The Wrong Spirit with the Right Lord
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Luke 9:51-56
One of the hardest lessons for Christians to learn is that it is possible to be right in our doctrine but wrong in our spirit.
We can defend truth with a clenched fist instead of an open hand, and in doing so, we may actually hinder the very work of Christ we think we are protecting.
The disciples in this passage remind us of that.
They were not heretics.
They were not false followers.
They were men who loved Jesus, but they were still learning how to love people like Jesus did.
Luke tells us that Jesus “stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.”
From this moment forward in Luke’s Gospel, every step Jesus takes is toward the cross.
He knows the suffering that awaits Him.
He knows the betrayal, the mockery, the scourging, and the nails.
Yet He moves forward with steady resolve.
That’s the spirit of Christ—focused on salvation, determined to give grace even to those who reject Him.
But not everyone shares His spirit.
The Samaritans reject Him out of prejudice.
The disciples react in anger and want judgment to fall from heaven.
It’s easy to shake our heads at them, but if we’re honest, we’ve been there too.
We’ve wanted to see someone “get what they deserve.”
We’ve burned with frustration when people reject truth or treat us with disrespect.
We’ve carried the spirit of James and John more often than we’d like to admit.
C.H. Spurgeon once said, “Zeal without love is as a ship without a rudder—likely to wreck its owner.”
That’s exactly what happens when we act in judgment instead of grace.
We may be passionate, but we’re not Christlike.
We may be loud, but we’re not Spirit-led.
The world doesn’t need to see more Christians calling down fire.
It needs to see Christians lifting up Christ.
And let’s be honest—we’ve all had “call down fire” moments in everyday life.
Like when someone cuts you off in traffic, and you secretly wish their car would get a flat tire right there on the spot.
Or when your fast-food order is wrong for the third time in a week, and you think, “Lord, smite this place with holy lightning!”
It sounds funny, but it’s revealing.
That spirit of judgment isn’t so far away from us.
James and John lived it, and so do we.
This passage confronts us with a choice.
Will we follow Christ’s steps in His spirit of grace, or will we march in our own spirit of judgment?
James and John had to be corrected, and we sometimes do too.
Tonight, let’s learn from this story so that our zeal for Christ is matched by the spirit of Christ.
So here stand the disciples, wanting to call down fire, and here stands Jesus, determined to go to the cross.
The contrast could not be sharper.
They wanted judgment, but He was focused on grace.
They wanted immediate vengeance, but He was fixed on eternal redemption.
And before we see how He corrects them, we need to first see the example He sets.
Luke begins by showing us the spirit of Christ Himself.
I. The Savior’s Steadfast Resolution
I. The Savior’s Steadfast Resolution
51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
A. His Focus on the Father’s Will
A. His Focus on the Father’s Will
Luke writes, “…he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.”
That phrase “stedfastly set his face” is one of determination.
It is the picture of someone locking their eyes on a target and refusing to be distracted.
Jesus knew what was ahead—betrayal, suffering, the cross—and yet He was not deterred.
Isaiah 50:7 had prophesied,
7 For the Lord God will help me; Therefore shall I not be confounded: Therefore have I set my face like a flint, And I know that I shall not be ashamed.
Following Christ means learning to fix our hearts on God’s will, even when obedience is costly.
Too many Christians today live by feelings, not focus.
But Jesus shows us the spirit of faithfulness—doing the Father’s will with determination, no matter the obstacles.
B. His Forward Movement Toward the Cross
B. His Forward Movement Toward the Cross
Notice that this determination was not toward comfort, but toward the cross.
He was not headed to a throne of gold but to a tree of shame.
He knew He would be “received up,” which refers not only to His crucifixion but to His resurrection and ascension.
Every step forward was a step closer to the redemption of mankind.
John 10:18 reminds us that Jesus said,
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
He was not a victim of circumstances—He was a victor in surrender.
True discipleship is not just about following Jesus into blessing, but following Him into sacrifice.
It means we embrace crosses before we see crowns.
When Hernán Cortés landed in Mexico in the year 1519, and history tells us he ordered his men to burn the ships.
There was no turning back.
The mission was set.
That is what Jesus did when He “set His face.”
He burned the ships of retreat and pressed forward to Calvary.
If we are to follow His steps, we must burn the ships of half-hearted Christianity and live with a spirit of total commitment to Christ.
Jesus had set His face like a flint toward the cross.
Nothing could turn Him aside.
But even though His spirit was steady, not everyone received Him with joy.
When Jesus walked with grace, others responded with resistance.
And here we learn that following His steps will often mean facing rejection.
II. The Samaritan’s Stubborn Rejection
II. The Samaritan’s Stubborn Rejection
52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
A. Their Prejudice Against His Purpose
A. Their Prejudice Against His Purpose
Luke tells us the Samaritans “did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.”
Old wounds between Jews and Samaritans ran deep.
Generations of resentment boiled over at the thought of a Jewish Messiah on His way to Jerusalem.
John 4 had shown us that some Samaritans believed, but here the door of hospitality is slammed shut.
People may reject Christ today not because of the message itself, but because of their prejudice against the messenger.
We have seen that in politics - If someone is on the conservative side anything the Left side says is taken as bad, and if you are on the Left side anything Trump, or any other conservative are evil.
But we have to remember: Sometimes their rejection of you isn’t really about you—it’s about their hurt, their past, or their pride.
B. Their Passing Opportunity to Receive Him
B. Their Passing Opportunity to Receive Him
By rejecting Him, they forfeited the blessing He could have brought.
Jesus was willing to stop in their town, this could have brought, Healing, loved ones possibly raised from the dead, certainly being taught the truth…but they turned Him away.
Hebrews 3:15 warns,
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Take advantage of hearing Jesus while you still can!
Every time someone rejects Christ, they miss the opportunity for grace.
And every time we resist His leading in our own lives, we too miss blessings He longs to give.
Doctors sometimes face the heartbreak of patients who refuse life-saving treatment.
A person may be diagnosed with a serious illness, yet out of pride, fear, or mistrust, they refuse the very medicine that could heal them.
The cure is available, but it is left unopened.
Every time someone turns away Christ, they reject the only One who can heal their deepest need.
The Samaritans rejected the grace that stood at their door.
And today many do the same with Christ.
The Samaritans rejected Him, but if their response was stubborn, the disciples’ response was severe.
Their reaction was not patience or prayer—it was fire from heaven.
And this is where Jesus exposes the spirit of judgment that too often creeps into His followers.
III. The Sons of Thunder’s Severe Reaction
III. The Sons of Thunder’s Severe Reaction
54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
First we see…
A. Their Call for Judgment
A. Their Call for Judgment
When the Samaritans rejected Jesus, James and John immediately asked, “Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?”
They had Bible precedent in mind—2 Kings 1, when Elijah called down fire on the enemies of God.
But they failed to see the difference between Elijah’s mission and Christ’s mission.
Romans 10:2 says of Israel,
2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Zeal without understanding can be dangerous.
We can use Scripture as a weapon to justify our anger instead of letting Scripture shape our spirit.
B. Their Contradiction of Christ’s Spirit
B. Their Contradiction of Christ’s Spirit
Jesus turned and rebuked them, saying, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.”
They thought they were defending His honor, but they were actually dishonoring His heart.
The right Lord was on their side, but the wrong spirit was in their hearts.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
The fruit of the Spirit is love, not wrath.
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
When we act out of anger, bitterness, or revenge, we misrepresent Christ to a watching world.
We may be doctrinally correct and devotionally passionate, but if our spirit is wrong, our testimony is ruined.
John Newton, the former slave trader turned preacher, was once confronted about his patience with difficult people.
He replied, “I remember that I myself need so much forgiveness, that I dare not deny it to others.”
That spirit of grace turned a once harsh man into the writer of “Amazing Grace.”
Newton learned what James and John had to learn—grace is stronger than judgment.
We see this same struggle today when Christians engage in social media battles.
One angry post can undo a thousand quiet testimonies.
People see the rage, but not the Redeemer.
If our online presence or our conversations at work sound more like calling down fire than pointing to Christ, we need the same rebuke Jesus gave His disciples.
After rebuking their spirit, Jesus reminded them of His mission.
The difference between their reaction and His purpose is the heart of this passage.
They wanted destruction, but He came for salvation.
Conclusion
Conclusion
This passage gives us a striking contrast.
We see the Savior’s steadfast resolution—His determined spirit fixed on the cross.
We see the Samaritan’s stubborn rejection—hearts hardened by prejudice.
We see the Sons of Thunder’s severe reaction—zeal without knowledge, passion without grace.
And then we see the Son of Man’s saving reason—He came not to destroy but to save.
The lesson is clear.
If we are truly following His steps, then we must also follow His spirit.
Our world is full of anger.
Our culture runs on outrage.
People are quick to judge, quick to cancel, quick to condemn.
But the Christian must walk differently.
The Christian must reflect the spirit of Christ—grace instead of judgment, love instead of vengeance, salvation instead of destruction.
D.L. Moody once said, “Of one hundred men, one will read the Bible; the ninety-nine will read the Christian.”
That means our spirit is the gospel that people will see.
If they see bitterness in us, they will assume bitterness in Christ.
If they see grace in us, they will be pointed to the grace of Christ.
During the Boxer Rebellion in China at the turn of the 20th century, Christians faced fierce persecution.
One school was surrounded by rebels who placed a cross on the ground at the only exit.
They told the students that if they trampled the cross underfoot, they could go free, but if they honored it and refused, they would be killed.
The first few students trampled it and went free.
But one young girl paused, knelt beside the cross, and prayed for strength.
She walked around it carefully, refusing to dishonor her Savior, and was executed immediately.
Her courage inspired the remaining students to follow her steps, choosing death with Christ over life without Him.
She showed the spirit of Christ—grace, courage, and faith—when judgment and fear could have ruled her heart.
So the question for us tonight is simple but searching:
Whose spirit are we walking in?
Are we quick to call down fire like James and John?
Or are we steady to show grace like Jesus Christ?
If we are truly following His steps, then we must also follow His Spirit.
