The Greatest
Notes
Transcript
Context
Context
43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God.
But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
46 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
This was the pattern. Jesus tells His disciples something about His kingdom and about His purpose and they demonstrate that they do not get it. And as you can see, the disciples’ argument about who is the greatest is a repeat argument.
There were some sobering realities brought to the table (no pun intended) in Luke 22 that the disciples clearly did not understand. What was taking place in this upper room was not casual for Jesus. Jesus told His disciples in verse 15
Luke 22:15 (ESV)
15 I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
This was an important moment for them. Think of what we have ;earned so far in this chapter:
Judas betrayed Jesus. He was a satanic mission. He linked arms with those who sought Jesus’ end.
And Jesus, at this Last Supper, makes clear to the disciples that there was among them one who would betray Him. And after hearing this news from Jesus:
23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.
So, that one of them, according to Jesus, would betray Him caught their attention. They had a discussion about it. They were troubled by it.
But Jesus, after all the preparations for the Passover were completed, and remember the preparation itself was a display of Christ’s sovereignty, Jesus taught His disciples.
He tells them that He will not eat the meal again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God (v. 16).
Jesus refers to His impending death by saying they bread is His body that will be broken for them and the cup is His blood shed for them.
Here we are on the cusp of the plan of redemption unfolding. Jesus had told His disciples more than once that He would suffer, He would die and He would rise. They didn’t understand, and they still do not.
And we might understand. We might say, it’s just too much for anyone to be able to recognize in this moment in redemptive history what Jesus was referencing. OK, but clearly there was something important here. Clearly between Jesus’ reference to His betrayal to His body being broken and His blood being shed for them, they were faced with issues that needed further clarification.
But, as we will quickly see, the disciples did not get it. Perhaps as they discussed who who it might be that is the betrayer, they began to say, I would never do that. I could see you doing that, but me? Never. I mean let’s get real about who is the greatest among us. Perhaps this is how the argument evolved.
But as we have seen many times in Luke’s gospel, Jesus is patient with His disciples, and use the many moments of their ignorance as opportunities to teach them. And this is what we see in our text today.
So let’s read….
24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 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.
28 “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Introduction
Introduction
The creation account in Gen. 1 is familiar to many of us. Out of nothing God created the universe. We can’t allow our familiarity with this to prevent us from being amazed at the display of God’s power. But it not only the fact that God created everything ex nilho that should take our breath away. After creating everything, including man…. after forming man from the dust of the ground and breathed into His nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living creature, we are told in
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
God gave Adam a place to live. A place to take care of. A place to rule under the authority of His Creator. God continued His instruction to Adam:
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Adam was to exercise dominion, that is rule over God’s creation. It was a perfect place. It lacked nothing. Adam would have everything he needed. The instructions were clear: eat from any tree in the garden except from the tree if the knowledge of good and evil.
Oh, and in addition God gave the man a wife so he would not be alone.
We get to Genesis 3, and another way of thinking is introduced to Adam and Eve. Introduced by one who is described as more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord had made. Crafty means that this serpent was marked by an exceptional ability to deceive. We know the story well, the serpent engages the woman by calling into question what God had actually said. He suggested that there is justification to doubt God’s instructions… to doubt the if what God commanded is the best for her and her husband. Satan suggested for Adam and Eve’s consideration that perhaps there was another way… a better way… a more satisfying way.
1 … “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
The exchange continued, and the more the couple listened to the serpent, the more open to his instruction they became and what seemed to be a mere instant, they adopted another way of thinking. They believed in that moment something else.
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
In addition to being described as crafty or deceitful, Satan is referenced as the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4). And as the god of this world, he seeks to spread the same lies that he told Adam and Eve. There is reason to doubt God’s instructions, there is reason to ponder if God’s ways are always the best ways, we should leave our options open, there may be a better more satisfying way. Worldly thinking. We’re all susceptible to it. The way life unfolds, the fallen world around us, the sinful desires we possess, Satan is still at work.
Theologians will refer to the Garden of Eden as a kingdom. It was God’s kingdom, that He created and gave to Adam and Even to have dominion… to rule over. Their authority was a God-given authority, but they were entrusted with this kingdom. If they centered their lives on the kingdom of God which includes the instructions God gave… if they fixed their desires, their satisfaction, their hope on the Kingdom of God, they would have life. But as they learned, when they transferred their hope from the kingdom to the world (and the god of this world), they ultimately received death.
In what do you hope? In whom do you hope. What is the substance, in other words, of your hope. Because, we need to see and be aware of the powerful deception that we face that:
FCF
FCF
Worldly beliefs stop us from hoping in God’s promise of His kingdom.
Now, what’s important to do here is be sure we know what is meant by the kingdom of God. It comes up because of what Jesus says in verse 29:
29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom,
So what are we referencing when we refer to the kingdom of God?
Let’s start with the big picture. God’s reign… His rule. Over what does He reign? All that belongs to Him. What belongs to Him? All that He created. What has He created? The universe and everything in it. That’s the big picture.
But it’s right for us to narrow a focus when it comes to understanding the kingdom of God. Consider the familiar words of John the baptist:
2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Jesus Himself said the same thing after His testing in the wilderness:
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
The question that arises from these declarations is if the kingdom of God consists of all of the universe over which God reigns, why would anyone announce that the kingdom of God was drawing near?
So now we narrow our focus and see at the heart of this theme is the idea of God’s messianic kingdom. It is a kingdom that will be ruled by God’s appointed Messiah, who will be not just the Redeemer of His people, but their King.
Further clarity is given in the exchange between Jesus and His disciples just before He ascended to heaven. The disciples ask Him a question:
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
Jesus responds by teaching… reteaching them:
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The kingdom of God is a kingdom that would break through into this world, a kingdom that would be ruled by God’s anointed Messiah. The kingdom of God was near to them because the King of the kingdom was there. When He came, Jesus inaugurated God’s kingdom. He didn’t consummate it, but He started it.
So Jesus’ kingship is not something that remains in the future. Christ is King right this minute. He is in the seat of the highest cosmic authority. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to God’s anointed Son (Matt. 28:18).
The reality of the transcendent and imminent nature of the kingdom of God is captured by what Paul said in Phil.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
If you are in Christ, you have been made a citizen of His kingdom…. but we wait for Him to return and bring His rule to fruition.
This is what needs to govern the thinking of the people of God. Christ is King and He is ruling now. But He will return and bring His Kingdom to fruition on earth.
But, back to our problem: Worldly beliefs stop us from hoping in God’s promise of His kingdom.
The world has a different message. We reign over our own lives…. as William Henley would have us believe, we are the masters of our fate, we are the captains of our souls.
It’s easy enough to dismiss this idea. It flies in the face of biblical teaching, but there are subtle ways the myth of the sovereignty of man can creep into our lives. We have been raised to be self-sufficient. And when we buy into this belief, we loose sight of God’s kingdom, His reign… our Messiah who is king of kings and Lord of lords.
So, let me suggest, as we turn our attention to the text:
Main Idea
Main Idea
Hoping in God’s promise of His kingdom protects against worldly beliefs.
Saying something like this may sound good, but its meaning may not be clear. That’s the burden of the rest of the sermon? Answering the question:
Analytical Question
Analytical Question
What does it mean to hope in God’s promise of His kingdom?
Immediate Context of v. 24
Immediate Context of v. 24
Back in verse 21, Jesus makes clear that one of them (the disciples) would betray Him. And in verse 23, we see that they began to question one another, which of them could it be who was going to do this. Looking at 23 the word question, as in they began to question each other means they started to debate with one another.
They probably began to say things like, yeah, I can see how so and so could do this. Yeah Thaddeus could be the guy… I always thought there was something off about Andrew…
So, we can see how a exchange like that could devolve into a debate about who should be regarded as the greatest.
Jesus’ response is so gracious. He was facing the horrific events of His disciples’ desertion, His arrest, torture, crucifixion… His disciples are having this petty argument. But he teaches them about His kingdom.
What does it mean to hope in the kingdom of God?
Adopting a life of humility (25-27)
Adopting a life of humility (25-27)
Jesus outlines this life of humility. Here are the consequences of living this kind of life:
A different pattern (25-26a)
A different pattern (25-26a)
How does the world understand greatness? Jesus tells His disciples to consider the kings of the Gentiles. These king are dictators… despots. They lord their authority over those under their rule.The same word was used to caution elders in the church:
3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
They are self-serving.
Notice these kings are called benefactors. This is an honorary title. It refers to a person who helps people. But this title reflect the kings’ own understanding of themselves. They are God’s gift to the people. But really, they rule by keeping the necks of the people under their foot.
But Jesus draws a sharp contrast between His followers and these kings. Not so with you - beginning of verse 26.
Keep in mind their were no democracies. The disciples were familiar with someone being on top and in control, and many others below and not in control. This was the world of kinds and emperors and caesars and pharoahs…
But Jesus is saying, that’s not how my kingdom works. The kingdom of God operates by a different pattern than that of the world.
Another consequence of a life of humility is
A different posture (26b)
A different posture (26b)
This is reminiscent of what was said in Matthew’s gospel (see Matt 20:26-27).
In Christ’s kingdom it’s not about power but humility. It’s not about prioritizing self but others.
In fact, there is a command here in verse 26: Let the greatest among you become the youngest. Jesus is saying, because you are not of the world, you are to be different than those who presume themselves to be great. You are to become as the youngest… a leader who serves.
The youngest refers to those who perform the lowliest service. This is what we see in Acts 5, after Ananias dies:
6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
The young men did this.
In this culture, age and honor went together. And Jesus is saying to His disciples that the way it works in my kingdom is that a mark of greatness is the willingness to serve. To do the things that are regarded as lowly… insignificant, unimportant.
Humility will also lead us to
A different perspective (27)
A different perspective (27)
I want to point out at this point that Luke provides just some of the highlights of what occured in this exchange between Jesus and His disciples. To get the full picture, we could go to John 13-17, but we won’t do that now.
I do however want to get fill in some of the blanks by looking at some of John 13.
Before we go there, notice the question Jesus asks in verse 27: who is greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? The answer is obvious. The one who reclines is greater. This is how the world sees it.
Jesus makes the point that He is the greatest among, but let’s remind ourselves of what greatness looks like according to Jesus:
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
Now, why is this great? Why is this a picture of greatness? Certainly, we are meant to take what Jesus does here as an example to be followed. He said this much later in the chapter:
14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.
So yes, we should be willing to serve one another. We should follow the example of Christ.
But consider the exchange between Jesus and Peter:
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
Peter could not handle this. It was embarrassing, humiliating that Jesus would wash his feet. And Jesus understood this. he understood that Peter did not understand. What was about to unfold in the life of Jesus would overcome all the trouble that existed in the lives of His disciples. He would conquer their sin. And would become clear soon enough to Peter and the rest of His disciples.
We needed the greatest among us to serve us. Only the greatest among us could provide what we needed. He served us and provided us life. And now, we are to follow this pattern. Citizens of the kingdom of God exist to serve. This is greatness. A new perspective.
End of verse 27, Jesus says, I am among you as the one who serves. He is the greatest among them. He is the person deserving honor, but instead of reclining, He served.
We hope in God’s promise of His kingdom by adopting a life of humility. As we do, we be different from the world.
Remember the disciples were thinking worldly. They wanted to know who should be regarded the greatest. And Jesus’ answer to their ignorance was to call them to humility.
We are humble because when we consider the humility Jesus displayed in His atoning work for His people, we clearly see we have no justification to boast. We find nothing appealing about worldly greatness because being regarded as better than someone else means nothing. Being loved by Christ means everything.
And we are humble, because a life of humility is the way of Christ. He provided is an example and we are to follow Him.
Another protection against adopting worldly beliefs is to
Accept the promise of God (28-30)
Accept the promise of God (28-30)
This is not to suggest that the promise of the kingdom Christ makes to His disciples is contingent on them accepting it. In fact, we know they are about to reject Him. Peter will deny Him and the rest of the disciples will be scattered. But their failure did not nullify the promise. But, we must accept the promise of God to guard against worldly thinking.
We have assurances in this promise.
Of what are we assured in the promise?
Christ will fortify us in our suffering (28)
Christ will fortify us in our suffering (28)
Notice what Jesus does in verse 28. He takes a moment to encourage His disciples. Another display of compassion towards them. He commends them for sticking with Him throughout His trials.
When we get behind the grammar of the word stayed it seems clear that Jesus is saying to His disciples that they have persevered through His past trials (not just the recent ones).
Many disciples left. The gospel of John again:
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
They were still with Him.
We demonstrate that we belong to Christ as we persevere. It seems that Jesus is saying, you belong to me. You’re mine. Despite their failures, ignorance, pride and misplaced ambition, they belong to Christ.
They remained and they have endured.
Keep your eyes on the horizon.
The promise of the kingdom also assures us that
Christ will fulfill His promise to us (29)
Christ will fulfill His promise to us (29)
Focus on the word assign in verse 29. That word can also mean make a covenant with.
Listen to how it’s used in Heb.
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”
A reference to the New Covenant.
I suggest that’s what’s going on here in Luke 22.
What did Jesus do just a few verses up? He established the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper up in verse 20. The Lord’s Supper points to the promise the people of God possess that we will share in the future consummation of the kingdom when Christ will return and reign.
And notice in verse 29, Jesus makes a comparison: as my Father assigned to me [a kingdom], I assign to you a kingdom. As certain as God’s granting to Jesus a kingdom, Jesus is granting a kingdom to His followers.
Now, it’s clear that this includes a future, yet to be fulfilled component to this promise of the kingdom, but I suggest we are meant to see a present reality to this promise.
Certainly, we partake of the Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday of the month, we experience some of what we see in verse 30. We do eat and drink at the table of the Lord, knowing of course that what we do we do in anticipation of the celebration of the Marriage Feast of the Lamb.
But when it comes to Jesus assigning us a kingdom, and by the way, the grammar makes clear He was saying He was conferring this kingdom upon His disciples then in some way… when it comes to this assignment, we should consider the connection between the church and the kingdom.
I don’t want to lead us too far into the weeds, but consider what Peter said in his first epistle:
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Who is the church? A chosen race, a royal priesthood. The church is not simply a collection of individuals who are forgiven. It is a “royal nation”. It is a counterculture that represents the kingdom. And the church’s mission is to proclaim the excellencies of Him who called her. We go into the world as witnesses of the kingdom. This is what Jesus made clear to His disciples just before he ascended to heaven.
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The church can be understood as an embassy or outpost of the Kingdom. An embassy is an officially sanctioned outpost of one nation inside the borders of another nation.
Jesus established local churches to declare some of heaven’s judgments now. We do this as we preach the gospel, and commit ourselves to sound doctrine, and partake of the Lord’s Supper and Baptism in a manner that honors the Lord.
All of this and more is what we see in Matt 16 & 18 where Jesus entrusts churches to declare the judgments of heaven through the keys of the kingdom.
So there is a present reality to the kingdom, but yes, there is a future component.
Jesus will display His favor for His people (30-31)
Jesus will display His favor for His people (30-31)
Jesus tells His disciples that they will sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.
This is similar to what Matthew said:
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Perhaps Luke does not reference twelve thrones due to Judas’ betrayal… Of course a twelfth disciple would be added in Acts in Matthias.
But the followers of Christ will be with Christ in His kingdom and will do what He commissions them to do.
I think this means that the twelve tribes of Israel will be present, but the whole of the people of God will be in the kingdom. It appears that the twelve disciples will have a significant role of authority in the kingdom and will participate in the final judgement.
In the consummation of His kingdom, that Jesus has a people of His own… His covenant people to whom He has given a kingdom, will be clear. The people of God are privileged people now, but this privilege will be on display as Jesus ushers in His kingdom.
And let’s not loose sight of the rule of our King in this scene:
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
Conclusion
Conclusion
Hope in this promise. Hope in God’s promise of His kingdom. What will satisfy the longings of our souls. Not the world as Satan would have us believe.
Adopting a life of humility is the way of the kingdom. Fixing our hope on the promises of God… regarding God’s promise of His kingdom to be the true substance of our hope is the way of His kingdom.
All else is loss… this is what Adam and Eve learned.. this is what you and I learn. We are citizens of heaven. We are part of God’s kingdom.
