Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Reading

Introduction

We this morning to a text wherein Christ issues a stern rebuke to the people around him, and then follows this with a call to take action.

In essence, these people were very adept at evaluating the weather patterns around them, but were unable (or, rather, unwilling) to see the important spiritual realities that were unfolding around them in their day.

As we come to consider this text, I do need to point out a couple of important passages that preceded this interaction between Christ and the crowds.

We’ve seen that Jesus has already exhorted those around him to be watchful!

At the beginning of chapter 12, there was a call by Jesus for his disciples to “be watchful.”

In Luke 12:1 he said that they should be on their guard against the yeast of the Pharisees.

He went on to say to them that things would be revealed / disclosed / made known, and that they would proclaim the Gospel message in a world that was hostile to them.

But very importantly, a few verses later in verse 8, He cautioned his disciples that whoever would acknowledge Him before men, that the Son of Man would acknowledge that person before God, and whoever would deny Him before men, He would deny them before the Father.

Then, in verses 35 ff, Jesus emphasized the importance of being watchful.

They are to live their lives always ready, ready for the master’s return.

Then in verses 49-53, which we considered last time, Jesus taught his disciples that He had not come into the world in order to bring peace, but rather to bring a sword of division.

The division would be between those who accepted Jesus Christ as the Messiah and those who rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah.

This was the important distinguishing factor.

These various teachings present for us the context of our present passage.

The real pertinent question that must be asked by every person in the crowd to whom Jesus spoke, and also by every person that is reading the Gospel message as presented here, is this: “Is Jesus who He claimed to be?”

Is Christ truly the Messiah?

Is Christ truly the One that has come to be this great and powerful deliverer?

This is an important question.

It was for the people that Christ was preaching to.

It is in our day.

Now, we must also keep in mind that the context of the Jewish people was that they were longing for this Messiah.

They were longing for one that would come into the world and save them.

They wanted a rescuer.

The Old Testament Scriptures actually looked forward to this coming of the Messiah.

The coming of the Saviour was really the epitome or the highlight of their forward looking anticipation.

The Messiah was who they were longing for.

Think about some of these statements in Scripture...

When Jesus was just born, he was presented at the temple, and there was a man named Simeon there who saw…

Here was a Jew that was waiting for the consolation of Israel… Israel had been waiting for some time, but they had not forgotten that a Saviour had been promised, and they were looking out for this.

We also read, concerning the end of Jesus’ life, after his crucifixion, that there was another man who had been waiting for the Messiah.

The Israelites were aware of the fact that there was a Messiah that was to come, and many of them were in fact waiting for this Messiah to arrive.

In Luke 2:38, we read about the account of Anna, also in the temple, who saw Jesus as He was presented before God… But notice her reseponse…

There was at the very least some group of people that were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem, the redemption of the people of Israel.

It’s in light of this anticipation that we also need to understand the words of Christ at this time.

As we head into this text, keep in mind that this has a direct relevance to us today in terms of our own lives, and how we live our lives.

We also ought to be thinking about our present times, as Christ calls his hearers to do, and to be living wisely as we perceive the present times in which we live.

I’ll elaborate more on that later on, particularly at the end during application.

But I trust that Christ will bless His word to us.

As we turn our attention to the text, notice firstly, with me…

1. Perception of Lesser (Physical) Realities (vv.54-55)

We read in verse 54…

Now, we notice firstly that Jesus is turning his attention particularly to the crowds at this time.

Sometimes, Jesus addressed his disciples directly.

Sometimes he addressed particular individuals.

At this time, Christ was speaking to this large crowd of people that had gathered and had been following him all around, watching his actions, and listening to his teachings.

As he addresses these people, he speaks to them about two signs or patterns of the weather that they were very familiar with.

The first is found in verse 54.

He says to them (firstly), “when you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, “it’s going to rain,’ and it does.”

This was a very typical situation in their day.

What lay to the West of the region where Jesus was?

It was the Meditteranean Sea.

The clouds would start coming up off of the waters on the Sea to the west, and rising up the mountains, and as the coulds came up the cooler mountains of Palestine, the rains would come.

We find an example of this in 1 Kings 18, after Elijah had confronted the prophets of Baal.

For the Israelites, this was a typical weather pattern.

Obvious scenario.

The second sign is given in verse 55…

Again, here was another clear weather phenomenon for the people of Israel.

To the South of Israel, was desert, particularly the South Eastern side, and this wind come from the South and cause hot weather for Israel.

We understand similar pictures in our country and contexts.

When I lived in Cape Town growing up, we had what was called the Berg-winds - which were winds coming from the North-East, bringing warm air from the interior.

And we’d feel that warmth.

The South-Easter would blow away the clouds and rains, and you knew that afterwards the Cape Doctor would leave with cool, but clean air.

The same goes for Mpumlanga, Gauteng… You learn to read what’s happening and you’re able to make a fair prediction about the kind of weather you’re going to have.

Notice, in each of these statements, Jesus adds those words at the end… “...and it does...” along with, “...and it is...”

Christ’s point is that they are well skilled and trained and are able to discern these things.

It’s a good thing.

It’s fitting.

Things take place as they anticipate, because they are rightly seeing and perceiving the reality around them.

But that leads us to the second main point…

2. Blindness to Greater (Spiritual) Realities (v.56)

Christ uses this appropriate perception of the world around them to point out in important lack among them in a far more important reality than the weather patterns…

Christ rebukes the crowds in this instance because they are demonstrating to Him their own inability to interpret the times that they were living in, in terms of the Spiritual realities.

They were unable to perceive the work of God that was unfolding through His own life at this time.

Note, the implication is that they ought to have been able to interpret what was going on around them.

Now, we must pay very careful attention to the fact that although the crowds were following Jesus, they were not following Jesus for the right reasons or motivations.

It is very clear and evident, based on the rebuke that Jesus gives in this verse, that they were not following Jesus as the proimsed Messiah of God.

Rather, they were following Him for what he could give to them.

...Or for the benefit that he could bestow on them...

…Or because he provided them with some good entertainment.

Christ’s rebuke to them was fitting because they had not actually embraced Jesus as the Messiah, and their much needed Saviour.

Notice, very importantly, that Christ calls these people “Hypocrites.”

Why was it that Jesus would call them hypocrites?

What precisely was hypocritical about their behaviour?

Now remember (particularly younger children) what a hypocrite is.

This is someone that lives a lie.

They wear a mask, pretending to be someone, whereas in reality they are someone completely different.

They put on a show in order to win some people over, or to impress the people around them, but their hearts are far from where they should be.

With that in mind, why was Jesus calling them hypocrites?

Clearly, they were not doing something that they ought to have been doing.

Keep in mind, these would have been mostly Jewish people in the crowds.

They were Jews, and Christ was doing His work primarily for the Jews, and in front of the Jews (that’s why Gentiles get a special mention when a miracle involves them, or teaching is given to them).

As the Jewish people, they had the very revelation of God to them, and through this revelation of God they ought to have been able to discern that what was taking place around them in the presence of Jesus Christ was evidence of His claim to be the Messiah.

Think back to some of the words that Christ had spoken previously to the crowds.

Christ had already rebuked the crowds because they were longing for this sign… some miraculous sign.

They wanted Jesus to perform for them.

They wanted him to do miracles for the sake of doing miracles.

But the fact was, Christ had performed the miracles that He had for a purpose - in order to demonstate that He was in fact the Messiah that was to come.

His miracles were designed for a purpose… and that purpose was not to put on a show for people, or to give to the people according to their fancy.