The Spirit of Salvation

Scripture Reading

Luke 9:51–56 NKJV

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And 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, just as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.

To be a disciple is to be student of someone’s teaching. To be a disciple of Jesus means to follow his teaching. But if we are following him, where are we going? We will see that many people were following Jesus, but were not following him in the right attitude, for the right purpose.

We have completed a major section in the book of Luke. The first major section covered Jesus’ infancy and boyhood; another short section covered his baptism and temptation. Since chapter 4, Luke has been telling us about his Galilean ministry. Now, Jesus has determined to go to Jerusalem to die. From here until chapter 19 he is on his way to Jerusalem. Now that doesn’t mean he’s going straight there. But it does mean that now his ministry is marked by the purpose of going to Jerusalem to die.

Why was it different this time?

Jesus finds a very different reception here among the Samaritans than he did when he met the Samaritan woman back in John 4. There, found no problem being received in the village of Sychar. He spoke with the Samaritan Woman and convinced her that he was the Messiah, then when she brought many in the village back to him, they said John 4:39-42. So what was different?

John 4:39–42 NKJV

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word. Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

In John 4:3-5, Jesus is leaving Judea to begin his Galilean ministry. Thus, he is not going to Jerusalem. The Samaritans had a pretty big problem with Jerusalem, since they believed that Mt Gerezim was the place to worship, not Jerusalem. They were wrong about this btw, since God had in fact commanded Jerusalem to be the rightful place. Anyway, the Samaritans had such a big problem, that the Samaritan woman tried to distract Jesus with the debate when he got uncomfortably close to her own personal life.

John 4:3–5 NKJV

He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

In Luke 9:51-53, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. That’s the reason this village doesn’t receive him. They don’t like where he is going. It’s got nothing to do with his status as Messiah.

However, by refusing to acknowledge the rest of the OT; and by refusing to acknowledge that God had chosen Jerusalem as he had revealed, the Samaritans were indeed rejecting God. It’s just they were expressing the same rejection that had been the problem for centuries - it’s not about Jesus and his team personally.

I. Sometimes Seize the Opportunity

Jesus made an opportunity to share the gospel when he spoke to the Samaritan Woman John 4:6-10

For us, sometimes reaching people for Christ means taking the opportunity right in front of you. Sometimes it means boldly making an opportunity to share the gospel.

Why not call down thunder like Elijah?

James and John - the sons of Thunder - wanted to respond to this rejection of God with fire from heaven.

Jesus doesn’t dispute that he could authorize them to call fire from heaven if he wanted.

But they wanted to do it like Elijah. So what was it that Elijah did, and why did he do it? 2 Kings 1:2-8

2 Kings 1:2–8 NKJV

Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria, and was injured; so he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury.” But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Now therefore, thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” So Elijah departed. And when the messengers returned to him, he said to them, “Why have you come back?” So they said to him, “A man came up to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you, and say to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” ’ ” Then he said to them, “What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?” So they answered him, “A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

Azariah had been injured in a fall from the upper room of his palace, and decided to ask Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron, if he would recover. God sent Elijah to intercept the messengers and indignantly ask them if they though God was dead? Thus, God called down judgment on the king, and told him he would not recover. When Azariah learned it was Elijah, he angrily sent fifty men to arrest Elijah. Elijah acted at the command of God, but now he is in considerable danger, since its not good for your health if you speak a bad word about the king and the king gets mad.

Elijah then called down fire from heaven as self-defense for the first captain of fifty, and the second. But when the third captain was sent, he had a very different attitude. He realized that despite having 50x more men, it was Elijah that had the upper hand, and begged him to not send more fire and kill him. Notice, that the Angel of the Lord [Jesus] said to go with him and not be afraid. 2 Kings 1:9-15

2 Kings 1:9–15 NKJV

Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’ ” So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. Then he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men. And he answered and said to him: “Man of God, thus has the king said, ‘Come down quickly!’ ” So Elijah answered and said to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. Again, he sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, and said to him: “Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. Look, fire has come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties with their fifties. But let my life now be precious in your sight.” And the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king.

In other words, Elijah called down fire from heaven, and while it was judgment, it was also self-defense. Elijah knew that he would be mistreated by the other captains, and might not survive. As soon as his safety could be guaranteed, he gladly went and gave Azariah the same message.

II. Sometimes Stand for the Truth

for us, sometimes a message of judgment is the right course of action, when men have sinned beyond the possibility of repentance. Sometimes standing up for what is right is needed, more than being persuasive to the lost, more than protecting people’s feelings.

So, What was Wrong with James’ and John’ Idea?

Now compare that to what James and John wanted to do.

They weren’t in any danger. They could just go to the next town to get what they needed. They are instead thinking of judging the Samaritans for rejecting God - Elijah also judged the King and his army for rejecting God and worshipping idols. Let’s be clear: this is a very serious sin, and certainly does merit God’s wrath. Jesus doesn’t object because the penalty is unfair, but because the right attitude in this circumstance is mercy, not justice.

The Samaritans were rejecting God, but it was not something that couldn’t change. Eventually Philip would go to the Samaritans and convert them completely. While Azariah wouldn’t change, the Samaritans aren’t hopeless. (Acts 8:4-6, 12)

Acts 8:4–6 NKJV

Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

Acts 8:12 NKJV

But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

Thus, what is needed here is patience. Jesus knows that if he just waits, eventually someone will be able to do what even he cannot do at the moment. Thus, Jesus’ purpose, to save men, will ironically be better accomplished by doing nothing.

III. Sometimes Wait with Mercy

Sometimes . . .

Seize the Opportunity

Stand for the Truth

Wait with Mercy