boy, David’s head.
  • Jesus at Baptism.
    • An act of separating for an individual’s appointment.
    • Isolating a particular person and commissioning this person for service.

 The Spirit represents empowerment to fulfill service to preach!

                iii. Proclamation

Jesus’ task, “…proclaim justice to the Gentiles” (v. 18).

• Jesus’ purpose was to “proclaim” [apaggelei].
  • To “announce justice to the Gentiles” (v. 18).
  • He would carry out the great commission.

 

• Do not isolate Jesus’ mission, to these Gentiles surrounding Galilee.
• Jesus set precedent for the greater plan he came to fulfill.

 Jesus was sent because, “God so loved the world…” (cf. Jn. 3:16).

• Isaiah asserts Jesus’ mission was to reach the world all along.
  • Turning to the Gentiles was never a plan B mission.
  • Israel was this light, now Jesus!
    • The church is meant to draw the nations.
    • To win the nations?

 

• Win with the “Word!”

Jesus was proclaiming “justice to the Gentles” [ethveisiv] – “nations.”

• “Justice” or being “justified” – being made right.
  • “justice” [kpivw] can be “judgment.”
  • Jesus’ proclamation to Gentiles is more positive.
    • “Condemnation” of sin to deliver Gentiles into the kingdom.
    • Justice and Judgment kiss at the Cross.
      • Judgment was served on Christ.
      • Justice is found through forgiveness of sins.
      • Paid at Calvary.

 

The current debate of Big Eva is whether you truly have the whole gospel if you have no concern for “social justice.” Someone might include the miracle of healing the man with the withered hand as proof that our concern is to do “good” like Jesus did! Logic behind this line of thinking is inverting the “fruit” with the “root” putting “works” before “faith.” Gospel justice always target’s man’s deepest need which is the forgiveness of his sins. Our compassion for others flows out of having a transformed heart but in no way can you intermix “do-gooding” as a cause, catalyst, or even an adjunct component of being saved. In doing so, corrupts grace and ironically debunks the Gospel.   

                iv. Sublimation

I want to return to this theme of Christ separating himself away from one arena and unto another.

• From religious Jews to rest of the world.
  • “How did Jesus reach our world?” (cf. v. 19).
  • Not via fleshly debates or arguing.
    • Ben Shapiro, quick mind and entertainment.
    • Not a brawler, like a barking dog.

 

• He did not manipulate others to believe based on wrangling with words or putting on histrionics.
  • Emphasis not as heralding prophet (John the Baptist).
    • Loud and demonstrative.
    • Not emphasis for Jesus here.

 This points out the fact that though Jesus perfectly fulfilled prophecy, if God’s Spirit does to remove the blinders and unstop spiritual deafness, then no matter how clear Christ’s witness, they will not see him nor will they hear him. 

                v. Validation

Usually, I have found that it is the most unlikely are the ones who believe, and this is the case with these Gentiles.

• Why should the Jews have believed?”
  • Jesus is their Messiah, from their Old Testament, from their ethnicity, coming to rescue them.
  • Jesus had sent his twelve Apostles to the lost sheep of Israel.
    • They should have sensed his compassion, they should have seen him as their Pascal Lamb, they should have sensed their need to be saved.
    • Instead, they were self-righteous, religious, self-assured, legalistic, blinded by heritage, stubborn, critical, judgmental, opportunistic over miracles etc.

 

• This prophecy predicts what Jesus would not do.
  • “a bruised reed he will not break” (v. 20).
  • “a smoldering wick he will not quench” (v. 20).
    • The Pharisees were certainly bruised reeds and he left them to prove their impotence!
    • The nominally religious people were the smoldering flax, left them alone, too.

 

• “reeds” were everywhere, “A dime a dozen.”
  • Made into flutes.
  • Bruised, immediately snapped.

 

• “smoldering wick” would not burn and leave an acrid smell.
  • Discard like a bulb with busted filament.

Why should the Gentiles not believe?

• They had no knowledge of the Old Testament, did not know they needed a Messiah, worshipped other gods, enjoyed the pleasures of religion-based paganism, and practiced separation from the Jews.

Why did the Gentiles believe?

• Life had made them into “…a bruised reed” (v. 20) that Jesus would not break.
• Life had made them into “…a smoldering wick [Jesus would] not quench” (v. 20).
  • Jesus came in this sublimated humility, reaching people who were opened by God to receive him.
  • Brought to points of desperation, people at their breaking point, found in Jesus, a Messiah they did not know they needed.
    • Savior rescued them from their empty pagan life.
    • What they did not know they needed saving from.

 

• A Shepherd unwilling to snuff out the last gasps of air.
  • To regain a flame about to extinguish.
  • They never knew they needed Jesus, and found him.

We have a flickering light in our middle bathroom. The switch got corrupted due to some horseplay. It’s annoying, but I love my kids more! This is the heart of Jesus.

                 vi. Vindication

Jesus’ path scrutinized, since Jesus deviates from religious expectations.

• “He brings justice to victory” (v. 20) is dramatic.
  • Literally, “…until he throws out justice/judgment and victory” (v. 20).
    • Jesus bringing Gentiles to himself for a complete overhaul.
      • “Throwing out” [ekBallw] desperate, defeated lives.
      • Turning them into victorious ones!

 

• Vindication of unlikely conversions.

Conversions that are real and everlasting.

• Salvation looks like, “throwing off” an old lifestyle.
  • A ragged old garment, and then “throwing on” a new lifestyle.
  • A new garment, it is unmistakable!

 

• I have been preaching that, this vindication is of Jesus is irrefutable.
  • No Jew can look at Isaiah 42 and say this is not who Jesus is.
  • Vindicated by saving desperate people.

 

• Jesus is Messiah. Jesus is Lord of the Nations (cf. Is. 11:10).

 ^ESV  Isaiah 11:10 In that day ^athe root of ^bJesse, who shall stand as ^ca signal for the peoples–of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. (Isa 11:10 ESV)

What is your raison d’etre? To witness.

Why else are we still down here once we are saved?

We are left, so we can tell, and we can lead others to follow Jesus to heaven.

Not city reform, people renew. 

How do you witness? “You show up to work.”

It is by providence that people come to see your life and hear the gospel from you.

Young man just showed up to possibly join TMS. How recruit? “Show up to work.”  

Riley on the field is known for not cussing.

I am sometimes jealous for the secular work environments where your speech immediately puts you into these witnessing dynamics.

What comes out of your mouth, or does not come out of your mouth, reveals what is inside or not inside your heart.

The condition of your heart determines the power of your witness.

What you say and what you write down determines the authenticity or inauthenticity of your relationship with Christ.

Live your life following Jesus as baseline in front of everyone and someone will likewise follow whom you are following!