Our lesson this morning will
be taken from Luke chapter 22, verses 31 through 37. Luke 22, verses 31 through 37. The subject is what our Lord
said to His disciples about things concerning Him having ended. Let's read these verses together. Chapter 22, verse 31. Now this has taken place after
the little strike they had over who was going to be greatest
in the kingdom of God, who was going to hold the highest office,
and so on. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon,
behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you
as wheat. But I pray for thee, that thy
faith fail not. And when thou art converted,
strengthen thy brethren. I like this verse. I want you to think of it just
a little while. They were just arguing about
who's going to be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And the
Lord said, when you're converted. You're not even converted yet.
But when you're converted, strengthen your brethren. And he said unto
him, Lord, I'm ready to go with thee both into prison and to
death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter,
the cock shall not crow this day before that thou shalt thrice
deny that thou knowest me. And he said unto them, when I
sent you without purse and script and shoes, liked ye anything? And they said nothing. Then said
he unto them, but now he that hath a purse, let him take it,
and likewise his script. And he that hath no sword, let
him sell his garment, and buy one. For I say unto you, that
this that is written must yet be accomplished in me. And he
was reckoned among the transgressors, for the things concerning me
I have an end. Now here's my subject this morning.
Things with an end. Jesus of Nazareth was not just
another son of Adam. He was a man. He was ever with
a man. If you looked at him, you couldn't
tell him from any other man. He robed himself, took union
to himself, human flesh and a soul. But he was not just another son
of Adam. Adam's posterity are many. They're many. And they're varied
in talents and skills. Some nearly manifest one-of-a-kind
skills. Some have made their mark in
this world as nearly a one-of-a-kind. Now what are you talking about?
I'm talking about people like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. That's what I'm talking about.
He wasn't an average man, was he? Leonardo da Vinci, Albert
Einstein, Isaac Newton, and the list goes on and on. But Brigham, as these men were,
they were all fallen sons of Adam. They all inherited the
nature the fallen nature, and the curse of Adam. And none of
these men knew God in a saving way. None of them. Jesus of Nazareth stood out among
men who were more than willing to accredit him as a great humanitarian. They often addressed him good
master because he was good. He was none good but God, but
he was good, he was God. And his goodness was obvious
to me. They were willing to accredit
him as a great humanitarian and a great teacher. He could teach. I struggle with natural things,
trying to take natural things and apply them spiritually. I
struggle trying to to get across to you what I believe the Scriptures
are teaching. It's hard. It's not easy. You
have to sit and think and pray and ask God to give you. But
he was a teacher. He's the creator of all things.
And everything that he created was not only by him, but it was
for him. And he could take those things
and apply those things. And anything that he uses, I
know that's That's why that was made. That's why that even has
a being. That's why it has a place in
creation. He was not the son of Adam, he
was the second Adam. He was the second Adam. He was
the son of God and the promised son of man. And from what I've
read, his own disciples thought of him this way as the Christ. He was the promised Messiah.
They saw that in the scriptures. They believed him to be the promised
Messiah. But their ideas of the promised
Messiah, the Christ, were tainted by their own traditional understanding. They thought of the Christ as
a man with an earthly kingdom. He was going to be a man like
David, a special man, a one-of-a-kind man. He was going to be just
like David and the Lord was going to anoint him and the Lord was
going to raise him up and use him and influence that nation
and call that nation together. And he was going to bless them
like he did before and they was going to regain worldly renown.
And he was going to establish a glorious earthly kingdom just
like he did under Solomon. He'd rule over a nation called
Israelite. And such ideas is what fed this
little strife that they had about who would be greatest in the
kingdom of God. Now, Peter had already confessed
that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, the Son of the living
God, that he came forth from God and as such would redeem
Israel and restore them again to earthly glory and honor. He
believed these things, and concerning their ignorance, Our Lord says
what He says in these verses, telling them that the things
concerning Himself have an end. What does that word end mean? Well, let me give you all the
meanings. It means a finish, a close, a resolution, a final
culmination. It means a purpose. To have an
end means it has a purpose, it has an objective, it has a target,
it has an intention, a design. And it means a conclusion, a
closing, a discontinuation. Christ is the end of the law.
That is, he's the goal of it, the object of it, and so on. But it also means a discontinuation
of it. He honored the law, exalted the
law. and brings it to an end. The
things concerning me, he says, have an end. Well, what things? What things concerning him? Well,
let me give you just as many as time will allow. First of
all, he's talking about the Holy Scriptures. The Holy Scriptures. He says in verse 37, I say unto
you that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me. And he was numbered among the
transgressors. That's Isaiah 53, 12, that he's
quoting. These things, the Scriptures
concerning me have an end. They have an end. In Acts 10,
verse 43, having been anointed by the Spirit, these apostles
now understood what he was saying back there. And with that understanding,
they said to him, give all the prophets witness that through
his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission
of sin. This is why they were written. Revelation 19.10 said, for the
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. The spirit of prophecy
is Christ. If you would understand the writings
of the prophets, you're going to have to know Christ, because
that's what they're talking about. And even the prophets themselves,
it said, searched what or what manner of time the Spirit of
Christ which was in them did signify when it testified beforehand
the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. To whom it was revealed that
not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things
which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the
gospel to you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven." Everything
written and promised in him must be accomplished in him. Has to
be. They have an end. That's what
he's telling them. This is not going to be a thing
settled. I'm not going to come down here and establish a kingdom
and sit on the throne and that's going to be it. They have an
end. They have a purpose. They have
a target, a goal. Election would be of little value
if the one we were chosen in did not accomplish our redemption. Basically, that's what the Jews
wound up with. They believed in election, but
they didn't believe in the Christ that would accomplish all the
things that that election promised. And our accomplished redemption
would be of no value without the effectual calling and application
of the Holy Ghost. What good would it do if you
didn't believe it? Everything concerning Him and
the Holy Scriptures must be accomplished in Him, and they all have an
end. And then secondly, the apostles
themselves have an end. The things concerning me have
an end. These apostles were concerning Him. Not the other way around. It
was concerning Him. In verses 28 through 30, the
Lord tells His apostles that they would sit upon twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel. They would, he says,
eat and drink at my table in my kingdom while all this is
taking place. And this is another one of those
things concerning Christ that must be accomplished. We're told
in Ephesians 2 verse 20 that we are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the
chief cornerstone. These men are ruling over spiritual
Israel as they are the very foundation of our faith. He appointed unto
them thrones in a sense that they were inspired of God. One
of a kind men inspire every word that they wrote inspired of God. So that we can look at that book
and call it the Word of God. All scriptures given by inspiration
of God. All of them. And there's no other source of
revelation concerning Christ than the Word of God. And the
Word of God alone is profitable, the Scripture said, for reproof.
Would you reproof somebody? Then don't tell them what you
think. Tell them what God said. That's where we get into trouble. Well, I think what you need to
know. Just leave it out. Just leave
it out. Now here's what God said. It's profitable for doctrine.
It's profitable for reproof, for correction, and for instruction
in righteousness, that the man of God may be throughly furnished
unto all good works. Well, what about preaching? Well,
here's Paul's charge to every preacher. Preach the Word. And now what he says, don't preach
feelings. Don't even preach your experiences.
Preach the Word. Study. Study what? Study the Word of God. Study
to show thyself approved of God, a workman worthy of his name.
Able to do what? Rightly divide the Word of God. The word judged here is in its
widest use. And it is by the inspired words
of the apostles that Israel shall receive their discernment. But this word judge here, it
contains both a legal judgment and a spiritual discernment. Paul writes to the Hebrews and
he tells them that the word of God is able to divide a son to
soul and spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of
the heart. They were appointed to this end,
and their ministry and office is still effectual today. The
things concerning me, he says, has an end. There's a reason
why I chose you twelve. There's a reason. There's a purpose. And then thirdly,
another thing concerning Christ that has a divine end is His
appearance in this world. Jesus of Nazareth came into this
world as a representative man. He wasn't here on his own. He
wasn't just here to show off his attributes as God. He could
have done that from heaven. He didn't have to become a man
to do that. Every spiritual blessing given
to chosen sinners is according as God has chosen us in His Son,
in Christ, before the foundation of the world. And a full and
complete provision was given to us in Him. What provision? Verse 4, Ephesians chapter 1.
He gives us three things that we should be holy. Holy. Consistent with the wholeness
of the character of God. No compromise of the character
of God. And under all conditions and
in every circumstance, holy. Consistently, constantly holy. When God said that they might
be holy, He wasn't talking about they were going to reach a plateau
of holiness. He's talking about from that
time, whatever time that was, from all eternity, however you
want to look at it. When God chose us and put us
in His Son, we were holy. He never saw us, He never sees
us in any other way. We're holy. That they might be
holy. And without blame. Wow. Without blame. Think about it. Oh my soul. So consistent in Him with this
holiness. And what about the sinner? Well,
there's no way outside of a representative man that you and I could call
ourselves holy. And you know what the Lord said
about holiness? He said, Be ye holy, for I am holy. How can you be holy if you're
in Him? That's it. There ain't no other
way. The only thing we're consistent
in is sin. But the salvation of sinners
is consistent with the character of God. Now let me tell you something
about this. As holiness stands as a wall
to block the way of unholy men, It stands as a wall. You have
to be holy. There's no way you can have fellowship
with God and be unholy. You have to be holy. But as that
holiness stands as a wall to seal out all unholiness, it also
stands as the basis of our acceptance with God. Huh? Why would God have anything to
do with me? I'm holy. You ain't no such thing. I am
in Christ. I am in Him. You know what He
says to those who enter into glory? I don't know if these
are the first words we'll hear or what, but it's the only words
I know of where He says anything to the believer as he enters
into glory. But here's what he says, well
done thou good and faithful servant. He's holy, isn't he? Well done. You can't look yourself in the
mirror and say that. But that's what God says of the
sinners that he saved by his grace. He chose us in Christ that we
should be holy and therefore he tells us in Ephesians 1, 6
that to the praise of the glory of His grace He made us accepted
in the Beloved. And in Beloved we're a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, now listen, a holy nation, a
peculiar people. And what does our presence there
show? It shows forth the praises of Him who hath called us out
of darkness into His marvelous light. And then he says, without blame,
examined before the high court of God who sees all, examined
by him before whom all things are open and naked, nothing hidden,
examined under the worst conditions, the most fearful trials, the
most powerful temptations and found perfectly just. That's
what it means to be justified. It means to be looked at with
all seeing eyes, and he can't even find a reason to reprove
you. Unreprovable, isn't that what
Christ said? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justified and Christ
that died. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness. to everyone that believeth. We're
holy in Christ. We're righteous in Christ. We're
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that's
in Christ Jesus. He says, the things concerning
me have an end. They're not just an attempt to
save, not just a good effort to give man a second chance.
Men and women aren't saved by chance. God saves them on purpose. They're saved by the sovereign
purpose and will of God. And if God gave you a thousand
chances to start over, you'd fail and fall every time. That's
why he took a perfect man in the beginning. And if a perfect
man in a perfect environment will fall, where's the chance? I don't get the chance, people
talk about. And then the third thing he tells
us about being holy in Christ is that we should be before him
in love. That means being loved always,
always. You can't love yourself that
way. How many times have you bowed your head in prayer and
just, David said, I hate myself. That don't sound like love to
me. You can't even love yourself. But I tell you, whom God loves,
He loves from the beginning and He loves always. He never stops
loving you in Christ. In Christ. I in them, He prays, and thou
in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the
world may know that thou hast sent me, and has loved them as
thou hast loved me." And to accomplish these things,
he must take to himself a body and a soul of a man and do for
them what they could never do for themselves. He must be reckoned
among the transgressors to accomplish the end or reason for his coming. And then here's the fourth thing
he gives as an end concerning him. and his accomplished redemption. The day of miracles and the ushering
in of the gospel age. They have an end. They have an
end. Our Lord's person and work was
confirmed of God by miracles and wonders and signs. Peter
preached on the day of Pentecost, which you yourselves also know.
You stood right there and watched him call Lazarus out of the temple.
You stood right there and watched him cleanse the lepers, cast
the demons out. Oh, we didn't see you. Oh, yes,
you did. Yes, you did, because you said he cast out demons by
the Spirit of Beelzebub. You watched it. You saw it with
your own eyes. God confirmed his son. And he
confirmed his apostles in the same way. Read about it. Hebrews chapter 2. God confirming them also with
miracles and wonders and signs and gifts of the Holy Ghost according
to His will. And He tells them that He sent
them out. He said, I sent you out without purse or script or
shoes, and you didn't lack anything. But now, He said, I say to you
that he that hath a purse, take it with him, and take your script. Take your shoes, and if you ain't
got a sword, sell whatever garment you can do with that and buy
one. Why? Because the days of miracles
are drawn to an end. They're drawn to an end. You and I don't need to see these
extraordinary things. We have the Word of God. It's
complete. It's ratified of God. It's stamped
with the seal of the Holy Ghost. And we're to take what things
God has graciously given us and use them in service to Him. I
don't sit around waiting on God to give me a basket with three
fishes in it and then praying that He'll feed the 5,000. I
take what I've been given and I use them in service to
Him. He's already put His stamp on these things. You can debate
and argue about it all you want to. These things are set. They're
set. And he that denies these things,
John said, he makes God a liar. He makes God a liar. We're to
take what God has graciously given us and use it the best
we can in service to him. And then lastly, his present
state having While here on this earth was
our Savior, our Substitute and Redeemer, He lived and ministered
in a state of humility and servitude. Being found in passion as a man,
He humbled Himself. I tell you, when I read that,
I don't know what to do with that. God being found in passion
as a man, that looks to me like that's
the epitome of humility. But it says, being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself. He went further than that. He
wasn't a top man. He become a servant. He become
released. He become the one kneeling down
with a towel to wash their feet. He become the servant that broke
the bread and handed it to you and said, eat this. This is from
God. Drink this. spend his hours all day every
day in boats and on the bank and on the sides of the mountains
teaching and preaching. Oh, they took on him the form
of a servant. But having accomplished what
he was sent to do, God raised him from the dead, carried him
back up to glory, and gave him a name above every name. Let all the house of Israel know
assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus that you crucified,
both Lord and Christ. Huh? There was a day of humility,
but that ain't today. Today He reigns in glory. He
reigns in glory. And when He comes back, He ain't
coming back in a cow stable, He coming back in all the glory
of His Father's house. That humble, soft-spoken, gracious
man sits on the throne of God, sits at His right hand, ordering
all things, arranging all things. The things concerning me have
an end. His sojourn on this earth, His
ministry, His miracles, His life and His death, the whole of the
Word of God. His resurrection, His intercession,
and His reign in Zion. These things have an end. And
oh, great God in heaven, give to us the mind of Christ that
we might understand these things and apply these things hourly
as we live in every situation. Be made aware. Without Him, we
can do nothing.