Now, this morning I want to bring
the message, Lord willing, from Luke chapter 13, and we'll finish
this chapter. Luke 13 verse 30. You see verse
30? Behold, there are last which
shall be first, and there are first which shall be last. Now, I'm taking the title for
the message from down the last verse, verse 35 of Luke 13. And I'm taking the title for
the message from this truth that the Lord declares here that He
quotes from Psalm 118. This is what He gave David in
Psalm 118. Blessed is he that cometh in
the name of the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ, He is
that blessed, blessed God, our Savior. The blessed Savior has
come being sent of God in the fullness of time. The blessed
Savior has come for a definite reason, for a definite purpose.
He knew before He came here why He would come. Call his name
Jesus, he shall save his people from their sin. He appeared once
in the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
God-man. totally and fully God and yet
a real man who is indeed forever blessed of God. He's called in Psalm 1 the blessed
man. Blessed is that man. Don't turn,
let me just read it to you. I can find it, I think, rather
quickly. In Psalm chapter 1, who is that
blessed man? This is the description of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed is the man that walketh
not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is
in the law of the Lord. In his law he doth meditate day
and night, He shall be like a tree planted by rivers of waters,
that bringeth forth fruit in his season. His leaf also shall
not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Boy, that's
a fit description of this blessed Savior. Blessed is he that cometh
in the name of the Lord. In our Bible study this morning
from Romans 9, Verse 5, the Apostle Paul declares unto us this same
glorious truth. We read and studied this morning,
"...who are the fathers of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ
came, who is over all." He is over all things in providence,
creation, and salvation. He is God over all things, and
He is God blessed forever. And then the Apostle said, Amen.
So be it, it is true. And think about this. He is God-blessed
forever and those who are one with Him and those who are found
in Him are also God-blessed forever. He has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in the heavenlies in the Lord Jesus Christ. We too
are God-blessed forever. That is every believer found
in Christ Those people are blessed forever with Him. The Lord Jesus
Christ came for a definite purpose, to complete and fulfill all Scripture. Now, if you want to turn to this
one, you can. You have it there in your hand. Find Luke 24, verse 44. Luke 24, verse 44, And He said
unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you while
I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which
are written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the
Psalms concerning me." All things must be fulfilled.
Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the
Scripture. The Lord Jesus Christ came to
fulfill all Scripture. And in doing so, He worked out
by His faithful obedience, He worked out a perfect righteousness
that He freely imputes unto His people. In doing so, He brought
in perfect righteousness. Daniel writes about it in Daniel
9, 24. And the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled this Scripture to make
an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in
everlasting righteousness. Now that's the very righteousness
that we enjoy as believers. He is the Lord, our righteousness. And in his death, dying to put
away the sin of those people given to him in that covenant
of grace, he said, I lay down my life for the sheep. Blessed
is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Oh, He came to
do a blessed work, to fulfill all Scripture, to perfect righteousness
for us, which He freely imputes and gives to us, and then to
put away our sin, justifying us by His blood. He laid down
His life for the sheep. Remember in Isaiah 53, 8, He
was cut off out of the land of the living. For the transgression
of My people, He was stricken and smitten of God and afflicted. It pleased the Lord to bruise
Him. Aren't you glad He came? Blessed is He that cometh in
the name of the Lord. Of all the redeeming and saving
work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the old timers called it the
meditorial work of Christ, our Lord left nothing undone and
everything He did was absolutely successful. undertook for us doing the work
of the Heavenly Father in redeeming His people, perfecting righteousness
for them, putting away their sin. He is absolutely successful. You remember that scripture Isaiah
42, verse 4 where it says, He cannot fail. He can't fail because
He is God. Failure is not even an option,
not with Him. He can't fail. Everything that
He undertakes for us, all the work that the Father gave Him
to do, He said, it is finished, done, complete, perfected. Now, with that introduction,
let's come back to Luke 13 verse 30. The Lord had just declared to
this most Jewish crowd that the last shall be first and the first
will be put last. You see that in verse 30. There
are last which shall be first and there are first which shall
be last. That is God's method of grace. God saves the worst of men and
makes them object and trophies of his grace. Surely these Pharisees,
where it says in verse 31, The same day when they heard that
declared, they thought they were first. They thought they deserved
salvation. The same day there came certain
of the Pharisees saying unto him, you better get out of town
and you better depart because Herod is determined to kill you. Now what were they trying to
do? They were trying to silence Him. They were trying to intimidate
Him. They were trying to put an end
to His ministry. They understood what the Lord
was declaring unto them, that salvation is not by works, not
by the works of ceremony, not by the tradition of the fathers.
In these things they were. They thought first. But they
thought These things the Jewish people did, the self-righteous
Pharisees, they thought these things recommended them to God,
or at least gained His favor, or at least, to some extent,
removed His wrath. We studied again from Romans
9 verse 4 when Paul described these Israelites to whom pertained
the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the
law, the service of God, and the promises of God. They thought
these things recommended them to God. They thought themselves
to be first. If anybody will be saved, it's
going to be me. I'm first. I'm first in line.
The Lord said, no, you take your place in the back of the line.
These dead dog Gentiles, they're going to be first. God saves
sinners by His grace. The Lord blows apart their self-righteous
theory of salvation. Does He not? Turn over here to
Luke 16, verse 15. Luke 16, verse 15. He said unto
them, You are they which justify yourselves before men, but God
knows your heart. God knows your heart. You remember,
out of the heart proceeds, remember what we read a moment ago? Evil
thoughts blaspheme these things. You or they would justify yourselves
before men that God knoweth your hearts. For that which is highly
esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. Those things that impress religious
men, God says, away with it in his filthy rags. You see, in
the way of salvation, the first shall be last, and the last place
Gentile dogs, sinners, shall by the sovereign grace of God
and the power of God be crowned winners, shall be crowned first. You remember the Apostle said,
this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that
the Lord Jesus Christ came to save sinners, not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He
saved us. You see, the Lord didn't come
to call the righteous, did He? He came to call sinners to repentance. Dead, dog, vile, sinners. Christ died for the ungodly.
Is that you? Did that describe you? Or do
you think, I'm first? You better take your place and
consider yourself last, not deserving of the least of God's mercy and
of His truth. Now, having said that, Let's
look at verse 31, 32, and 33. No doubt the Pharisees were much
offended in these sayings as they often were. Remember, don't
turn, let me just remind you what we read a moment ago. The
Pharisees, when they came and were so offended by what the
Lord said, when he said, It is not that which goes into the
mouth, but that which comes out of the mouth, which defiles a
man. Then came his disciples unto
him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended after they heard
these sayings? The self-righteous Jews were
often offended over these true sayings of the Lord. So they
plot, plan, and scheme to put an end to these true sayings
of the Lord. As it says in verse 31, the same
day there came certain of the Pharisees, and they all were
of the same mind. They all went out and held a
council how they might destroy Him. They came saying unto Him,
You get out of town, get thee out, and depart. Get out of town,
get out of Dodge. Or Herod, Herod, is going to
kill you very, very, very soon. Here's what they were doing.
They pretended. I believe they pretended that
they went out or that they heard that Herod was going to destroy
the Lord Jesus Christ. I think they were pretending
this because if you look over here in Luke 23 verse 8, When Pilate sent the Lord Jesus
to Herod in Luke 23 verse 8, when Herod saw Jesus, he was
exceeding glad, for he was desirous to see Him for a long season. I believe these Pharisees made
this up. He would desire to see him for a long season because
he had heard many things of him, and he hoped to have seen some
miracle done by him." Well, he was anxious to meet the Lord
Jesus out of curiosity, not for a need of salvation. So it's
my thinking that these Pharisees just pretended that Herod put
out a warrant for his arrest and for his death. They try to intimidate him. But
look what the Lord says here in verse 32 and verse 33. He said to them, you go. I'm not leaving. You go. Go you
and you tell that fox. You tell Herod. Behold, I cast
out devils and behold, I do cures and I'm going to do them today.
I'm going to do them tomorrow. And I'm going to do them the
next day. And I shall be perfected." Everything
he does, he does perfectly. He perfectly cast out devils.
He perfectly does every cure that he cured. Nevertheless,
look what he says in verse 33, Nevertheless, I must walk. Some of the old manuscripts render
the word, I must work. Today, tomorrow and the day following. For it cannot be, that is, it
is impossible that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. Now you and I can't talk in this
kind of language. We cannot say tomorrow and the
next day and the next day we're going to walk and we're going
to work. We can't talk like that. Remember in the book of James
where he says You better say, Lord willing, we'll do this tomorrow. But see, the Lord Jesus Christ
here is not just a mere man. As God, all things are decreed,
and He says, tomorrow I'm going to cast out devils, and the next
day I'm going to do some cure, and the third day I'm going to
do some cure, and you're not going to get in my way. Aren't
you glad that no one can hinder His purpose and hinder His sovereign
will? The Lord said, I continue to
work the works of God without fail. The time for me to die
will come according to the decreed purpose of God, not by the depraved
will of Herod or by you. The Lord came at the appointed
time, did He not? In the fullness of time, God
sent forth His Son made of a woman. The Lord was delivered by the
determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, and he was taken by wicked
hands, crucified and slain. The Lord assures us that he departed
at the appointed time. Remember he said, no man takes
my life from me. I have power to lay it down.
I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
in my father. The Lord assures us that his
death secured our salvation, for he says there, and I love
this word, It is near akin to the word where the Lord says
on Calvary's tree, He said, I shall be perfected. And he was. He is the captain
of our salvation who perfected salvation for us. You remember from Luke chapter
2 verse 49, the Lord said, I must be about my father's business.
Can anybody hinder him from the father's business? He said, My
meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish His
work. And then He prayed in John 17, Father, I've glorified Thee
on the earth, I've finished the work You gave Me to do. No one
could lay a hand on Him until that appointed hour. Remember
they tried to throw him off a cliff and he simply passed through.
Remember they tried to stone him and they were not able to
do so. Until finally in John 17 he prayed,
Father the hour has come, glorify thy son that thy son may also
glorify thee. And when he did willingly surrender,
remember in John 18, When Judas led those men to the garden to
identify the Lord Jesus Christ and betrayed him with a kiss,
he said, who are you looking for? And they said, Jesus of
Nazareth. He said, I am, I am. Remember what happened? They
all fell to the ground. You see, he willingly surrendered
to the will of God at the appointed time to die the appointed death
to put away our sin. For it says there in the text,
nevertheless, verse 33, I must work and walk today and tomorrow
and the day following for it cannot be It cannot be, and that
word in the original is one word, and it's only found right here,
nowhere else in the Word of God. It cannot be, that is, it is
impossible that a prophet should perish out of Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus Christ couldn't
die in Galilee. He couldn't die in Nazareth.
He couldn't die in Bethsaida. He had to die at Jerusalem. Why? to fulfill all Scripture. He died for our sin according
to the Scripture. Notice what the Lord declares
He's going to do in spite of all their malicious plans to
end His ministry. He said, I cast out devils. The Lord as our sovereign God
has power over all demons. He said, I control all demons. I cast out demons. And then He
says, I do cures. He is a great physician who has
never lost a patient. He cures everyone who had need
of healing. You remember that scripture over
in Luke 9? Let's turn back there and read
it one more time. In Luke chapter 9, 11, and the people, Luke 9, 11, when
they knew it, followed him, and he received them, and spake unto
them of the kingdom of God, and he healed them that had need
of healing. Everyone who came to him with
a need of healing, they went away from him healed. That ought to encourage every
sinner to seek mercy where it's found. And then he says, today,
tomorrow, and the next day, nothing can stop the works of mercy,
my labors of love, and my deeds of grace. Reminds me of the scripture
in Hebrews 13.8, the Lord Jesus Christ is saying, yesterday,
today, and forever. He does not change. He said,
I am the Lord. I change not. And then he says,
I shall be. I shall be perfected. The last part of verse 32. You
remember from our study in the book of Hebrews where it said,
the law made nothing perfect, but bringing in of a better hope
did by which we draw nigh unto God. Surely this has reference
to His third day was mentioned there where He was delivered
for our offenses and raised again up, raised again the third day
for our justification as the Lord has perfected His people
forever by that one offering. And then it says, the prophet
cannot perish, for it cannot be that a prophet perish out
of Jerusalem until his work is done. Until his work is done. Now, who is this prophet? This
prophet here is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is that prophet that
God said unto Moses, that promise, God will raise up a prophet from
among the brethren, him shall you hear, and he shall speak
the words of God, and those who will not hear that prophet, God
said, I'll require that at your hand. The Lord Jesus Christ is
that prophet sent of God to accomplish the work of God, Not only is
he our prophet, but he is the Lamb of God as well. He's prophet,
priest, and king, but he is the sacrificial Lamb of God to put
away our sin. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
must die as the sacrifice for our sin, as the Lamb of God,
and it must be done at Jerusalem, at the appointed time, for the
appointed people, for the appointed purpose. John said, Behold the
Lamb of God that taketh away our sin. From Matthew 16, our
Lord said this, From that time forth he began to show unto his
disciples how that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many
things of the elders and chief priests and the scribes and be
killed and be raised again the third day. Now, why Jerusalem? Well, the Temple was at Jerusalem.
The Mercy Seat was at Jerusalem. The Day of Atonement was at Jerusalem. The Day of Passover was observed
in Jerusalem. And the Lord Jesus Christ is
our Passover Lamb. He is our Mercy Seat. He is the
Lamb of God that must die at Jerusalem. He couldn't die anywhere
else. And He died as the one Sin of
God, the Prophet of God, the Lamb of God, the Sacrificial
Lamb that puts away our sin. Now, here's the second point,
verse 34 and verse 35. Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which
you've killed every prophet I've sent to you, You've stoned them
that are sent unto thee. The prophets were sent with the
word of God, the truth of God, the warning of God. They would
not hear them for the most part. How often would I have gathered
thy children together as a hen, as a mama chicken hen would gather
her little chicks under her wings? You would not. that mama chick,
mama chicken, when she has those little chicks running around,
and she would see a bird of prey above, and she would make a sound
and open up her wings, and those little chicks would run under
her wings, and find refuge, find security. Christ is our refuge,
resting under His wings. And that's what is said here.
Now we see here in verse 34 and verse 35, especially in verse
34, we see the Lord Jesus Christ is a willing Savior. The Lord
Jesus Christ is a compassionate Savior. He said, I would have
gathered your children together, but He said, you would not have
me as your refuge. The Lord Jesus Christ He came
to call sinners to repentance. He came to seek and to save the
lost. He laid down His life for the
ungodly. The Lord Jesus Christ is willing
to save all those who need salvation in Him. He is willing to save
all those who see their need of salvation. Look to Him. Come
to Him. The Lord said, all you who are
laboring and heavy laden, He said, come unto Me and I'll give
you rest. He said, Look unto me, all the
ends of the earth. I am God. Beside me there is
no other. I am the only just God and Savior. Ho, everyone that is thirsty,
come ye to the waters. You see the willingness of the
Lord Jesus Christ, the compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ to save
sinners who see their need of salvation. The Apostle Paul put
it this way, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved. The Lord is saying, I would have
gathered you in love and mercy, but you would not have me as
all your salvation. These people love their own righteousness,
not His. They love their traditions and
ceremonies, not His truth. They loved their own sinful self,
not the Lord of glory. They said, away with him, crucify
him. We have no king but Caesar."
You remember Pilate was determined on the day of Passover to let
one who was convicted, to let him loose, to show some compassion
to the Jews. You remember what those Pharisees
said? Give us Pilate suggested, well here's Barabbas, why don't
you just let the Lord Jesus Christ go and we'll crucify Barabbas. And they said, oh no, no, give
us Barabbas. Give us Barabbas. As for him,
you crucify him. You crucify this one. They said,
Away with him, when Pilate said, Behold your king. Away with him,
we have no king but Caesar. Turn to John chapter 5. I think
I read this last week or the week before, but John chapter
5. He said, I would have gathered you, but you wouldn't have me. Oh, may God give us grace in
our heart to see our need of Christ. Look at John 5.39, search the
scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, there
they which testify of me. Now he's talking to this same
religious crowd, self-righteous crowd, and he says, you will
not come to me that you might have life. You will not. Oh, may God be pleased to show
us our need of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who reject the
only way of salvation in Christ, there's nothing left, is there?
Is there anything left? Any other Savior? Any other way
of salvation? Those who reject, willingly do
so, reject the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation,
there's nothing left but judgment. Judgment condemnation. And you
have no one to blame but your own wicked, sinful, stubborn,
wicked will and heart. Don't blame anyone else but your
own wicked heart. He said, you will not come to
Me that you might have life. You have no one to blame for
your rebellion against God but your own wicked heart. Listen
as I read it to you. John 3.36, He that believeth
on the Son hath everlasting life, he that believeth not the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God, the wrath of God abideth
upon you. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft
would I have gathered you, but you would not have the Lord Jesus
Christ." Now, he pronounced a judgment in verse 35. Luke 13 verse 35. Here's another one of these strong
words. Behold, your house, your person, you are left desolate. No greater judgment God could
put on you than to be left to yourself. Lord, I pray this all
the time. Lord, don't leave me alone. Don't
leave me to myself. Surely I'll perish. Your house
is left unto you desolate. Verily I say unto you, you shall
not see Me until the time come when you shall say, you shall
say this, one day you will. Blessed is he that cometh in
the name of the Lord. Your house is left desolate forever. Those who die in their sin will
be raised in their sin. Those who are raised in their
sin will face God in judgment in those sins and will be cast
out of His presence forever. As it says over here in verse
28 of Luke 13, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth
when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, all the prophets
in the kingdom of God, and you yourself thrust out. Judgment, judgment, judgment. One day in judgment, every knee
will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord through the glory of God the Father. Let's turn and read
that together. Find Philippians chapter 2. Philippians
chapter 2. One day you will confess. I pray
that the Lord will give you grace now in your heart to confess
Christ as all of your salvation. Look what it says over here in
Philippians chapter 2. Let's begin at verse 6, "...who
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, but made himself of no
reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, and was made
in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he
humbled himself, became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross. Wherefore God also with highly
exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that
that name In the name of the Lord Jesus, every knee should
bow of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under
the earth, and that every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord to the glory of God the Father. One day you'll bow and
confess that He is Lord. I want to conclude this message
with this last saying here, blessed is he that cometh in the name
of the Lord. This is the true confession,
the true confession of faith of all those who are made willing
to bow to the Lord Jesus Christ now in the day of His power. To you who believe the Lord Jesus
Christ, He is precious. This is what faith, true faith,
and true repentance confesses. Can you say this in your heart?
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Blessed
be the Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to find 1 Peter. I'll
let you go with this one. 1 Peter chapter 1. And I pray the Lord will give
all of us grace in our heart, You young people, you old people,
you middle-aged people, all of us here this day, to confess
the Lord Jesus Christ and say, Blessed is he that cometh in
the name of the Lord. Find 1 Peter 1, look at verse
3, let me read this to you. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and
all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord,
O my soul, and forget not all of his benefit. who forgiveth
all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth
thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with loving kindness
and tender mercies." That's what saving faith says. Now, let's
quit with this one. Find 1 Peter 1, verse 3. Blessed be the Lord! Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! who according to
his abundant mercy have begotten us again into a living hope by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance
incorruptible, undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in
heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last day. Oh, may God
give us grace to hear the word and to believe the Word of God
and to say in our heart before God Almighty, blessed is He that
cometh in the name of the Lord.