Luke 7:18-35 "Offended at Jesus"

Let’s Pray!

Good Morning, Calvary Chapel Lake City!

23 years ago today… I married my beautiful bride! Happy Anniversary Amanda!

Please congratulate her for 23 faithful years of putting up with me! That’s no small feat.

On a different note… The Men’s Advance Men’s Retreat is May 1st-3rd at Life Action Camp in Buchanan, MI… which is just over an hour away… not too far.

The camp is a mix of teachings/worship and prayer… fun camp activities… food and fellowship.

I’m interested in going for my third time, and would like to get a head count of those interested.… so if you think you might attend, please complete the interest sheet at the info table.

You can bring your son if they are old enough to sit through teaching sessions and won’t be a distraction to you.

The cost is $145 to tent camp… and $190 for a cabin.

I hope a group of us can go to the retreat… it’s a good time in Scripture and in fellowship.

Well, let’s open our Bibles to Luke. Luke 7:18-35 today.

The last two messages in Luke focused on Jesus demonstrating His authority to heal…

Jesus healed a Centurion’s servant… and raised a widow’s son from the dead.

And all who observed this were in reverential awe… worshipped God… and proclaimed a great prophet had risen up among them… and that “God has visited His people.”

We closed in V17 which reads, “And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.”

And, we’ll see today… this report of Jesus healing the sick and raising the dead… reached the ears of John the Baptist’s disciples…

… who told John who was in prison.… and no doubt was struggling because of his circumstance…

After all… DID NOT Isaiah prophesy that Messiah would “… proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound...” ? (Isa 61:1)

A passage Jesus Himself read back in Luke 4 in a synagogue in Nazareth.

And yet… John was captive, bound… and obviously struggling.

Did John think… “Great that Jesus is healing the sick and raising the dead, but what about me in prison?… Is He really Messiah?”

And while this is an old account… many Christians still to this day find themselves struggling when life is hard…

… and God fails to meet their expectations… or their timeline… and they become “Offended at Jesus”… which is our message title today.

Let’s take a look at this account where John very much felt this way… and in reverence for God’s word, if you are able, please stand as I read our passage.

Luke 7:18–35 but just 18-23 now to set the scene… “Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. 19 And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

20 When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ ” 21 And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.

22 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. 23 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

Praise God for His word. Please be seated.

V18 begins with John’s disciples hearing the report of Jesus… noted in V17 “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.”

And John’s disciples told John… V18 states this… and we are clearly told that John was in prison in Matt 11:2 “And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples...”

After Jesus raised the widow’s son… the report was “God has visited His people.”

I wonder if this sounded familiar to John… for his own father, Zacharias… filled with the Holy Spirit prophesied in Luke 1:68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people,”

Redeemed means, “a ransoming, deliverance or liberation.” But where was John’s freedom?

So V19 John called two of his disciples… and sent them with this message for Jesus, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

John did not pull punches. He spoke boldly… He spoke his mind… surprisingly even to Jesus, and this was not the first time.

While baptizing in the wilderness… John said to Jesus, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

Also while baptizing in the wilderness… John called the Jewish Elite… the Pharisees and Sadducees a “Brood of Vipers.” (a family of snakes).

It was John’s very boldness in calling out Herod Antipas… that landed John in prison.

Mark 6:17-18 records “For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. 18 Because John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Herodias was married to Philip the Tetrarch… Herod Antipas’ brother. She deserted Philip for Antipas… and John righteously called them out… which most people didn’t do… and it cost him his life.

Matt 14:1-12 and Mark 6:14-29 records the murder of John the Baptist where Herodias has John the Baptist’s head presented on a platter.

And we know the name of his prison because of the Jewish Historian Josephus who wrote, “Accordingly he [John] was sent a prisoner, out of Herod’s suspicious temper, to Macherus...and was there put to death.” (Antiquities 18.5.2)

Machaerus was built as a treasury by a Hasmonean king around 90 B.C. It was destroyed by the Romans, and rebuilt as a Fortress by Herod the Great.

Pliny the Elder stated it came only second to Jerusalem in strength of fortifications.

And the ruins of the fortress prison Machaerus still exist today… east of the Dead Sea in modern day Jordan…

And, I love how this biblical account is verified by a secular historians, and the location of this imprisonment is verified by archeology… all which testify of the veracity of the Bible.

UNLIKE cults… Like Mormonism… who lack archeological evidence… they attest of great battles yet cannot produce a single shield or arrowhead where they state battles occured.

They speak of cities like “Bountiful”… but have not idea where they are.

They should rename Bountiful to “Invisible”… or “Implausible”… … for those names are more ‘suitable.’

John’s message here in V19 asks if Jesus is “the Coming One”

The Coming One was a title for Messiah.

It reflected a Hebrew concept of foretold and expected things that would come to pass.

There is not a single passage that speaks of the Coming One… rather there are several OT passages from where this eschatological title emerges:

Ps 118:26 "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!"

Isaiah 59:20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion…”

Daniel 7:13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven!”

Zechariah 9:9 “Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”

And the Jews… including John and Jesus’ own disciples… indeed expected Messiah to come…

Jesus checked many boxes that lined up with Messiah… He was from the line of David… born in Bethlehem… born of a virgin… He came preaching the Kingdom of Heaven… He healed the sick… raised the dead…

But there was one thing Jesus did NOT do… and this led many Jews to stumble… ultimately reject Him… and crucify Him…

He failed to free them from Roman domination and oppression… and restore the Kingdom.

Where was His white horse? Like conquerors rode on? He’s lowly riding on a donkey… and they were stumbled… and He did not meet their expectations.

The Jews had an image and expectation of Messiah… which they didn’t just imagine… it was not just some unfounded idea…

… multiple OT passages speak about Messiah coming to conquer Israel’s oppressors… establish His kingdom… usher in the Kingdom Age… and bring peace on earth.

And when they read verses like the following… they expected Messiah to come to liberate Israel… and restore the Kingdom. Because they read:

Isaiah 9:7 “Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end…”

Isa 11:4 “...with righteousness He shall judge… He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth...”

“The wolf… shall dwell with the lamb...”

Dan 7:14 “… to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom… His dominion is an everlasting dominion...”

Jeremiah 23:5–6 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely...”

We understand these verses point to His Millennial Reign… But, Jews failed to see this, and they stumbled.

How could Jesus be Messiah… when Judah was not saved or delivered from Rome?

Jesus did not live up to this image portrayed in Scripture… at least not what they had deduced from their interpretation of scripture.

And Jews were offended by Him.

What the Jews failed to understand is that Messiah would come first to redeem mankind by dying for sin… and rise again to defeat death… as sin and death are far greater oppressors to mankind than Rome or any other nation ever was.

But, their misinterpretation came… when Jews read OT prophecies of the coming Messiah… they failed to distinguish His 1st and 2nd coming… which is easy to do as numerous OT verses appear as though Messiah will come once.

We have the advantage of hindsight. We have the advantage of Jesus’ words in the Gospel, the full revelation of the NT, and the historical advantage of knowing Jesus died, rose again, ascended, and then the Holy Spirit came.

But, in the 1st century, the Jews did not have all of this revelation, which led them to reject and oppose Jesus since He and His ministry did not meet their expectations of the Messiah they thought would come.

And before we throw stones at them… imagine not having a New Testament… and let’s read just one example of a passage where in the same verse… the context shifts from Jesus’ 1st to 2nd coming.

And just imagine how easy it would be to get it wrong.

In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus was in Nazareth and He went to the synagogue on Sabbath…

He stood up… found what we call Isa 61:1-2a and read, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind; To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.”

And, then He said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

In His first coming He came to fulfill that much.

What He didn’t read was Isa 61:2b, “And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn...” which would be fulfilled in His 2nd coming.

And, there are many OT verses just like this, which greatly confused the 1st Century Jews.

Even Jesus’ own disciples were confused. They asked in Acts 1:6, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

They expected the 2nd coming when Jesus will usher in the Kingdom Age.

And, as we read through this account of John the Baptist… understanding Messiah coming in Two Advents…

… helps us understand why John was offended at Jesus… and why he was asking this hard question about whether or not Jesus was the Coming One… the Messiah.

John indeed had expectations of liberty upon Jesus.

And we see this clearly… early in John’s ministry right after he called the Pharisees and Sadducees a ‘brood of vipers’…

John said in Matt 3:11-12, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. [The Baptism of the Holy Spirit was gifted at Jesus’ 1st coming, but the Baptism of Fire… paired with the rest of what John said… happens in Jesus 2nd Coming… ] 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John failed to distinguish the 1st and 2nd coming.

John expected Jesus to be the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” AND expected Him to separate all the unbelieving chaff from Israel.

And there sat John in the prison of Herod Antipas… and John’ thinking maybe he got it wrong. Maybe Jesus isn’t the Messiah…

Or if He is… let me send my guys and perhaps that will stir things up in the direction I think is right.

What would have been best for John… was to go back to his stones of remembrance.

Had he forgotten when he baptized Jesus… and the Spirit descended upon Jesus… and the Father spoke from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

And… are we not often just like John?… allowing a present circumstance to overshadow the many stones of remembrance of God’s faithfulness?

How many times have we be near sighted by trials… where we get frustrated with God… and get anxious about the future…

When we can look back to God’s faithfulness in seeing us through… that is… when we let Him.

Did John really understand his own words when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Perhaps he just didn’t have prison in mind.

And… John seemingly offended at Jesus… sends his boys to ask, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

And in V20 When the men [John’s two disciples] had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ ”

I love that… they make sure to say, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying...”

It’s like they’re saying… “John said it… not me… don’t shoot the messenger.”

There’s a lesson for us to learn here… Israel, John, and Jesus’ disciples… they misinterpreted scripture and created an expectation upon Jesus that was not part of His 1st coming.

And today… people find themselves struggling with God… offended at Jesus… and even falling away from faith…

When the storms of life come… when a trial rocks their world… they become disappointed… because they had expectations that life would be easier.

I don’t remember Jesus ever saying, “Life will be easy.”

Actually in John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.””

We need to be cautious about what expectations we place upon Jesus.

Or, we’ll be disappointed and offended…

… when we expect Him to open doors premature of His timing.

Or for Him to speak when His silence means ‘wait.’

Or, heal us… when His grace is sufficient for us… as it was for Paul.

Can we be faithful to Him during prosperity and during trial?

We need to be humble and realize that we don’t know best…

God is mysterious and moves in mysterious ways that are perfect… God’s ways are higher than our ways…

So we are to wait on the Lord… and trust in Him… and not question Him or be offended by Him…

Because the problem is not God, but so often our own expectations.

We do well to realize that He is God and we are not…

Proverbs 3:5–6 wisely directs, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

And in the case of John… as he is struggling… and sends his disciples to ask Jesus if He is Messiah, or should they look for another? … (Which just seems wildly offensive)…

Notice how Jesus handles this.

He doesn’t get prideful and defend Himself as Messiah.

He doesn’t call fire down from heaven in anger.

He doesn’t say anything… He is silent… except to allow His ministry do the talking…

V21 And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.

So often… it is best to keep our eyes on God… be faithful to Him… and let God defend us over time.

In Psalm 62 David wrote a psalm of encouragement to trust in God as our defender…

Psalm 62:5–6 reads, “My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation [my hope] is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.”

David had many enemies during His lifetime but waited on and trusted God as His source of safety and strength (my rock)… his deliverance and victory (my salvation)… his stronghold or fortress (my defense)…

And as David looked to God, he could stand confident proclaiming, “I shall not be moved”… he would not be shaken…

For his house was built on the rock.

It’s wild that in Jesus’ case… the opposition against Him… the one questioning Him is His own forerunner… John the Baptist who announce Jesus’ coming and pointed his own disciples to follow Jesus.

But such is human nature when we take our eyes off God. When we look at life’s circumstances and get away from God’s promises in His word… so often we find ourselves in error against God.

And this was John’s issue… he is questioning Jesus because his present circumstances were terrible.

But despite John being offended at Jesus… and dealing an offensive question to Jesus.…

Jesus handles this offense with grace. He let’s His actions do the talking…

And after performing many miracles… which proved He was the Coming One… Jesus now addresses John’s disciples…

vv22-23 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. 23 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

Jesus now tells John’s disciple to return to John and tell him what they observed…

For they observed many messianic signs that authenticated Jesus was Messiah… signs that fulfilled what Isaiah prophesied of the Coming One.

The blind see, the lame walk, and the deaf hear (fulfilling Isaiah 35:5-6 and Isa 61:1)

Lepers are cleansed (fulfilling Lev 14)

The dead are raised (fulfilling Isaiah 26:19)

And the poor hear the good news (fulfilling Isaiah 61:1)

Notably absent though and relevant to John… Jesus said nothing about releasing captives…

And John’s circumstance of being imprisoned didn’t change… despite Jesus’ message to him.

Jesus didn’t whisk him away from prison. Which He could have done. In Acts we read of three prison liberations.

An angel opened the prison doors for the Apostles in Acts 5 and led them out.

An angel freed Peter in Acts 12… striking him in the side to get him moving (I love that detail)… his chains fell off and the angel led him out.

And an earthquake shook the foundations of a prison… making a way for Paul and Silas to escape in Acts 16…

Though they remained so the prisoner guard could be freed… for he was in his own spiritual prison… freed only by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

But for John… freedom from physical prison was not God’s plan… and this didn’t change the fact the Jesus was Messiah.

Just because God can liberate captives… this does not mean He will do so in every circumstance…

God operates differently at different times.

And John’s mission was to be forerunner… and then to be a witness in prison to Herod… for Herod initially protected John and heard him gladly (according to Mark 6:20)…

But John would die in prison… the last of the OT prophets killed like many other OT prophets… by their own countrymen for calling them to repentance…

And, John’s death was not a failure… it was the cost of prophetic faithfulness…

And marked the end of innocence in Jesus’ mission… with John’s death… the Apostles knew the cost they needed to count… they knew what they may have to give to follow Jesus.

And they did… only John would live a long life… not without persecution though…

The rest of the Apostles would die martyr’s deaths.

And even though John the Baptist died in prison… this didn’t change the reality that Jesus was Messiah.

Still… Jesus gave Him assurance to bear the trial. To have peace that surpasses understanding…

In grace… Jesus did not rebuke or chastise John for questioning if He is Messiah… but took John back to the word.

Jesus responded to John’s opposition with reassurance.

John was in a bad place physically and mentally… and Jesus sent him back a message that was intended to restore His confidence… a message grounded in Messianic signs that fulfilled scripture.

And notice… neither Matthew and Luke record the response or reaction of John the Baptist.

And neither do we again read that John protested Jesus every again… so I take his silence as him receiving Jesus’ word.

And look… we may find ourselves at time in a bad head space at times…

Where life is hard… and we see no way out…

And this account testifies that if John can question Jesus… know that we can be honest with Him as well.

God is not offended by our questioning and doubts…you can come to Him in honesty, and He will reassure.

But don’t forget the words of blessing in V23 for Jesus said… “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

Offended in Gk. is skandalizō. Our English word “scandalous” comes from it’s root word skandalon.

The word means “to put a snare [in the way] hence to cause to stumble”].

Isaiah prophesied that Messiah would be “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” (Isa 8:14)

Or… He would be a sanctuary.

Peter quoted Isaiah and wrote in 1 Peter 2:8–9 “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

What is He to you? Is He a stumbling block? Are you offended at Jesus?

Or, can you proclaim His praises as your sanctuary… your salvation who “called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”?

Even when life becomes hard.

And so those who are NOT offended or stumbled by Jesus… are blessed.

V23 stands as a positive encouragement… a special blessing to those who can look past their expectations of Jesus… and trust Him even when we can’t make sense of what’s going on.

It’s a special blessing to those who don’t abandon their faith when the press of life begins to squeeze.

But that was NOT John’s case… John was offended… at least temporarily.

On John’s disciples witnessing Jesus’ miracles and taking back word to John…

I read this raw and honest quote… by C. G. Moore that states, “I know of no hours more trying to faith than those in which Jesus multiplies evidences of His power and does not use it … There is need of much grace when the messengers come back saying: “Yes, He has all the power, and is all that you have thought; but He said not a word about taking you out of prison.…” No explanation; faith nourished; prison doors left closed; and then the message, “Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me.” That is all!”

And look… we read in scripture of hard sayings of Jesus… Carson and Bruce both wrote a book by this very title… because Jesus said hard things…

One such time was in John 6… when Jesus said, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.”

Many of His disciples said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”

As they complained… Jesus asked them, “Does this offend you?”

Because sometimes His ways… and His sayings are offensive.

Sometimes the difficulty of following Jesus proves who His true followers are.

Jesus said, in John 6:64 “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.”

In John 6… there were false disciples who actually didn’t believe but followed Jesus… and His hard sayings resulted in many of them walking with Him no more.

Don’t be one of those followers that Jesus spoke of in the Parable of the Soils…

Like the stony soil… the hard hearted person who only endures for a little while, but stumbles when trials or persecution arise.

Or the soil surrounded by thorns… the seed is choked out by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches… and they become unfruitful.

Both of those soils represent hearts that started walking with Jesus, but they had a different expectation of what walking with Jesus would look like…

They didn’t expect difficulties or temptations… and they fell away when that reality came.

I encourage you to prepare your heart for the difficult day… and the hard sayings… and God moving in a way you may not understand… frankly in a way you may not even agree with…

So that you can trust and not be offended… and receive the blessing Jesus promises here in V23 for those who are not offended because of Him.

Continuing on… John’s disciples take the word back to John… and then Jesus praises John to all who had gathered…

vv24-27 When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written [quoting Mal 3:1]: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’

Jesus here speaks confidently about the character of John… and the mission of John to the many people gathered.

Even though John was having a spiritual crisis and doubts while in prison… this didn’t take away from how Jesus saw him.

Even the strongest people of faith can have a spiritual crisis. There are many testimonies of people in the Bible, and in the church age that have had moments of lapsed faith.

And Jesus can see that it was just a moment… not a representation of the person as a whole.

Jesus doesn’t disqualify John here. Nor did He disqualify Peter when he denied Jesus three times. Jesus restored Him.

And to the multitudes… Jesus says many great things about John.

First asking them what they went to see when they traveled into the wilderness (the desert) to see John as he was baptizing.

Which is wild to think… many of these people were there when John baptized in the Jordan.

Did they go to see a reed shaken by the wind? No.

Tall grass reeds are part of the natural environment near the Jordan.

And when the wind blows… they would sway back and forth.

John was not like this. He was steadfast, unmoveable, firm in his convictions. He did not waver.

Did they go out to see a man in soft garments? No.

John was a rough wilderness man… an Elijah like character… clothed in camel’s hair with a leather belt.

And, not soft camel hair coats that professionals wear today.

John was not “gorgeously appareled and [living] in luxury in king’s courts.”

John wore a simple garment like the prophets of old… that gave a visual message protesting “religious pride and social luxury.”

Did they go to see a prophet... ‘one who speaks forth God’s divine truths’? ‘Yes.’

John was a prophet and more than a prophet.

Not only was John a prophet, but Scripture prophesied about him…

John was a prophet that prophets prophesied about.

Jesus quoted Mal 3:1 that prophesied about the forerunner to Christ.

Also… Isa 40:3 prophesied about John “The voice of one crying in the wilderness...”

And then Jesus continues saying in…

V28 For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

John was the greatest prophet among those born of women…

… because He was the forerunner to Christ… underlined by the fact that Jesus quoted Mal 3:1.

John alone was the privileged prophet to point to Christ.

He was the last OT prophet and the only OT prophet that beheld Messiah’s 1st Coming.

He was the only prophet who proclaimed, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Preaching in the the spirit and power of Elijah, Lk 1:17…

And breaking 400 years of divine silence since Malachi.

All other prophets longed for the day Messiah would come… but John beheld Him… and announced Him.

What made John great wasn’t necessarily John… it was Jesus.

Yet, despite John’s amazing calling and ministry… that made him the greatest prophet…

And this is humbling… even the least in the kingdom is greater than he…

This is one of those paradoxical statements by Jesus… that causes us to pause and think.

The least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John…

If you’re a believer… you’re in the kingdom of heaven… and you’re greater than John.

And don’t get all puffed up and think, “Yeah… I knew that already. See me everyone… you’re beholding greatness.”

We are great NOT because of personal merit or character…

But because of our unique placement in history…

… being born under the New Covenant…

And namely because of Jesus… not us.

John died prior to Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension…

We live knowing all Jesus did at Calvary… AND look forward to the blessed hope of the rapture and His return.

John never experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit to in-dwell and overflow out of the lives of believers....

We live as temples of the living God… and are baptized with the Holy Spirit to be witnesses to Jesus… locally and abroad.

Even the least in the kingdom shares in these privileges… and this is all because of Jesus and His grace to us.

We live in a time where we realize and enjoy the blessings of the kingdom…

John… and every other prophet before him… looked forward to this day.

Spurgeon wrote, “The least in the Gospel stands on higher ground than the greatest under the law.”

We are truly privileged people. I think we sometimes take for granted just how privileged we are… and Father forgive when we do so.

V29 [the multitudes response] And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

Luke alone presents this division amongst those who were present… and set the stage for what Jesus will say next.

The common people and even tax collectors who were despised for betrayal to their country and idolatry of money… but were baptized by John…

And they “justified God.”

This is not “justification”… the first part of salvation… but a declaration that they accepted and agreed that God’s way was just or right.

The baptism of John was a “baptism of repentance for the remission of sins”… (Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3).

Baptism identifies one with the baptizer and the message of the baptizer… and John proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

I taught deeper on this message in my Luke 3:1-6 message… check out that teaching on our app or website if you want to better understand John’s message.

John spoke to the lost sheep of the house of Israel… announcing to them essentially… “Your King is here! Put Him on the throne and the kingdom will be realized.”

Repent… or change your mind about the kingdom of heaven… recognize that you need to think differently about how to enter the kingdom…

Entering the kingdom was NOT trusting themselves to keep the law by good works… nor trusting in their heritage as Jews…

But to trust in Jesus Messiah… the King who had come.… and in doing so… their sins would be forgiven.

And no one was exempt… the same message went forth to the religious leaders and common people alike.

And just like at John’s baptism… as we see here in vv29-30…

The common people and tax collectors embraced this teaching… this new wine…

But the Pharisees and lawyers were like old wineskins… they couldn’t flex to this New Covenant…

And they rejected “the will of God for themselves”… “they rejected God’s plan and purposes… in providing salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

In their pride and love for the old system… they saw no need to change their mind… and be baptized… to identify with the New Covenant… or with Jesus Christ.

And so… Luke closes with Jesus’ analysis of the Jews of this generation.

V31 And the Lord said, “To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying: ‘We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not weep.’

Jesus compares the Jews of His time to kids who are calling their friends to come and play a game with them.

In those days… kids didn’t have phones, and tablets, and game consoles, so they had to use this other creative means to entertain themselves…

It was called an imagination. It’s a creative gift from God that some children fail to exercise enough.

So, children would mimic and turn into a game two of the biggest events of their day… weddings and funerals.

The Jews of Jesus’ generation were like children rejecting an invitation to play a happy game (wedding) or a somber game (funeral)…

No matter which game they were invited to… they were not satisfied… and would not play in the game.

And the contrast between a wedding and a funeral is compared to the contrast between the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus.

vv33-34 to close “For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 But wisdom is justified by all her children.””

John was an aesthetic who rejected fancy meals… he ate locust and wild honey… and they rejected him accusing him of having a demon (which was a false accusation).

Jesus, in contrast, partook of food and drink and engaged people at parties… like at the celebration at Matthew’s house after he followed Jesus.

So they accused Jesus of keeping sinful company… and of sin… of eating and drinking too much (also false accusations).

Deut 21 described a “glutton and a drunkard” as a rebellious son… worthy of being stoned. And certainly the religious leaders wanted Him dead.

And Jesus’ point is the people of His generation were childish, and nothing satisfied them.

No prophet… no holy man of God… not even Messiah Himself could meet their expectations.

And there are many people still like this today who will find fault with anyone who will not dance to their tune.

Be cautious around that critical kind of sort… who make false accusations…

For one day they might falsely accuse and criticize you… like these did about John and Jesus.

Luke closes this scene with Jesus saying, “But wisdom is justified by all her children.””

Wisdom is personified as a female at least 6 times in Proverbs…

Ladies you should feel pretty good about that.

Here in V35… wisdom is vindicated or proven right by her children.

Wisdom personifies the message and ministries of John and Jesus… and those who received the message by faith… were like their children.

V29 pictures such children… the people and tax collectors who received John’s message and acknowledge God’s way as right.

Those who believe in Jesus Christ… and become His disciples… are like His children… like fruit of Jesus.

And a well behaved child typically reflects a wise parent.

So… despite how foolish and critical the generation of Jesus’ was…

… time would reveal the children… the disciples of both John and Jesus’ ministries…

And their ministries would be justified… or “proved righteous.”

Worship team please come.

Jesus didn’t need to silence His critics… vindication would be seen in the fruit of His children and their transformed lives.

And we stand here today… some 2,000 years later… still testifying of… and vindicating the wisdom of our God…

… as our very lives have been transformed by faith in Jesus Christ… and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen? Let’s pray!

If you need prayer for anything, people will be on the sides to pray with you as we close in song.

What a great God we serve! How gracious was He to John despite faulty expectations… and being offended at Jesus?

As you leave here today… especially if you’re carrying a burden like John was… be encouraged by this message to trust in God.

He is working all things together for our good. Don’t lose heart… but seek His will. He loves you.

May the Lord bless you and keep you and give you peace in the week ahead.