Cross, Then Crown

Welcome to No Compromise Radio Ministry. My name is Mike Ebendroth, and happy to be your host today.

Happy that you're tuning in to watch this, tuning in on your FM dial.

Well, now you can watch us. I don't know why would anybody want to watch me, but that's what people do now, YouTube and stuff.

So that's why we're videotaping this. I need to make a plea for money.

I don't have enough money for a razor. Mario said I look younger, more distinguished.

I don't know if those go together, but it is what it is. I remember one time someone said to me after I preached,

I was standing by the door kind of greeting people and saying hi to visitors and saying hi to grandmas and stuff like that.

And this lady walked up to me and she said, I don't like your tie. I thought it was a joke.

She's like, no, I don't like your tie. I remember to this day, it was this kind of, it was yellow. She didn't like it.

And I didn't say anything except, well, my wife picked it out for me and my wife likes it.

That's the only thing I said. But in my mind, I said, who are you? That's what you got out of the service.

Your husband wears a polyester suit and a clip on tie and you're lecturing me about my tie.

I didn't say those things. By the way, that person isn't at the church any longer. Sometimes, you know,

I'm the one to blame for people leaving and other times, I'm not. You can pick up the new book,

King, How the Sovereignty of God Changes Everything, a chapters on understanding about the kingship of God.

When you think of Jesus, the mediator, by the way, underneath his mediatorial work, there's offices of prophet, priest, and king.

So when you think about Jesus, the trifold ministry, threefold office, prophet, priest, and king.

So today on the radio show, on the video cast, on YouTube, I want to talk about the purpose of Jesus's coming.

What was the purpose of the incarnation? Why did the father send the son?

Over and over and over, you'll hear language in the gospel of John, especially, I was sent for this reason.

Why did the father send the son? If you think about eternity past, pre -Genesis 1, the father gives the elect to the son to go redeem, to go purchase covenant of redemption, this intra -Trinitarian pact and guarantee and covenant where the son will go redeem a people for the father and give them back to the father.

What was the purpose of Jesus? And so I'm in the book of Luke, the gospel of Jesus according to Luke, and this comes up.

And so we're gonna use this to talk about this meaning, Luke, to talk about the purpose of Jesus.

And in Luke 9, 51, a lot of things change. Jesus is setting his face towards Jerusalem and the public ministry of Galilee and everything is winding up and off to Jerusalem he goes.

And so we're gonna look at Luke chapter nine a little bit and talk about the purpose of Jesus. That's what we're doing today on the show.

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, talking about Jesus, Luke 9, 51, he,

Jesus, set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him who went and entered a village of the

Samaritans to make preparations for him. And so before I read any further, very interesting language that Dr.

Luke uses. Jesus is setting his face toward Jerusalem, language of resoluteness, language of determination, language of I'm going to obey my father's will and he sent me to earth for this very purpose, to live and to die a gruesome death, a crucifixion.

And I am on course, staying on course. I'm on target.

I'm not deviating to the left or the right. I am firmly resolved. Beza said, this shows the unwavering purpose of Christ to fulfill the will of his father, willingly embracing the suffering that awaited him.

And not just crucifixion. Some say 30 ,000 Jews were crucified, but a crucifixion that entails not just the nails, not just the spear, not just the public humiliation of being naked and tortured and shamed, but also he will be bearing the wrath of God, assuaging the wrath of God, the holiness of God.

And when it meets sin, now Jesus is going to be intercepting that, taking that on himself to use that language.

Jesus's face was set like a flint. That was language of Isaiah chapter 50.

Just, you can just imagine, no matter what, I'm going to do this. Lots of people want glory first, but no, suffering then glory.

Lots of people want the crown first, but it's the cross then the crown. And Jesus has set his face like a flint and he is off to Jerusalem.

These days we're approaching and Jesus is determined resolutely to do this.

One writer said, although Jesus knew he would face persecution and death in Jerusalem, he was determined to go there.

I think that's important. Actually, that's what a true man does. That's what a perfect man does. And I know the text is not about us resolutely trying to obey

God, but you could talk about that. And by the way, you're going to miss this if you don't read it carefully.

When the days were approaching for his ascension or for him to be taken up, he was determined to go to Jerusalem.

Luke has just given you a little taste here. Yes, he's going to go die, but the days were approaching for his ascension.

He's not only going to be, he's not only going to die, but he's going to be raised. The ascension, wow.

He's purposely going to die, but Luke is going to give you a hint. It's going to be good because he's going to then be raised.

The ascension. I don't know how often we talk about the ascension, but when I was just looking through different reformers, when they talk about ascension, it was encouraging to me.

Calvin, Christ did not ascend to heaven simply that he might be there, but to rule the world for the good of the church.

He's on his way to Jerusalem, but Luke gives you that idea. Oh, he's going to die.

He's determined to die because that's the will of the father, but then he's going to be raised and ascended. Hermann Bavink, his ascension is

Christ exaltation. He's being made Lord and King over all. He is now the heavenly administrator of the covenant of grace.

That I don't want to miss that. Heidelberg Catechism, Christ in heaven is our advocate in the presence of his father.

Sproul, he's not a King who reigns in isolation. He's a priest King who carries us on his heart into the presence of God.

All talking about the ascension. Louis Burkhoff, the ascension is a pledge of a second coming.

He withdrew in order to return. All that you think he's ascended.

And what he does is he sends his messengers ahead of him. So they would go in and make arrangements.

But the people, Luke 9, 53, did not receive him because his face was set toward Jerusalem.

So the Samaritans, half breeds, it's not like they were really against the

Jews all that much. It was the Jews against them probably more often. But if you're going to go into Samaria, it's one thing.

If you're going to go into Samaria to get to Jerusalem, they don't want to have anything to do with you.

They don't worship in Jerusalem. They worship on their own mountain. And so we've got this tension here with the

Samaritans, this mixed race, this what some people call a mongrel people, this hybrid of Gentile and Jew, and Jesus is going in there and they don't receive him.

They don't accept him. They don't want him there. And his disciples,

James and John, when they heard that, I mean, to give them the benefit of the doubt, they're thinking about the honor of Jesus.

Who wouldn't receive Jesus? What kind of people are these that wouldn't have our savior there? When they saw it, they said, this is amazing.

Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them? They're not receiving

Jesus. So let's burn them. Let's condemn them.

Let's eradicate them. Who wouldn't want to receive Jesus? And if they don't receive Jesus, you know what?

Let's get rid of them. These two men are called sons of thunder elsewhere. Now they're like sons of lightning and fire and consuming.

Let's kill the enemies. You say, these guys are off their rocker.

Why would they do that? Well, when you understand the Old Testament, when you know the Old Testament like James and John did, you'll get a little more insight.

Understanding the Old Testament helps us understand the new and vice versa, of course. 2

Kings 1 gives us the background because there are other people in this world that reject the prophets of God and God has had fire come down to consume them.

So maybe this is gonna happen again, according to James and John. 2 Kings 1, after the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel.

Now, Isaiah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria and lay sick.

And he sent messengers telling them, go inquire of Beelzebub, the God of Ekron, whether I shall recover from the sickness.

So it's all happening. This is percolating in Samaria. But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, the

Tishbite, arise, go up to meet the messengers of the King of Samaria and say to them, it's because there's no

God in Israel that you're gonna go inquire of Beelzebub, the God of Ekron. Why are you gonna go to a false God? Isn't there a real

God here? Isn't the God of the universe here? Now, therefore, thus says the

Lord, you shall not come down from the bed to which you've gone up, but you shall surely die. So Elijah went.

The messengers returned to the King and he said to them, why have you returned? They said, there came a man to meet us.

And he said to us, go back to the King who sent you and say to him, thus says the Lord, it's because there's no God in Israel that you're sending to inquire of Beelzebub, the

God of Ekron. Therefore, you shall not come down from the bed which you've gone up, but you shall surely die. He said to them, what kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?

He wore a garment of hair and a belt of leather about his waist. And he said, it's

Elijah, the Tishbite. Okay, everything's set up for this. Remember, James and John say these people in Samaria don't receive

Jesus. Hey, do you want fire to come down? It's because of these next verses. Then the King sent to him a captain of 50 men with his 50.

He went up to Elijah who was sitting on the top of the hill and said, oh, man of God, come down. But Elijah answered the captain of the 50, if I'm a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50.

Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50. You want to know if I'm a man of God or not?

King said to him another captain of 50 men with his 50. And he answered and said, oh man, it's the

King's order, come down quickly. And Elijah said, if I'm a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50.

The fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50. Interesting, that's the backdrop.

Hey, when people are going to disobey, when people aren't going to recognize the God of heaven and earth, you know what?

Let fire come down and consume them. That's what they deserve. That's what sin deserves. That's what a rejecting of God deserves.

Now back to Luke, Samaria, just like in second Kings, denial of God in this place, just like second

Kings. These people won't receive Jesus. John and James want Jesus to be accepted, to be received, to be honored, to be glorified, to be believed in.

And if these people in Samaria won't believe, what happened to those unbelievers in Samaria in second

Kings? Fire comes down and consumes them. Lord, may it be so.

Makes it a lot more interesting, doesn't it, Mario? You're like, wow, now I kind of get it. I see what's going on.

All right, now let's think through. What do you think Jesus is going to say? Burn them. The wages of sin is death.

What do you think Jesus is going to do? If you don't accept me, could there be a worse sin?

I mean, adultery is sin, fornication is sin, gluttony is a sin, lying is a sin.

But at the top of the list, a denial of Jesus, a rebuke of Jesus, stiff -arming

Jesus. We don't want you, we don't like you. You get out of here. This is like the worst.

What were they supposed to do, the disciples, when they were sent out by Jesus earlier in the chapter?

He called together the 12 and gave them power and authority over all demons to cure diseases. He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.

And whenever they do not receive you, you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.

So you go out, you proclaim the good news, faith in Christ Jesus, forgiveness of sins. The Messiah is here.

All the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ Jesus. The Messiah is literally here to rule and to reign.

The prophet, priest, and king is here trusting him. And if they say no, then what you're to do is shake off the dust of your feet as a testimony against them.

He didn't say, turn them into dust with fire. He said, wipe the dust off your feet.

These Samaritans are insulting Jesus. Kill them, get rid of them, consume them.

But you know what? They forgot about the purpose of Jesus. They forgot about the mission of Jesus.

By the way, the second coming of Jesus, that's going to happen. Judgment, the second coming is judgment.

First coming, what was the purpose of the first coming of Jesus? To seek and to save the lost.

The mission of Jesus was to rescue, was to save, not consume.

Verse 55, but Jesus turned and rebuke them.

Jesus's purpose to go die for sinners, just like these men and to be raised from the dead and to ascend.

And when he returns, then he's going to judge. The first coming is not to bring judgment.

The first coming is to bring forgiveness. Luke four, Jesus is preaching in the synagogue.

And he says, this is the year of the Lord's favor. I'm here to grace people.

He said in Luke chapter six, remember this is happening in Luke nine. In Luke six, I say to you who hear, love your enemies and do good to those who hate you.

Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you. Not, hey, they don't accept my savior.

Burn them to a crisp. The day of vengeance is coming.

You can study Luke chapter four. Jesus is preaching and he quotes Isaiah 61, but he leaves out the day of vengeance part because his first coming isn't the day of vengeance.

That will be with his second coming. Are these people enemies of Jesus?

Yes, but how are they to be treated? Okay, now let's just stop for a second.

Sit back, no compromise radio listeners. Let's think through this. Are there people that you know in the media, in the culture, in the government, in your neighborhood, in your own household that aren't believers?

Yes. What's your attitude toward them? I hope your attitude is,

God was patient with me. God was patient and kind with me. When I disobeyed

God, when I rejected Jesus, when I was an unbeliever, fire didn't come down to consume me.

I'm glad for that. By the way, aren't you glad? Aren't you glad that you weren't exterminated and consumed by fire that you deserved for your sins against God?

Aren't you glad God was patient and kind? And it was the year of the Lord's favor and God bestowed by grace and by grace alone, faith in you, made you alive.

Aren't you glad for that? Aren't you glad that God in your life put people in your life that prayed for you, that preached to you, that bore with you?

Aren't you glad that those people were not like, God, kill him. God, kill Mario now, the fool.

Kill Mike right now, rejecting Jesus. Yo, did we deserve that? Of course, but I want us to think through enemies, loving enemies.

That's what Jesus said, Luke 6. If you're watching this, you're to love your enemies. I'm to love my enemies.

What's that love look like? God, you know what? The sooner you can send them to hell, the better. Should that be our attitude?

Was that the Savior's attitude? Again, I'll say it for the third time. Sin deserves judgment, sin deserves hell.

And these people that say, I hate Jesus. I wanna persecute the church. I wanna make martyrs out of believers.

Those people deserve the judgment of God. But don't you think we should let that judgment be up to God's discretion?

Won't he make everything right? We're not to avenge anyone. God is the avenger. Our attitude toward the lost should be

Jesus's attitude toward the lost. Pity's the sinner, merciful to the sinner.

Desires salvation for his people. You've been called according to this purpose, 1

Peter 2, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps, who committed no sin, nor is there any deceit found in his mouth and will be reviled.

He did not revile and return. While suffering, he uttered no threats, but kept entrusting himself to him who judges rightly.

The writer goes on in verse 56. And they went on to another village.

We're not here to destroy people. There's going to be a judgment. That's certainly true. But I'm on a mission now to seek and to save the lost.

It's interesting. When you look at manuscripts, sometimes they're shorter verses or longer verses, depending on how old the manuscript is.

The best manuscript is in Luke 56, 9 .56, is they went on to another village. But a longer manuscript, probably not the best, but it's theologically true.

For the son of man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went on to another village.

And whether that's in the original or not, that idea is found in the mind of God.

1 Timothy 1 .15, it's a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom

I am foremost. Luke 19, the son of man came to seek and save the lost.

And how about this one? This one's really the important one. John 3 .17,

for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

What was the purpose of Jesus? I mean, the disciples in the middle of all this, they were dealing with pride.

And Jesus brings the child in front of them. They were dealing with a party spirit.

Hey, these people aren't exactly like us. And Jesus said, listen, if they're not against us, they're for us.

And now they're dealing with the purpose of Jesus. They're not understanding. The son of God is sent in the world not to condemn the world,

John 3 .17, to read it again, but in order that the world might be saved through him. That's interesting.

That is right after John 3 .16. You're like, duh, 16 to 17. I know, but thinking through,

God loved the world in this way that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

John 12, if anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him, for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

I want you to be reminded, dear Christian, that the mission of Jesus was salvation, and the heart of Jesus was compassion and mercy and salvation.

And I want you to think through, if you have enemies, what do you want for that enemy?

I hope you want salvation. I hope you want forgiveness. I know deep down in our flesh, we're like, you,

God, burn them. And if they don't repent, if they don't trust, if they don't believe, that actually will happen.

But our desire is for their salvation. I've heard it said that if you would know how bad hell was, you'd never want anybody to go there, not even your enemies, not even people that have hurt you.

And of course, for us here in America, how many people have really hurt us even physically when it comes to martyrdom or suffering for the

Lord Jesus Christ? I mean, what if we were in certain countries in the Middle East or in Africa where people have killed our loved ones?

I can imagine that we would say to ourselves, they've killed my Christian husband.

And I want those people to suffer. I want those people to pay. I want justice to be done.

I don't blame you. I'm just saying, when we think about God and His thoughts, yes, judgment will be done and judgment will happen.

But amazingly, oftentimes, God doesn't judge His enemies.

He judges His Son for the enemy's sins. Let's think about one,

Paul. How about Paul the Apostle? An enemy of Jesus, an enemy of the church, a persecutor, standing there watching

Stephen getting stoned, ravaging the church on his way to Damascus to probably get more

Christians and to put them in jail and yes, even kill them. Paul, the

Christian killer. Paul, the Christian oppressor. Paul, the enemy of Christ Jesus.

I wouldn't doubt if some people were thinking, you know what? I hope that guy goes straight to hell.

I hope that man pays for everything he did. God, give justice. God, give righteous execution.

Can't you imagine that? And the answer is yes. But God in His wonderful and wild and strange and mysterious providence saves

Paul. He saves Paul. And look how God used Paul throughout the ages, throughout his life.

And so for me, if I'm not careful, I think to myself, some of these people on TV, some of these people in the media, some of these politicians, you know what,

God? I just as soon have you send fire down and consume them. You say, well,

Mike, there are imprecatory Psalms. There are judgment Psalms. I know that. I understand that.

I mean, after all, I'm the host of a radio show. I know these things. But you see where I'm going.

It's getting kind of quiet in here. How do we deal with enemies? Our enemies, the gospel's enemies,

Jesus's enemies. And I don't think we should be so quick to just say, burn them.

I think the ministry of the Messiah is to save, is to heal, is to restore, is to give peace, is to justify.

And you know, that's true. And it's kind of a hard truth, but you know, it's true.

Beloved, Romans 12, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, vengeance is mine.

I will repay, says the Lord. To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, burn him.

Oh, sorry. If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he's thirsty, give him something to drink.

For by doing so, you will heap burning coals on his head. Probably dealing with the conscience there.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. And I'll say it again.

Aren't you glad you weren't judged right away? Aren't you glad that God was patient with you? Aren't you glad that God saved you?

Don't you want that for other people? Shouldn't you want that for your enemies? And you say, well, yeah, but I don't really feel like that.

Yeah, that's true. But mentally we know, and we order ourselves underneath the scripture. And if scripture teaches something, then we say,

Lord, I might not even want this, but I know it's right. I know it's good. And Lord, help me submit to your teachings so that I think about unbelievers the same way your son thinks about unbelievers.

And I will trust you that if they never repent, if they never believe, and if they go on like that, that you'll do the right thing.

You'll do justly and righteously, and you'll do those things. And I don't have to worry about it.

By the way, Christian, you don't ever have to worry about, will God make all things right?

Will God judge every sin and every sinner? Will God make sure that if people have oppressed the church and condemned the church and have persecuted the church, killed people in the church, offended people in the church, restricted the freedom of the church politically, will

God take care of all that? He'll either pay for their sins on the

Lord Jesus, Jesus will pay for them, or he'll make them pay. Judgment is true. When you read the

Belgic Confession on judgment day, when you read Revelation chapter 20, yes, all wrongs will be made right.

So just rest in that. And in the meantime, when you watch Jesus, you'll see that he's sent to save.

The father sent him to save. First coming, salvation. Second coming, judgment.

So my name is Mike Avendroth. This is No Compromise Radio Ministry. How do we think of unbelievers?

What do we end up doing? Luther said, Christ teaches here that the gospel is not advanced by punishing and killing, but by patience and suffering.

Luther said they desired a fire preaching, but Christ wanted a grace preaching.

Calvin, their zeal is deserving of commendation in that they desire to vindicate the honor of their master and burn with indignation at the insult offered to him.

But in the method of their zeal, they go wrong. They are carried away by a blind impulse and do not consider that the gospel must be proclaimed not by fire and sword, but by preaching of the word.

R .C. Sproul, James and John misunderstood the nature of the kingdom. They wanted judgment and vindication, but Jesus came first to save, not destroy.

And then it's interesting. Here's what Carson said.

There's an irony here. They want to bring down fire like Elijah, but Jesus is heading toward a far greater sacrifice.

He is not the bringer of fire at this moment. He is the one who will bear it. He is the one who will bear it.

Jesus doesn't come to bring judgment and hellfire. He comes to experience judgment and hellfire as hell, the torments of hell, as it were, were condensed into three hours and dumped on Jesus.

And he assuaged the wrath of God. Well, my name is Mike Abendroth, No Compromise Radio.

What's your opinion and your attitude and your demeanor towards enemies of the gospel?