Untitled Sermon (20)

Scripture Introduction:

The setting for our text this morning is right before Jesus is going to be crucified. He’s in the upper room with his closest disciples.

Before we jump into the text I want to ask you a question. Think about these twelve or so guys…you can even include Judas in this.

What do they want? What is motivating them? What do they hope to get out of following Jesus? What are they hoping Jesus accomplishes?

ANSWERS

We might say some concrete things like. “Overthrow Rome”. And those are there…but if you peel back another layer you ask…why....why do they want to overthrow Rome?

At the end of the day I would argue that every human…from the time of Adam and Eve, to the disciples, through the Dark Ages, through World War 2, and even to our day today…are really wanting three things.

Rest. Rule. Relationship.

We want to make a difference. We want to matter. We want to have purpose. We want meaning. That’s what I mean by rule. We were created to work and keep the garden. We were created for purpose. And even though we are broken—that desire remains.

No matter if you are 3 years old or 103. No matter if you are a Democrat a Republican or something in between. No matter if you are a Cardinals fan, a Yankees fan, or a Royals fan. You want to make a difference. You want your life to have meaning and purpose.

Secondly, We want rest. We want a place to call home. We want shalom. Peace. Satisfaction. Fulfillment. Joy. Those things. We want all to be right in the world.

This is universal. You ask a person who is marching against abortion, those who are called pro-life and you ask a person who is arguing for what they would reproductive rights, those who are pro-choice…why are you doing this…and they would likely tell you something like, “We want to make the world a better place.”

And we want relationship. This one might be the hardest one to recognize for some of us. Because you’ve maybe had relationships so hurt that you’re telling yourself…nope, I don’t want any relationship. Nope, I don’t want to be known, or loved, or to love. But the reality is, as we peel back some of those layers, some of that hurt, see some of those walls come down…what we truly see is that every person wants to be known, to be loved, to be accepted. To have relationships. With other humans, and though we might not acknowledge it, we were also created to be in relationship with the God of the universe.

Rest. Rule. Relationship.

And that is what is driving each of those who are in the upper room. Even, surprisingly, Judas and the religious leaders who are about to arrest Jesus.

And what we’re going to read here in a moment are the disciples kind of being boneheaded. But again…what’s motivating them? What’s the fuel underneath of these? See if you can spot them as we read through this text. Look for rest, rule, and relationship.

Read Luke 22:24-38

Luke 22:24–38 ESV

A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves. “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

Sermon Introduction:

What is this passage about? It’s kind of a simple summary. The disciples clearly don’t understand the nature of Jesus’ kingdom. The disciples are boneheads. That’s kind of what these verses are doing…but why?

Why does Luke tell us these things? Why tell us about Peter’s boast and then a few verses later his failure? Why tell us about the sword? Why tell us about their argument about who is the greatest?

What is going to happen in these next couple of chapters is that everything around Jesus is going to be stripped down, even his body will be stripped bare. He will literally be emptied of everything. No friends. No support. Nothing.

And Luke is building to that. But again, why? It is for one major reason. To show us that Jesus alone and only Jesus is able to bring about the kingdom of God. Jesus alone and only Jesus will bring us rest, rule, and relationship.

And what we will see in these verses are the foolish human attempts to bring these about.

--

Let me say that another way. If you read Revelation 21:1-8 that is where God is taking us. You see in the final chapters of Revelation all the rest, rule, and relationship. We inherit it all. And it is ours because of Jesus.

But the issue that we have in this chapter and the issue that we have in our lives is that we keep trying to bring about the kingdom in other ways. We want Revelation 21 but we’re boneheads and think that it comes about through our own efforts.

It’s like when God comes to an old man named Abraham who has a wife named Sarah and their pushing a hundred years old…and God says…y’all are gonna have a baby.

Well that’s laughable. That ship has sailed. And so when that promise tarries for a little bit they come up with this grand idea that Sarah doesn’t matter much in the whole picture…it’s Abraham…it’s Abraham’s seed that really matters. So why don’t you go have a baby with our servant Hagar.

But women DO matter, and God’s promise was through Sarah and not Hagar. God will bring about His kingdom His way. And you know what we learn from that story…we learn that when we try to take things into our own hands, and bring about God’s kingdom—bring about rest, rule, relationship through our own power—the consequences are far-reaching. It changes us.

And that’s the point I believe we are supposed to see from this text. We are supposed to see our own feeble and fallen and rebellious and foolish hands here in the disciples…and we’re supposed to come away from this whole thing saying, “God help us, only Jesus can rescue.” You alone can rescue, you alone can save.

How do you get from point A to point B?

I. When we forget that Jesus alone brings the kingdom promises, we end up fighting about our own awesomeness.

It’s rather shocking the contrast to see between Jesus in the last supper…pouring out his life for them...I do this for you...From the gospel of John we know that Jesus was washing their feet in this moment…and then this scene with the disciples arguing about who is the greatest.

How do you get from participating in the Lord’s Supper…meditating on Jesus…and then getting into a fist fight in the parking lot?

Something interesting here is that the phrase “a dispute arose” is really one word in the Greek. And it’s literally “loving of Nokeia”. That doesn’t mean lover of old flip phones or those super big phones where the only game was snake.

Nokeia was the goddess of disputing and quarreling. And so what Luke is saying here is that a demonic spirit rose among them where they just all of sudden wanted to fight.

And they are fighting about who is the greatest. The very opposite of what Jesus was just talking about. And so he, once again, patiently teaches them. He says you are doing what the world does. They are beholden to power and prominence.

They are addicted to power. Thirsty for power and prominence. Wanting to be epic. Now why would the disciples be fighting about this? Are they jockeying for power within the kingdom? Probably. Who is going to be in charge?

But why do we want power? Why do we want prominence?

In part, we want power and prominence because in some sense we were made for this. Remember earlier that I said we were created for “rest, rule, and relationship”. What is ruling if not the exercise of power?

But what has happened is that in our rebellion we’ve turned this inwardly. God gave us power, he gave Adam and Eve power and authority to work and keep the garden. Power is meant to be used to create flourishing for others. But unredeemed power, power wielded by the hands of sinners—it typically becomes self-serving.

This is why that old adage often rings true. That absolute power corrupts absolutely. The disciples are fighting about who is epic because they believe it is through power and prominence that they’ll be able to bring about the kingdom. But their whole view of things is backwards. That is what Jesus is saying here.

The world system is, “if you a’int first you’re last.” But that’s backwards. v26 “But not so with you”. It is through service…that’s what Jesus says. Absolute power—which he has—did not corrupt him. Why? Because he uses his power to create flourishing for others, even at the expense of self.

v27 Jesus is flipping the whole story. Who is the greatest? It’s the one who serves.

v28-30 is Jesus reassuring them...”The Father delights to give you the kingdom. You’ll eat with me. You don’t have to play this game. It’s a gift. But when we lose sight of that..when we lose sight of the inheritance Jesus gives us…we end up fighting about who is epic, who is in power, who is in control, who is the greatest.

If you find that you’re really trying to control stuff. Trying to be in power, control of your life, worried and striving and feeling like you’re losing stuff, and scared and scratching and clawing to be in charge…what has perhaps happened is that you’ve taken the keys. Not resting in the kingdom that Jesus gives.

He is bringing you rest, rule, and relationship.

II. When we forget that Jesus alone can save, we are overconfident in our own abilities.

Here Jesus turns to Simon. It’s interesting that he calls him Simon and not Peter. But he says Satan has demanded to have you. Language of Job. Marching in, like he owns the place. That’s the picture here. He’s mine. Peter is mine! These disciples…they are mind.

Sift you like wheat. That doesn’t just mean trials and suffering. No it means to sift them so that they don’t remain. Break them. Keep them from persevering. It’s on the heals of what Jesus said in verse 28-29. “You have stayed with me in my trials…I’m giving you the kingdom”.....But Simon, Satan is demanding that this not be the case. He’s demanding that you not inherit the kingdom.

And now watch this. This is where I wish the Bible was written in hillbilly sometimes. If I say “y’all what do I mean”? It’s you-plural. You guys. You uns. All y’all. So I’m going to read this in hillbilly—every time there is a you plural I’m going to say y’all. See if you can catch what is happening.

Simon, Satan demanded to have y’all, that he might sift y’all like wheat, but I have prayed for YOU, that your faith may not fail.

It’s not just Simon who is going to be sifted, and struggle, and fall, but it’s all of them. But listen to this..

And when you (Simon) have turned again. When you repent. When you betray me but then you turn back…you strengthen your brothers. You build them up. You establish them. Rebuild the supports. Fix the foundation. Make it stronger, Peter. Encourage them.

But Peter doesn’t catch this…he has to hear in this, Jesus telling him that he’s going to fall. But he’ll have known of it. Nope, Even if everyone of these turkeys fall I won’t. (That’s kind of how Mark tells it). I’ll go to prison and even death.

No, Peter. You’re going to deny me three times even before the rooster crows.

But this has to happen, Peter. It has to be fulfilled. This is even more explicit in Mark. Jesus quotes Scripture to him. And Peter is like, I’m the exception. No, you aren’t Pete.

APPLY FOR TODAY.

Then he turns back to all of them. Kind of a confusing passage here. When I sent you with nothing did you lack?

Okay, what is happening here. Jesus sent them out earlier Luke 9, Luke 10. And they didn’t lack anything. It was a picture of God’s provision…but the means that God used was the hospitality of others. That’s why they didn’t have needs. They were met by others.

So what is happening in verse 36. Take your moneybag, take your knapsack, if you don’t have a sword sell your shirt to get one?

The disciples, I think hear this as, “self-dependence time”. It’s fighting time. Us vs. Them. We’re in war. Throw out all the rules. Sermon on the Mount doesn’t apply anymore. That’s why a few verses from now you’re going to have Peter lopping off a guys ear.

It’s time to fight. Stand up and fight. Take back what is yours. Don’t let evil prevail. Grab your sword. Is that what Jesus is saying? Is he saying, “it’s war time?

Yes....but no.

Yes, it is war time. Yes, the time is changing. That is the point here. They won’t have hospitality anymore. Why? Look at verse 37. He’s quoting Isaiah 53. Jesus will be numbered among the transgressors. They won’t just treat him as a rabbi, or a mistaken teacher, or something…no, affiliation with Jesus could now lead to a death penalty. You won’t get the same hospitality. You’re going to need that knapsack. You’re going to need that sword to defend yourself from robbers.

But even that sword…Jesus says at the end, “It is enough.” A couple ways to take this. Okay, that’s enough. That’ll do. As in they’ve kind of missed the point but it’s cute and Jesus is saying, “you’ve missed my point, but I”m not going to embarrass you so yeah, that’ll do. Good job.”

But it’s more likely that “It is enough” should be translated “That’s enough!” Enough talk of swords. That’s not the way in which the kingdom comes.

It’s war time…but you don’t fight this battle with swords. This isn’t a call for armed resistance. You don’t bring about the kingdom by the sword. That is foolishness. It’s the opposite of what Jesus says to do.

And so we have our question that is the title of the sermon. Do I need to sell my shirt for a sword?

Yes. But probably not in the way we think of it.

It’s war time. The world will turn against you. The time for somebody giving you a shirt and a meal is over for the disciples. But that doesn’t mean you get that meal by the tip of the sword.

Let’s dip our toe into the waters for the text that we’ll see next time.

Let’s paint a picture of the disciples here. We’ve got a couple swords, the fearless leader Peter—resolved, I won’t deny you, All of them arguing “We’re epic”. It’s go time. Soldiers prepared. Ready to go to battle. Bring the kingdom.

Sit and pray. Pray that you not enter into temptation. And Jesus withdrew and pray…cries out to the father…sweating drops of blood....now look at verse 45. They fell asleep. Grief has gotten hold of them. And they just fell asleep. They couldn’t stay awake.

So, why? Why give us this picture?

Only Jesus can rescue. Only Jesus can bring the kingdom...

What does that mean for you and I.

Good news. Jesus brings the kingdom. He truly gives rest, rule, and relationship. He is giving you, in Christ, these things.

But what does that mean for our striving to be epic. Striving to be the best. It’s okay to be human. Faithful in what you are doing. You don’t have to play this game. Get off the treadmill. He gives rest.

He knows you’re going to blow it at times, just like Peter. Repent. Strengthen your brothers. It doesn’t depend on you. Do you really believe that Jesus loves you and wants to give you the kingdom?

Yes, you might be in a season similar to the disciples where Jesus isn’t so popular. Buying a sword doesn’t mean fight that way for the kingdom.

“The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself.”

We bring about God’s kingdom, in God’s way.

It’s true that “winsomeness” or quiet integrity isn’t going to “work” when the crowd is hell-bent on releasing Barabbas. But surrendering that integrity is never worth it. Follow Christ in the crucifying moments and the resurrecting ones.

People tell us that the fruit of the Spirit, sermon on the mount type of Christianity won’t win our nation back. We need the sword. We need to fight. We need to stand. We need to be warriors, soldiers for Christ, and at times we might need to get a little mean, get a little dirty, do some things in this war that we may not do in peace time.

That sounds heroic. But it’s not heroic to disobey your commander. Your foot-washing commander. He washed Judas’ feet. Yeah, “winsomeness”, being loving, peaceful, joyous, bearing the fruit. It may not work. And in fact in those times when the crowd is hell-bent on shouting Barabbas, it probably isn’t going to “work”.

But it’s what we are called to. Don’t surrender your integrity because you think that will be the means to get rest, rule, or relationship. Ever. It’s never worth it. Because it changes you. It makes you something you maybe can’t come back from—just ask Judas.

No, we follow Christ in the crucifying moments and the resurrecting ones. In season and out of season. Why?

Because Jesus and Jesus along brings the kingdom. He alone gives rest, rule, and relationship.