It’s important to know some of the background to this episode in order to grasp the lessons. Even though this is only the 9th chapter of Luke, Christ was on His way to the end of His earthly purpose. “That he should be received up” refers to His upcoming crucifixion and burial, ending eventually in His resurrection and ascension into Heaven. Christ was to be “lifted up” on the cross as one step in His journey to being “lifted up” into Glory. On this particular journey to Jerusalem, Jesus was going through Samaria, a province between northern Israel and Judah. The Samaritans were not respected by Israel’s leadership, and this trickled down into the common folk. The Jews considered the Samaritans as outsiders and an inferior race. Even the Galileans often crossed to the east side of the Jordan River twice in their trips to Jerusalem in order to avoid Samaria. But Christ had showed His love toward them, and on several occasions traveled through their territory. During the preceding three years some of the Samaritans had become Christians. Most notably was the woman at the well, and some of her contacts in their capital city. But this incident in Christ’s life took place at another smaller village. And on this occasion, because Jesus had steadfastly set his face toward Jerusalem, these Samaritans told him to keep walking.
James and John took this rejection personally, and asked whether or not the village should be destroyed. The Saviour rebuked them – “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.” Even Christians and disciples of Christ can display wicked, detestable attitudes. “For the Son of man (Jesus’s title for Himself) is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” In Christ’s first coming there was no intention or plan to punish, destroy or even to judge. But after His sacrifice had been made at Calvary and the atonement had been declared available, those who reject that atonement find Christ to be holding a different office. In this chapter and at that time, the Son of God, was not there to judge those who rejected Him. But that roll has now changed and it will not be reversed. At His Second Advent, the Lord will come in wrath and judgment towards those who spit on Him. If the people of that village had only known who it was wanting to spend the night, what a different reception there would have been.
I have told you this story before, but it still applies. The actor Cary Grant was walking along a busy street he met a man whose eyes locked onto him. The man stopped in front of him and said, “Wait a minute, I know you; You’re…..you’re…. you’re…. “I know who you are; don’t tell me; You’re…..Rock, Rock…. No, you’re…” Mr. Grant thought that he’d help him, so he finished the man’s sentence: “Cary Grant.” But the fella said, “No, that’s not it! You’re….. you are….” There was Cary Grant identifying himself with his own stage name, but the man was convinced that he was really someone else. By the way, the name with which Cary Grant was born was Archibald Alexander Leach. That stranger on the street didn’t know the actor by either name. And these Samaritans really know Christ Jesus.
With that we could return to our study in I John 2 and the importance of knowing Christ. The Apostle John says of the Lord: “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, but the world knew him not.” The Samaritans didn’t know their Creator. The world received Him not, because the world didn’t recognize Him for Who He was. The Son of God came unto his own – the Jews – but neither did they know Him. Later the Lord would ask His disciples, “Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” There were a number of answers given, but they were all wrong. “But whom do YE say that I am?” And then Peter replied, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
From these six verses we could probably dig out six different lessons. But I’m going to confine myself to one: “Jesus is passing this way.” But like Cary Grant, most people are unwilling to recognize Him. They refuse even the hints the Lord makes to His identity. They don’t want to see the Lord standing right before them.
Let’s think about three things: We have here another revelation of the Lord Jesus; an exhortation to the disciples, and a condemnation of the religious world.
Notice the added REVELATION of the Lord Jesus.
As I have said, the Lord had already visited Samaria, and a handful of Samaritans had put their faith in Him. The problem of these particular people is still the problem of so many today. Churches are filled with multitudes who think that they know the Lord, when in fact they have invented a Christ of their own and firmly planted their imposter in their heads. Someone mentioned recently that Jesus was not the feminine, sissy, wimp that so many people visualize. I concur, and I’ll even add that I don’t even believe that He had long hair. Christ was a man’s man – as strong and tough as any in His day. He may have worn a robe, but it was not a skirt. He may have advocated peace over blood-shed, but he was not a pacifist. And the Lord Jesus was not just a piece of Styrofoam pushed around by the current. Jesus was not a helpless child, hiding behind his mothers skirts. By the time He was twelve He was completely independent of those apron strings. In fact, Mary learned to be a disciple of Christ, just like John and Joanna. Nor was the Lord Jesus a black man, an oriental, an Indian or a blond, blue-eyed European. And He was not a homosexual nor a fornicator, sleeping with Mary Magdalene or anyone else. There isn’t the slightest hint that Jesus ever spoke in tongues, or that He ever blessed the wallets of His disciples in order to make them wealthy. Christ didn’t try to overthrow any governments or the social order of Satan’s world. Nor did He grant indulgences to permit sin in special situations.
After laying or reaffirming the foundational doctrines of Bible Christianity for months… When His ministry of instruction, discipleship and church-founding was finished… Jesus steadfastly set his face toward Jerusalem – towards Golgotha, the cross. Jesus was a man on a mission… It wasn’t even a goal or a target. He was not aspiring towards some objective, like mastering an art or skill. Christ Jesus was on His way to the next chapter in the already published Book of God. He was, in fact, the co-author of that book. In eternity past, there had been an outline drawn up for highlighting the pinnacle of God’s glory. It would come in the rescue, redemption and glorification of a multitude of unworthy sinners – in Jewry, America, Rome and even in Samaria.
And how was this to be accomplished? Through the offering up of the only perfect blood sacrifice ever made available to man. “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.” “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…” And when the appointed time drew near, Christ was more than willing to keep that appointment. He deliberately set His face towards Jerusalem, omnisciently knowing what was going to happen there. He willingly set His face – and fully embraced – the purpose of His incarnation. Truly He loved us – for “greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” And then there is the added fact that “God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners…” Christ set his face toward Jerusalem and the death knowing what awaited Him there.
Many people think of my Saviour as a moralistic philosopher who failed in making the world a better place. No sir. Even in this journey towards Jerusalem we see great power… and concentration… and great will. He walked along with energy in his step – and purpose, and even joy. Every characteristic and trait of a true hero were seen in the Saviour. But no human hero can hold a candle to the heroism seen in the humanity of Christ Jesus. In this journey towards Jerusalem we have a wonderful revelation of the Lord Jesus.
And in that there are several EXHORTATIONS for all his disciples.
Aren’t Christians supposed to bear the image of the Lord Jesus? Aren’t we supposed to be growing in His likeness, bearing the same characteristics, but obviously on a much smaller scale? We are to be conformed to the image of the Son of God – Romans 8:29. And that begins yesterday, not the day of our translation to Heaven.
Therefore, like Him, we should never be tempted to command fire to come down from Heaven. And we must not shrink from our more positive duties. We should steadfastly set your face toward the Son of God and stand upon His commands and promises. It is not our duty to unseat the Democrats, but it IS our duty to further the Kingdom of God. It is not our duty to win an Olympic medal, but it IS our duty to “run with patience the race that the Lord has set before us.” It is not our duty to master biophysics, but it IS our duty to “comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that we might be filled with all the fullness of God.” It is a sin to be ashamed of Christ and of His words in this adulterous and sinful generation. It is our duty to loudly and consistently praise God for his goodness and saving grace. It is our duty to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. It is our duty to pray for the preacher, the preaching and the people whom the Lord wants to be heard. It is our duty to pray even for the kings of earth. It is our duty to learn what our duties are before God, and to do them all. Like the Lord Himself, we must not hide from our God-given responsibilities.
And something else that we learn from this scripture is that we are not going to get any help from the world in carrying out any of these duties. “Is this vile world a friend to grace to help us on to God?” Don’t be silly. Sometimes even our Christian friends will inadvertently hold us back. We must have resolve like that of the Lord Jesus, or like the Psalmist. “I will delight myself in thy statutes, I will not forget thy word. I will meditate in thy precepts, and I will have respect unto thy ways I will pay my vows unto the Lord in the presence of all his people.”
A well-known and respected Biblical scholar was asked one day what he wanted printed on his tombstone. He said, “Write, ‘This is the inn of a traveler on his way to God.'” We are strangers and sojourners in this world, either on our way to God – or to Hell. We need to sing: “This world is not my home. I’m just a passin’ through,” because that is something we need to remember. Whether our destination is Heaven or Hell, both are important enough to deserve careful consideration. Heaven is not attained by resolve, but by grace. Nevertheless, once the passport and visa have been issued, the manner in which we reach our New Jerusalem is very much a matter of personal choice. ‘We’re marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion, we’re marching upward to Zion, Zion, that beautiful city of God.’ “Come ye that love the Lord, and let your joys be known…”
Having said all this, what the Holy Spirit first put in my heart about this scripture was…
The INDIRECT CONDEMNATION of the Religious World that is contained here.
What was the Lord Jesus doing? He was going towards Jerusalem. And what was His intention once He got there? “To give his life a ransom for many” – His elect. There He was wounded for our transgressions, and there He was bruised for our iniquities. There Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us. These things are certainly true and extremely important. But I want you to notice, once again, the manner in which this is worded – “When the time was come that he should be RECEIVED UP he steadfastly set his face toward Jerusalem.” As I said earlier, that statement is looking beyond Jesus’ crucifixion, to His ascension and glorification. The Lord Jesus was moving on toward the next chapter in the great book of God. First came the cross, but this statement refers to the chapter after that. “He was delivered (to cross) for our offenses, but he was raised for our justification.” And today “He sits at the right hand of the Father waiting until his enemies be made his footstool.”
So when the Lord was passing through Samaria, He was on a journey to glory. And those wicked Samaritans turned their backs on the Saviour because they misunderstood Him. They wanted a Christ of their own design and definition. They wanted a Samaritan Saviour, not a Jewish one. Maybe they wanted someone who could put a chicken in every pot every night; or who would scatter manna around every morning. Like the Jews they wanted a miracle worker – someone who could raise their dead. Perhaps they wanted a buddy rather than the holy God. Maybe they wanted him to join them in their dances and parties. Perhaps they wanted to Christ to stay and live among them, but He was on His way to glory.
Today we are surrounded by people who want nothing more than a Christ in silver, hanging on a cross about their necks. Others want a Christ who is confined to a wafer they can ceremonially eat Sunday after Sunday. A great many churches are filled with people who are looking for a messianic entertainer, with a new a spectacular act every week. Some want a cheer-leader; someone who will let their soccer team win and make them feel good. Multitudes want a Saviour who will take them to Heaven when they die, but who will let them dabble their toes in hellish things until they die peacefully at the age of 98. When it was obvious that Christ was bound for Judah, those people shunned Him. When it was obvious that this Christ was not the Christ that they wanted, they barred their doors to Him.
There is a sense in which Christ Jesus is still passing through this world of ours. He is still resolutely planning on being even further lifted up – glorified. And soon it will not be a glory confined to heaven and viewed only by angels and glorified saints. Soon the glory of Christ is going to be seen and felt upon this earth. When Christ comes again – and its not a matter of “if” – but rather of “when”… When Christ comes again it will be in power and great glory. He will first snatch away His people – every last one of them – not just the best of the bunch. And then He will pour out upon this sinful planet all the plagues the Book of Revelation describes. After those things have done their perfect work, Christ Jesus will come again, putting an end to the misery of sin in this place. “The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together unto now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” – Romans 8.
Christ is passing through the little Samaritan village of Post Falls this morning on His way to further glory. And the people of our village should fall to the ground before Him, pleading that He stay with here us. We should, in abject spiritual poverty and genuine humility, acknowledge that our community, our church, and our hearts are unworthy of His presence. But at the same time, we need Him – we desperately need him. In that state of repentance, we need to reach out to Him in faith – the gift of God. We, who are unworthy Samaritans, need to repent before God and humbly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.