Jesus Proves Himself and is Doubted part 2

And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

3. Catch-

How can a “bad gift” turn out to be something really good?

Someone online said they got instant rice for a gift… but that turned out pretty good when they got hungry

Review

We’re currently in a section of Luke focused on Jesus’ early ministry… setting the foundation

These miracles were designed to show people who Jesus and why he should be listened to

They gave evidence that He really could do what he said he would

verse 11-17 tells the story of Jesus’ compassion

He saw a poor widow weeping over her dead son

ANd he was moved with compassion

So what did Jesus do for her?

Jesus’ response was pure authority

Luke 7:14–15 ESV

Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

Even after those miracles, we will see how those do not extinguish the doubts, even when people see them with their own eyes

Jesus proved miracles were not sufficient to convince, but we should trust the scriptures

1. Jesus’ compassion proved by His miracles (11-17)

2. Jesus’ crown proved by Scripture, not just miracles (18-23)

i. Explanation

1. Doubt’s growth in dichotomy (18-19)

Where John is

Where is John right now? Why is he there?

Tradition states he in Machaerus, in a cave prision

This was the southern part of the transjordan, far away from Jesus in the North

John, the extended cousin of Jesus was put in prison for accusing King Herod of sin

He’s struggling now, though he said Jesus was the one to come, he’s having doubts and asking

Luke 7:19–20- calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’ ”

Why do you think the question repeated the exact same way?

Remember, in the ancient world, text space was a premium, so they wouldn’t waste words… this is for emphasis.

John is struggling and his followers know it

What John expected

What John said

Luke 3:16–17 ESV

John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

What image do you get when it talks about him burning the chaff?

a. But Jesus will also bring judgment

i. Notice that phrase “and fire”

ii. Fire is not a good thing

Matthew 25:41- “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Luke 12:49- “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!

iii. Look at verse v17. He takes a winnowing fork which is a large stick like this

iv. People would take a wooden forklike shovel used to lift the grain in the air, so that the wind or a winnowing fan could separate the wheat from the chaff"

v. The good wheat would be placed in a barn like this figure is showing

He expected Judgment and power

John read his bible too

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Psalm 2:1–4 ESV

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.

Psalm 118:26–27- Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!

What John sees

Jesus did miracles, but

As John sat in prison, wicked King Herod reigned on the throne in Jerusalem, the adulterer who had John thrown in jail and later beheaded him. No wonder John was puzzled and confused.

Jesus looked less like the promised Messiah every day, from where John sat.

Jesus did not carry out everything that the Old Testament said this King would do. Because of this, many were puzzled and confused

What will Jesus do when he comes the second time?

The Disciples doubted too

When he was still alive:

Matthew 16:15- He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

There is no hint that any of the others yet fully shared Peter’s conviction. Our Lord’s ‘Blessed art thou’ was addressed to one only, Simon Bar Jonas. Why only Peter? The others saw the same things and heard the same words over the same period of time. Some who heard and saw called Him a sinner, a blasphemer, an agent of Beelzebub. Their hearts were hardened, their eyes blinded

And after he died and resurrected

On the Road to Emmaus, they didn’t believe

Luke 24:19–25 ESV

And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

It wasn’t until Jesus revealed himself, that they do believe

John does exactly what should be done… he goes to directly to Jesus in his doubut

So, if you want to work through your doubt, stay in church!

a. Almost all evangelicals (95%) say their time of doubt improved their faith, as well as a high number of practicing Christians (87%) and active church attenders (81%).

b. of those who self-identified as Christian but did not attend church (unchurched), only one-third (34%) came out the other side of spiritual doubt feeling their faith had been reinforced.

The prophets were always able to bring their doubts directly to God

Habakkuk 1:2–3 ESV

O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.

2. Doubts refuse to shrink by miracles(20-21)

They come to Jesus traveling up to Sea of Galilee

Notice verse 21 starts with “in that hour,” meaning, at that time, within ~60 minutes, Jesus was doing miracles

What do they find there?

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 7

Luke prefaces Jesus’ response to John with a summary of his ministry of healing (cf. 4:40–41; 5:15; 6:18–19).

What miracles do they see?

The miracles include:

healing diseases, great sickness, and demons… we’ve talked before about how Jesus does the same thing for disease and demons, not to say that demons cause disease, but to show his power over both

The blind, the word literally means their eyes envovloped with smoke are given sign

They see all the miracles but it is not enough, they still ask

Because their master is not experiencing these things

Greek word for “grace” and describes the type of giving often associated with God. The word charidzomai means “to give graciously” or “to bestow on one a favor or kindness.”

romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

Scripture records another gift graciously given by God, but it is a gift no one requests. No one becomes envious when God bestows it on others, and no one anxiously awaits its arrival

Phil. 1:29 “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,”

Pastor and seminary Professor Greg Harris writes

a verse that indicates God graciously gives suffering. It does not sound like Him, and it does not sound like us. If we were to visit friends in the hospital in intense suffering and inform them their suffering was a gracious gift from God, we would border on barbaric cruelty. Yet Paul writes this regarding the Philippians' suffering. It is not an apology because, after all, who apologizes for a gift?

Part of the reason we do not view suffering as originating from God is, from our earthly perspective, we do not associate it with good; we associate suffering with evil. We would hardly put suffering in the same category with other gifts we receive from God, such as freedom from the penalty of our sin or the refreshing elements of the fruit of the Spirit.

Paul became a visible demonstration of how God used suffering for the Philippians' invisible faith. He could properly recognize the source and reason for the suffering of the Philippians and encourage them accordingly. This may partly explain why God often gives suffering to those He loves. Those who suffer under the Lord's design do so not only for what it does for them, but also as a means of God's grace extended to others.

So, Jesus responds, not by giving more evidence, but refocusing the miracles in light of God’s eternal plan

3. Doubts rebuked by Scripture (22-23)

Jesus takes John’s eyes off himself, and put them on what scripture says about jesus

The evidence

Jesus doesn’t just say His birth in Bethlehem from the line of David was consistent with prophecies about the Messiah. Or Jesus could have referred to His remarkable knowledge of the Scriptures and to His unparalleled teaching abilities

Jesus's reply, calling attention to the deeds he has been performing,

HIs point is to connect them back to Isa 35:5-6 and Isa 61:1,

which first-century Jews regarded as messianic promises. The words from Isaiah's messianic prophecies are echoed in the words Jesus uses to reply to John's disciples.

"Yes, I am the Messiah. See how my ministry fulfills what was promised through the prophet Isaiah?"

Isaiah 35:5–6 “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;”

Isaiah 61:1- The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound

These good works adorned or made beautiful the doctrine of his messiahship

Titus 2:9–10- Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

The Call

Blessed

Where have we seen that word?

is same word used for those in the sermon on the plain for those who are a state of blessing...possessing the favor of God

σκανδαλίζω skandalízō

The word means To cause to stumble and fall,

He is reminding John that his apparent failure is not actually true… the only way that would happen is he is gives up and on Jesus

John piper paraphrases Jesus response as, “All my healing and preaching are a demonstration of my messiahship, but don't take offense that I am not fulfilling the political expectation of earthly rule. I am the one who is to come, but my central mission (in this first coming) is suffering--to give my life as a ransom for many”

iv. Application

There will be times when all of our experiences will go against what God says

Nehemiah experienced one of those as the people of Israel were in exile, Jersualem still in ruins

But he said

Nehemiah 1:4–9- As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, “O LordGod of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you.

he had to pray based on the character of his God rather than his circumstances

But he does the same great thing that John does… he goes straight to God

When your world is falling apart grieve and weep and run to your God in prayer, for your God is faithful

III. Conclusion

Never forget what God is doing as Fanny Crosby did not

IV. Closing prayer

Lord, allow us to not base ourselves on our situation, but on your unchanging word