Three Streams and one cross 3/28/10 AM Sermon

How we read the first four books of our NT is a very interesting question.

Many read the Gospels as just books about the life of Jesus and stop at that – That is true but is not all.

Some read them about How I get to Heaven or How I get saved- that is true but it is not all the story.

The Gospels are a lot about the finishing the story of Israel and beginning of a new exciting chapter in God's story and plan.

The Gospels are gloriously complex documents -
Pond shallow enough to play in but deep enough to drown in.

This is about the story of Israel – BC- or before Christ being incomplete and it was in the story of Jesus that the OT finds its climax. - It is the beginning of our story – the story of the light going out to all the nations.

It is the story of Abraham becoming a blessing to all nations.

This morning we are going to take a journey through the Gospel of Luke and see three Rivers.


There is a train ride one can take in Knoxville, TN that begins at Volunteer Landing and goes near Neyland Stadium and eventually goes to where the Tennessee River is formed by two other rivers.
The train the reaches Three Rivers Trestle, where the French Broad River and the Holston River come together to form the Tennessee River.
The locomotive uncouples from the Train and goes around, re-attaches and takes the train back on the same route.

They say that after a big rain or certain times of the year the two rivers have a different color to them as they come together. When the mix into the Tennessee River they will keep their separate colors and then eventually mix into one color to form the TN.

This morning we will explore the meaning of the Cross of Jesus in the light of three rivers that flow through the Gospel of Luke. They will flow side by side all through this Gospel and then come together to one event in the Crucifixion of Jesus. Hopefully, by bringing these themes out the cross of Jesus will make much more sense to us today.

Intro:

In Luke's Gospel when you read it all the way from beginning to end you get the feeling that it is coming to a climax.
You know that Luke is going somewhere in his Gospel and it is reaching a creshendo.

You see a big transition in LUKE 9

Luke 9 – Transition chapter in Luke's gospel – verse 51
51 When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem

The end of Luke chapter 9 to 19 Luke is taking on us on the road to Jerusalem. All kinds of themes are going to come out to tell us what is coming at Golgotha.

3 Rivers or themes that run through the Gospel of Luke - These three themes will come together in Luke's Passion Narrative.

1st theme – About the coming Judgment and the way through.


Some hate the idea judgment but Scripture says that we have to make wise judgments.
In the Bible the time of Judgment is good news for God's people.
Cosmic theme because God will sort it all out.



We see this theme come out when Jesus decides to put His face toward Jerusalem.

The common Jewish belief was that God would come in Judgment over the nations – those that would go down first would be the Samaritans – the hated half breed Jews – after that would be the Gentiles and especially those despised Romans.

Samaritans reject Jesus because he is going to Jerusalem
Luke 9: 52-56
52 and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. 54 When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" 55 But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; 56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."] And they went on to another village.

Verse 55 Jesus rebukes this attitude about the Kingdom – Will God not vindicate His true people? But then He goes on into what type of people God wants and it is almost disturbing as to the type of people that are fit for this new kingdom that Jesus is ushering in.


Luke 9: 58
58 And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." 59 And He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." 60 But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead ; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." 61 Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord ; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." 62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."


When we read these words we find them uncomfortable because they are.

Jesus is calling out all of the common notions of his day about what the Kingdom would be like and He is crushing them.

When Jesus sends out the 70 in Luke 10 he warns them about those that will reject the message of the kingdom

And then he gives a warning that is sobering about those people that reject His message.

In verse 12 Jesus tells the 70 that it will be more tolerable for Sodom in the end than the cities that reject the message of the Kingdom.

These are passages that we want to look over in the Bible but they are there and Jesus makes it clear that God's judgment will come against Jerusalem and ultimately against this world.

Israel was called to be God's light but they had gotten so pleased with being the light of the world they didnt put windows in their light house but mirrors in their light house.
They didnt shine out the light that needed to go into the world. They wanted to keep the blessing to themselves and not to the world.

They believed that the Land and the Temple were bright places and the world was dark. They kept the message in and to themselves at their own peril.

They will not like it, they dont want to hear that kind of message.

PHARISEES
Chapter 11 of Luke warnings against the Pharisees
Pharisees –

People were the ones that wanted to bring scripture into every aspect of life
We would agree with that

They also thought serious about Scripture
We would agree with that view point.

So far the Pharisees look like good folks – people that wanted to bring religion to every aspect of life and to learn the Bible best they could.

They also believed that God would judge the Gentiles and vindicate Israel. They were missing the point. Jesus is judging them concerning this.

They did not have God's love in their heart but self righteousness. All this Bible knowledge and right living was not being used in the right way. They were supposed to share this light with the Gentiles.

Because of this Jesus issues some Parables in Luke's Gospel.

Many times we read the parables like personal morality stories just for us and sometimes we miss how tough they were on the 1st century people that heard them. Many times Jesus was talking to the Jewish authorities directly through this parables.

PARABLES
Chap 12 -
The parable of the rich fool.
In this parable a man builds bigger and bigger barns and hoards his wealth.
There is a lesson to be learned about hoarding possessions and not trusting God but in the time of Jesus to a 1st century Jew- the word Possession had a very technical meaning – It many times meant the Land of Canaan.
The attitude of many of the Pharisees was that they had the Land and the Temple and it was theirs and not the Gentiles.
Has a much bigger image – the nation as the whole – LAND as a possession and the Temple – everything outside is just darkness. A rich fool, you are storing it up you are under judgment

They were storing up judgment by keeping these gifts to themselves. God has always wanted them to be a light to the nations and the Temple as a sign of His persence.
They were identified as the ones that were holding on to the message.

There was a path that the Jews of Jesus were taking and it was leading to their own destruction.

In Luke 13 we read Jesus tell them that they must Repent. He says twice that they should repent or likewise perish.

Luke 13 - Galileans pilgrims were slaughtered by the Pilate's soldiers - the blood was mixed with the slaughtered sacrifice

Luke 13:2
2 And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate?

Were they worse sinners or culprits than the rest of the people in Jerusalem.

what about 18 that had the tower fall on them in Siloam?
were they worse sinners than everyone else.

Unless you repent you will also likewise parish.
Jesus is telling them that they are on a collision course with Rome. It is coming.

Josephus uses the same language found in chapter 13. Josephus is warning the Jews about rebellion against Rome and says exactly what Jesus said, Repent or Perish!

Jesus is giving them fair warning. Stay on this path of hatred for the Gentiles keep failing to be a light to the nations, fail in your mission and you will be replaced – Remember John the Baptist warning of the Axe being laid to the tree roots

Luke 3 – John the Baptist tells them not to rely on just being children of Abraham- it is time to bear fruit or be cut off.

Now think ahead just 40 years later- Jesus warning comes home to Jerusalem

But if you down this path – you will be destroyed – this is a national warning – Romans soldiers in the Temple – falling masonry in the suburbs of Siloam

Falling masonry and swords in the Holy Place will be just what happens.
Foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Luke 16 – The rich man and Lazarus

Read this parable in the day and time – Nothing wrong with how we have read it but just look at it in a 1st century Jewish perspective in which Jesus spoke and a whole new meaning will open up to you.
The Rich man neglected Lazarus – What had the Jews done to those people around them? Had the Jews shared with the spiritually poor around them or had they hoarded God's good gifts to them?
When the richman finds himself in torment what does he ask of Father Abraham?

Send Lazarus to cool my tongue with a group of water and send someone back to warn my brothers.–

Think of Father Abraham's answer to the rich man in torment

they have Moses and the Prophets – even if someone rose from the dead they would not repent. Yes, and when this happens many will not repent.

Think about it, what happened when one did rise from the dead, did they repent – just a few days after this one will rise from the dead and the good news will go to Israel and many will still not repent.

Judgment is here and it begins with God's people. Impending judgment- a very specific judgment –
Israel is playing fast and loose with her vocation – doesnt take a lot of shrewd political instincts to see the path that Israel is taking.

2nd Stream or River -
Jesus and the renewed people of God

Luke 10 -17 – a picture of the new people of God.

Parable of the good Samaritan – God is doing a new thing and there are people that normally would have nothing to do with each other and now they will become neighbors. This new people may look different that anything you have ever imagined.

They may just be Samaritans – the very dogs you despise just North of here.

Mary and Martha – sitting at the feet of Jesus – she is being treated equal with the others.
Luke 10: 39 we see Mary seated at the Lord's feet. This is a term that is specific- to sit at a Rabbis feet was a place only for men. Now we can understand why Martha might have been upset. Mary is at a place that no woman should have been but in the Kingdom women's places will be elevated. In the Jewish rabbinical prayers of the time of Jesus there was one prayer that the Rabbis prayed that thanked God that they were not an inferior woman.

In this new Kingdom things will be different. There will be an equal place at that table for all. This is so radical for this time and it is hard for our 21st century minds to wrap around it.

New People- Victory in Prayer -
Chapter 11- prayer and victory – knock and the door and it will be opened.
God is not distant but is someone that wants to hear our prayer and grant our prayers.
He talks about How God wants to give them good gifts. He wants His children to ask of him and be blessed by God. He wants to give His Holy Spirit to those that ask for it.
This is truly a renewed humanity.


Chp 14 – A party is happening and you are invited but there is a cost of discipleship
It is a party and there is a free invitation but will be rejected by those that are invited first.
This is the Jewish people – as Paul says later the gospel is for the Jew first and then the Greek
Jesus gives out this invitation and the first ones invited – the ones that have the OT and all the prophecy will not heed his invitation but will make excuses about why they cant come and then he will go out and invite everyone -
then He ends chapter 14 with the cost of discipleship for this new type of humanity. Human relationships will be secondary to our relationship with God.
No longer will our heritage and family be more important than God. God will come before any human distinctions – tough teaching indeed but life giving and liberating teaching.


Chap 15 – the lost sheep, the lost coin, the Prodigal Son-
Jesus was celebrating with all the wrong people and people were grumbling – Jesus tells them the angels are celebrating and a party is happening in Heaven so we are having one on Earth.
In the story of the Prodigal the older brother is mad because the fatted calf is for free. How could his dad just let the prodigal sinner back in to the fold.
Jesus is illustrating to his Jewish detractors in all of these parables that God's grace is freely given to all.
They can no longer shut up God's kingdom to people they dont approve of.
Where Jesus is – Heaven and Earth are coming together.
New Humanity is changing people -
Chp 19 – Zaccheus – little man in the tree -
I am giving half of everything away - I will restore defrauded fourfold
Today salvation has come to this house

SON OF MAN CAME TO SEEK AND SAVE THE LOST – LUKE'S MISSION STATEMENT AND SUMS UP THIS 2ND STREAM OF LUKE
Third Stream - Return of the King

John the Baptist – Return to Zion
Theme of God coming back to Zion
1st century history at the time of Exile – God abandoned the city of Jerusalam – even though they had come back and rebuilt but they wondered if God had come to the city. Had God returned? Malachi deals with this idea. Isaiah the prophet deals with this idea that God is to return to the Temple.

John the Baptist – Makes the way straight for the coming of Christ – prophecy in Isaiah that is about the return from Exile

John the Baptist saw his ministry as the one ushering in this true return from exile.

They believed that this King returning to Zion would be God Himself. God would return to Zion and his glory would destroy the Gentile nations that were oppressing Israel.

Gerasene Demoniac- Go tell them what God has done for you and Luke tells us that the man goes and tells people what Jesus did for him. Jesus is equated in Luke with God and what God is doing.


Triumphal Entry
Palm Sunday
Luke 19: 38
38 shouting : "BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD ; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest !"

The people of that day saw Jesus as the fulfillment of the King returning to Zion and with this week – Passion week we are going to see all three streams or rivers of Luke coming together and they are all flowing to the cross.



Chp 19: 41

He weeps over the city – recognize the things that make for peace -

No Gentiles, no Samaritans – we want to fight them we dont want peace.

YOU DIDNT KNOW YOUR TIME OF VISITATION
return from exile language – they had been waiting for Yahweh to return and here he is and they have no idea – they are headed for destruction.
You did not know the time of your visitation by God – God came and visited and coming back – The king returns but what does He find. The Temple was the sign of God's love but became something different.

At the Cross we see Luke bring it all together – all these themes of his gospel that have been running this course are now going to collide in a miscarriage of justice like no other.

1)The judgment -

Jesus will now take all the judgment that we all deserved and will be crushed by it. He will willingly take on all the sin -

As Paul says,
HE WHO KNEW NO SIN BECAME SIN ON OUR BEHALF

Pilate tells us that Jesus is innocent

The brigand on the cross with Jesus declares his innocence

The Centurion at the cross decries his innocence

He is the pure lamb of God who is sinless and innocent but takes on the punishment that we deserve.



Luke 23: 18-25

Barrabas was the one released – Luke is rubbing our noses in it. Barrabas was the very type that Jesus had been preaching about -

The irony- the people picked the very one that was guilty of the things Jesus vehemently preached against.

This is a moment that should not be lost on us as it comes to who should have God's judgment put upon them.

On the way to the cross He tells the daughter of Jerusalem not to weep for Him.
He tells them to weep for themselves and their own children.
He then tells them something strange – If they do this when the wood is green imagine what they will do when the wood is dry.
Here is the living branch of God whom the Romans will put to death.
What will the Romans do if the children of these women of Israel continue down this revolutionary path?
Just imagine what will happen to Jerusalem.
The evil of all the types found in the world come together against Christ
Satan enters into Judas- Jesus calls this His hour of darkness

All the evil is coming together against Jesus – Herod, Pilate, the Jewish authorities, the muddled disciples, the betrayer

All this evil is coming crashing down on Jesus to engulf Him

He will look at it straight way – He knows this on the Way to Jerusalem what awaits.
All that Evil has takes its best shot at Jesus and comes down on him at the cross but we know that evil does not win.Woman with an issue of blood is healed and made clean
He is eating with tax collectors – he is eating with the sinners
He transforms the life of Zaccheus

Now he is going outside the city walls and is being crucified with the brigands. The criminals.

Where are we in the story? Where do we find ourselves in the Gospel of Luke and the story of the cross of Christ?




Love wins in the end and Jesus takes its best shot for us. He walked through the fire on our behalf. That is the point Luke is trying to get across.
2nd Theme – New Humanity in Christ

This is evidenced by the Last Supper – Jesus is reforming what it means to be God's people.

It is at the Last Supper in Luke's Gospel where he tells His followers that they are to do this in Remembrance of Him

that this bread is his body to be broken for them and the cup is the New Covenant in His blood.
When God's new people are made it will be around His table they will gather.
Look just a few chapters later after the resurrection – the Road to Emmaus and in Acts 2 the earliest followers will gather around the table

It will be this new table fellowship that will be a signpost that a new humanity is being formed.

People the normally had no business eating together will now eat together. Jesus also shows servant leadership by washing His disciple's feet and showing that this is how the Kingdom will be structured.

The last will be first and the first will be last.

Table fellowship was the very thing that Paul rebukes Peter for hypocrisy in Galatians 2.
At Antioch Peter would not eat with the Gentiles when certain me were around from Jerusalem that would dissaprove of a Jew eating with Gentiles.
Table fellowship in the Church knew no distinctions because that is how Jesus wanted it to be.
So we see at the cross this stream running in Luke about a new humanity being fulfilled in the cross.
We also see in the thief on the cross this change taking place.

This day you will be with me in paradise- the Thief was being remade into this new humanity that Jesus was calling.

3) The Return of the King
God's kingdom is coming into conflict with Caesar's Kingdom and in Pilate

King – God coming back – In the person of Jesus

The king stands trial in front of the representatives of the Temple and the Kingdoms of man.

The very Creator of the Universe is being put on trial by the Jewish Temple authorities, the pseudo Jewish King Herod, and the Romans.

In John's Gospel we see straight through that Jesus saw the cross as his time of enthronement – He time and again talks about being lifted up in reference to the cross.

The irony of when Jesus's real identity is given in Luke's Gospel “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS”

FINALLY IT IS ON THE CROSS THAT JESUS IS MADE KNOWN AS the KING.

THIS IS A THRONE THAT NO JEW WOULD HAVE EXPECTED FOR THE MESSIAH

conclusion:

The sad thing is that we find the evil at work in us that must be conquered in characters of this story.
I can see myself in many of the characters of Luke-

Anger of James and John – calling down fire from Heaven
Peter and his hardheadedness

Self righteousness of the Pharisees that cannot see God at work in others and wants to condemn everyone that doesnt look just like them and act just like them.

I can see all of those attributes in my life at various times and junctures.

What is Jesus saying to us?

He will gather us up like a hen in the barnyard and take on the fire for us. He has a way that is better, we can lay down our burdens, He will give us rest, He is the truly Holy one of God.

Come to Jesus and stand on the scorched earth that He took on for us. Sin did its best to Him and He was victorious.