Kirkcaldy Free Church

Sermon: Sunday, 16th April, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Luke 24:13-35

The Queen’s former protection officer, Richard Griffin, shared an amusing story about when the Queen was walking in her grounds at Balmoral and met two American tourists who failed to recognise who she was.
‘The American man asked her if she lived in the area to which she replied that she did indeed have a house nearby. She said that she lived in London but had a house just over the hill, and he asked how often she had been coming up here. She said she’d been coming up for more than 80 years and you could see the cogs were ticking. He said: ‘Well if you’ve been coming up here for 80 years, you must have met the Queen?’ As quick as a flash, she said: ‘Well I haven’t but Dick here meets her regularly.’ So the guy asked me what she was like. And, because I was with her a long time, I could pull her leg, so I said she could be very cantankerous at times, but she’s got a lovely sense of humour.’

On the afternoon of the first ever Easter Sunday, there’s another conversation full of irony and perhaps humour, based on the failure of two disciples to recognise the most famous man who ever lived. One of the disciples is called Cleopas but the other is unnamed. To be fair to them, verse 16 tells us that they were ‘kept’ from recognising Jesus. This is the divine passive. Jesus deliberately keeps his identity hidden from them in some supernatural way. Why? In order to talk with them so that he could strengthen their faith and ground them in Biblical truth.

1. Fading hope

Make no mistake, these two followers of Jesus are downhearted and dejected. Before the crucifixion, they were full of hope that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, and that he would soon establish the Kingdom of God on earth. It is hard to overstate how excited and hopeful they must have been, living at a time when Jesus was teaching with such authority, performing miracles, and making extraordinary claims about himself. They had loved and followed Jesus, believing that he was the Christ. However, their high hopes are shattered as Jesus is handed over to be crucified. As Jesus died on the cross, the hopes of these men also died. They are shell-shocked, gutted and confused. They are walking home from Jerusalem back to Emmaus with these recent events dominating their minds. They are not just trying to process the crucifixion itself, but also the reports of the women who claimed that the tomb was empty and that angelic beings told them Jesus was alive! They have many questions swirling around their heads but no answers for them.

Verse 15 says they are ‘discussing’ the happenings, and this word might even mean they were arguing about what it might all mean. They have no categories for making sense of the situation, even though they should have had. I think G Campbell Morgan summaries their mindset rather well:

“We see in their attitude a wonderful revelation of what the cross had done for the disciples of Jesus. It had not destroyed their love for Him, nor their belief in Him, and His intention, but it had slain their hope. In the cross they saw failure.”

How does the risen Jesus respond to these confused and perplexed disciples. And how does he respond to us today, when we go through times of confusion, doubt, darkness, unbelief and disappointment? He responds in a wonderful and gracious way. He does not leave them in their despair. He does not ‘write them off’. He comes close to them and walks alongside them. He is going to strengthen them in their weakness. He begins by asking questions so that they can unburden their hearts to him. Jesus already understands their grief and confusion. He knows and he cares.

The words of verse 21 are so moving: ‘… we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.’ Cleopas and the other disciple had pinned their hopes on Jesus to deliver them from their earthly and spiritual enemies. As we eavesdrop into their conversation, we can see the struggle between hope and fear that battled within their hearts. Yes, Jesus needs to rebuke them for their unbelief, but he does so lovingly and in order to reignite their faith. What is Jesus’ method? How does he reignite their faith? By turning them back to the Bible and by focusing on himself. This is hugely instructive for us today, so let’s pause here for a moment.

Isn’t it true that often we are so like these disciples? We go through times of disappointed hopes. Perhaps we had great expectations for a job, a relationship or a house move, and things just haven’t worked out even nearly as we hoped. Our hopes lie in ruins. We are saddened and full of unanswered questions and ‘if onlys’. Where is Jesus in it all? If you are a follower of Jesus, then like in the passage, Jesus might well be very close to you, beside you even, but you don’t recognise him yet. He understands your doubts, fears, anger and sadness. And he cares about these things more than you think. Sometimes, like the disciples in the storm, we think, ‘Jesus, don’t you care if I’m drowning in all this mess?’

What’s the solution to our difficulties? The solution is to prayerfully open our Bibles again, and listen to the voice of Jesus. We need to believe his promises, and focus on him, rather than on our circumstances. We need to seek satisfaction through our relationship with him, and come to realise that none of us are guaranteed an easy life this side of glory. Here’s the challenging question- do you seek Jesus’ presence and advice in the Bible when you are heartbroken and disillusioned? Do you believe he is close by and will meet with you through his Word?

‘Come near to God and he will come near to you.’ (James 4:8)

2. The reason for their despair

We know why they are saddened and upset, but what is at the root of their despair? Like most in Israel, they failed to understand that the Messiah had to suffer first before being glorified. The Old Testament is full of such teaching, but they just didn’t read it in a balanced way. They read it selectively. They liked the parts about the Messiah reigning as King from shore to shore and bringing blessing, but their eyes seemed to glaze over passages about being crushed for our iniquities and assigned a grave with the wicked. They liked the idea of spiritual blessing, and being freed from Roman power and Israel returning to the glory days of King David, but sacrifice and the shedding of blood and death was not on the agenda at all. The wanted the crown without the cross. In a nutshell, they fail to believe what the Bible taught about the Messiah, seeing just half the picture. For them, the Messiah’s glory and great suffering simply did not mix. They lack Biblical understanding and this leaves them in despair.

Once again, I can easily be like this. I can be selective when reading the Bible and enjoy the bits about adoption, forgiveness and justification. But what about Jesus’ promise that we will be persecuted? What about the constant warring of the Spirit and the flesh in our hearts? What of the attacks of Satan on our church, our families and on us as individuals? What about not being moulded into the thinking of society around us? Do we pay as much attention to those parts, or do we have a truncated faith? Sometimes I am all at sea because I haven’t listened properly to Jesus’ teaching in the Scriptures. I just look at the wind and the waves and stop looking at Jesus in his Word, and I start to sink. Here’s the warning: failure to believe in the Bible leads to despair.

3. The solution to their despair

Jesus’ solution isn’t to alleviate their sorrow straight away by saying, ‘It’s me, Jesus! I’m alive!’ For Jesus, grounding them in Biblical truth is far more important than everything else. This will give them an enduring foundation of truth for their faith. He wants them to know that the cross, which they see as a barrier to redemption is actually the most important ingredient of our redemption. Jesus had to die for our sins. There was no other way for the Lord to be both just and loving: ‘He said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.’ (Luke 24:25-27)

We often say it, but it is true – wouldn’t we all have loved to have heard Jesus explain how the Old Testament points directly to himself? It was the most magnificent Bible Study ever given. I love imagining what passages he turned to. I don’t want to spend too much time doing that now, but let me give a few suggestions.

Perhaps Jesus went all the way back to Genesis chapter 3, and the first promise of redemption for a lost humanity when God said: ‘And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.’ (Genesis 3:15) In this promise, Satan will be destroyed by a human victor. But we also notice that the victor’s heel will be struck, pointing to a degree of significant suffering.

Perhaps Jesus spoke of the bronze serpent in Numbers 21, which was lifted up on a pole so that all who looked in faith would be healed of their poisonous bite. Jesus might have explained that likewise he had to be lifted up on the cross in order to deal with the poison of sin. Most agree that Isaiah 53 would have been part of this Bible study. This chapter gives us such a clear description of the necessity of the cross – Christ is crucified for our sins, in our place, to bring us peace: ‘But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.’ (Isaiah 53:5)

My mind goes to Psalm 22, where we see both the suffering and the glory of the Messiah. The Psalm begins with the words Jesus cries from the cross: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ But it ends with the glory which the cross brings about: ‘All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.’ (Psalm 22:27-28) Jesus might have spoken of what the Old Testament sacrifices pointed to, or what the temple signified, or how the Messiah was the ultimate prophet, priest and king, or the meaning of the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement. It all points to Jesus. Again, I wish I had been there to hear first-hand. It reminds me of the words in John’s Gospel: ‘You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.’ (John 5:39-40)

Their hearts are ‘burning within them’ as Jesus walks beside them explaining the true order of the plan of God: the Messiah’s suffering for sinners comes first, and after that comes glory. ‘Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.’ (1 Peter 1:10-12)

This is the pattern for Jesus and for our lives too. This life involves much suffering, but afterwards, in Heaven, comes the glory and the fulness of the blessing. When we grasp this truth, it saves us from many of our disappointed hopes. It grounds us in the plan of God, and helps us to see from the perspective of eternity. Life might seem chaotic for us now, but in the end, Christ bring good from it all. Never despair. Keep looking to Christ. Keep listening to his promises. Keep meeting with him in the pages of Scripture.

4. Hope regained

Jesus chooses to reveal himself to them at an ordinary place – at the kitchen table. Suddenly, their spiritual fog clears and they can see clearly. Their transformation from despair to delight is complete, and they rush back to Jerusalem to join Simon Peter as witnesses to the resurrection. Jesus really is alive and that changes everything. We can entrust our lives to him. He really can forgive our sins. He must be the Son of God. Their newfound certainty fills them with joy and they naturally want to share this joy with others.

Think about their state of mind at the beginning of the journey.

“What grief they would have been spared if they had only known and believed God’s Word to begin with.” (Kent Hughes)

But Jesus, who loves to strengthen the weak, walks with them and using the Bible, fortifies their faith. If you are going through times of disappointment, doubt, or fear, then know this, Jesus most often will bring about transformation to us using the same method – he himself will meet with us, not in the pages of an ordinary book, but in the living and powerful Word of God. That’s where we meet Jesus. That’s where we will find what we need, whether we realise it or not.

Sermon: Sunday, 9th April, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Luke 24:1-12

On the 15th of May, something is happening which, in some ways, seems unbelievable. There will be a new bus service on the 14 mile stretch from Ferrytoll in Fife to Edinburgh Park and it will be a service run without any drivers. 10,000 passengers per week will be able to use these self-driving single-decker buses. It’s believed that this will be the world’s first type of service. It’s impressive technology, right enough. There are pros and cons to such a service. It will do bus drivers out of a job. It might actually be a safer means of transport, taking away human error. I’m not sure. What I do know is that this world-first probably won’t make too much difference to our lives, and certainly won’t impact life’s biggest questions like: what is the purpose of life? What happens when we die? How can the wrong things in my life be dealt with? Who can I trust? Who is worth following?

In Luke 24, we have another world-first. Someone has come back from the dead, never to die again. He has come back with the first ever resurrection body. Jesus had been crucified on Good Friday and had truly died. When the Roman spear was thrust into his side, blood and water flowed out showing that he was dead. Next, he was buried in an unused tomb, belonging to Joseph of Arimathea. When the women, some of his disciples, journey to the tomb to anoint the body with spices and perfumes in order to honour Jesus they make a shocking discovery. The tomb is empty. Verses 2-3 tell us: ‘They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.’   The angels explain what is happening with the best news in all the world: ‘He is not here; he has risen!’   (verse 6)

Maybe you think this is unbelievable. The dead don’t generally come back to life again. However, if it is true, if it really happened in history (and it did) then it changes everything. It floods the light of hope into this dark world, because it means that Jesus is who he claimed to be, death no longer has the final word, human sin can be forgiven, and eternal life will be given to all those who entrust themselves to King Jesus. Let’s spend some time unpacking just how important this event is, and celebrating its implications for our lives today in 2023.

1. An event in history

Did Jesus rise from the dead or not? This is a crucial question. It’s not good enough to say, ‘You can believe that if it helps you get through life’, as if it doesn’t really matter either way. But Christians are people who worship Jesus Christ, and so if he didn’t really rise from the dead we are wasting our time and are deceiving ourselves and others. There are only 3 possibilities.

• Jesus’ body was stolen by his enemies. This doesn’t make any sense, as his enemies went to great lengths to have Jesus killed and had nothing to gain by taking the body. Plus, when the first Christians claimed Jesus had risen, they could have just produced the body and that would have extinguished Christianity with one stroke.
• Jesus’ body was stolen by his friends. This does not make sense either. Almost all of the 12 disciples were martyred because of their belief that Jesus was alive. Would you give your life for someone you knew not to be true? Of course not.
• Jesus really did rise from again from death to life. This is where the evidence all points. It explains the change in the disciples from timid disciples, to emboldened witnesses of Jesus, ready to die for their faith. It explains the empty tomb and the eye-witness accounts of the women. It explains why Christians today remain full of Easter hope. And it means that Jesus really is who he claimed to be all along, the Son of God and Saviour of the world.

Everyone in the gospel accounts were in agreement that the tomb was empty that first Easter morning. The only question is, why was it empty? It’s really important for us to realise that Christian faith isn’t believing in something just so we can get through life more easily. It is faith in historical events. Things which really happened. If you had been there with the women on the Sunday morning, you would also have been able to see the empty tomb and folded grave clothes.

Why else do I believe the gospel accounts of Jesus’ resurrection are true? Because if you were going to invent something like this, you would never have had women as your primary witnesses. Why not? Because in the culture of the ancient near east at that time, the testimony of women was deemed to be unreliable. To make the ‘story’ more believable, you’d have prominent men finding the tomb empty and not women!

The whole gospel account has the ring of truth about it. The women head towards the tomb fully expecting to anoint a dead body and without a flicker of hope. They are dejected and downcast, with hearts full of love and sorrow. And when they see the empty tomb they are perplexed and confused. And when the women tell the apostles about what has happened, they are full of scepticism. The words of the women seemed like nonsense. Maybe that’s where you are at today as you read this account. But then, over time, the apostles meet the risen Jesus, and their doubts are turned into strong faith.

Let’s get back to the question, did Jesus rise from the dead or not? If he did not, Paul says Christians are to be pitied more than anyone else for being taken in by a lie. Listen to the words in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians: ‘And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.’ (1 Corinthians 15:14-19)

In a nutshell, if Jesus has not risen from the dead, there is nothing for us to celebrate today. We cannot be forgiven by God. And we have no hope of eternal life. Life is essentially without hope. However, thanks be to God that Jesus did rise from the dead, the sins of those who trust in Jesus have been forgiven, and we shall be raised with indestructible bodies one day, and live forever in Heaven.

2. A saving event explained by an angel

The central events in human history are the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These are all supernatural events, involving the plan and action of almighty God. Whenever God acts significantly in human history, he doesn’t leave us to guess why he’s done what he’s done. He gives us a verbal explanation, and often uses angels to do that.

At Jesus’ birth, the angels explain the significance of the birth to the angels. We read in Luke’s gospel: ‘But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’ (Luke 2:10-11)

Once again, with Jesus rises from the dead, it is an angel who gives the explanation: ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ Then they remembered his words.’ (Luke 24 vs 6-8)

My dog Skylar has pretty good recall when we’re out in the park. She’ll come back to the sound of my voice and a dog whistle, except when other dogs are there. Then she suffers from ‘selective hearing’. She hears the whistle and she hears my hollering, but she doesn’t hear. That’s the way the disciples were when it came to Jesus repeatedly telling them, at least three times, that he was going to die and rise again on the third day. They heard Jesus’ words, but they didn’t really hear them. They didn’t understand them or absorb them or consider them. They should have. The angel says in verse 6: ‘… remember how he told you…’

We, right now, need to pay attention and really listen to the angel’s explanation. The crux of it is this: Jesus had to die and then rise again. It was the only way he could pay the price for the sins of his people. It was the only way he could save us from our guilt and rebellion. Notice the word ‘must’ in verse 7: ‘… the Son of Man must be delivered over…’ In other words, it was necessary for Jesus to die. It was essential for our salvation.

We shouldn’t be surprised that Jesus was delivered over into the hands of sinners. His message is an unpopular one for many and arouses anger and hatred back then and also today. He tells us that we have something wrong with our hearts, and that we are separated from God because of the wrong things we do and say. Most people want Jesus to tell them how good they are, that they ‘do their bit’ and have lived a good life. He does not. He says we’ve spectacularly failed in loving God.

That’s why we need God’s forgiveness. That’s why we need someone to pay our moral debt. We’ve spectacularly failed in loving God and in loving other people too. In order to receive God’s forgiveness, we must humbly accept this truth, the truth that we have failed morally.

The angel says that Jesus had to be crucified (verse 7). He had to be. Why? Because God is a holy and just God, and cannot leave our sins unpunished and unpaid for. Rebelling against the Creator is not something which will be ignored. It’s a serious business. To put it bluntly, God cannot ignore my pride and the times I’ve been selfish or have been quick to anger. He cannot ignore the ways I have let down and hurt my family and friends. He cannot ignore how cold-hearted and thankless I’ve often been towards God. The only way for me to find peace with God is for God to find a solution to my enormous moral debt. His solution was to send his Son to die on a Roman cross in order to pay for that debt. It was necessary for my salvation. But a dead Saviour is no use to us. We need a Saviour who is stronger than death.

That’s why Jesus also had to be raised again on the third day (verse 7). Why? This was the proof that God the Father had accepted the sacrifice of his Son. This was the proof that God would not allow Satan to have the last word. And this was the proof that Jesus truly is the eternal Son of God. I love how Paul puts it in his letter to the Romans: ‘[Jesus] through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Romans 1:4) In other words, the resurrection proves that Jesus is the Son of God who has defeated sin and death. It proves that there is eternal life beyond the grave for those who trust in Jesus’ death for their forgiveness; we too shall rise with immortal and imperishable bodies. It proves that all the claims and promises of Jesus are totally reliable, especially his claim to be the resurrection and the life, and that those who believe in him will live forever, even though they die.

3. An event to be shared

I love the role of the women on the first resurrection morning. Like the men, they should have believed Jesus’ prophetic words about dying and rising again. They do not. The angel’s question ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead?’ is probably a gentle rebuke. However, these woman have hearts full of love for Jesus, even though they believe he is dead. They want to do what they can for him in order to honour him. And as they serve the Lord the receive enormous blessing and privilege, being the first in all the world to know that Jesus is alive. They are the first to hear this news and also the first to share this news. In verse 9 we read ‘…they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others.’ So often we find that when we seek to serve the Lord, the Lord ends up blessing us in all kinds of ways.

Remember that these woman had no status or credibility in that culture and so were unlikely candidates for being witnesses. But they are exactly the people God chooses to be his primary witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection. And they share their message of hope. Today, we are also ordinary folk who carry this good news. We might feel we are unlikely witnesses. Who will listen to us speaking about Jesus? And yet we are exactly the people that God has chosen to carry the life-changing news of the resurrection across Fife and beyond. These women were willing to do what they could for what they thought was a dead Jesus. What are we willing to do to serve our living Saviour? Let’s celebrate the good news: ‘He is not here; he has risen!’ (Luke 24:6)

Sermon: Sunday, 2nd April, 2023
Speaker: Geoff Murray
Scripture: Luke 23:44-56

Here in this passage we see clearly judgement and salvation side by side as Jesus takes our judgement so that our salvation is made possible.

Judgement and salvation (verses 44-46)

We have been on the road to the cross for some time, and in the last couple of weeks we looked at the crucifixion together and here we reach the end of Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and even into his burial. And we begin by seeing in verse 44 that as Jesus is hanging from the cross, darkness covers the land.

1. The darkness

Now, this isn’t a natural darkness. It isn’t a nighttime crucifixion or an evening crucifixion where darkness would be expected. As Jesus hangs there from the cross, and darkness covers the land it is the sixth hour until the ninth hour. To you and me, that is noon until 3pm. It is noon until 3pm and it’s dark outside. As Jesus hangs from the cross in the middle of the day, darkness covers the land.

Now why would it be dark in the middle of the day? That just doesn’t make sense. It was at the time of the Passover, a time of the full moon where there would be no possibility of an eclipse.

The only possible suggestion would be something supernatural. That the God who created the natural world in all its regularity, routine, and rhythm interrupted that regularity with something supernatural. What was it that God was trying to communicate by disrupting the natural order and bringing darkness in the middle of the day.

Now you might wonder why I had Shona come up and read an obscure passage in Amos 5 about something called ‘the day of the Lord’. Well, this idea of the Day of the Lord helps us understand exactly what’s going on at the cross, namely judgement and salvation.

We get to the prophets and the passages like Joel 2, Amos 5, Amos 8, and Zephaniah 1 which speak of the day of the Lord as judgement as the sun being turned to darkness. Now, for Old Testament Israel, in the first instance, this is talking about judgement coming upon Israel because of their persistent disobedience to God. However, we get to Jesus’ crucifixion and the sun is turned into darkness, darkness covers the land, there are strong images of the Day of the Lord of judgement occurring.

So God is overruling the natural order, turning daylight into darkness, this is the day of the Lord and judgement has come and it is coming upon Jesus. The blameless, faultless Son of God experiencing the darkness of God’s judgement upon himself. The judgement that was due to us was given to him. He took the blame as if he really was to blame.

Jesus the innocent became Jesus the guilty.
Jesus who loved his Father in Heaven became Jesus who hated his father in Heaven
Jesus the patient became Jesus the irritable,
Jesus the way and the truth became Jesus the liar.

Darkness covered the land because it was the Day of the Lord where God’s wrath was poured out, but it wasn’t poured out on us as we deserve, but upon his Son who didn’t deserve it. We, the guilty, go free, Jesus the innocent is condemned.

2. The curtain

Alongside judgement is salvation. And we see how salvation comes about in another strange event, the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

This idea of the ‘curtain of the temple’ might be a bit foreign to some of us. Why is there a curtain in the temple anyway? When humanity turned their backs on God, God could not dwell in any personal sense closely with his people. He was holy and humanity was not.

So when there was a temple built for God’s people to worship Him there, there was one curtain up which only the priests could go behind to make sacrifice, and then beyond that was another curtain which only the High Priests could go into called the Holy of Holies once a year to perform sacrifices. It was there in the Holy of Holies where the presence of God fully dwelt.

It seems all my spirituality comes from my son’s children’s books and children’s songs, but he has a book which describes the curtain in the temple as a massive ‘Keep Out’ sign. There was no sense in which God could dwell with his people because he was so holy and we were so sinful. But as the temple curtain is ripped in two, what does that mean? It means the big ‘keep out’ sign is torn up. All that is necessary for God to dwell with his people has been completed and he invites us to draw near.

Now we have access to the fullness of God’s presence by the blood of Jesus. And this means that we don’t just have access to some measure of God in a temple like the people of God in the Old Testament. It means we go beyond the curtain, it means we have access to God’s presence in all its fullness. There is no curtain separating us from the presence of God, there is no barrier between us as sinners and a holy God, because by the blood of Jesus, poured out on the cross, we have been made clean, and can therefore with full assurance draw near to God.

Our sin has been paid for because of the death of Jesus on the cross, we no longer are impure, unclean, unable to come into the presence of God, Jesus has cleansed us from our sin by the blood of Jesus, so now we can draw near into the presence of God in all boldness and in all faith because Jesus has made that way open to us.

Faith and salvation (verses 47-49)

Now, this great salvation has been won for God’s people, but it still requires a response of faith. And we see that in the response of the Roman Centurion in verse 47 who sees what has happened and he praises God and declares Jesus to be righteous, or more accurately to the Greek, declares Jesus to be innocent. We know from Matthew and Mark’s account that he also confessed that Jesus is the Son of God.

The Roman Centurion isn’t unmoved by what he saw, by what he heard; no he feels deeply and responds in light of that. He responds in faith and worship. Faith in who Jesus is and then praises God. This isn’t some cold stiff realisation of truth ‘Ah, of course, it all makes sense now, Jesus is the innocent Son of God.’ No it is a reality which he confesses, and it results in praise to God.

It’s really wonderful to highlight who it is who is responding. It is a Roman Centurion. The first person who responds to Jesus’ death after it happens is not a Jew, someone of the people of God of old or his followers, it was a Gentile, a Roman Centurion. Gentiles were not those who followed the God of Israel, they might have been religious, but their religion was not centred on the God of Israel. Gentiles may have been irreligious, pagan. And here we have, immediately after the death of Jesus, a Gentile responding positively to Jesus.

This is a display that Jesus is not only for Jews but for non-Jews too. That the first person to speak of Jesus, who confessed Jesus was a Roman Centurion, shows that salvation is possible for non-Jews too. At the time, a totally unlikely candidate in the eyes of God’s people, yet he was the first one to respond.

You might be here at the request of your parents, or you might be here at an invitation but you’re not a believer, you think ‘Nah, this Jesus stuff isn’t for me.’ Look here, we have a Roman Centurion, a non-Jew, someone outside of the typical ‘people of God’ at the time confessing Jesus.

This confession from the Roman Centurion surely says that Jesus is for you too. You might previously have never considered Jesus, you might have thought your path and Jesus’ path would never cross, but the Roman Centurion praising God here in this passage is a clear demonstration that your paths can cross, that Jesus can be considered for you.

So I’d invite you to reconsider, in the light of who it is here that is praising God, the most unlikely of candidates at the time, reconsider Jesus. Jesus doesn’t have a ‘type’, but is available to all. Won’t you take the step of the Roman Centurion and put your faith in him, praise God this morning and commit to following him? If Jesus is for the Roman Centurion, he is for you.

The Roman Centurion has expressed this faith in Jesus, won’t you join him this morning and put your faith in Jesus and enter into this great story of salvation? Of sins forgiven, of access to God the Father, of new life.

Devotion and salvation (verses 50-56)

What really hit me as I was preparing the sermon this week was the devotion of a few people towards Jesus in our Bible text this morning. Their faith in Jesus and their love for him led him to careful and faithful devotion.

1. Joseph of Arimathea

We see first Joseph of Arimathea in verses 50-54, taking Jesus whose body was hanging on the cross in shame and disgrace and giving it a honourable burial. He goes to the authority, Pilate, and asks Pilate if he can take the body down. He wraps Jesus’ body in linen cloth, and places him in a new tomb where no bodies had yet gone.

2. The women

And then you have those referred to as ‘the women’ from verses 55-56 and they don’t even have names, just ‘the women’. Just a group of women who care deeply about their Lord whom they love. And they go home to prepare spices and perfumes for Jesus’ dead body. And then even then, in the last sentence, they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. They were so careful in their devotion not to even break the Sabbath.

Everything that was done, was done with care, love, and adoration for Jesus. They didn’t leg it like the disciples, they didn’t throw their hands in the air and say ‘Well, there’s not much we can do I suppose.’ No, even in the face of their sadness of the death of Jesus, they continue to show him their loving devotion.

We know nothing of ‘the women’, they too aren’t well known but we know that they prepared spices and perfume for Jesus’ body, we know that they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commands. It was their careful, loving devotion they offered to Jesus that day.

What is remarkable is their quiet, faithful devotion. We know nothing really about Joseph or the women apart from what is here in the text. They were little known, yet they served Jesus faithfully and with devotion.

We go about our lives, our day to day and most of it is ordinary, unseen things. Nobody will write a book about us, and beyond our grandchildren or if we’re fortunate, great grandchildren, nobody will know we even existed.

Yet, in the quietness and the ordinariness of life, Jesus calls us to devote our lives to him. It is the normal and natural response of those who have been saved by him, of those whose faith is in him. He has given his life for us and he calls us to live for him in response with careful and faithful devotion.

So as we think of our home lives, as we think of our time alone when nobody is watching us, when we think of our service in church, not much of it is going to shatter the earth, very few people are going to see it, you won’t have this wonderful biography written about you. Yet, this careful, faithful, and quiet devotion is what we’re called to and its a beautiful thing.

As you spend your Sunday afternoon at home and are tempted to get out the work laptop to catch up on some work and you, like the women in verse 56 choose to rest on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment instead of work. Will anybody see that conscious decision not to work on the Sabbath? Will anybody praise you for that decision? Probably not. But it’s a conscious decision to honour Jesus with your life and it is beautiful.

As you sit an exam at school or university, it honours Jesus and is a beautiful thing when you don’t cheat. Will anybody know you made that conscious decision not to cheat? Will anyone praise you for making that decision? No, but it is a conscious decision to honour Jesus with your life and it’s beautiful.

As you are driving alone, it honours Jesus and is a beautiful thing when you don’t break the speed limit. Will anyone know you chose not to speed or will anyone praise you for not speeding? No, but it is a conscious decision to honour Jesus with your life and it’s beautiful.

As you are watching something on Netflix and something comes up that you ought not to be watching and you turn it off. Will anyone else know you’ve turned it off out of love for Jesus? Will anyone see that and praise it? No. But it is a conscious decision to honour Jesus with your life and it’s beautiful.

So as we consider what a great salvation was achieved for us on the cross by Jesus, that he opened the way for us to know God, we are called to respond by faith and for those of us who have responded by faith, God calls us to carefully keep his commands in faithful love to him.

Sermon: Sunday, 26th March, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Luke 23:3-43

The scene before us this morning is so important that it deserves our full attention. Let’s picture together the three crosses on the hill, with Jesus at the centre and a criminal at either side of him. You are in this picture this morning. What do I mean by that? Well, these two criminals represent the whole of the human race in their response to Jesus. One of them rejects Jesus, believing that he has nothing to offer. The other, changes his mind about Jesus, turns from his sin and entrusts his eternal well-being into the hands of Jesus. Which of the criminals are you like this morning? Do you believe Jesus has nothing to offer you and that you can easily do without him? Or, like the criminal who experiences transformation whilst on the cross, have you prayed to Jesus, asking for forgiveness and entrusting your eternal destiny to him?

Ultimately, there are only two kinds of people in the world, and it’s not young and old, men and women, churchgoers and those who stay at home, or those for independence and those for the Union. This is the most important dividing line between human beings: there are those who place their faith in Jesus, and the rest who reject Jesus as their Saviour and God. You are in one of these camps this morning, and so am I. It matters more than anything else, because our eternal destinies hinge on our response to Jesus, whether we end up in Hell or in Paradise. For this reason, it is crucial that we heed the warning given through the unrepentant criminal so that we don’t make the same costly mistake. And we must home in on the response of the repentant criminal, so we can each of us examine our own hearts, and ensure that we follow his wonderful example.

1. A damning response: the response of unbelief

Let’s start with the warning, before we move onto more positive ground. Warnings are extremely important. This is the most important warning you will ever get. This criminal reminds us that many reject Jesus. You can be so near to Jesus, and yet be so far from him. This man has heard Jesus praying for his executioners and borne witness to the incredible meekness with which Jesus endures the cross. He has been so near to Jesus physically. He’s been a close eyewitness to Jesus’ love and humility.

It’s hard for those being crucified to even take a breath but he manages to hoist himself up against the nails in order to hurl abuse at Jesus. He is about to meet his Maker- to be ushered into eternity- and he’s dying right next to the only Saviour of the world. Tragically, he uses his last words to ‘hurl insults’ at Jesus. ‘Save yourself and us’. In one sense Jesus could have come down from the cross – it was not nails that held him there. But if Jesus is going to save the lost, guilty rebels like us, then Jesus cannot also save himself. He came to die as a substitute

‘For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.’ (1 Peter 3:18)

At his death, this angry thief has no sense of remorse as to how he has lived his life. There seems to be no guilt before the God he has offended again and again. No regret at those he has murdered. But the main thing about him is this: he is a man of unbelief. He is blind. He looks at Jesus and does not see who he is. He is so close to the Saviour and yet he is not saved. Perhaps he even blames God for the way things have worked out in his life. You can be so near to the Saviour, hearing the gospel preached in church.

Warning: are you like this man today? You have heard about Jesus but do not trust him? He’s nothing special to you – you are not impressed. These are the eyes of unbelief. One tragedy of the cross is that many are so near yet so far, like the soldiers who leave with Jesus’ clothes (verse 34) but not his forgiveness or peace or eternal life which only he can grant. Do you share in this tragedy? You come to this church and hear about Jesus- but you leave still in your sins. I urge you this morning, do not be like this unrepentant criminal, lest you too forfeit your soul.

2. A saving response: repentance and faith

Certainly, this criminal is an unusual but wonderful teacher for us. We don’t know about his childhood or background, but like the other criminal, he’s probably some kind of political terrorist, and there’s a good chance that both murdered for their cause. When we look at the parallel accounts Matthew and Mark’s Gospels, we see that at first, both men verbally abused Jesus: ‘Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.’ (Mark 15:32)

As Jesus hung on the cross, the whole world mocked him – the bystanders who watched on, the soldiers, and even the criminals. But here in Luke 23, we see that for one of these rebels, there is a massive change, a conversion. We can only put this down to the Holy Spirit supernaturally working in his heart. What are the signs of God being at work? The two main ingredients are these: repentance and faith. And if you want to go to Paradise, then this is the response you must have too.

Let’s first think about his repentance. This means that he does a U-turn. He changes his mind about himself and about Jesus. I think it’s likely that for most of this man’s life he justified his actions. If he did murder people for the cause of Jewish freedom, he might have seen it as a necessity for ‘the cause’. What I find so refreshing about this man is that he doesn’t make excuses and he doesn’t blame other people. He doesn’t blame the Romans, or his parents or his religious upbringing. He says quite plainly: ‘We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.’ (Luke 23:41) This is true repentance. It’s admitting that our deeds are so often black, and that if God gave us what we deserved then we’d be punished.

‘If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?’ (Psalm 130:3)

This man is now considering how he has lived his life and he knows he is guilty before God, and that if he is judged according to his deeds, he will be condemned. Usually, we are happy to tell a GP that our body has significant problems and we need help. If we’re unwilling or too proud to get help with our bodies the consequences can be serious. Are you willing to tell Jesus your spiritual problems, and that you need his help?

‘Don’t you fear God?’ (Luke 23:40) So many people think that they can take or leave God, and that it doesn’t matter all that much. They have no fear of God, or of the judgment which awaits us all. But now, this man can see the truth in sharp focus. He now has a keen sense of his accountability before God. He must give an account of his life to God, as we all must.

This criminal says in effect: ‘I have lived in the wrong way and deserve to die’. Can you say this? Or do you still think you are a good person, and don’t need forgiveness. Or maybe you see the mess in your life but blame it on other people or circumstances. Please don’t. Learn from this unusual teacher what it means to make a full and free confession. Turn away from the wrong road you have been travelling down. Take ownership of your own failures and rebellions and confess them to God. The changed criminal isn’t just the pattern for our repentance, but he is also the pattern for our faith. Becoming a Christian is all about repentance and faith in Jesus. And the Christian life as a disciple remains a life of repentance and faith in Jesus!

Remarkable faith. Imagine that you were in the crowd watching the crucifixion that day. You look up and see Jesus’ battered and bruised body nailed to the cross. He is so weak, exerting so much energy just to take each breath. You hear the jeers and taunts from others in the crowd, from the religious leaders and even from the criminals: ‘You saved others; can’t you save yourself?’ Does he look like a king? Does he look like the Messiah?

“Here was a faith able to see the glory of Jesus at its most hidden, stripped not only of divine majesty but of human dignity: helpless, battered, bloodied, mortal, derided. The cross had blown away the faith of the disciples and killed their hopes. But this man, at the lowest point of Jesus kenosis, when the veil is thickest and the messianic identity mostly obscured, proclaims him king and prays: ‘Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom’.” (Donald MacLeod)

What exactly do the eyes of faith enable this man to see? He sees that Jesus is righteous. ‘… this man has done nothing wrong.’ (Luke 23:41) Pilate said the same 3 times in Jesus’ trial, declaring his innocence again and again.

He understands that there is life after death. The criminal knows he is dying but nonetheless asks to be ‘remembered’ in the future, beyond death and into the world to come. ‘Remember me’ is an expression which asks Jesus to intervene for him in the life to come. ‘Jesus, plead my case, because I have nothing to offer’. Life after death is a note which we need to hear today in 2023. Our lives are relatively short, but afterwards comes eternity. Death is not the end. The question is, where will we spend eternity?

Amazingly, this man believes in the kingship of Jesus. ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ (Luke 23:42) When he sees the sign attached the cross ‘the king of the Jews’, he believes this to be true. It is true. Jesus’ crown might be one of thorns and his throne might be a cross, but the eyes of faith give this man deep insight.

What I find most helpful about this man’s faith is that he throws himself and his whole future on the mercy of Jesus. He seeks the protection of Jesus, and anyone who does that will find in Jesus a level of protection which suprasses our wildest dreams. What could this man do to make up for his life of crime? Nothing. He is now nailed to a cross. He couldn’t attend church, get baptised, receive the Lord’s Supper, or help the poor (like Zacchaeus). There was zero he could do to earn God’s forgiveness. But God forgives him nonetheless.

A striking reminder – none of us can earn God’s forgiveness, any more than this man could. We are in the same position as he is – we have done so many wrong things… But we can cast ourselves on Jesus and say, ‘Remember me Jesus. Save me. Help me.’ Have you done that? In short, have you turned from sin and stopped trusting yourself? Have you trusted in King Jesus?

3. Jesus wants his people to know that he accepts us forever

What does the penitent criminal ask for? To be ‘remembered’. To be saved in the life to come. And what does he get? Much more! He receives a promise of eternal life that day. Verse 43: ‘Truly…’ This implies that Jesus is about to tell us something very important. Next comes a beautiful and personal promise: ‘Today, you will be with me’. The man is going to be with Jesus.

With Jesus where? In paradise. Paradise speaks of the garden of a King. In other words, you will be with the King in his own palace gardens. Perhaps this word echoes back to the Garden of Eden and the perfection and unbroken fellowship with God enjoyed there. What happens to Christians when they die? Where to they go? Immediately, the go to be with God in Heaven.

‘I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.’ (Philippians 1:23)

‘We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.’ (2 Corinthians 5:8)

Today you will be with me in Paradise.’ (Luke 23:43)

Westminster Shorter Catechism question 37:

Q: What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
A: The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection.

Sermon: Sunday, 19th March, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Luke 23:26 – 34

Everything about crucifixion was designed to humiliate the victim and to warn onlookers: this is what happens to any who go against the might of Rome. It was usual for condemned criminals to carry the cross-bar of the cross to the place of their execution, just to rub salt in the wound. Jesus started off by carrying the cross-bar: ‘Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull.’ (John 19:17)

However, Jesus has endured so much physically, emotionally and spiritually that he is totally drained and it seems the Roman soldiers realise that he might not make it to the execution site, so they press a passer-by called of Simon of Cyrene to do this job. This is another reminder to us of just how brutally he has been treated. In Gethsemane, the stress upon his soul was so great that his sweat was like droplets of blood. After that, he was mocked and beaten and then scourged. Scourging itself was severe as the lead and bone tipped whip would rip into the back of the victim, often right to the bone. It is no wonder that Jesus is so enervated.

1. An unexpected task

What can we say about this man Simon of Cyrene? Cyrene is found in modern day Libya, in North Africa. It must have been humiliating for Simon to be coerced into this gruesome task. I’m sure that was the last thing he had been expecting that day. And yet, it was God’s sovereign plan for him to carry Jesus’ cross for him. Simon becomes one of the closest eyewitnesses of Jesus’ last hours, seeing how Jesus behaved and what he said. We cannot be certain, but it seems likely that through these events, Simon becomes a follower of the Lord Jesus.

In the parallel account in Mark’s Gospel: ‘A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.’ (Mark 15:21) If Mark names the children of this unknown African man, then surely, they are well-known figures in the church, suggesting the conversion of their father, Simon. And in Paul’s letter to the Romans we read: ‘Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.’ (Romans 16:13) It seems to me, that at the point when Jesus is too exhausted to stagger forward even another step with the cross-bar, at a point of such weakness, God is breaking into the life of this African man, and will do a work of amazing grace, both in his life, and that of his family. At the time of great weakness, we are also see the saving power of the Kingdom of God at work.

Simon of Cyrene is also a vivid picture of Christian discipleship. Perhaps we rarely think of him that way. However, if we visualise this man being press-ganged into this task, what exactly does he have to do? He must take up the cross and follow Jesus. This is a portrayal of the Christian life.

Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)

‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.’ (Luke 14:26-27)

Simon must literally experience the weight of the cross and the humiliation of carrying it.

Our lives as Jesus’ followers must involve humiliation, sacrifice and self-denial, and if this never happens then it is unlikely that we are following Christ at all. There must be a daily dying to our own wants and desires, and a surrendering to the will of God, even when this leads us to difficult places. Following Jesus necessarily involves radical self-denial for each and every one of us.

When we stand up for Jesus in the secular context of Scotland in 2023 we are likely to be mocked and marginalised at the very least. We might be overlooked for promotion. We might be missed out in other ways. And if we are to live for Jesus, then we cannot put our family above him, or money, or career, or our own ease and comfort. Galatians 2 v 20: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. ‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God…’ (Romans 12:1)

Of course, those who humble themselves shall ultimately be exalted, and perhaps we see something of that in the spiritual blessings poured out on both Simon and his family. Yes, we live lives of cross-bearing now, but for all eternity we shall enjoy the glories God has in store for us.

1. An unexpected plea

Luke’s attention quickly moves from Simon to a group of mourning women whom he calls the ‘Daughters of Jerusalem’. We only read about this in Luke’s Gospel, and it gives us the only words uttered by Jesus between his sentencing and his crucifixion. What’s going on here? These women seem genuine in their sympathy for Jesus. They’re not Jesus’ followers who will remain with him until the very end, but another group. These women would attend crucifixions in order to comfort the dying and to offer opiates and drugs to relieve the pain of those being crucified.

To their astonishment, Jesus, battered and bloodied and hardly able to walk and heading to his death is not consumed with himself. In fact, he is thinking of them. He is thinking of these women and all whom they stand for- the inhabitants of Jerusalem. He turns to them and makes an unexpected plea: ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.’ (Luke 23:28) I don’t think Jesus is rejecting their act of mourning for him here. Rather, Jesus wants them to look beyond the present moment and into the future, where Israel will be divinely judged for rejecting the Messiah. In other words, it’s not so much tears of sympathy that Jesus wants from them, but tears of repentance. Only as they mourn over their own sin, and place their trust in Jesus shall they escape the Judgment to come.

Jesus’ words of warning are shocking. In Jewish culture, children were seen as such a blessing of the Lord, and barrenness was a curse. But Jesus knows the judgment coming in AD 70, when Titus will destroy the city and bring such devastation on its inhabitants that those with children would wish they had none. This is a frightening prospect. The starvation and torture and pain and misery will be so horrific that those left in the city will want to be swallowed up by the surrounding mountains. This is not easy to read, but it is exactly what happened in AD70. If judgment will fall upon the only innocent Israelite, the green tree named Jesus of Nazareth, then imagine the judgment which will fall on the dry wood of Jerusalem, those who have rejected Jesus as their Saviour and King.

Please notice the remarkable way Jesus thinks of others as he makes his way to the cross. Why does he make this dreadful prophecy? Surely, it is a warning for the inhabitants of Israel to repent and believe in him while there is still time. Geldenhuys makes this challenging comment:

“It is not sympathy, but sincere faith in Him and genuine repentance that Jesus expects from us. And whosoever rejects Him in unbelief should much rather weep for his unforgiven debt of sin and for the judgment which will visit all rejectors of the Son of God just as surely as it visited Jerusalem 2000 years ago.”

And so, we can see that Jesus’ unexpected plea comes from a heart full of pity and love for Jerusalem. He does not wish anyone to perish but for everyone to come to repentance. (See 2 Peter 3:9) Let’s just repeat the crux of the matter: Jesus wants tears of repentance from us and not tears of sympathy.

What is your response to Jesus as you see him slowly moving to the cross to be executed? Do you just see him as an example of love, but nothing much to do with your own life? Like the Daughters of Jerusalem, you might have sympathy for Jesus and his teaching, but that’s not what he wants from you. What does he want? He wants you to understand that your life has been full of breaking his rules, and living for yourself rather than God. He wants you to recognise this fact, and with godly sorrow, recognising you have offended almighty God, cry with tears of repentance, and place your trust in Jesus. This is a sobering message, but one coming from the lips of Jesus Christ.

We must see the difference between feeling sorry for ourselves about a situation, and feeling sorry before a holy God, realising we’ve offended him. ‘Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.’ (2 Corinthians 1:10) You might feel sorry for yourself because you have hurt others or others have hurt you, or because your life is not easy. But do you know about godly sorrow? Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

3. An unexpected prayer

Next, Jesus reaches the place of his death. The gospel writers don’t go into the detail of all that happened to him physically during the process of crucifixion. Luke just says: ‘They crucified him there.’ But we must never lose that sense of shock as to what the human race did with the perfect Son of God: ‘Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals – one on his right, the other on his left.’ (Luke 23:32-33)

Clearly, Jesus is being treated as a criminal; he’s right in the middle of the criminals, as if he is the worst. This fulfils the prophecy in Isaiah 53: ‘… because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.’ (Isaiah 53:12) Why was Jesus numbered with the transgressors? Isaiah plainly states that he died in order to bear the sin of many. This is the language of sacrifice, and of substitution. He is dying in the place of others. He is numbered with the transgressors so that we might be numbered amongst the children of God.

We shall return to this glorious theme of Christ crucified next time, but for now I’d like us to end by considering Jesus’ unexpected prayer: Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ (Luke 23:34) Again, this fulfils Isaiah’s prophecy: ‘… and made intercession for the transgressors.’ Once again, we see the remarkable love of Jesus, praying for others in his time of crisis. And not just praying for others, were that not impressive enough, but praying for those who had just tortured and crucified him. The others who were dying hurled abuse at their torturers: Jesus intercedes for them with unparalleled love. I love J C Ryle’s comment here:

“Let us see in the Lord’s intercession for those who crucified Him, one more proof of Christ’s infinite love to sinners.”

The soldiers acted in ignorance, because they did not know the identity of the one they were crucifying.

Let’s apply some logic to this amazing grace: if there is a path of forgiveness for even the very soldiers who executed Jesus, then God will be willing to forgive you your sins if and only if you turn from your sins and ask for his forgiveness, based on what Jesus has done on the cross. This is yet another example in the Bible of the fact that no one is too wicked to be saved. Think of the things in your life you are most ashamed of. God is able to forgive you if you repent. There is a path of forgiveness back to God. You are invited to bring your sin to Jesus.

Jesus’ prayer is also an example for us to follow. ‘For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.’ (1 Peter 2:21-24)

Are there people who have asked for your forgiveness but you have not forgiven them? Jesus says: ‘…I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…’ (Matthew 5:44) These are not just empty words from Jesus: he practices what he preaches. And he has set us an example to follow.

Let’s be honest – do you find it hard to forgive others? Do you harbour resentment about the past? Are you slow to forgive others? What should you do? You need to come back to the example of Jesus on the cross and pray for a heart like that: ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ Christ has forgiven us an enormous debt, and so we ought to forgive others when they repent. We must we ready and willing to forgive others.

Sermon: Sunday, 12th March, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Luke 22:63 – 23:25

The greatest miscarriage of justice in all of history was when Jesus was sentenced to death by crucifixion. The most innocent man who ever lived is treated as guilty not only by a Jewish court, the Sanhedrin, but also by a Roman one, presided over by Pontius Pilate. In our passage today, Jesus is taken from the Sanhedrin to Pilate, and then to Herod and then back to Pilate again. It is as if Jesus is rejected by the whole world, both Jew and Gentile. This total rejection was something prophesied about 1000 years before.

‘1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.’ Those who were normally enemies, the Jews and the Romans, unite in their rejection of Jesus.’ (Psalm 2:1-3)

How do we know that Psalm 2 speaks about the Sanhedrin and Pilate? We know, because in Acts chapter 4, the Sanhedrin orders Peter and John to stop speaking about Jesus. They refuse, saying: ‘We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.’ (Acts 4 v20) Peter and John return to the believers, and there’s a time of prayer. Psalm 2 is quoted in prayer and its fulfilment is clearly marked out in the trial of Jesus: ‘Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen’ (Acts 4:27-28)

1. A hating world

As we take a bird’s-eye view of Jesus’ trials, it’s clear and striking that, throughout the world, there’s hatred towards Jesus Christ. This is just as true today as it was then. It doesn’t really make sense, because Jesus is so kind, and wise, and loving and trustworthy. So why all the hatred? Why the enmity? I think the answer is found in John 3:19-20, where Jesus is spoken of as the light: ‘This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.’ This is a sad truth – people love moral darkness. They love to live in a selfish way, just living their lives any way they want. They don’t want King Jesus, the true King, ruling over their lives, and challenging them to live in a different way.

What’s all this got to do with us today, we might ask. Well, that’s why it takes a real miracle of God, a supernatural work of God if people are to be saved. Secondly, in John’s Gospel, Jesus shows how this hatred of him affects all of Jesus’ followers: ‘If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.’ (John 15:18-20) This means that at school, university, work, in our families and in our communities, some people will treat us with varying degrees of hatred just because we follow Jesus. We need to accept that, so that when it happens, we aren’t surprised. And like the early disciples, we must not let this reaction silence us, but must say with them: ‘We cannot help speaking about Jesus.’

2. Jesus’ identity revealed

Let’s home-in on Jesus on trial before the Sanhedrin. This is the supreme court of the Jewish nation, made up of the most religious people in the land. You might think they, of all people, would give Jesus a fair trial. They do not. They are not interested in finding out the facts or weighing up the evidence. They say to Jesus: ‘If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer.’ (Luke 22:67-68) But Jesus answers in this way because he knows their minds are closed to the truth about him. They do not understand the kind of Messiah he is. His kingdom is not a political one but a spiritual one. We also see in Mark’s account that the court has no real interest in justice, but only in getting rid of Jesus: ‘The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.’ (Mark 14:55-56) And were Jesus to ask them searching questions about the true nature of the Messiah’s work, they would not be able to discuss it. In other words, Jesus know they are totally prejudiced against him and it doesn’t matter what he says.

Next, Jesus says something quite extraordinary. He looks into the future, after his resurrection and ascension, and says: ‘But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.’ In Daniel chapter 7, the Son of Man is a divine figure who is worshipped by the nations; Jesus is revealing his true identity in a remarkable way. He is also signing his own death warrant, as the Sanhedrin assumes this must be blasphemy. How can Jesus be divine? Why does Jesus speak of himself as seated at the right hand of mighty God? This picture is rooted back in Psalm 110, and speaks of Jesus sharing in reigning over the universe and judging the world.

“They understood him to be claiming virtual equality with God, both in position and power, and they were delighted with the statement because to them it was the height of blasphemy and gave them ample grounds for having him executed.” (David Gooding)

Let’s picture Jesus standing before the Jewish Sanhedrin. He is on trial before them. However, Jesus reveals his own identity as one who is both the Messiah and divine. One day, the roles will all be reversed, and Jesus will return from Heaven and judge everyone on the earth. I couldn’t help thinking that today, so many people like to put God in the dock, and put Jesus on trial and then reject him. Perhaps you have done that yourself. You might blame God for the way your life has worked out (or not worked out) or blame him for the evil and suffering in the world. And even though he is innocent, you might find him guilty and reject him from your life. This would be a grave mistake, because one day, the roles will be reversed, and we will have to give an account of our lives to King Jesus.

God is on trial before the Sanhedrin and they find him guilty. But he is not guilty – they are. They’re full of prejudice and corruption and hatred. Their court might appear to be just on the outside, but it is rotten to the core. They have no interest in finding out the truth. They just want to get rid of Jesus. We can be just like the Sanhedrin today. In our arrogance, we put God on trial and blame him for all that’s wrong in the world. We are prejudiced against him. We ignore the evidence. We ignore the fact that Jesus healed the sick, calmed the storm, raised the dead, and rose again himself. All these things point to the fact that Jesus truly is the Son of God and the Son of Man. Ultimately, he is not answerable to us but we are answerable to him.

If the Sanhedrin has found Jesus guilty of blasphemy, why do they need to take him to a Roman court? The answer is straightforward – they have no authority to execute anyone. For that, they need the approval of Rome. The Sanhedrin know full well that Rome has no interest in their Jewish claims of blasphemy. And so, they invent accusations which Rome will take more of an interest in, claiming that Jesus had refused to pay his taxes and was setting himself up as a rival king to Caesar. These charges were very serious indeed. It the time of the Passover, when Jewish nationalism was at its highest, and so the last thing Rome needed was some kind of a rebellion.

Of course, they were lies. In fact, as we know, Jesus had said they exact opposite: ‘Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’ (Luke 20 :25). We see in John’s gospel that Jesus informs Pilate that his kingdom is ‘… not of this world.’ (John 18:36) Luke does not record this conversation. But there is one thing in particular that Luke wants us to notice: Jesus is totally innocent.

3. Jesus’ innocence made clear

‘Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, ‘I find no basis for a charge against this man.’ (John 23:4)

‘I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.’ (John 23:14)

‘For the third time he spoke to them: ‘Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty.’ (John 23:22)

Pilate is an experienced ruler and has seen many revolutionary fighters in his time. But when he looks at Jesus, he sees no such thing. In fact, he can see through the Sanhedrin’s lies and knows their accusations stem from envy and hatred. Pilate is the one who has the power to set Jesus free and that’s exactly what he ought to have done. He does not.

The Jewish crowd are determined to have Jesus executed and do not accept Pilate’s plan to have Jesus released. They shout: ‘Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!’ And we read in John’s gospel that the Jewish leaders keep shouting: ‘If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar’ (John 19 v12). Pilate has a dilemma. If he releases Jesus, which is the right things to do, he risks trouble with the emperor and losing his own job. If it gets back to Caesar that Pilate has sided with a dangerous rebel, then it could potentially cost him a great deal.

So, in Pilate’s heart, justice and truth give way to convenience and self-gain. He tries to pass the problem on to Herod, but in the end, this doesn’t change a thing. The crowd is still baying for Jesus’ blood. Pilate shows his weak leadership by capitulating to their demands: ‘23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.’ Pilate is meant to be a just judge. Again and again, he expresses Jesus’ innocence, and yet still he hands him over to be killed. What has the trial of Jesus got to do with us today? What impact ought it to have on our lives?

Consider Jesus’ silence. It’s striking that the only words Luke records Jesus saying are in response to Pilate’s question: Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus just says: ‘You have said so.’ (Luke 23:3)

Before Herod we read: ‘He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.’ (Luke 23:9) Why is Jesus so slow to defend himself? Doesn’t he know his life is on the line here? When he wanted to, Jesus could take the hardest of questions and answer them with such wisdom and depth of insight that his enemies had nothing left to say. He does not do that here. Why not?

I think the answer is found in Isaiah. ‘He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.’ (Isaiah 53:7) Generally speaking, we defend ourselves in court in order to escape punishment. But Jesus does not want to do that, because he knows that if he defends himself, then he will not die in our place, for our sins. If he defends himself, he effectively condemns us. And so, this perfect, sinless man, the only innocent person who has ever existed, allows himself to be condemned to death for us. He is silent, as if he really was guilty of blasphemy and treason, not because he was, but because we are guilty of these things, and he will die in our place.

Luke emphasises Jesus’ innocence, because only a totally innocent man could lay down his life for others. ‘For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.’ (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Finally, let’s consider a beautiful release. ‘He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder.’ (Luke 23:25) The innocent Jesus is condemned to a cruel death, and a murdering rebel is released; what could be beautiful about that? It’s beautiful because it’s a picture of the heart of Christianity. We are like Barabbas. Sure, we’ve probably not murdered anyone, but we have rebelled against God, broken his rules, and are under a just sentence. We deserve to be punished. Barabbas lives because Jesus dies. That’s the bottom line. And the same is true for us. We are forgiven because he was condemned. We are accepted because he was rejected. And we live forever because he died for our sins.

Sermon: Sunday, 5th March, 2023
Speaker: Geoff Murray
Scripture: Luke 22:47-62

We come to today’s passage to find that Jesus is no stranger to betrayal. In fact, two of his disciples, Judas and Peter, have betrayed him in different ways within hours of each other.

We’ll see human sin in their actions, how they respond to that and how ultimately the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is at play even amidst bitter betrayal.

1. Two Betrayals

Judas : As Jesus was speaking to his disciples, a crowd came led by Judas Iscariot. We’ve looked a bit more in depth at Judas’ betrayal of Jesus a few weeks ago, at the beginning of Luke 22 so I won’t go into it all. However, it’s worth highlighting again, this was one of Jesus’ disciples who had followed him everywhere he went, heard his teachings, saw his miracles, yet in the great betrayal, he betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders.

Judas comes up to Jesus and gives him a kiss. A greeting which is normally full of respect, affection, and love is used to signal to the religious leaders which one was Jesus that they might arrest him. We know that particular detail because of how Matthew records the whole thing. Matthew adds an editorial note that Judas had agreed he would kiss the one that was Jesus. (See Matthew 26:48)

‘When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, ‘Lord, should we strike with our swords?’ And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.’ (Luke 22:49-50)

Jesus’ disciples jump straight to his defence and Peter cuts off the ear of one of the crowd. Though it doesn’t say Peter in this passage, we know it is Peter because it says so in John’s gospel (John 18:10). And it comes from a good place, it comes from a love for Jesus which doesn’t want to see him harmed or arrested. It comes from a zeal to protect the honour of Jesus.

Yet this is not what Jesus is after and Jesus’ response shows his remarkable grace.

‘But Jesus answered, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.’ (Luke 22;51)

If you were betrayed, how would you respond in that moment? Especially by a friend. You ate together, you lived together, you did everything together. And they betray you. What would you do? Really, what would you do? Most of us would take revenge, we might join in with the disciples and have a big fight, very few would respond the way Jesus did. Not only did Jesus stop the fight, he healed the damage caused to his enemy in the fight.

Now, I’m not trying to say by any stretch that Jesus isn’t a God of justice, wrath, and righteousness and that he just says, ‘Hey, don’t worry about it.’ – like a divine cuddly teddy. You look at the images of Jesus painted in the Book of Revelation, Judas will get what is coming to him as will everyone who does not put their trust in Jesus alone for salvation. But, what we see in the story of Judas is Jesus picking him to be one of his friends, one of his followers, one of his disciples knowing full well ahead of time that Judas was going to betray him. Did he not share food with Judas? Did he not live with Jesus?

Imagine if you knew someone was going to betray you, would you go to the lengths Jesus went to? I don’t think you would. I think you’d be planning a counter offensive!

Not just with Judas but with the man whose ear was cut off. Jesus didn’t have to do that, it’s not as if that man – as far as we know – went on to become a follower of the Lord, yet he was met with kindness by Jesus. Jesus could have stopped the fight and left it at that, but he stops the fight and then he heals the man’s ear.

And that is his general kindness and goodness to us all. Whether we’re believers or not, whether we love Jesus or we just aren’t that bothered about Jesus, none of us deserve his kindness, yet he shows us it, even to those who betray him, who deny his name.

Peter : Peter has been so defiant and so strong, his own promise to the Lord was, ‘I will never deny you!. As we saw in Luke’s account, Peter says ‘I’ll even die for you.’ (Luke 22:23) Yet for all the chat of debating who is the greatest, for all the vows of faithfulness, we have here Peter denying Jesus three times. The servant girl by the fire asks, ‘You’re one of Jesus’ disciples, aren’t you?’ Then someone else asks, then yet another asks and Peter each time denies knowing Jesus.

“Peter’s sheer humanity makes him everyone’s teacher.” (R Kent Hughes)

His ability to get it so right sometimes whilst also managing to get it so wrong at other times is someone we can relate to. Though he has heard the precious promises of Jesus, though he has watched his miracles, though he confesses in John’s Gospel, ‘Where else would we go? You alone have the words of eternal life?’ (John 6:68) His actions send a different message.

How often have we been in that situation? You know the promises of God, you know the joys of the gospel but your actions may betray that. Maybe speaking to a non-Christian and you kind of want to share the gospel but you’re also afraid of what will happen. You nervously fidget, you kick the gospel into the long grass and talk about other things, and then your friend ends the conversation and goes and you haven’t shared the gospel, Why? Because of fear.

So Peter, out of fear, denies Jesus and as he denied Jesus for the third time, just as Jesus said would happen, the cock crowed. And ‘the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.’ (Luke 22:61) What a gut wrenching moment. To deny your friend, your master, and then to see him look right at you. You have been found out, you’ve betrayed the confidence and trust of a friend. Imagine you were in that situation and you’re Peter. Your insides doing somersaults because you’ve denied Jesus and you know it and Jesus knows it, and now Jesus is looking right into your eyes.

And at that Peter remembered the words of Jesus, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will disown me three times.’ (Luke 22:34) We’ve all been there. ‘Jesus, I’ll never do this again.’ ‘Lord, I promise I’ll always do this.” When rubber hits the road, how we fall short. How our words come back to haunt us, we make a great vow of promise to the Lord, as Peter did and we end up with egg in our faces.

Peter has promised time and again not to deny Jesus, yet three times he does.

2. Two outcomes

And we ask, what are we to make of these two? Judas and Peter. Both betrayed Jesus to different degrees, they both experience a degree of remorse and sadness after their wrongdoing. Peter went outside and wept bitterly (John 22:62), and Judas was seized with remorse (Matthew 27:3). So, what’s the difference? We tend to join the dots and see there is a difference between Peter and Judas and I think for good reason.

Jesus : A couple of weeks ago, we looked at the wonderful verse, ‘Simon, Simon, Satan has demanded to sift you like wheat but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.’ (Luke 22:31) Jesus never prayed such a prayer for Judas. Judas never was prayed for in this light. When you truly are a disciple, your faith is secure, not because of you, but because of Jesus holding us close to himself.

Satan : Similarly, Satan is at play in the difference. We’re told in Luke 22:3 that Satan entered Judas which led to him conspiring with the religious leaders in the first place. But not so with Peter. Though Satan is at play, Satan never entered Peter like he did with Judas.

Judas : It’s not as if Judas was an innocent bystander who was victim to the supernatural realm. He consented for an opportunity to betray Jesus. (Luke 22:6) Or we read in John 12 of Judas dipping into the disciples’ money bag to line his pockets.

We don’t view Peter of a saint of course, especially in view of what he has just done, but there is so much to Judas’ character which is dubious. And of course we know from Matthew’s account that Judas is ‘seized with remorse’ but it’s interesting in Luke’s portrayal. It’s almost like a dead man walking, he mechanically walks up to his friend and betrays him and then there is no more information given about Judas. It’s as if he’s betraying his friend and he is unmoved by it.

This gives clarity about the difference between him being seized with remorse in Matthew’s account and Peter weeping bitterly. There is the bitter weeping by Peter which is his only and natural response because he loves the Lord and these feelings of sadness and guilt are not there just because he’s done something he shouldn’t, but he’s done something he shouldn’t to Jesus. For all of the feeling of remorse, Judas is stuck there merely in guilt knowing he shouldn’t have done what he done.

What about you? What characterises your response to sin? And I don’t mean the simplistic idea ‘Do you literally weep for your sin?’

If your grief stops at simply feeling bad for having done wrong, not necessarily because you’ve wronged God, consider that your sin has bigger consequences than just you and how you feel, it led to Jesus’ crucifixion. Your sin and mine pierced the Son of God. Nail in each hand, crown of thorns on his head, spear in his side, wrath of God poured out fully.

God made Jesus who knew no sin to become sin for us on the cross. Our wrongdoing, our mistakes, our messes aren’t independent of Jesus, but our sins were placed on Jesus. Each and every hidden sin that only you know about, every thought, every intention, every public action, every one of your sins were placed on Jesus. He took the blame, he took your place, taking the punishment due to you and me for our sins. Why? That we might go free. Consider Jesus, consider your sin, these aren’t two words that are unrelated, they are incredibly interlinked. Jesus took your sin, he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquity. If you are here and you aren’t trusting Christ for your salvation, look to him, Jesus took it all upon himself that we might have forgiveness, peace, and reconciliation with God through faith in what he has done. So put your faith in him, trust in his finished work, and be saved.

3. One promise

What holds Peter close to Jesus in the middle of his betraying Jesus is more than his tears, more than the quality of his repentance, but it is the promise of his Lord that we saw two weeks ago… ‘turn again and strengthen your brothers.’ (Luke 22:32) Mingled in with his tears of grief is surely the hope in the promises of Jesus.

What an incredible comfort it is as a believer. Jesus knew Peter was going to betray him three times, yet he prays for Peter that his faith may not fail and says ‘when you turn back, strengthen your brothers.’

For as often as we get it wrong, for as often as we fail to speak up for Jesus, for often as we seem to mess up, for as often as we feel like we can’t quite get our lives together, for as often as we have betrayed Jesus in our words and actions, we have Jesus who doesn’t give up on us but calls us to serve him with our lives.

You might have barely dragged yourself here this morning, such was the weight of your sin that you felt, such was the deflated feeling of ‘I’ve done it again.’ As believers, like Peter, we’re all in the same boat, seemingly unable to get it together, yet held in the arms of grace, where Jesus is sustaining our souls even right this very minute and he says to you in the midst of your tears, in the midst of your sin, ‘I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail, now go and strengthen your brothers.’

In your tears for sin, there is hope. Not hope that you’ll sort yourself out, but hope that even in your failings and your faltering faith, there is one who holds you, one who has not given up on you, one who calls you to live for him.

Your Monday-Friday might be the home, it might be the office, it might be school or university, wherever you are, you might feel deflated because of your sin, but take hope as you go out into the week, into your 9-5, because Christ has his hold of you and he calls you to live for him.

We’re going to sing Psalm 51 in its entirety in response to this sermon. As you sing, confess your sins to the Lord, confess the times you’ve fallen short, but look out too for God’s assurances of his pardon for our sin.

‘If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ (1 John 1:9)

Sermon: Sunday, 26th February, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Luke 22:39-46

In our passage today (verse 39), we read that Jesus went out ‘as usual’ to the Mount of Olives. We could easily gloss over the phrase ‘as usual’. However, we need to bear in mind that Jesus knows he is walking into a trap. He knows that Judas knows this place, the Garden of Gethsemane, and had he wanted to avoid the cross, Jesus could have chosen a secret location. He does not. In love, in order to rescue sinners, he goes to the usual place.

“The Shepherd is in the process of laying down his life for the sheep.” (Hendriksen)

Let’s try and keep the love of Jesus in the foreground as we study this passage. Sometimes we speak about people having the ‘weight of the world on their shoulders’. Here, Jesus is about to take the sin of countless people in his shoulders. He is aware that soon he will be forsaken by his Father. And yet, with unmatched love, he still manages to think about other people. He is concerned about his disciples, and the temptations they will face to deny him and abandon the faith.

1. Jesus’ request
‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation.’ (Luke 22:40)

Jesus knows that temptation is only avoided by continued dependence on God in prayer. Not only does Jesus tell them this in words, but he also models this principle in his own actions. Jesus himself is facing unparalleled temptation here. All the forces of evil want to see Jesus turn away from the cross. He faces temptation at its most intense. But he knows what to do, and he depends on his heavenly Father.

What do you do in the place of temptation? You might be tempted to lose your temper, or to look at something online that you shouldn’t or you might be thinking proud thoughts. You might be tempted to go for days without opening your Bible and enjoying fellowship with God. You might be tempted to focus too much on money or pleasure. What should you do? You might be tempted to skip church, or live in a way that you know God tells you not to. You are tempted to ignore God and his instructions. What should you do? It might sound too simplistic to say, ‘Just pray.’ And yet, that’s exactly what Jesus wants the disciples to do and it’s what he wants you to do too. Sometimes temptations are subtle. Yet we can still fall into them. For example, the temptation to ‘look after number one’ to live life with your own needs and desire and personal happiness at the centre. This is the culture we are living in. Or the temptation to just fit into our surroundings.

Why do we need to pray? Why is prayer the solution? Again, it is simple. We are too weak and frail to resist temptation in our own strength. In the parallel account in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus says: ‘The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Mark 14:38) My flesh is weak. Your flesh is weak. Paul says a similar thing about Christians in his letter to the Romans. ‘I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.’ (Romans 7:15) We end up doing things we don’t want to do deep down because our flesh is weak.

So, what can we do with all of this teaching? Perhaps, when we wake up in the morning, we need to think about the day ahead and pray ‘Lord, you know how weak I am – please help me in these things’. Perhaps there’s a besetting sin, a sin which trips you up again and again, and every day you might have to keep on praying the same thing. We also have a promise to help us in this : ‘And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.’ (1 Corinthians 10:13) We can turn that promise into a prayer: ‘Father, please provide a way out for me today’.

We do not just pray: we also have to act. If we’re in circumstances where we’re likely to be tempted then there’s not much point in praying that God would keep us form it – if we walk straight into it. Sometimes we want to sin and invite temptation. We put ourselves in that place and then we fall into sin. Total avoidance of sinful situations is the order of the day.

A man was looking for a new chauffeur asked 3 interviewees how close they could drive to the edge of a cliff. The first woman said, ‘Within 2 feet. The second man said, ‘Within 6 inches.’ And the third woman said, ‘I wouldn’t drive anywhere near it.’ She got the job. When it comes to our temptations, it is wise to keep away from the edge of the cliff.

Friends, let’s ensure we remember the basics of the Lord’s Prayer and pray as Jesus instructed: ‘And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one’ (Matthew 6:13). The disciples don’t manage to do this, and end up falling asleep (verse 46). We are so often like them. But our model here is Jesus, and not the disciples.

2. Jesus’ prayer
On the one hand, Jesus’ prayer here is so unique. None of us will ever have to endure what he was enduring immediately before and during the crucifixion. One the other hand, Jesus’ prayer is a model prayer for us. Luke only gives us a line, and yet there is so much depth in these words: ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ (Luke 22:42) There are two aspects to this prayer: there is Jesus’ honest plea; but there is also his readiness to submit to the will of God. This is how we should be praying.

What should we make of Jesus’ wish for the cup to be taken away from him? Has Jesus come all this way and ‘set his face towards Jerusalem’ only to falter in the last hours? At first glance, we might even feel disappointed by Jesus’ request. He seems to be wavering. ‘In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day – for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!’ (Luke 13:33) Why have second thoughts now?

We need to understand what Jesus means when he speaks of a ‘cup’. What is this cup? It is the cup of divine wrath on human sin. It is a terrible cup. ‘In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.’ (Psalm 75:8) :

‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: ‘Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.’ (Jeremiah 25:15)

Jesus knows he is about to experience God’s judgment on human sin. It’s hard for us to imagine what it must be like to be perfect, but Jesus is perfect, and he is recoiling at the thought of becoming sin for us. ‘God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.’ (2 Corinthians 5:21)

“He became the greatest sinner that ever was.” (Luther)

The greatest murderer; the greatest adulterer; the greatest blasphemer; the greatest law-breaker. He would answer for the sin of the world. He would answer for your sin and for my sin.

Jesus is exploring the limits of the will of God. Is there another way Jesus can save his people? Or, is the only way by drinking the cup of God’s wrath himself? Jesus is saying, in effect, ‘Father, if there is another way, please tell me now.’ This is a model prayer for us: Jesus makes a request but qualifies it by saying: “… yet not as I will, but as you will.’ He is willing to carry out the will of the Father, no matter what it costs him.

Here is a challenge: is this the way you pray? You are free to ask your Father for anything you want and with honesty pour your heart out to him, but always, above everything else you desire for God’s will to be done. ‘If it be your will’ should never become something we just tag onto our prayers. It’s just at the end of the day, we believe God knows best. We don’t want our will to prevail over his.

If we’re honest, sometimes it’s hard to pray like this! We’ve been praying for those seriously unwell in the church family. It’s easy just to pray – ‘Lord, restore that person to us.’ It’s harder to pray: ‘Lord, please heal them, but not our will but yours be done’, knowing that God’s plan might be to take them ‘home’. Pray honestly. Pray with all your emotion and pain. But pray submissively, trusting that God knows best!

3. Jesus’ suffering
‘An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.’ (Luke 22:43-44)

It’s amazing to think of God the Father sustaining Jesus by sending an angelic to strengthen him. I’m not sure specifically how Jesus is strengthened at this point – we’re not told. But it does remind me of another occasion when Jesus did battle with Satan, in the wilderness. ‘… he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.’ (Mark 1:13)

“How often we find Heaven’s resources suddenly appear for earth’s emergencies.” (Dale Ralph Davis)

Perhaps you are going through extremities of your own just now. Cry out to your heavenly Father in faith, and see what he will do to sustain you. It might not be what you expect, or even what you want, but it will be what is best. And it will strengthen you.

Jesus’ anguish is so great that his sweat was like drops of blood.

“No one ever feared death as much as this man.” (Luther)

The blood in his sweat speaks of Jesus’ physical and emotional trauma. How should we respond to this? We read stories of Christian martyrs facing death with great calmness. Why then can Jesus not do the same? The sorrow is not just because he is facing a death- nor even because he will face crucifixion. This is no ordinary death. For Jesus, death means the judgment of God the Father. He is overwhelmed by the huge burden he will have to carry- the sin of the whole world. He must face this alone – no one will be there to help him.

Why was this suffering necessary? The debt came about by human sin and so a human price must be paid. The punishment we deserve so great, that only a sacrifice of infinite worth could pay it. This is why Jesus must drink the cup of wrath. This is why the Father says, ‘No.’ to his Son. We’re the ones who ought to be forsaken by God.

“…he entered our God-forsaken condition so that we might share his God-accepted relationship to the Father!” (Sinclair Ferguson)

And so, there was no other way for human beings to be saved from Hell. There were no other options. No other religion could save us; only the blood of Jesus can save, and not our own efforts. We cannot be saved by trying our best to please God.

Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon his shoulders;
ashamed, I hear my mocking voice, call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held him there, until it was accomplished;
his dying breath has brought me life – I know that it is finished.

Sermon: Sunday, 19th February, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Luke 22:31-34

When my children were younger, they’d often walk along walls, which was a bit concerning. There’s a lot of danger when you are walking along a wall. However, the thing was, myself and Sarah were always there, and we had a hold of them.

1. An adversary
Christians are people who believe that there’s much more going on in life than what we can see with our eyes. There is a whole unseen spiritual realm out there. In fact, the greatest reality in the universe is God himself, and we know that he is invisible. Angels exist, but are invisible to us most of the time. And fallen angels, or demons, also exist.

‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’ (Ephesians 6:12)

Christians are unashamed to believe in the supernatural. As Jesus addresses the disciples, he gives them remarkable insight into what is going on in this unseen realm. The disciples have an adversary and he is called Satan. He is a fallen angel. ‘Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.’ (Luke 22:31) The ‘you’ here is plural, speaking of Satan’s attacks on all of the disciples. And by extension, this includes us today.

Jesus also states Satan’s purpose in attacking Christians. He wants to sift them as wheat. This means that he will place severe trials before the disciples, designed to separate them from God, and from their faith in God’s promises, just as a kernel of wheat is separated from the chaff in the sifting process. What does it mean when it says: ‘Satan has asked to sift you?’ This means that Satan is not able to attack Christians any way he chooses. He needs permission from God in order to do so! This might sound strange to us, but it’s actually a great comfort. In a world full of evil, including supernatural evil, it is good to know that Satan is on a leash, and has no access to the children of God, without God granting the permission. What does this remind you of? It’s very much like what was going on in the book of Job. ‘But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.’ The Lord said to Satan, ‘Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.’ (Job 1:11-12)

Satan’s malice and hatred towards Job is clear for all to see. But it is also clear that Satan is ultimately under the authority of God and is hemmed in by that authority. Satan wanted to sift Job, he’s going to sift Peter, and he does the same today to all Christians.

You can put your own name in this passage, if you are a Christian. ‘Fiona, Fiona, Satan has asked to sift you.’ ‘Craig, Craig…’ Satan wants to separate you from your trust in Jesus. He wants us to doubt God’s goodness and God’s promises. And it’s not even always obvious to us that this is happening. He is subtle. ‘… Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.’ (2 Corinthians 11:14) We need to take this seriously. I wonder if Jesus calls Peter ‘Simon’ to underline his weakness and frailty. He doesn’t call him ‘Peter’ here, which means ‘the rock’. Like Simon, we too are weak and frail and sinful. Do you ever wonder why the Christian life is so hard? Do you ever wonder why you’ve fallen so many times? It’s because of your own weakness and sinfulness and it’s also because we have a dangerous enemy who wants to bring us down.

“There is no enemy so dangerous as that restless, invisible, experienced enemy, the devil.” (J C Ryle)

2. An advocate
We don’t want to be depressed by the passage before us this morning, and we don’t need to be! Because our dangerous enemy isn’t the strongest being in the battle for our souls. We have a wonderful Advocate in Jesus Christ. If all we had was a terrible adversary, then how could be ever keep on the Christian path? How could we finish the race? We’d leave Jesus forever. But we have far more than a dangerous enemy. We have Jesus, who is praying for us. What is he praying? V32: But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.

“The continued existence of grace in a believer’s heart is a great standing miracle. His enemies are so mighty, and his strength is so small, the world is so full of snares, and his heart is so weak, that it even seems at first sight impossible for him to reach heaven. The passage before us explains his safety. He has a mighty Friend at the right hand of God, who ever lives to make intercession for him.” (J C Ryle)

This is a wonderful truth for us! ‘… he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.’ (Hebrews 7:25)

As Christians, we often think of what Jesus has done for us in the past, dying on the cross for our sins. However, we need to think far more about what he is doing for us right now. Just as he prayed for Simon Peter, he also prays for us. He prays that our faith would not fail. That’s why Paul can say : ‘… being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 1:6)

Let’s get more personal. If you’re a true follower of Jesus, and you screw up and make a right mess of something, you will probably feel very far from God. You might find it a real struggle to pray or open your Bible. You might just feel guilty, ashamed, and that you’ll never get out of the quicksand we feel as if we are in. During those times, Jesus is right next to you praying for you. He is interceding for you in prayer saying: ‘Father, don’t let go of them’ and ‘Father, bring them to a place of repentance’ and ‘Father, restore their joy in the Lord and help them to serve you once more’.

This short section of Luke is quite amazing. We find two things placed side by side: we have an adversary who tries to destroy our faith, and we have an advocate who prays that our faith would not fail. Whose strategy do you think will win in the end? God will keep you by his power. Yes, you may fail. Yes, your faith might burn low, but it will never be extinguished. Why not? Because Jesus is praying and praying that sustains you by his almighty and unsurpassable power.

Perhaps you are struggling in your faith today. Perhaps you are far from God and wonder what the future holds. You need to rub verse 32 right into your heart just now: ‘But I have prayed for you… that your faith may not fail.’

Notice too what Jesus does not pray for Simon Peter. He doesn’t pray here that he would be taken out of the trial. Like it or not, God allows these trials for a purpose, and we’ll come to that shortly. Rather, Jesus prays that Peter’s faith would be sustained.

3. Arrogance
Jesus prophesises that Peter will fail. In verse 32, when Jesus says ‘and when you have turned back’ this implies that Peter is going to sin, and then he is going to have to repent. But Peter doesn’t understand how dangerous Satan really is. Nor does he understand his own weakness. He says in verse 33: ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.’ I’m sure Peter really believes this. But he is grossly overestimating his own strength and underestimating his need to rely on Jesus in the time of temptation. Relying on himself will have disastrous consequences. He is overconfident.

Each one of us has to go back to 1 Corinthians 10:12 on a regular basis: ‘So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!’ Jesus punctures Peter’s pride by detailing just how he is going to fail: Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.’

Young people, you might hear your parents warning you about the dangers of alcohol, or drugs, or of having sex outside of marriage, and like Peter you might say or think: ‘That might happen to other people but it will never happen to me’. That’s exactly what Peter said. The right way to think is this: like Peter I am weak and could easily fall into that temptation. Those of us who have been Christians for a longer time are also just like Peter. We must never say, ‘That will never happen to me.’ ‘I’d never have an affair.’ ‘I’d never stop going to church’. ‘I’d never mistreat my friends or family.’ You might even think that you would never deny knowing Jesus, and then there’s a conversation at work where Christianity is mocked, and Jesus is mocked, and you don’t say a word. You deny Jesus.

Here’s the truth: unless we live each day sincerely asking God for help in all areas of your life, we are in great danger. We must live actively depending on the grace of God. And God’s grace comes to us through prayer, reading the Scripture, in Christian fellowship at church and in the Lord’s Supper. God uses these things to keep us strong.

4. Aim
Why does God allow Satan to tempt us? What is God’s aim for us in these testing times? I think part of the answer is found in verse 32: ‘And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’ There’s a beautiful truth here: God is so gracious and powerful that he can even take our failures and work them for good. Of course, this is no reason to be flippant about sinning against the LORD. But it ought to give us tremendous hope when we find ourselves in a spiritual mess.

Did anything good come out of the time when Peter denied his Saviour? Of course, it did. Think of an older, more mature Simon Peter. There was much less pride and more prayerful dependence on God’s grace. There was a deeper appreciation of God’s forgiveness which must have helped him to forgive others. Think of Peter instructing other Christians and what he could tell them from his first-hand experience. He could tell them about just how bitter sin is and warn others of the danger of spiritual pride. He would also be able to minister to Christians who had fallen into deep sin; he would be able to encourage them to repent and return to Christ. He could explain to them that it is possible to be useful in God’s service again, if we humble ourselves before him.

Friends, the same is true for those of us who have fallen into sin, but have been forgiven and restored by Jesus. We will be able to encourage and strengthen the weak, and to do so with genuine humility and gentleness, because we know what it is like to fall ourselves. If we are discipling newer Christians, we can warn them of the dangers of temptation and sin and of the need to guard our lives and hearts with prayer.

“He who has been through deep waters has the experience that enables him to be of help to others.” (Leon Morris)

Peter stumbled but was brought back to a place of faith and loyalty to Christ, through the power of God. Jesus wants him, in turn, to strengthen other Christians who stumble and fail. You might well be able to do this too.

It’s really important that older and younger Christians mix well together in the church. I hate the idea of segregating by age, having a service for young people and a more traditional one for older people. It’s totally unbiblical and means that younger Christians miss out on the wisdom older Christians are able to share. We need to be creative in church to ensure we mix together as much as possible, even as we enjoy another church lunch together.

As we close, becoming a Christian isn’t about what we can do for God but about what God can do for us. When we cry out to him for forgiveness, he saves us. And as we go on in the Christian life, he keeps us.