Luke 20

Luke 20:1-8

Chapter 32 Ungodliness In The House Of God In this passage of scripture we see our Lord Jesus Christ walking in the temple with his disciples, teaching and preaching the gospel. As he walked back and forth through the house of God, a multitude gathered around and listened intently to his every word. The event recorded here took place the day after our Lord cursed the barren fig tree and drove the money changers from the temple, two days after his entrance into Jerusalem. In the crowd, listening to our Saviour’s doctrine, were those chief priests, scribes, and elders who were determined to destroy the Master, his doctrine, and his people. Once more, they thought they had a perfect opportunity to discredit him. The Lord Jesus had come into Jerusalem accepting the praises of men as the Messiah, the Christ of God. He entered the house of God, drove out the money changers, and set things in order as the Master of the house. On top of all that, he called the house of God his house. Thus declaring himself to be God. As he preached the gospel of God in the house of God, contrary to the accepted traditions and customs of the Jews, these great, respected, scholarly infidels, who were the religious leaders of the Jewish world, demanded of the Lord Jesus the source of his authority. What determined hatred these chief priests and scribes and elders had for the Son of God! What had the Lord Jesus done? He had preached the gospel to the poor. He had gone about healing all manner of sickness and disease among the people. Was this the cause of all their hatred and malignity? Strange as that may seem, it was.

That is cause enough to Satan and his seed. It always has been and always will be, so long as the world shall stand. Is the offence of the cross ceased? Oh no! Let any of God’s servants in the present hour preach the gospel the Master preached, declaring that salvation is in his name alone, throwing all the goodness and righteousness of men to the ground and declaring that Christ’s blood and righteousness are the solitary cause of a sinner’s acceptance with God, and the religious leaders around him will rise up against him like angry hornet’s buzzing around his head. When the religious, spiritual leaders of a church, denomination, nation, or age do not know God, when spiritual leaders are really infidels, those who blindly follow their blind guides do so to the eternal peril of their souls! Here are four spiritual evils, four glaring matters of ungodliness, which stand out in these verses, as beacons to warn us. Spiritual Ignorance First, Luke shows us the evil of spiritual ignorance displayed in these religious men. You may think, “How can spiritual ignorance be called an evil thing? Can a person be faulted for his ignorance in the things of God?” Yes, a person can and should be, indeed shall be, held accountable by God for that which he could have known and should have known had he simply walked in the light God gave him. Do you understand the implications of what I have just stated? Not only will God Almighty hold you accountable at the Day of Judgment for everything you have heard and despised concerning the gospel of his dear Son, he will hold you accountable for everything you could have heard had you chosen to do so. Those things are true of all men; but they are especially true concerning those men who assume the responsibility of teaching others and preaching to others and leading others in the name of God. That man who speaks to, teaches, leads, and preaches to others in the name of God better have a firm, well-grounded assurance concerning a few things. Writing as I now do in God’s name, I assume a tremendous weight of responsibility. Knowing what I do of God’s character, his Word, and the seriousness of this business of addressing immortal souls in the name of God, I would not dare speak (or write) another word, or continue another day in the work of the ministry, if I were not certain of these things. I say to any man, old or young, who is just chomping at the bit to be a preacher, before you assume this work, you better be certain that you know God and the gospel of his grace, God has called you and sent you to this work, you have a message from God, you faithfully proclaim God’s message. Though all are responsible for their own souls, those who are set as watchmen over immortal souls are also responsible for those souls (Ezekiel 3:17-21; Ezekiel 33:1-20). What does all that have to do with Luke 20:1-8? Just this: these chief priests, scribes, and elders stand before us as glaring examples of the fact that those who hold highest place in the religious world are often totally ignorant of the things of God. They men were the most highly trained, specialized religious scholars of the time. They were selected from an elite group of elite men. They were not just priests, they were the chief priests. They were not just teachers, they were the scribes. They were not just elders, they were the elders. These men were regarded by the religious world of their day as the very source and fountain of all spiritual knowledge. They were, for the most part, direct descendants of Aaron; and they could prove it. Their doctrine had the full weight and force of mainstream, historic Jewish tradition; and they could prove that, too. But these men did not know God from a box of rocks. Spiritually, they were totally blind. They had the scriptures memorized, categorized, and compartmentalized; but they had absolutely no understanding of the message of the Book. They could tell you everything you could want to know about God and his Son, the Christ, the Messiah, except one thing. They could not tell you who he is! They could not spot him when he stood in their midst. Spiritual knowledge comes by divine revelation. I wonder if we will ever learn this. In spiritual matters nothing matters except spiritual matters. Worldly approval, academic scholarship, historic approval, celebrated fame, religious order, and religious tradition are all meaningless. Indeed, these things are an absolute hindrance unless we are taught of God. We know nothing until God, by his Spirit, causes the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ to shine in our hearts. Christ must be revealed in us (2 Corinthians 4:3-6). Once that happens, once Christ is revealed in a person, he is unceasingly taught of God and convinced of three things. These three things are the most important truths we ever consider. They are indescribably deep. We can never fully learn them. Yet, if we are taught of God, we will never cease to learn them, as long as we live in this world. They are …

1. Sin. Our own sin, the depravity of our hearts, the corruption of our evil deeds, and the filth of our righteousnesses!
2. Righteousness. The righteousness of God accomplished and brought in for us by Christ’s obedience as our representative!
3. Judgment. Judgment finished at Calvary by the substitutionary satisfaction of divine justice (John 16:8-11; Romans 8:1; 2 Corinthians 5:21)! As you care for your soul and for the souls of your families and for all who may be influenced by you, try the spirits to see whether they be of God (1 John 4:1-3). “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” Spiritual ignorance, ignorance of Christ and his gospel, among preachers, teachers, and religious leaders is an inexcusable evil, by which multitudes are being led to hell. When blind men are led by blind men, both fall into the ditch. Yet, there is more to aggravate the wickedness of their ignorance. They were wilfully ignorant of Christ. Their ignorance arose from their enmity against the Master. It was the fruit of their malice toward and hatred of Christ and his doctrine. Our Lord’s miraculous works spoke for themselves. None but God could do the work he did. Nicodemus recognized that fact (John 3:2). And every man with common sense recognizes it. But these men refused the obvious, because to acknowledge the obvious would require that they acknowledge Christ and his doctrine. Religious Curiosity The second evil, the second display of ungodliness we see in these men, and often see in the house of God today is the evil of religious curiosity. What multitudes there are who are curious about spiritual things! The more mysterious a matter is, the more their curiosity is stirred. They care nothing for plainly revealed truth. They despise things that are obvious and important, needful and vital. But, they love to talk about and debate obscure things. In Luke 20:27-37 the Sadducees asked the Master a trick question about the resurrection. Mind you, they did not believe in the resurrection; but they wanted to debate it. People like the scribes and their companions abound in every generation. They are all alike enemies to the pure truths of the gospel. Their religion is nothing but curiosity. You will be wise to avoid them as you would the plague (1 Timothy 1:4). Religious Pride Third, these religious hypocrites also show us the horrid evil of religious pride and arrogance. Here is a group of men, pretending that they are doing God’s service, daring to challenge the incarnate God himself about his authority, moved by nothing but envy, jealousy, arrogance, and pride. They were not even slightly motivated by the glory of God. Their only concern was their own position and power. They said, “By what authority doest thou these things?” They could not refute his doctrine. They could not make any charge of wickedness stick. They could not deny the power of God displayed in his works. The only thing left was to challenge his right to do the things he did in the name of God. They were asking, “By what authority do you preach? Who ordained you? What right do you have to curse a fig tree, created by God? How dare you come into the house of God and set things in order, without consulting us?” Nothing makes a lost religious man more arrogant, insecure, envious, and malicious than the sight of another man doing the will of God; preaching the truth of God he refuses to preach; consecrated to the glory of God, while he is consecrated to nothing but himself; secure in the place of God, while he senses nothing but insecurity; at rest in the will of God, when he cannot find a moment’s rest in his own soul. It is spiritual pride and arrogance, especially among religious leaders, which keeps men from bowing to the truth of God, when plainly confronted with it; and the embarrassment of having that wickedness exposed in their own hearts makes those, who normally appear to be so sugary sweet, raging persecutors. It was the spiritual arrogance of these men which dragged them down to hell. Everyone acknowledged that John the Baptist was a prophet of God; but these fine men were not about to sit at the feet of such an unacceptable teacher. Because they would not hear God’s servant, they could not believe God’s Son. Christ declared and displayed in undeniable ways his Messiahship and Godhood; but they refused to believe him. It would simply have cost them too much. Because they refused to hear God’s messenger and refused to believe God’s Son, they despised God’s ordinance of believer’s baptism. Spiritual Dishonesty Spiritual ignorance always leads to spiritual arrogance; and spiritual ignorance and arrogance always produce the evil of spiritual dishonesty. Those who are, by their wilful unbelief, prejudiced against the truth of God, in the attempt to justify themselves, will, without hesitation, lie and act in dishonesty to their own consciences. There is nothing dishonest men will not do to save face before men. Our Lord did not ask these men a hard, perplexing question. He just asked them whether John’s ministry was of God, or of men (Luke 20:3-4). They did not even think about giving a plain, honest, straightforward answer. Immediately, they put their heads together, not to find out the truth, but to figure out how to save face (Luke 20:5-7; Luke 20:31). Rather than speak the truth, they told a direct and obvious lie. They said, “We cannot tell.” In reply to our Lord’s question whether John’s baptism was from heaven or of men, “they answered that they could not tell.” That was an obvious lie. They could have told, but they would not do so. They knew that if they said what they really believed they would condemn themselves. If they confessed that John was a prophet sent from God, they would be guilty of a gross inconsistency in not believing his testimony about Christ as the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the Saviour of needy sinners, who came to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Men and women will say anything rather than acknowledge themselves to be in the wrong. Lying is just one of the sins to which the human heart is most naturally inclined, and one of the most common evils in the world. Gehazi and Ananias and Sapphira have more followers and imitators in the house of God than Peter and Paul. Lessons You can mark this down as a matter of certainty. If God is pleased to use you, men will envy you, despise you, and do everything within their power to discredit you. If they cannot destroy you, they will try to destroy your influence. Our Lord Jesus found his most malicious enemies (the Pharisees) in the house of God. Paul found his greatest foes (false apostles and Judaisers) in the house of God. Even the beloved John had his foe (Diotrephes) in the house of God. The best way I know of to deal with those who oppose us, oppose the gospel of the grace of God, oppose the work we do, and oppose our God is to ignore them, just as our Lord did, when he replied, “Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things” (Luke 20:8). Rarely do men and women rightly esteem and value the ministry of the gospel. In this passage, as he often did, our Lord Jesus highly commended John the Baptist and the ministry the Lord gave him in his day. Like John the Baptist, every true gospel preacher is sent of God to point out the Lamb of God and declare his work, to prepare the way of the Lord, to call sinners to repentance, showing them the way of life and faith in Christ (Isaiah 52:7), and to leave all who believe not without excuse. “And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13).

Luke 20:9-19

Chapter 33 God’s Church His Vineyard We have before us in these verses one of our Lord’s parables that is recorded in great detail by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. That fact alone is sufficient to demonstrate that this is a parable of tremendous importance. This is clearly a historical parable. We are told in verse nineteen that the chief priests, scribes and elders of the Jews “perceived that” the Lord Jesus “had spoken the parable against them.” The history of the Jewish nation, from the time that the Lord brought them out of Egypt until the time of their destruction in 70 AD, is set before us in these verses. Under the emblem of a vineyard and husbandmen (vinedressers), our Master tells us the story of God’s dealings with that nation, both in great mercy and in great judgment. This parable is recorded here in the Book of God to stand as a beacon to warn us, lest we who have received and experienced far greater mercies than the Jews ever did should also at last be dashed in pieces upon the rocks of God’s righteous retribution and judgment. There is no question that our Lord is here speaking directly to the scribes and Pharisees, to the nation of Israel and their religious leaders in his day. They are the husbandmen described in the parable. Their sins are set before us in plain words. They persecuted and killed God’s prophets, generation after generation. At last, they murdered God’s darling Son! There can be no doubt that the parable was directly intended to be a word of condemnation against the Jewish nation. But it is a serious mistake for anyone to read these words and say, “That applies to the Jews. It has no reference to me.” “A godly man”, wrote John Trapp, “reads the scriptures as he doth the statute-book. He holds himself concerned in all that he reads. He finds his name written in every passage and lays it to heart, as spoken to him. The wicked, on the other side, put off all they like not, and dispose of it to others.” Let us not be so foolish. The parable of the wicked husbandmen is a parable by which the Son of God speaks to us. “He that hath an ear, let him hear.” The Jews who heard this parable fall from the lips of the Son of God refused to heed its lessons. Therefore that nation is to this day under the curse of God’s holy wrath and just judgment. When they had the light, they refused to walk in the light. Therefore God has sent blindness and darkness upon them. This is what God the Holy Spirit intends for us to learn from this parable: “Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee” (Romans 11:20-21). With that warning in mind, I direct your attention to the very important lessons to be learned from this parable. The churches, preachers, teachers and spiritual leaders of our land, those who profess to be God’s servants, those who are responsible to teach us God’s Word and God’s ways, have long since abandoned the Word and truth of God. The result of that apostasy is the abounding ungodliness of this reprobate age. Let us beware, lest we follow this religious generation to everlasting ruin. God’s Church First, we see here that God’s church in this world is his vineyard (Luke 20:9). When I refer to God’s church in this world, as is the case in all the New Testament, I primarily have in mind the local church, local gospel churches. There certainly are applications of this parable to be made to the church universal; but it speaks principally of the church local; local assemblies of men and women who profess to be followers of Christ and his gospel. Every true gospel church is a vineyard of God’s planting. It belongs to the Lord. He separated a piece of ground for it.

He planted it. He has hedged it about. A true gospel church is the greatest blessing God can bestow upon any community in this world. What a great and rare privilege and blessing it is to live in a place where God has raised up a people to worship him, by whom the gospel of his free, sovereign, saving grace is proclaimed! Husbandmen We are also told in Luke 20:9 that the Lord God has let out this vineyard to us, his people, as his husbandmen. There is no greater privilege than this in the world, and no greater responsibility under heaven than this. God the Holy Spirit tells us that “we have this treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7). The treasure we carry through the world as God’s servants is the gospel of his grace, by which he communicates to chosen sinners all the blessings of grace and salvation in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14). But we who carry this treasure are only “earthen vessels”, broken clay pots, worthless and meaningless. We are nothing but sinners saved by grace, no more; but the treasure we carry, by which God is pleased to save his elect, is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Expected Fruit Third, at the appointed season, the Lord God looks for and rightfully expects to find fruit from the husbandmen of his vineyard (Luke 20:10). The rent he requires of us is very reasonable. All he demands from us is that we reverence his Son (Luke 20:13). God simply requires that we worship his Son. Read Luke 20:10-14 carefully. Here we see that as men and women deal with and treat God’s faithful servants, so they deal with and treat God’s Son. “And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out. Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him. But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.” Religion Loved And Christ Hated Lost religious men and women love religion, religious duties, religious activity, religious ceremonies, religious history, and religious tradition, but utterly despise God, his Son, and his gospel, and would (if they could) cast God’s Son off his throne, out of his Kingdom, and kill him. “They reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours” (Luke 20:14). That is exactly what was prophesied in Psalms 2. The reason preachers, teachers, churches, and religious leaders despise and cast Christ and his Word out is simply this: They want the vineyard for themselves. Conviction Not Conversion Learn this too: there are many who experience conviction who are never converted (Luke 20:19). “And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.” It takes something more than a guilty, condemning conscience to produce repentance and faith in the heart. That is the gift of God’s saving goodness and grace (Romans 2:4; Ephesians 2:8-9; Zechariah 12:10). “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” Despised Mercy Our Lord here warns us that mercy despised will be taken away (Luke 20:15-16). If we despise the privileges and opportunities God has given us, he will both take away those great privileges and make those things which might have been the means of our eternal salvation the very basis of our everlasting ruin. Present privileges are no guarantee of future privileges. The Lord Jesus warns us that he will remove the candlestick that is despised. If the preaching of the gospel is not a savour of life, it will be to you a savour of death. The time came when the cup of Israel’s iniquity was full and God would tolerate them no more. In 70AD, just 40 years after this parable was uttered, God sent Titus and the armies of Rome into Jerusalem to destroy the holy city, the temple, and the nation. From that day to this, the Jews have been scattered over the face of the whole earth. Nothing offends God like the neglect of his gospel and his grace. The churches of Asia Minor, once so strong, are now gone. Africa, once the cradle of light, is now the house of darkness. England, once so full of light and life, is now a graveyard of religious relics and memories. Much, much has been given to us; and much shall be required of us. John Trapp said, “The gospel is that inheritance we received from our forefathers. It must be our care to transmit the same to our posterity.” Truth is the legacy we have received from the preceding generations of God’s saints, and truth is the legacy we must leave to the generations that follow. And that particular body of truth which we are responsible to maintain is the gospel of Christ. Our creed is, and ever must be, “Jesus Christ and him crucified”. The truth we must preserve and declare is the great “mystery of godliness”, redemption by Jesus Christ, the incarnate God. God’s Purpose Sure Though many do despise God’s grace, and thus heap destruction upon themselves, when he takes the gospel from one people, he gives it to another, and the purpose of God is not thwarted or even hindered. Christ is still exalted and his people shall be saved (Luke 20:17-18; Romans 11:25-26; Romans 11:33-36). Many reject and despise God’s salvation, refusing to build upon the foundation he has laid; but Christ is still exalted. Though many refuse to believe the gospel and are cast off for their unbelief, God has not cast off his people. There is yet a remnant according to the election of grace; and that remnant shall be saved (Romans 11:1-5). God’s purpose is not hindered by man’s unbelief (Romans 3:3-4). The Only Way The only way a sinner can ever be saved is to fall on that Rock of Salvation which God has laid in Zion, Christ Jesus. “Whosoever shall fall on that Stone shall be broken” (Luke 20:18). If Christ falls on you in judgment, he will grind you to powder, and your everlasting ruin beneath the weight of this Stone will be inescapable and complete. “On whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder” (Luke 20:18). “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure. Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.

Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars. She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river. Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?

The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it. Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine; And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved” (Psalms 80:1-19).

Luke 20:19-26

Chapter 34 Of God And CaesarMomentary Conviction The first thing that strikes me in this passage is the alarming fact that men and women who ultimately perish under the wrath of God often have fleeting moments of what might be called conviction by the Word of God. As soon as our Lord declared the impending wrath and judgment of God that was upon them, the Jews were pricked in their consciences because they knew their guilt (Luke 20:16); but they quickly overcame that sense of guilt. This ought to be alarming. As with these lost, self-righteous, religious men, there are moments in the lives of unregenerate men and women, when they are pricked in their consciences by the law of God and compelled to acknowledge their guilt. But legal fear, the fear of divine judgment is not, in itself Holy Spirit conviction. Legal fear soon passes, as it did with these men. Holy Spirit conviction is conviction that cannot be resisted and never passes. Holy Spirit conviction only increases. It never fades. Holy Spirit conviction is conviction that involves more than a sense of guilt and the terror of hell, though that certainly is a part of it. Holy Spirit conviction arises not from the terror of the law, but from the good news of the gospel. Holy Spirit conviction is the conviction of God-given faith wrought in the heart by the revelation of Christ in us (Zechariah 12:10; Zechariah 13:1; John 16:8-11). Our Merciful Saviour Read Luke 20:17-18, and adore our great, gracious, and merciful Saviour. “And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” What a delightful picture! As soon as our Saviour heard their cry of anguish and fear, he looked upon them in tenderness, pointed them to the scriptures with which they were very familiar, declaring that the Christ of whom they read in the Book of God every sabbath day has come. And, looking forward to the day when it would be finished before their eyes, he announced that his work was accomplished. “The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?” Then, our merciful Redeemer called upon these men to fall upon him in true repentance and be broken, saying, “Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken.” He has become the Head of the Corner, God has highly exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and remission of sins to poor, needy sinners, because he has finished his work. Fall on him, and you shall be broken in repentance. Fall on him, and you shall be lifted in forgiveness. In the same breath, our Saviour warned those men that if they persisted in their self-righteousness and unbelief, he would surely fall on them in his wrath and grind them to powder. “Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” Flying in the teeth of mercy, these men hardened their hearts, like Pharaoh of old, and refused to trust the Saviour. They refused to fall on him in faith, choosing death rather than life. With the Word of God in their hands and the Son of God standing before them, they stood firm as enemies of God’s Christ in their hearts. What aggravated condemnation they stirred against themselves! Oh, may God the Holy Spirit save you and me from such folly and graciously force us now and continually, by his irresistible mercy, to fall on Christ! Enraged Religionists In Luke 20:19-20 we see how utterly enraged self-righteous religionists become when confronted with the claims of Christ. “And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them. And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.” The claims of Christ will either break you or harden you. When you are confronted with the gospel of God’s free, saving grace in Christ, you will either be broken in repentance or hardened in self-righteousness. You cannot hear the gospel and be neutral. You will either take sides with God against yourself, or you will take sides with yourself against God. These proud, self-righteous religious men, enraged by the word of the sovereign Christ, words by which they had been exposed to themselves, decided it was time to kill him. The old proverb goes, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” But the fury of a woman scorned is a sweet consolation compared to the rage of men whose righteousness is scorned by God! The gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ is always offensive to lost religious people. That is the way it was then; and that is the way it is now. The offence of the cross has not ceased (Galatians 5:11). Divine sovereignty puts us all entirely in God’s hands. That offends man’s pride. Total depravity declares man to be basically evil, not good.

That offends man’s righteousness. Unconditional election makes salvation a matter wholly determined by the immutable will of God. That offends man’s most treasured god, his will! Limited atonement makes salvation to be merited by and secured by Christ alone. That offends man’s high esteem of his own works. Irresistible grace makes the new birth, repentance, and faith the works and gifts of God the Holy Spirit.

That offends man’s arrogant sense of power, his high sense of personal divinity. Perseverance of the saints makes salvation, grace, and eternal life entirely dependent upon the work of God. That offends man’s love of his own righteousness. Flattering Enemies Those who are our most bitter foes often come against us as a flattering friends rather than enraged enemies. In Luke 20:20 we read that the chief priests and scribes sent out spies who “feigned themselves just men”, who pretended to be honest and sincere. But their purpose was to entrap the Lord Jesus and find a trumped-up excuse for having him executed by the Roman government. We read their flattering speech in Luke 20:21. “And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly.” What these men stated was completely true, and they knew it was true; but they hated him and his doctrine. They acknowledged that what he had just said concerning himself and them was right. They asserted that our Saviour is not blinded by the outward appearance of men. And they asserted that he taught the things of God truthfully. It is not at all unusual for liars to speak truth with lying hearts. Their words sounded good and admiring. An ignorant bystander might have thought, “These men are sincerely interested in truth.” But their words were nothing but an outward covering for inward hatred. They were wolves who put on the sheep’s clothing for convenience, under the insane notion of deceiving the Lord of Glory. As the Psalmist put it, their “words were smoother than butter, but war was in their heart.” Their “words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords” (Psalms 55:21). If you are wise, you will pay no attention to flattering tongues. Many have been ruined by the world’s seductive kindness, who stood strong and firm against the world’s persecutions (Psalms 12:2; Psa. 26:28). Sweet things cause more sickness than bitter things. The warm, balmy sunshine of a bright summer day is far more likely to make a man shed his protective armour than the freezing blasts of winter. The devil is never so dangerous as when he appears to be our friend. And the world is never so dangerous to our souls as when it smiles and flatters. There is never a lack of people who profess with their lips to love Christ, while in heart they deny him. There are always some, who “by good words and fair speeches”, will attempt to deceive. God’s servants in every age and in every place have to deal with men like Diotrephes (Romans 16:18; Proverbs 26:23). Mark such men and avoid them. Do not indulge them. Overruling Providence I cannot fail to show you once more the sweet consolation of God’s overruling providence. These enraged, self-righteous, religious men pursued their lust with eagerness. They wanted to have the Lord of Glory executed with haste. The Holy Spirit tells us that it was “the same hour”. Yet, the scriptures teach us that every tiny detail and circumstance which attended the crucifixion and death of our blessed Redeemer was performed precisely according to the will of God, according to his own, sovereign, eternal purpose of grace, to accomplish our salvation by the sacrifice of his darling Son (Isaiah 53:10; John 19:10-11; Acts 2:23; Acts 4:27-28). God And Caesar In Luke 20:22-26 as our Master, our Lord, and King, and Saviour answers the question of these hypocrites concerning paying taxes to Caesar, he teaches us that in all matters of civil law, it is our duty to be obedient to civil government. “Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no? But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Show me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar’s. And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s. And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.” The attempt of these men in the instance here mentioned, was for the purpose of bringing an accusation against the Lord Jesus to the Roman government. The Jews at that time were under bondage to Rome; and they utterly hated Caesar and the Romans. The whole nation was looking forward to the coming of the Messiah, whom they thought would deliver them from their modern-day Babylonian Captivity. Yet, in their hatred of the Messiah whom they claimed to love, they hatched their crafty scheme to entrap him. No matter how the Saviour answered, they were sure they would snare him with his words. If he confessed the authority of the Roman government, they thought he would lose his popularity among the people, whom they feared. If he denied the Romans’ right to tribute, they would have hurriedly taken him before Pontius Pilate, to have him condemned. These are the men spoken of prophetically in Psalms 22:12. “Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.” Our blessed Saviour not only foiled their craftiness, he seized the opportunity to teach us what our attitude ought to always be toward civil government. The Holy Spirit gives us the commentary on his words in Romans 13:1-7. “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.” I do not approve of many things, indeed, of most things promoted and encouraged by the institutions of government in our country (the USA). I am thankful for the nation, love it, and am willing to fight to the death to defend the land and liberty God has given us. But those laws of the land that tend to destroy the very fabric of society, I do not and cannot condone. However, wherever the laws of the land do not demand that I violate the Word of God, I am and must be obedient to the laws of civil government. We must be obedient to God, regardless of cost or consequence, even when law forbids our obedience (Acts 4:18-20). But, where Caesar does not demand disobedience to Christ, we must render unto Caesar the things that are his. This is something that I think about and pray about a good bit, as I am sure you do, particularly as we see the current trend of legislation, promoting promiscuity of every imaginable measure: homosexuality, fornication, and adultery, abortion (a pretty word for murdering babies) and euthanasia (the murder of people considered no longer fit to live). What are our responsibilities as believers toward civil government? Our divinely ordained responsibility to our government can be summarized in three words: pay, pray, and obey!

1. Pay: it has been said, “Only two things are sure: death and taxes; and of the two, taxes is the more painful.” There are many who for various reasons, usually religious fanaticism, consider it their duty not to pay taxes. The IRS takes a slightly different view of the matter. Even though the tax code talks about “voluntary compliance”, I personally know some who have wound up in prison because they chose not to pay their taxes. But our concern, our only concern as believers is this: What does God have to say to us about paying taxes to our government? “Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” Someone might say, “But Caesar and the Romans were not like our governmental leaders or our country.” And you are right. Caesar and the Romans were indescribably more abominably wicked (Read Romans 1). Idolatry was rampant among the Romans and promoted by the Roman government. Caesar demanded that men worship him as a god. Abortion was as commonplace as breakfast. Immorality of every imaginable variety was considered morality, and opposition to it was considered treasonous hatred.
2. Pray: not only are we to pay our lawful taxes, (I mean by that taxes required by law, not taxes we consider lawful!), our God teaches us to pray for Caesar. In giving instructions for the local church to the young pastor Timothy, Paul wrote … “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. (3) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour” (1 Timothy 2:1-3). “Prayers” are addresses made to our God in the name of Christ. The word “supplications” has the idea of praying for God to meet the need of another. “Intercessions” are prayers offered with compassion. “Giving of thanks” is the expressed gratitude to God for his good providence in giving us the civil leaders he has ordained as “ministers of God to” us. We have precisely the rulers we have because God has made them our rulers to minister to us; and they always minister to us, according to the will of our God, even godless, pagan kings (Ezra 7:27; Proverbs 16:1; Proverbs 21:1). The Spirit of God is tells us that “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving and thanks” are to be made for “all men”, and particularly “for kings and for all who are in authority.” That means that we are, as believers, to pray for our President, for members of Congress and the Supreme Court, for the governor, for our state senators and assemblymen, for our mayor and council members, irrespective of our opinion of these men and women. They need our prayers. And, what is more, we need to pray for them. We would be far more useful to our nation if we spent more thought, time, and energy praying for our civil rulers than we do complaining about them.
3. Obey: Paul said, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God.” Remember, Paul was living under a very oppressive government, the very government that executed of our Lord Jesus Christ, the same government that would arrest, torture, and kill untold thousands of his followers. Yet the word from the Lord is very clear: we are to be subject to the governing authorities. We are to obey the laws of the land, for government has been established by God to keep order.

In general, it is the lawbreakers, not the law-abiders, who have reason to fear the government. We may find much about the government at every level with which we take issue, but without the government, there would be chaos. Therefore, we are to obey. That is the rule, obey the government. Exceptions But I would remind you of your school days and what you learned from English grammar. There are rules and there are exceptions to most rules. We learned “i before e except after c.” Then we were told to memorize the exceptions. The exceptions do not negate the rules, but they modify them. Similarly, there are exceptions to the rule of obeying the government. There are times when disobedience is necessary because we answer to a higher authority. There are three obvious examples in Scripture. In Daniel’s day, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship the king’s golden image, and were cast into the fiery furnace, because God’s people were ordered not to pray to their God. Daniel, in violation of the law, worshipped the Lord God, refused to obey the king’s decree, and for that was thrown into the lion’s den. In the Book of Acts we are told that believers were ordered not to teach the people in the name of Jesus. “Peter and the other apostles answered and said: We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). When any government orders God’s elect to do something that violates a clear command of God, we have no choice but to disobey and then be willing to suffer the consequences for Christ’s sake. But disobedience to government is the exception to the rule. We are not to disobey civil law just because we do not like the laws imposed, or because we think they are ridiculous, or even because we are certain that they are base and vile, as many of our laws are at their core. As long as we are not required to disobey our God, we are to obey those who rule over us, supporting our government and praying for our nation. We who believe God ought to be the best citizens of the land. Let me give you a good reason for this: We are citizens of another country and servants of another King (1 Peter 2:9-17). “Render (therefore) to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Give Caesar your taxes and your respect. Give God your heart, your devotion, your faith, your confidence, your praise, your reverence, your life.

Luke 20:27-38

Chapter 35 “Children Of The Resurrection” In this portion of scripture we have the Sadducees’ attempt to entrap our Lord Jesus. The Sadducees were the smallest but by far the most wealthy and influential of the Jewish sects. They were the aristocrats of Judaism, and for the most part controlled the priesthood and the temple. Though that was the case, the Sadducees were not commonly respected by the people. They, supposing themselves to be smarter than God, denied the resurrection. They were the most liberal sect of the Jews. They were religious; but their religion was the religion of infidelity. The Sadducees’ religion was nothing more than a philosophical system of carnal reason with religious overtones. They did not believe in the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the dead, or eternity. They did not believe that heaven and hell are real. The Sadducees believed that when men and women die, they die like dogs, that the death of the body is the end of a person’s existence. They used the scriptures, taught the scriptures, and professed to believe the scriptures. As we see in the passage before us, they could even recite the scriptures from memory.

These were “smart” men, well-educated, and very knowledgeable. They were sure the Lord Jesus would be completely stumped by their pretentious question. But their religion was altogether a religion of infidelity; and they were completely stumped by the Master’s answer. Our Lord Jesus Christ graciously turned the quibbles of these infidels into an opportunity to teach us that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, and that all the children of God are “the children of the resurrection”. In this passage of holy scripture, as we consider the ludicrous question of the Sadducees and the answer our Master gave them, four things stand out as matters of great importance. Religious Infidelity First, the Sadducees stand before us as glaring examples of religious infidelity. The vast majority of people in this world who profess the name of Christianity, including the most powerful and most influential religious leaders of it, are really only religious infidels. Their religion is a matter of convenience, not conviction. It is, for the most part, a religion, which holds the Word of God, the truth of God, the gospel of God, the will of God, and the glory of God in utter contempt, just like these Sadducees. The Sadducees laughed at the doctrine of the resurrection. They were simply too “smart”, too “educated”, too “enlightened”, to believe such religious sentiments. The question they posed to the Lord Jesus illustrates both their hypocrisy and their arrogance. They hypocritically pretended to have reverence for the Lord Jesus Christ, calling him “Master”. They pretended to reverence the scriptures as the Word of God. And they pretended to have concern for heavenly, spiritual things. These men presented their question as though it were a factual thing, as though they were really interested in knowing the answer. Any statistician will tell you that you would have a far greater chance of winning the lottery than of seven brothers marrying the same wife, after each had died, leaving the woman childless! The only thing these men were interested in was raising a question, which they were confident the Master could not answer. We will be wise to mark the things recorded here and learn from them not to allow modern religious infidels to entrap us. When carping religious infidels want to argue with you, just ignore them. Give them plain statements of Scripture, and leave them alone. If you get into a hissing contest with a snake, you are going to lose. Such people always try to press difficult and abstruse points. They always act dishonestly. And they deserve nothing but contempt. In Mark 12:24 we read that our Lord Jesus plainly told this same group of men that they were totally ignorant both of the scriptures and of the power of God. “And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?” Spiritual ignorance and doctrinal error may always be traced to these two things: (1.) ignorance of the Word of God, and (2.) ignorance of God’s power. These men did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, because they did not know the teaching of holy scripture and knew nothing of the power of God. I do not doubt for a moment that they knew the letter of the scriptures. No doubt, they could quote huge passages from the Bible from memory. I do not doubt that they were very keenly aware of the historic events and chronological order of things recorded in the scriptures. They knew the history of Israel, and even knew what the prophecies of the Old Testament said. But they had absolutely no knowledge of the meaning and message of holy scripture. Their understanding was nothing but the understanding of carnal reason and religious tradition. Do you understand the message of holy scripture? The Book of God is all about Christ. The message of holy scripture is the gospel of Christ (Luke 24:27; Luke 24:32; Luke 24:44-45; John 5:39; 1 Peter 1:23-25). Spiritual knowledge is not merely doctrinal knowledge, creedal knowledge, logical knowledge, and factual knowledge. Spiritual knowledge is the revealed knowledge of a person, and that Person is the Lord Jesus Christ. These silly men wanted to argue about the doctrine of the resurrection. But the resurrection is more than a doctrine. It is a person. Christ is the Resurrection (John 11:25). You cannot know the Person without knowing the doctrine; but you certainly can know the doctrine of Christ without knowing Christ himself. Salvation involves more than doctrinal knowledge. Salvation is knowing Christ (John 17:3). Christ is the Resurrection and the Life of chosen sinners: representatively in redemption (Ephesians 2:4-6), experimentally in regeneration (John 5:25; Revelation 20:6; Colossians 3:1-3), and prospectively in the last day (Colossians 3:4). The truth of God, the gospel of his grace, is much more than doctrinal, historical facts. The gospel is a Person, the crucified Christ (John 14:6). Without question, this Person is revealed and made known to us and in us in the context of revealed, doctrinal truth. But life and salvation comes by knowing the Triune God himself in the Person of our all glorious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 17:3; 2 Timothy 1:12). Salvation is not merely knowing about Christ. Salvation is knowing Christ as my God, my Surety, my Substitute, my King, my Priest, my Prophet, and my Saviour! Spiritual ignorance, doctrinal error, and heresy of every kind, according to our Saviour’s word, must be traced to ignorance of the power of God. I take that to mean three things. These three things, you will find throughout the scriptures, are what is meant by the power of God. Spiritual ignorance arises from and must be traced to an utter ignorance of God’s sovereignty, his absolute authority as God. Spiritual ignorance arises from and must be traced to an utter ignorance of God’s omnipotence, his almightiness as God. Spiritual ignorance arises from and must be traced to an utter ignorance of God’s gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:15-16). These Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, because they were totally ignorant of God’s sovereignty, his omnipotence, and his gospel. All heresy, all spiritual ignorance must be attributed to these things. All false religion, all freewill, works religion denies the sovereignty of God’s will and purpose in election and predestination, the omnipotence of his power and grace in redemption, regeneration, and effectual calling, and the power of the gospel’s good news of redemption accomplished by the blood of his dear Son. The preaching of the gospel is “the power of God unto salvation” (1 Corinthians 1:17-24). Worthiness For Heaven In our Lord’s answer to these carping infidels we find sweet and precious things for our souls. “And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection” (Luke 20:34-36). The first thing he tells us is that there are some people in this world who are “accounted worthy to obtain” the world to come. It is written, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 15:50). “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27). Yet, our Lord Jesus asserts here, and the Word of God elsewhere declares, that there are some people in this world who are counted worthy to obtain the world to come (Colossians 1:12-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-5). Who are these people? What makes them worthy to obtain the world to come? These four things identify them; and these four things make them worthy of heavenly glory. The record book of heaven! Their names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, written there from eternity as worthy (Romans 8:28-30). The Redeemer’s precious blood! The blood of Christ has freed them from all sin. The righteousness of God! They are completely, perfectly and immutably righteous in Christ, made the very “righteousness of God in him”. The regeneration of grace! Being born-again by God the Holy Spirit, they are made “partakers of the divine nature”. Christ is in them; and Christ in them is “the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Every year I travel to at least one foreign country preaching the gospel of Christ. I have crossed the borders of our nation north, south, east, and west. Whenever I leave this country and cross into another, three things are required: (1.) I have to have a birth certificate to prove my citizenship. (2.) I have to have a visa from the country receiving me. And (3.) I have to have a clean record, no criminal record. Soon I will leave this land of sorrow and sin. I hope to enter into the bliss and glory of heaven. I hope to stand forever accepted as a citizen of the New Jerusalem. This is the basis of my hope …

1. Birth Certificate: the Lord God has given me a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17). There is in me a new man, created of God in righteousness and true holiness.
2. Visa: I have a right to enter into heaven itself by the blood of Christ, because I am robed in his righteousness. God says, “It must be perfect to be accepted”, and in Christ I am perfect! He has made me perfectly righteous before God!
3. Clear Record: Jesus Christ has purged away all my sins with his own precious blood. Therefore, God will never charge me with any sin (Romans 4:8). When I stand before God and he searches the books for iniquity and sin under my name, he will find none (Jeremiah 50:20). Do you have what God requires? Are you worthy to obtain the world to come? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall obtain in him all that God requires to make you worthy of heavenly glory! The Resurrection Life Our Saviour not only assures us of the resurrection, but also gives us a slight glimpse of what life shall be like in the resurrection glory awaiting us. “And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection” (Luke 20:34-36). There will be a resurrection of the dead. When our Lord Jesus comes again, there will be a resurrection of the just and of the unjust. This fact is inscribed upon every man’s heart and conscience by the finger of God in creation. Anyone who denies the resurrection is a liar. He lies against his own conscience. This doctrine of the resurrection is the doctrine of both the Old and New Testaments (Exodus 3:6; Job 19:25-26; Psalms 16:9-10; Psalms 49:15; Psalms 73:24; Hosea 6:1-2; Daniel 12:2; John 5:29; 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). In the resurrection God’s saints shall be as the angels of God. In the resurrection we “shall be equal unto the angels”. What does that mean? I am certain that it contains a depth of meaning far greater than I have yet fathomed. But I am equally certain that it means these things. In the resurrection we will be completely free of all carnal distinctions, weaknesses, cares, needs, and passions. In the resurrection there will be no need for marriage and procreation, because there will be no more sickness, sorrow, bereavement or death! “Neither can they die any more”! “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power”! And there will be no imperfection of love and unity among God’s saints. And in the resurrection we will, like the angels of God, possess the constant, full knowledge and assurance of God’s approval. We will enjoy uninterrupted assurance of complete security with Christ. We will have perfect, uninterrupted communion with our Redeemer. Like the heavenly angels, we will always be engaged in the suitable, gratifying service of our great God. Worshipping him! Singing his praise! Celebrating his wondrous works! Doing his will! We will have unbroken, everlasting rest! Like those celestial spirits above, we will gaze upon our God and Saviour. “They do always behold the face of God.” “They shall see his face”! “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Psalms 17:15). He Who Is Our God Is The God Of The Living. “Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him” (Luke 20:37-38). Again, there is much more here than I can explain; but certain things are clear. It is certain that God’s saints who have left this world are not dead, but living. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob represent all God’s elect. They were chosen of God. They were heirs of a covenant. They believed God. They lived in communion with God. But they did not fully enjoy the fulfilment of God’s promises until they left this vale of tears (Hebrews 11:13-16). God’s glory was wrapped up in their lives. “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” “God is not ashamed to be called their God.” The Word Of God Every time I read Luke 20:37 I think to myself, “What a vast, immense Book the Word of God is”! The more I study it, the bigger it gets. This is a Book altogether beyond the reach of our puny brains. When we have studied it as deeply and as fully as possible, when we have taken in and comprehended everything that it is possible for us to take in and comprehend in this mortal frame, we will have only begun to scratch the surface. We will be learning the secrets of “the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever” throughout the endless ages of eternity. Let me show you what I mean. The passage our Lord quotes in Luke 20:37 is Exodus 3:6. “Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.” Who would ever have dreamed that this passage of scripture has anything to do with the resurrection, if the Son of God himself had not stated it? No one in history ever gave God’s word to Moses such an interpretation, until the Lord Jesus explained it in our text. Someone once wrote … “The Bible is the Word of the living God; each letter was penned with an almighty finger; each word came from the everlasting lips; each sentence was dictated by the Holy Spirit. Moses wrote with his fiery pen; God guided that pen. David played and sang the sweet psalms, but God moved his fingers over the strings and taught him the words. When Peter, James, and John tell of their Lord’s life, death, and resurrection, it is the voice of God, not a man’s voice. The very words are God’s words, the words of the Eternal, the Invisible, the Almighty Jehovah. The Bible is God’s Word; and when I see it, I seem to hear a voice springing up from it saying, ‘I am the book of God; man, READ ME! I am God’s writing, open my pages, for I was written by God; he is my author and you will find him manifested on every page.’” Read the Book of God; and as you read it, pray that God the Holy Spirit, who wrote it, will take the things of Christ in it and reveal them to you. Oh, what great, boundless, free, indescribable grace the Lord God has bestowed upon us in Christ, making us in him to be “the children of God”, “the children of the resurrection”, and “accounted worthy to obtain that world”! “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple” (Psalms 27:4).

Luke 20:39-47

Chapter 36 David’s Son And David’s Lord The Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees took great offence at our Lord’s doctrine, rightly perceiving that he had spoken the parable of the vineyard (Luke 20:9-18) against them (Luke 20:19). Taking offence at his doctrine, these wicked religious men, like their successors in every generation since, tried to catch the Lord Jesus with trick questions, hoping to twist his words and turn them against him, all the while pretending to be sincere and honest. But they were altogether foiled in their schemes, as those who oppose Christ and his gospel always are. Once our Lord Jesus had stopped the mouths of the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees, he seized the opportunity to give us a word of instruction about himself and a word of warning about religious pretence. The Scribes, who believed the doctrine of the resurrection, which the Sadducees denied, were pleased enough with the Lord’s response to the Sadducees. But they no more believed God than the Sadducees or the Pharisees. All three groups were mere self-righteous religionists, who utterly despised Christ and salvation by him. Our Lord saw through their charade. He was no more impressed with one than with the other. A Galling Exposure First, our Lord Jesus publicly exposed the ignorance of these religious hypocrites. After enduring and silencing the cavils of his enemies, our Lord turned the table against them and deliberately exposed their utter ignorance of the scriptures and the power of God. Remember, these were not ordinary men, or even ordinary religious men. They were the most revered religious leaders of their day. But they were, as are the most revered religious leaders of every age, ignorant of the scriptures and ignorant of the power of God. Can you imagine how galling it must have been to them to have their ignorance publicly exposed before the multitudes? Yet, that is exactly what the Lord Jesus did here. He asked them to explain an expression found in Psalms 110, where David speaks of the Messiah, whom they all acknowledged is David’s son, as his Lord. They were dumbfounded. They were so stunned that they could not give any kind of answer. These great religious leaders did not see the plain teaching of holy scripture that Messiah (the Christ), he who is our Redeemer and Saviour, must be and is fully God and fully man in one glorious Person. Yet, that is exactly what the Psalmist David declares in Psalms 110. Their ignorance of this Psalm was exposed before all the people.

Professing themselves to be teachers of others, claiming to possess the key of knowledge, they were totally ignorant of the scriptures they claimed to teach with authority. Nothing could have been more embarrassing and galling. The Message Of Scripture Second, the Lord Jesus here reminds us that the Book of God is all about him, his person, his work, his salvation, and his great glory in saving his people from their sins. I remind you again that the Bible is all about Christ. There is a unique fulness about the Word of God that gives clear evidence of its inspiration. The more we read and study it, the bigger it gets and the more it seems to contain. All other books become mundane, if they are repeatedly read. Their weak points become obvious.

After a while, they all get old. But the Book of God just gets more fresh. It appears to be broader, deeper, and fuller the more fully it is studied. The fresh truths that constantly spring up before our eyes are simple, plain, and clear. The Book of God is an inexhaustible mine of spiritual treasure. Nothing can explain this, except the fact that the Bible is the Word, not of man, but of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21). Yet, throughout the Bible, there is but one theme, one message.[8] The theme and message of this Book is Jesus Christ and him crucified, redemption and salvation by his blood (Luke 24:25-27; Luke 24:44-47; Acts 20:26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:2). [8] The perfect harmony and unity of the Bible is simply an unanswerable argument for its divine origin and a great source of comfort and assurance for our faith. If I should see my great-grandfather, who has been dead since I was a boy, rise up out of the earth, that fact would be less miraculous than the existence of God’s Word. The Bible was written in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek), by some forty different authors, who lived on two separate continents, over a period of more than sixteen hundred years. Parts of it were written in palaces, parts in prisons. Some of it was written by well educated men in great cities, other parts were written by shepherds and fishermen. Parts of it were written during times of war, pestilence, and danger, other parts during times of ecstatic joy.

Those who wrote the words of holy scripture were from virtually every walk of life: judges, priests, kings, prophets, prime-ministers, herdsmen, scribes, fishermen, and soldiers. Yet, in spite of all these varying circumstances, conditions, workmen, and ages of time employed in the production of the Book, it stands as one Book. It is perfectly one in all its parts, free of error, and free of contradiction. Imagine forty persons of different nationalities, possessing various degrees of musical culture, visiting the organ of some great cathedral and at long intervals of time, and without any collusion whatever, striking sixty-six different notes, which when combined yielded the theme of the grandest oratorio ever heard; would it not show that behind these forty different men there was one presiding mind, one great Tone-Master? As we listen to some great orchestra, with its immense variety of instruments playing their different parts, but producing melody and harmony, we realize that at the back of these many musicians there is the personality and genius of the composer. And when we enter the halls of the Divine Academy and listen to the heavenly choirs singing the Song of Redemption, all in perfect accord and unison, we know that it is God himself who has written the music and put this song into their mouths. A. W. PinkThe Psalms We see this fact demonstrated throughout the scriptures. This Book speaks of him whom to know is life eternal. As we open the Word of God, let us pray that God the Holy Spirit, whose Word it is, will open our hearts and minds to see the Lord Jesus Christ. The Psalms, to which our Lord here refers us, are full of him. No part of the Bible perhaps is better known in the letter, and none so little understood in the spirit, as the Book of Psalms. That was true in our Lord’s day; and the same is true today. Most everyone who attends church knows something about the Psalms. In some churches a psalm is sung every week. Some sing the Psalms exclusively. Yet, there are few who understand that the Psalms speak of Christ. Most everyone acknowledges that some of the Psalms are messianic, that they have some reference to Christ. But few understand that all the Psalms speak of him, as he declared in Luke 24 that they do. Yes, they record feelings, experiences, praises, and prayers of the men who wrote them; but we have not understood the Psalms at all, if we do not see that they all point us to and teach us about our Saviour. The Book of Psalms is, in a word, a book full of Christ. Christ’s coming, Christ’s sufferings, Christ in humiliation, Christ dying, Christ rising again, Christ coming the second time, Christ reigning over all. The Psalms speak of both our Lord’s great advents, the advent of humiliation, when he appeared to be made sin for us and to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself and the advent of his glory, when he shall appear the second time without sin to gather his people home to glory. Both the kingdoms are here: the kingdom of grace, during which the elect are gathered, and the kingdom of glory, when every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord. We read the Word of God with no profit to our souls, if we read only the letter of the written Word and fail to see the person, the character, the accomplishments, the grace, the greatness, and the glory of Christ the living Word, of whom the written Word speaks. Christ’s Enthronement Third, the Lord Jesus declares his eternal enthronement and dominion as the God-man, our Mediator. “And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Luke 20:42-43). Did David say precisely that? Did he actually declare that the Lord Jesus Christ was already enthroned as our Mediator? Indeed, he did. But Christ’s enthronement as our Mediator and Priest is the reward of his accomplished redemption. Is it not (Psalms 2:8; John 17:1-5; Philippians 2:5-11; Romans 14:9)? So how could he have been already enthroned, if he had not yet fully accomplished his work of redemption, if he had not yet fully saved his people? He was already enthroned because as the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world, his work was accomplished and our salvation was finished before the world began. Read Psalms 110 again. Carefully note that which the Holy Spirit, back in David’s day asserted emphatically that Christ was already enthroned because his great salvation was finished long before he came into the world in time. In fact, this is exactly what Isaiah saw and experienced in Isaiah 6. The Lord Jesus Christ, as our Mediator, was given the reins of universal dominion privately before the world began (John 17:5). He was given those reins publicly at his ascension. He holds those reins now, and shall hold them forever. The triune God has put all things into the hands of Christ, the God-man, our Redeemer. And he shall reign forever! Soon, all his enemies shall be (either by saving grace or by the execution of wrath) put under his feet (Isaiah 45:22-25; 1 Corinthians 15:24-25). The God-man In Luke 20:44 our Saviour, speaking of himself, asked these “brilliant”, religious idiots, “David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?” They were dumbfounded by the question. Yet, it is a question that is easily and quickly answered by the poorest, most unlearned sinner saved by God’s free grace (John 1:14-18; 1 Timothy 3:16). How truly blessed we are, being taught of God, to know and be assured of this great mystery. Our great Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, is both the “Root” and the “Offspring” of David. Being God the eternal Son, one with the Father, over all God blessed forever, he is, and must be God: David’s Root, and the Maker of all things. And as man he is the Offspring, which as a Branch, was promised to grow out of his roots (Isaiah 11:1). Precious Saviour! Blessed Redeemer! Were you not both David’s Son and David’s Lord, what would have become of us? But because you, O Blessed Son of God, became a man like us, that you might live and die and live again to save us, eternal life is ours by the merit and efficacy of your righteousness and blood! The righteousness brought in by the obedience of the God-man is the righteousness of God (Romans 10:1-4). The blood shed for the atonement of sin is the blood of that Man who is himself God (Acts 20:28). And it is this Christ, the God-man our Mediator and Saviour, who is, who was, and who shall be forever our Priest upon his throne, our King, Priest and Advocate, made after the order of Melchizedek! How safe we are! How secure! How peaceful and confident we ought to be! A Timeless Warning Fourth, our Redeemer again warns us to beware of all who make a show of religion and godliness. “Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples, Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; Which devour widows’ houses, and for a show make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.” This was an open, public rebuke of men who “sat in Moses’ seat”, and were the recognized and revered religious leaders of people. It seems that no sin is more obnoxious to the Son of God than hypocrisy and a show of religion. None drew forth from his lips such frequent, strong, and withering condemnation during the whole course of his earthly ministry. Our Saviour is ever full of mercy and compassion for the chief of sinners. Fury was not in him when he saw Zacchaeus, the penitent thief, Matthew the tax-collector, Saul the persecutor, and the woman in Simon’s house. But when he saw scribes and Pharisees wearing a mere cloak of religion, and pretending great outward sanctity, piety, and holiness, while their hearts were full of wickedness, his holy soul was full of indignation. Eight times in one chapter (Matthew 23) we find him saying, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites”! And he has not changed. He is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Whatever else we are in religion, let us be true. However feeble our faith, hope, love, and obedience may be, let us be real, genuine, and sincere. It is not accidental that the very first piece of armour Paul recommends to the Christian soldier is “truth”. “Stand therefore”, he says, “having your loins girt about with truth” (Ephesians 6:14). Anyone who attempts, in any way, to show his religion, devotion, piety, sanctity, and holiness to others, truly does; and he has his reward. His religion, devotion, piety, sanctity, and holiness is all outward; and the applause of men is all it is worth. God’s saints seek not the praise of men, but the praise of God. Degrees Of Torment Fifth, we are taught that there are degrees of damnation in hell. Our Saviour’s last word in this instructive chapter is a word about the greater condemnation of self-righteous religionists. “The same shall receive greater damnation.” There are no degrees of glory in heaven, because salvation is by the grace of God alone. Heaven’s glory was earned for all God’s elect; and we are made worthy of it by Christ’s obedience and death as our Substitute. But there are degrees of damnation in hell. The everlasting torments of the damned in hell are measured out and executed by divine justice according to the measure of man’s wickedness. Do not read these solemn words and forget them. They are spoken to lost religious men. Do not be so proud. Do not be so foolish. Oh, may God the Holy Spirit give you grace now to look to Christ, to believe him. There is a Fountain opened for sinners; but there is nothing but everlasting damnation in hell for those who think they are righteous. O sinner, plunge into that Fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins. Sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains!