Luke 22:24-38 - Greatness

Introduction

[READING - Luke 22:24-38]

Luke 22:24–38 NASB95

24 And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. 25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ 26 “But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. 27 “For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. 28 “You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; 29 and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” 34 And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.” 35 And He said to them, “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.” 36 And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. 37 “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘And He was numbered with transgressors’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.” 38 They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

[PRAYER]

This was an argument that they had had before. Luke 9:46 says…

Luke 9:46 NASB95

46 An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest.

On that occasion, Jesus responded to their petty, me-first desire for greatness by calling a child to stand next to Him, saying, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great,” (Luke 9:48).

[CIT] In our passage this morning, Jesus corrects the disciples’ misguided thinking on greatness, but here Jesus does not point to a child but to Himself, [PROP] and He gives us a few keys to spiritual greatness as well.

[INTER] What are the keys to greatness in the Kingdom of God?

[TS] Let’s notice a few ANSWERS to that question…

Major Ideas

ANSWER #1: One key to greatness in the Kingdom of God is service (Luke 22:24-27)

Notice what Jesus says to His disciples in v. 27, “I am among you as the one who serves.”

[EXP] It’s incredible how quickly the disciples go from v. 23 to v. 24. In Luke 22:23 the disciples were discussing among themselves which one of them might betray Jesus. In the very next verse, Luke 22:24, they are arguing about which one of them is the greatest.

The humility, contrition, and self-examination of v. 23 is gone by the time we come to v. 24.

It’s amazing how quickly their mindset shifted (24).

Jesus knew about their argument and responded by describing the difference between greatness in the world versus greatness in the Kingdom of God.

In the Gentile (non-Jewish) world at that time, authority figures lorded their authority over their subjects and expected to be called ‘benefactors’ (i.e., they expected to be seen as generous and gracious for lording their authority over the people with a heavy hand) (25).

Jesus said that His followers must define greatness as the world does. Rather, among His disciples, the greatest must become the youngest (i.e., the last in rank, influence, and inheritance in Jewish family), the leader must become the servant, and the one who reclines at table must get up to wait on tables.

For Jesus Himself had been their example, and He had come among them as the one who serves (26-27).

[ILLUS] You’ve probably been to or at least been by the John C. Stennis Space Center off I-10 in Mississippi.

John Stennis was a Democrat from Mississippi who served 41 years in the Senate. His time was almost cut short, however, when in 1973 he was robbed and shot twice in the chest and once in the thigh by two teenagers outside his home in Washington, D.C.

He was on the operating table for nearly seven hours, and the hospital was swamped with inquiries about Senator Stennis’ condition. Concerned family members and friends, colleagues in the Senate, and a myriad of reporters wanted to know how the Senator was doing.

Seeing how busy the hospital staff was, a Republican Senator from Oregon, Mark Hatfield, volunteered to help Walter Reed Hospital field phone calls. He directed calls until daylight the next day and then stood up, stretched, put on his coat, and walked out, saying to another operator that he was ‘happy to help out.’

A U.S. Senator serving as a hospital switchboard operator.

[APP] This is not the way we usually think of powerful politicians, but it the kind of unexpected service that Jesus calls us to if we would be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

If we have some authority, we are not to abuse but use it to serve others.

If we have some prominent title, we understand that to Jesus the most prominent title is servant.

We understand that we serve not to be thanked but to glorify God.

And we know all this and do all this because our Lord came among us as the one who serves.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant… (Phil. 2:5-7)

[TS] If we would be great in the Kingdom of God, we have to serve. But here’s another ANSWER this morning: If we would be great in the Kingdom of God, we have to be humble.

Answer #2: A second key to greatness in the Kingdom of God is humility (Luke 22:28-34)

Notice what Jesus says to Peter in v. 34, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”

[EXP] The disciples had done and would do great things.

They stood by Jesus in His trials (28).

John says that Jesus performed so many great works that if they were to all be written down, they world itself would be able to contain them. Surely He faced a similar number of trials. But He did not face them alone. The disciples stood with Him.

What a great thing to stand by a friend as they endure a trial.

What a greater thing when that friend is Jesus.

They would rule with Jesus in His Kingdom (29-30).

Not only would they fellowship with Jesus in His Kingdom, they would also sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

To be with Jesus in His Kingdom is great.

To rule with Jesus is greater still.

But after Jesus described the greatness of the disciples, He transitioned to warning Peter about his upcoming denial.

This may seem like an odd transition, but I think Jesus is thinking along the same lines as 1 Corinthians 10:12, which says, “…let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.”

Simon Peter has stood by Jesus in His trails. He will rule with Jesus in the Kingdom of God, so there’s no doubt that he thinks he stand, but he must take heed that he does not fall.

Satan has demanded permission to sift Peter like wheat; to shake him as one does when separating the wheat from the chaff (31).

This shaking will not be physical but spiritual.

God has granted Satan permission.

Peter will be tempted.

And Peter—who only moments before was high on his own greatness; high on his own standing with Jesus and ruling with Jesus—this same Peter will deny Jesus three times.

Jesus knew this and so prayed for Peter (32).

He prayed that his faith would not fail, and that when he repented, that Peter would strengthen his brothers.

Peter repents and John 21:15-17 records Peter’s reinstatement as an Apostle.

Jesus tells him to encourage his brothers by feeding them the Word of God, which is exactly what he did.

But before all that, Simon Peter testifies to his own supposed greatness - “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” (33).

And then when the time came, Peter’s supposed greatness failed him. Just as Jesus said he would, he denied the Lord three times (34).

[APP] We must never think we are great, and we must never think that what we have done for the Lord is great. We must remain humble. We remain humble dependent on Jesus. We must take heed, lest when we think we stand, we fall.

[ILLUS] A couple months ago I read a story about a preacher, pastor, professor who had fallen even though he had done great things.

He spoke at major Christian conferences. People hailed him as a faithful and fearless preacher of God’s Word. In seminary, we were made to read his book on Spirit-empowered preaching.

But then the news broke of this seemingly great man manipulating, abusing, and having an ongoing affair with one of his female seminary students.

We must take heed, lest when we think we stand, we fall.

[APP] Pride makes us think we are great. The truth is, only Jesus is great.

Perhaps we’ve done some great things.

Maybe we’ve done some preaching, some teaching, some singing, some serving, some praying.

The disciples did those things too, and none of it made them great.

Peter denied Jesus.

They all abandoned Jesus.

It took all that to teach them that only Jesus is great.

None of the things we do for Jesus will make us great.

We do all we do because He is great!

And we humbly lean on Him for everything, because we know that he is great and we are not.

[TS]

Answer #3: A third key to greatness in the Kingdom of God is salvation (Luke 22:35-38).

Notice that in v. 37 Jesus intentionally numbers Himself among the transgressors - “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘And He was numbered with transgressors’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.”

[EXP] During His public ministry, Jesus provided everything the disciples need so that they lacked nothing (35).

But now things would be different. Jesus would be crucified very soon. He would be raised on the third, and then after 40 days He would ascend to Heaven taking His rightful place on the throne as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Jesus told them that when He was no longer physically with them, they would need to take a money belt to finance their ministry.

They would need to take a bag to provide for themselves as they ministered to others.

And they would need to take a sword.

The money belt and bag we understand, but the sword gives us a little trouble.

Was Jesus telling the disciples that they needed to be ready to defend themselves? Perhaps.

But more likely, Jesus tells the disciples to take along the swords in this moment because the swords will play a role in getting Jesus counted as a transgressor (36).

Isaiah 53:12 said the Messiah must be numbered with the transgressors. This is what Jesus quotes in v. 37. And the two swords of v. 38 will be enough to get Jesus numbered with the transgressors and so fulfill Isaiah 53:12 (37-38).

Two swords are not enough to go to war, but two swords are enough to fulfill prophecy.

Once again, Peter, high on his own greatness, draws the swords against those who come to arrest Jesus.

In that moment, Peter is a transgressor, and he will be a transgressor again when he denies Jesus.

But Jesus will be numbered with transgressors to bear the sins of transgressors.

Jesus will be numbered with the like of Peter to bear the sins of Peter.

He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12).

[ILLUS] Years ago I was reading a book written by a popular Christian pastor that said something along the lines of ‘When Jesus became sin in our place upon the cross, He became the worst of us. He became a murderer, a prostitute, a pedophile, a rapist, etc.”

But that isn’t true.

Jesus didn’t become a sinner. He became sin by taking our sins upon Himself.

In the same way, He didn’t become a transgressor when He went to the cross, but was numbered with the transgressors so that He could save transgressors from God’s wrath by taking God’s wrath upon Himself.

[App] Here in Luke 22, we see that Jesus is intentional in being numbered with the transgressors. No one takes His life from Him, but He lays it down of His on accord. He tells His disciples to take up these two swords so that He can lay His life down.

This is what greatness does—He lays down His life for us.

[TS] …

Conclusion

Do you understand that you’re a transgressor? You’ve broken or transgressed God’s Law and therefore deserve His wrath.

But Jesus was numbered with the transgressors to take that wrath in your place if you’ll trust in Him.

To trust in Him, you must believe that God exists and that He is holy.

You must believe that you will answer to Him in eternity.

You must believe that the price for sin is eternal death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You must believe in your heart that Jesus was not only crucified to pay the price for your sins but that He was also raised from the dead to prove that He has made us right with God.

You must unashamedly confess that Jesus is Lord, and you will be saved.

If you’re not saved, you won’t serve to the glory of God.

If you’re not saved, you won’t humble yourself before the greatness of Jesus.

If you’re not saved, though you think you stand, believe me when I tell you that you will fall.

If you’re going to be great in the Kingdom of God, you must lean on the greatness of Jesus our Savior.